Crashed Computer? Lost your data? DON’T PANIC! It’s Selkie to the Rescue!
At one time or another most of us have experienced the dark, sweaty, slightly nauseated feeling that accompanies the almighty crash of a computer – the little electronic box that rules our lives more than we care to admit. Sometimes it’s nothing more than a loose connection, or a blip in a program; but other times, unfortunately, you reboot your computer, and all you see is the BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH. You hear echoes of the last podcast you heard on the destructive nature of the latest virus and the disabling abilities of new versions of spyware. And that’s when real panic sets in.
I hate to admit it, but I have been there, and recalling that horrible day leaves my mouth dry and my heart thumping. It comes back to me now, all too clearly…tears well in my eyes as panic seizes my throat and I start to have trouble breathing. My life – in the form of files, photos, emails, and music that I may never see again – flashes before me. My hands get clammy as images of malevolent viruses and destructive worms creep their way into the darkness of my panic-stricken state, gleefully eating their way through precious files before my mind’s eye. I rack my brain trying to think of the last time I did a complete backup of my system. I do have a backup of that essay that’s due tomorrow, don’t I? DON’T I? My angel kicks me mercilessly while my devil pleads innocence – How could I have known this was going to happen today? I had backup on my to-do list!
That happened years ago, when I was still at university, and the night before a big paper was due. As you may have guessed, I had not backed my paper up, and I had to re-create it from memory on a roommate’s computer. Not good. It was a long night. Was it a virus? Spyware? Some worm that made its home in my computer? It didn’t matter – the data was gone.
The memory of those endless, desperate hours came rushing back to me a few years later, when I was first introduced to Selkie Rescue Data Recovery. Now here, I realized, was a program that could have prevented me from losing years off my life that horrible night – as well as saved me a good chunk of the money I spent to finally recover my files. I realized immediately that Selkie should be part of my software collection. My husband, who was shopping with me at the time said, ‘why don’t you just get it the next time your computer crashes?’ That, I replied, is as good an idea as going to purchase a spare tire AFTER you’ve got a flat and the car is slumped on the side of the highway, useless. Always the boy scout, he blushed, and we bought the program.
I have since started working for Tugboat Enterprises, the publisher of Selkie Rescue Data Recovery, and the purpose of this blog is to help you through your hours of darkness when your laptop or PC crashes on you. Don’t panic! You will at least be armed with something I was not: Selkie Rescue!
A Step-by-Step Recovery Process
Selkie Rescue Data Recovery is a program that helps you to quickly recover files of all kinds from a failed computer. It’s easy to use, it’s inexpensive and it WORKS! How does it work? Well, it’s pretty simple. Basically, it turns the failed computer into a file server. This means all the files on your failed computer are made available to any other computer on your network (and designated by you) or connected directly by cable.
So that’s the theory…what are the nuts and bolts?
Well, first, I’m going to give you a list of requirements. These are the things Selkie needs to bring your data back:
1) A broken computer with a hard drive (please don’t break one just to try this program out );
2) A functioning CD drive on that dead computer as well as a keyboard and a video card;
3) A working computer where you can transfer your data (Selkie Rescue works with PCs running Windows operating systems from Windows 98 and up);
4) A blank CD-R;
5) A CD or DVD burner on the working computer;
6) A network between the dead computer and the working computer OR a crossover cable to connect the two.
And now I’m going to tell you that if your computer is COMPLETELY DEAD – ie. it won’t turn on AT ALL, then Selkie can’t help you. You should just give in to that urge to put your head down on the table and sob, because things are really, really bad. BUT, if there is a glimmer of power, take heart! There is hope!
If you’re not sure whether Selkie will work on your computer or not, try the free demo! We are not saying try the demo and don’t buy the program, because that would just be silly (and the demo’s capabilities are limited). But if the demo works on your computer, then you can be sure that the full version of Selkie will too. (In case you haven’t already noticed, you can download the free demo from http://www.myselkie.com).
Now, down to the nitty gritty. Follow these steps to use Selkie to recover your data:
1) Download and register your copy of Selkie Rescue Data Recovery;
2) Burn your copy of the program to a CD;
3) Unless the broken computer is already networked to the computer you want to recover files to, you will need to connect them with a crossover cable, which we will send you or you can pick up at any computer store;
4) Place your newly burned CD in the tray of the broken computer and reboot it (but DON’T kick it just yet);
5) Most computers are set to boot to the CD drive, and hopefully yours is too, which means that Selkie should now appear on your screen. In the unlikely event that she doesn’t appear, it means that your computer is not booting from the CD drive, so you can temporarily select the CD drive as the boot device from your computer’s “boot list.” For instructions on how to do this, and for help on a variety of other solutions to this situation, check out our online manual at http://www.selkierescue.com/selkie-rescue-manual.php;
6) Assuming that Selkie appears on your screen, let’s move on. You will see the welcome box. Choose basic mode (unless you are a true geek who knows the workings of your computer inside and out, and you want to select the types of hardware that Selkie will search for, and manually configure your network, in which case, you probably don’t need to read this blog post ). For more information about advanced mode, check out the online manual mentioned above;
7) In basic mode, Selkie will select your network (assuming you are using a standard DHCP network) and proceed to scan all the hardware categories on your failed computer. If you are not using a standard network, you may have to go to advanced mode…but don’t fret; everything you have to do is laid out in our manual!
After Selkie has scanned your hardware categories, it will automatically show you the workgroup where your rescued files will be sent.
9) Follow your nose (or the instructions), and keep pressing ENTER on the broken computer until you reach a screen that says “You’re now ready to recover your data!”
10) At this point, you should be breathing a lot easier. Take that extra breath, and move yourself over to your working computer, and run the Selkie Transfer Utility from the Start menu.
11) Follow the on-screen instructions, select the files you want to recover, and copy them to the rescue computer, simple as that. Even if you are over the age of 18 – as we like to say around here, it’s so easy, even an adult can do it!
12) In a perfect world, we click ENTER ENTER ENTER and everything works perfectly…and lots of times Selkie exists in a perfect world. But if your day isn’t going perfectly, and there are variations, I will go back to what has become my mantra …check out the manual. Our very capable and knowledgeable technical gurus have thought of every possible obstacle and variation there could POSSIBLY be, and they have explained how to get around them in the manual (which is sort of like a bible in our office).
So, when your time comes (because it will – it happens to the best of us) and you find yourself sitting in front of a computer with an operating system that has decided to take a vacation, keep this blog in mind. Even better, get a copy of Selkie Rescue Data Recovery and keep it in your software collection. Because the last thing you want to have to do when you are nervously working out how to get your data back is prolong the agony. What was the name of that program that said it could get my data back better than any other program? It will probably be in the middle of the night when you are scrambling to get something done – these things always happen at the worst possible times – and in your fragile state you may not remember – although if you close your eyes, you may find yourself dreaming of a beautiful creature emerging from the sea to free you from your current state of despair, and that would be a Selkie.
You would never go on a long road trip without a spare tire for your car (my husband is nodding in agreement). You would never get on a boat that didn’t have a lifejacket for you. You would never go skydiving without a parachute. (Well, if you would do those things, you’re crazy). So why are you even turning your computer on without a way to save your data when it crashes?
If it’s the middle of the night, and you are reading this blog, preparing to try to retrieve the data that you have just lost, don’t take my chastisement too hard – odds are you’ve already beaten yourself up thoroughly. Take a deep breath, all is not lost!
You can do it, and Selkie can help you.
