More Dead

[bobquasit]

Things are looking even worse for the computer. I tried switching the boot order so that the CD-ROMs went first (and then the floppy, just in case). Unfortunately the computer still wasn't able to read from either CD-ROM.

So I switched the boot order back to the original setup (I'd written it down before changing it). But when I tried to start up again, something went very wrong indeed. Instead of booting up from the boot floppy, or even getting a failure message, all that it could do was finish the memory test and then go into a never-ending mechanical hiccough noise and freeze. No matter what, that's all that happens.

I don't think that the C drive is dead, but something is terribly wrong with the system. Some friends of mine are going to take the system and see what they can do with it, but I fear that the system is irrepairably damaged.

I really can't tell you how bad it is not to have a computer. It's actually giving me symptoms of depression, I think! Whenever I think about the damned thing I just want to go to sleep. It's not a good situation.

If the computer can't be fixed than I may have to save up for six months or so, buy the cheapest, crappiest computer I can afford from PC's For Everyone, and see if they can install my old drives as slaves on the system. Maybe I can recover some of my data that way, although a lot of the programs may not be recoverable. I also have lost ALL my email, ALL my addresses, and basically anything that I've written but not posted in the past ten years.

No wonder I want to turn my brain off!

Comments

hmmm

[unquietsoul5.livejournal.com]

This sounds like something a lot worse than just some files deleted. Is it possible that the hard drive just happened to fail and the install had nothing to do with problems that are ensuing?

The mechanical noise definitely sounds more like a hard drive problem.

Joe

Pete Contact me

[unquietsoul5.livejournal.com]

If they don't solve the problem email me (mailto:joeteller@mindspring.com). Cindy has a desktop computer (Win98) that she says you can have if you can make arrangements to pick it up from our place. It runs, but has been in storage for a while, and the graphics card is slightly flaky (nothing critical to basic function). You can probably use it to get your hard drive data off the old machine and piece something decent together between them.

Joe

Re: Pete Contact me

[bobquasit.livejournal.com]

Joe,

Thank you very much! Actually we have an old Win 98SE computer that used to be Teri's, and come to think of it my old PC still has some parts that work, too. So one way or another I suspect that the guys will be able to get things working, at least sort of. The problem is that no matter what I'll probably lose a lot of stuff, unless they somehow manage to smoothly reinstall Windows on the old C drive. Which is unlikely.

I have to admit that if I could POSSIBLY afford it, I would be strongly tempted to get a clean new machine and go the slave drives route. Unfortunately for the first time ever we are probably not getting a tax refund this year. We may even owe money. I'm not at all sure about my yearly bonus, either. Thank you, George W. Bush!

Re: Pete Contact me

[unquietsoul5.livejournal.com]

Well if you need it let me know and you can get it when ever you can arrange transport. Kiralee and I are going to be away for part of March (5th thru 15th) as we'll be in Seattle WA, but Cindy will be around.

If it turns out you don't need it, that's fine too, I just figured it might be useful since it is functional and relatively usable. I generally don't toss computers, except when they become horribly broken (though I occasionally give away older gear that I'm not using). Cindy has a tendency to get new machines whenever she finds something she wants to run software-wise, or needs to run for her job, and can't run on her current gear (or upgrade it to run on).

My laptop, by the way, is back from Chicago, in case you didn't see my LJ post, and I'm playing catchup on stuff.

Joe

[charibdis.livejournal.com]

Sometimes email is recoverable, depending on the program used. The key is to install the email program somewhere else and after you're done copy the address book files and mailbox and attachment files to the right places (from the right places). I know it works with Eudora.