I've been through 2 days of absolute hell.  The worst thing imaginable
happened, my hard drive crashed and was un-openable.  
It happened on Thursday evening at 5.  I wasn't online, I had just
finished reading all my downloaded messages and was going to play Zuma,
when nothing happened when I clicked to open the game.  I kept trying
and everything froze up and I couldn't shut down and I couldn't reboot.
So I turned it off and then on again and it wouldn't even start up
Windows, it gave me an error message.  I tried this utility CD that
came with the computer and it did this test on the HD and said it was
bad.
So I took the computer to Dacon (little computer service place in
my town) and the guy there said he would test it.  I pretty much
cried all night and got no sleep and then went back in the morning to
see what he had to say.  He said the HD was wrecked and I'd need a new
one and he couldn't get the data off it.  This was really bad news
because the last back up I did was in November 2004.
I can't believe I was so stupid not to back up more often.  With the
old computer I did it all the time but with this new computer I never
got into the habit.
I took my computer and HD and went to Star Plaza computer mall in
Rayong, 1/2 hour away.  I bought a new HD (only $60 for 80 gig) and
then I found this little computer repair place and there was a guy who
could understand some English and I got them to see what could be done
about my files.
They were able to get access to the D drive, where I keep all my
files, but not the C drive with Windows and all my programs.
Now I'm so glad I partitioned my HD when I set up the new computer and
kept the files separate from the programs!  I got a bunch of blank
CD's and they burned all my files on them.  It took 6 hours, so I went
home and installed my new HD in the meantime.
Of course, it wasn't so easy.  I had initially tried to park
underground at Star Plaza and I turned on the lights because it's so
dark down there.  But there wasn't a single parking spot available, so
I ended up parking at Tesco across the street.  Well, you've probably
figured it out by now, but I never shut my lights off once I left the
underground parkade and by the time I got back to the car the battery
was dead.  Luckily some of the Tesco guys pushed my car to this little
garage that's in the parking lot area and they jump started it for me.
Aaargh!
When I finally got home, I had to re-install Windows and configure
everything.  I've lost all my bookmarks and downloaded programs.
In the evening I went back to Star Plaza and got my CD's.  I went home
and put the files on my new HD.  But all the Thailand albums and the
Vino album was missing!  EEEEEK!  I was very worried in case that part
was corrupted and they couldn't get at it.  I tried to get some of
those albums from my last back-up CD's, I had Thailand Year 1-4 backed
up.  I installed Year 1 and 2 ok, but halfway through Year 3 and all
of Year 4 was corrupted on my CD!  I think it was because I did that
backup on my old computer just before I got the new one, and that CD
burner used to screw up sometimes.  Who knows.  So I was even more
frantic.  No Year 4 & 5 and only half of Year 3 :-(
Another sleepless night.
This morning I went back to Star Plaza with my HD and after waiting
around for 1/2 hour for them to open, I got the guy to go into the HD
again.  Much to my huge relief, the albums were all there!  I only
lost 2 pics from Year 4 because they were corrupted.  But I got
everything else!!!
I'm so relieved this almost makes me believe in God!!!!!!!
But rather than becoming a born again Christian,
I've also purchased another 80 gig HD, a portable one.  I'm going to
use it as my back up drive and I'm going to install a backup program
that I got, so everything will be backed up all the time.
I've got the computer pretty much re-configured and am now just trying
to remember all my bookmarks and download my little programs again
that I had for various things.
What a pain, but I'm so relieved, things could have been much, much
worse.  I'm pretty ticked off though that this HD that came in my new
computer crapped out after only 1 year!  I had my old computer for
almost 5 years and nothing went wrong with either of my HD's.  I sure
hope these new ones I bought will be ok.  They have 5 year warranties,
but of course, the money they cost is inconsequential when compared to
the loss of all those files and pictures.