Crisis averted . . . Google & China to the rescue

For those of you who deal with computers every day, you know how important it is to back up your files. But what happens when the back up fails?
A 1TB external hard drive I use every day started to make a "clicking" noise and it immediately went to my computer guy to retrieve the files. Unfortunately, he had no luck getting the drive to run properly either. It looked like the only solution was to send the drive to one of those recovery places that charge a fortune ($800-$1,600) to extract the data.
However, a Google search gave the faint hope that perhaps it could be the power supply that was at fault, not the hard drive. It was easy to find a replacement power cord & converter, but not so easy to trust ordering it from China. The comparatively small $48 cost (duty included) was a powerful motivator, so I took the plunge.
Within a week, the power cord arrived by mail and I crossed my fingers and plugged everything back in. And voila, my external drive thankfully works again (I am madly copying all the files as I write this).
So the next time you have a computer failure, if your computer still can connect to the internet be sure to Google the problem. A solution may be out there just waiting to be found.
While I prefer to buy Canadian, there are just some instances where it is not possible.
(Have also ordered prescription glasses from China with excellent customer service - good quality & terrific price - who knew!)