Like most families, at Christmas all the kids and grandkids were here. We had a blast. While I was talking in the living room, one of the kids loaded up a farming game for the grand daughters on my computer. Later I came in the room and smelled electronics, you know that smell. Before I could shut it off, it went dead.
Three weeks later here I am on my new computer. You can imagine the story inbetween!
One of my former ag students is my computer tech. He has just gotten married so I figured I was in trouble and I was. Rushed the old black box down to him and told him what happened he said he would get to it. Don't mess around now, my talks are on there for January and beyond. Besides everything I have worked on for years) Sure, should be no problem.
So I start using LuAnn's computer. In only a day or two she walks in her office and yells Squatter, Squatter! I am sure the computer will be back soon. Wrong. She lets me use her laptop and I keep chugging along with what files I have backed up.
New Years, this is getting serious. I spend hours looking up things I already had filed on my system. Powerpoints aren't getting done, I am getting nervous. Is the thing fried? I know Brandon is busy but I need an answer! Calls and emails, it will be done soon. Everything is shot but I saved the hard drive. Whew!
Finally I get it back yesterday. 2.66 ghz processor dual core, 3 gig RAM, old hard drive mirrored with new one. $800. I was lucky! What if I had lost all that work and all those pictures and all those files?
The moral here is back up your data. You wouldn't believe what you have until you lose it. I had a lot backed up but not minute by minute. You can do this online for $50 a year and some friends have already done this since my escapade!
Farmers use their computers now like other machines. I use mine more than tractors and that is saying something! Farm records, markets, weather, yield maps, the uses are endless. Valuable data I can't afford to lose. You can't either!
Maybe I will save some poor soul an awful experience with this post. One soul is worth saving!
More on that later...
And it was only two weeks, but it seemed like three!
Have a good one...
Ed
Here's a thought pencil and paper always work. Advice once give to me by a good Teacher.. Good outcomes also take time. It could be a dell where you have some guy that dosent speak english wanting you to work on it yourself with his guidance. Another helpful tip is to stay in contact with your IT guy even if you not having trouble and ask about new services. They might of had that online backup solution hosted by them and they could of recommended it a couple of years ago. They may also rent computers or had a loaner they could of loaned you with your data on it once they had recovered it. Also remember that turnaround times will very expecially in this economy when distributers shut down during the holidays to conserve money.
ReplyDelete