Monday, March 30, 2009

Hello Computer!

I've just spent the last five hours or so wrestling with my laptop - which is now working again having tried to die in February. I'm too *!"!!%* to do anything other than post the drawing of Willow Pond which went on Watermarks very early this morning (see Cloudscape - Willow Pond).

For those who who'd like to know the issues which crop up when drawing water - check out the watermarks post.

For those who want to know what's involved in reviving a dead laptop without visiting your favourite repair person read on..............

Cloudscape - Willow Pond
coloured pencils on Arches HP

copyright Katherine Tyrrell

OK - now this is just a theory - but it's my theory! When a laptop battery runs down I think the laptop forgets what was stopping it starting up so you've got a chance to recover the situation. I tried doing the "take the battery out, wait awhile and then pop it back in again" tactic when it died back in February - but with no luck.

This morning the big computer froze yet again and I've now decided that I've got a registry problem and there is a file missing or corrupted somewhere.

So I decided it was now time to pay a visit to the repair man. But not before I tried just one more time to get the laptop started!

So I switched on - and got past the black screen. This time it came up with a "This computer did not shut down properly last time - here are your options for what you can now do"

so
  • I started in safe mode
  • and it came up!
  • so I plugged in the external hard disc and shifted all docs and pics over to the external hard disc - this took forever (ie but the laptop was now ready to go to the repair man if need be)
  • then I tried the system restore option
  • I decided to go back to the end of January - about three weeks before the major problems started
  • I then did a system restore (which was very very very slow)
  • once it finished I then started it up again in the normal way - and it started normally - but very slowly
  • soI closed down and started up again - and it worked better
  • then I found the security suite wouldn't update and the blacklist had gone missing and the laptop generally didn't like it
  • so I got out of all programs and reinstalled the security suite and then started up again
  • then I connected - and this time it updated the virus database which was obsolete
  • and then it wanted to restart AGAIN!
  • so I did
  • but it didn't notice!!!
  • so I closed down and then went and made a very late lunch
  • came back and started up AGAIN!!!!
  • and this time it noticed that it had updated
  • and then i started doing the windows updates.................
I'm knackered!

So what did I miss while I was back with XP and a mega screen?

I missed
  • the sidebar in Vista Desktop - and specifically the clock and the continually changing pictures (which I use for auditioning photos prior to using them as references for artwork. Anything which catches my eye when I'm not looking at it has a strong design)
  • the bit in Elements 5 which allows you to correct photos which have got a barrel distortion (I'm still running 3 on the older machine)
  • the lovely soft responsive non-confrontational keyboard of my Sony Vaio which is so much better for my tenosynovitis. Going back to my big Microsoft wireless keyboard was horrendous!
  • not having a problem with websites which need to have their font size adjusted to make them capable of being read on a big screen (it doesn't seem to present as quite such a major problem on a laptop)
  • all the files that I'd not got round to backing up!
Now I think I might have a go at doing a system restore on the old computer - I've found the advice about how to do a system restore in XP.

10 comments:

  1. Sorry you had such a miserable morning Katherine. Makes mine pale in comparison.

    Computers...you love them or hate them but they keep us in touch.

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  2. Good luck, smart lady, to know how and have the courage to tackle such a problem. Love the willow image. I've read your computer instructions but would have hauled her down to the "Geek Squad".

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  3. Kudos to you ,Katherine! I would've tossed that computer out the window long before I went thru all that. I'm so glad I have a computer savvy son.

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  4. With all due respect, there are imacs.

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  5. Great job and determination, Katherine! I can totally relate to computer problems. My desktop bit the dust about a month ago and I just kept procrastinating taking it in to someone since I have a laptop, too. When I was visiting my son in Az last month, I told him about how the computer would only beep when I turned it on - no screen, nothing. He told me that there is a code for the beeps. I did some research and found the code for the lights/beeps and tried a simple fix that actually worked. Saved a trip to the repair place, which I am sure would have cost me more than the computer is worth.

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  6. I sympathize, Katherine! I had only very occasional use of a rather nasty little laptop on our recent trip, and really have no idea what OT it had on it. It was balky and confusing, and hard to use anyway, and I managed to delete a couple of things I REALLY wish I hadn't. Didn't even know it till the next time I was able to get on the computer.

    I'm SO happy to be back to my 'normal' machine!

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  7. As Don says - 'there are Macs" :)

    But I think you are awesome to sort it out by yourself. Do you know how to change an iPod battery by any chance? The local Apple dealer won't answer my emails.

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  8. This is a stunning work of art. I love the reflected clouds. Your composition is very appealing to me.

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  9. Oh boy. I feel your pain (and my own as I'm going through something similar)! I'm on hold with technical support as I write this...and for the fourth time have been cut off instead of transferred to "Monitors"). My old laptop is having disk error problems, my monitor began flashing and blinking (but still under warranty has been sent back to the company), my external drive is acting up, iTunes has lost its memory about where my library and files are, etc. I'm using a horrible loaner monitor. Ugh! I think it's time to upgrade.

    Meanwhile your beautiful painting is a breath of fresh air and much needed peace.

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  10. What I missed saying before, is what an amazingly effective water study this is! Brava.

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