(...sigh....)

[NuGuy]

Thirty minutes ago I was all set to buy an SSD for my computer, and was going to start a new discussion on the "best" SSD to buy. So, I logged on and thought I'd send coonsanders a question about his elusive CD buring software search, when my monitor just went black and the screen reported " No Signal." Well, I've been down this road before; I'm on my second video card since I had bought this computer a few years ago. I'm thinking that there's hardly any sense in buying another card for this six- or seven-year old computer. An SSD would be an OK investment, since I could transplant it into a new computer, but now I think my purchase priorities have reveresed themselves. So, I think I'll have to buy something soon, maybe tomorrow.

I restarted this computer and now it seems to work OK, but I'm anticipating the video cutting out suddenly again.



PS - I just had to restart again.... Going to Sam's Club tomorrow....

[Ian]

I'm impressed the computer lasted that long. You gonna get the Compaq at Sams?

[NuGuy]

I'm getting this: http://www.samsclub.com/sams/shop/produ ... ction=push

As I mentioned, I don't really need another monitor.... This seems like a lot of computer for the money. (Every 10 minutes my video cuts outs.....)


PS - I think more than just the video is cutting out; the entire computer is pretty much lifeless when it goes....

[NuGuy]

Got the new computer. Wow, with Win7 and IE9 it's almost as if I'm using a computer for the first time! So different, almost alien. But I'm seeing a lot of new and good management and navagational features. It'll just take some familiarization. Importing my old emails into MS Live was a snap, so easy that it was almost shocking.

Here's a problem: While I COPIED a few select folders to my external HDD, I BACKUP'D the entire old (internal) HDD also to the external HDD. I didn't forsee any problem as I attempted to retrieve my Favorites folder and send all that data over to my new computer. And the problem is is that this folder (Backup 2012) is EMPTY when I try to open it. However, if I check the "Properties" of the folder, you can see that window going crazy as it calculates and reports the approx. 235 GB worth of files in there. So something is preventing me from "opening" the backup file and viewing the subfolders, one of which is my Favorites folder. I'm thinking that some "attribute" of the primary folder (backup) if preventing it from being opened; I can understand why it was meant to be "restored" but I did not anticipate being locked out from direct access/opening. Any clues here how I can break into that backup folder and access the subfolders?

PS - I'm thinking that I might have to get an external drive enclosure for the old drive, and then hopefully I could access the data that way. I don't know how that would go over though, accessing a C drive there when I'm using a C drive already. I'll probably buy the enclosure anyway so that I can have another drive to keep things on.

[Ian]

They're probably marked as hidden or something.

Try opening Windows Explorer and then going up and clicking on Tools (might need to hit Alt first) then Folder Options. Click on the View tab and then enable "Show hidden files, folders and drives".

If that doesn't work its a permissions issue.

[NuGuy]

Thanks. I tried enabling showing hidden files; no change. I did a 'net search on the topic and found several forums posting the same problem; no one had a true explanation and solution. My explanation (and it seems obvious to me) is that these backup folders/files are only meant to be restored by the backup program; that is their sole manipulative purpose. There is no valid reason to go into files and possibly corrupt the backup'd data; that's not the purpose of a backup file. So, backup programs install a self-preservation feature on the files they back up. The only way, then, to access those files is to formally restore them. I'm just going to order an external SATA HDD enclosure and plug it in to access the original files directly.

PS - I did not get any permission warnings. I even tried to change my administrator ID to the one I used on my old computer. No dice.

[Ian]

Odd..

You could do it the old school way. Open a command prompt, navigate to that that folder and then type attrib. If they're hidden, you'll see them then.

[NuGuy]

I did "unhide" them; I don't think they're hidden. I reallly (continue to) think that this is a form of quarantine to allow precise re-establishment of the restored HDD.

BTW, the HDD in my old computer is a Samsung (SP2504C). I'm favorably impressed. I used that computer nearly every day for at least six years. It seemed to still be working fine.

[NuGuy]

Here's an interesting Q&A that indirectly discusses backup programs: http://www.smartcomputing.com/QABoard/Q ... 5363&guid=

The question is posted at the top of the page, with the answers beginning in chronological order from the bottom of the page.

Apparently some (most?) operating systems (& third party backup programs?) save the backup in a proprietary mode, and renders them essentially inacessable (like mine). Some backup programs will save the date (the backup) in a native mode.... I better get one of these.