I am desperate for your help, my music-my life is possibly erased. Help, please.

To Everyone and anyone who can possibly help me:

I am so frustrated, I can't find all of my music cd's that I burnt on to my Computer. If anybody can help please, write me. I will describe my computer and program that holds the music. Hopefully this will help. I don't know much about computers. I have a Sony Vaio Lab top. Windows XP. Sonic Stage is where I had all my music stored. All my songs are gone. The ones that are left do not play. When I hit to play them I get a pop up. It says: Cannot find the copyright information for the selected song(s). I had never had a problem like this before. We did take my computer to get fixed I don't know exactly what was fixed. But the guy said he would not delete my music. I made sure that I wanted all my music there. Is it possible that it is there and that I just need to activate something or open a different file? We took the computer in because I was trying to install the internet and was shutting down, I couldn't complete the installation process before we took it in to get fixed. I think he took out my A drive and put a new one in, the 3 1/2 floppy drive. This really bites. I want all my music back. I've invested so much time into my music and I can't find it or listen to any of it. Music means so much to me. I never downloaded music from the internet, I just burnt all my Cd's on to Sony's Sonic Stage. Please someone out there that thinks they can help me, help me. It would mean so much to me.

Thank you Jean.

At the risk of being pedantic - you can't burn CD's onto a PC - t'other way round - so maybe they're on a shelf somewhere? .... sorry couldn't help myself.

Serious head on:

Firstly - If your music collection means so much then let this be a lesson on the value of backing your data up - nothing lasts forever - PC's doubly so.

First the good news - I don't think you have lost your music - but do not create any more files on your PC until I get back to you OK. i'LL BE ABOUT 15 MINUTES

Right I need to know your Notebooks model number:
Start > All Programs > VAIO > Utilities > Sony Notebook Setup

Look at a line something like Model name:

Give me that.


On line VIAO support:
http://www.css.ap.sony.com/vaio/

What version of Sonic Stage are you running?

Sonic stage appears to store files with the extension .wmt and .wav. Do a search <start><search><files and folders>
in the Search for files or folders type '.wmt' do you see your song titles coming up?

repeat search for '.wav'

If you do then we just need to sidetrack the software problem, which looks as if it may be due to altering the PC - possibly the Sonic software app thinks it is on a different PC now and therefore in conflict with its copyright instructions, which expressly forbid copying of music (which you haven't, but the OS or Sonic App maybe reckons you have, as the OS/app is now, as far as it is concerned, sat on a different PC)

Bear with me I'm typing aloud here

The drive that was fitted: can you verify it is:
PCGA-UFD5 if not what is it?

Oh man I hate these one-off machines

hang on a moment - can I clarify: Are you trying to play CD's that you previously burn't? or are you trying to find music on your PC?

Here's the restore procedure for backed up data (use at own risk). Note that first line btw. Maybe you should continue with your attempts to connect to the net first?

- Connection to the Internet for authentication purposes may be required.

1. Click Start, select All Programs, select SonicStage and then click SonicStage Backup Tools.
2. Select Restore the backup data on my computer and click Next twice.
3. Click Browse to select a specific folder and click Next.
- For restoration to a removable media, insert the media into drive first before specifying the folder .
4. Select the data for restoration and click Next.
5. Select the folder for restoration and click Next.
6. Click Yes.
7. When the Verification window appears, click Next.
- The window showing the execution of authentication via the Internet appears.
8. When Start Running Restore window appears, click Start.
9. When the Backup data is restored window appears, click OK.

I'm outta here!

You have my email addy (and the Internet has yours now) so if you have probs let me know.

PS I'd remove the post with your email addy in it - or ask a moderator to do it.

Hey it is Jean. How will my Model Number exactly help you? Sony Sonic Stage Digital Music Manager Version 1.2. I'm trying to find cd's that I previously burnt. I burnt the cd's that I had onto Sonic Stage.

Model number needed otherwise I don't know what model of the notebook to look for on the support site.

You mean you copied the CD's onto the notebook? Burning is when you copy data (music whatever) onto CD's.

I take it you don't have the original CD's now?

Have you done a search on your system for the .wmt and .wav files?

Please don't be coy with your information, the more info you give me the better the chance I have of helping you.

I don't suppose you registered the notebook on the sony site?

Also are you in the UK or USA or...?

btw - The time to stop giving information is when anyone asks for personal or confidential data. It's not a specific serial number of the notebook you have that I want, just the generic model number (Sony will have sold thousands of the model you have)