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Back Road BearsThe tragic news: Our computer bit the dust..... died..... kicked the can..... croaked..... you get the picture. Yes, I still have my laptop BUT... the tragic part about this is that I hadn't backed up my flies in oh..... MONTHS! All my bear pictures, show planning stuff/forms etc., and all of our personal pictures, files etc since last July are GONE! 
I know, I know..... it's my own darn fault... I know better! :doh: I can at least download my website files... Thank God! And from there can retrieve a lot of photos. I'm thinking about taking the hard drive to SOMEONE to see if they can somehow get all the files off it. Hubs can't and although I know he's trying very hard to salvage SOMETHING, it might take a professional.
My advice: GO! Back up your hard drive... NOW!!! And do it regularly... you never know when something tragic could happen!
Luxembears Very good advice Daphne. Sorry to hear this happened to you. 
:hug:
Chaska, MinnesotaI am writing this with my head down in shame This is a silly question in this day and age, but how does one back up the hard drive. Do you need to get a professional computer person to do this?
For me, I have all my beloved recipes on my computer.... Many are my own creations.....so how is this back up thingy done?
Posts: 2,203Hubs does that constantly because he does compuyers for a living.
So sorry Daphne - the same thing happened to me in Nov!! UGH I hadn't backed anything up as well for months and maybe even close to a year. But I called the Geek Squad who were able to recover almost all of my data from the hard drive and import it to my new computer. :dance: :dance: :dance: I only lost personal addresses for family and friends which I can recover most of that by calling a few people. Maybe try giving them a call or someone in your area and hopefully all is not lost. My old computer wouldn't even start up it was a mess!
Boy we rely on these thing way to much!!!
Mikki, Cripple Creek CreativeDaphne,
Can Totally relate...had the same horrible experience last summer....without even a clue ...just died. Mikki
Posts: 8,574Oh jeez! I really am sorry about this. What a loss for you.
Hope you can recreate.....
dilu
Blankie BearsHi Daphne!! I too had that experience and my computer guy was able to put almost everything on a few CDs for us which we could then download onto our new computer. By the way, my new computer automatically creates a backup file. I guess it can be accessed even if the computer dies. Peace of mind! Something you may want to look in to if you are going to get a new one.
Ginny
Back Road BearsMikki & Jane - I'm sorry you experienced the same thing. I'm headed to Best Buy tomorrow with the hard drive and crossed fingers! (Hubby doesn't know I'm going there!)
Ginny - That's what I'm hoping someone can do with our hard drive... put the files on CD. We already have a new computer.... had it for a while... but it runs VISTA instead of XP and two of my fav programs are not compatible with VISTA... plus we really had a hard time adjusting to VISTA period so have continued to use the old computer.... I think we got at least 6 extra months out of it. So can't complain. But now I have to learn new programs (one is my graphics/photo editing program!!! Waaaaa!!)
Michelle - You need to copy the files you want to preserve onto a CD. I'm not the one to explain the technical process as I've left it to hubbby in the past (but will start doing it myself so I know it gets done more often that every 8 months!). Anyone want to tell Michelle how to do this???
Posts: 3,540 Oh Daphne, how awful!! :hug: I recently downloaded my photos from the computer onto a disc, as my own family's lost pics that way. Yes, its too easy to rely on these fickle creatures, but when they work, they're magical. 
Swan Valley BearsDaphne, yesterday I saw software at Fry's Electronics store made especially for retrieving lost photos. I don't know if it would work if your computer is dead.
Also, I use Mozy back-up service. www.mozy.com I don't remember how much it cost but it wasn't much. Your computer connects to Mozy automatically on a schedule and backs up your files on their gigantic server. If your computer dies, you just connect to their website and "restore files". It doesn't back up external hard drives, though. I wish it did because that's where I store all my photos. They say they are working on it. But you could move your ext. hard drive photos to your computer, back up, then move them back. Hmmm... I might do that.
Back Road BearsPatty - Wow! Thanks.... I'll check that out!
Daphne
I think before throwing the computer into the dustbin or kicking it out of the door try getting an expert to see if they can get any info from the hard drive. Sometimes power surges can be the problem or the motherboard and hard drive can just give up. Of course a virus can do the same thing so very important to have your computer protected and to never open emails or attachments from people you do not know.
The info you can retrieve will then depend on what part of the computer went down. Now days you can purchase a memory stick and transfer all you info onto this depending on the size you get. It is a much easier way to store files instead of having 1001 disks around.
Michelle you do not need another computer you just need a program to transfer the info from your computer onto something -either a cd or as I mentioned a memory stick. You can purchase certain programs to do the transfer- I use one called Nero.
Someone here with more computer knowledge might be able to offer advice I am not an expert in this field.
Daphne I hope that you do get something back- let us know
Lynette
The same thing happened to me late last year! It has taken me months to get back on track. The only thing I don't have is my emails and address from outlook. Please remember to back these up as well as your other files. I use to rely on this to track orders extra but that system failed with my computer
Daphne - the makers of your software program should have files that you can download for vista. i actually stay with XP but I do love the 2007 microsoft suite. it is very easy to use ( Now this may sound like i know what I am talking about but i don't - the IT staff at my office are great)
Last week end I bought a 500gb External hard drive to back up all the computers in our house. it came with software and is about 15cm x15cm x 3cm. Cost was $150 AUD.
Flying Fur StudiosWell, that sucks. My advice for next time is to partition your hard drive that way you won't loose everything and you don't have to back stuff up.
What a bummer though, I know there is so much that is important to me on my PC I'd die if I lost it. ]
I hope you can get your stuff back!
DoodlebearsPoor you Daphne, I had the same thing a while back. I got a new computer, which is great, I took out the old hard drive from the old computer, Which is soooo easy. All there was to do was:
1. Take off the side of the tower.
2.Take out the screws which hold the hard drive in place, then pull out the two flat cables that go into the hard drive.
I did the same to the new computer and then just fitted the old hard drive into the new computer, it took all of ten minutes. I reattached the cables to the back of the computer. Turned it on and I was able to get all of my files back. I lost nothing! I did however fit back the new hard drive and transfer the saved files onto it as the new drive is soooo much bigger.
Before you go unplugging the hard drives check that they both have the same size flat cables plugged into them or they won't be compatable.
Other than that take it to a computer store and ask them to do the same thing. They do however charge quite a lot to do this in this country, I obviously don't know what would be charged where you live. Maybe you or your husband have a friend who could help.
Good luck Daphne!
Hugs, Jane...who has a stinking cold right now and feeling sorry for herself...phooey...I never usually get colds.
Rufnut Teddy'sThanks Daph for the wonderful reminder, we all know what to do, but never get around to it :redface: , :redface: we are the same. Sorry to hear your news. :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug: :hug:
I use an external hard drive to store all my 'stuff', so it keeps the main computer hard drive free. It's just a 'plug in 'n' play' thing ... really useful and tons of storage capacity. I do back up my most important templates etc onto disc ... thanks for the reminder Daphne, it's about time I did an update!
Bears-a-Bruin!Daphne, I've been backing up my files just this morning!!! I had a computer die on me a few years ago, and like you I lost a lot of stuff. Some could be retrieved from the web, but some was gone forever. And while the loss of photos is heartbreaking, it's also the hassle of sorting everything out that is such a pain.
So your reminder to backup is one I fully endorse!
I really do hope you manage to get your files back and get organised again with too much trouble. One of those little pen drives is always handy, and backing up to discs of course. I also have some webspace I back up too. Can you tell I'm paranoid now?!!!
:hug:
Oh Daphne I'm so sorry!!!!!! Thanks for the reminder though - haven't done one in a while...
q.D.paToOtieSThat's terrible Daphne! Thanks so much for the reminder - I'm terrible at backing up my data/photos!
Back Road BearsLynette.... the thing this, I'll take the harddrive in to see if the info is there anywhere but.... BIG BUT.... hubs thinks he knows what he's doing and I"m afraid I don't have much faith in him when it comes to his computer knowledge as this isn't the first time we've lost everything.... the last time it was because HE decided to mess around with it and screwed it up then couldn't recover it. If I take the whole thing in, have a PROFESSIONAL fix it Henry would be SOOOOOO mad at me.... even if it got fixed. It would kill his ego! MEN!
Heather.... Henry said something about when he ran the recovery disc it removed a partition... the drive had two... and that has something to do with why the files are truly gone..... does this sound right?
Part of me is afriad that I'll take the hard drive in, find hubs is right and then I'll have to have more faith in his computer skills! LOL!
I have an external drive that I store my laptop files on.
Lisa D & Jane - The hard drive isn't even recognized by the new computer that runs Vista.... or perhaps he siad it couldn't even be plugged in to it w/o special adapters which he doesn't have. I'm not sure which. I got so confussed. We have an old back up disk from last july which he tried to download the files from on to the new Vista computer and it kept getting hung up. He's read up on transfering XP files into VISTA and apparently this is a known problem. I'm really hating VISTA. 
And you can't BUY a new computer with XP on it as it's outdated. I know, the best thing is to take it to a computer whiz and have them fix the old one!!!!! Try telling my hubby that!
Chaska, MinnesotaLynette wrote:Michelle you do not need another computer you just need a program to transfer the info from your computer onto something -either a cd or as I mentioned a memory stick. You can purchase certain programs to do the transfer- I use one called Nero.
Thank you Lynnette: I'll try to get to Office Max to get a memory stick. I would assume the sales people there would know how to use it so I'll ask....
Daphane: I do hope you can recover your records from the computer...
Creative Design Studio (RKR4CDS)I put my entire HD onto 4.7 GB DVDs. a stack of 100 was $30. Everything went onto 6 DVDs, that's 30 GB saved. It's been a few months & time to do it again.
LOL - a year & a half ago, a 500 LaCie external cost $500! It too failed so I've gone to DVDs.
Emails are the only problem so I took out a .mac acct @ $99 annually. The only problem is that it saves the mail, but assigns it just a number instead of the original Folders and Subject titles. I'm sure what I need are there, but if I have to find something it's going to take hours/days....
I'm looking for some other program/software that will save Mac email in a more easy-to-use format.
Swan Valley BearsDaphne, I bought a 500 GB WD My Book external hard drive at Circuit City for $129. I had already filled up the 160 GB ext hard drive I had. But I almost feel like I have to back those up tool. What if they die?
We have a local access TV station in our community. I do video editing for them. I brought an ext hard drive home to edit a show and it died with all the video on it. They had to re-shoot the show.
