is my data GONE?

iluvcats
iluvcats Posts: 5,153
edited December 2006 in Technical Stuff and Help
I now have a brand new computer which I'm typing on. We have two old computers downstairs, a 2000 Dell with Windows ME and a 1995 Dell with Windows 95. Don't laugh at the 95, it still worked. My husband only used it b/c it had CADD software with the layout of our house on it. We are going to do an addition.

My old 2000 Dell was moved downstairs and stupidly I had not copied the files yet; it's hooked up and still worked (til this happened) and I was procrastinating copying files.

While I was asleep last night, my husband took our 95 hard drive and stuck it inside the 2000 computer, he wanted to copy the large CADD file. It said that it detected new hardware, do you want to install and he answered yes.

He took the 95 drive out of the 2000 computer and when he turned the 2000 on, he now sees Windows 95. :( If he wiped out my hard drive, I'm upset. That would mean I lost family photos and everything. I do have some of the photos from the hard drive on old cd's. But no backups of ones that were emailed to me.
9/98, 9/00 - DC, 4/03 - Pitt., 7/03 - Bristow, 10/04 - Reading, 10/05 - Philly, 5/06 - DC, 6/06 - Pitt., 6/08 - Va Beach, 6/08 - DC, 5/10 - Bristow, 10/13 B'more
8/08 - Ed solo in DC, 6/09 Ed in B'more,
10/10 - Brad in B'more
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments

  • Ahnimus
    Ahnimus Posts: 10,560
    It sounds like he took out the wrong hard-drive when he was finished.

    Did he actually erase anything?

    Edit: It's also possible he opened an image file that re-wrote the existing hard-disk image, but that seems a bit unlikely.
    I necessarily have the passion for writing this, and you have the passion for condemning me; both of us are equally fools, equally the toys of destiny. Your nature is to do harm, mine is to love truth, and to make it public in spite of you. - Voltaire
  • iluvcats
    iluvcats Posts: 5,153
    thanks everyone :D
    9/98, 9/00 - DC, 4/03 - Pitt., 7/03 - Bristow, 10/04 - Reading, 10/05 - Philly, 5/06 - DC, 6/06 - Pitt., 6/08 - Va Beach, 6/08 - DC, 5/10 - Bristow, 10/13 B'more
    8/08 - Ed solo in DC, 6/09 Ed in B'more,
    10/10 - Brad in B'more
  • jlew24asu
    jlew24asu Posts: 10,118
    sounds like you have the wrong drive. I dont believe anything is lost.

    you can take the drives and put them into your newest, best PC. try it one at a time and move all data.

    I really dont believe anything is lost, good luck.
  • turnedmyworldtoblack
    turnedmyworldtoblack Posts: 151
    I second the wrong drive. Just take the one out that is in there now and simply replace it with the other one and back your stuff up, you never know if he could mishandle one during the switch, which would be your really only threat to losing all of your data. I'd just say back it up before you mess anything up :)
  • jlew24asu
    jlew24asu Posts: 10,118
    actually after thinking about it and a better explanation from luv. they had the jumper in the wrong spot.

    jumper should be in a PC and set moved to slave.

    damn jumpers. I went crazy the first time not knowing what a jumper is.
  • norm
    norm Posts: 31,146
    jlew24asu wrote:
    actually after thinking about it and a better explanation from luv. they had the jumper in the wrong spot.

    jumper should be in a PC and set moved to slave.

    damn jumpers. I went crazy the first time not knowing what a jumper is.
    No kidding. First time I saw Master/Slave I laughed. And don't get me started on Cable Select.

    Cats, it sounds like the 95 drive became the boot drive when he installed it in the 2000 machine. The data should still be there. Change the jumper settings on the 95 drive (there is usually a diagram on the drive showing the proper settings) to slave and reinstall in the 2000. If you (or your husband) feel a little squeamish about doing this, call a pro. You don't want to lose those pics.
  • iluvcats
    iluvcats Posts: 5,153
    jlew24asu wrote:
    actually after thinking about it and a better explanation from luv. they had the jumper in the wrong spot.

    jumper should be in a PC and set moved to slave.

    damn jumpers. I went crazy the first time not knowing what a jumper is.

    i called him and read this to him :)

    thanks everyone for your help here and the pm's. i'm showing him this when he gets home. he asked around at work too so he should be fine. i was ready to cry when he told me this happened around 1 a.m. today. but at least i still have my home, right? people usually lose their pics when their house is swept away in a flood or tornado, so i need to count my blessings :D

    you should have seen our 2000 computer last year when he opened it up and vaccummed it out. pretty gross. it did not work for about a day then too.
    9/98, 9/00 - DC, 4/03 - Pitt., 7/03 - Bristow, 10/04 - Reading, 10/05 - Philly, 5/06 - DC, 6/06 - Pitt., 6/08 - Va Beach, 6/08 - DC, 5/10 - Bristow, 10/13 B'more
    8/08 - Ed solo in DC, 6/09 Ed in B'more,
    10/10 - Brad in B'more
  • jlew24asu
    jlew24asu Posts: 10,118
    I would recommend buying an external hard drive that plugs into your PC.

    you also should know that if your PC crashes (windows) that doesnt mean you will loose whats on the Hard drive. win 95 and even 2000 will crash on you at some point. but if that happens the data will still be on the drive.


    the only way to really loose the data is if the hard drive stops spinning or you reformat.
  • aNiMaL
    aNiMaL Posts: 7,117
    I would have something to add if jlew24asu hadn't already said everything i would have said. :)
  • iluvcats
    iluvcats Posts: 5,153
    jlew24asu wrote:
    I would recommend buying an external hard drive that plugs into your PC.

    you also should know that if your PC crashes (windows) that doesnt mean you will loose whats on the Hard drive. win 95 and even 2000 will crash on you at some point. but if that happens the data will still be on the drive.


    the only way to really loose the data is if the hard drive stops spinning or you reformat.

    not trying to be picky here or correct you, but our 2000 PC has shitty Windows ME, not windows 2000.

    I blame everything on the windows ME, which crashed 5x/week :( but otherwise the computer worked very well, esp. when we got adelphia high speed internet. And if that computer ever works again, we're still keeping it on a network. how will we ever get rid of that 1995 thing, lol?

    I now have Windows XP on this computer, a breath of fresh air.

    thanks again.

    pj fans rule!
    9/98, 9/00 - DC, 4/03 - Pitt., 7/03 - Bristow, 10/04 - Reading, 10/05 - Philly, 5/06 - DC, 6/06 - Pitt., 6/08 - Va Beach, 6/08 - DC, 5/10 - Bristow, 10/13 B'more
    8/08 - Ed solo in DC, 6/09 Ed in B'more,
    10/10 - Brad in B'more
  • markymark550
    markymark550 Columbia, SC Posts: 5,237
    iluvcats wrote:
    We have two old computers downstairs, a 2000 Dell with Windows ME and a 1995 Dell with Windows 95. Don't laugh at the 95, it still worked. My husband only used it b/c it had CADD software with the layout of our house on it. We are going to do an addition.
    Actually, I'm laughing at the Windows ME. ME is the shittiest OS that has ever been created. Microsoft should have fined a lot of money for that piece of crap. I had ME on my computer for about 6 months before I was able to change the OS. It's even funnier looking at ME if you take an Operating Systems class for a computer science degree like I had to.
  • aNiMaL
    aNiMaL Posts: 7,117
    iluvcats wrote:
    not trying to be picky here or correct you, but our 2000 PC has shitty Windows ME, not windows 2000.

    I blame everything on the windows ME, which crashed 5x/week :( but otherwise the computer worked very well, esp. when we got adelphia high speed internet. And if that computer ever works again, we're still keeping it on a network. how will we ever get rid of that 1995 thing, lol?

    I now have Windows XP on this computer, a breath of fresh air.

    thanks again.

    pj fans rule!
    What's funny to me is that you are now getting cozy with XP on the eve of Vista being released to the masses.

    Vista is badass!!! I have been playing with a few different releases here at work for the last 6+ months. I really like it.
  • jlew24asu
    jlew24asu Posts: 10,118
    aNiMaL wrote:
    What's funny to me is that you are now getting cozy with XP on the eve of Vista being released to the masses.

    Vista is badass!!! I have been playing with a few different releases here at work for the last 6+ months. I really like it.


    thats true. and my company still is only lincenced for office 2000. office 07 is right around the corner with vista.

    I like vista too. but I notice one thing. so many features are EXACT copies of MAC OS X. pretty funny.
  • norm
    norm Posts: 31,146
    jlew24asu wrote:
    I like vista too. but I notice one thing. so many features are EXACT copies of MAC OS X. pretty funny.
    Really? Microsoft copying others software? I don't believe it! ;):D
  • wedge
    wedge Posts: 81
    aNiMaL wrote:
    Vista is badass!!!


    if you have some serious hardware, plan on migrating to 64-bit architecture and are willing to invest in a while new slew of software applications and utilities given the new stack structure & legal ramifications surrounding the kernel of the new OS. MS is taking over duties and processes that have historically been handled by companies such as Symantec. While this may end up being a good thing it will take some ironing out.

    Approach with caution. This OS has not done any real time in the "wild." Even the TCP/IP stack hasnt undergone significant field testing.

    When the Zune was released it was not compatible with Vista. I'd imagine there are a few more "surprises" like that waiting in the hidden wings.

    That being said, its all a step in the right direction from the looks of it.
  • jlew24asu
    jlew24asu Posts: 10,118
    wedge wrote:
    if you have some serious hardware, plan on migrating to 64-bit architecture and are willing to invest in a while new slew of software applications and utilities given the new stack structure & legal ramifications surrounding the kernel of the new OS. MS is taking over duties and processes that have historically been handled by companies such as Symantec. While this may end up being a good thing it will take some ironing out.

    Approach with caution. This OS has not done any real time in the "wild." Even the TCP/IP stack hasnt undergone significant field testing.

    When the Zune was released it was not compatible with Vista. I'd imagine there are a few more "surprises" like that waiting in the hidden wings.

    That being said, its all a step in the right direction from the looks of it.


    I heard that about the Zune. talk about the biggest bonehead move of all time. make no sense whatsoever
  • iluvcats
    iluvcats Posts: 5,153
    i'm not a geek, how would i know that? i did not see that offered on dell's site when i bought my new pc. i don't sit around reading "pc world" in my spare time.

    besides, it could have kinks in it, kind of like a new model of a car can suck til they work out the kinks.
    aNiMaL wrote:
    What's funny to me is that you are now getting cozy with XP on the eve of Vista being released to the masses.

    Vista is badass!!! I have been playing with a few different releases here at work for the last 6+ months. I really like it.
    9/98, 9/00 - DC, 4/03 - Pitt., 7/03 - Bristow, 10/04 - Reading, 10/05 - Philly, 5/06 - DC, 6/06 - Pitt., 6/08 - Va Beach, 6/08 - DC, 5/10 - Bristow, 10/13 B'more
    8/08 - Ed solo in DC, 6/09 Ed in B'more,
    10/10 - Brad in B'more
  • Jamal
    Jamal Posts: 2,115
    iluvcats wrote:
    i'm not a geek, how would i know that? i did not see that offered on dell's site when i bought my new pc. i don't sit around reading "pc world" in my spare time.
    Wow, so it IS true, some people DO have social lives
    Surf little waves big... Charge big waves hard

    - Antwerp '06, Nijmegen '07, Werchter '07
  • norm
    norm Posts: 31,146
    iluvcats wrote:
    i'm not a geek, how would i know that? i did not see that offered on dell's site when i bought my new pc. i don't sit around reading "pc world" in my spare time.

    besides, it could have kinks in it, kind of like a new model of a car can suck til they work out the kinks.
    Don't worry about Vista. I wait at least a year before I even consider upgrading to Microsoft's next great thing. That's why I never had to experience ME. ;)
  • iluvcats
    iluvcats Posts: 5,153
    Jamal wrote:
    Wow, so it IS true, some people DO have social lives

    lol yes :D

    ok so i'm a hundred years old....back in the eighties, i did have a junior computer geek job and i was pretty good. we did sit around reading nerdy magazines and testing software. i switched careers in 1990 and dropped out of computer nerd school :)

    want a good laugh? I got an "A" in DOS in college. I can barely remember it now. I think I took it in 1988.

    now i suck!
    9/98, 9/00 - DC, 4/03 - Pitt., 7/03 - Bristow, 10/04 - Reading, 10/05 - Philly, 5/06 - DC, 6/06 - Pitt., 6/08 - Va Beach, 6/08 - DC, 5/10 - Bristow, 10/13 B'more
    8/08 - Ed solo in DC, 6/09 Ed in B'more,
    10/10 - Brad in B'more

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