Failure! Failure!

[jason]

Originally published at .... You can comment here or there.

I was presenting at the Learning & Teaching Office’s faculty conference today. I’ll upload the podcast and PPTs for it in a bit; you’ll understand why I’ve not done it yet in a moment.

I get into RCC 204, open my laptop and FIZZpopBlort! Whoshing air from an over burdened fan. Funny ping of death beep. And nothing. But the show must go on. Dead laptop. NO tech support. Not even a conference organizer about. Rule #1: Always have a backup. My presentation was on CD, so I got another puter, and away we went.

Presentation went very nicely. Everyone was polite, and there were interesting questions… but my mind was a bit torn… what about my data?

Over the next 4 hours I was trying to get the computer to boot into ‘target mode’ so that I could use it as a hard disk. It would not boot up otherwise.

I got about 3 minutes to get data off, then it would die. Over and Over. I lucked, finally into about 10 full minutes where I could get the rest of it off. Then it died and would not return.

Three weeks left on the warranty. New logic board and harddrive in a couple of days.

I’m presently using my iPod for all my computing. I’ve got my desktops convinced that my iPod is /user/jason/*

Wheeeee….

Comments

[ashenseraph.livejournal.com]

SCARY! But I'm glad the Technogods were with you enough to allow you to yank your data off the drive before they demanded their final sacrifice.

[complicittheory.livejournal.com]

Ya, they could have taught me a nasty lesson and let me hang out to dry!

re: sudden copm death

[kasiau.livejournal.com]

You see, those situations scare me to death! It had happen to me a few times already with my computer. However, I was too afraid to further brake it so off to professional it went. I think that is a part of the reason I love technology and on the other hand just hate it.
Good for you Jason that you know how to deal with such situations
kasia

Re: sudden copm death

[complicittheory.livejournal.com]

:) I had to learn how to deal with it back when there were no professionals to get help from. I just pray for backups!

Back up Back up Back up

[sillyducky212.livejournal.com]

Sometimes we dont even remember that back up is very nessesary. The smallest things are the most important things. Soon I feel everyone will be recommended to buy massive hard drives as a accessorie or requirement for thier computers because no one wants to loose their precious data like priceless pictures, homework, and etc.

Re: Back up Back up Back up

[complicittheory.livejournal.com]

Sounding cynical about the value of data? :) I don't know what's important to others... I don't worry about pictures or things like that... but student marks, my course development documents, unplublished books and papers, and 10+ years of email archives... those are useful to me as an academic and educator. Give me $1000000 and I'll retire and we can forget about backups, but until then the show must go on.

re: failure

[gela-max.livejournal.com]

What trauma?, What a scare? Nevertheless, U R a survivor. That must have been some experience for you. I'm happy that you were able to save your data, jeez you can always get a new computer but .... loosing years of data... Thank Goodness for iPod eh. Well, Thaks for sharing your story, Now guess what I'm going to do from now on? Take it easy now. pheeeew!

Re: failure

[complicittheory.livejournal.com]

:) no one backs up regularly until they lose everything. It turned out that I did have an old backup that was 2 months old, but that still would have been a terrror to have lost 2 months of work. Back up now!