And where is that Paul; well it’s located at Purok 4 Roosevelt Dinalupihan Bataan and it’s a permanent location. I know because that’s where my computer is. My dongle from globe is working fine. I can get on Lip. And Facebook without a hitch, I can’t download free music anymore as the courts shut down the site that I knew about, but of course never used. I can send and receive e-mails with impunity. So, what is the big deal? What is wrong with my computer? Hell I don’t know, I just explained everything I know about it.
I was downloading music and when I tried to store it on my External One Terra Byte Hard Drive; my computer informed me it was not there. So I looked down to see if someone had stolen it, or maybe I’d misplaced it, but there it was light flashing and looking shiny and nice. Well, I guess old Windows isn’t as smart as it thinks it is. I attempted to open it again. The same warning popped up again, Paul; the damn thing is not there, stop pushing the button! Give it a rest will ya’.
I’m not in panic mode yet, my six thousand Albums are still there, oh, and by all that’s holy I hope they are. I shut off the Puter and started it again and what to my wondering eyes do appear but my H drive and all my music. I sure pulled the wool over windows eyes!
The very next morning, the music is gone again and never returned no matter what I did. I’m in full panic mode now and grabbed my cell phone and called my Puter Guy “Marlon the Magnificent” Marlon said; “I’ll be the Saturday afternoon.” Then Sunday afternoon, and of course Monday, Tuesday also, then I receive a FaceBook msg. stating: “if you have time going to town, can you bring your One TERRA external drive with you. I’m planning to make a back-up first before fixing it to make sure all files are saved. Just please let me know when are you coming so I can give you instructions where to find me. I’ll be waiting for your call.”
Okay I did clean up all the texting slang so you and I both could read it, I had my Son-in-law Cecil translate it for me, then I’m informed that Cecil also knows Marlon and as he was taking Ymir Thea to the OB/GYN Clinic the same day using my car, that he would take it to town for me. What a guy! But I really didn’t want to go to town anyway it worked out well for both of us.
So it’s now Saturday morning and I must submit this to Fearless Leader Bob, but I have no resolution to my problem, No answer from Marlon the Magnificent my ace Puter guy. My Puter is acting up in very strange ways. But my mood is strangely optimistic and I’m certain that all will be back to normal soon. Oh, did I forget to mention my friend Tommy is home and also has a one terra byte external hard drive that mirrors mine exactly. I’m his back up and he is mine. We had planned on something like this happening years ago, see, it is good to share!
So today I’ll go to lunch, and have a cocktail or three and not worry a wit about music, computers or any such thing like that, and the reason is simple; “prior planning prevents Piss Poor performance” (The six “P” theory) that I learned in the U.S. Navy, low those many years ago.
Now I have something to bore you with next week!
Downloading Music from the internet has always been kind of a touchy subject especially when the downloads are ” Free “. Any music I ever actually downloaded I used recognized pay sites as I don’t download much and for 99 cents for a single I don’t mind paying for it.
Youtube recently had to pay a 1.5 Million Dollar fine for all of the unauthorized copyrighted music people have been putting up there ( now that is a good place to get music from and I don’t think you wold be breaking any copyright laws recording the audio from there as long as you just use it for yourself only ).
Could also be Paul you might have got some kind of Virus in one or more of your music files ? Those free download sites are notorious for things like that.
Just about anything I get from the internet that is of any significance to me, I burn it to a CDR Blank Disc as that is the safest way I know of keeping something and I can also easily put it in some of my other PC’s.
Good Luck Paul it will be interesting to see what develops. I hope you get your music back as I know how much you like it. Yes, I still play my 45 RPM Records occasionally as I am slowly transferring them to Disc. Don’t think I will ever part with them though.
Hi Bob;
I have two music pay sites I use, MP3Shake.com (twenty cents per song) and e-music.com (forty cents a song) But here is the good news, my buddy Tommy and I have shared our music for years and he has a carbon copy of my music, so mine is lost but his is fine. Here it is Monday and my Puter guy said he might make it up here tonight. (We’ll see) So as soon as he solves my problems I’ll download Tommy’s (I now have his terra Byte hard drive at the ready. As for my old forms of music that I’ve had, 45’s LP’s 8- Track, Cassette CD’s ect they are all gone from my life, I play all my music in the car house and boom box with USB’s now, so much easier.
Hi Paul,
Back in my Army days we used to have another P in front of ours PROPER prior planning etc. etc. , but then again we were Army and needed the extra clarification.
Tony;
I’ll check with my two sons’ they are both career Army! The Seven “P” theory sounds good too. (lol)
In the good days High Teck problems were which way to turn the crank on the public phone. It is good that you have Puter Guy, even better that Tommy has your back. If all else fails you can always fly your brother over for some advice.
Big P;
I thought it was the crank on your RCA Victoria that gave you those tunes I was listening to at your place last week. (lol)
Hi Paul – It’s strange how things just go boom in the night here. All those little beasties crawling around in the night chewing this and that and the end result is oh s**t.
My wife’s laptop was behaving oddly when the power lead packed in. The screen was only showing 80% of the picture and I thought when we buy the new power lead it will sort itself out. With new power lead purchased in the UK I start up the laptop and it’s still the same. We did not have time to have it seen too as we were due to fly back to the Philippines that week. This happened to my own laptop in 2009 and I had to have a new screen fitted when back once again in the UK.
The other day I took the laptop to a service centre in CDO highly recommended by the other ex-pats in our group for a check up. The chap said “leave it with me and I will have a look, I think I know the problem”. We went back the next day and eureka it was fixed and working properly with whole screen in view. When I asked what the problem was he said just be careful with opening and closing the lid and when transporting it from place to place as the screen can flex and cause that particular problem.
I then thought back to 2009 when I had my screen replaced for the same reason and it coat me £200.00 I think the technician who repaired mine then should have served his apprenticeship in the Philippines.
The outset was a bill for 500 pesos and a laptop working like new as a Valentine prezzie for the missus.Good luck with your’s you van always come to CDO if your stuck.
Regards.
Jim.
Jim;
A great story and it points out a fault in or western way of thinking, replace it, don’t even try to figure out what’s wrong and fix it. Marlon, my computer guy is still working on my external drive, I might have to replace it but if I do I will truly know it can’t be fixed. There is some wonderful talent here in the Philippines!
Hi Paul,
Have an extra usb cable for your external drive? Try changing it sometimes the usb cable is the culprit. Goodluck!
Jonathan;
Marlon’s first advice to me was to do just that, Mmmmm Great Minds!
Hi Paul,
As what jonathan said, sometimes the USB cable is the culprit but since your music backup is in the external drive, why have your computer fixed? The problem could be the external drive or the USB cable/port. I can bet there is no real problem with your PC and if you have tried changing USB port, the external drive might get recognized by your PC as sometimes the Windows OS gets lost tracking the driver which port it was usually plugged in. Just hope your external drive is not getting faulty.
Rey;
I got a job once by saying yes when they asked me if I was computer literate. I wasn’t but I learned quickly how to find what I wanted and get into the program I needed. That is where I stopped, they had people that fixed them and I didn’t want them to lose their job because of me, and believe me I kept them busy. I’m trying to say that I am a rock about how or even why it works at all. I get my music back and I’ll smile again! But thanks for at least trying to help me!
Bob will know, and anyone who has worked with digital memory equipment through it’s evolution to something most people take for granted: there is no such thing as a 100% reliable digital memory system. Blu-Ray disc is probably the most reliable long term storage easily available in the Philippines. True geeks make at least 3 copies on their favorite media plus refresh on a 6 to 12 month rotation to be sure of having a good chance at maintaining file integrity. You might luck it with the same stick for everything for years, many have. But when it’s gone, it’s gone and likely there’s no getting it back.
What happens is the guys who own something very popular who figure they are being ripped off through a particular site, pay people to plant virus infected versions. These bugs are easily capable of corrupting an entire file/ memory chip or even hard drive mainframe, if the defenses are down.
My preference is to not record anything. These days they call it ‘cloud’ computing. It costs more in terms of per-minute/ per view, but it’s a lot safer and you can go anywhere and find your stuff on any computer with an internet connection.
(techno babble for ‘just use youtube and email and your favorite sites’)
Chris;
What? No country music when I hold that frosty San Magoo in my hot little hand on a warm afternoon under the bright Philippine sun! Shoot me now and get it over with. If I have to buy a new external drive every month I’ll play my down home tunes. Someone told me there are places I can store my music online. Is that true? Does anyone know how that works?
Anyway Chris I’m just funnin’ you, thanks for imparting your advice to me, I will look into Blu-ray and see how that goes. But I’ll still play my USB’s on Random and sit under that Mango tree and not sweat my Puter problems. It’s a good life!
Paul,
All you can do is just go with the flow and enjoy life with a few cold SMB’s. Life is still good there even without the Puter. When i want to listen to music i just go to the website Accuradio.com where they have every kind of music there is. Plug my powerful speakers in my laptop and crank it up. I use it anywhere except the car. No worries your puter will be back up soon. Filipino ingenuity never fails. Take care and be safe.
PapaDuck;
Go with the flow is what we sailors do. I picked up the new external Hard Drive yesterday and will be back in the tunes again.
Sony music has some deal works out about $10 a month unlimited personal use downloads, all legal and licensed. You can set up a wish list and come back to it set up on your cloud, listen and download at will.
If you are ever up the FRA San Antonio, say Hi to Alaska Bob, Kiwi John, big boofhead Duck and all the vets there! I miss that bar…
Hi Chris;
It’s been awhile since I’ve been out to the FRA as it quite a way from my place in Bataan. But I am a member and the next time I go I’ll do that hi for you! Thanks for the info on that site I’ll check it out.