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Computer Crashed...please Read..

In summary, my computer crashed on Thursday and when I tried to restore it, the Pampered Partner+ wouldn't load onto my husband's laptop. Tech Support said that the Pampered Partner+ could only be saved on a cd-rw disc and that I am the only person who is affected. I have over 1100 shows saved on the hard drive and they are all gone.
crissy11
Gold Member
423
My computer crashed on Thursday. The #1 sector was corrupted and two different people have not been able to access the hard drive to try and save some stuff. I loaded the PP+ onto my husband's laptop and got my cd to restore my shows. It said there was nothing on the cd. I back up weekly and have for4 years that we had the computer.
I called Tech Support this morning and the guy asked me if it was a cd-r or a cd-rw disc. I said cd-r.. He continues to say the Pampered Partner program can ONLY be saved on a cd-rw disc. Sorry but you have been saving it to the hard drive all of these years and there is nothing that we can do. I have over 1100 shows in there and they are all gone.
I asked why do they not let people know that it will not save on anything else and he said even with the cd-rw it is only a 50% chance that our program will save to it. He said to be absolutely sure that it saves to something than I need to buy a flashdrive. He said that when you use a cd-rw disc it has to be reformatted to Data or it will not overwrite or rewrite.
Am I the only one who doesn't know this?? I told him he should send this out in a weekly bites to let people know to check their cd's. even if they are using the right one. He just said I am sorry but there is nothing we can do. I will transfer you to customer service.
I needed for them to see who had booked off of one lady's show. They said they don't see names of who booked. I asked then how do they know who is linked to who and she said it was through the past hostess discount number but she couldn't look at a hostess show and tell me who the bookings were.
I am just soo frustrated and wanted to warn you all to check those discs.
Staples has the flashdrives on sale for less than $20 so I guess I will be buying one.
Crystal
 
CD-R are only 1 use CD's. Once you saved files, music, etc on them that's what on there for the life of the CD. CD-RW let you edit the CD. I suggest using a thumb drive (flash drive) instead of a CD next time. There are also several people who back up their stuff twice so that just in case one is corrupt, the other has the information.
 
I'm sorry to hear that you lost all of your data. I'd recommend getting a fairly large (like 1G) flashdrive since you have so many shows. It will be much easier to carry around and to use than a CD anyways.

Thanks for the heads up though.
 
I save mine on a memory stick. (more frequently on the hard drive) but anytime I am at shows, I use the stick.

HTH
 
Something that may help in the future with bookings, I don't remember the exact name so someone can speak up if they want. It's the "host rewards" booklet. It has duplicate sheets, you write down all the host info, where her party is at right now, where it could be at with outside orders, bookings, who owe's the host what (love that part). That way you always have a record in your hands.
 
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  • #6
I have all of the paperwork. I have been doing this for 9 years and went paperless several years ago. I wait until I transmit the show and then throw the order forms and the hostess reward form away. I have then just printed out a receipt to whoever needed one. I do expect the hostess to remember who booked shows off of them but need to know for my sanity also.
When I get my new computer you better believe I will have a external hard drive plus the flash drive to save to. But it doesn't help with the 1100 shows that are lost now. I did talk to someone who does hard drive recovery and for a minimum of $250 they can try and get into the hard drive by opening it up and taking the disc out and seeing if they can retrieve anything off of it.
Right now it is worth it to do that.
 
Why don't you try to call a local Vo-tech or community college that offers computer training. Those kids are just as good, but don't have the degree and that means you don't pay them as much. Just my thoughts!
 
Crissy - want to ship me your harddrive? I have a GREAT recovery program and if I can get the drive to spin (which it seems to) it may recover some stuff.It ran for 3-4 weeks on mine but I got my data back (my drive was BAD!!!!!)PM me if you want us to work on it...won't cost you $250!!!!!
 
There are companies in the world that can recover your data. They have clean rooms where they open your drive and physically read the data off the platters.If you do a google search on data recovery, you'll be able to find that there are several of them.They aren't cheap - but what price do you put on your data?
 
  • #10
I didn't know this! And to be honest I do the backup to my computer but nowhere else... (how dumb is that now that I think about it!!). I'll be backing up to my flash drive - thanks for the heads up!
 
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  • #11
thanks for all of the emails...
 
  • #12
Hopefully some of your data will be recovered! I was relieved when I got mine back and it was only 1 year's worth! ...and I KNOW better on back-ups...
 
  • #13
BTW, Tiger Direct just had 2GB jump drives for $9.99 each.
 
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  • #14
Janet, I will have to get back with you on the type of computer. I just know it is a desktop Dell. My husband has it in his car and I have the hard drive sitting on the table here. I will ask him what it is for sure.
 
  • #15
crissy11 said:
Janet, I will have to get back with you on the type of computer. I just know it is a desktop Dell. My husband has it in his car and I have the hard drive sitting on the table here. I will ask him what it is for sure.

Hey no problem - most like an IDE harddrive then. They have some SATAs but didn't put them in most of the home use PCs.

If you need any directions on taking just the harddrive out, just yell.

We use Dells solely here at work for the last 5-6 years so I've had every model pass me...practically and I'm on a Precision 670 right now. :)

If there is viable data on the drive and we can get it cooled and spinning we'll get it...just short of what KG said about taking the HD apart in a clean room and reading the plates...don't do that.

Just send me a note later!
 
  • #16
hperschnick said:
I didn't know this! And to be honest I do the backup to my computer but nowhere else... (how dumb is that now that I think about it!!). I'll be backing up to my flash drive - thanks for the heads up!
I'm going to get my flash drive right now and back up. Yikes, this scares me because I'd be a mess if my computer crashed!!!
 
  • #17
Alright, now I'm paranoid! I always back-up to a CD and a Thumb Drive. How can I be sure that my data is on them?
 
  • #18
Good question Linda! I always try to make sure I back up after closing a show, just as a reminder. I almost lost a few shows when the computer I was working on wouldn't turn on. I spend 30 minutes on the phone with my brother learning how to change the hard drive out (I am so computer illiterate!). Now I know what to do next time but was able to retrieve all my stuff that wasn't saved on my flash drive.
 
  • #19
Plug your thumb drive in and in Internet Explorer go look at it and see if the back-up file is on it. Usually is for jump drives if you saved it there. CDs are trickier if not formatted and you miss that it isn't writing.
 
  • #20
Janet, is that the PPPlus.dat file? That's the only one dated today.
 
  • #21
pamperedlinda said:
Janet, is that the PPPlus.dat file? That's the only one dated today.

You can save it as various names.

I usually save mine as 20080225 (by date). Otherwise, it does default to ppplus.dat.

You should be going to Tools then back-up then saving it with a name. That's usually what I do.
 
  • #22
I've always used the default and wrote over it. From now on I will give it a name. I guess that's a good idea b/c if your latest back-up fails for some reason then you have another not so current version (but better than nothing).
 
  • #23
pamperedlinda said:
I've always used the default and wrote over it. From now on I will give it a name. I guess that's a good idea b/c if your latest back-up fails for some reason then you have another not so current version (but better than nothing).
Yup, that's why I do it...so I keep a few copies on hand...and I know at a quick glance when I last backed up.
 
  • #24
Just hearing about all of this has made me want to back up. My computer crashed with about 6 months worth of data that could not be recovered last year. I was so sick over it because I couldn't get it to back up on my CD's. I got a flash drive and I try to back up at least once/week. I hadn't thought of changing the name of the file though. Thanks for the tip.
 
  • #25
OK...I am confused...if I buy a flash drive what does it hook to and how does it work???? I can not for the life of me get my data from PP+ onto a disc or evena floppy!!!!!!!!!:(
 
  • #26
lisa717 said:
OK...I am confused...if I buy a flash drive what does it hook to and how does it work???? I can not for the life of me get my data from PP+ onto a disc or evena floppy!!!!!!!!!:(

A flash drive or jump drive plugs into a USB port. It acts as another drive letter and you can save to it like you would to an old floppy disk.
 
  • #27
what are your thoughts about backing up on a Zip disc? That is what I have been doing. Should I switch to the flash thing? You all have such great info to share! - thanks
 

Related to Computer Crashed...please Read..

1. What should I do if my computer crashes?

If your computer crashes, the first thing you should do is try to restart it. If that doesn't work, try booting your computer in safe mode and running a virus scan. If the issue persists, it may be necessary to seek professional help or consider resetting your computer.

2. Will I lose all of my data if my computer crashes?

There is a possibility that you may lose some data if your computer crashes, but it depends on the cause of the crash and how quickly you are able to resolve the issue. It's always a good idea to regularly backup important files to avoid losing them in the event of a computer crash.

3. How can I prevent my computer from crashing?

To prevent your computer from crashing, make sure to regularly update your operating system and antivirus software. It's also important to avoid downloading suspicious files or clicking on links from unknown sources. Additionally, keeping your computer well-maintained and free of dust can also help prevent crashes.

4. Can I fix my computer if it crashes?

It depends on the cause of the crash and your level of technical expertise. If the issue is software-related, you may be able to fix it by troubleshooting or seeking help from online resources. However, if it is a hardware issue, it may be necessary to seek professional assistance.

5. How long does it take to fix a crashed computer?

The time it takes to fix a crashed computer varies depending on the cause of the crash and the severity of the issue. It could take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours or even days. It's important to have patience and not rush through the troubleshooting process to ensure the issue is properly resolved.

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