This isn’t what I planned to write my blog about, but circumstances changed everything. I always said I wouldn't say anything negative in my blog, but -- I hate Word. I hate Word. I hate Word. I just lost my whole days work because of the stupid program. I have always used WordPerfect from my first computer in the 80s. I am only using Word now because of that is what the copy edited version of A Stitch in Crime came to me in. It is the downside of electronic editing.
In WordPerfect, if you hit save, the very top line will show the trail of drive, folders and file you are in and then say unmodified. So you know for sure you’ve saved it. Word doesn’t do that. If you hit save, it makes some stupid lines that disappear. And yes, it tells you the name of the file you are in, but by not giving the complete location such as the tree of directory names and the drive it’s on, it can get very confusing. As in if you have a copy on your C drive and a back up copy with the same name, you can’t tell which one is open.
My copy edit is due next Thursday. I went through fifty pages today. Somehow in the process of saving it and then using save as to save to my backup copy, everything got confused. All I know is, both copies don’t have my work from today. I would like to scream. I would scream, but as soon as I finish this, I’m going back to try to go through the same pages while it is fresh in my mind.
On a positive note. Last week I mentioned wanting a dress form to use as a model for my crochet projects. Linda from the knit and crochet group I belong to emailed me and offered me “Gloria,” a dress form living in her closet. Gloria has moved to my house and is standing with her hip cocked waiting to take on her new job as crochet model. Thank you, Linda.
I had to add this. I couldn't go to sleep until I went back over the pages. The changes were fresh in my mind and I didn't have to read every word the way I did the first time. It took a lot less time the second time around. This time I gave the back up file a new name so there will hopefully be no more confusion. But I still don't like Word.
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9 comments:
It's still out there somewhere on your computer. Do a search function. Look for all files with the file name. If that does not find it then do a search on specific words in the text that are unique to the document you were working on. The computer will show you all the files that have that text in it. You can tell the computer to limit the search to the particular file type to make it faster.
Thank you Karin, but by the time I read your comment, I'd already redone the work. I am going to look through my computer, though and see if I can find those files.
I hate Word, too, But everyone seems to use it. Fortunately, WordPefect 9 allows you to save as a Word .doc, so when a day-job client asks to see a draft of a document, it's only a minor pain to re-save it.
Editors, on the other hand still use that bloated, clunky, antiquated piece of MS crapola exclusively. It's a drag.
Oh, no. I'm glad it wasn't too tough to re-do.
Hope the sight of Gloria makes you laugh!
JD, my version of WordPerfect will open in Word mode, but it doesn't work with the track changes editing stuff.
Terri, The redo wasn't as bad as I expected. It helped that I remembered most of the copy editors changes that I wanted to undo. Gloria does make me smile. I haven't found her a final spot to hang out, so for right now she's standing by the front door as a greeter.
I love the idea of a dress form greeter!
Betty,
MS Word along with a great many other computer programs saves files to a default folder. That is where your missing files are. You just don't know where that default folder is located. If you don't specify to the program what you want to be the default folder it will use a standard one the programer chose when he wrote the software. Open the Word help function, type in "default folder" and then follow the instructions to make that darned program put the files where you want them to be.
On my computer it wants to save them to "My Documents" in no specific sub folder as I have never changed the default location. That is probably the same place your missing document is lurking.
Thank you again, Karin. I will check that out.
You can set up your file to show the filename and path in the header (or footer). Go to View, Header and Footer. A little toolbar box should pop up. Click on "Insert Auto Text". Filename and path is an option.
You can also set up your file to automatically save a backup. That is in Tools, Options. Click on the "Save" tab, and you will see that as one of the options.
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