More Crud I Ain't Got Time For -.-

[the_gneech]

My computer seems to be dying. Or at least, some facet of it is; not sure what exactly. When I first tried to turn it on after returning from San Diego, instead of going "beep" and launching into various Launch Logos, it went "beee-ee-errr-rrp" and sat there with no HD activity. The reset button produced the same result. Finally, toggling the power switch again got it to boot properly.

My Brain: No problem, right? After all, I've got an automated external backup, so if the machine dies, my data's protected. I've been burned by hard drive crashes before and learned my lesson.

Murphy: Ha! Hahahahahaha, haha. You sap. Check again.

My backup drive is non-responsive. ¬.¬ The automated backup program has apparently never seen fit to tell me that it's not writing backups these days because the drive it's supposed to write them to randomly doesn't work ... so I have no idea how long it's been since a backup, and it doesn't matter because the backup's dead anyway.

So as of right now, I don't want to shut down my computer, because I don't know if it'll come back on again, and I have to spend the night trying to figure out what the flap is wrong with the backup drive.

I haven't got time for this. :-`

I wanted to spend the evening cleaning up the devastated mess that has been my studio for the past year. I was planning to spend the evening trying to get some drawing done. But no, I'm going to spend the evening trying to prevent an impending catastrophe.

Grump.

I am thinking of officially putting SJ on hold until after Dragon*Con at this stage, so I can dig out from under all this stress. As long as NeverNever is running, I at least have something in the works.

-The Gneech

Comments

it might be time for a new CMOS battery

[mammallamadevil.livejournal.com]

since that unit is almost three years old....

MLD

[laurie-robey.livejournal.com]

I was planning on trying to further isolate the problem this evening, so you don't have to be doing it all by yourself.

[bigtig.livejournal.com]

CompUSA and such will sell you a USB external HD for not too awful much. If you can get the machine to come up and stay there for a short while, it's a handy way to do a quick copy/backup of everything before trying more dangerous fix-it work.

It ended up saving Sue's bacon when her laptop decided to go on its own existential quest.

I've had power systems die to the point I needed to try starting them a few times to have them properly "catch." It may be your power supply got partially fried or is on its last legs. Especially since it is showing problems while "cold."

Good luck

[the-gneech.livejournal.com]

I might have to do something like that -- but as that's basically what my backup drive is, I'm a bit concerned about the machine not being able to see it.

-TG

[bigtig.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Here's hoping you didn't get a lightning strike kille a few things or something. We did have a pretty bad storm out here while you were at SDCC.

I'm a big fan of being careful and backing up as much as possible before doing any other diagnosis or changing drivers and such. Even on a corrupt drive, backing up is mostly reads and you can get a lot off before "real damage" [tm] happens.

Again, good luck! I'm hoping it's just a part change and a simple driver install or such.

Oh, other points to check. Make sure the power supply fan is turning and pumping out air. And also, if you smell the exhaust and smell a burnt-oil scent. Both of those would point to either a burnt-out or lightning hit on your power supply.

If you have the money

[eddiecanis.livejournal.com]

I stronglly suggest a APC power back up. I went though 3 powersupply in a old appartment complex and that stop when i spent 200 on my little 650 here.
Good luck to you.

[c-eagle.livejournal.com]

egads.. :/ Good luck wiffit, bud... raaarf.

[hossblacksilver.livejournal.com]

I won't offer advice since so many have already. But good luck with your computer problems, I had some a few months back myself so I know what you're going through.