Cloggs and Bloggs

From time to time I get into fixing my friends computers. (Not that I am a computer expert, I am just foolish enough to tear into someone else's computer.) Usually it is after they have completely given up on the system, and were going to take it to a shop, or have already taken it to a shop and they have given up. At that time my friend(s) feel they have nothing to loose. (I often wonder if they secretly hope I cannot do anything so they can justify the purchase of a new system.) Anyway, I enjoy fooling around with the computers. I guess some folks like to work on crossword puzzles, I like to tinker around on hopeless computers. I have actually saved a few here and there.
My favorite experience, was a friend's wife worked at home for a big company. Her hard drive had crashed. Of couse she didn't have one bit of it backed up. She took it to a hardware specialist and they declaired it hopeless. Gary asked if I thought I could do anything. I figured what did they have to loose? So I fooled around with it for about 2 weeks, and was able to capture all the data. They were shocked, and it saved her months of time re-entering the information. I hope she learned to back up her data, but knowing human nature.......