Well, last week I left off with my computer having Windows reinstalled and having to reinstall software. The computer is still not up to full working set up. I figure it will take at least another week.
I started installing software in, more or less, the order that 1 - I thought it was of importance and 2 - I thought I could install it myself. In addition to installing the software much of it needs to have its registration information given again (from the original registration of the software into this computer). Luckily when programs have needed to be registered I have made a record of the registration information which was given to activate the program - in one case of the “hidden” location the registration information (is validation the correct term) where the information has to be entered.
Installing software takes time - which is why the backups were made to begin with - and while the installations are being done I have been using my larger, slower, “kitchen” laptop to get some work done. I also, by hand, copied all of the entries in my Palm Centro to the organizer on this laptop so I was finally able to sync the two and not lose any entries. I am continuing to do so until the computer is setup and the software for the organizer, the sync program, and the sync program for my cell phone are installed on the desktop computer - they will be put in towards the end of software installation. Tuesday and Wednesday last week were spent installing software to the point that the computer was partially workable.
Thursday I installed my email software - a freeware program. I am not good at updating programs and was using a rather old version of the program. Husband told me to install the newest version. I did so. He then tried to copy my profile from the old hard drive to the new. It did not work in the program. He tried all kinds of things. Finally we reached the conclusion that old profile did not work in the new version of the program. We uninstalled the email program and installed the old version from my old downloads file. The program would not open. The computer thought the deleted version was still running. We rebooted the computer - 3 times; it did not help. Finally husband figured out what to do. So after about 2 or 3 hours of installing and uninstalling and rebooting, I finally had my email program back. I had only been checking my more critical email and the accounts more likely to have email, so for the first time since the previous Friday I finally checked all my email accounts. No surprises, thank goodness.
On Friday I tried to add 2 of our printers to my computer, the 2 I actually use on a regular basis. (We have a travel printer which was not of immediate need, a plastic tape label printer - I don’t think I have ever printed on it from the computer, a photo printer - only husband uses, and an older printer which still needs to run on a parallel port.) Our printers were purchased before my version of Windows. The disks therefore did not work. When I tried to have the computer add the printers, they were not listed. Panic set in. I then looked in the downloads file from the old hard drive and found - YES - the printer drivers!! We installed them and as of last Friday I can print again! Well, I guess, technically, I always could print by copying what I needed to print to a laptop, but who wants to do that.
Since then I have not had a chance to install more software. I am coping with the fact that my computer looks “wrong”. I don’t know how I had it set before, but buttons look smaller, icons look bigger. One button just looks wrong. Husband says to me that can wait until all is up and running.
On Monday morning we get not one, but two orders for our craft business. We have few enough orders that when we have one I have to remember how I do the paperwork for our records. Not only do we have 2 sales, but one of them is for multiple items - goodness knows how long since we had same - and is for our home state - which means sales tax was collected and I have to remember how I do an invoice with sales tax. All of this would be minor, except I am using alternative software, other than I normally use, for some of this as the software I normally use is not yet - let’s hear it - installed. I have a program which lets me write pdf files with multiple pages. The program I am using instead makes one page pdfs, so I have to start a folder to hold what is normally a single file until I can fix it. The software I use to print labels is not yet - let’s hear it again - installed. Husband manages to print a label on his computer with some program he has - we had to figure out which Avery label number the labels were. The orders went out on time, but I still have to get around to straightening out my records to what I like.
At this point husband suggests that I make a backup with the new backup program - so if anything happens as we go, we have everything to this point saved. Of course there are problems using the new backup program. I finally had to leave him working on it as I had to make dinner. He figured it out and I have a backup - which hopefully will work if I ever - oh, I hope not - need it.
Tuesday I went to work. No dealing with the desktop. I just had to use my work laptop - unchanged, everything as it was. What a pleasant thought. All went fine until I was done. I keep the info on a USB flash drive as I keep all my data on same and each client’s info is on its own flash drive so I can just bring that client’s info with me when I go to the client and I am always using the correct version of the info as it is on a specific flash drive. When I am done and about to leave the client, I back up the info to the laptop’s hard drive (and then again at home onto my regular backups). I finished work and went to back up the flash drive - I get message that the drive is full and it cannot be backed up. Panic starts to hit me. Then I think about it. I have about 3 backups at home from last month. I did not do that much work while here that I could not easily duplicate it next month if needed. I can deal with it. I come home. I put the flash drive in my desktop - as I thought, the drive is only about 1/3 full. All the work I did was there and it was easily copied to my backup. Okay, one problem easily solved.
When I made the list of programs on the old computer we realized that some software related to the processor chip was missing. I found the instructions for the software - which apparently is on the mother board disks. Husband installed the software for me while I was out today.
Today I had to go to a board meeting for an embroidery group I am treasurer of. Normally I am the most organized person there. I have notes and information - whatever might be needed. Between not being able to work on my computer and prepare in advance and dealing with this client and running to back up it’s data tonight, I am not prepared for the board meeting - or the errands I plan to run tomorrow around the meeting. I printed out a financial report and quickly made some notes on the back. When I got to the meeting today I explained, that they are about to see the other me - the one without her computer to keep her organized. Luckily, I still managed to come up with most of the info needed.
I still have not hooked up the USB hub with my flash drives - archive, data, backup A and backup B and I am waiting until a few other programs are reinstalled and ready to use. For now I put the flash drives in and take them out as I need them.
Hopefully when I next post it will all be resolved - I doubt it though.
Have you ever been through a mess like this?
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