Stupid Guest Tricks

My pooch really enjoyed this cartoon.

hobie16 wrote:My pooch really enjoyed this cartoon.

That should also apply to kitten mill operators, animal abusers, and people to raise dogs and cats for food. Oh, and wildlife poachers.


Okay, back to my ailing pooter: Good news--it went all the way to 100% on updating. Bad news--it shuts off without finishing, gives me a notice that the computer either shut down unexpectedly or encountered an error, while updating, that last 1% takes forever, can't recover in safe mode (should I try one of the other safe mode options or just go with normal?), the only way to shut down is to press the power key, and the power key no longer glows blue when it's on--did a bulb or something burn out? I can't afford to take it to Staples or anything or buy a new one--there's stuff on it I want to keep, including the story of the best cat ever, Tripod. If I turn it on, it reboots and starts over with the "setup is loading services" thing, and won't finish recovering. I really need to get this thing back running.

felinefan wrote:That should also apply to kitten mill operators, animal abusers, and people to raise dogs and cats for food. Oh, and wildlife poachers.

No, wildlife poachers should have their teeth pulled or nose cut off, the be left outside to bleed out and die. But then the cartoon's solution.

Okay, back to my ailing pooter: Good news--it went all the way to 100% on updating. Bad news--it shuts off without finishing....

Okay, swinging in the dark here, but I see three options:

1. Your restore software is defective and you'll need expert help and a new computer.

2. You have a defective hard drive. This can be tested (and possibly repaired) with a program like SpinRite, if you can find someone with a copy. You could also put in a new hard drive, then transfer your data. The latter might require you installing the old hard drive in a desktop temporarily, so not a trivial answer either.

3. You have a defective motherboard. Given the symptoms, I doubt this is memory or CPU, more likely the accessory circuits that aren't available for test and repair. This means a new computer, if true. Unfortunately, this is essentially impossible to prove except by eliminating all else.

None of these are good news for someone with limited computer skills and money. I suggest you find a local computer users group and ask for their help. Most geeks delight in being asked technical questions, and one may even have a spare hard drive to offer.

Given a choice a "PC" user group is likely to be more help than a "Windows" user group. Just my experience. Fortunately, you live in a geek-rich environment, so there should be several to choose from.

One other possibility to help you narrow down the problem is to get your hands on a Linux live boot disk. This will install Linux on your computer without touching your hard drive. If that comes up and runs, it points the guilty finger at your hard drive (or software). If that doesn't run either, then you know it's your motherboard and it's new-computer-time. A Linux users group would certainly have these available.

Good luck!

*groan* Thanks, Zazu.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S65jqrHQi_c

So I contacted a place called Superior Computers online via Yelp, and explained what all is wrong with my netbook. Yes, I know they aren't being made anymore, but I can't afford to replace it. I expect to hear from him in a few days. Meanwhile, I'm having to hustle keeping my stuff in storage--my ex-roomies are changing to a smaller unit, and I'm planning on taking over their old one because right now I don't have a way to move my stuff, and my pastor won't let me take over the rest of the room some of my other stuff has been in at the church for several years.
And I'm trying like heck to find a new place to live. Went through the county list, most have no vacancies, and what's left are more than I can afford.
Since the big glitch in my life is not being able to drive, I found--again, on Yelp--a reasonably-priced driving school. Might be a while before I actually can get a car, but it would make it easier to get a job--you wouldn't believe how many jobs require a car.

So, that's my current situation here, just thought you might like to know. Besides, it's been really quiet here lately.

Stuff is safely in my new storage unit, finally got an answer from Superior Computers--bring it in for a free check up.

My friend C.J. is in line--third in line, in fact--for housing because she's considered high risk, due to her living on the street. But it's gonna take a year, and I have to exit WISEPlace in March. Another women's shelter requires me to work 32 hours a week, and I'm struggling to stay busy with 24 hours, plus someone at my church is paying the church for the extra 8 hours, but can only do that for 2 months. I've been trying to get a job with more hours, but have been coming up empty-handed. Ageism keeps raising its head, among other things.

Went to a computer repair place recommended on Yelp--and it was neither the hard drive or the motherboard, it was the memory! I had 1GB in my netbook, and they removed a bunch of stuff from my netbook, and installed a 2 GB chip. Cost? $57! $45 for the removal, $12 for the memory upgrade. I was swamping the poor memory board! They gave me a 90 day warranty because I'm a first time customer. It turns out my story of my cat Tripod was safely on a flash drive, so no worries. I might have to reinstall VIPRE, but that's no big deal.

If you live reasonably close to Orange County, CA, it's Superior Computers, 912 N. Harbor Bl., Santa Ana, CA 92703, www.Superior-Computers.com . Very professional, take pride in their work, and nice guys to deal with. They run their business the way all businesses should be run.

Aha! No swap space. That'll kill a machine every time. Glad you found someone honest and cheap.