Media Maniac

After Friday's computer virus at work, I started thinking about all of my files on the home computer and spent a long time last night and this morning trying to get them all organized so that I can back everything up. A couple of years ago, I got a virus that my anti-virus software did not catch and it detroyed many of my files. I had a computer file specialist try to retrieve the files and copy everything onto a new hard drive. So, I have the old drive, the new copied drive with intact and damaged files mixed in, a brand new drive to try to organize on, the computer at work, and old back up CDs all full of files. Of course, I am mostly concerned about my photos.... so I have been going through all of these sources to try to get some of the lost files back and get it all organized the way it was so I can then make discs for back up in case a virus gets me again. I was naive when I thought that virus software plus a separate hard drive would protect me. I put everything on that drive! Many photos were lost. It is such a monumental job that I can only work so long on it before my remaining eye starts to fall out.

It seems to be that way about everything. I need to digitize all of my music - get all of the old record albums copied onto CD, I've even been trying to get CDs put on the iPod. All of the video tapes need to be transfered onto DVD - including the old Betamax tapes. Some of those are almost 30 years old! I'm sure after much longer, they won't play anymore! At least I can pick and choose what I want to save. So much of that I don't care about anymore. All of my photo albums need to be redone - the old acidic pages are ruining the old photos. I'm trying to scan the best ones to be able to retouch and brighten them and save them digitally. There is just too much to do! I'll work on one thing or another like a maniac until I get tired or run out of time.... then it's on to something else. Maybe I'll eventually go round and round until I get all of these jobs done.

With the arrival of the digital age, I thought all of this media would be saved permantently and safely. Not so! One little glitch and it's gone. So, back your stuff up in more than one location!