Raving idiot

[msmemory_archive]

First they tell us that we don't have to back up our files if they're on the network, because the IS people will do that.

Then they blow up our Fileserver drive and announce that they're going to restore as of last Thursday. Mostly. And if there's a particular file we need urgently, to email the IS people. So I say, I need Z:\\Library\Projects.doc Oh, we didn't mean files at the root level, you should have that in a folder (what, Library isn't a folder?). We can restore all of \\Library\ but that'll take a long time because it's very big. Dolts, I knew that! The only thing I NEED and I NEED it hours ago, is a copy of projects.doc. Everything else in there is more than old enough not to be touched by the restore.

How long ago did you edit it last, asks the nitwit. Oh, around quittin' time yesterday, I sez. Oh, well, you'll probably need to redo Friday and Monday's work, but I'm sure you know what you've done. Y'know, this IS my master file - if I had to keep paper copy to document my edits it would take, well, about the whole file system of which this is the inventory document. I know I have been working in the 1400s and 1500s series for the last few days. Apparently, I need to pull the 1400s and 1500s and redo them all, in case I missed something. But I can't start on that for an hour or two, since they need to restore all the other folders in \\Library\, even the ones that are from last year.

I can't wait til the Nitwit's boss is back on site and I can plant myself in the door of his office til I get the USB hub he promised me last month so I can do my own g- d- backups.

Comments

[dsrtao]

What a poor excuse for a backup system. But mostly, what a poor excuse for a file server.

[jducoeur]

No, really -- based on everything I've heard over the years, the backup system is even worse than the file server. The best servers can't save you from totally braindead policies...

[its-just-me.livejournal.com]

This is why the emergency chocolate stash exists. Chocolate fixes everything.

[msmemory.livejournal.com]

Dark chocolate Dove bar.

[its-just-me.livejournal.com]

Make it two. I'm in need. : )

[metahacker.livejournal.com]

Ugh. Nothing like doing two days' work twice.

One fumble-finger later, I *always* back things up locally. Grr. Don't trust automated backups...one week someone forgot to change the tape (at an old job), and so it dutifully attempted to record Tues-Fri's data on the empty spool. (Evidently the tape drive also had a short, but "it hadn't ever been a problem *before*...")

[lisagw.livejournal.com]

Thumb drives are your friend. Though, if you need a USB hub, that might say to me (the not really a geeky person about computers) that you would have no where to plug it in without the USB hub....

[msmemory.livejournal.com]

I have two USB ports on the back (grrr) of this machine. One is for the mouse, the second had been for my thumb drive but is now occupied by my printer. The IS dude's competent boss had offered me a hub a few weeks ago, when the printer was delivered, but hasn't made good.

[metageek.livejournal.com]

Ask your boss if [s]he'll sign an expense report for a hub. You should be able to find one under $20 or so at retail.

[jducoeur]

*Hug*.

Seriously -- if they're in a capital-expenses mood, have them also give you a proper backup drive, like the one we have at home. There's no substitute for automated backups. Yes, it's a couple hundred bucks, but that's cheaper than you having to redo your work.

(And take as read the rant about the fact that my lackadaisical backups at home are still head and shoulders better than the system that the Nitwit has in place at your office...)