Trouble! Shoot!

This is a post in optimism. Really. This was also meant to be posted before my last entry as the Thursday entry. The (Minus One Bummer) bits are where I am annoyingly optimistic.

So I was to fix Leech‘s computer. I took the KTM Komuter to Subang, and that was delayed by 15 minutes. (Bummer Number 1) No matter, as she lagged too. I called her, and I ended the call upon spotting her in Carrefour, but she proceeded to walk blurly. “I was looking for a place to have breakfast.” (Remember this, this is part of this online contest.) Breakfast, on her. (Minus One Bummer)

My sense of direction around Subang wasn’t great, and we got out on the New Pantai Expressway, a dashing RM3.20. (Bummer Number 2) Even better was how I forgot that I didn’t get to reload the Touch N Go the day before! (Bummer Number 3) Fortunately there weren’t any cars behind. 🙂 (Minus One Bummer)

So we finally reached my quaint little residential area, where the operation was to take place. Her Windows XP installation was unable to start, and there was data inside yet to be backed up. And so, I transplanted her hard drive in my computer and copied out the files. Meanwhile, I ripped CDs that I didn’t want on my other computer before passing them to my free-CD-loving friend.

She was done copying, and I looked over (my computers are side by side). “Heyyy are you lowering my Spider Solitaire average score? Lemme show you how it’s done.” And so, I did…

And after about two suites, the power went out. Yo. (Bummer Number 4) At least we were only playing Spider Solitaire and not doing anything important. (Minus One Bummer)

So we took a stroll down to the KFC nearby for lunch which she paid for (Minus One Bummer), where the rest of Taman Sri Sinar seemed to wait for the electricity to come back on! Later, my sister called, notifying me that the electricity was back on. (Minus One Bummer)

Technical part follows:

And so began the reinstallation of Windows… which failed at 50%. Tried again. 20%. Again. 3%. Tried two different CDs; neither went all the way. The CD writer was wonky, I thought, so I swapped my secondary computer’s CD writer. No help either, and much worse, the BIOS would not detect the CD writer and hard disk… until I swapped around the IDE cables, master/slave positions and drive jumpers. Many times. When it did work, I tried installing again, and failing that I rebooted and again the BIOS didn’t detect the drives till I shuffled everything around randomly again. (Big Bummer Number 5)

I managed to catch a glimpse of the blue screen, so I instinctively removed one stick of RAM to see if either was faulty.

5 different combinations of two sticks in two slots and we got an entrancing ASCII pattern. We could not even get into the BIOS. If we were lucky, we’d get the good ol’ DOS screen blinking cursor.

I tried installing Windows with the hard disk being in my computer, and it worked! (Minus One Bummer) Therefore something was up with the IDE controller or BIOS. The motherboard was struck by lightning before, so it would be odd that only the built-in Ethernet controller was busted (a previous technician installed a new network card).

Google said there was a chance in Response Number 7, but by then it was getting late, so we headed to Midvalley for dinner (plus she knew how to get home from there).

As what the great Lionel would say to me:
You have failed me again.

Yes, I failed. 🙁 And now, her blog readers will continue missing her because I didn’t manage to fix her computer. 🙁

We missed the turning to Bangsar and U-turned at Bukit Kiara. (Bummer Number 6) Contrary to what Leech has said in her blog, she is not a bad driver. She just should not honk in anger at vans who overtake her as men with knives may jump out. (Nevermind that my mom drives a van.)

Oh and ironically Friendster‘s Joint Horoscopes said we’d have a good day.

Now for the little online contest; winners will get a free mention in my blog and get a link. Yes, if you are linked from my main page you will get loadsa hits. If you walk into a club you will get loadsa hot-people-of-your-preferred-sex because I mentioned you. So anyway, I am happy because I:

1) B_ A C_ H_. She inadvertently met my whole family.
2) I had B_, L_ A_ D_ with the same chick.

11 thoughts on “Trouble! Shoot!

  1. Mystery Wolf Post author

    010001000111010101100100011001010010110000100000010001100 (binary stream truncated by Albert; anyway for you busybodies what Mystery Wolf is trying to say is that she is the 0 and I am the 1 and we shall connect and get the big O together.)

    Reply
  2. Mystery Wolf Post author

    whoops sorry man I was messing around with binary codes yesterday and copy and pasted the encoded msg rather than the decoded one 😛

    And get your Os someplace else mister!

    Reply
  3. Albert Ng Post author

    Mystery Wolf actually said this:

    "Dude, Friendster horoscopes are creepily pretty accurate on some days. But who gives a shit anyways :P"

    Of course my post here proves it otherwise.

    Reply
  4. leech Post author

    what are the answers? anyway – minus one bummer – you did give me an accurate description of the parts i needed to replace at the end of the day.. =))

    Reply
  5. Pingback: Filler for the waiter | Glaring Notebook

  6. Pingback: Slurred It Through The Grapewine | Glaring Notebook

Leave a Reply to Mystery Wolf Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *