Yeah Right…
No. Really. I know I promised to put Blood Marriage up on Amazon in June, but a virus ate my computer. Really.
Initially I spent too many days (I’m stubborn) trying everything my PAID security provider suggested to clear the trouble. Nothing worked.
Then I took the machine to the famous chain computer store where I bought it. Yes. They could fix it. For a gazillion dollars. (Two kids off to college in less than two months and the air conditioner quit in 100-plus degree weather. So fresh out of gazillions). Well, they assured me, it would be much cheaper to simply buy a new one. Though of course I’d lose my data, pics, etc. I took my sick machine home. More days wasted.
Next I called a kid I knew. He came over and took my computer home with him for a small fraction of what the famous computer chain guys had wanted. He brought it back six days later.
He’d killed the viruses, retrieved and restored the data, pics, etc (yay!). He’d also wiped the hard drive and installed a more up-to-date operating system, less vulnerable browser, cooler email thingee, and a better security software. Best of all my novel is sitting safely in the Cloud. Sadly, the word processing softwares I need to be able to do anything with it, along with my voice recognition software and a few other things, were blown to smithereens. But that, he assured me, was no problem since I could simply reinstall them from the original disk or download them again via the net using my licensing/registration codes.
Uh-oh. Was I supposed to keep those?
Now I’m running endless customer service gauntlets trying to get my software reinstalled. I’ll save you the ugly details, but rest assured I’ve been punished thoroughly for tossing those disks and misplacing those codes.
Happily, today I finally proved (I think) to one company that I did buy their product and deserve to be allowed to reinstall. They’ve promised me a magic disk.
So someday, when I finally fish my novel out of the ether, I will publish it.
And I actually do have a dog.
Brenda Novak Mentorship Contest Finalist Hot Prospects winner Enchanted Words finalist Happily Ever After winner Happy Housewife former homeschooler FlyBaby Bad Mommy! @ www.4badmommies.com
Regina Richards 
Hi Regina!
I am so sorry for your troubles! Oy! I use a backup system called Carbonite. I’ve heard wonderful things about it. It does continuous backups of my system and stores the data somewhere other than my computer. So far I haven’t had to retrieve anything (I hope I didn’t just jinx myself!) but I check on it periodically and it tells me my backups are up to date.
And while I’m careful to retain all paperwork and discs and passwords/codes when I buy new software, it’s rare I can ever find them when I need them!!!
Good luck. And I’m waiting patiently to read your book while thinking: Good things come to those who wait!!!
Hi Wendy,
Carbonite. Smart. I’ll have to check that out.
And I have put creating a file for all those codes and such on my to do list. Though it may take me a few days to get to it. That list seems to breed like a rabbit.
woof woof…
You’re not the dog, Steve. Though you’re certainly as adorable as a puppy.
Oh lord. I was laughing even as I feel horrible for you, because I have so been through this. Isn’t it just the way? I will share with you a secret that can save you a lot of this grief: Dropbox. Here’s my referral link: http://db.tt/wnewkZkF (This will be in my blog next week, Part 2, but you need it ASAP!) If you use Dropbox, at least if your computer dies your files will all be safe and sound and available to access on another computer. And the first good (& plenty big enough) chunk of storage space is totally free. I highly recommend it.
Good luck getting your programs back the way you want them. I’m waiting *mostly* patiently for Blood Marriage. =D
Hi Annie,
Dropbox is a great hint! Got it! Thanks. 🙂