Has this ever happened to you?
You think you are ‘so prepared’ because you have almost all of your work saved to a really awesome (so you thought) external hard drive…if my computer crashes…I’m set!
Until the night comes when you plug in that trusty drive into your computer and…nothing happens. It doesn’t even show up as a ‘device’ on any computer in your home. Commence panic…big panic…my LIFE is on that drive.
Five and a half hours later and an angel of a husband going to 2 stores to get a new one…I recovered about 85% of my data…sucks…but what is a girl to do.
Ok…I’ve accepted my losses, gotten over my panic and moved on.
Exactly…seriously…EXACTLY one week to the second of my hard drive woes…I unplug my macbook to find…NOTHING…outer darkness…black screen with a cursor only. Seriously…really? Is this really happening?
After 3.5 hours and a lengthy session with the kind folks at Apple…I have an appointment to take it in to the store for further help…but it is probably going to have to be restored to it’s original state.
I am sick…my photos of every high school dance which my 2 daughters attended over six years are on that computer hard drive. (they were both Homecoming queens…pretty special memories) Every family vacation, Christmas, you name it…EVERYTHING! (Not to mention all my business photos, photos for my end of the year slide show…products I am currently working on…representing HOURS of work…you get the picture!
I sleep about 2 full hours that night…I have 36 hours before I take my computer into the Apple store. Thank GOD I had a half day of school, or I think I would have had to call in…which I never do unless I am dying or have to have a colonoscopy or something similar…I’m ALWAYS at school.
So, yesterday I take my new hard drive and my macbook into Apple. They are able to save everything…I will send them a Valentine…
But, my computer will be wiped clean. All apps will need to be downloaded again, (no more Picassa…so SAD) all favorites and bookmarks will be gone. No passwords will be saved…It is not going to be easy when I get it back…I’m grateful for next weekend being President’s day.
Here are some choice words of advice for everyone…
- Write down every password for every account you have and make 10 copies…put them in every spot you might look
- Back up your work in time machine EVERY time you use your computer.
- Back up your back up
- Print out everything you might need to refer to or need for your taxes IMMEDIATELY and file them in a safe place
- Write down every password for every account you have and make 10 copies…put them in every spot you might look…should I say it again?
