My dead notebook, part 2

[zyzyly]

Since I had the dumb foresight to purchase a three-year service plan, I was able to take my notebook into Fry's for repair. They directed me to the computer repair desk.

The Fry's Computer repair area is like a big playpen full of computer geeks. It was such a trip--the guy who handled my computer was textbook geek, right down to the white shirt and pocket protector. It was surreal. He started asking me what the symptoms were, if there were any chronic problems, etc. Another technician wandered over and asked him what was up. He replies, "DOA". Just like the emergency room. I almost wanted to cry for my poor dead machine.

He Played around with it for a while, but couldn't get it to start either. They'll have to send it off to computer ICU or something, and it will be a long time before it can come home. sniff-sniff

By chance, my protection plan provides for a "loaner", so they gave me a factory-sealed compaq to play around with while mine is in the shop. Good thing, because I was jonesing pretty bad (this deserves and entry all its own).

As they admitted my computer, I had to answer some questions about my hard drive. one question asked if I had backups of all my critical data, since everything was likely to be lost in the repair process. Uh-oh!

I have been pretty lax about backing up my files on a regular basis. Pretty lax meaning I haven't backed up anything. I immediately feared that I was about to lose every picture I have taken in the past 8 months, along with 5 years of diaconate course work.

Computer geek to the rescue! He had a plan. I bought a new hard drive, and he transferred all my data to the new drive. Since my old drive was almost full, I was going to have to do this anyway, so it worked out pretty well. I hooked up the drive to an external case, and can connect it to this machine via a USB connection, so I have access to all my files sighofrelief.

So I am connected again. whee!

Comments

[wordweaverlynn.livejournal.com]

Thank God you have your files. What a scary prospect.

And welcome back!

[adeodatus.livejournal.com]

Its stories like this that make me proud to claim the title of computer geek, though I refuse to wear a tie and pocket protector. I'm glad you were able to have your data saved. Its rare that happens in a situation like that and that was a very clever thought by a fellow geek. You need to give thanks to St. Jude (who should be the Patron Saint of Computers and Microsoft). I'm sure he had a hand in this "lost cause". ;)

Glad your back on line.

[badsede.livejournal.com]

When I was in college, I was riding my bike down the road with my powerbook in my bag. My backpack zipper gave out and my powerbook went flying out into the road.

I gathered it up, snapped a piece back in place, booted it up. Nothing wrong.

This is why I only buy quality goods, I am just too damn hard on them.

[daisydumont.livejournal.com]

oh, that IS a relief! i've lost everything before, and it's awful (my son could only partly restore the lost files for me).

[purple7luv.livejournal.com]

yay!

(me likes the medical themed narrative as well)
:)