My Halloween weekend was thrown completely out of whack because my laptop decided it had enough of my fondling and DIED on me. I spent so much time stressing out and trying to fix my computer that my very elaborate plan to BECOME a Twittered Lady Gaga on Halloween died a forgotten soldier's death. The bad, very bad news is I've lost some important documents, loads of pictures, and of course, music files. I haven't backed up my computer in a while so *cries*. The good news is I've gotten my computer to work again after replacing the hard drive. The Mac GENIUS guy said his FANCY little drive couldn't even recognize that there was any hard drive on my laptop. See how completely FOOKED it was? The new drive is considerably roomier and of course, all new and nubile for me to dump stuff on. That's what I spent my weekend doing, weeping, partying as a Gaga-esque catburglar, trying to see if I could recover lost files, weeping some more, and then furiously stroking the new hard drive into function so I could MOVE ON WITH MY LIFE. I am so ticked about the lost documents - hours of work lost. The lesson here is, kids, BACK UP YOUR DATA. I could've prevented a lot of stress if I had just backed up my stuff frequently. But I didn't think my Mac would EVER die? WHY WOULD IT? It wasn't like there was any warning, or that I was doing anything ill, or even shaking it violently?? I guess the indestructible Mac is only hardy in my la la land??? HOW could it fail??? I am CRUSHED! And RUINED of my perfect image of Mac. FOREVER!
2 hours ago
10 comments:
Aww, that really sucks. :( *hugs*
I'm really paranoid about something like that happening to me, I do backups but I should do it more often than I already do. Anyway, I'm really sorry that happened, but not even Macs are perfect, sadly. It's not really the fault of anything that Apple does though, hardware can fail and does. No consolation really, I hope most of the things you lost are stuff that can be replaced, but I know some of it isn't. :(
What you should do is buy a Western Digital Passport, there are several different editions, I'd recommend getting the WD Passport Studio which are specifically formatted for Macs and have a Firewire connection which makes them faster, they come in 500 gb size and then use that with OS X's Time Machine function. If you haven't been using it, it's REALLY simple, it'll remind you with a popup (every ten days) when it's been long since you last made a backup, and it makes a mirror of your computer so if your computer crashes you can restore it to the way it was when you last made a backup. It certainly makes me sleep a bit better.
Seriously, I have SIX of these WD Passport Studio drives, though I only use one of them for Time Machine, the rest is for backing up/storing photos and such things.. All in all I have NINE different kinds of these Passports (some from before they made the Studio version). In fact, I'd say get (at least) two of them, one to use with Time Machine to backup your computer, and another one just to keep the most important stuff on as duplicates/backup.
*hugs*
*huggsies*
Thanks so much for this. I don't understand the difference between getting this passport and just having an external hard drive? I have one of those; I just wish I had used it more frequently.
What is a Time Machine? Do I fit in it? :\
Oh, the Passport is just Western Digital's name for that particular type of external drive. The good thing about it though is that it's small (you can see a photo of it next to a computer in that link I emailed you, basically the size of an actual passport, only thicker), so they're just very convenient, and they run on power from the computer so it's just one cord, unlike bigger drives that you have to plug into a power outlet. There are tons of similar type of external drives, these just happen to be my personal weapon of choice, and Western Digital is a good brand. It's not protection against an external drive failing (which is why you really should have the most important stuff backed up on several drives in case one fails), but they have my recommendation.
Time Machine is a backup tool made by Apple that comes with OS X Leopard and the new Snow Leopard upgrade. You pretty much just plug in the drive you want to use as your Time Machine drive and enable it as such, and every time you plug it in, it'll do a backup of what your whole computer looks like, or rather it adds the new and changed files that have been added since your last backup. For example if I made my last Time Machine backup two weeks ago, if I plug it in now it'll only backup the new and changed files from the past two weeks. Anyway, google Apple Time Machine and you'll get a page where it's all nicely explained. It's so simple there's no reason at all not to use it.
Anyway, sorry for being so techy, I'm sorry you lost your files, I hope you didn't lose too many of the irreplaceable kind, that's the worst. :(
*hugs*
Yeah I have one of those external hard drives that only requires a USB port to plug in.
I looked and looked at what could the Time Machine possibly be, and was CRUSHED to find out that it debuts with v. 10.5. I have 10.4.11??? WHY!?? *throws things*
WHAT!
That's only OS X Tiger (10.4), it's from 2005! That's basically like using Windows XP (though not quite that bad), it's two generations behind on the times! There's OS X Leopard (10.5) that came out in 2007 and then there's the latest OS X Snow Leopard (10.6) which came out two months ago.
You can buy the Snow Leopard upgrade disc for CA$35 on apple.ca/store so it's not a huge expense, and apparently it will be able to upgrade from Tiger to Snow Leopard too. You have to have a Mac with an Intel-based processor though, it doesn't work with the older PowerPC-based Macs. I bought my MacBook Pro in August, 2007 and it's Intel-based, didn't you get yours around the same time or just after? Apple switched to Intel processors in mid-2006. Anyway, you can check by clicking the Apple in the menu, and then "About This Mac".
For $35 I'd say it's absolutely worth upgrading, not just for Time Machine but just to have a better, newer operating system with all the improvements that comes with that. You should at the very least put in on a Christmas wishlist!
My Mac has Intel! It is not that much of a geezer! I think I got it JUST before the 10.5 came out? Ok, it's on the list. The NO PRESENT NO TOUCHING Xmas list that I must now think about. Although, while I was at the Apple store, I saw the aluminum version and it is SO PURDY and SMALL? I love my Apple but I had a flash of Mac ENVY?
So you did get yours about the same time as me then, I got mine in August/September 2007 and Leopard came out two months after or so.
The newest MacBooks are pretty sweet, although I don't like that the screen is glossy and reflect everything. Apparently you can get a matte screen as an option but I think it was only on the more expensive MacBook Pro, not the regular MacBook. But the regular MacBook has been pretty hugely improved from the model you have, more so than my Pro has been.
But anyway, yay for it making on the list! Am I on the list too? ;)
Yeah, I did. Hm, I didn't notice the glossy screen. Why would it be reflective? Don't they all have antiglare?? I thought that was standard? Why are we going BACKWARD?
People on a list? We're not in the 50s anymore. :deal:
No one knows, Apple had both options when I bought mine, but at the recommendation of everyone I got the one with the matte screen, but then last year I think they only offered them with the glossy screens, and I'm assuming people complained because they now offer both variations again, though not for every model, I think. I'm certainly not buying a new one unless I can get it with a matte screen.. not that I have that much need to buy a new one, this one's still working just fine except for always being on the at or near the brink of having no free space on my hard drive.
Not on your own wishlist, I should be on the other list, the one of people you're giving gifts to. :P
Mine was always at the brink of having no space too. I think that was why it probably decided to give up on life. Couldn't take any more of me always filling it to the brink?!
Why would anyone want a reflective screen unless they really just want to look at themselves? A side mirror would do just as well!
I only have the good list. And I'm not telling. *zips*
Post a Comment
All comments are welcomed. Except those of Spammers, in which case may lightning strike your favourite shoes, beyotcheesan.