Support/order issues update

[toprob]

On Friday my computer gave a little smokey cough and died. I think the CPU is fried. This has lasted almost 6 years, so it had a good life. Incidentally, this still had the original Windows XP and FS2004 installations, as I tend not to reinstall if I can help it...

I've bought a replacement, not quite the super-FSX machine which I was planning, but I needed something cheap:)

I'm pretty much 75% up and running, working through backups as I find them. Luckily I didn't lose any data, but I have one old IDE drive which won't work in the new PC, so I've ordered a USB enclosure. This drive includes my email data, so if you have contacted me by email late last week and haven't heard back, please be patient. I should have the email up to date later this week.

Because Godzone Store orders are online, I've been able to keep on top of them, but because I tend to produce CDs on demand, some shipments have been delayed. However they will go out in Monday's post. The main problem here is that I couldn't find the printer software installer to print the labels -- all sorted now, but it does illustrate that a good backup plan is essential!

Scenery development, on the other hand, may take a bit longer to get up and running. I'm quite pleased that restoring everything is going well, but some tools which I bought years ago need to be reactivated, which is tricky and frustrating.

[Ian Warren]

QUOTE (toprob @ Mar 8 2009, 03:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm quite pleased that restoring everything is going well, but some tools which I bought years ago need to be reactivated, which is tricky and frustrating.

The unexpected clean out , a fresh start , BUT the I bought years ago need to be reactivated, which is tricky and frustrating. Jezzz i really hate that , the tweaking .. the extra unexpected

[NZ255]

If the IDE drives won't work because you have SATA, you can buy a IDE to SATA converter for not oo much money. I have one at home.....works great!

[spongebob206]

All the best Robin, and GOOD LUCK.

I'm not computer literate, So always have issues.

I know your not so it is good to see the best ones have trouble too. (In a good way though)

Hopefully you are up and running soon.

Have Fun

[toprob]

QUOTE (NZ255 @ Mar 8 2009, 05:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If the IDE drives won't work because you have SATA, you can buy a IDE to SATA converter for not oo much money. I have one at home.....works great!

I could in fact connect the drive, but the new Vista wouldn't boot.
I don't really need to keep the IDE drive, but I do need to get the data off it, so I settled on a IDE/SATA enclosure. That way I can put the IDE into the enclosure, get the data off, then put the SATA in and leave it as external storage.

[creator2003]

Ive just gone all through this lately ,ive got a IDE to USB cord for my old drives that i find im not using anymore ,the tools i install as i need them and i soon have them all installed in a month or so .
Emails i hate im not good at that part of PCs even though its proberly the first thing anyone learns

[toprob]

Hmmm, it's taken me almost a week to get everything up and running, and I'm still not quite there, but I've learnt a lot about Vista in the process:)

My main problem has still been the printer -- because I couldn't find the printer driver disc, I had to search the web for the Print-CD software, but when I found it I couldn't get it to print in the proper place. At the moment, though, I'm using another CD label-printing tool, which works ok, but it did mean re-creating all the labels. So when I said that CD production was back up and running, I was a bit premature. Now, however, I'm on top of it!

Another major issue is that Outlook baulks at importing my email backups, so until I get that working I've effectively lost 5 years worth of emails -- I do have the database, I just don't know how to access it...

The USB enclosure arrived this morning, and it works well. Not bad for $55 on Trademe. Dick Smiths wanted to sell me two enclosures (IDE and SATA) for $80 each, so I was pleased to get a nice working solution for about a third of the price...

I'm quite happy so far with Vista, it isn't the monster than people made it out to be.

One bonus of the new system is that it has a digital TV card, and I'm mentioned before my interest in HD video. It took a while to set up Freeview, but last night before I went out for dinner I set it to record Lost, and came home to find a HD recording which is just stunning to watch.

The week has been a bit stressful, but not all bad -- my son came home from two years in London, and he's staying with me for the moment. It's great to have all three kids around again.