How I spent Spring Break

[rhondabrwn]

Any interesting tales to share?

I spent most of mine rebuilding my system after a botched Windows XP upgrade that locked up on the "detecting devices" screen and then corrupted my existing XP installation and locked me out of accessing all of my photos after I did a separate Windows install on top of the corrupted one. Even using Knoppix allowed me to see the photos, but wouldn't let me copy, print, move, delete, or rename them. Grrrr....

Well, it was time to wipe everything and start fresh anyway (and the old box is running along beautifully now). I did lose a couple of hundred Canyon de Chelly shots that hadn't been backed up since January, but found my favorite hiking shots from Antelope Ruins on the PC at school. Of course, the Canyon ain't going anywhere so I'll just go take those shots again.

What really hurt though was the stupidity of backing up 11 gigs of my Matrix games directory before reformatting my "D" drive, but then discovering that I had backed up the installed Matrix folder on the primary drive instead (similar names) and therefore deleted all of my setup files and serial number backups when I reformatted the drive.

That said... I had about 10 of my games backed up on CD's, the serial numbers were safely in Gmail (included in the Digital River Download Confirmation e-mail), and I was able to re-download the remaining 8 games from Digital River with their order confirmation number. Of course, getting all the patches downloaded and installed took another day, but all is now back in order (and better organized). I managed to get all of my productivity software (audio/visual and web design suites, MS Office, and WordPerfect Office 12, and utilities like Nero and Musicmatch)without too much difficulty. Sonic Foundry (Vegas Video, Sound Forge, and Acid Music) got bought out by Sony so I couldn't reauthorize that software until I finally found a buried link on the Sony site to download an activation fix-it program that reset the software to activate from the Sony site. A bit scary as there is no way I could afford to buy this stuff again (a bunch came from the Indiana University Educational license). Windows XP for $5 is a bargain that I'll never see again! Nor MS Office for $15 and Wordperfect Office for free! Ah.. I'm going to miss those bargains!

Anyway, all of this took the better part of 5 days to sort everything out, salvage, and reorganize and reinstall. I just finished yesterday morning (except for my entire Talonsoft BG and Campaign collections, I'll just wait for the new Matrix releases to reinstall).

And now I have 4 days left to try and enjoy!!!

So... how did you guys spend your break? (if you have one that is!).

[ravinhood]

Me I been watchin the NCAA tournaments and the WBC baseball series. I'm all geared up for baseball to return and for OOTPBB 2006 to be released.

[Erik Rutins]

Rhonda,

ORIGINAL: rhondabrwn
That said... I had about 10 of my games backed up on CD's, the serial numbers were safely in Gmail (included in the Digital River Download Confirmation e-mail), and I was able to re-download the remaining 8 games from Digital River with their order confirmation number. Of course, getting all the patches downloaded and installed took another day, but all is now back in order (and better organized).

May I just say Thank You! 18 games, we may have to look into letting the Members' Club award some kind of medal based on number of games registered. [8D]

Glad you got it sorted out and that the re-download worked well for you.

As for Spring Break, I'm afraid I didn't even realize it happened. Hm, perhaps I should get out more... [:D]

Regards,

- Erik

[Zap]

Looks like you've been out of school for a while. like me. I don't think I would want to go back and relive those days.

[rhondabrwn]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

Rhonda,

ORIGINAL: rhondabrwn
That said... I had about 10 of my games backed up on CD's, the serial numbers were safely in Gmail (included in the Digital River Download Confirmation e-mail), and I was able to re-download the remaining 8 games from Digital River with their order confirmation number. Of course, getting all the patches downloaded and installed took another day, but all is now back in order (and better organized).

May I just say Thank You! 18 games, we may have to look into letting the Members' Club award some kind of medal based on number of games registered. [8D]

Glad you got it sorted out and that the re-download worked well for you.

As for Spring Break, I'm afraid I didn't even realize it happened. Hm, perhaps I should get out more... [:D]

Regards,

- Erik

And just think of all the new Matrix Talonsoft releases that I will be acquiring in the (hopefully) near future. And then there's COTA... and Black Powder Wars...

No, I can't play them all (far from it), but I am a compulsive collector.

Suggestion: How about one free downloaded game for each 10 games purchased? <hint> <hint>

[ravinhood]

That's a very good suggestion Rhonda, I think we'd all go for that. I'll buy all the cheaper games then get WitP for free. haha

[rhondabrwn]

ORIGINAL: ravinhood

That's a very good suggestion Rhonda, I think we'd all go for that. I'll buy all the cheaper games then get WitP for free. haha

Well, if you bought 10 copies of "Sparta", "Troy", "Tin Soldiers" etc... I don't think it would be an uneconomic business practice to give you a high price title free. After all, we are talking digital download here, a game sold that someone wouldn't otherwise buy is pure profit (no manufacturing costs for box, manual, CD etc).

That's why I'm the great champion for having titles priced at $19.95 to 29.95 to hook the casual collector along with the person with a fire breathing interest in the game subject. Perhaps not as the initial price, but I think Matrix, HPS et al would recharge interest in older titles if the prices dropped $10 every year until reaching a $19.95 bottom level.

[RIRed2005]

Shucks... thought you had a "Girls Gone Wild" kind of vacation with pics...

[rhondabrwn]

ORIGINAL: RIRed2005

Shucks... thought you had a "Girls Gone Wild" kind of vacation with pics...

Oh...yea... those shots were the ones that I lost when the computer crashed... sorry [:(]

Stick around and maybe I'll post some shots of next year's orgy. [:D]