As an Aggie, I have been just brilliant enough to keep my business files on a small one gig thumb drive (that I got free at a conference - ouch). My work is done on several different computers, so it made sense. Of course I always planned on backing the data on my hard drive, but I never got a 'round tuit'.
Well, yesterday the unthinkable happened. I popped it in the USB port to write a few invoices and....nothing. I tried it on 3 or 4 other computers....nothing. I took it apart and blew snuff-flavored breath on it...nothing. The computer would not even recognize that the device was plugged in the USB port. I was about to throw up. Eighteen months of invoices, copies of payments, sales and sales tax records, G-O-N-E.
I conferred with a few IT folks and most everyone agreed I was screwed – except for one guy. He suggested I put it in an anti-static bag and place in the deep freeze overnight. The idea being that one of the connections on the circuit board had come apart and shrinking the board a tiny bit may be enough to regain the connection.
I had nothing to lose. The device sat overnight on a package of ground venison at -5 degrees.
This morning I popped it in to see what would happen. BINGO!!! It worked as if it were brand new. Only took about a minute to copy the files over to my hard drive. A few minutes later, it went dead again.
I have since researched this a bit and sure enough, it often works. Story after story of people salvaging data from “broken” hard drives.
Thought I would share just in case it saves one of you from pulling your hair out and chunking a device that may very well be salvageable.
Well, yesterday the unthinkable happened. I popped it in the USB port to write a few invoices and....nothing. I tried it on 3 or 4 other computers....nothing. I took it apart and blew snuff-flavored breath on it...nothing. The computer would not even recognize that the device was plugged in the USB port. I was about to throw up. Eighteen months of invoices, copies of payments, sales and sales tax records, G-O-N-E.
I conferred with a few IT folks and most everyone agreed I was screwed – except for one guy. He suggested I put it in an anti-static bag and place in the deep freeze overnight. The idea being that one of the connections on the circuit board had come apart and shrinking the board a tiny bit may be enough to regain the connection.
I had nothing to lose. The device sat overnight on a package of ground venison at -5 degrees.
This morning I popped it in to see what would happen. BINGO!!! It worked as if it were brand new. Only took about a minute to copy the files over to my hard drive. A few minutes later, it went dead again.
I have since researched this a bit and sure enough, it often works. Story after story of people salvaging data from “broken” hard drives.
Thought I would share just in case it saves one of you from pulling your hair out and chunking a device that may very well be salvageable.
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