Computer Problems

“Buying the right computer and getting it to work properly is no more complicated than building a nuclear reactor from wristwatch parts in a darkened room using only your teeth.”
-Dave Barry

It is always an adventure to add, delete, modify, or fix the computer. Our desktop was starting to act funny. It started going off into that big blue unknown for 30 minutes or more when given a command. If I was patient and didn’t click the mouse or do control-alt-delete the proper function would be accomplished. But we can’t wait 30 minutes for every operation. It also took that long to start up.

I couldn’t use the CD drive either. I was able to get online and web functions worked. I downloaded a repair program and while it didn’t fix the problem I now had the capability to write to the CD. I backed up all our documents and photos and important files before the computer became inoperable.

Microsoft tech support told me the computer manufacturer was my best recourse so I called Dell. Dell pleasantly surprised me. The tech support person, Margaret, Ran me through several procedures and after about 45 minutes on the phone decided my XP disk was bad. So she sent me replacement software for everything on the computer – sound, DVD, CD writer and of course XP. I wrote a complimentary E-Mail to her supervisor. So here I sit trying to reload XP and it is still taking a long time. More in another blog.

In one of my E-Mails to Christy I mentioned the computer problem and ended my mail with “Wish me luck”. In Christy’s typical witty manner she wrote back “Good Luck” and nothing else.