I have returned from the Dark Side

[chirurgeon]

My computer died on me last night, so I went out and got a new one today. I brandy new MAC lap top. I think I have unfortunately lost everything on the old computer. But fortunately the most important things, my photos, are now on a web storage site. I can recreate almost everything else. This thing is so light and spiffy. I hadn't planned on getting a new computer just yet, but at least I was able to get what I had wanted to get in a few months.

Anyone any good with Windows based systems? The old computer just keeps cycling through the attempts to start up. Is there anyway to fix this at least enough to get my files of the old computer?

Kim

 

[spaddy]

Have you tried booting in Safe Mode?

 

[chirurgeon]

I tried every mode that was offered, Last, normal, and I think there were 3 different ones that said safe, nothing worked. It has been giving me problems over the past few months, I was just hoping it would last until after August.

Oh Well, I am back Apple products, where I belong.

Kim

 

[wilde_oscar]

have you been to indoctrination yet... er I mean the free seminars at the store yet?

 

[chirurgeon]

Oscar, I'm way past indoctrination. The windows based pc was an abberation. I was using Macs at work 20 years ago and started using them at home soon after that. I just have to get used to using a Mac again.

Kim

 

[kc5grw]

Try booting to a command prompt and running CHKDSK. It sounds like your boot drive may be corrupted. I have had this happen on more than one occasion. Sometimes this will allow you to boot to Windows, sometimes not. The other option to recover data files from the old drive, if you have another Windows system or a friend who is willing to help, is to connect the drive to another system. You will be able to extract any files that are not in a corrupt sector on the drive. I have had to do similarly several times.

 

[chirurgeon]

Thanks, Mike. I will see if a friend can help with recovering the data.

Kim

 

[daneenm]

Oh Well, I am back Apple products, where I belong.

So very glad to hear it! No one really belongs in the world of the Evil Empire, now do they?!?

--Daneen

 

[chirurgeon]

So true, now if I can just get my Ipod contents back into Itunes, without having to load all of my cd's again.

Kim

 

[daneenm]

So true, now if I can just get my Ipod contents back into Itunes, without having to load all of my cd's again.

Kim

Sorry, can't help you there. As far as I know, it will only do that for music purchased from the iTunes store. I would recommend, however, using Time Machine with your new MacBook. I was so bad for so many years and did not back up regularly. Now that I have upgraded to Leopard, I have been using Time Machine (with an external drive) and it is great! About 2 months after I began using it, my HD crashed. Got it replaced and regenerated my entire system from the Time Machine back up. Worked like a charm!

--Daneen

 

[robertgp124]

So true, now if I can just get my Ipod contents back into Itunes, without having to load all of my cd's again.

Kim

This will help you recover your songs, directly to your Mac (I think). It was recommended on another podcast I listen to (MacBreak Weekly).

 

[robertgp124]

Try booting to a command prompt and running CHKDSK. It sounds like your boot drive may be corrupted. I have had this happen on more than one occasion. Sometimes this will allow you to boot to Windows, sometimes not. The other option to recover data files from the old drive, if you have another Windows system or a friend who is willing to help, is to connect the drive to another system. You will be able to extract any files that are not in a corrupt sector on the drive. I have had to do similarly several times.

What Mike says - a lot of times at the office I will run a chkdsk (there are a couple of options on the end, aren't there?) and it will cure the computer. The alternative is to pop the case of the pc and pull the hard drive out. If you have a reasonably new computer (within the past four years or so), you might be surprised how easy this is to do. Then put the drive in a usb enclosure (any office store or best buy, circuit city will have one), and plug it into your mac. The mac will read it no problem. You can search for your itunes library and dump it into your Mac's itunes library (much easier than recovering from the iPod). The mac will ask you to authorize the computer you just bought, and that'll be that.

I have a two year old MacBook Pro. What I love about it is that it runs as well as the day I bought it.

Hope this helps you out.

 

[UrsulasShadow]

I bought my DD a Macbook for school, and I'm now going to get one for my DS. I have to wait for my ol' PC to break down before I can justify getting one for myself, though.

 

[chirurgeon]

I bought my DD a Macbook for school, and I'm now going to get one for my DS. I have to wait for my ol' PC to break down before I can justify getting one for myself, though.

Mindy,

Would you like some negative thoughts sent your PC's way? I can't believe how light and quiet this thing is. I am so in love with this.

Now if some of my tech geek friends can get my data off the old one I'll be really happy. You know, the only things I really want are the mp3 downloads of some WDW attractions, I can't find the files on the internet any more.

Kim

 

[amyhughes]

We went Mac last year and have not looked back!

When I got my new job they handed me a Dell and a Blackberry! I was standing there with a MacBook pro and an iPhone! So I turn a switch on and off in my brain. In the office I use the lesser creature, at home Mac all the time. In fact since I work from home 75% of the time, most of my work is done on this guy. I told them to save their dollar but corporate parent doesn't "like Macs". So I work on the Dell and have withdrawal!