Saturday 8th June 2024

Turned my laptop on this morning to find something called Bitlocker had been activated.

And to get round it you need a key, 48 digits that you should have already created.

I have been using Windows since 1994, and never heard of BitLocker, but is common on commercial networks to encrypt data.

There is no way round BitLocker, either you have the key, or don't. I didn't, and so the only option is to restore the laptop and lose all data.

I have a replacement now, but have spent four hours logging onto websites, changing passwords and downloading data.

I have lost a month's photos, and lots of personal files, and so a lesson learned.

Just about getting there, just need to get access to my blog now and I'll probably be happy.

Saturday.

After getting up and feeding the cats, I put on the laptop and it didn't look right, half the keys were lit, the other half not, and it kept trying to restart over and over again.

I then got the BitLocker screen, and using my work laptop and mobile I found what the heck BitLocker was, and what could be done.

I tried a few workrounds, but nothing worked, so the only solution was professional help, via the guy in Dover town centre.

We had breakfast, and drove down to London Street, I find a place to park and we go in. I mention BitLocker and the guy starts to shake his head.

Indeed, nothing could be done, the only solution is reformatting, and accepting losing all data. Its been in Windows for years, but no one really knows why its suddenly activating itself. This was the third he'd seen that week.

I have lost half of May's shots, all of March's, and lots of documents, including the orchid presentation I did earlier this week.

We bought a bog standard laptop as a backup, and let him reformat my old one, as its still quite powerful, and will pick it up next week.

We drove back, and after a brew I spent four hours trying to get access to my accounts all over the net, only failing with the Blogspot one.

Somehow the whole afternoon had gone, so we hightailed it over to Whitfield for an evening of curry and cards with Jen. Though no John as he was watching cricket.

Jen won both games of Meld, then dished up steaming bowls of curry and rice, which was very nice.

We had to be home by eight as the council are resurfacing the Deal road, and its closed all night, so we left my the light of the setting sun and the sliver of a red moon hung in the sky.