[Smush]

I'm really panicing about this, I had just installed Windows XP on parallels and was playing around with it, when I came to close it a grey screen slid over everything saying i needed to restart, didn't think anything of it.

Now everything has gone all my work, music, pictures etc. Also all my settings have been returned back to when I first bought it in februrary, mouse speed, desktop background, dock etc. It still has my user account and all of my programs are still there, i'm thinking it has just reset my account?

Is there anything I can do to get everthing back? I'm most worried about my music about 200 tracks bought off of itunes (not backed up, I know dumb )

I have a 20" iMac Core Duo

I moved from Windows to get away from stuff like this

(posting from my trusty Windows laptop )

Any help would be appreciated thanks

P.S. is there some kind of System Restore like in windows that could take me back to yesterday or something?

[eddiecatflap]

if you moved from windows why install it on your mac ?

[harrisjamieh]

Originally Posted by Smush

Is there anything I can do to get everthing back? I'm most worried about my music about 200 tracks bought off of itunes (not backed up, I know dumb )

IIRC, your iTunes music can be re-downloaded for free, onto up to 5 computers

[Smush]

Originally Posted by eddiecatflap

if you moved from windows why install it on your mac ?

Because certain games I play with friends do not work on OS X

[Smush]

Originally Posted by harrisjamieh

IIRC, your iTunes music can be re-downloaded for free, onto up to 5 computers

Really? Have I got to find each track and download it again?

Also i'm having problems with things like Safari, it'll load and then say it cant save bookmarks??

[harrisjamieh]

Originally Posted by Smush

Really? Have I got to find each track and download it again?

I don't know how it works, but im pretty sure it does - try going into ITMS and logging in with your account. Or just do some research...

Originally Posted by Smush

Because certain games I play with friends do not work on OS X

Why would you use parallels VM to play games? It doesn't have hardware support for graphics, hence abyismal games performance.

[Smush]

I thought it might be ok with Counter-Strike.

Do you know of any ways to get everything back? like any utilities that can restore deleted files

[Smush]

Originally Posted by harrisjamieh

I don't know how it works, but im pretty sure it does - try going into ITMS and logging in with your account. Or just do some research...

Just tried opening iTunes and it says,

"The Folder 'iTunes' cannot be found or created, and is required. The default location for this folder is inside the 'Music' folder."

[ApeInTheShell]

This link is from the Apple forums discussion and might help you out:
http://discussions.apple.com/message...=797432#797432
This link directs you to the Apple iTunes Music Store Backup site:
http://www.apple.com/support/itunes/musicstore/backup/

There are third part tools on
http://www.versiontracker.com that allow you to extract purchased music from your iPod and one of them is described in Apple forum discussion board.
You can alternatively reach the discussion board by going to http://www.apple.com/support
and choosing the application/hardware you are having difficulty with and then select the forums on the right side of the screen.

[uicandrew]

Originally Posted by harrisjamieh

IIRC, your iTunes music can be re-downloaded for free, onto up to 5 computers

this is completely wrong. you can download them only once! but once you downloaded them, you can copy your itunes purchased music/videos on an unlimited number of pcs/macs but you can only authorize 5 machines at a time to play them. If you have to "de-authorize" one before authorizing a 6th. Also, if you voluntarily format your harddrive, make sure to deauthorize before you format. If you lose the files, you lose the files.

that is why itunes ocassionally pops up a message to remind users to backup their music.

[harrisjamieh]

Originally Posted by uicandrew

this is completely wrong. you can download them only once! but once you downloaded them, you can copy your itunes purchased music/videos on an unlimited number of pcs/macs but you can only authorize 5 machines at a time to play them. If you have to "de-authorize" one before authorizing a 6th. Also, if you voluntarily format your harddrive, make sure to deauthorize before you format. If you lose the files, you lose the files.

that is why itunes ocassionally pops up a message to remind users to backup their music.

Apologies for getting it wrong. Hence the 'IIRC' - obviously I did not remember correctly

[Smush]

Thanks for all of your help , it fixed itself somehow.

I tried reinstalling OS X but it failed, so i restarted and it had put all of my files in a lost+found folder somehow :S, then booting it up in safe mode somehow restored all of my settings and dock items no idea why it fixed itself.

[Jasoco]

You'd better consider yourself lucky. BACK UP EVERYTHING!

It took 10 years for me to learn this lesson.