Last week, I had a break through getting the server going but had the last hurdle of getting the backup program I use to recognize the old catalog files. This is important because if I have to re-create the catalog files, it would be EXTREMELY time consuming. I’m talking a few days to rebuild the catalog. Once re-created, I could restore the data from tapes, again somewhat time consuming although not as much. I posted my problem in the support forum for Retrospect (the backup program) one evening and got the reply I needed the nextg morning from another user. That did the trick! I just needed to change the file type and creator then everything worked. I’ve been restoring files since Thursday and hope to have all the data back online by late Monday or Tuesday.

While I’m glad everything is working again and even did it cheaply, it was a HUGE pain in the rear to get to this point. In the past, when working with PC’s, spare parts were abundant. Everybody had a PC or an old one or two. Heck, I have probably 6 or 7 complete PC’s around. Apple stuff? Not so much. Even so, Apple’s aren’t built to be user servicable so it’s still not easy. That is one thing I can say about Apple’s - they are AWESOME when they are working as they should. If a hardware problem crops up, it’s rarely a quick or cheap fix.

UPDATE 10/14: After running flawlessly for several days, the server is once again acting up. GAH! I plan to order a new server tomorrow. Can’t keep screwin’ around with this one. I’ve got other work to be doing besides this.