Disastrous computer crash consequences.

MINKYCATS · September 21, 2019, 12:06:10 PM

Hi folks,

A plea for some help please.

My computer was running Windows 7 Home Premium. It crashed and I have had to try and reinstall the Operating System.

This has left me with a very basic set of programmes and functionality.

I have managed to reinstall YEM but there are no packs there and I don't know how to get them back. I also had the TTT Theatre Organ pack and don't know how to put that back - I do have the original USB stick with them on.

Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks in anticipation.

Please keep it as simple as possible. I'm a 79 year old ignoramus in these matters.

Trevor (MINKYCATS)

Stijn · September 22, 2019, 03:39:12 AM

Hi Trevor,

I will try to help, but there are some things to sort out.

What do you mean with 'I do have the original USB stick with them on' ?
Does the stick contain the original packs that you downloaded from the Yamaha site, or the pack installation created by YEM?
If it's the latter, then the stick can only be used to install the packs on your Genos. It can not be used to recover the YEM status.

Anyway, you can download all your packs again from this Yamaha site: https://eu.yamahamusicsoft.com/
You will have to Log In with your account and open the page 'My Library' where you will find all your packs.
If you don't know the password, follow the link 'Forgot your password?' to create a new password.

Once downloaded, your packs can be set up in YEM as before.
Let us know when you downloaded your packs so we can help you in setting up the packs in YEM.

Regards,
Stijn

MINKYCATS · September 22, 2019, 03:47:37 AM

Hi Stijn,

Thanks for your reply it a has already pointed me in the right direction to download my packs again.

The USB stick I am referring to is the one I purchased from Reg Rawlings with the TTT sounds on. There is nothing else on that stick so cannot be used to recover YEM status as you point out.

I'll try and download the packs and be in touch later.

Very grateful for your advice.

Trevor (MINKYCATS)

JohnS (Ugawoga) · September 22, 2019, 06:28:25 AM

Hi

Once you are up and running again make sure you do a system image of your drive.
If you do this there will be no more heartaches.
Windows has a system image backup facility.
You would have to learn how to make one and then recover. Whilst you may not have a lot on your drive ,it may be best to learn now .
it takes a little while to figure it out but you will get there.
It is not that difficult, but i have windows 10 and i am not sure Windows 7 has the same routing.
Once you are succsessful at doing this ,you will not have to go through all that pain again.
Just reload the image you took as it contains your Windows operating system and all files and programs. The lot.
If there is someone who you know around where you live, that is good at computers , they could help immensely.

All the Best
John

MINKYCATS · September 22, 2019, 06:45:56 AM

Hi Jo :)hn,

Thanks for that info. Unfortunately it was not as simple as I had hoped. I went through the Recovery Process creating 19 back up dvd's in the process BUT when I finished restoring the OS reverted to Vista. This was all as a result of a fake Facebook page which was used to hack my computer. Long story - believe me.

Fortunately I found the Window 7 Home Premium Disc which came with the computer and was able to reinstall Windows 7.

I can see the System Image but don't really know how to use it.

I have followed Stijn's advice and now have Expansion Manager reinstalled and have downloaded the Packs I had before and installed them successfully on Genos using the wireless pack transfer process.

So getting there slowly. Only remains to sort out the TTT files now.

I have also bought a new Windows 10 computer and so will probably have to do the same with that. I suspect that transferring the files I want from the old computer to this new one will also be a nightmare but I shall persevere.

Your post is very useful and I am most grateful for your input.

Trevor (MINKYCATS)

MINKYCATS · September 22, 2019, 06:50:30 AM

Hi Stijn,

Thank you so much for helping me to get my packs back into Genos. Using your instructions, I was able to download them and reinstalled them successfully on Genos using the Wireless transfer facility.

Only remains to sort out the TTT files on the USB stick now.

Trevor (MINKYCATS)

JohnS (Ugawoga) · September 22, 2019, 07:30:49 AM

Hi Trevor

No need for 19 dvd's for backup
You need a terrabyte or 500gig usb drive and then you can image in one go

In your case i would get a new computer built for music and go Windows 10 and back all up to separate Terrabyte usb drive.
a great new computer would set you back £1800 and £70 to £100 for a decent Usb drive for backup. Because i have also VST's i had 32 gig ram put in for future proofing. Vst's are now VST3 and getting more power hungry,but all the better for quality
I live in Uk and ordered a new Pc from PC Specialists which bulit me a great machine.
Gone are the days of a slower machine and Windows 7
If you do not smoke and like me at 68 nearly 69 , go for it as time is getting shorter and we will be 80 before we know it.

that is if we can remember!!

$:-\$

All the best
John

tyrosaurus · September 22, 2019, 07:48:35 AM

Hi Trevor,

If the TTT files that you still have are the originals as supplied by TTT, rather than a PPI that you made from YEM, then they will be a series of UVN voice files plus a UVI library file. There may also be registration banks and Multi Pad files. You can easily check the contents of the USB on your computer to see what it contains, but make sure that the OS is not set to hide file extensions!

If you have still got the original TTT files, then you can simply import the UVI into YEM (use 'Create Pack') and this will automatically import the UVN voice files and set their program change numbers correctly.

However the LSB of the pack may well be different from what it was when it was previously in YEM, so any existing registrations that you may still have that use these voices, may not work correctly.

However if there are any registrations on the original TTT pack USB, they will be imported into YEM and the program should modify them to use the new LSB that YEM has assigned to the voices. These can be included along with the voices in a PPI and will then be installed in the 'Expansion' folder on your keyboard when you install the PPI on it.

So you will probably have to use use the regs. that get installed in the 'Expansion' folder rather than any existing ones or ones that you have copied directly into the keyboard from the TTT USB.

The same applies to any Multi Pads on the original TTT USB.

Regards

Ian

MINKYCATS · September 22, 2019, 08:15:03 AM

Hi John,

You are right of course, I am 79 now and will be 80 next year. It's one of the reasons I bought the Genos.

I'm also in UK in Walsall just a bit North of Birmingham.

I still prefer the organ to the keyboard and would love a modern Wersi or Lowrey but space and funds are a limiting factor. My AR100 is still a fantastic organ and I think some of the technology has been passed on to the Tyros and Genos. No external amps or speakers make it attractive to me.

I played at Darlaston Regal Bingo Hall at weekends for about 20 years on a Hammond C3 and miss those times.

Only play at home now.

I bought a 1 TB windows 10 PC from Aldi last week when mine started playing up so that will be my new project for a time. Only £479. - seemed a bargain but that could have been hasty and unwise.

Good idea to back up from USB 1 Tb drive - thanks for tip.

Trevor (MINKYCATS)

MINKYCATS · September 22, 2019, 08:20:37 AM

Hi Ian,

Thanks for the advice on the USB stick with the TTT sounds on it.

I shall follow your advice and try to get it all up and running again. Used to work great on Tyros 5 and Genos before.

Trevor (MINKYCATS)

JohnS (Ugawoga) · September 22, 2019, 08:48:15 AM

Hi Trevor

Nearly 80, I have eleven years to go and that will seem like a blink of an eye.
If i were 80 now, I would just go for what you have the Genos and enjoy it.
I have been learning Cubase, so i have to keep chugging on.
Hope you get up and running soon.
I will be up to Walsall in the year ahead as Swindon Town will be away!
I think Noddy Holder (Slade) supports Walsall!!

All the best
John

Stijn · September 22, 2019, 01:22:50 PM

Hello Trevor,

If you're not going to use your old computer anymore, I would advise to get the Hard Drive out of it and install it into your new computer to be used as a data drive.

I have always saved my data on a different drive then the one with the Windows operating system on it (i.e. a physical drive, not a partition on the primary hard disk).
That way, if there is a serious crash, no harm is done to the data and nothing will be lost. Just reinstall Windows on the system drive and continue working.
Of course, don't forget to make a backup of ALL your important files to an external drive like a USB stick or portable hard disk, even when using a data drive (that too will fail, eventually...)

Stijn

Joe H · September 22, 2019, 11:33:45 PM

Trevor,

Did you see this thread? It holds the answer to your original question. It's a solution for the future (if it happens again).

https://www.psrtutorial.com/forum/index.php/topic,44596.msg351040.html#msg351040

Joe H

Joe H · September 22, 2019, 11:48:14 PM

I've attached the YEM backup instructions as a pdf. I just copied the folder name Expansion Manager (it has several folders inside of it) to my USB backup hard drive. It's about 2.6GB in size. (over 23,000 files) I have a lot of packs loaded into YEM.

If you use custom Image files for you custom packs like I do then you will need to copy those folders too.

Example: D:\Documents\PSR S970\Pack Images

Joe H

[attachment deleted by admin]

MINKYCATS · September 23, 2019, 01:33:35 AM

Hi John,

Thanks for your thoughts on keeping Genos - I am almost there now thanks to advice from yourself and others here.

Noddy Holder is a Walsall supporter- I hope it won't spoil your day too much if Swindon are heavily defeated. Hope you enjoy the game whoever wins.

Keep chugging on John and may you be blessed with good health to enjoy everything you do.

Kind regards

Trevor (MINKYCATS)

MINKYCATS · September 23, 2019, 01:40:23 AM

Hi Stijn,

Thanks for your advice on using the hard drive from the old computer. It seems a very good idea.

However it is not a task that I would find easy to do. Maybe I could put it in an external enclosure and use it as an external drive though.

You have helped me a lot and I am very grateful.

Trevor (MINKYCATS)

MINKYCATS · September 23, 2019, 01:46:04 AM

Hi Joe H,

Thanks for your help and advice and your pdf on YEM backup instructions.

Gradually all is now coming together and I'll soon be fully sorted. Couldn't have done it without the help of you guys on this Forum.

Trevor (MINKYCATS)

MINKYCATS · September 24, 2019, 03:59:59 AM

Hi everyone,

Just to let you know that the final piece has now been put in the puzzle and the TTT Wurlitzer sounds on the USB stick are installed on the Genos and working perfectly.

A tech savvy mate sorted it for me yesterday.

But the honours must go to all the kind people here who helped me with their advice and recommendations i.e. Stijn, John (ugawoga), Ian (tyrosaurus), and Joe H. You set me off on the right track.

Grateful thanks to all.

Trevor (MINKYCATS)

JohnS (Ugawoga) · September 24, 2019, 04:28:17 AM

Hi Trevor
Hope all goes well now for you now
Really consider backing up your computer with a system image

All the Best
John

valimaties · September 24, 2019, 04:01:23 PM

I have used my YEM Content Explorer software and made a backup of user data.

I have reinstalled my Windows system because I had problems with my motherboard. Guess what?! That backup saved my life. I have 17 packs installed in my Genos (YEM, of course, also). To know the exactly LSB for each pack is hard to remember, even if I load pack by pack again. So the back-up saved me. I have replaced the Expansion Manager Folder from User's folder with that from my archive file and when I started Yamaha Expansion Manager all things where there

A new version will come, with new features, so stay in touch

Regards,
Vali

Joe H · September 24, 2019, 06:42:17 PM

Vali,

What version of your software can do that? I have v1.0.1 and don't see an option for YEM backup.

Joe H

MINKYCATS · September 25, 2019, 03:47:41 AM

Hi John (ugawoga),

Thanks for the reminder about the System Image.

There is a System Image showing up now so I'll get my friend to create a backup for me.

Trevor (MINKYCATS)

valimaties · October 31, 2019, 05:42:42 PM

Quote from: Joe H on September 24, 2019, 06:42:17 PM
Vali,

What version of your software can do that? I have v1.0.1 and don't see an option for YEM backup.

Joe H

The last version is 1.0.3, Joe

And it will come the translated one in .Net with automatically update function and (maybe soon) wav sample export and voice parameter show(/edit)... I still work on it, I have found the way to export Linear-16 wave files, but I have to make the UI, and it is a long process creating classes and putting there in form, in a professional way. I have wrote already on my YEM CE page that it will be a new soft which will do those things, did you not see it?

YEMCE (VFP) with Backup option

Regards,
Vali