I have lost a year and a half of book data from my personal database. I went to enter my latest read and something looked off when I opened the app. When I realized my dashboard didn’t have all of my latest changes I was really confused. Then I went to look at the latest entry and it was from early in March 2018.
How could I have somehow reverted to an extremely old version of said database you ask? Why Microsoft, of course! My computer demanded I update my version of Windows the other day or I would no longer be on a supported version. Multiple hours later and me giving up to get sleep instead, I log in and everything seems to have upgraded with no problem. Until I opened MS Access.
Apparently, the idiots missed a glitch that pulled information from their useless Onedrive folder (which I had disconnected from almost immediately after testing it out as it was glitchy as all hell and only useful for my grocery list, so I’m still baffled at the version I got), and OVERWROTE the database stored on my computer. You do NOT code upgrade software that at anytime EVER overwrites personal data files on a computer!!! Dipshits in QA need to have some conversations with my Hubby to learn how that shit is supposed to be tested.
I was absolutely devastated. I have been keeping track of my books for YEARS in this database. Constantly making tweaks and changes to make it better, easier to use and pull the kinds of information I’m looking for. I do also keep track of my books on Goodreads, thank goodness, but I keep so much more information in my database that I can’t keep track of in Goodreads (personal notes and where I reviewed it for example) and is why I kept using it after I found Goodreads. It doesn’t help one tiny bit that I’m a bit of a flake sometimes and forget to enter a book in both locations. Yes, I can probably recreate what I’ve lost, but it is going to take me hours if not days and I’m most likely not going to be able to get it all.
I’d also made some significant changes in the last year. New reports and summaries I was keeping track of. All of it is gone. I could absolutely kick my own ass about the whole thing as well because I JUST got a new external hard drive to back up all my important stuff, like my photos, and somehow I managed to overlook backing up my database, otherwise I would have only lost maybe a week or two of books. Believe me, I have dug and searched all through my computer and my version no longer exists in any form.
I’ve slept on my grief over the loss and I’m still infuriated and frustrated, but the only thing I can do is whatever I can to rebuild it. I’m trying to see the positive side of this in that I didn’t get a version that was years older than the one I got, but it’s incredibly hard to see any loss as positive. I’ll be getting my review written and posted, but then I’ll be buried in my Goodreads and Amazon records working to get it all back. I can only hope it doesn’t piss me off any more than I already am or my computer may grow wings and fly out the window. Whether that window will be open first remains to be seen.
TJ Fox: Sharing the Experience 
This is the nightmare scenario. I’m sorry for your loss. I have to be broader with how I store and save my work
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When I was writing, I was insane about how carefully I backed up and saved. I was a stressed out mess until I replaced my external hard drive, worried I’d lose photos. Not once have I thought about losing my database.
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Oh no! Arrrrgh! I’m so sorry!
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Thanks! I’m getting there. Slowly.
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So sorry to hear! Like Claudette, I spread my into around. I hope you’re able to do a recovery – good luck.
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It is all re-entering the data based on what I have in Goodreads. I’m loosing any notes I had (not a huge deal) and I’ve yet to figure out what else I’ve lost. Mostly the more fine tuning of marking genres to books and that is because I just can’t remember all the details and I don’t have reviews written for all of them. I’m getting there, but it is slow going.
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I’m sorry, and hope that you can recover a good portion of what is lost.
Although nothing this extensive ever happened to me with Microsoft I did have issues during my time of going back to finish my BA degree using a laptop with Windows. Hated, hated, hated it, but had one of those smack the forehead moments and told myself “just because the guy I was then married to would absolutely never consider anything but MS and Windows OS, I am an autonomous being who clearly is smart enough to make my own decisions” and I purchased a Chromebook and have been totally delighted ever since.
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Normally I don’t hate Windows. I’ve been tempted by the Macs because of the graphics programs, but have avoided it because it just makes things easier if we all have the same OS in the house (I tend to be the trouble shooter, so I’d have to know about them both anyway). I’ve gotten probably a little over half done as of right now, so I’m getting there.
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I’m so so sorry to hear this. I am huge on backups in various places but often forget to back up at all. I currently use Evernote for chapters, and email them to two different accounts every once in a while. It (Evernote) is also sync’ed with my other device (or you can sync is to several devices if you use the paid service – for two devices it’s free).
I don’t know what you can do to fix it but I hope you can. Do you know any software developers who can give you advice? I got a couple following me, one in the UK and the other in Belgium…
Good luck.
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My Hubby works in software QA and we talked about it for a bit. He was pretty certain my original database was toast.
My external hard drive has a mirror feature where it will automatically back up or update whatever folders you’ve marked to be backed up when the app is opened, but, stupidly, I missed adding my database to it. I have two other databases that I don’t use anymore for other things, but I haven’t had the heart to check those.
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