Everything...is GONE!

TerranRich · Wed 14/07/2004 18:59:26

I was using my laptop, on my lap, watching TV. My dad calls me, I turn... and the damn thing falls on the floor. I pick it up, hoping for best as I try to run Notepad. Nothing. The hard drive doesn't seem to respond. So I restart the computer, and lo and behold, it doesn't start up. It gives me an error that says "Failed to recognize hard drive". I go into BIOS setup, and it doesn't even show that a hard drive exists. I go into the Dell Setup and Utilities boot CD, and there's no hard drive or IDE devices in there either.

I call up Dell Technical Support as a last resort and they basically found out that I need a new hard drive. They also regretted to inform me that I had lost all the information on that hard drive.

Everything I had ever worked on for By the Sword is gone, for good. The walkthroughs I had written to help me plan out the entire game in detail: gone. The Poser files I was working on: gone. The characters...the web pages...the work-in-progress images...the scenes...the rooms...the objects...the entire source code for my game...all gone.

Oh, sure, I backed up my porn and free music on the external hard drive, but not my game, the most important thing on that hard drive.

So wish me luck as I start all over again. I'm only hoping that I sent somebody the walkthrough plans for BTS. I believe I either sent them to LGM or BOYD1981. If not, I am hopelessly screwed.

F*ck.

LGM · Wed 14/07/2004 19:01:59

I only have the older scripts you sent me

That fucking SUCKS.. Why don't you ever backup anything? What's the matter with yoU!?!?!

TerranRich · Wed 14/07/2004 19:03:41

I'm guessing you mean the voice acting scripts, right? I never sent you the "BtS Details - Chapter XXX.doc" files? I think I may have sent them to BOYD at one time then.

Vel · Wed 14/07/2004 19:04:17

Goddamn you!

Start working on something else, if you want my advice.

Renal Shutdown · Wed 14/07/2004 19:05:24

I heard there's ways of getting it to work one last time, by manually spinning. It's s'posed to allow a recovery. Google for tuts.

MrColossal · Wed 14/07/2004 19:05:39

Are you sure it's gone?

There are places that can retrieve lost data from a laptop that was in a fire, I don't see how a guy on a phone can tell you all the data is gone.

Look for data retrieval places to send the harddrive too, it might be pricey...

Privateer Puddin' · Wed 14/07/2004 19:06:03

You learn by mistkaes.. :/ that doesn't help but maybe you can go onto rebuilding it and make it better from the start

Pet Terry · Wed 14/07/2004 19:07:00

Oh crap... that really sucks. That really... sucks.

BOYD1981 · Wed 14/07/2004 19:08:52

i'd ignore what dell told you about all your stuff being lost, dropping a hard drive won't delete everything on it, it's more likely that something on the motherboard is broken, try connecting the hard drive up to another laptop or computer as a slave, but if it is broken there are hard drive data recovery specialists, they're not cheap though, but it might be worth it in the long run.

so, what have we learned from this?
1. Back up often, you never know what's around the corner.
2. Laptops are bad, don't use them as your main computer,Ã,Â you can lose them, drop them and even perhaps accidentally sit on them.
3. Dell don't know what they're talking about.

damn, all those replies while i was writing this one...

Vel · Wed 14/07/2004 19:09:17

* Vel still can't believe it.

Darth Mandarb · Wed 14/07/2004 19:11:07

This might be a stupid question ...

But did you try to open of the computer and make sure the connectors didn't get jarred off the hard drive?

I mean, just dropping the thing shouldn't erase the data,Ã,Â that doesn't make sense to me.Ã,Â It sounds like you got a lazy tech support guy over at dell.

I wouldn't give up on it ... the data is still on the drive.Ã,Â You can get it back I'm sure.Ã,Â Problem is ... it tends to be pricey.Ã,Â But check the connectors first ...

Good luck man.

Edit: - Boyd and I were thinking the same thing apparently

Privateer Puddin' · Wed 14/07/2004 19:16:43

It can erase the data, quite rare but... seen those IBM 'airbag' adverts?

TerranRich · Wed 14/07/2004 19:18:40

BOYD: Oh, yeah, like you, I carry around spare computers for no reason.

Well I could get it recovered, but Dell said that after I got the new hard drive, I would have to return the old one within 10 days or be charged for the new one. Now I can't find any info on trying to recover it myself, like that manual spinning idea. Does anyone else know where I can find more info on it? I've found several places to recover my data for me, but it might be too much

And who knows, maybe starting over from scratch is a good thing...I was planning on re-doing the graphics anyway. But BOYD, do you have the BtS Details files?

Phemar · Wed 14/07/2004 19:19:55

YOU FUDGING IDIOT! I HATE YOU WITH EVERY INCH OF MY HEART! YOU ANTHOLE! YOU ARE THE UTTER DESPICABLE SCUMM THE UNIVERSE THRIVES ON! WHY? WHY?

Ok look, there's these people, they can retrieve lost data, even if your drive has been in water, on fire etc. SEEK THEM NOW!

EDIT: Even if it is pricey, you're bound to make more money when BtS is done, right? right? Speak to me for heaven's sake!

TerranRich · Wed 14/07/2004 19:20:45

Yes, I know, but it's expensive. Is there any way I can do it myself within 10 days?

Vel · Wed 14/07/2004 19:22:03

How expensive? More expensive to the pr0n site you were subscribed to as you said on IRC? :

Phemar · Wed 14/07/2004 19:23:02

Hehe, I don't know...i saw an article in a PC format mag i have...

Mr Flibble · Wed 14/07/2004 19:44:35

For God sake man!
Get your data back! Starting over doesn't cut it!
It happened to me. I was being lazy, operating my computer with the keyboard instead of the mouse. I hilighted the "My Folder" icon on my desktop with the arrow keys....then when I went to hit enter, I missed by about an inch and hit delete...
My crappy Win95 didin't bother to ask "Are you sure?"

And the worst thing is, they didn't appear in the recycle bin...

Thats 6 months of work.

I feel for you man.

Moox · Wed 14/07/2004 19:54:35

search g4techtv.com for data recovery software

TerranRich · Wed 14/07/2004 20:02:22

Um...how can I run data recovery software if I can't even run the laptop? I'm on my dad's desktop computer and there's no way I can connect my laptop's hard drive to this desktop, unless they make a special cable for it, and even then it wouldn't be worth it.

Vel: $100 just to LOOK at it, $500-$1,200 typically to fix it. It's definitely not worth it. And why do you want me to just work on something else?