I had to reformat!!!

ucubed · 02-05-2009, 09:10 PM

I'm quite angry that I had to reformat my computer before I could save some items. I'll be spending probably the weekend to retrieve everything either off my external and/or the internet. AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! !!!!!

white_s2k · 02-05-2009, 09:13 PM

That sucks Kevin!

Was it a virus?

acruce · 02-05-2009, 09:33 PM

Be glad you had an external hd.

karmaz00 · 02-05-2009, 10:21 PM

that suck man

02-05-2009, 10:43 PM

I've had to do that before. In a typical perfect storm comedy of errors, I lost my thesis, all 5 backups of it and the hard drive one day near the end of my Masters. I spent the next week piecing together parts of files I was able to salvage doing various "bit/byte editing methods". Then I had to rewrite all the missing gaps. Made me actually cry. But, it was a manly cry.

Hope it works out for you. Hope you find your computer faster now.

Good Luck

02-05-2009, 10:47 PM

Mac users don't have these problems.

Queue Mac vs. PC fight

02-05-2009, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darrell

Mac users don't have these problems.

Queue Mac vs. PC fight

*Take's Mac side*

Then again no problems with any linux comps.

VirtualSmitty · 02-05-2009, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darrell

Mac users don't have these problems.

Queue Mac vs. PC fight

Really?

02-05-2009, 10:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VirtualSmitty

Really?

OK, it does not happen to Mac users who don't download pirated stuff!

02-05-2009, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VirtualSmitty

Really?

You mean to tell me pirated software can be risky and might damage a comp?

For shame! That is no way or shape the fault of the OS, be it any OS.

That's like I put a peanut butter sandwich in my CD drive so dell sucks.

02-05-2009, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ace$nyper

That's like I put a peanut butter sandwich in my CD drive so dell sucks.

I'm dying, make it stop.

VirtualSmitty · 02-05-2009, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ace$nyper

You mean to tell me pirated software can be risky and might damage a comp?

For shame! That is no way or shape the fault of the OS, be it any OS.

That's like I put a peanut butter sandwich in my CD drive so dell sucks.

Just pointing out that it does happen. Cause i'm sure no one here ever pirates software

02-05-2009, 11:07 PM

Just get into the habit of loading important files to a flash. After having gotten burned once and then having to reformat I always save important files to my flash,,,the computer can go F itself while I just go ahead and restore everything back to basics or you can make a copy of all your drives which is a pain. Anything important goes into the flash,,,takes two seconds.

King James · 02-05-2009, 11:16 PM

bah, never fun to reformat. Always great to backup, yet usually computer crashes just at the right time when you haven't backed up for a little bit.....never right after saving everything

ucubed · 02-06-2009, 01:44 AM

It would not boot normally, it ended up being on the blue screen of death. I started in safe mode, I tried probably at least 10 different tactics to try and resolve the situation and it did not work. Then I was going to reinstall ALL windows drives ONLY, however that part had errors and it then proceeded to reformat my entire C:/. I have a lot of stuff on my external, however I may have lost all your addresses =P

rizzle · 02-06-2009, 04:59 AM

Sorry Kev. If something like that ever happens to me I'm just done. I have no idea how to go in and retrieve and piece back together stuff. I'm just gonna throw my machine in the Gulf if and when it happens.

RGD. · 02-06-2009, 07:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ucubed

It would not boot normally, it ended up being on the blue screen of death. I started in safe mode, I tried probably at least 10 different tactics to try and resolve the situation and it did not work. Then I was going to reinstall ALL windows drives ONLY, however that part had errors and it then proceeded to reformat my entire C:/. I have a lot of stuff on my external, however I may have lost all your addresses =P

For the future:

Remove hard drive.
Install new hard drive, format and install OS.
Install old drive as a slave or external.
Copy old files over to new drive.

If the old drive has no physical errors - after you are sure nothing is left on it - then reformat it and save in case something happens in the future or use as a slave/USB for daily backups.

Ron

Ollie · 02-06-2009, 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RGD.

For the future:

Remove hard drive.
Install new hard drive, format and install OS.
Install old drive as a slave or external.
Copy old files over to new drive.

If the old drive has no physical errors - after you are sure nothing is left on it - then reformat it and save in case something happens in the future or use as a slave/USB for daily backups.

Ron

And get one of THESE.

SeanGAR · 02-06-2009, 08:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RGD.

For the future:

Remove hard drive.
Install new hard drive, format and install OS.
Install old drive as a slave or external.
Copy old files over to new drive.

If the old drive has no physical errors - after you are sure nothing is left on it - then reformat it and save in case something happens in the future or use as a slave/USB for daily backups.

Ron

Great advice. As long as the drive is readable, you should never reformat if you have important files on the drive, rescue them first.

Another option is to have a linux live cd around that you can boot to and use as a rescue disk. Boot to cd, copy important HD files to usb, verify them, and only then do the fdisk/format.

What I also do is to clone the hard drive after all of the software and updates are installed on a clean installation. That way you can quickly get the computer up and running with very little work. I clone to an HD in an external enclosure, so a simple swap will get the computer running again.

File backups are something else, I backup modified files daily and take a backup home weekly. Old school, I run xcopy as a scheduled task or manually for the external.

I also have a portable at home that has the same software installed so if my desktop burned I would be able to work.

rizzle · 02-06-2009, 08:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeanGAR

Great advice. As long as the drive is readable, you should never reformat if you have important files on the drive, rescue them first.

Another option is to have a linux live cd around that you can boot to and use as a rescue disk. Boot to cd, copy important HD files to usb, verify them, and only then do the fdisk/format.

What I also do is to clone the hard drive after all of the software and updates are installed on a clean installation. That way you can quickly get the computer up and running with very little work. I clone to an HD in an external enclosure, so a simple swap will get the computer running again.

File backups are something else, I backup modified files daily and take a backup home weekly. Old school, I run xcopy as a scheduled task or manually for the external.

I also have a portable at home that has the same software installed so if my desktop burned I would be able to work.

Wha??

02-05-2009, 09:10 PM	#1
ucubed Corona Cigars Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Kevin Location: Orlando/Gainesville Posts: 1,571 Trading: (15)	I had to reformat!!! I'm quite angry that I had to reformat my computer before I could save some items. I'll be spending probably the weekend to retrieve everything either off my external and/or the internet. AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! !!!!! __________________ All new Troop Support Auctions! What can you donate?

02-05-2009, 09:13 PM	#2
white_s2k The Dude Abides Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Josh Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 1,052 Trading: (20)	Re: I had to reformat!!! That sucks Kevin! Was it a virus? __________________ "An armed society is a polite society. Manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life." – Robert A. Heinlein

02-05-2009, 09:33 PM	#3
acruce Just killing Time Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Andy Location: Venus TX Posts: 1,114 Trading: (1)	Re: I had to reformat!!! Be glad you had an external hd. __________________ LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST~SMOKE AS MANY FINE CIGARS AS POSSIBLE ~ SMILE ~ IT MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD!!

02-05-2009, 10:21 PM	#4
karmaz00 Habanos Join Date: Dec 2008 First Name: Jason Location: victoria Posts: 1,855 Trading: (1)	Re: I had to reformat!!! that suck man __________________ Habanos Collector Since 2003

02-05-2009, 10:43 PM	#5
Cyanide Guest Posts: n/a	Re: I had to reformat!!! I've had to do that before. In a typical perfect storm comedy of errors, I lost my thesis, all 5 backups of it and the hard drive one day near the end of my Masters. I spent the next week piecing together parts of files I was able to salvage doing various "bit/byte editing methods". Then I had to rewrite all the missing gaps. Made me actually cry. But, it was a manly cry. Hope it works out for you. Hope you find your computer faster now. Good Luck

02-05-2009, 10:47 PM	#6
Darrell Guest Posts: n/a	Re: I had to reformat!!! Mac users don't have these problems. Queue Mac vs. PC fight

02-05-2009, 11:07 PM	#13
Cigary Guest Posts: n/a	Re: I had to reformat!!! Just get into the habit of loading important files to a flash. After having gotten burned once and then having to reformat I always save important files to my flash,,,the computer can go F itself while I just go ahead and restore everything back to basics or you can make a copy of all your drives which is a pain. Anything important goes into the flash,,,takes two seconds.

02-05-2009, 11:16 PM	#14
King James Regard Me! Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Jim Location: Dark Side Of The Moon Posts: 2,565 Trading: (2)	Re: I had to reformat!!! bah, never fun to reformat. Always great to backup, yet usually computer crashes just at the right time when you haven't backed up for a little bit.....never right after saving everything __________________ Mob Herfin' Since 2006

02-06-2009, 01:44 AM	#15
ucubed Corona Cigars Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Kevin Location: Orlando/Gainesville Posts: 1,571 Trading: (15)	Re: I had to reformat!!! It would not boot normally, it ended up being on the blue screen of death. I started in safe mode, I tried probably at least 10 different tactics to try and resolve the situation and it did not work. Then I was going to reinstall ALL windows drives ONLY, however that part had errors and it then proceeded to reformat my entire C:/. I have a lot of stuff on my external, however I may have lost all your addresses =P __________________ All new Troop Support Auctions! What can you donate?

02-06-2009, 04:59 AM	#16
rizzle Order Restored Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: st pete, fl Posts: 2,679 Trading: (23)	Re: I had to reformat!!! Sorry Kev. If something like that ever happens to me I'm just done. I have no idea how to go in and retrieve and piece back together stuff. I'm just gonna throw my machine in the Gulf if and when it happens.