peterg

This is what happened to me:

I have a Pen drive, thumb drive, Memory stick, USB disc drive, call it what you will. On that stick I have my Portable Roboform and a whole heap of other data, (work files, photos, hyip related stuff etc etc...) about 400 Mb's in total.
Yesterday I downloaded from Microsoft an application to check that my PC was Vista compatible. (Vista is the new Windows program to be released next month.) My PC was fine, so I copied the program to my stick, and took the stick to my son's PC to check that out too. It seemed like a good idea at the time...
So I stuck my stick in a USB slot and booted up. The PC booted normally, but then I noticed the 'activity light' on my stick was flashing rapidly. I tried to access the stick and got a message saying that the stick was not formatted and did I wish to format now?
Well I think we all know that means there's a problem - formatting will erase all data. So I removed the stick and went back to my other PC. Same problem. Oh sh*t.....

I tried everything I know to rescue the data, nothing worked. So I lost everything on that stick including all my log-ins with Roboform.

Roboform has a 'Print Passcards' function, you can print a hard copy of all your log-in details and keep it in a safe place.
My last hard copy back up was in July. Please have a little think about how many programs you have log-ins for, or how many passwords have changed, since you last backed up your log-in data.

I'm still working on it......

So this is a little plea to everyone - Please don't let this happen to you! Back up your log-in details NOW!

stockjedi

PeterG: Sorry to hear about what happened! Thanks for the heads up and hope you can find a way to figure out how to recover the data. Damn Microsoft!

kyteflyer

Bloody typical Microsoft though.

I really don't know why you Windows people don't just get a live CD from ubuntu or somewhere, stick all your login info in a text file on a small USB stick that you do not use for anything else, and just use the liveCD to do your "stuff". Nothing can be written to it, and in all likelihood there's nothing that will want to, either. If you happen to have a keylogger on your machine, it wont be able to read your linux files.

Do yourselves a favour and consider it. Seriously.

(and yes I know that is not what happened here, but I felt compelled to hold forth in any case).

Scott

Wow Peter, what a nightmare!
Do you know what version of Win the PC that trashed your stick was running?...assuming that was the problem though, no telling really, could have been any number of things I guess, feh.

Good reminder, thx Kyte I keep meaning to get around to that.

peterg

Hi Scott
Yeah, my son's PC is running XP Pro and doesn't seem to have any problems.. I'm wondering if the "Vista compatability check" was somehow 'bootable' and so it trashed itself and everything else on the stick... but I really don't know, because I've got nothing to go on.

I think that it must be something to do with that, but cannot be certain. I carry my stick everywhere, and had used it on many different computers without any problems. It's always left plugged in at home, and I boot my PC with the stick in place every day. That's one of the best things about them, after all!

So what went wrong... ? I dunno. Anyway, the point of this thread is not my problems, but is to remind everyone to make sure that all your hyip log-ins and other sensitive data is backed up regularly, and make a 'hard copy' if you can. It really helps. Disaster strikes without warning!

moneytreefund

I use a similar system and it seems pretty secure, but you might want to try a Memory Stick, I have an old Sony memory stick that has a little sliding lock to prevent writing (or erasing!) data - hopefully I'm safe! (but I do keep them written down just in case lol)
hope you can sort out your probs

jambutty

Being a belt and braces type of person when it comes to IMPORTANT data I have my data on hard drive, of course, a backup on hard drive (in a different partition) and another backup on floppy. Also once a month I back up the partition that contains all my personal data onto a 3 re-writeable DVD’s. Once a week I also back up my Favourites list, the emails in Outlook Express and the RoboForm list.

So if disaster strikes I will never be left in the lurch because at the worst my backed up IMPORTANT data on floppy is never more than one day out of date.

Whilst on the subject of new Microsoft stuff – I downloaded the new Internet Explorer 7 and after setting a system restore point I installed it. Less than six hours later I uninstalled IE7 and used my restore point to get back to where I was.

Why you may ask?

No matter what configuration I tried IE7 kept on telling me that my security settings were all wrong and it would put them right for me. There is nothing wrong with my computer security and it does stop much chit chat between certain programmes and their head office.

During a recent automatic XP OS update Microsoft tried to install IE7 but fortunately I got the option of saying no, which I did. It hasn’t tried since and I’ve disabled the automatic update scheme. I now have a look to see if there is anything new once a week.

For a long while I have used System Mechanic 5 then 6 and now I’m on 6w to keep my computer in good shape and very good it has been too. The SM7 came out at a bargain price. First set a System Restore point and I then I installed the new SM7. Great except for two details. SM7 would automatically go into its system checking mode and I haven’t found a way to disable it. I’ve gone back to SM6w. Also now Zone Alarm is the LAST programme to be launched on boot up where before it was one of the first and thus stopped a lot of chatting with head office. So now programmes that are launched first chat away with head office before Zone Alarm launches and puts a stop to it. Of course by then it is too late. The chit chat may well be innocent enough but that isn’t the point. If a programme wants data on its usage on my computer they don’t have the right to just take it without my consent or even knowledge.

Nowadays you can’t even install a new programme without it requiring Internet access. If you deny access the programme will not install.

I don’t know about anyone else but I don’t like software that tries to dictate to me how my computer should be set up or passes on information about my computer.

stockjedi

Jambutty you are definitely doing things right. Myself I have all my financial docs, passwords, etc encrypted on a another drive with Finecrypt (great program), I also run a Cisco firewall software on my pc, as well as Counterspy. I use Roboform now for all my passwords, which I'm still learning how to use, but it looks great. I usually backup (once a month) all my data such as Outlook .pst files and all the financial info/passwords/bookmarks etc on a external hard drive and burn a copy on DVD that I keep at my bank in the safe deposit.

Schminner

I just use yellow stickies and handwrite all of username, password, etc., then stick it onto my computer monitor ... that way I know for sure I have a hard copy ... LOL