Aspire notepad

[guest189040]

Good news.

As Nick suggests, copying all your user data to a removable storage device before you make any changes is an excellent strategy.

The procedures that I described will not cause any problems with your Laptop, simply follow the instructions step by step.

The data that is within your Recycle Bin has not been deleted, each file has basically had its name changed and it has been flagged up for permanent deletion.

If your Son knows what to do to manage and solve PC problems then you may like him to install Team Viewer, it is free for home use.  I have it on my Laptop and my Brother has it on his PC, if he has a problem he telephones me and we both start Team Viewer, he then tells me the connection ID and password that is displayed within the Team Viewer Window on his PC. 

I enter these details in the Team Viewer Window that is on my Laptop and this gives me control over his PC.  I can then rectify the problem or simply show him what to do if he is struggling to do something within software. 

As he lives 35 miles away it is far easier for me to solve his PC woes remotely than to make a special visit.

Hence your Son could solve your Laptop woes remotely very easily as long as your Laptop is booted and connected to the internet.

[collin]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

[Nick_Ips]

The procedures that I described will not cause any problems with your Laptop, simply follow the instructions step by step.

As a general rule that is true. But if disk corruption is a possibility then it is wise to confirm the disk's integrity (e.g. using Check Disk) before doing anything else that involves changes to data on the disk.

In collin's case it probably isn't crucial as it sounds like he only has a small amount of data and the first thing he should do is to copy that onto another device.

But running Check Disk is still a good idea (in most cases), and doing that first is better than doing it after the situation has potentially become worse.

[guest189040]

The procedures that I described will not cause any problems with your Laptop, simply follow the instructions step by step.

As a general rule that is true. But if disk corruption is a possibility then it is wise to confirm the disk's integrity (e.g. using Check Disk) before doing anything else that involves changes to data on the disk.

In collin's case it probably isn't crucial as it sounds like he only has a small amount of data and the first thing he should do is to copy that onto another device.

But running Check Disk is still a good idea (in most cases), and doing that first is better than doing it after the situation has potentially become worse.

Good point, I should have mentioned that.

It must be 20 years since a Disc Check returned any errors on any of my hard drives and 9 hard drives are spinning every time I use my main PC but a Laptop is a more vulnerable computer.

[Nick_Ips]

Good point, I should have mentioned that.

It must be 20 years since a Disc Check returned any errors on any of my hard drives and 9 hard drives are spinning every time I use my main PC but a Laptop is a more vulnerable computer.

 

As it happens the secondary disk in the computer I'm typing this post on is now over 21 years old (Seagate Medalist ST34321A) and has never had an error - but it was engineered to last, whereas a hard disk in a lower-end laptop made a year or so ago was engineered to a price-point.  I wouldn't put much faith in it lasting a great deal beyond the warranty, let alone into a third decade of error-free operation.

Fortunately modern operating systems are a lot more fault-tolerant, typically with stuff being repaired without the user even being aware it is happening. So the overall impression is the equipment is more robust, even if at the hardware level the ice being skated on is worryingly thin.

However, when the inevitable happens the failure is likely to be more devastating. But no problem, the average owner will be happy to simply chuck it in the bin and order a new one.

Hopefully collin has managed to dodge that experience.