The Curious Case of the Disappearing Data

There are times when I truly despair of ever really understanding the foibles of computers. What should seem easy turns out to be a protracted mess of damage limitation, and a desperate search for answers to your problem. Where is Sherlock Holmes when you need him?

What I am referring to is my previous blog (Computer Geek to the Rescue). After completing the blog on Saturday, I posted it without any problems. On Sunday, I noticed a few things I wanted to change, so I tried to edit the post, specifically, to add another picture. What happened was when I went to edit the post, all the data disappeared! All I was left with, was the title!!!

No amount of logging out, and back in again would magically restore my post!! So I started searching the web for any possible solutions.

What I discovered is that, again, I was not alone with this problem. In fact, it seems to be a major design fault with Blogger. Countless users are complaining about how the auto-save wipes out vast tracts of their data, and then they have no way to restore what has been lost. These posts have been going back years!!! Any mistake you make accidently deleting something cannot be undone!

It seems to be a problem with Blogger and Google have so far not done anything to resolve this problem. A lot of disgruntled bloggers are switching to Wordpress, which doesn’t seem to have this problem.

The other alternative (which is what I am doing at the moment), is to write your entire post as a word document, save it, and then copy it over into the data box in Blogger. This was what I had to do with my previous post.

The only thing I haven’t quite worked out how to do is get any pictures I have added to the word document, to copy over into the Blogger post field. I have just discovered a blog post by Robert Slater, that was created nearly 2 years ago, explaining how you cannot transfer pictures from word to blogger, and possible ways to to get around the problem.

Computer Geek to the Rescue!

When I came home from work, my daughter informed me that our WiFi connection had stopped working. Now normally, this isn’t a problem, as the router has been known to freeze, and all you have to do is switch it off, then on again. So this was the first thing I tried, even though my daughter had already tried this already, I was too stupid to believe her that there was something more seriously wrong with the router!

What I did discover, was that it was the wireless part of the router that wasn’t working. The router (Thomson Gateway TG585 v7) was connected to my desktop computer via an Ethernet cable, and it could access the Internet without any problems. It just would not transmit any signal for the laptops to pick up!

So I had a brainwave. I started searching the web for forums that might shed a light on what was going on. I also dug out the flimsy instruction manual on setting up the router (about as much use as a chocolate fireguard). To my surprise, I was not alone in experiencing this problem. It seems that this router is prone to throwing a tantrum, and refuse to work!

One of the forum suggestions required me to reset the router, which I did using a wire paperclip in the recess at the back of the unit, and restarting the process. This also required me to input the username and password. So far, so good. I then had to use another username and password to access the routers settings, as it was here that I could try and get it to kick-start the transmitter again. As I was going into the settings, I was asked to change the username and password, which I did, and checked to see if all the settings were correct. They were. When I exited the settings, and checked the router, it still wasn’t working. To make matters worse, I couldn’t log back into the settings, as it wouldn’t recognise any of the username’s or passwords!

So I got out my trusty paperclip, and reset the bloody router to its factory default again. This time, I ignored any of the requests to change usernames, or passwords, and went back into the settings screen. This time I followed another forums advice to simply change the channel the router was broadcasting on. I changed the channel from 11 to 9 and “hey presto!” the router started working properly again!

My wife told me that when I first started to come to grips with sorting the problem, I was like a bear with a sore head, muttering curses under my breath, and a scowl upon my face. When I finally succeeded in fixing the router, she says I was grinning like a Cheshire Cat!!

Computer Gremlins finally beaten??

After spending nearly a month trying to get my computer to record VHS video, I think I have finally cracked it!

After struggling with problems of no video, then audio clicking noises, and lack of synchronisation between video and audio, I was getting nowhere fast! Every time I managed to sort one problem out, I created two other problems to fix! As you can see, I am not very good with finding a simple solution to my problems!

I finally found what actually works for me. I had to upgrade my sound card, and install a newer version of Pinnacle Studio. By upgrading from version 10 to version 14, I have at last managed to successfully transfer VHS video footage onto my computer, and burn a test DVD from it. It all worked!

My friend Warren has been pestering me, wanting to know when he can have his DVD! I could have simply given him a straight forward video transfer to him, but I decided that I can do better than that! I am now attempting to break the video footage into chapters, and create a menu for the DVD. This I have finally achieved, and as I write this, my other computer is busy preparing to write the video footage to disk.

When the computer has finished processing, I have one final task to complete. I have to create some artwork for the Jewel case inserts! I don't think I should have any major problems doing this, but judging from past experience, you never can tell!

Home Accounts

This afternoon, my wife asked me to find out how much money we spent on groceries for the last two years. This is quite an easy task as I have a Home accounts programme that I have been using for years.

I first started using an accounts programme back in the 1980's when I had a Commodore Amiga. When I eventually bought a PC, I started to use the Quicken accounts program.

Over the years I upgraded the program until 2003 when Quicken no longer supported the British market and just concentrated on their own American market. I then gave Microsoft Money a try, but having got used to the Quicken layout, I struggled to adapt to the Microsoft version. One aspect in particular was the facility to have the account show exactly how much money I would have in my account on any particular day in the future. Extremely useful if you get paid every 4 weeks and have standing orders spread throughout the month.

I could check this with ease using Quicken. All I had to do was check the scheduled transaction page and the information I wanted was immediately visible. The Microsoft version had a more complicated process to obtain this information. Consequently I have continued to use the Quicken program.

What I did discover today though is that it is not a good idea to delete old accounts that have been closed. I discovered hundreds of transactions from my live accounts that had originally gone to another account, such as credit card payments or mortgage payments, suddenly had no account to send the money to, so the transactions were no longer categorised as they had originally been.

I just spent the last 4 hours re categorising these transactions so that I can now produce accurate reports of where I've actually spent my money!

In case your wondering, our grocery bill increased by nearly £1000 between 2008 and 2009!
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

Some light humour!

My daughter found a website that does strange things to pictures! When she showed them to us we fell about laughing. Here are a few of the ones we found amusing, or interesting.



This one is of my daughter.









This is my wife. I didn't realise that she was a time traveller!












This is me during the swinging sixties!






I haven't quite worked out where this advert is in the world, but it looks strangely familiar

Utility Man goes International... Well, sort of?!

My colleague WarrenJoffre had added a link to another blog called "Along the Central Line". Out of curiosity, I took a look at the sight, and I was immediately struck with the language translator gadget available. Between WarrenJoffre and myself, we tried to install our own translators to our sites, with out any success.

Every time I installed a translator, either it would not show the little flag icons, or it simply wouldn't translate at all! At first I thought it might be because of the computer at work, which has severe Internet restrictions, but I had the same problem when I got home.

I then spent a couple of hours searching the Internet for the html code that would actually do what I wanted it to do. Eventually I found the code, and now I have the translation facility placed on my Blog! The original code only had 9 languages available. I needed it to have one extra language - Russian, so that my wife's family could read it if they wanted to.

Another hour of Internet searching, and I finally found the code for the Russian translator. Now if anyone knows how to find the code for any other languages, then I would be glad to hear from you. For some reason, when I try and add the code on this page, it changes when it is posted. So I don't know yet how to get the HTML code to stay as it is when posted and not get partially executed, as it seems to be at present.

Modern Electronics Guru Required!!!

I have just spent the last 5 days trying to sort out a couple of problems at home. More specifically, my computer and my TV.

Let's start with the computer. Recently, I noticed that every time I used Windows Explorer it would take up to 30 seconds to execute a command, such as move, rename, copy, paste or delete. Basically anything that required a right-click of the mouse.

I had checked on various forums, and the general consensus of this problem was caused by the DNS or DHCP settings on the internet connection. After trying to discover exactly whereabouts on the computer these settings were stored and finding how difficult it would be to change, I decided to leave well alone and just live with this problem.

My brother sent me an e-mail last week and when I replied to him, my e-mail was bounced back with the cryptic message that an IP address had been blacklisted because the computer was being used remotely to send spam e-mails! I phoned my brother and told him of the message as I thought the IP address belonged to his computer. He checked his computer and found the IP address wasn't his, it was mine!

After spending a day running every anti-virus, spy ware, and firewall program I had, without finding the Trojan implanted on my computer, I decided there was only one option left. Format the Hard Drive!

It took me 2 days to get the Operating system and essential programs and settings set up once again. I am pleased to say that the computer is now working properly again, and I did not lose any of my data files in the process either, as I have done on previous occasions!

While the problem with the computer was unfolding, I discovered I also now have a problem with my TV. Every time I try to watch anything through the Co-Axial cable (RF cable) the sound and picture keeps appearing and disappearing every few seconds. At first I thought it might be a fault with the TV. Then I discovered that I had no problems if all the equipment was connected using scart leads.

As I do not have enough scart connections on my TV for all the equipment I have (digital tuner, satellite receiver, VCR, and DVD player), I visited my local electronics store to see what I could do about it. While at the shop, I learned that the probable cause of the fluctuation is that "the RF signal is looping back on itself".

The state of play now is that I have managed to connect everything back together but I now have to leave the VCR on permanently if I am to get anything to show on the TV! It is by no means a perfect solution, and I know I will not be happy until I have got everything working the way it was before!

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

Picking someone elses brains can be very useful!

Yesterday evening, and all this morning, I have been trying to connect this blog to Twitterfeed. For some reason I could not get Twitterfeed to recognise the RSS feed from this site. I asked for help on both this Blogger forum and also on the Twitterfeed forums, and then headed off to work expecting to get an answer later today or tomorrow.

When I arrived at work, and told my colleague of my problem, he explained to me exactly what to do in about 30 seconds! So now every time I update this blog, I should have a nice shiny new Twitter update informing other Twiterers that they can see my blog update if they want to!

Not so much Tortoise pace, more like snail pace!

Back in January, I went to 2 seminars for the business I am slowly building up. I decided to take my camcorder with me to film the events, with the view to creating a DVD to pass on to my active team members.

The first Seminar was nearly 5 hours long, and I made the mistake of not bringing enough spare tapes with me, so consequently I didn't capture the last hour of the seminar! The second seminar, I took enough tapes, but forgot the mains lead! So again, I missed the last hour of the seminar. Next year I will do much better!

The videos were successfully transferred onto my computer using Pinnacle Studio. When I tried to edit the footage within the program, I kept losing the audio which makes the editing process impossible! No matter what I tried, I constantly lost the audio, and could not edit it.

Every few weeks I would go back to it and try something different, hoping I would discover a solution. Earlier this week, I suddenly began to make progress at last!

First I had to combine all the video clips to make one movie of 3 hours. Then I had to convert it from an AVI file to an MPEG file, this time there was audio in the converted product. Next I had to the 45GB file through DivX into a 1.5GB file. Finally, yesterday, I loaded this file into Roxio Easy Media Creator, and started to edit the movie, creating a menu, and adding chapters. This last process requires me to actually watch the footage in real time to place and name the chapter headings. I hope that in a few days time I will have managed to complete the task, and have a fully functioning DVD of the event, that will be fully accessible to any particular bit of the seminar for someone to watch and learn from!

A Twit of a Twitterer!

This morning, I walked with my wife and the dog to the next village so that my wife could get a bus to work. As she has to be at work by 08:00, she cannot wait for the bus from our village, as the first one doesn't come through until 07:30, and she would miss her connecting bus to get her to work!

So when I can, I walk with her for 30 minutes to the bus stop. Once she is safely on her way, I then walk back home, with the dog, by way of the river. This is a very tranquil and peaceful time, as the daily hum of the traffic is replaced by all the birdsong, the honking of the Canada Geese, and the noise from the sheep and the cows. Occasionally, you might hear the gentle gurgle of a small tributary running into the river.

While I was walking beside the river, I thought it would be nice to take a picture, and upload it to my Twitter account. I took the picture at 07:00 this morning, and tried, and tried to upload it, without any success. My mistake was that on my BlackBerry phone I had the option of "Send to TwitterBerry". This did not work, and after 3 or 4 hours trying I gave up. It was only when I got to work and looked on the TwitPic site, did I discover that I need to Email the picture instead!

So I have successfully uploaded my first picture, and have learned not to try and send another one via TwitterBerry!

Just spent the entire morning trying to find out how to switch on the GPS facility on my Blackberry 8120 phone. So far with total lack of success. I contacted my network provider to see if it is enabled by them. They came back and told me that I have to enable the GPS facility direct from Blackberry.

I cannot find any straight forward instructions on the Blackberry site, or on the Web giving me a clue as to the step by step tasks required to enable the GPS facility on the phone.

At least I have found out that my phone has some updates that need to be downloaded, so whilst it is doing that, it is time for a spot of Brunch!