My wife just spent all day writing a talk for church tomorrow. She saved it to a floppy so she could print it from my computer (we haven't figured out this whole printer-sharing thing yet).
So we can't get the file off the floppy. Any time we so much as click the icon, the floppy drive starts making this repetitive grinding noise, and whatever application we're using crashes.
The few times we've managed to at least get ahold of the icon, we've tried copying or moving the file to a different location, and we get a "can't read source file" type of error.
We even searched the directory where WordPerfect was supposed to be periodically backing up her documents, and it was empty.
So, apparently, the universe has conspired to ruin our day. I'm just wondering, is there any last-ditch thing we should try that we haven't thought of, to at least recover some portion of the file?
Posted by Primal Curve (Member # 3587) on :
You can't read the file from either floppy drive?
Posted by A Rat Named Dog (Member # 699) on :
Nope, both drives act exactly the same way. Makes me think it's a problem with the file or the disk.
Posted by Chris Bridges (Member # 1138) on :
Could try openjing WordPerfect and clicking on "Recent files" (or whatever the WP equivalent is) to see if it opens the last one.
When you look for backup copies, are you looking for .docs or all files? I believe WP saves backups as .bk! or .bak.
Posted by John L (Member # 6005) on :
Use Word. I can donate a legitimate copy. It saves better better. (pen/flash drives are helpful, too) Posted by A Rat Named Dog (Member # 699) on :
I'm searching for that now, but I was still pretty miffed when I saw that the directory was completely EMPTY. I mean, my wife even remembers seeing WordPerfect claim to back up her document several times. If the backup file isn't there, that's a pretty obnoxious program ...
Posted by A Rat Named Dog (Member # 699) on :
Heh heh, very funny, John. Got anything that can help us salvage the miserable situation we're already in? Posted by Primal Curve (Member # 3587) on :
I did some searching online and I found something that might help. Granted, I've never used this software, but it may help you out. It will, in the very least, get you headed in the right direction.
Posted by A Rat Named Dog (Member # 699) on :
I'm trying that program now, Primal (the evaluation version, at least), and even it is totally stymied. [sigh] I feel so horrible about this. I mean, she really did spend all day, off and on, working on it.
Posted by Chris Bridges (Member # 1138) on :
Which version of Word Perfect are you using? And are you on a Windows or Mac machine?
If nothing else, you could do a search for any file on your computer that's been added or changed in the last day (you can usually specify this in the Advanced Search options), just in case you pick up a backup file in an odd place.
[ March 14, 2004, 02:20 AM: Message edited by: Chris Bridges ]
Posted by A Rat Named Dog (Member # 699) on :
Ten on her computer, and nine on mine. Same file format, though, I believe ...
Posted by A Rat Named Dog (Member # 699) on :
Okay, that program that I thought was stymied is slowly seeming to make progress ...
Meanwhile, Heather has found a "talk.wpd" file on her hard drive, but it says we don't have permission to access it. [grumblegrumble]
Posted by Chris Bridges (Member # 1138) on :
Can you change the attributes for that file?
Posted by Primal Curve (Member # 3587) on :
What operating system is her machine running?
Can I show you how to share printers when we're done? Posted by fallow (Member # 6268) on :
Rat,
When I encounter difficulties like these, I resort to mailing the document to a different machine rather than rely on hard copy.
fallow
Posted by A Rat Named Dog (Member # 699) on :
I've got Windows 2000 Pro, and she's got XP Home. This is the first time I've ever done anything with a network, and although I thought I had found the means of sharing a printer on my end, her computer could never find it ...
Posted by A Rat Named Dog (Member # 699) on :
Looks like the file on her drive is just an "internet shortcut" right back to the A drive.
Posted by Chris Bridges (Member # 1138) on :
Any luck with the floppy recovery program?
(I get e-mail with advice about this problem all the time...)
Posted by fallow (Member # 6268) on :
U don't have global permissions on a document on a home computer?
get a linux box, or a mac.
Can you open the file?
Posted by Chris Bridges (Member # 1138) on :
Stupid Question #4: have you checked your settings to make sure that your backup copies are being saved where you think they're being saved?
Posted by fallow (Member # 6268) on :
Rat,
Find another drive, if possible.
fallow
Posted by Chris Bridges (Member # 1138) on :
FRom doing some quick research: WordPerfect has two types of backups. One is a temporary backup that can (sometimes) be retrieved after a computer crash or problem. This one usually comes up automatically after you restart WordPerfect and it asks if you want to recover it.
The other type is a complete copy of your document - the last-saved draft, anyway - but only if you have enabled that feature under Tools>Settings>Files>Backup Files. Otherwise, it don't happen.
The practical upshot is, work on the floppy. Unless you've got the backup copy option turned on (default is off), there isn't a backup file, the temporary one was deleted as soon as you saved your working copy.
If the option is turned on, of course, keep looking.
Posted by Zevlag (Member # 1405) on :
My guess is the backup that was happening was the temporary "working" backup. The moment you save ths file, and properly close WordPerfect it is gone. *poof*
If I were there I could probably recover it for you by hand with a good hex editor. Made lot's of money doing this in the college computer labs
I truly hate floppy's, they are far too prone to damage and failure. I recommend ALWAYS save a copy of the document to disk, or email, or something. NEVER rely on the floppy.
[ March 14, 2004, 03:03 AM: Message edited by: Zevlag ]
Posted by A Rat Named Dog (Member # 699) on :
Okay, I'm ordering the full version of Badcopy, in the hope that the bit of file that the trial version recovered can be saved and then opened with WordPerfect.
I do have the periodic backup turned on in WordPerfect on my wife's computer, so I've got no idea why it didn't happen.
My wife formed a lot of her habits in college, where she didn't have a computer, and was forced to rely on floppies at the lab. I'll bet the habits will change a bit now, but saying what she should have done probably won't help our current situation much Posted by fallow (Member # 6268) on :
Is it too long to rewrite from memory?
Posted by A Rat Named Dog (Member # 699) on :
It's only moderately long, but it was a stressful process that just can't be repeated while dead tired in the middle of the night before.
Posted by A Rat Named Dog (Member # 699) on :
Great. Tried to register Badcopy, but their alleged e-mail with my registration code never arrived. Nice waste of 40 bucks ...
Posted by Zevlag (Member # 1405) on :
Geoff, are you on IM?
IM me.
AIM: JBGZevlag
Posted by fallow (Member # 6268) on :
rat,
I could take dictation.
fallow
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
Buy a USB flash/keychain drive. You can get 128MB drives for $30, and they don't crash. As fewer and fewer machines even HAVE floppy drives, this is a good thing.
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
Also, never save documents primarily to floppy when you do use them. Floppies fail all the time. Save documents to disk, and when you're ready to transfer, copy them to floppy.
Its not terribly useful in hindsight, but if you follow it in the future it will help prevent getting burned when you have to use a floppy.
Posted by A Rat Named Dog (Member # 699) on :
Good idea, Tom!
Update. Zevlag was cool enough to give me a registration code ... but even though it said it was accepted, my trial version never started acting like a full version, no matter what I tried. So I couldn't save the file. I finally collapsed and fell asleep, and Heather got up int he middle of the night to write a new talk. So it all ended up okay, even though we never got the file.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
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