Ascent Up From Hell

I have spent the past week climbing out of computer hell. Holla if you feel me.

The week started with a resolution to fix, once and for all, a long-standing wireless connectivity issue. I had made so many attempts to get identify and correct the problem that I must have made my way through the entire warehouse of Dell tech support technicians. Each time, it would seem we had achieved success -- until the too familiar error message would come back again.

More than one technician warned that I might have to reinstall my computer's operating system, just in case there was a corrupt file gumming up the works. You don't have to know much about computers to fear this remedy. Reinstalling the OPS system means wiping out all your data. And as a small business owner, that meant wiping out the life and memory of my business.

No big deal, right? All I needed to do was back up my data to some external storage device. The storage unit I had stopped working, so I went to replace it. The sale guy at the Geek Shop (my term for the computer mega store I visited) convinced me to purchase another brand of external storage which offered a Terabyte of storage at a cheaper price. And he assured me that it was easy to use.

Thus fortified, I took home the sleek new mega storage unit. It took me a couple of days to get the backup working properly ("easy to use" -- yeah, right). With the set up complete, the unit actually showed me the names of each file as it transferred data to the external drive. I was ready for the worst.

After one last back up last Saturday morning, I contacted tech support for my computer's manufacturer. I did have to reinstall my operating system. And when I say it took ALL DAY to fix my wireless problem, I mean it took ALL FREAKIN' DAY. I said my last goodbye to the tech at 4:55pm.

All I had to do now was restore my data, right? Right. Except I couldn't. I could see the registry of files listed on the external unit, but I could not transfer them to my computer. Nor could I access them from the external drive.

Giving up was not an option. Thus began the Ascent Up From Hell:

Sunday: I discover there's no weekend telephone tech support for the external drive's manufacturer. An old PC and my smartphone link me to the electronic world.

Monday: Snowstorm. Shoveling distractions.Tech-savvy friend talks me through potential fixes. None work. Friend warns "your data may be gone." Hysteria. Condensed cycle through five phases of grief.

Tuesday: Take computer to neighborhood computer shop. Good news: Tech locates and opens files on the external drive. Bad news: Tech is unsure how to restore files to my computer.

Wednesday: Good news: pick up computer with most files restored. Bad news: Microsoft Outlook and all its data can't be found.

Thursday: Frantic house search for Original Outlook software that came with computer, instead of upgraded software installed later. Good news: found the CD's!
Bad News: Can't do email from Outlook.

Friday: Good News: Outlook is operating! Bad news: All data from month of February is gone.

To summarize: I started the week with an unstable computer. I end the week with a stable computer and some missing data.

This summary completely glosses over the emotional journey of the week; the lost productivity; the money I had to pay for repairs. Still, compare where I was Monday, when I thought all my data was gone, to where I am today. I've got a different perspective on the loss of February's data than I would have one week before.

So all in all, I'd say it was a good week.

Now you'll have to excuse me. I'm off to buy some new UBS flash drives.