my computer died!

It finally happened. After years of problem-free computer ownership, I finally had a hard drive crash. It started out with occasional clicking noises, and then the system would hang when I went to reboot. Eventually, it turned off for good and wouldn't boot back up. I tried problem solving it - disconnected all peripherals, swapped out the ram, replaced the CMOS battery, and tried some new IDE cables. But nothing fixed the problem. Lucky for me, the drive is still under warranty for another three months, and I managed to back up everything from the drive to DVD-R before it crashed for good.

What is really strange is that a number of my neighbors have been reporting computer trouble in the last two weeks. I am wondering if there may be a connection. We have been seeing lots of inclement weather lately, including some dazzling lightning storms. I always try to disconnect my PCs during extreme weather, but I don't always get the chance. Now I'm just worried that if some lightning fried the system, there may be other issues with the motherboard that I won't see until I have mounted the replacement drive.

It is also a bit discouraging that this is the first PC that I would have a hard drive failure with, and it happens to be the fist PC that I built myself. :(

mobile work leads to a mobile mind

My desktop PC had been giving me trouble over the last couple of months, and I did my best to troubleshoot, but I can't seem to figure it out. The computer seems to cycle on and off about ten times before it will boot, with no BIOS indication of the issue. I checked the cables and tried replacing the CMOS battery with no success. I've tried removing most of the peripherals and have narrowed it down to either the hard drive, motherboard, or the OS - all of which are a pain to replace. Seeing as I only paid about $300 for the PC in the first place (I built it myself), and that was three years ago, I decided to go ahead and migrate all of my work to my laptop. I'll keep the desktop as a backup for now, although I have to leave it on to avoid the boot problem. I may just have to cannibalize it and see what parts I can use elsewhere. If anyone has any recommendations for one of those USB hard drive enclosures, I'm all ears. I'd like to put it to good use as an external expansion drive for the laptop, assuming that the hard drive isn't the part of the desktop that is broken.

As a result of switching to the laptop, I find that I work less in the office and more in other parts of the house. Unfortunately, I also notice that with this enhanced mobility, I have a harder time concentrating. It seems as though my switch to the laptop has brought with it all kinds of distractions. So now I'm thinking that I need to try and discipline myself a little better so that I do most of my work in the office, even if the laptop affords more mobility. Just because I can "go mobile" doesn't mean that it is the best choice for productivity.

pushing the upgrade

I've now been running my custom built PC for over a year. That was $300 well spent! I was a little leery about some of the parts that I put into it, but for the most part I have had very few problems. My heatsink fan broke when I went to install it, but aside from that replacement, all of the bargain brand parts have functioned flawlessly. One year down!

It used to be that you had to buy the top brands for computer memory. It used to be that you got what you paid for. But not so much anymore. Contrary to what my salesman said to me when I was selecting parts for my last custom built PC, my "no name" generic RAM has been functioning just fine. I didn't have to buy the top brand memory available to get reliable performance, just as I didn't have to buy authentic Dell Memory when I upgraded my sister's Dell PC. None of the errors or memory failures that he had warned me about have occurred.

It reminds me of my very first PC purchase. The salesman at the local Comp USA had the nerve to tell me that about 50% of the Packard Bell computers that they sold don't work. This was his attempt at getting me to pay another $500 for the more expensive brands. So I asked him why a computer store would be selling a product that failed 50% of the time. He didn't have an answer to that one.

Sometimes I am amazed at the underhanded sales tactics that people use to try and force us into upgrades.

save your old pc parts

I recently met up with a lady who works for a local kids foundation here in town, as I had a couple of CD burners that I didn't need anymore, and I didn't feel like trying to sell them or anything. This way, I know that they were going to be used and that they were going to a good cause. We had a short conversation about old PC parts and peripherals and how sad it was that most people just junk their old computer gear.

We all know that computers are now made to be replaced every year or so, but I think that approach has more to do with keeping them clean than with keeping them functional. The internet has a way of destroying (or seriously maiming) the computers of novice users after a matter of six months or so. Most will live with the frustration for another six months before getting the latest and greatest from Dell.

Since I have a bit of experience with computers, I have managed to keep several of them running for six to eight years, and even when I trashed (or cannibalized) them, they still worked. However, I've always been something of a pack rat and felt like I didn't want to just hang on to all of these parts for the odd chance of needing one of them as a replacement. After all, with changing technology, who knows if I would even be able to use it in a newer computer? (Lord knows that I am not going to install crappy old PC100 RAM into my newer desktop PC).

Before you decide to throw it all out, or leave it at the curb, you may want to make some phone calls and see if there aren't some non-profit organizations that can use them. Sure, it might seem lame donating crappy old parts to non-profits, but if they can use them they will. As the old saying goes, "beggars can't be choosers". Best of all, you get to feel a little better about yourself at the end of day, as if that CD burner that you just donated is going to give someone a new lease on life. LOL.