As Near As I Can Tell...

[queenoftheskies]

Everything is going to be okay as far as my writing goes.

I haven't checked everything, cause I've got like a million writing files, but I checked the last thing I wrote on and it still has my new words in violet. (I write in color so I can count new words and so my sister, who reads via e-mail every day, can find it easily...then black it all in the next day and start over.)

I'll check in more detail tomorrow. Tonight, I'm going to crash. I was already really beat and that SHOCK just about did me in!!!

As near as we can tell...daughter had the computer on today while I was at work. She left it unattended to shower and kitties walked across the keyboard oldest son says. Now, whether they did anything or whether it was something else, I don't know. I wasn't here.

Writing folder (and it's million sub-folders and files) was completely gone. The entire thing. It was NOT in the recycle bin.

Now, here's the strange part. I have been even better than usual about backing up to my flash drive lately. I backed up last night. (I think it was last night.) I can't remember for sure if I added anything afterwards or not. If so, it's gone. But, it wasn't much and I can re-write.

I restored the entire folder from my flash drive.

So, it's back on the computer, it's still on my flash drive, and I even burned a CD copy just because I'm paranoid now.

For a while, when I add substantial amounts, I've been e-mailing a copy to my g-mail account. But, that's only on more recent (past few months) novels and only when the words I've written are substantial.

Whew! Scary, scary thing!!!

Thank god for back-ups!!!

ALWAYS BACK UP YOUR WORK...and then you'll be LUCKY, like I was!!!

Comments

glad to hear it.........

[dracschick.livejournal.com]

flash drives rock:)

[mmarques.livejournal.com]

I am SO glad you had a back-up.

[lanyn.livejournal.com]

Oh whew! Fortunately, I read this entry before the entry that stated you'd lost stuff or I'd have been freaking out as badly as you. There's nothing quite like that fear, is there? Yay for you backing up regularly!!

How lame is this? I don't know what a flash drive is! I back up regularly to CD.

[queenoftheskies.livejournal.com]

I think a flash drive is one of the most glorious devices of modern times.

It's a tiny portable drive...maybe 2-3 inches long...like a stick, almost.

Comes in varying sizes...128K, 264K, 512K, 1 GB, and 2 GB. They may have larger now. I'm not sure.

I've seen the 128K for as little as $12.99.

I got my 1GB on sale for something like $52 at Christmas.

You plug it into your USB port and then copy everything onto it like a separate drive.

I HIGHLY recommend them.

Not only can you use them to back-up, but you can move things from computer to computer that way, too.

[ssha.livejournal.com]

Don't they also have them that come on keychains/jumprings?

[kuroshii.livejournal.com]

pretty much all of them have a small hole that you can put your own jump ring on, just that some of them come with a keychain or lanyard as a marketing ploy.

[queenoftheskies.livejournal.com]

Mine came with a lanyard, but it spends its life sitting up on top of my computer.

One of these days, I'm going to use it to transfer files to my laptop. Then I'll have even MORE backups.

Backups are a good, good thing.

[jediknightmuse.livejournal.com]

I didn't know what a flash drive was until back in September when I had to buy one for a class, so don't feel bad, lol.

[dragovianknight.livejournal.com]

Oh, man, how SCARY!!! Though do remember that I have all the novel files you send me, which should be a GOOD REASON TO SEND ME STUFF TO READ!

[cathellisen.livejournal.com]

ARGH! When I started reading I almost screamed out loud on your behalf, then I saw you managed to save most of your work. HOORAYS!

Cat was the one that told me I should get a gmail account and send my work there, and it's been a brilliant idea.

[beth-bernobich.livejournal.com]

Yay for the flash drives!

I have one, and I back up my entire data directory -- all writing files, submission records, website files, and email.

[quiller77.livejournal.com]

I heaved a sigh of relief for you. So glad you had backups.

[spaceoperadiva.livejournal.com]

Whew. Glad that worked out okay. And thanks for the back up reminder!