Computer Crash!!!

Well my computer finally died. I mean the hard drive took a dump. No virus, just 10 years old and quit working. This means I have lost 10 years of documents and pictures stored on that thing because I was stupid and did not transfer anything off of it to an external backup drive or other storage places, as other people have indicated wishing they had done when this very thing happened to them. I knew this was going to happen sooner or later. My computer was running like a dinosaur. And I had good intentions of getting it cleaned up and stuff transferred, but just never took the time to do it.

Luckily we have an IT friend who came over last night to see if he could get anything off of that hard drive. After hours of work, it looks like it's going to be impossible to get the data recovered. So he got Bill's old computer cleaned up and working so I can at least use it until I can get something else. Problem is that computer is also a dinosaur and doesn't have enough room on the hard drive for much.

This is what I am looking at....

1. I need a new computer ASAP. a) because I am going to be starting school (will tell you more about this later on. b) this computer will not last for much longer either. I don't have the money for a new computer at this moment. I was hoping that my divorce settlement money (from 3 yrs ago) would have come through by now, but NO it is still tied up in a court battle (another story for another day). Now I am just hoping that I can get some educational grant money that will help cover the costs of a new computer because I will definately need a laptop for school.
2. I can get some of my photos from my blog and facebook and what I have saved in Picasa web albums but I still will have lost at least 7 years of photos I had saved. This makes me very sad and very mad at myself for not taking the time to get those pictures saved somewhere else.
3. I had all my employment stuff on that computer that I no longer have access to. This means I have to start all over again in creating my resume, references, etc. Lots of work.
4. I have several years of tax progams that are just gone. I hope I will not be needing those for anything.
5. I also have lost all my banking information that I have on MS Money. Years of history. Meaning I have to also start that all over again from today. No more history. I hope I won't ever need that either.
6. I am sure there are many more things I am not even thinking about.

Basically my computer was my lifeline. I used it for everything. Sad isn't it? How much we come to depend and rely on that little box.

Needless to say, but I have learned a BIG lesson. From now on I will backup all my important data onto at least 2 other places besides my computer like an external drive, SD cards or internet storage places.

I was blessed with one thing. The photos I was sending in to a local photo contest, I just happened to email them over to the company on Saturday. So while I no longer have those photos in my possession, I can get them off my email and I still am able to be in the contest. Had I waited another day, I wouldn't have those pictures. So I am grateful for that.

If you are in the same predictament that I was in and haven't backed up any of your really important documents and pictures to another location, I highly recommend you do this immediately. Don't be like me and think "Oh it won't happen to me". Because it will!

Well enough of my rambles. I have many things to do now so I am off to get to it.

TTFN