Sharing my life and love of cross stitch. Thoughts about this and that.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

FINALLY but .....

I've edited since original post. Those of you who have had hard drive crashes already know the utter frustration and despair when you realize everything is lost. Those of you don't: BACK UP YOUR DATA NOW!! Then pray that that works.

NEVER AGAIN!!  If your hard drive ever crashes just throw the computer away. Buy a new one with every program you need or ever wanted PREINSTALLED and have someone ELSE load all your previous data.

1) I've lost everything. The stuff my neighbor managed to retrieve is 99% unintelligible computer code.

2)  I tried but was unable to install new hard drive myself (couldn't get screws out), so gracious neighbor assisted. Numerous problems with software, hardware and peripherals!!  I've been unable to reinstall the financial data I have religiously backed up every time I've used that program. Just the thought of having to re-enter years worth of check register data is so daunting I can't bring myself to even start that horrendously long & tedious process. I've spent days and days in UTTER FRUSTRATION.. All those personal tweakings to Word and other programs  I have managed over  the past 20 years  have disappeared. I can't remember how I even did what I did to accomplish such. Among other things my speakers aren't working, and computer doesn't recognize ethernet card so I am without DSL for the time being and am back to dial-up. .I have FINALLY reconnected to the internet after 4 full weeks - but only at 28.8K. !!DARK AGES!!

Sadly. all my cross stitch patterns and designs are gone. I've reinstalled Pattern Maker but I would have to recreate everything from scratch. Don't know that after 20 years (the original shareware version came out about that long ago) I'm up do recharting anything, I have a 3 or 4 year old CD that I once used to back up all my data. I'm too fearful that it won't work either to even give it a try. At this point in time the amount of actual data I've got on this computer would comfortably fit on a 5-1/2 inch floppy. BTW, I still have those stored from my 1998 computer. Perhaps I need to install a 5-1/2 inch drive! Wonder if there are any left?

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Well, SOME data recovered

but not much. Whatever it may be fits on a 4.7GB DVD disk. Only I don't have a DVD drive. My Dad volunteered to transfer to CD's for me. I bought a new hard drive (the smallest readily available these days is 160GB, replacing a 40GB drive which was only 1/2 full to start with), and while I'm sure I can I still haven't sat down to install it. I think just the thought of having to format then reinstall whatever programs I have has me just too depressed. I had to do this once before a LONG time ago, rebuilding the entire computer from mother board up. At the time I told everyone I'd learned more about computers than I ever wanted to!! And it was just a 100MB model. I think I dread really finding out just how much I HAVE lost. I'm told there are a lot of .jpgs and some things the guy didn't recognize, so I'm hoping my calendar stuff and all my Pattern Matter files are still there. Did I mention that I had all my business and financial files on there as well. Since I'm a lawyer, or have been for far too long, all of my form files, many client files, etc. and if I have to retype 40 page divorce decrees and all that verbage that goes in a will and trust ... you will hear me SCREAMING!!

I'm really sick to my tummy over this!

But on the I guess "bright side" I'll be helping at the EOC (Emergency Operations Center at the Office of Emergency Management) on Sunday for the NBA All Star Game. Will be interesting, though  my shift is 6am til noon. Doubt I'll be answering THAT many phone calls for them. Trying to decide whether to just stay up all night or go to bed really early!

Friday, February 5, 2010

Computer still in Shop : {

I'm so upset that I may have lost everything so I am grasping at any straw that the data can still be retrieved. So far no good news. Still trying to get hard drive to work. I've been out shopping, but I don't NEED a 160GB hard drive when I've got probably less than 10GB of data!

Monday, February 1, 2010

Still Sans Computer

Using my Dad's - very limited access, however. Plans for new hard drive on hold as my almost 7 year old system may not handle the gigantic leap in speed and memory. I'm still using 256 Ram when now it's in the gigahertz. : (  I still don't know if ANY data from old drive is recoverable, and if so is likey to be expensive. : ( Can't stitch. Too depressed.
REPEAT - GO BACK UP YOUR DATA!!  NOW!!!!!
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