"NEW AND IMPROVED" not always a good thing

Too often, I see people getting caught up in what I call the iPhile loop. Regardless of what the item is, they have the get the NEWEST version, even if the one they have is perfectly serviceable and works. Even to the point of camping out to be FIRST!

This goes for phones, cameras, computers, cars. Are some of the newer phones better/packed with more features? Sure, but will I USE those new features? Probably not. I wouldn't have gotten a new phone, just a new phone plan, if Alan's phone wasn't dying. He inherited my S7, I got an S9.

Cameras. Same thing, do some of the newer ones have better features? *SOMETIMES*. I have found that different abilities/features aren't necessarily better, or of any use.

Computers? Doesn't matter what you get/build. It will be 'obsolete' in 3 to 6 months.

Cars? Given regular maintenance, they can last well over a decade. So what it doesn't have the latest GPS or bluetooth.

Software? Sometimes the old adage of "IF it ain't broken, don't fix it" applies. I have on many occasions rolled back to earlier version of certain programs because the older versions work better. (One example, Luminar 3. It was a complete disaster. IMO, they released a beta test, and then when the complaints about it crashing, hardlocking the computer, failing, they blamed the person's computer. Regardless how kick ass of a machine they had).

I have my cameras. They work and I like them. I know most of their workings inside and out. I don't see the need to get the newest version. If anything, I'm thinking of trading in something to get an OLDER camera that will suit my needs.

All File Recovery Programs aren't created equal

Because I wasn't paying attention while Wing was getting ready for work, I chose the wrong delete option when clearing off a CF card. I chose DELETE ALL instead of DELETE SELECTED. And of course I couldn't stop the deletion while in progress.

I immediately started SD Card Recovery Pro... effing USELESS. It found 74 files. Some of which were from 2012! Too bad I had deleted over 300 images.

Then came EaseUS File Recovery. It found over 900 files. YAY! Unfortunately it recovered them as unopenable TIF and ICO files. Yes, I tried every graphics program I had on the computer trying, and searched for others. No Joy!

Iolo Search and Recover - Ok, this found more of them, but only two of this mornings photos. In total about 150.

Just about read to give up, I searched and found one called "R-Undelete". Not expecting much but hoping for the best, I installed it and ran it. it found over 900 images/files, and I recovered all the sunrise photos I took this morning, and then some. All in their proper format. All readable, openable, not corruptions. And the best part, is R-Undelete is free for home user.

EUREKA! And not the TV series on SyFy

After many diagnostic tests, removing software, updating chip set drivers, rolling them back, contacting Acer Support, contacting AMD support, a solution has been found!

Turns out that the "GSOD" (grey screen of death) is a well known, well documented problem. I got solution from AMD/ATi, and passed it along to Acer Support.

Guess what? It's a fault with the chipset, and it's a KNOWN ISSUE (got that from S.I. Acer Tech support himself!) with the touch screen all in ones. They could have saved me months of frustration, hours of lost work by just telling me.

So, getting my AcerRacer refitted sooner than I had expected, will get that up and running. Then pack the unit with the buggy chipset back into it's original packaging, contact Acer and have a courier pick it up.

Oh, did I mention it's under warranty, and all of this, except my refitting older laptop with new hard drive, is on their dime?

So, in the process of shifting things from one external hd, to make a disc image back up of the units' drive, in case they have to replace the entire unit. Oh joy.

Oh well

It wasn't the tablet drivers causing the system lock ups

Back to waiting for AcerTech to get off their backsides and send me the damned diagnostic tools, as they said they would.

Updating drivers, grrrr

Spent about 2 hours puzzling out why the hell my touch screen stopped being a touch screen. Turns out that the "New and Improved" drivers for my Intuos 3 weren't the right ones. Mine isn't a touch tablet, but the 'antiquated' tablet that uses a stylus.

Uninstalled the Wacom software, rebooted, and all is well again. Beginning to wonder if that's what was causing the hardlock errors, as I was typically using it with a graphics program when it would happen. Wait and see, I guess.

Went to Tai Chi tonight. We aren't going to do the 6 month membership for a while, as Aikidomayland's business trips makes our attending every week iffy.

"Booked" my Vox Blog

As I had mentioned, SixApart is shutting down Vox with little warning. Just short of saying "We closing, go here or get lost".

FeedFabrik offered a solution for those who wanted to archive their blogs. And they worked tirelessly with me about bugs and glitches until it was all working right.

I actually found that their site created a PDF that was formatted better than LJ Book or BlogBooker.

I will miss Vox, the groups that were there, and people on my F-lists that have decided to not export to Typepad or WordPress.