NWA-PCUG Newsletter Article
My Tale Of Woe
by Richard Robusto, June 2001
ricmar12@juno.com
(click to email author)


On Monday, February 26, I turned on my computer and got a message before it would boot up saying that my stack in the config.sys file was not correct. I tried repeatedly to open the config.sys file, but I could not get past the initial message. Well, I said, "No Problem, I'll use my trusty ole Go Back Program." Sure enough, it allowed me to go back 2 days and I booted up into Windows. Guess I took care of that. Now, I'll arrange the stack in the config.sys file. The first keystroke and the system froze up. So I reboot. No luck. Then I try to get to Go Back again. No luck. It would not even begin to start the configuration so that the Go Back screen would come up. After some serious thinking and using a few choice words, I hit upon the idea of using the emergency discs, which Utilities had me make when I first installed the Utilities Program. Ok, I guess I got this problem licked. I went through the procedures that it lead me through. Insert disc 2, then disc 3, then insert Emergency Utilities disc. Then there was a flashing of lights, programs were running and eventually, everything stopped. Well, what could it be? Then I went looking again and I got a message that the C drive did not have any fat clusters and could not be recognized. When I asked one of my knowledgeable friends what that meant, he told me that I had blown out all my fat clusters on the C drive. I said, "How bad is that?" I got a loud groan and a bad message. That dreaded word REFORMAT! That meant all my files and anything else I had would be gone. So I took the computer to the Windows workshop on Saturday. A few members who were quite knowledgeable helped me out to get started in reformatting my hard drive. I finally formatted the C drive. Had to do it twice. The first time something went wrong. Ultimately, I got it formatted and got ready to install Windows ME. I had been running Windows 98 but when this problem happened I procured a copy of Windows ME. I was not ready to install ME but with this reformatting and being able to make a clean install instead of an upgrade, I used the ME program. Ok, everything is done and I'm ready to roll. I had my genealogy program on my removable hard drive, so I was able to remove it while formatting and save it. However, after Windows ME was installed and running, I could not access the removable hard drive D. I got a lot of suggestions, such as I needed specific software to let my C drive recognize my D drive, etc, etc.

Well, when I got home and set up, I tried to get on line and get my mail. I found that the modem was not working. Great. That meant that I probably needed new drivers to make it work, which I couldn't download cause I couldn't get on-line.

So I went down to Apex where I bought the computer and Eldon, the guy who puts these things together, put in the new driver for the modem and then it worked. Then I asked him about the software for the removable hard drive. He took a look and said that the drive could not be accessed cause it was a non-dos drive. Non-dos? What is non-dos and how did it happen? How that happened is a mystery. Probably when I first used the Utilities rescue discs. He said I had to reformat it in order to make it work. (I started to shake) He said, "No way out. It must be done" So he reformatted it and sure enough he got it to work. Of course I lost the entire genealogy program. I remembered that I had made a backup of the data file about a week before, so I figured I could get it back.

When I finally got it back home and working, I reinstalled all the necessary programs including the Genealogy. Then I went looking for my backup disc. I found that I had made that 2 days before all this happened. Talk about LUCK! There must have been about 3 months work in there. I transferred the data files into the program and it gave me a series of warning messages that the files weren't working properly and would not save anything. At that point I started to sweat. With my pulse rate rapidly approaching top speed, I gingerly went in and changed the attributes in the properties windows. Finally, it started to work the way it should. Talk about RELIEF!!! At that point I had to go get a cup of that strong Starbucks coffee. It just reinforces that old saying, Backup! Backup! It's not IF you have a major crash, it's WHEN!

Now, if you want to acquire this set of rescue discs, I'd be very happy to send them to you. I don't anticipate using them again as I have forgotten how to spell the name of the company. Are you sure you don't want to blow your fat clusters out on your C drive? I am now back on-line with a nice clean registry, which I am going to tackle next so that when I come over to your house I can fine tune your registry. Of course, that's after I utilize the Utilities rescue discs to get your computer in shape. And if by chance, it happens to blow out the fat clusters in the C drive, never fear, I know the procedure to fix it. Cheers

Richard Robusto is a member of the Las Vegas PC User Group as well the Southern Nevada User Group. You generally find him at most meetings and he is willing to share and help whenever possible. If you use this article please let him know and his address is above if you would like to send him a copy of your newsletter.

There is no restriction against any non-profit group using the article as long as it is kept in context, with proper credit given to the author. This article is brought to you by the Editorial Committee of the Association of Personal Computer User Groups (APCUG), an International organization to which this user group belongs.

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