total hard drive failure

[Donald C. McNeilly]

Yup, had one of those so my original web site, pub 02, is gone with a recent
update. I have a backup but without the most recent changes. Is there any
way of taking the 'publish to website' files and converting them back into a
pub file? I have both 02 and 03, older versions if necessary but not loaded
at this time.

Have had lots of help from this and the regular Publisher site and really
appreciate any assistance as this is all volunteer work for a nonprofit.

Donald

 

[David Bartosik]

Publisher's WYSIWYG design is that all design & modifications are created in
the web publication (.pub). That is your most valuable file. The actual site
files (.htm) can be re-generated at any time from the pub file. If you have
space available it may be of benefit to upload the physical .pub file to your
account to afford you a safe copy. That said, versions 2002 and 2003 do have
the functionality to open a .htm(l) file type. The technical reason behind
that is a long story I'll not get into. But suffice it to say that it is not
designed to provide for an html editing. You can only try opening your htm
page in Publisher 2002/2003 and see what you get. If it looks usable then
you'll be copying and pasting that into a new web publication. Open each htm
files and paste them into new pages of a new .pub file until you have
re-built the site pub file.

David Bartosik - [MSFT MVP]
http://www.publishermvps.com
http://www.davidbartosik.com

 

[Don Schmidt]

I recently experienced a total hard drive failure. It failed to spin up and
as you would know, it was the drive that contained ALL of my created files.
I do backup but once a month just after all the new financial data is
stored. The failure occurred on March 28 and as the "fickle finger of fate"
would have it, a recent project, creating a dozen or so new logons and
passwords was on the drive but not backed up.

Chatting with a business friend (computer repairman) he suggested to chill
the drive down (in the freezer) and give it a try. I chilled the drive down
to Martini temperature, put it back in the computer, switched on the power,
the drive light flashed, but didn't spin up. Tried booting a few more times
and on the last attempt, pounded on the drive with the handle of a medium
size screwdriver and all of a sudden, the whirr of the drive spun up!
Transferred the 4+ gigs of files to a new Seagate Cheetah drive. It was my
Easter miracle (but no Smokey Robinson <G>).

I also change my backup procedures:
No longer use DVDs, now use space on the second new Seagate. Backup. Times
went from 4 hours on tape, to 1 hour on DVD to now 30 minutes on the hard
drive. (10+ gigs of programs and data).

P.S. DVD backup is about as reliable as parachutes from the Acme Cheesecloth
Company.

P.S. II I have three SCSI drives and it was the D drive that went bad.
Replaced the D drive and put the original D in the E drive bay. Just move
the strapping down a position. I love SCSI.

Give the refrigerator a try.
If it works, once the data on the old drive is transferred, shred the data
on the bad drive.

 

[DavidF]

Good thing you had a medium size screwdriver. Was that a phillips or slot?
I don't know why Microsoft doesn't have that technique included in Help or
the knowledge base.}:>)

DavidF

 

[Don Schmidt]

David,

Ya know, it may have been a nut driver???
In my working days with Ma Bell it could, would have been a "stepping
hammer"!

Ops! Another 20 minutes went by, time to backup!<G>

 

[Donald C. McNeilly]

Well, thank you all for the advice. I have downloaded the files from web
host and will be looking at a restructure attempt as time allows. I am also
chillin' my hard drive. I have had other problems in the past but I have
always been able to turn the defunct drive into a slave and transport
everything over that way. Never had this happen. I am still going to go that
route once the drive is frozen. Any advice on how long to freeze? Any
thoughts on a ball peen hammer? It's always been a favorite tool of mine
though this will be the first time I've used it on a computer.

I have three pcs on a peer to peer and I now back up each one to the other
two. Critical stuff daily nonessential weekly. Have not been able to get an
auto back up going consistently, they do not seem to like working on a
network or maybe it's just the peer to peer.

Again, thanks to all for advice. Will post results.

Donald

 

[Don Schmidt]

Donald,

The idea is to jar the drive but don't drop it. Tap the drive on the top,
not the sides. I'm thinking if tapped on the side it will shock the arm
within the drive. What we're hoping for is a weak platter motor which needs
to be coaxed into starting. Also try inverting the drive or put it on its
side.

I had my drive in the freezer for about 15 minutes and it was fairly cold to
hold.

Good luck,

don

 

[Dave Brooks]

I needed a good laugh guys...and the freezer trick does work once in a
while...unless you get it too cold and it sticks to your fingers ripping off
the skin...and in turn...dropping the drive to the floor and making it
henceforth worthless for anything at all...