Computer Whizz Needed!!

Emma B

Ok so as I mentioned in my thread Lost I've had a HUGE disaster in losing my memory stick/pen drive thingy!!

Yes my world is ending and I just pray it turns up.

But... does anyone know how I can maybe recall the work. I had opened it on a specific computer and it was all saved to the pen drive. Yes I am that stupid! Is there anyway that I can recall it from the computer memory or something?? Even though I didn't save it there. Bare in mind the last time it was accessed was Friday and the computer has been used since.

HELP!!

Hickey

Hello Emma B,
So many threads and so many new people - i'm a bit behind it all, so HELLO!

This happened to me once. I was using Windows 1995 and a very early form of USB memory stick. My then boyfriend was a computer-whizz and somehow managed to retrive the info (I had been using microsoft word) but he dismanted the entire operating system doing it and took two days.
When he finally squeezed out the depths of the poor tortured PC, it was in a strange format and only partly readable. The pc was dead from DOS upwards.
He had to take chunks of mother-board (or something) into his workplace and interrogate it (presumablly with bright lights and tough questions)
but
this was a long time ago.
So I'd suggest calling up a local pc repair shop and explaining the problem. PC's have come a long way since, but the now-ex boyfriend was of the belief that if it was stored onto the hard-drive in the pc, THEN cut and pasted into the memory stick he could retrive it.

I do so wish you the very best of karma.
Hickey

midia

Emma, as you didn't save it directly to your PC I don't know if this will work, but try going to START, half way up in that list you will find SEARCH, go to SEARCH FOR FILES OR FOLDERS and then type in whatever you saved it as. Another area it might be is if you go to START and then DOCUMENTS you might just find it in there as this shows the last 10 or so documents you have recently opened. Not sure if either of those will help. xxx

Betsie

It might be in a temporary file somewhere. Sometimes temporary files have a little squiggle by the name.

megrose

Emma - my son is a computer scientist. I've sent him a copy of your post and will get back to you if he comes up with anything. In the meantime, crossed fingers that your memory stick turns up - probably where you least expect it. Is it in a pocket/down the back of the sofa/in a drawer (for safe keeping)? My DH has just said that most computers save automatically every so often.

amboline

Betsie's idea is a good one. I'd be inclined to go through the Temporary Files folder (on my PC, the file path is C:\WINDOWS\Temp but you might have more than one repository for Temporary files) and check anything that looks like a Word document - especially if there's a squiggle by the name. You may be lucky and find an older or auto-saved copy of your file in there. Be warned, though, PCs do clear out their Temporary files periodically, and if you've shut down your computer and restarted it since your loss, the folder may be empty.

Butterfly

I hate to put a downer on things, but unless you've saved it to the C drive at some point there won't be anything to find. If you've been working on the pendrive only, that is where the work will be. :( Sorry.
However I could be wrong, I hope I am.
I'm sure the pendrive will turn up and all will be well.
I'll also be interested if you do manage to find it in the temperary files or lurking somewhere.
Good luck.

mcbemused

Oh, Emma, that's devastating! I don't think you will be able to find it on your computer if you never saved it onto the hard disc. I know it doesn't help now, but it is a lesson learned - always save a copy on the hard drive + the pen drive + every now and again, write the lot to CD. Computers are marvellous bits of kit, but they do have a downside, like anything else.

Jay Mandal

Meanwhile, instead of tearing your hair out, jot down every 'hint' you can think of for the missing text. Don't try to write the whole thing, just key words that will remind you. Try to visualise each page, every paragraph, what was happening. Or just write what your brain comes up with, in whatever order. Just don't panic! Look on it as doing a second draft/an edit/revision - you'd probably have had to do that anyway. Don't give up!

And I hope you find the memory stick or whatever it's called.

joey blow

By default, backup files are saved to the same place you're saving the document. So, if you've only ever saved the document to you usb drive that's where the backups will be.

You might want to try working through this to see if you can salvage anything: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/827099

Lou Treleaven

Good luck finding the drive - how devastating but I bet it turns up eventually, even if it's a few months down the line. Best thing is to not let it get you down but try to look on it as an opportunity - maybe you were supposed to do a redraft and it will be the best thing you ever wrote?

I'm quite paranoid about making mutiple copies of my manuscripts since I also lost the first few chapters of a book (my husband got annoyed with the computer and tried to fix the problem himself and when it asked him DELETE C DRIVE - Y/N he clicked Y!) and I now have laptop, main computer, USB drive, CD and paper copies! However, I have heard that it's safest to put a copy in the fridge, so it will survive a fire...

Emma B

Thanks for your support everyone. I am now pretty sure I haven't left it at work and I know I won't be able to somehow pry the work from the computer I used :-(

I'm just plodding on as best I can and hoping it will probably turn up. Will be fine. It's taught me a valuable lesson and I now intend on backing up obsessively!

Monday I printed off as many chapters as feesible so I will have paper copies too! Yes it is quite a big pile of paper!!!!