It's Almost Like New

So how long does it take to determine you have something really wrong with your computer?

A couple weeks before Christmas, I started having issues where my computer became very slow and started flipping back and forth between open applications.  Going off of John's issues, i thought it might be my power supply because I had some loose wires.  I finally ordered a replacement power supply (twice because the first one as a generic ended up not being able to supply enough power).

The new power supply works great, but I still had the problems.  So I did the last option as a PC owner.

I reformatted and re-installed windows.

I've been doing that since New Year's day, and I've almost got everything back to the way that I wanted it.

It certainly does help you clean out the programs you don't use anymore.

Computer Learning Curve

So Wednesday night, I was doing some basic computer maintenance updating my drivers.  I installed one update that didn't work, and then did a second one that required a reboot.

And my laptop hung on the reboot, and I got an error message asking for a start-up repair disc.  I will now be keeping one in the laptop bag, because I did not have one.  I had to wait until I got home this weekend to create a disc from Jennifer's computer (I couldn't find one I had created previously).  The repair disc wasn't able to perform the repair, and my only option was to reformat and reinstall.

The bad news is that I haven’t been able to do a backup lately.  Things just haven’t been working well.  So I was a little troubled.

I borrowed Jennifer’s computer, and dove into finding a Linux boot CD/DVD with a file system program so that I could move my documents to a jump drive.  I got better than I had hoped for with Knoppix.  It had a pretty easy to use GUI, and got me connected to my wireless network.  I was able to move my user files to my NAS, and then do the reformat and reinstall thing.

My spare time this week is going to be getting rid of the junkware that came with the computer originally, and getting all of my settings back the way I liked them.

But the point is, I have all of my files to do that.

Achievement

Today I managed to evaluate a piece of software that I have been wanting to try out.

I will admit it was not through the best of means, but I had compare the listed system requirements of said software, and it had appeared that my computer did not measure up.

I did not want to spend the money for this software if it would turn out that my computer could not run it.

But through perseverance, I found that it in fact does a pretty good job of the whole thing.

I think in a couple weeks I will treat myself to this software.

Bit by Bit, Byte by Byte

Wednesday morning, my computer at work began to act really screwy. It started with stating that the graphics driver had a problem, and that I would need to re-boot. Then over the next couple of hours it started randomly rebooting.

After lunch, it decided that it didn't like Word anymore, and just began forcing it to shutdown. Our IT guy was able to help me out then. He blew dust out of the insides (4 years worth), and it still rebooted. He said he thought the OS had become corrupted, so I grabbed (almost) all of the files I needed, and made the decision to work from home on Thursday.

The working from home went pretty well. Pom wasn't happy with me being home, and yet ignoring her, but she only bugged me a few times in between her naps. And at the end of the day, IT told me that the computer was all set for me. Apparently one of the RAM chips had gone bad, but that everything else was fine. Of course this was after he had scrubbed the hard drive clean and started fresh.

Today was filled with more work interspersed with getting old favorites re-installed on the computer.

And this coming weekend will be a time of cleaning house.

On a roll

So I got things all squared away, and Sunday I moved my computer back into the office. I decided to be a good boy (since there'd been all kinds of links the previous week for keeping the workspace organized) and use the spool of cable keeper we'd bought over a year ago.

So armed with cable ties or varying lengths and the cable keeper, I reassembled the computer. Soon I was done and very happy with the look. Happy enough that I wish I had a before picture for comparison. It's still not great; I really should get one longer power strip. The problem is the number of converters I have to plug in.

The late Douglas Adams had a brief musing about these which he called "Dongly Things". If you haven't read it (and you should), buy The Salmon of Doubt and read it.

But then I discovered, that I couldn't see my external drive. Instead it was telling me that the printer was an external storage device. Finally, after replugging the drive in the USB slot a few more times it appeared. However, it was showing as H: instead of E:. Who knew that the USB slots kept up some sort of memory? Okay, if you did, good for you. I didn't.

So I unplugged all the USBs and plugged the drive into its old slot. It still showed as H:, so I went in and forced it to be E:. All better.

I think next post I may have to explain the following embarrassing assertion: Saturday, five other men and I played a pen and paper roleplaying game for about 10 hours.

Take 2

So an old friend over at http://medicineballs.blogspot.com/ has moved her blog, and so I thought I should try this again. ... Like I need one more thing to distract me from work.

So why don't I start out with my Thursday and Friday from last week:

So the full story for the day (nearly a full 24 hours):

Thursday at about 4:00, Jennifer called me at work to say that she was vacuuming and the circuit breaker had tripped, and would not reset. I told her to unplug everything, and turn off all of the lights, and try again. Nothing.

This one circuit breaker controls: the hallway plug (where the vacuum was plugged in) but not the hallway lights, the lights and fans in the bathrooms but not the plugs which are on the GFCI breaker, the master bedroom, and the office.

I came home and made sure everything had been unplugged, and still it wouldn't reset. I called out landlady Judy and told her about it. I gave her the number for 4 emergency service electricians, the first 4 in the yellow pages (they have a half page ad each).

Being the techno person I am, I need my computer, so I disassemble it from the office, and move it onto the dining room table. That took forty minutes.

I go on to make dinner, and around 7:30 there's a knock at the door. It's the electrician who is on the phone with Judy. He hands the phone to me and she says, "They didn't call you did they?" I told her no, and we worked out the details of approval. He came in and looked at the breaker board, and how much of the house was out of power. Then he wrote up a form, said he could be here at 8:00 Friday morning, got my cell phone number, and left to have his dispatch call Judy.

About 8:30 Judy called me and said that to diagnose the problem (the estimate was free) would be $700. Judy said that was outrageous, wasn't going to pay it, and that she would try to find someone Friday. I tell her all I need is 10 minutes notice, and I can meet the electrician she chooses at the house.

I go on to set three alarms (two alarm clocks and the cell phone) because I don't know if the plug-in alarms will go off with only battery power. This ends up being a waste of time because I am unable to get to sleep before 1:00 AM, sleep lightly not trusting the alarms and lacking the right lights in the room, and wake up half an hour before the alarms are supposed to go off anyway.

I go in to work, and wait for a call from either Judy or the electrician.

At 11:00 AM, I call Judy, and ask if perhaps the electrician had not called me, arrived, and left complaining. She said she had left a message with one, but had not heard back yet. I decide I will go home for lunch so that I'm not interrupted at wherever I decide to eat.

At 12:30 I still have not heard from Judy, so I call again. She says she has left other messages with this new electrician. It is one that her realtor friend has recommended to her. She gives me the name and I start calling him, and leaving messages.

A little before 2:00 I call Judy to tell her how nothing is happening. She suggests finding someone myself, perhaps asking for a recommendation from people at work or the complex. I call Jennifer and ask her for advice, and then I remember that my parents have just had their place remodeled and raved about the contractor and electrician that redid the downstairs.

So I call Dad. Dad gives me the contractor's number, and I call Carlos Duque. I get his wife, and she gives me his cell phone number; I call the cell phone, introduce myself, give him my relation to Marty and Janet Appel, and he says that he will call his electrician right away. Five minutes later he calls me back and says that his electrician will call me, and says that if Roberto does not call in 15 minutes to call him (Carlos) back. Five minutes later, Roberto calls me. He's in Pittsburg, and gets directions.

Roberto arrives about 3:00 PM. He's friendly, he tried the circuit breaker, he gets the tour of where the power is off, and the story of how it happened. The first thing he checks is the plug where the vacuum was plugged in. Nothing is wrong there. Then he tells me that this must be a special job because when Carlos called him he said that he had a quick job for him to do and that Roberto had to do, and could not say no. Roberto was going to ask why, but Carlos just told him to do it, and hung up. I told him how I had gotten Carlos' number, and he remembered the work at my parents' house and said how nice it had turned out. And that he could understand why Carlos was so insistent on this job getting done quickly. Then we went out to the breaker board.

He says, "That whole section is controlled by one breaker?" I say yes. He says, "But look here; it's only a 15 amp breaker." He takes the old circuit breaker out and says he'll check his truck for another one. He does, and as he's installing it he checks the gauge of the wire, and says that if it had been bigger than 14 gauge he could have put in a 20 amp breaker, but that he really can't with the size of the wire. He puts in the new breaker, flips it over, and it stays. We go inside and all the lights work. I ask him what I owe him, and he says $60 including the cost of the new breaker.

Now for strange and mysterious reasons, I only have a $100 bill and we're out of checks (of course), so I ask him if he has $40 in change. He says no, but that I can just mail him the money. I offer to go break it at the bank, but he says not to worry. I then sheepishly ask him for an invoice to give to Judy so that we have proof to deduct the cost from our rent. He says he doesn't have it on him but will come back and give me one then. I say I'll run to the bank, and meet him here when he gets back, he says that I misunderstood him, he'll come back Saturday and drop off the invoice. Then he tells me that I don't need to wait around for him, if I'm not home, he'll leave it and I can still mail the money to him. He packs up and leaves. It is now 3:20 PM. Judy calls to ask how it's going, I tell her and she is thrilled with it being done and only costing $60.

Should any of you in the San Francisco Bay Area need a contractor or an electrician, e-mail me for Carlos' and/or Roberto's number.

Now I have to not feel bad because Roberto left his flashlight here. I'll give it to him tomorrow with his money.