Bloggers Journal

I was reading a blog entry by Lee at Search Engine Viking which reminded me of the importance of backing up your data.  I cannot stress enough how important it is to make regular backup copies of your important data.  I have had a number of people experience problems with their computers, and ask if I can recover anything for them.  I too have fallen victim to problems with computers, and not had a back up.

There are occasions when something goes wrong with your computer – for whatever reason – and you just cannot get any of the data back of it.  Unfortunately this happens.  It’s why we should back up!

I have been fortunate however, and want to share of a few experiences when I have been faced with having no backup to restore and a computer that is not working.

The first occasion was my own laptop.  It happened about 2 years ago, over half way through my PhD research.  I did everything on my laptop.  I wrote reports, kept research documents, stored personal documents and various other items on my laptop.  I really should have backed it up – or at least more regularly!  Anyway, one day I power up the laptop and I get an error on the screen.  I can’t remember what it was of the top of my head – however, it wasn’t pretty.  Several expletives later, I decided, right, take it to a computer shop and see what they can do.  So I leave it in with the “experts”.  They plug it into their systems.

Sorry sir, but we cannot connect to your hard disk drive.  A data recovery will not be possible

Okay I thought.  Is there not anything can be done?  Apparently not!  All I can do, so they say, is get a new hard disk, and start from scratch.

Screw that I thought!  I had everything on this laptop, I wanted a second opinion.

So the next day I was back in work – chatting to one of my colleagues about this situation I found myself in.  He was quite sympathetic, but I got the usual banter – didn’t you back it up?!

Said friend recommended a piece of software called Trinity Rescue Kit.  I had never heard of it before.  So I gave it a whirl.

Basically what this “kit” does, is run a version of linux, of your RAM.  Great stuff it was too!

I burned it onto a disc from another computer, and popped it into my laptop.  Booted up.  Hurray, at least the CD drive works.  The kit loaded up a real treat.  I plugged in an external USB hard drive, and chose the option to load up and mount all hard drives.

I got the loan of a book, Linux in a Nutshell by Ellen Siever from the library, and got used to the linux commands.

The best thing of all, when I got around to understanding everything, was this rescure software managed to not only detect, but actually mounted my hard drive.  I felt a suddent amount of relief.  However, I still had to get the data off the laptop.

Anyway, by this stage I knew the commands required.  I was able to copy everything I needed from the laptop to the external hard drive.  There were only a few files lost due to the corrupted hard drive on the laptop.

I know I was lucky!

I was more than happy that the software worked!  I have recommended Trinity Rescue Kit to a number of people about this.

I have also been approached by some family members with their computer woes, and I have managed to recover their data.