what is going on

[rm]

My computer died. I called, in quite callous a fashion I'm sorry to say, my computer guru and he thinks that it's fixible, if I had a system CD (I don't) and a working CD drive (I don't). I am currently typing this on a borrowed computer via dialup -- I can't even, I'm not sure why, figure out how to get it hooked up successfully to the cable modem. I am not used to feeling this helpless and I can't stand it.

Tomorrow I have to go price a new computer, which I can't afford. I just need word processing and Internet -- and I'll just accept I guess that my photoshop is gone and turn the scanner over to Kali, since it's really only for Descensus anyway.

I am trying, very very hard, not to beat myself up over this. It's not within my control. It's not happening to punish me. God, and especially my Gods, doesn't/don't hate fags. It's all cool. Of course, all of this would be less of a financial problem if I hadn't just done all this non-refundable Phoenix Rising stuff. I waiver between hating myself for that and being glad I did it -- because if these events had happened in the other order I wouldn't be going, and in my bones, I know going is a good thing.

So this is me struggling. The machine is my income, and I have to at least be able to get this loaner machine onto the cable modem or I have a serious problem. If I can do that, the rest can be solved.

Meanwhile, all my writing is gone or at least locked away from me until the machine can be fixed or I can afford to have data recovery done.

I am freaking out.

Comments

[ladyofthelog.livejournal.com]

You can run Gimpshop, unless your problem is RAM.

[ladyofthelog.livejournal.com]

By the way, if you'd take a refurbished slot loading blue iMac, Ben has one just sitting around. Should I ask him?

[rm.livejournal.com]

I don't know what this means or how to do this. It is a PC, I cannot even boot it into safe mode. How would I get such a program onto it in this case?

[ladyofthelog.livejournal.com]

Oh, sorry. Let me clarify:

You said you wouldn't be able to run Photoshop on a new machine. If expense is your concern, you can run Gimpshop, which is basically a freeware version of Photoshop. However, if RAM is your problem, that might not be the solution.

[winterknight.livejournal.com]

I believe we've used a external HD to boot up a crashed computer before. There are also external/USB CD drives or it may be possible to spoof one with a key drive. All is not lost (yet). Also, having a new CD drive put in that computer and getting a jump-start from the repair shop may be cheaper than a new computer.

*hugs* Are you dealing with a laptop or a desktop? If it's the latter and the HD function at all, getting your writing back will be easypeasy. I've had so many HD deaths lately, I feel your pain. I lost all my writing for most of 2004 when my HD not only died but my backup disk was defective.

[rm.livejournal.com]

It is a desktop. Once I manage to get this thing on the cable modem, I will type out the error message fully in hopes some of you can help me.

[ekatarina.livejournal.com]

This is why when my prof's house burned to the ground I made extensive backups and put a copy in a drawer and another copy in my car's glovebox. (All of her backups were in her desk and therefore burned up with the house.)

I figure the day that both my house and my car burn down I have bigger issues than data recovery.


I feel your pain. I had my tech guy deep freeze my old HD and try to extract what he could before it comepletely burned itself up.

Good luck,

Ekatarina

[miep.livejournal.com]

it took me a few minutes, but I jsut got your icon, and it's brilliant.

[lawnrrd]

It amuses me that I seem to have used the same picture for FoxTrot.

[00goddess.livejournal.com]

If you do have to get a new machine, I got mine from retrobox.com and it was a great deal. The PCs are refurbished and in good shape before they are sent out. Mine has been great since I bought it in 2002.

It is possible that you can get a system cd from a friend or freecycle... same with a cd drive. Good luck. Don't freak out.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the tip and the concern. As I'm sure you can imagine it was yesterday's Last Straw.

[00goddess.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I bet.

[meirion.livejournal.com]

to deal with the non-functional CD drive problem, see if you can find someone with an external CD/DVD reader/writer that you can connect via USB.

i can think of at least one way that data recovery ought to be possible if your computer guru thinks that it's fixable enough that having a system CD would work – and in that case you wouldn't need to spend the money on a new computer.

-m-

[rm.livejournal.com]

I've mailed Kali for info on her local computer guru and my ex-boss who is a computer guy. Between the two of them I'm hoping to come up with some dude I can just pay to fix this shit.

[delchi.livejournal.com]

A few things :

1. Don't pay for the data recovery. That I can do - it's amazingly easy considering what the base problem is.

2. If you are going to shop, let me know what you are looking for. I can build you something much cheaper than you can buy it and/or possibly get you a better deal as I have " Employee " discounts where I work.

3. Hooking it up to the cable modem : The major thing you need is to know if it has an ethernet card in it. If it does, then just plug it into the cable modem as you did your current computer, and set the network settings for DHCP ( I can walk you through this over the phone .. it's really easy )

[rm.livejournal.com]

1. Yes

2. Yes

3. Did that! Didn't work. Remember those crazy problems Megan was having? I think it's like that.

[alabastard.livejournal.com]

Ouch, just happened to another fiend as well, best of luck in the recovery.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Thank you much. At least I'm bloody-minded enough that whatever needs to happen will happen quickly.

[neo-nym.livejournal.com]

After you get this up you may want to consider a flash drive, they are relatively cheaper and easy, hold alot of data, and are small (the size of your finger). Good luck with the retrieval process. I know how this feels. Last year about this time my MAc completely crashed, which almost never happens. I was a wreck when it happened and just went to bed.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Oh yes. Sigh.

[crazycatlady.livejournal.com]

Oh ick. I've had my writing kept from me too...only data recovery didnt' work and I lost 8 years of scribblings. But that's a totally different story.


I hope you get yours back soon!

[rm.livejournal.com]

Thank you! And that's awful.

[crazycatlady.livejournal.com]

It was a bit of a mixed blessing. It gave me the chance to go back and re-do a lot of things I'd never liked about my writing, but at the same time I lost a couple really good little one-pagers that aren't coming back.

If You're going to recover the drive

[senseless.livejournal.com]

Be sure you don't write to it anymore.

Re: If You're going to recover the drive

[rm.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, this is all about rescue and replace.

[dacuteturtle.livejournal.com]

Sharp shopping and networking can get you a free-to-cheap PC. Folks are already giving you suggestions. If I was up your way, I'd give you the one I have sitting in the basement. (Like all computer professionals, I have parts just sitting about my basement.)

Odds are, you are only down a hard drive. Finding a spare hard drive and a spare CD-ROM should be easy in this geek-centered little world. (Posting to LJ is a great start.) You should be able to buy an overstock CD-ROMm for $25 and a hard drive for $50. If you are willing to jump to Linux (free), I suggest Ubuntu.

[meirion.livejournal.com]

interestingly, the solution i mentioned in my earlier comment (but didn't elaborate on) was ubuntu. it Just Works (TM).

(actually, that's a useful point. my father's soundcard has probably died but it's not clear. if the computer dude keeps failing to answer his phone i think i'll mail him an ubuntu disk as a diagnostic tool; i simply don't know enough about windows – not having used it really since debian 0.93r6 became available – to be able to tell whether some option's got turned off somewhere or whether the soundcard's broken).

-m-

::HUGS::

[reudaly.livejournal.com]

All I'm going to offer is ::HUGS::

Mostly because I *so* feel your pain. My life it my computer, too, and my old one was on last legs (as in, keys missing and about to be held together with duct tape).

It's not God punishing you. It's bad timing and stupid electronics that know the exact *WRONG* time to go down. When you can least afford them or deal with the inconvenience.

[lawnrrd]

There are some scheduling issues, but if there's a chance you could haul the thing out to Brooklyn, I might be able to help you out.

[rm.livejournal.com]

If that seems to be the best answer, you bet. Let me see who and what I can get to come to me first.

Thank you!