Just got a call from a client

[BZeto]

Installed some backup software (sycback pro) running daily incremental backups to a 16GB flash drive. This is only for her single computer and it backs up her entire Documents and Settings folder along with a few others. Worked beautifully when I left, everything was fine. She was out of the office at that time and returned today. Now apparently her desktop has changed and her previously used programs are no longer installed... wtf? I had her verify which user account she was logged in to and it should be the right one. It's a small law firm so I got an ear full about how a huge contract is at stake in the next hour.

Before she practically hung up on me to take a phone call I had her check the backup and drive and all the files are there. But honestly I have no clue what happened to her system.
She's really high-strung and is incapable of following instructions over the phone because she'd rather bitch about how bad the situation is rather than allowing me to help solve it.
Waiting on her to call me back, I hate when shit like this happens...

 

[calvinbiss]

GO over there and fix it!

 

[ViviTheMage]

If she is paying you, go over there and fix it

 

[zerocool84]

PEBKAC

 

[waffleironhead]

Go fix it. Why are you waiting for her to call you back. If you show up and it was her fault, that is billable time. Being a lawyer, I'm sure she understands that.

 

[BZeto]

I'm leaving to go fix it now. If her programs are really uninstalled somehow then this is going to suck..

 

[skyking]

While you are over there grab a complete backup image. you can come in and save the day later.

 

[James Bond]

Originally posted by: BZeto
I'm leaving to go fix it now. If her programs are really uninstalled somehow then this is going to suck..

Sounds like a profile issue sorta? Weird

 

[Squisher]

Dollar to a donut that the only thing gone are the desktop icons.

 

[SonnyDaze]

Obligatory.

:camera:'s.

 

[rasczak]

why not just back up her my documents, and application settings/local settings folders?

 

[olds]

Originally posted by: Squisher
Dollar to a donut that the only thing gone are the desktop icons.

That was my thought as well.

 

[jtvang125]

If they're using XP or anything after you don't even need to install anything to do a backup. The OS comes with it's own backup program. Used it numerous times and never has let me down.

 

[MiniDoom]

i like donuts.

 

[BZeto]

More to it than missing desktop icons. Looks like the profile became corrupt so XP created another profile folder in username.computername format. The old profile folder named just "username" is still there but not being used... I don't really know how to tell XP which profile folder to use. I'm currently copying the old profile EXCEPT for ntuser.dat and the ntuser log file back to see if it'll work.

 

[waffleironhead]

Delete new profile. Rename old profile. Old profile probably has a .old extension. Its been awhile since I was doing profiles, so I could be wrong.

 

[rasczak]

rename the new profile to profile.oldmmddyy rename the old profile to just "profile" minus .OLD and have the user log back in. if another profile is created, then the original is corrupted and you can't reuse it. just move the my documents, Desktop and application data/local settings folders into the new profile.

 

[Mackie2k]

Originally posted by: BZeto
More to it than missing desktop icons. Looks like the profile became corrupt so XP created another profile folder in username.computername format. The old profile folder named just "username" is still there but not being used... I don't really know how to tell XP which profile folder to use. I'm currently copying the old profile EXCEPT for ntuser.dat and the ntuser log file back to see if it'll work.

My experience (being in IT for over 10 years and major experience with XP) is that when you start doing backups and other intensive read/write activities, Hard Drives tend to fail quickly if they were already on the way out.

She probably hit a bad sector on her hard drive and thusly the new profile was created around it.

 

[rasczak]

oh, and i would probably get rid of the backup program you're using and just use NTBACKUP.

 

[Tsaico]

Originally posted by: jtvang125
If they're using XP or anything after you don't even need to install anything to do a backup. The OS comes with it's own backup program. Used it numerous times and never has let me down.

I have been using NT back for years...

 

[MiniDoom]

Sounds like the GUID came disconnected from the the users profile. You should be able to edit it in the registry by going to regedit>HKEY_local_machine>software>Microsoft>WindowsNT>CurrentV
rsion>ProfileList in there you will find a profile that will have something like $systemdrive$\Documents and Settings\user.001 under profileimagepath. remove the .001 or whatever it will connect the users ID to the old profile.

 

[Tsaico]

Also, I had a client one time with a Lenovo workstation, and I had installed some misc. then suddenly they called telling me their enite machine was just empty. It sounded like they had a blanked profile or something at first. When I got to boots on the ground, it turned out they somehow enabled the restore function, then the machine booted off the restore partition and the user didn't know what they were doing adn ended up restoring the machine back to how it shipped.

Don't know if that is your problem, but it might have nothing to do with anything you did. Good luck though.

 

[hanoverphist]

Originally posted by: Squisher
Dollar to a donut that the only thing gone are the desktop icons.

i agree.

 

[hiromizu]

Tell her that you will call the backup software manufacturer's support line to open a case and that you're on it already - which couldn't be done if she didn't buy the support contract - which she did of course right?

Take her side and blame it on them and take your time fixing the issue with the manufacturer - all while billing your client. If she still gives you a hard time, tell her she had several options to choose from when you made the initial recommendations and remind her that she picked the cheapest one knowing very well the risks - so the initial perceived savings is now costing her on the back end.

Her choice, her problem.

No problem.

 

[BZeto]

It will not let me rename or delete the current new profile, even if i'm logged in as another administrator user...

I will try the registry thing perhaps.