Safety First and the Importance of Backups

[mcb39]

Several weeks ago, my 2002 XP machine refused to boot. That is no longer my main computer but it has a lot of information on it and several useful programs that I still use. In fact, it has every program and files for ATX/Saber on it back through 1999. I was told everything from failed hard drive to dead battery to bad files.

Due to some extremely sad circumstances and other issues, my IT friend couldn't get to me until last night. My greatest pain was not being able to access my labels and business cards on Print Shop 5. I had them all saved on a jump drive, but that version of Print Shop was not compatible with Win 7 and the new Print Shop Program that I purchased was not compatible with those old files. What to do? He finally got to me last night. He manually booted into startup. He then changed the order of the boot up drives so that it would boot to the CD. He inserted his disk for the backup/restore program we use and was able to restore the entire system intact from a recent external HD backup that I had made.

I look across the room at that lit-up monitor and just smile. Even if the hard drive had failed, he could have done the same thing because I had a good current backup in the safe. As it was, it turned out to be a corrupt boot file.

Please, please always remember to back up your files. On the computers I use every day, I have alternating drives for complete system backups and , as I have stated often enough, I export each and every file to a jump drive that lives in my machine all day. Every time I make a major change to a return, I do another export. In all of my years, I have never had this happen, but I had a good teacher and I was a good student. You will never know the pain until it happens to you; nor experience the joy of seeing your system come back to life.

The program that we use is a simple little free program called EaseUS ToDo Backup and is installed and updated on every one of my machines. This is a happy day.

[kcjenkins]

Glad it worked out well. And totally agree that we should never just trust ANY program's auto backup as full protection. It's just too important, and it's also true that all electronic devices are so vulnerable to multiple dangers.

[mcb39]

The thing that never makes sense to me is backing up to your harddrive. If your drive fails, you cannot access the original or the backup files. Only an external backup will allow you to do that.

[Jack from Ohio]

The thing that never makes sense to me is backing up to your harddrive. If your drive fails, you cannot access the original or the backup files. Only an external backup will allow you to do that.

I backup to a SECOND physical hard drive in the same machine.

At the firm, we have Raid 5 backup. Three 1TB drives in a Raid 5 configuration. This gives 2TB storage and allows for the total failure of one drive with no loss of data. Additionally, with a couple of mouse clicks, the defective drive can be hot-swapped, and the Raid 5 controller will reconfigure the new drive and no one using the system can tell.

I use external backup daily to take offsite for catastrophic loss protection.

[Pacun]

When a hard drive dies, most of the times, your data is there. So if you take out the hard drive from your computer and connect it to another working computer as a "slave", you can get your data. Of course, backing up religiously is better than looking for an adapter and connect your hard drive to another computer.

Backing up to the same hard drive helps only if the original location of your files becomes physically damaged and the back up folder resides on a good spot.

[Gileam]

Since we are talking about hard drive failure. Anyone ever use the program Spin Rite from grc.com? Its worth taking a look at and keeping around for when that problem comes up. I used it a few years back and its not fast but it will get the problem resolved. If it is not a mechanical problem.

[RitaB]

Would you believe? My computer with XP will not boot this morning. Happy Birthday to me. Talk about a timely thread.

[Jack from Ohio]

Seems that we recommended pitching XP early last tax season....

[RitaB]

I bought a new computer Feb 2013. Seems like I told you that. I see how it is. I knew you didn't really care about me. Or Mary.

[Pacun]

Rita,

What's the message on your XP machine? Is it just rebooting? See if it boots up on safe mode, if not, you won't be able to resurrect it.

To boot to safe mode, you have to press F8 right before or when you see the Windows logo.

[RitaB]

I tried Safe Mode first thing. No, it won't boot. All my tax and Peachtree files are on this new, hunky dory machine I'm on now. I'm good, I just have a lot of old programs I used now and then. Exactly like Marilyn (original poster).

[Jack from Ohio]

I bought a new computer Feb 2013. Seems like I told you that. I see how it is. I knew you didn't really care about me. Or Mary.

My recommendations have not changed since one year ago. Ask Marilyn what I told her when I was in her office about her XP machine? There are more reasons to upgrade than just tax software.

Good advice and recommendations from experienced people that are ignored are of no value to the recipient. Now the system has crashed right in the middle of tax season.

[RitaB]

My recommendations have not changed since one year ago. Ask Marilyn what I told her when I was in her office about her XP machine? There are more reasons to upgrade than just tax software.

Good advice and recommendations from experienced people that are ignored are of no value to the recipient. Now the system has crashed right in the middle of tax season.

You seem pretty torn up over this. Calm down. Read my post above yours. Relax. Breathe.

And I still love YOU, even though you yell at me like this. I like abuse.

[mcb39]

I tried Safe Mode first thing. No, it won't boot. All my tax and Peachtree files are on this new, hunky dory machine I'm on now. I'm good, I just have a lot of old programs I used now and then. Exactly like Marilyn (original poster).

My message was NTLDR is missing. And, no, it would not boot into safe mode because there was a corrupt boot file. Somehow, my guy got into the setup and changed the order of drive booting from A to D so that he could boot into the restore disk. From then on it was just a matter of installing the full system backup that I had. Jack did tell me to get rid of it because it would no longer be supported after April 14. However, at the time, we did not know that Microsoft was going to announce that they are going to continue to support Security updates through July of 2015. I wasn't planning on using the computer on the internet, but as I explained before and as Rita states, there is a lot of old stuff on there that can still be used and which is not compatible with Win 7 or beyond. It has not been my intent to prepare tax returns on that machine since 2011. I plan on keeping that old XP machine alive and well as long as I can because many of those old programs will not work with Win 7 64 bit. XP is 32 bit.

An odd thing is that my Grandson, who has my old XP laptop, which was in perfect condition, cannot boot either. Am wondering if MS might have sent out a bad file in the last update. I beg to differ with Pacun, but it CAN BE resurrected; just a question of why and how.

If I find a solution, Rita, I will send you a PM.

[Jack from Ohio]

If the actual drive hardware or circuitry dies, there is NO recovering data. If a file on the drive, or some data gets corrupted, then there is a chance.

Hard drives that truly fail, will not allow recovery of the data unless you want to send it to a recovery company who will charge tens of thousands to recover the data using laser readers.

Ask your IT guys about bit rot. That is the biggest reason to replace old equipment.

[cred65]

I had the very same problem on 1/23/14. message was NTLDR is missing.

Take it to the IT doctor ASAP.

My problems were:
• found boot files were damaged and fixed them.
• fixed boot directory, cleaned up Temp, registry, and startup files.

[kcjenkins]

But even if you are able to resuscitate the old drive, start planning on it dying for good. Check for new programs that can replace the old ones, while you still have access to them. Because it will die one day, and you've already been warned that day is getting close. Besides, while we all like those old programs we know so well we don't have to think about them, many times when we are forced into a new one we find it's actually a lot better, or does more, and usually does it faster. It's easier to switch, too, if we still have access to the old data. Like creating a cvs file of an old database, that may make populating the new program relatively simple.

[Jack from Ohio]

But even if you are able to resuscitate the old drive, start planning on it dying for good. Check for new programs that can replace the old ones, while you still have access to them. Because it will die one day, and you've already been warned that day is getting close. Besides, while we all like those old programs we know so well we don't have to think about them, many times when we are forced into a new one we find it's actually a lot better, or does more, and usually does it faster. It's easier to switch, too, if we still have access to the old data. Like creating a cvs file of an old database, that may make populating the new program relatively simple.

What she said!!!

[joanmcq]

Ugh, I haven't tried to boot my old XP laptop recently, but I have all my pre-2008 programs on it. And a MUCH better photo editor than on any of my newer computers. I have a non filer I'm working on, & will need to go back 6 years.

[Jack from Ohio]

I installed a new harddrive in an old machine, reinstalled Windows XP, put it on the network to be used with ATX2004 and older, since they are not compatible with Windows7. We constantly have multi-year non-filers as well.

[ILLMAS]

Our local newspaper just had an article yesterday, that Microsoft needs your help to encourage family and friends to throw in the towel with XP and start using WIN7 & 8. I am knocking on wood that no one comes in with a pre 2008 tax return, I would hate to dig out the old machine from storage, connect and to find out it doesn't work or something is wrong.

[Medlin Software, Dennis]

Remember one oft forgotten "bit", if you never try to restore, you have no backup to rely on. Take the backup out for a "drive" once in a while so you can be somewhat confident it will work, contains what you need, you have the tools to restore, etc.

At least one backup should be off site, say on a cloud service or in a different location (not next door or in another room, but somewhere different, where you could actually work from).

Multiple backups. Have only one? Hardly worth the bother as it will no doubt fail when needed. Have a rotation of many, so if the most recent fails, you can go back a short time and try another. For tax prep, I would not want to repeat more than a day's work, so I would probably have at least 14 backups in rotation, so I can go back day by day for the last two weeks.

Write out and practice a disaster recovery plan. How will you get another computer/printer. Another internet connection. Another phone line, with forwarding your current number. How will you handle mail forwarding. What happens if you are unable to continue working.

[Jack from Ohio]

I also backup all my tax client files on a flash drive that I carry in my pocket at all times. 64GB holds the last 10 years no problem. On sale at Staples for $39 on Black Friday. This is in addition to the daily backup on another drive I drop off at the in-laws every morning and pickup yesterdays. Rotation...