We've spent the entire morning doing stupid computer tricks... or more specifically restoring our back-up Quicken files from the outboard hard drive to the backup box. More specifically yet... trying to restore those files. Without success.
The restore process began simply enough. I got a message after the process was complete saying "1274 files successfuly restored." I opened Quicken. TRIED to open Quicken. It wouldn't run because "Application fail. sumthin.DLL is missing. Try reloading the application." I reload the application from disk. I get this:
"Quicken 2002 New User Edition will not import files from previous editions. You must upgrade."
Or words to that effect. More farting around with the application. Uninstall and re-install. Reload the backed-up files. NOTHING worked. Well, it's the first of the month and the bills are due. There are records to be kept, as well. (Unnecessary confession: we ceased maintaining our paper checkbook register back around 1998 when we moved to computerized accounting... therefore a Quicken restoral is REQUIRED.)
So. We upgraded. Bought Quicken 2010, downloaded and installed same. Guess what? Quicken 2010 apparently does NOT recognize Quicken 2002 New User Edition files -- I was unable to import my backed-up data. Used the ultimate fallback solution: I downloaded two years of financial data... which is all there is... from my credit union. I verified the last three months of downloaded data against statements and carbons of my last 30 or so checks (we use the duplicate type checks). Everything appears to be in order.
Paid the bills. Still wondering how we'll recover transactions prior to January 1, 2008... but at this point we don't much care.
I totally agree with the title of this post. It seems that many things which are designed under the guise of making our lives easier do anything but.
ReplyDeleteInno speaks to this today. I think it's you in the convertible.
ReplyDeleteBR: Well, I dearly love 'puters and the inner-nets... when things are working. It's when stuff doesn't work as it's supposed to when I get all pissed off. Today is one such day.
ReplyDeleteAndy: My day is bad, but it ain't THAT bad!
I can't believe you posted accounting stuff as well as computer inner-working stuff in the same day. Lordy, but this blonde is dazed. I suppose you will talk about insurance next.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe you did all "that computer" junk, period.
ReplyDeletePanic was all around me when I thought my laptop had died and all it needed was the battery kinda pushed back in.
Patience to do everything that you did today? Oh, no. Oh, hell, no!!!
(my word ver. is burium -- ha, ha.)
That is F'ed up... That's the kinda crap I fix every day, and I'm shocked that the software is not backwards compatible. It's all market driven. "As of tomorrow, we will no longer support yesterday's files. Better buy the next version!"
ReplyDeleteYikes! "You are a better man than I, Gunga Din."
ReplyDeleteOr words to that effect.
Wow, Christina, there are not too many of us that can quote "Gunga Din."
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear it, Buck. On top of the Wings result... not a happy day in Buckville :-(
ReplyDeleteI'm SUCH a goober!
ReplyDeleteI was halfway through the post before I actually read the word "Quicken." My brain thought it was seeing "Chicken 2002" and Chicken 2010.
*cluck!*
Lou: I have NOTHING to say about insurance, LOL!
ReplyDeleteKath: I had no choice... it HAD to be done.
Matt: My problems were all because I'm a cheapskate. If I had bought Quicken instead of using the "free" version that came bundled with a new computer back in 2002 I don't think I would have had any issues. Still: you're right. Upgrading to the full version SHOULD preserve your files.
Christina: "Better" is all in the eye of the beholder. The bottom line was still failure.
Jim: Yeah, today really sucks coz of the Wings. Yesterday sucked because of the 'puter. I'm afraid to think about tomorrow.
Phlegmmy: LOL!
I had a bad computer crash several months ago. Discovered this really nifty thing called Ubuntu. Saved my ass.
ReplyDelete