HELP: stupid computer question...

It's me, the computer dunce again. Okay, so the software I use at work, the files were corrupted in it because of a lightning strike. I have a backup disc, and I need to copy what's on that disc onto my C: drive. Um, how do I do that?

Yours in Ludditeville,

Cat

ps. Thanks in advance for help!

.

dumb primary question: Are you working in Windows?

edit: Cat, if you're working in WIndows, you can pull up an Explorer window for both the diskette drive and your C: drive. Click and drag the files from the diskette drive to the C: drive.

the CD. See below.

Thanks for typing that out, I will print that out for future reference. Oh, that's right, MY PRINTER'S NOT WORKING EITHER, so I guess I'll bookmark it.

*banging head repeatedly against desk*

Cat

...and the easy way for me: open the program that runs those files, use the "open command" and when that box pops up, ask it to find files on the a drive. Then re-save them onto the c drive.

Or, insert the diskette, bring up windows explorer. Right click on the files and use the "copy" command...just copy them to the c drive.

Edit - the above assumes you are in Windows.

Or do you mean it's a "restore" disk that came with the machine?

If you know the folder they belong in, just log into the CD disk (D: probably, highlight whatever backup files you need, click Edit/Copy, then switch back to C: go to the folder you want them in and click Edit/paste

something like system restore in XP?
did you buy separate backup software?

I am trying the Windows Explorer thing, but when I try to access the disc (my D: drive) it says, "D: is not accessible. The device is not ready."

Cat

and have you ever tried to read that disk before successfully?

Don't UH OH me! Now I'm terrified!

What was lost was the billing files for all of our patients, since this practice opened until the present day. It's an ENORMOUS amount of information.

Cat

CD for an only backup. Don't panic just yet though. A little perspiration might be in order though. ;-)

:shrug:

Also, when I created the disk, I remember it saying something like "this blank disk is a CD-R (or whatever), it can only be read by multi-reader drives." Does any of that ring a bell with anyone?

Cat

access it.

the message you mentioned means that the disk you made would probably not be readable on other devices (but that usually applies to CD-RW disks, not CD-R ones). In any case you _should_ be able to read it on the exact same drive it was made in. Does your Iomega software include any tools where you can examine the data and content of a disk? If not, see if you can beg borrow or steal a copy of CD Creator. CDs that are burned in home/office computers are notoriously flaky, sorry to say.
;-(

You should still be able to read the disc in the machine that created it.

Hmm. Need to think about that. So, it plays a regular audio CD. Do you have any other home-made CD-RWs to try?

And we have a second computer (networked) in this office which has a CD drive. But I don't know if it writes to a blank disc.

Cat

ps. you are being so incredibly helpful, thank you so much!

as long as you have the disk in the same one it was made in. Launch your CD create program and look for TOOLS then something like CD INFORMATION. It will give you some info you may or may not understand, if not copy it & paste it into a reply and maybe we can figger out what's up. It MIGHT be something minor, like the session wasn't properly closed...if that is the case we may be able to do that and get you back in business.

and the (#$&)(*%&) thing won't let me copy and paste, so if there's typos, it's me. :)

Here we go:

DRIVE: E: IOMEGA ZIP CD1024INT-A

CD Type: Blank (rewritable)

Writability: Recordable

Sessions: 1 Tracks: 0

Free sectors: 359847 702.83MB (79:57)

Written sectors: 000000 0.00 bytes (00:00)

Does any of that make sense?

You're absolutely certain you got the right disk?
:-(

LOL, well, you know, this office doesn't have a fucking surge protector, and it didn't have virus software until I put one in, so you know, keeping the computers running properly is not exactly on the top of their list of priorities. Believe it or not, I am laughing right now (to keep from crying hysterically, I suspect.)

I have another backup disc from October last year (of course, that will entail a LOT more data entry afterward) but it's worth a shot. Let me see if I can get this one to read, now that I know how. I'll brb.

Cat

trying to read/copy from the CD-RW drive?

A regular CD-ROM drive will not be able to read CD-RWs. The threads are are much more dense than plain CDs, and they have a much more refined laser.

problem, you probably should shut down your connection (and any other tasks if we need to write to the CD - that is, to close it) to minimize any chance of buffer over-run.

K

consider. I would suggest using CD-R disks, they are only writable once of course but they are MUCH more reliable and can be read in any CD drive (and they're a lot cheaper than RWs)...and next time you make a backup, make sure you can read it as soon as it's finished. I think you are gonna have writer's cramp. :evilgrin:

Which would explain why it seems to be empty.

Have you tried accessing it with the same software that you wrote the files to it with?

That software should show if the files you need are still there. you should be able to grab them that way or you can "close" the CD and it may read better in the drive.

closed...maybe hers doesn't (under tools/cd info). Might be worth a try.

So...I went into windows explorer, and I found the file(s) that I want, and I right-clicked and hit "copy", then went into C: drive and right-clicked, hit "paste", and the following message came up:

"This folder already contains a folder named TPS2000.

If the files in the existing folder have the same name as the files you are moving, they will be replaced. Do you still want to move the folder?"

And my choices are YES, YES TO ALL, NO, or CANCEL.

I'll wait til I get an answer. :)

Cat

Fingers crossed, all. :-(

Cat

Oh well...assuming both sets of data are the same, you should be fine. :-)

I just replaced a CD-Rom drive that could read a music CD but not a data CD. Can't figure it out myself! So ... it does happen.

There's a real possibility your backup disk has no data. To say the obvious, this is not the time to find this out. However, you should establish beyond a doubt that there's no data on the backup disk. If that's so, you're going to have to restore from manual records.

I assume you've tried reading the CD in some other machine. Maybe the manufacturer of the CD has a support line. Try it!

I used to create it in the first place, it said "Sessions 1, Data 0" or something like that. So I think it was recorded on, but not "closed", as someone said above. But now I can't even get THAT to come up! What am I doing wrong?

Cat

I'd reccomend:
1 going into that folder TPS2000 on the CD.
2 Once there make a list of the files that are in there.
3 open another window to tho TPS2000 folder on your C: drive
4 Compare the list you've made to the contents of the folder.

IF there are items that appear in both places
5 Right-Click on each file on your C: drive and add something like 'old.' to the front of their names
6 Go back through for paranoia's sake
7 Do the steps in your post above again and take the YES option.

IF there are NO overlaps in the list that you've made and the directory on your c: drive
5 Do the steps in your post above again and take the YES option

not the YES TO ALL

Please report any popup messages or errors.

:hopes:

Crap. Well, the file copied, it shut my computer down in the middle of it, and when I restarted, now I can't access the software AT ALL. (I can't get into the program.) It gives me the error message "Cannot update the cursor." WTF??

OMG, of COURSE you can help! I'm tearing my hair out over here, you people are FANTASTIC!!

Cat

You'll find that if you right-click on that folder and check its properties that it is set as read-only. Why the computer keeps this permission set that way when you copy from CD to HD I do not know.(how to change this behavior I might once have known) You should be able to change this for the folder and maybe even check a little box that will apply the change to the contents of the folder. Rt-click and check Properties->Permissions or something like that..

Otherwise you'll have to open the folder and click on a file to hilight it and then hit Ctrl-A to hilight all and then Rt-Click and properties and change it.

Under properties, "read only" is not checked. I even checked it and un-checked it again, then went back into the software to see if it had registered, and it gave me the same cursor error message.

Thank you again for trying to help!! I think it's FUBAR at this point, my boss FINALLY decided to call tech support, and they haven't called back yet. It's gettin' on to 6:30 here and I KNOW they won't call back tonight, but they are actually open til 7:00 so I have to stay here. :-( Longest day EVER! The not doing any work part is bad enough, but not doing any work when there's PILES OF IT TO DO ALL AROUND ME is REALLY stressful.

Thanks again,

Cat :)

:shrug:

Ah, at least we tried?

and now I'm going home and FORGETTING about it until I come back in tomorrow and stupid tech support calls me back!!!

Have a great night all, thank you very very much again!!!

Cat :hi:

help
karl@vigoris.net
(crossing fingers)

You might try 'closing' that disk with your CD software...it can't make things any worse. :-(
ttfn