Sunday, July 23, 2006

#@!!^%F*!!! COMPUTER!!!

I've been having some serious computer issues over the past few days... Apparently, the recent heat that we've had up in my area was just too much for my poor old computer (that, plus the fact that I've been too lazy to simply open up the case and blow out the dust for over a year). I've spent most of my spare time in the past few days running diagnostics, resoldering the contacts on a hard-drive that was victimized by a defective IDE cable , and researching potential fixes/ascertaining whether or not said fixes are worth it.

One of the old hard-drives is starting to fail, my motherboard is half-fried and the computer will no longer run Windows XP (even on a clean install). For now, it is only accepting Win98SE with a bunch of sad and unstable work-arounds. Thus, I may not be able to update my blog on a frequent basis until I've obtained all the parts to build a new machine.

Current frustration aside, I really have no reason to bitch... for starters, I built this machine back in '99 or '00 out of a mish-mash of spare parts that I'd gotten as payment from folks who had me build new computer setups for them. Considering the abuse that it's taken from a tweaker/power-user such as myself... I've gotten far more than my initial investment out of it. Depending on how bad the motherboard is after further diagnosis... I may at least save the main unit and retire it to being a file-server or data backup machine. Here's hoping I don't have to send it to the recycling center...

3 comments:

CrackerLilo said...

Sounds like my brother! He gave me one of his Frankenstein models a couple years back, too, but it gave up the ghost shortly after I moved up here.

Steve S said...

I'm on a mac, which is dated so it has it's own issues, although different, but we do have about 4 windows computers in this house so I know what you are talking about. I don't use those computers but everyone else does, even Kristin knows how to launch Windows, log on and launch Microsoft paint. When Toney goes to reinstall something, it takes him ALL weekend, so I know what you are talking about.

I hope you don't need to lay low too long, I enjoy you!

Nonsequitur said...

Good to hear from you CrackerLilo and Steve... The computer is semi-OK for now. At least it's internet-capable and running 98SE without a hitch (yet). I'm not certain how much more tweaking I dare subject it to. We will see how I am feeling tomorrow :) I guess this is the price I pay for being a highly independent b*tch who insists on using all of life's tools until they are on life-support, lol :)