Thanks Windows XP

cethklein · Jun 1, 2008

So I was just deleting a file from my Desktop about ten minutes ago. I right-clicked, deleted it, and *poof* about seven other icons just vanished. They didn't go to the recycle bin, they just vanished into thin air. I even did a full search to locate them in case they got moved. Nothing. It wouldn't be an issue as most of the icons that vanished were just Shortcuts. But one was a file of a 105,000 word manuscript. Fortunately I back these things up. Unfortunately I hadn't done it in two days. I only lost a page and a half, but that's not the point.

I'm done. My next computer will be a Mac. I've used PCs since Win 3.1 but I'm done. I was going to upgrade to vista but I hear it's even worse. If these morons can't fix glitches like this, there' no hope for Windows. I've knocked Macs and defended Windows for years and I am really regretting it now. What if one of those files had been even more important and not backed up?

Anyone else fed up with Microsoft?

aspier · Jun 1, 2008

Good, dump Gates! Go for ... no Mac's are also ... just stop using the computer when you get onto AW

Priene · Jun 1, 2008

Maybe the Mac file system is less likely to do stuff like this. I'm not sure. But whether you've got a Mac or Windows, your hard-disk can get fried at any time. Backing-up is a necessity for every file of any importance on any operating system.

But you did hear correctly. Vista is appalling.

DWSTXS · Jun 1, 2008

Before you switch, you might want to check this out:

One thing that PC users can do that MAC users can't:

http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=macs_cant

Williebee · Jun 1, 2008

Google Handy Recovery

Easy to use, straightforward.

The trial version will let you recover the file you lost.

Good luck.

dpaterso · Jun 1, 2008

Yeah, there's nothing worse than dicky software messin' with your files and desktop. Exactly what went wrong, and why, is doomed to remain one of life's great frustrating secrets.

Vista is appalling, well maybe, depends on who you ask. There are several Vista discussion threads in Tech Help forum if anyone's interested. Took me a while to adjust to losing programs I'd used under Win2000 and XP for years, and which just wouldn't run under Vista. But I've got to say, possibly thanks to MS automatic updates keeping my laptop's software up to date, Vista boots up very fast and behaves very well. Now that Service Pack 1 has been released, many early problems may well be history.

-Derek

cethklein · Jun 1, 2008

I wonder if plain old System Restore will work. I've never tried it to see if it restores the contents of MS Word files.

dpaterso · Jun 1, 2008

I think before you can use system restore, you have to first save a system restore point (essentially a data snapshot). If you didn't do this before you lost your files/icons...

-Derek

cethklein · Jun 1, 2008

No mine is set up to take snapshots once every two days.

Williebee · Jun 1, 2008

System restore doesn't do data files. Here's a bunch of verbage from MS that talks about the what it does and how it does.

But there are tools out there to recover files, like handy recovery, uneraser, etc. that you can get for free, or on a trial basis. In HR's case, a "trial" basis means you can recover one file a day

maestrowork · Jun 1, 2008

I switched to Mac in 2005. Never looked back. I used to have Boot Camp (dual boot to Windows XP). Vista sucks. I installed it and then took it off. And now I erased my Boot Camp partition and don't really miss a thing. My Mac hasn't crashed once. I had problem upgrading to Leopard but it turned out it was a memory problem -- I bought a cheap $50 memory and it was defective.

scottVee · Jun 1, 2008

Great link, Doyle!

benbradley · Jun 1, 2008

Google hardy heron. I DL'ed a CD image, burned it to CD-R and installed it (finally - if I let it boot and then installed it from a "running" system it wouldn't work, but when I chose the install option when it first came up it installed) on an older machine. I was going through the screensavers and it crashed. Every time I went to the screensaver control thingis it crashed. I created another user and its screensaver works fine...

The day they make an OS without significant problems is the say they make a soft landing on Mars...

Matera the Mad · Jun 1, 2008

Ignorance of the file system is not bliss. Macs eat files and sh*t too.

DamaNegra · Jun 1, 2008

I haven't had any major issues with Vista, so it's not as bad as some people make it look.

I've had the same amount of issues with both PCs and Macs. It's the same thing, but the Mac sells a prettier package.

Thanks Windows XP

cethklein

aspier

Priene

Out to lunch

DWSTXS

Mr Mojo Risin...

Williebee

Capeless, wingless, & yet I fly.

dpaterso

Also in our Discord and IRC chat channels

cethklein

dpaterso

Also in our Discord and IRC chat channels

cethklein

Williebee

Capeless, wingless, & yet I fly.

maestrowork

Fear the Death Ray

scottVee

benbradley

It's a doggy dog world

Matera the Mad

Bartender, gimme a Linux Mint

DamaNegra

Mexican on the loose!