I am so pissed off right now!!!!!!!!!!!

[RagingInMiami]

I lost about 200 photos I took over the weekend in DC. I think I may have a virus in my computer. This is what happened:

After getting back to my hotel room Saturday night, I uploaded more than 300 images on my laptop. Or so I thought. It did say the photos had been uploaded successfully, but I neglected to double-check like I usually do because it was getting late and I had to go meet some DUers at a DC pub. And I was thirsty for a beer after marching and shooting all day. So I stupidly erased the images and took my camera with me, taking another 200 photos that night.

The next day, I logged on to my computer to see the photos I had uploaded and all I found was an empty file where the photos were supposed to be. So somehow, a file was created with the date, but no images ended up inside the file as it usually does when I upload photos. This is why I think I have a virus. Why would a file have been created without photos?

So I tried using a couple of those image retrieval softwares that you can dowload for free, and recovered a portion of the images I had lost. But a significant portion were not recovered because I had written over them with the photos I took Saturday night.

Among the pictures I lost:

All the ones from Friday night, including several with Blue_in_AK, Intheflow and CC.

And many from Saturday's march, including some with Cindy Sheehan, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton.

I've been pulling my hair out these last two days trying to figure out a way to recover the files, but it looks like I'm screwed.

But I do have some photos that I did not lose that I am processing right now. I am so sad and mad.

[intheflow]

1. Try bringing your computer to soemplce that works on computers.

My hard drive literally melted once. I brought it to Best Buy and they recovered over 95% of my files. They'd also be able to tell you if your computer has a virus.

Good luck, Raging!

[RagingInMiami]

2. How much did they charge you?

And would I have to leave my computer there overnight? I would feel weird about some stranger going through all my computer files.

[intheflow]

3. I don't t really remember.

The price was rolled up into the $2500 I spent on a new laptop the same day. My computer literally had melted, they were only able to burn my recovered files onto disks, not fix my computer.

But call around. Best Buy, CompUSA, sometimes even small mom and pop computer shops are good. When I lived in Massachusetts there was a guy who lived up the street from me who was brilliant with all things computer. He worked dirt cheap, I suspect under the table, and could fix any problem. If you have any computer geek friends, ask them who'd they'd suggest to work on it.

As for leaving it over night... I wouldn't necessarily worry about it. I'm sure they've seen it all before. But if you're really uncomfortable, you could save the files to disk, delete them fromt he hard drive and reinstall them when you get the computer back again. Just make sure if it does turn out to be a virus that you disinfect the disks before reinstalling any saved files.

[Blue_In_AK]

4. Oh, Raging, that's so sad...

Your photos are always so great. By the way, I have a REALLY good one of YOU from Friday night. I'll post it later on today when I'm not working.

[intheflow]

5. Who are you kidding?

You're not working NOW!

Don't worry. I'll never tell your S.O.

[ET Awful]

6. Have you done a search on your hard drive for any files

with that day as the creation date? They might have been copied to some other folder unintentionally.

[RagingInMiami]

7. That was a good idea

And unfortunately, it turned up nothing, confirming that those files are lost. I'm just going to have to get over it.

[ET Awful]

8. Damn :(

Sorry to hear it.

You wouldn't believe how many photos I lost when my hard drive went belly up last year. I lost all of Quinn's baby pics except for the ones I alread had on the web .

[RagingInMiami]

9. It's a horrible feeling

But I've learned a lesson from it.

[Blue_In_AK]

10. This is the one thing I really like about my camera

and the pictures being recorded on a disk. If my computer crashes, I still have the photos. It ALMOST makes up for the lag time we were talking about.

[RagingInMiami]

11. But do you ever have to erase the disk to make room for new photos?

[Blue_In_AK]

12. No, I just buy new disks...

They're regular little 3-inch CDs and pretty cheap. I just file them away in a drawer, and keep the copies on the hard drive.

[regnaD kciN]

13. When I download photos from my memory card...

...I never erase the card until I've burned all the pics to CD-ROM.

[intheflow]

14. That's a great idea.

I've thought I lost some photos recently from disk transfer as I was erasing them. They had downloaded, but for a moment I thought I had lost everything and it felt horrible. I'll grab a disk next time. Thanks!

[ConsAreLiars]

15. Ouch! assuming you overwrote the card, the best I can suggest

is to put together an album of favorites from the many great collections being posted here on DU. Not "your" pictures, but definitely "ours." A few years from now, who took them will be less important than the message conveyed and the memories of the event that get refreshed.

(Tech magicians can recover over-written file on a hard drive, but I don't know about flash cards. Doubt it. Very pricey even if possible, I'm sure.)

[intheflow]

16. I was hoping to get them up on the Photo Group's website.

I'd like this to either be considered something like one of F.Gordon's challenges, or just post it for posterity.

[peacebuzzard]

17. sorry that happened. I have had that happen,too.

And it seems to only happen on photos you thought were the best.shots.ever.

[CC]

18. Sorry to hear that you

lost so many photos. Beyond what advice you got from other don't know what you could do. I would cry, and have. Sending a big hug or a few your way.

[Deja Q]

19. You don't get that problem with film.

Sorry, couldn't resist. I get so many "you don't get that with digital" from folks that turnabout is fair play.

ALWAYS carry extra memory modules (the so-called "digital film" if you buy into walmart lingo) with you and make backups RIGHT AWAY. Never EVER trust a mere hard drive. Especially if it's got Windows on it; I've lost data before. (and I don't mean 1.5MB pictures. Try 10.8GB captured VHS tv show files or even 30Kb Word documents...) You can NEVER have too many backups.

It's a shame you lost all of those pictures; I am not unsympathetic.

[RagingInMiami]

20. But in film you can expose it

Which most of us have done before.

[DS1]

21. or it will come back from the lab all black with a note that says

"oops"

[Touchdown]

23. Or, the $24 a roll pro processing lab...

uses dirty equipment, scratching your negatives, and still only gives you a 1.2 meg jpeg on your CDs, for your sister's wedding.

She insisted on using film, so I did it for her. But, I'm not happy.

Baumgardner photography/Photo Haus in Yakima Washington is a place for all photographers to boycott, even Aunt Mabel with her advantix camera. Put this small city monopolist out of business! He's been gouging people and providing poor service way too long.

[DS1]

24. I've had some slide film rolls come back with horrendous scratches

down the entire roll. It was easier to go out and reshoot the shots than it was to clone the scratches out.

In well under 5 years we'll be running around with Terabyte-sized flash cards and what is now medium-format will be the new consumer grade - 35 mm will be a novelty.

[Touchdown]

25. Not sure about medium format becoming consumer grade.

When people are more enamored with compressed music on iPods and shunning the new high fidelity discs like HDCD and DVD-A, which sound beautiful, I seriously doubt they will go out and buy bulkier cameras and putting up with a max of 20 shots per roll just for Joey's 5th Birthday party. Hell, it's taking 8 years for HDTV to break out in popularity.

What I do see in less than 5 years is that we'll see $3000 or less cameras with very large CCDs and 35-50 Megapixels to become the digital answer to 6X7. Most likely made by Mamiya, Hasselblad, Bronica, Fuji, etc. ...to be joined by Sony and HP.

[DS1]

26. What I'm saying is that inevitably consumer grade

sensors on digital cameras will reach the resolution of modern medium format film. Scoff all you want, film die-hards, but it'll happen. Miniturization is unstoppable.

[Touchdown]

22. ..or a Mac.

Back at ya!