Backup drives can always fail. Alternate with another backup drive every other time and store the alternate drive at some other location (friends house, work, safety deposit box, or ????) This helps if something bad happens to your house such as fire, tornado or flood. You could rebuild from your offsite storage. Could also only have backup drive plugged in when doing the backup. Sorry about your loss.

Same thing happened to me . 11 years gone!!

Bummer! That is why I use carbonite. It is so worth the peace of mind at $5/month.

I've seen so many of these stories, I finally signed up for an online account to be the backup to my external drive. I'm with Idrive and they're running a special, $6.95 for the first year (cheaper than when I signed up. https://www.idrive.com/.

Many of your designs might be in your online accounts for some designers and you may still have the download links in emails from other designers so you can rebuild at least part of your missing collection. Freebies tend to come and go so you may have lost those unless you still have the links (or they are still posted on the webpage or FB group), but anything you paid for you should have a decent chance of getting again.

Good Luck, my dear!

Been there and It is NO fun! I think these computers are made to make our lives miserable in spurts! I will Pray for you and your designs! Hugs, Judy...

Oh no!!! This is horrible! I'm so sorry that you have lost your treasured designs. Getting a new computer isn't always a piece of cake either. Replacing your favorite programs will take time.

I always thought that backing up to an external drive would keep them safe. So, at least you taught me a lesson and I'll change how I save things. Where I live we rarely have lightning and I can't even remember when the last time it happened. But, I'm sure there are other things that might cause a problem with electronics like a power surge. Maybe I should unplug my sewing machine too.

So so sorry to hear this. Hope you can retrieve some from emails and places where you bought from.

I am so sorry for the lost of all your designs. I've been there & learned not to trust a backup system. I always have a folder for each month/year. Then I back that folder on a disc. I do have external hard drive, but worry about it happening as it happen to you. I have so many disc that's it's unreal, but safety in numbers.

I am sure you have thought of this, but in case.. Take the drive out of the old computer, get a hard drive adapter (I got one from Amazon), plug it in to the new computer, and try retrieving some or all of your files. Just a thought. Hugs, Cece

in case nothing works, I had an backup drive that did not work anymore after a power failure. But the computerrepairshop saved all my data that was on it and placed it on a new drive. So perhaps yours can be saved too.....good luck

So sorry, I feel your pain. My computer went wonky last night as I was backing things up and a bunch of stuff just disappeared. Not in the recycle bin, and I did a search and they were not found anywhere on the computer. Fortunately it was just a few items and most I was able to redownload. For me, just a tiny fraction of what you lost, but still aggravating. I sure hope one of the suggestions from these other ladies works to retrieve your lost designs.