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Tech Help (Beyond This Forum)

Floyd1 said:
Years ago when my last desktop packed up, I was annoyed as I had some photos that I couldn't retrieve.

I can't remember the details now, but I ended up buying this device that would allegedly have got them back for me.
I never used it for some reason, (or tried and couldn't do it perhaps).

Now I am in the same position where the old comp is getting old.
Can I use this to store my photos, or is there a better way?
Click to expand...
The fact that this external drive is in a generic case (unbranded, and hence not externally-declaring its capacity or type) is worth noting: always beware of unbranded apparently-massive HDDs/SSDs that are actually cheap clones.

This may be an unfair concern, and the drive therein contained could be absolutely fine: but there are few things as potentially-devastating after losing all the vital data on your active device only to find that your backup's all bunkum.

This 3.5in enclosure needs a specific external power supply to work correctly...the curious repurposed PS2/ 'serial' socket puzzles me.

It makes me feel the drive is perhaps a lot older than it might be: most of these external drives have tended for a long time to be self-powered via the USB data connection on the host computer (this is a lot more reliable within the USB3.0 universe, which this drive is not).

Do some test backups of inconsequential large files, after having seen how big the Windows OS thinks it is (if you are an AppleOS believer, then good luck: and if you're a Linux user, I apologise for insulting your intelligence....also: if you're trying this from an Android source, can I subscribe to your YouTube channel?)
 
Ermintruder said:
The fact that this external drive is in a generic case (unbranded, and hence not externally-declaring its capacity or type) is worth noting: always beware of unbranded apparently-massive HDDs/SSDs that are actually cheap clones.

This may be an unfair concern, and the drive therein contained could be absolutely fine: but there are few things as potentially-devastating after losing all the vital data on your active device only to find that your backup's all bunkum.

This 3.5in enclosure needs a specific external power supply to work correctly...the curious repurposed PS2/ 'serial' socket puzzles me.

It makes me feel the drive is perhaps a lot older than it might be: most of these external drives have tended for a long time to be self-powered via the USB data connection on the host computer (this is a lot more reliable within the USB3.0 universe, which this drive is not).

Do some test backups of inconsequential large files, after having seen how big the Windows OS thinks it is (if you are an AppleOS believer, then good luck: and if you're a Linux user, I apologise for insulting your intelligence....also: if you're trying this from an Android source, can I subscribe to your YouTube channel?)
Click to expand...
Right, cheers lads. @SimonBurchell

I suspect then that it's just not worth the risk.

I wanted to try and get my money's worth, but I think that I'll just have to write this one off.

Just out of interest Erms, why do you say that the PS2 has been repurposed?
 
Floyd1 said:
Just out of interest Erms, why do you say that the PS2 has been repurposed?
Click to expand...
Well: that physical form-factor is actually quite good, from a connection reliability standpoint for something such as external drive power, but it's never become a recognised multivendor standard in this use-case. Or if it ever did, I shall eat my hat.

Mini-DIN connections like this (and their cousins, used for legacy 'S-Video' so many years ago, are somewhat outmoded (cf the old 'PC2000' purple+green connectivity for pre-USB serial keyboards and mouses...for era, think early Win XP, or possibly OS2Warp if you're a masochist).
It makes me wonder whether you might find that the external hard drive *will actually work but only unreliably* if you try powering it >only< from the host computer (this is making the presumption that maybe you've lost the ultra-specialist power supply that connects into it).

SimonBurchell said:
Absolutely, far more reliable, and faster
Click to expand...
Respectfully respectively: Yes, sort-of, and yes.

Where non-spinny SSDs (and also USB pen-drives: they've become a lot rarer since 2020) should worry everyone, is that they work perfectly, right up until they don't. Whereas spinny HDDs tend to give some notice of imminent death, and can allow last-rites transfer of contents.

Like many things in life, if a thing's worth doing, it's worth doing twice. And that includes backups. And that includes backups.

Either onto cloud (don't be afraid, but don't be entirely-reliant) and/or a second backup *on a different manufacturer's differently-sized drive*).
 
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256 Gig USB drives are relatively cheap. I recommend Samsung, as they use better quality components.
Make the backup and keep it in a stable environment and it should keep for years.
If you want to make regular, repetitive backups, an SSD or a spinny disk would be a better option. As Ermintruder correctly says, it's possible to spot a problem ahead of time if you're using a hard disk. And remember... it's better to be hard than floppy...
 
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My new Galaxy A54 has arrived. I'm trying to move everything onto it.
Last time I put them side by side and it worked right away. Now though it's saying it's done but nothing of mine is on the new phone.
Does anyone have any ideas?
 
escargot said:
My new Galaxy A54 has arrived. I'm trying to move everything onto it.
Last time I put them side by side and it worked right away. Now though it's saying it's done but nothing of mine is on the new phone.
Does anyone have any ideas?
Click to expand...
Copy data onto memory chip, plug into other phone?
 
escargot said:
My new Galaxy A54 has arrived. I'm trying to move everything onto it.
Last time I put them side by side and it worked right away. Now though it's saying it's done but nothing of mine is on the new phone.
Does anyone have any ideas?
Click to expand...
Can't you connect them with a cable and use Smart Switch that way instead?

A couple of phones ago it didn't work properly for me and I did this -
https://www.samsung.com/us/support/troubleshooting/TSG01202179/
 
escargot said:
My new Galaxy A54 has arrived. I'm trying to move everything onto it.
Last time I put them side by side and it worked right away. Now though it's saying it's done but nothing of mine is on the new phone.
Does anyone have any ideas?
Click to expand...
When I had to do that last year I'm certain I had to download an app called Smart Switch from the play store.
 
Analogue Boy said:
BT have contacted me recently to say they’re phasing out my landline. I’m pretty annoyed as this is a step backwards as far as I can see as the point is that in an emergency, a landline is highly likely way to get a connection. If the internet goes down, you’re buggered and will have to rely on your mobile. Age disaster alarms aren’t compatible and home security alarms may also be compromised.
So I’m thinking what I need is a home phone - something simple, reliable, almost indestructible and proven technology. I don’t know how much BT make on handsets but Nokia - Get in there!! Your moment has come. We can play snake while waiting in a queue.
Click to expand...
You'll still be able to have a landline telephone though won't you?
It will just be powered by different technology. ?
 
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I said above - It would be a replacement for a landline which would no longer be supported. The phone would be digitally tied to the router and if the internet goes or there’s a power cut it’s useless. Aged help alarms don’t work with it.
Technologically, a backward step imo.
 
escargot said:
My new Galaxy A54 has arrived. I'm trying to move everything onto it.
Last time I put them side by side and it worked right away. Now though it's saying it's done but nothing of mine is on the new phone.
Does anyone have any ideas?
Click to expand...
Was bluetooth enabled? Not sure if that would make a difference, I’m apples.
 
escargot said:
My new Galaxy A54 has arrived. I'm trying to move everything onto it.
Last time I put them side by side and it worked right away. Now though it's saying it's done but nothing of mine is on the new phone.
Does anyone have any ideas?
Click to expand...
Without further info, I've gotta ask the obvious, have you enabled them to see each other on your network? (This doesn't really take into account the "Done" message, but I've dealt with weird stuff when it comes to getting different devices to communicate.)
 
Herr Cloaca said:
If there's a power cut, it's powered by a battery powered UPS, grandad.
Click to expand...

Analogue Boy said:
And when the battery runs out?
Click to expand...

now I feel very old... I'm pretty sure my phone doesn't have battery, UPS nor AA. Pretty sure if the mains power goes, phone doesn't work whether or not there's leccy in the phone line. I've still got my GPO phone somewhere, but - inevitably - it hasn't got a BT connector.
 
Analogue Boy said:
I said above - It would be a replacement for a landline which would no longer be supported. The phone would be digitally tied to the router and if the internet goes or there’s a power cut it’s useless. Aged help alarms don’t work with it.
Technologically, a backward step imo.
Click to expand...
The chances of you having an emergency when there is both a power cut and no mobile signal will be very remote though I'd have thought.
 
If the power cut affects a large enough area there will not be a mobile signal either.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/tec...ndon-mobile-phones-burgess-hill-b1067548.html

This happened a year ago -

Burgess Hill — a town in Mid Sussex similar in size to the City of Westminster — was hit by two lengthy power cuts last week. Each involved the town’s mobile phone reception being wiped out for several hours.

If such power cuts happened in densely populated London, hundreds of thousands of people could be without mobile reception.

In Burgess Hill, schools forced to close because of the power cuts were unable to contact parents. Meanwhile, residents had to drive for miles outside of the town to make important calls.
Click to expand...
Buy a couple of flags and learn semaphore?
 
Herr Cloaca said:
If there's a power cut, it's powered by a battery powered UPS, grandad.
Click to expand...
The phone and the broadband router in the house might be OK with a UPS, but there is no guarantee that the rest of the broadband infrastructure will still be up. Best system to have might be one of those Starlink satellite systems.
 
Analogue Boy said:
And when the battery runs out?
Click to expand...
Right, the phone and the ADSL router will draw about 1W.
Depends on the UPS of course, but the amount of current required is so tiny I can barely do the maths. Looks like about 50 hours. If your power cut has lasted for two days, I think you've got bigger problems.
Actually, I'll try and find out what BT have in mind for the runtime, it's an interesting question.
 
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I've an old Samsung smartphone.
It's recently come up with a 'teardrop' symbol and continually tells me not to charge it with the USB connector because it has 'moisture' or something else in the way.
I've dried it out - not with rice, but with a non-fibre dry cleaning tissue and a gentle time in a warm fan. It charges fine ... but still keeps up with the warning. How can I dismiss it?
I know I live in a very cold, damp house but I didn't expect it to turn my phone into a moisture meter.
 
Stormkhan said:
I've an old Samsung smartphone.
It's recently come up with a 'teardrop' symbol and continually tells me not to charge it with the USB connector because it has 'moisture' or something else in the way.
I've dried it out - not with rice, but with a non-fibre dry cleaning tissue and a gentle time in a warm fan. It charges fine ... but still keeps up with the warning. How can I dismiss it?
I know I live in a very cold, damp house but I didn't expect it to turn my phone into a moisture meter.
Click to expand...

I've had that warning once.

I turned off the power and hair-dryered it.

No ill effects, but copy at your own risk!
 
Stormkhan said:
I've an old Samsung smartphone.
It's recently come up with a 'teardrop' symbol and continually tells me not to charge it with the USB connector because it has 'moisture' or something else in the way.
I've dried it out - not with rice, but with a non-fibre dry cleaning tissue and a gentle time in a warm fan. It charges fine ... but still keeps up with the warning. How can I dismiss it?
I know I live in a very cold, damp house but I didn't expect it to turn my phone into a moisture meter.
Click to expand...
Battery might need replacing.
 
Hate to say I was right but….

Digital landline switchover delayed amid emergency alarms crisis​

BT and Virgin Media pause technology rollout over fears of putting elderly people at risk

Plans to rip out traditional landlines and replace them with digital alternatives have been delayed after emergency alarm outages sparked a health crisis...

Paywalled…

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/busines...e-switchover-delayed-emergency-alarms-crisis/


Article available here…
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/com...ayed-amid-emergency-alarms-crisis/ar-BB1kQa7N
 
Analogue Boy said:
Hate to say I was right but….

Digital landline switchover delayed amid emergency alarms crisis​

BT and Virgin Media pause technology rollout over fears of putting elderly people at risk

Plans to rip out traditional landlines and replace them with digital alternatives have been delayed after emergency alarm outages sparked a health crisis...

Paywalled…

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/busines...e-switchover-delayed-emergency-alarms-crisis/


Article available here…
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/com...ayed-amid-emergency-alarms-crisis/ar-BB1kQa7N
Click to expand...
Yep! Nothing was planned, was it?
 
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