Computer Update

Sorry I left you hangin' like that.

I got my computer back on Sunday night.
Geek Squad only held it hostage for 8 1/2 days.

The bad news: It WAS the hard drive! DEFECTIVE! Again!
Seriously, what on earth is going on with Hewlett-Packard???

More bad news: My warranty made me get the hard drive replaced. No new Mac computer for me (well, not right now, at least). It's still my goal to own a Mac in the not-too-distant-future.

The GOOD NEWS is that they were able to extract ALL of my files and save them on to an external hard drive for me. So, all I've really lost is all my contact info.

Sooooo..... If you are reading this & you are friend or family... I have lost ALL of your contact info. Address, phone #s, & email.
Ok, well, I probably have your phone # in my iPhone, but I'm not going to call all 300 of you!
So, please shoot me a quick email & let me know your info & how you're doing.
I promise I'm not ignoring you.
Just ask the geeks.

F * R * U * S * T * R * A * T * I * O * N

If you are long-time reader of my blog, then you probably remember THIS POST.

My last PC was a Hewlett-Packard (HP), and it lasted for approximately 3 years. Well, my less-than-1-year-old HP computer crashed YESTERDAY.
The final diagnosis last year was: DEFECTIVE HARDRIVE
Guess what the diagnosis was THIS time?
Just guess.
C'mon, you know you know it...
Yes, DEFECTIVE HARDRIVE.

For the second time in ELEVEN MONTHS, an HP computer has wiped out my files.
Last time, Geek Squad was not able to recover ANYTHING; I am praying -- PLEADING -- that they will have better luck this time.
I have the really important stuff backed up this time, but there are still hundreds of pictures and other files that will be lost forever if the extraction is unsuccessful.
But the really frustrating part is this: If I end up getting another computer (which I surely will), what kind of computer should I get? I would LOVE to get a Mac this time around, but that will cost double the value of the now-defunct HP.

And WHAT is going on with HP???
Really, they used to be so reliable!
There was a man at the Geek Squad counter just in front of me. He was there with his HP laptop (& it looked VERY expensive!!); he told me it's the 4th time he's had to bring it in, in the 10 months that he has owned it!
Then, as I was leaving, a woman came in to pick up her HP laptop (also very nice & new-looking); the Geek Squad guy had to tell her that her hard drive had crashed & they were not able to recover ANY of her files!

Something is up here.
This cannot be just a coincidence!
Is HP outsourcing to China, by any chance?
And does anyone know if there is a class-action lawsuit against HP currently in the works?
I might want to testify for them!

Seriously though; please say a quick prayer for this situation.
I need to get my computer (and my files!) back so I can finish my book!

Whuddehvah

There's a reason why people hate Bill Gates.

I have spent the past 2 days pulling out my hair because I cannot send emails.
I can receive emails; I just can't send them.

On Sunday, Windows Update performed a "critical SP1 update" to my PC -- my BRAND NEW PC.
No problem.
On Monday morning, I could not send emails.

I would hit send and Windows Mail (Vista) would ACT like it was sending the messages, but after about 2 minutes, I would get the following message:

Your server has unexpectedly terminated the connection. Possible causes for this include server problems, network problems, or a long period of inactivity. Account: 'pop.east.cox.net', Server: 'smtp.east.cox.net', Protocol: SMTP, Port: 25, Secure(SSL): No, Error Number: 0x800CCC0F

Yes, I have called my ISP (Cox Communications).
Yes, I have contacted Windows Live support.
Yes, I have posted my problem on the Windows Live Forum.
Yes, I have called Geek Squad and explained the problem to them, in detail.

General consensus?
It's nobody's fault and it's nobody's problem.

Isn't that helpful?

Does anyone have the number for Steve Jobs???
I think I'm ready to capitulate.

Quick! Somebody Get a Geek In Here!

I think I can breathe now... The past 8 days have been such a whirlwind that I have not had a moment to do much of anything I've *wanted* to do (like write on my blog).

About a week ago -- for no apparent reason -- my computer crashed. Yes, a week before my Elevate FINALS, my computer crashed.
And I mean, CRASHED. I could not even pull it up in "Safe Mode" -- never a good sign. I couldn't even get it to perform a System Recovery! My computer has been showing signs of *issues* for several months now, but since it was only 3 years old, I kept putting off getting it looked at.
BIG MISTAKE.
My CD-RW drive stopped working awhile back and I kept MEANING to buy a key card to store my backup information. Unfortunately, I never did.
EVEN BIGGER MISTAKE.

The lovely, well-paid folks at "Geek Squad" have determined that the crash was NOT caused by any virus or trojan or even by spyware. Fact is, they really don't know what caused my computer to stop responding! No lightening storm; No physical injury to the PC tower; No kool-aid on the keyboard. Nada.
THe only culprits I can see are one of two (or a combination of both): In the week before the crash, my computer was updated automatically with a Norton Internet Protection update and (the next day or so) with a Microsoft Windows update.
I'm pretty sure one (or both) of these caused the problem.
What I DON'T understand is why the damage was so extensive.

I took my PC in for data extraction, but they were not able to recover ANYTHING.
NOTHING.
Everything on my computer's hard drive is gone. Pictures, letters, important documents, tax info, all gone.
By the grace of God, Clay had suggested to me to email some of my more important documents to myself via my web-based email addresses. I last did this 2 days before the crash.

The thing I regret the most is the loss of pictures.
Sure, it's going to be a pain getting Quicken reloaded and caught up, and there are SO many important emails that I am now remembering and cringing that I never forwarded!
But, you live and learn.
The computer was a total loss, so "Merry Christmas to me:" I have a new computer!
I have heard NOTHING good about Windows Vista, but can I just say, (so far anyway) I LOVE IT! It works so much better than the old Windows XP -- and it's so much more chic. Very cool, almost-Mac'esque visual qualities.
True, I really wanted to buy a Mac Notebook, but I will wait for that.
Besides, it costs about $2,000 more than what I spent on this puppy. =)
Maybe this is a blessing in disguise?
In any event, at least I can get back to blogging now!