Sunday, October 25, 2009

FFFFUUUUCCCCCKKKKKK!!!!!!


I woke up this morning to the Blue Screen of Death on my desktop PC.

Normally I wouldn’t care. The damn thin is close to 4 years old, and that is in the senior citizen category as far as computers are concerned. Normally I would just act like a Democratic Liberal and just let the old fucker die and send it on to the scrap pile. But, I am a Republican (for the most part) and, like our older generation, there is information that needs to be saved and shared. I have all my banking information, pictures, and correspondence on the fucking hard drive. I cannot lose that stuff.

So I have been out looking at new computers to put any saved stuff into. From what I understand about repairing and restoring hard drives, it is just as cheap to buy a new one. Five to Eight hundred bucks will give me a new PC with more memory, and Windows 7 (which is suppose to be the best MS has ever put out and not as many errors) and a warranty. I have a tech who lives in the ‘hood coming by this afternoon and checking it out. I’ll make a decision as to which way to go then.

Do y’all have any advice or know anything about the BSoD? I’m just hoping I can retrieve the info because I am leaning toward a new PC. I like new - except when it comes to women.

Thank you very much!

18 comments:

Tracie said...

No advice - just sympathy. We had the same thing happen a few months ago. Let me know how you like the new Windows. My kid is trying to get me to upgrade to it.

Golden To Silver Val said...

Unfortunately, been there, done that. I also pay all bills and do my banking online. Best advice I can offer is to buy yourself an external hard drive (it connects to your PC through USB port) and BACK UP all your stuff on it regularly. Those back ups have saved me quite a few times. I actually CLONE my entire computer so if it dies, I can boot up the external and use it. I use Acronis software to do this, but I think there are other programs that do the task just as well. I'm so sorry you're having to go through this and I hope you're able to save most of your stuff. But after this...remember...BACK UP.

Julie D said...

I got nuthin. Fortunately my ex is a computer God so any time I have a problem I play nice and he fixes it. Free. :)

Matty said...

My hard drive crashed 2 or 3 years ago, and we hadn't backed anything up. We had a computer geek recover MOST of our pictures, thank goodness. We learned the hard way, and now we back up everything to an external hard drive.

There are also online backup systems available. You pay a fee and send your cherished information to their site where they save it for you.

As for the computer, I'm with you friend. I would put out the money and just get a new one.

Kanani said...

Ah, I'm sorry.
I think the key is to buy the most computer that you can with the money you've got.
Also, while you're at it, pick up a portable hard drive to back things up with. Just get into the habit of doing it everyday.
I also like backing things up online.

But all of this does make me miss the days of ledgers and such --though those had MORE than their share of headaches!

Coffeypot said...

kys, thanks, I'll let you know what I decide.

GTS Val, thank you for stopping by. I know, that is one of the things that has me so pissed. I have been meaning to get the external memory thing, but...
Come back anytime and I'm glad you are feeling better. Drugs Rock.

Julie, if you ex can fix my computer for free I'll fuck him. Just saying...

Matty, I know I'm a dumb ass for not having the back up capability. Lesson well learned. I'm thinking real hard about the new one, too.

Kanani, sometimes I miss the old ledger and pencil, too. Until I plug in my first figure and several columns and totals and percentages are instantly calculated. Nope, I wont go back.

Biddie said...

That bites. We had the blue screen of death kill our pc last year and I am still on a borrowed laptop.
I learned the hard way too - back it all up. Not that I have done that yet, but you know..

CI-Roller Dude said...

Rule 5.56

Put a fucking couple of 5.56 MM rounds into the goddamn thing and be done with it...that way you don't have to listen to some piple faced computer geek.

The Peach Tart said...

Save the hard drive out of your old machine. Get a new one. Pick up a USB drive case and put the old hard drive in it. You can then recover the data. The old machine might not boot but you may be able to recover the data from the hard drive. Your issue is probably not the hard drive but the mother board or RAM.

Ducky said...

We've been seriously thinking about getting a MacPro Book....I'm almost done with the whole PC scene...

Some Iraq Veteran said...

Pop open your computer and look at the cable plugged into the back of your hard drive. If it's a wide ribbon cable (IDE interface) then go here and buy this:

http://bit.ly/35j2Cj

If it's a thin cable about as thick as your fingernail is wide (SATA interface), then go here and buy this:

http://bit.ly/2mm6HV

This will allow you to take your old hard drive out and use it as an external hard drive on your new computer. I have a couple and they are super easy to use - you just stick the hard drive in, close up the enclosure, and plug the USB cable into a USB slot on your new computer. Power on the enclosure and your computer should see it. Assuming there is nothing wrong with the hard drive all of your data should still be intact and on the drive, so you can just copy it over to your new computer.

As a bonus, once you copy your important documents over to your new computer you can erase the stuff off your old hard drive and use it to back stuff up in the future. I use mine to backup photos, videos, etc.

-Dacker

Unknown said...

like Matty, I learned the hard way to use an external hard drive and back up on a regular basis (Like everytime I download grandbaby photos!)
When my screen went blue, I took it to Best Buy Geek Squad and was told I was outta luck. so sad!
good luck and buy a $90 external hard drive (and use it!)
~AM

clew said...

I too was going to suggest the external hard drive. We just got one a month or so ago and I am much more relaxed. Especially since our craptop is also getting on in years and has been acting persnickety lately.

Kanani said...

Btw, blog about Project Valour IT today, and come over to The Kitchen Dispatch and leave word. I'll enter you into a giveaway I'm doing to reward those who are taking part in the kick off.

I'm representing TEAM ARMY, but others can choose the branch they want. Right now TEAM AIR FORCE is ahead. Looks like TEAM NAVY is waiting to start...

Kimberly said...

My puter has crashed three times. The first time I lost my manuscript that I hadn't backed up (I know, bad move) but nothing else important, thankfully. I just keep rebooting and giving it memory until the day it finally just ceases to exist. I can't afford to get a new one, so I keep breathing life into this one.

I feel your pain!

Ed said...

Came over from the HillBilly.

Anybody with a Navy ship gets my follow.

Guess that makes me sound like a hooker in the phillipines.

Aleta said...

My brother is the computere guru. I just want the thing to work. But ehhh... next computer I'm getting is a MAC. My husband has one and I love it!

Southern (in)Sanity said...

Were you able to retrieve your files?