He Destroyed It...

[calliopes_pen]

Well, looks like my computer is ruined. Dad was trying to download more movies, which made the memory go down to around 1 MB. He decided to delete a few things, and now the computer won't even start. Everything is gone. All the stories I had saved, AIM, files, shortcuts, etc...

(I had to go somewhere else just to use this computer.)

Sean? I probably won't be on ICQ tomorrow. I don't have a computer anymore.

To everyone I usually talk to on AIM: Sorry!

vval? Everything I had saved from our discussions is gone, too.

While I'm on this computer, I'm going to see what I can do about notifying all the RPG's I'm in.

I can't even check e-mail...

Comments

[agilebrit.livejournal.com]

Aw, hon, that's awful! *pets you*

This is why I keep important stuff backed up in more than one place. In fact... *remembers I haven't backed up my fic in a dog's age and runs to do so*

Jump drives are your friends.

[calliopes_pen]

I know. I was about to start saving things later today. Dad needed the computer before I could--and then, lost everything.

[agilebrit.livejournal.com]

Sounds like you need a comp of your OWN, that no one else messes with. Hubby and I have separate comps.

[calliopes_pen]

I know. I don't know why Dad just doesn't use another computer. Whenever he uses it, he ruins it.

[agilebrit.livejournal.com]

When you get it back up and working, put an administrative password on it. Make him screw up his own damb computer.

[calliopes_pen]

Good idea.

And just watch him mess that one up, too. And so far, he isn't doing anything to fix it. (Maybe he can, but the way the computer is acting I doubt it.)

[nahtmmm.livejournal.com]

I have a hard time imagining anyone who would willingly let the available memory shrink down to ONE STINKIN' MEGABYTE being capable of fixing a computer.

[calliopes_pen]

You are correct. I gave him the instructions that hlynn gave a few posts down. His response?

"I don't understand that technical stuff. I'm not a repairman, and it probably won't work if I try that."

[scruffywesley.livejournal.com]

Ugh, that's terrible!

So sorry :(

[hlynn.livejournal.com]

I doubt it's completely gone, unless he somehow managed to reformat the drive. If you can hook it up as a slave drive to another computer, you should be able to retrieve everything. I did that with an old drive that screwed up the update install on Win98 from Win95, and I was able to pull all my files off of it. The installation instructions that came with the hard drive will show you how to make it a slave drive and install it as a secondary drive, as well. (It's just a matter of moving this plastic doodad in the back of the HD from the 'Master' slot to the 'Slave' slot, then putting it into the second HD slot on your motherboard. The Master drive will be the other computer's HD.)

Hope that helps!

[calliopes_pen]

Thanks, I'll see if that will work.

Dad tried to reformat earlier, and he couldn't get it to work. (The computer wouldn't even turn on.)

He has a feeling that the hard drive may be dead now. I hope that isn't it.

[hlynn.livejournal.com]

Usually when the computer doesn't turn on at all, (as in, nothing happens when you flip the switch, no power at all), it isn't a sign of a bad hard drive. The motherboard has a chip, called the BIOS, that is responsible for booting up the computer and the operating system. If there was a power surge and the computer wasn't plugged into a surge protector, this might have damaged the computer's power supply and/or motherboard, or worse. If you take the HD out and put it in another computer, you'll know for sure. If it was plugged into a surge protector, check to make sure it wasn't triggered--sometimes when a computer draws on too much power for a task, it can trip a fuse. Otherwise, you might have a burned out power supply, which can be replaced easily.

[seandc]

Ack, ruined computer! *hugs*

Um, on the bright side, you now have perfect guilt trip material (again!). And perfect justification for thwapping your dad round the head with a rolled-up-newspaper if he even looks at downloading stuff that's available at the video store again. ;)

I agree - time for individual computers (with you getting the new one, naturally, so your dad can "play" with the old one to his heart's content).

See you when things are shiny again...

[calliopes_pen]

Mom and I have both been giving him the biggest guilt trip ever. Talking about how much we've lost, and how bad it is to download movies when they cause this to happen. (Dad was in the hallway, so he couldn't help but overhear. We meant for that.)

The thwapping might be interesting.

[seandc]

Mom and I have both been giving him the biggest guilt trip ever.
Very good.

I had been worried what you'd do for fun without us online people around, but I see you're making your own fun. :lol:

Oh, another way to be accidentally overheard? Try commenting on any video stores you drive past. ;)

And I suggest using a weekday paper, the weekend ones might be hard to handle all rolled up...