If you've ever seen that dreaded blue screen appear on your computer monitor, then you already know the kind of response it evokes. It starts with a sick feeling in the pit of your stomach, followed by a rising panic as your entire online life flashes before your eyes.
Files, passwords, programs, downloads - it all races through your head as you mentally check off the things you can remember and the things you need to recover.
As the madness takes over, you reach for the nearest notepad to jot these things down before you forget them - all the programs you use, passwords you can remember off the top of your head, files you dont want to forget - as if your brain might crash next, clearing all memory of precious data...
That seems to have a calming effect. You begin to realize just how great your memory is under extreme circumstances. Its a typical stress response, similar to the rush of adrenaline you get in other scary situations.
The panic starts to subside as your brain goes into super-mode and you begin to conjure up logical solutions. "Okay," you say, "I can get through this". Everything is going to be fine.
And that feeling lasts for all of about 2 seconds. Until your brain scan runs across the memory of that one file or that one piece of data you cant live without.. and you realize just how screwed you are.
Best,
P.S. Stop whatever you are doing right now, and go do a full back-up of your critical data.
Technorati Tags: windows xp, microsoft, blue screen, blue screen of death, bsod, bluescreen
About Lynn Terry
Thanks for the reminder Lynn! I keep meaning to get around to this, and I actually took out a couple of blank DVD's to copy stuff the other day, but I got distracted.
The thought of losing everything on my computer is beyond scary. I really should start printing out files with client contact information and save their work to discs until completion. Every so often I think of what would happen to my business if my computer crashed, and I envision all those angry clients, but I still haven't done anything to back up my computer.
This is going on my to-do list right now! I have an ancient computer that now belongs to my kids, and I work solely from my 1 year old laptop. I sometimes get that "screen of death" and it completely freaks me out. I don't know if that means it's dying or not, but need to back everything up NOW and hopefully I can get a new desktop soon.
This post make me laugh as I read through it. I'd been a victim more than once anyway.
Backing up files - what do you suggest Lynn?
I take it you're using Windows XP? During the 3 years I used XP I only saw that screen once and I was able to get my information back by transferring the HD to another computer and copying the files over. Now that I've got Vista, I don't see this happening anytime in the future.
Hey Lynn,
It was your suggestion that got me doing this meme, so you had to know I was going to tag you for it 😉
Thanks for all your help over the past year 🙂
I just tagged you as part of my Birthday Celebration meme. I hope you will play along
Expect the Best,
Heather
Absolutely - I'll check that out 😉
Yes, I'm using XP. I was able to (finally) log on in safe mode and uninstall the antivirus software that I recently installed - and am (very slowly) backing up critical files. WHEW!
Oh no, Lynn. That does not sound good. 🙁 I'm glad you got it back up though.
Almost 15 hours later... I am happy to say all data is recovered, and I am "back in business" 😉
Woo hoo!
I bought a new Dell about a year ago and it has done nothing but blue screen. It now is at the point of doing it within half an hour of starting up.
Lynne, I must have spent your 15 hours and then some on the phone with Dell support, taking the thing to bits, without any success. It has now got to the point where my time is more valuable than the PC, (and I cant risk starting anything on it for it to be tashed in a blue instant), and I have gone back to using a slightly older, but reliable laptop.
Oh wow - not good. I've honestly never had any trouble with my Dell and this was my very first bluescreen experience with any of them (I have 4 dells). And mine had to do with software I installed, so I feel confident it will continue to work fine.
Sorry to hear you had such a bad experience.
Wow Lynn! This post made me laugh, but not at you...I know EXACTLY what you were going through, because I myself was going through the exact same thing Wednesday night and all day yesterday!
Glad you got everything back...now I'm off to backup all my stuff AGAIN...just in case! 😉
I dont blame you lol - No fun, is it? 😛
Great reminder!
I just backed up to my external hard drive and am working on backing up to my online source. Glad to hear you got it worked out!
I hate the blue screen! Luckily I haven't seen it since I have been using Windows Vista!
My Dell is 4 years old and I have never backed up anything! Where do I start? What do I do?
I am testing a GREAT (easy!!) solution right now so stay tuned - if all goes well, I'll be passing this one on and you'll love it! 😉
This is just too too funny. Well kinda. Not funny that it happens (because it is total and utter panic), but I'm glad to see you are making the situation humorous with this post.
I've got everything backed up on another computer right now. Not an ideal situation for everyone, but it worked out well for me. In case of emergency, most of my important files are stored on it.
Funny to me now, looking back, but all very true at the time I wrote it lol 😛 What a relief to have everything back up & running (or close to it - still working on it!).
Ain't Technology a wonderful thing? LOL
Glad you got everything sorted out! 😉
Rick Wilson aka CorpRebel 8)
Technology is advancing, the blue screen doesn't happen on my Vista laptop (only on my previous XP). And yes, the thought of losing everything on my computer IS scary!
Looking forward to your Backup Solution. Hope it is one that works even when Windoze screws up big time and won't even boot up (which is the point at which far too many Backup solutions fail). Till they decided to discontinue support for it I used to use Ghost 2003. Also hope your solution does a complete backup and doesn't skip any files another big failing point for my so-called Backup solutions.I Presently use a External USB HD
Its working beautifully! I am sitting here completely backed up - totally up to date - and sleeping easy at night 😀
See: http://www.clicknewz.com/1159/free-remote-backup/
My days of burning CD's are OVER! 😉
Am I the only Mac user here?
Good question, David - I'd be interested to hear how many Mac users are reading along...
By the way, the remote backup service I am using is Mac-compatible 😀
Blue screen blues? Yup, I've sung 'em too.
Luckily I had Online Back Up so after my laptop died I just logged in to my back up account and downloaded all the files to my new computer.
It makes no difference what computer you have or operating system, your machine will die one day and that day will be fine for you if you have online backup
I'd go a little further; if you don't have online back up you are playing roulette with your business!
🙂
Alex
Hi Lynn,
Interesting!
Yesterday, after reading a story of a company that was sold out due a huge loss of the data, I wrote an article about the importance of regular file backups.
Check it out here: http://dosoqi.wordpress.com/2009/01/15/file-backup-mirroring-software
BTW, I've followed you on Twitter 🙂
Best Regards,
Maher