Learning the hard way

[Krakovianka]

 

I have saved patterns on a memory card--especially the old Annie's Attic patterns which were only available for one day. But, on way too many occasions, I only saved a link to a pattern.

 

And that was a very, very bad plan. I was going through my links this weekend, and many of them are no longer available. I was able to recover some of them by going to the applicable home page if it was still there, but many of them are gone.

 

Note to self: save the patterns to memory card.

 

Second note to self: buy more memory cards.

[hhensler]

Oh, Karen...that's a bummer!

[TurtleLvr]

That stinks! Sorry you lost so many patterns.

 

[jeannej]

Yeowch! I'm sorry for your loss, Karen! I am going to take a lesson from you and start saving my patterns to a memory card as well, something I have been meaning to do for eons. Thank you!

[ratdog]

Our "Big Lots" (and probably other places too) has memory cards on sale as a "Back-to-School" item.

 

Also keep an eye on the back-to-school sales for 3-ring binders, page protectors, printer ink and the other stuff we crafters use.

[Krakovianka]

I used to just print out patterns that I wanted, but it creates so much paper mess that I started just saving the links. It was a bad idea--saving the patterns to my disk or memory card is much better. Thanks for the sympathy. I am frustrated by the number of bad links I have saved. Even for the ones that can be recovered because the site is still there, only reorganzied, the time and trouble is cumbersome. Mostly I'm just chalking it up to experience--live and learn. I'm not even sure in some cases what the original item was.

[wiz3283]

Oh Karen. I learned this the hard way a few years ago. I save the links to so many patterns that were on Hometown. Once they shut it down there went all those patterns.

[happy stitcher]

I copy the whole pattern (and the link) into a document and save it to a file on my computer. Then every 3 weeks I copy the file to a thumbdrive. (deleting the old file I had on there) That way the file is in the computer and I've got easy access, it's backed up to a thumbdrive regularly, and when I open a pattern that I got online, the link is there in case I need it. You're right - a lot of times the links no longer work, but if it does, and somebody wants the pattern, I can send them the link easily. I only save the link as a reference, because I've already copied and saved the whole pattern.

 

Now, when Annie's Attic had theirs, there was no reason to save the link. I knew it was only good for one day, anyway.

 

I hope that helps!

[cat3crazy]

I copy the whole pattern (and the link) into a document and save it to a file on my computer. Then every 3 weeks I copy the file to a thumbdrive. (deleting the old file I had on there) That way the file is in the computer and I've got easy access, it's backed up to a thumbdrive regularly, and when I open a pattern that I got online, the link is there in case I need it. You're right - a lot of times the links no longer work, but if it does, and somebody wants the pattern, I can send them the link easily. I only save the link as a reference, because I've already copied and saved the whole pattern.

 

Now, when Annie's Attic had theirs, there was no reason to save the link. I knew it was only good for one day, anyway.

 

I hope that helps!

 

This is pretty much how I do it too. But I'm not as good backing it up. Oh, I do back the files but not as often as I should.

[rshseaeagle]

Living through 3 laptop crashes taught me 3 well learned lessons. I used to print all the patterns out too but it was getting just way to cumbersome and expensive with all the ink and paper. After one complete filing cainet drawer full of patterns, I started copying the patterns that were in printable form only to word and saving on the computer. All others that are in pdf format are saved on the computer and then the whole shebang is backed up to thumb drives at least once a week.

 

I currently have 1 8 gig to back up all the files other than crocheting on the laptop and 1 4 gig for my crochet stuff. Well this weekend, I went beyond 4 gig on the patterns so I am watching for sales on another 8 gig.

 

I am sorry you lost so many of your links and the patterns. I lost all my links with the last crash which was about 2 years ago and I still don't have all of them back.

 

My sympathies and my heart goes out to you for such a disaster!

Hugs,

Toni

[dmandy]

I copy patterns to an email and send them to a gmail account I have just for patterns.

 

Donna marie

[Granny Square]

been there

[dobermama]

Oh, that's just not a good thing!!! to you! I think we've all done something similar at one time or another and can sympathize!!!!!