Ahh...noooo!

[dreamflower]

I just accidentally erased 3 hours worth of writing fic. Not the computer's fault--my own! I accidentally hit the space bar when I had the new material highlighted, and didn't realize what I'd done when I hit save...

It was *good* stuff, too! Will I ever be able to re-write it.

*sniffle*

Comments

[shirebound]

Nooo! Does your program (Word or whatever) make automatic backups somewhere on your hard drive?

[dreamflower]

If it does, I don't know how to do it.

[white--gull.livejournal.com]

Nooooo! I've done that before and it IS heartbreaking. I hope you will rewrite it. Maybe it will even be better.

WG

[dreamflower]

Been working hard all afternoon; hopefully it will be all right.

[claudia603.livejournal.com]

oh nooooo! I know my Word Processor does back things up...have you tried opening the file again? Then sometimes it will say "which version do you want?" Er..I see that you saved it the new way. Maybe you could try "undo" under edit? It might give you another chance!! *crosses fingers*

[dreamflower]

No such luck!

[cbpotts.livejournal.com]

If you can, go to "Edit" and then "Undo Typing". If you haven't closed the file, you might be able to Undo repeatedly until you recover what you've lost.

[dreamflower]

Unfortunately it was too late--I was closing the file, just as I realized what had happened.

[aspenjules.livejournal.com]

Awww, that's awful! I've done that kind of thing before too! The others have all given you good suggestions, but even if none of it works, please don't be disheartened. While you can never write it just the same again, remember it *did* all come from you, and you can creat it again, not an identical copy but something similar, I'm sure.

*sends hugs*

[dreamflower]

Well, I worked all afternoon and evening on it. Don't know that it will be as good, though.

[rabidsamfan.livejournal.com]

I'm with the "if you hadn't closed the program, use "undo" crowd". But working it through again isn't a bad thing either. Sometimes it even improves things!

[dreamflower]

I just hope that I didn't lose anything important in the re-write. I think I got most of the salient plot points in, but I'm afraid some of the atmosphere is not as good...

[rabidsamfan.livejournal.com]

Leave it sit overnight, then take a printout with you to lunch somewhere away from your computer and read through, making annotations. Any phrasing you particularly miss is likely to bubble up that way, and you can play with pencil notes much easier than you can with electrons. (All the versions are in front of your eyes for mix and match.)

My rewrites tend to either be tighter or longer, depending on whether or not I spot a logical flaw in the plot. But phrases that really want to get in there have a way of lurking in the subconscious.

[dreamflower]

That's an excellent idea! Thanks, I'm sure I'll probably do that!

deletion

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry to hear this,it has happened to me too and it's a horrible feeling .I hope you are inspired to write it again even better.

Re: deletion

[dreamflower]

We shall see!

[boz4pm.livejournal.com]

Aiiiiii! *winces* Oh, that's awful! *commiserates* *hugs*

[dreamflower]

(((hugs back)))

[mews1945.livejournal.com]

Oh, no!

[dreamflower]

Oh yes,*sigh*. I've been re-writing all afternoon and evening.

[lilybaggins.livejournal.com]

Oh, how awful! And terribly frustrating. :( Yes, do make sure you go back into your history and check to see if the document can't be retrieved in SOME fashion.

Also, FYI---there ARE some internet programs, FREE, that retrieve lost files. I used one once and managed to get a fic back I'd lost. It had a whole lotta gibberish in it I had to take out, but I managed to get it. I can't remember the name of it at the moment.

[dreamflower]

I wish I knew how to do all that technical stuff. As is, I just sat down and tried to re-write it. *sigh*

[elandulin.livejournal.com]

Agghhh! I've never done that, but I can imagine the moment--OMG. You have my every sympathy. Truly, isn't there an Undo Typing up there under Edit that would bring it back??

[dreamflower]

*If* I had realized in time what had happened, and not closed the stupid file! But I'm going to make sure that I have duplicates of *everything* from here on out.

[mumstheword54.livejournal.com]

Before you turn off the computer or even exit from Word, please let ChappyHubby try to talk you through retrieving the lost information. He's not home right now, but should be soon.

*hugs, patpats, and brownies*

[mumstheword54.livejournal.com]

Okay, he says that if you didn't close the document, you can click Ctrl+Z and it will undo the delete. But if you've already closed the document, it can't be retrieved. Sorry! *cries*

[dreamflower]

Yeah, it was already too late. It was in the process of closing that I made my error, and by the time I knew what was happening, it was too late!

[gentlehobbit.livejournal.com]

Oh rats! How frustating!

:(

[dreamflower]

To say the least!

[i-o-r-h-a-e-l.livejournal.com]

Oh no. :( I'm so sorry to hear that!

*turns back the time and clicks 'undo'*

*hugs you tight*

[dreamflower]

I wish!!

[alaniaflamestar.livejournal.com]

If you were using Microsoft Word on a Mac, you can go to the Finder and do a search for the title of your document. It should come up with an automatic backup.

If you're using some other kind of computer or application, I can't help you. Sorry. : (

=^.^=

[dreamflower]

*sigh* Nope.

I wish I was more tech savvy. I probably wouldn't have made a mistake like that in the first place.

But thanks for the thoughts!

[alaniaflamestar.livejournal.com]

I wish I was more tech savvy. I probably wouldn't have made a mistake like that in the first place.

Everyone makes dumb mistakes sometimes, even tech-savvy people. And computers, despite all of their advantages, make it that much easier to screw up. Sorry I wasn't able to help... and good luck with the rewriting!

=^.^=