So, data recovery is a tough gig and Dell gives me 10 days from Wednesday to get it done. It seems to require weeks, so I might not be able to get this done in the first place even if I could afford it. What does this mean?
- I’m not happy.
- I cannot get any of those videos of the toddler back.
- I have to rewrite the last 2 chapters of my last book.
- I’m really not happy.
- God knows what else I lost that I haven’t touched in a while. Best man speech? Resumes? Wedding ceremony I made for my wedding?
So, I’m going to decide on what to do today after searching for another data recovery place and get some estimates. Might get another evaluation, but it’s looking like tomorrow will be the rewrite. I don’t know how social and friendly I’ll be while doing this. I was very careful with how I wrote the last two chapters and several parts where spontaneous gold. Those won’t be recovered since I don’t remember them exactly. All I know is that I’m pissed. It’s my data, so I should be given plenty of time to get it back. What’s Dell going to do with a busted hard drive and my data?
Legends of Windemere 
Data recovery doesn’t take weeks unless they’re dragging their asses. My husband is a programmer/computer IT guy and he recovers data over a course of a few hours in most cases (if it can be done at all) Some places like the Best Buy Geek Squad charge a ridiculous amount to do it for you, but can get it done in a few days. Anyways, I hope you get it sorted out and get your files back or replaced quickly. It’s always so painful to lose writing and pictures that can’t be replaced
LikeLike
I just got off the phone with Geek Squad. They said $150 for an ‘In House’ that takes 3-5 days. Dell is only giving me 10, so we’ll see what happens. I can’t bring it in until Wednesday afternoon after the hard drive is replaced. You can’t even get into Windows on the thing.
LikeLike
Man that sucks – I hope you get it all sorted.
LikeLike
If recoverable, it shouldn’t take above a day. A good repair guy should be able to do it.Hope you get the stuff back.
LikeLike
Thanks. Right now I’m trying to see what videos I lost and find out if I sent them to people. Then it’ll be a rewrite because it doesn’t look like I’ll have any luck with the data recovery.
LikeLike
I hope you can get them back, Charles
LikeLike
Looks like a no. Just got the laptop back. The few Word docs that were recovered were empty.
LikeLike
Oh sod.
LikeLike
We don’t care if you are an unsocial grumpy-arse. Still love you.
LikeLike
Awww. My arse is a little less grumpy now.
LikeLike
I really, really sympathise. I had a hard drive failure mid working and lost a lot of stuff. The lap top was a 1 year old notebook but it only cost £200 so I took out the drive and bought another. I hope you get some of your stuff back. And for what it’s worth, you may find that the stuff you had to rewrite comes out even better.
Cold luck.
Cheers
MTM
LikeLike
Sadly, it’s been confirmed that everything that wasn’t backed up is gone. So tomorrow I start the rewrite. I agree with what a friend said this morning. It will be different, but better is in the eye of the beholder. Only I saw it, so nobody can really weigh in. I do know I lost a lot of spontaneous ideas, which is what hurts.
LikeLike
There will be more, I am certain. So sorry to hear it though. What a massive ball ache.
LikeLike
I would be hard pressed to rewrite what I wrote today let alone last week. Sorry for your loss.
LikeLike
Thanks. I sense a long, rough week ahead. Sucks too because I just started reading a new book, but I want this off my mind before I continue.
LikeLike
my sympathies Charles, I can relate sort of, my last lap top fell off the table and I had a tech friend look at it and he couldn’t recover any of my files, in my case I wrote it off as one of my purges… being one that destroys a lot of my writing it was easy for me to get over, but I’m a rare one as most writers I’ve talked to keep everything… I do hope you find a way to recover what you lost
LikeLike
Thanks. I start rewriting tomorrow because it can’t be recovered in time or with assurance.
LikeLike
Guess I was lucky. I had a hard drive crash on a pc once and Best Buy was able to copy the files onto an external hard drive for me right there in the store (before shipping the pc off to the graveyard)… I hope you get those chapters back; it’s almost like losing a body part.
LikeLike
I did talk to Best Buy, but I wouldn’t be able to try until Wednesday/Thursday. Also, one of the people I talked to seemed concerned that you couldn’t get into Windows on it. If they can’t do it in-store then they send it out and I’m not able to do that. So, I start the rewriting today.
LikeLike
What a drag! I also thought of the Geek Squad. When my computer crashed, I took it to them. I’m really sorry, Charles.
LikeLike
Yeah. That’s who I called, but that ’10 Day Deadline’ makes it a big risk. If they send it out for weeks then I lose the warranty on the new hard drive. I’ll talk to the tech coming tomorrow to replace the hard drive, but I should start the rewrite today to try. Otherwise, I’ll find myself still working on this when I should be prepping Book 5.
LikeLike
I lost about a third of a novel I was working on when a drive crashed. I was quoted $1200-2000 to get it back because of how they had to recover the data. I wish I knew someone personally in the industry, so I would know whether I could trust what they were telling me. Anyway, all that to say, I totally feel your pain. Hope your rewrite went well.
LikeLike
Someone tried, but it didn’t work. Seems it isn’t always a guarantee unless you pay a lot. Deals with the type of program used. I rewrote one chapter today and I’ll be tackling the other one on Thursday. Tomorrow is laptop revival day.
LikeLike
Wow – that really is horrible. I’m just thinking how many things I’ve got that I only come back to months after I’ve forgotten I wrote them – and the videos – what a shame. Sorry Charles – I really hope you get to recover it all.
LikeLike
Nothing was recoverable, so I’m rewriting this week. I just got the new hard drive about 2 hours ago. So it’s rebuild the system day.
LikeLike
These things really stink – about eighteen years ago, somehow every single photo I had prior to that got lost/thrown away. It’s only lately that I’ve made contact with long lost family members that I’ve managed to gather around 5 or 6 pics of my mom as a child. Losing those memories really hurt. Never mind though – you’ll get through it, and your rewrite will be just as cool as every other thing you’ve written. 🙂
LikeLike
Oh no, Charlres! I think the worst part is losing the videos 😦 Somewhere, in the back of our minds, we’re always rewriting! I’m thinking about you…
Ellespeth
LikeLike
Thanks. Only have one chapter of rewrite left.
LikeLike