Comments on: Powerless http://www.hyperborea.org/journal/2008/02/powerless/ Sci-fi, comics, humor, photos...it's all fair game. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:01:16 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Culprit Identified | K-Squared Ramblings http://www.hyperborea.org/journal/2008/02/powerless/#comment-39845 Culprit Identified | K-Squared Ramblings Sun, 17 Feb 2008 20:18:48 +0000 http://www.hyperborea.org/journal/archives/2008/02/11/powerless/#comment-39845 [...] problem with the PowerBook has been confirmed to be the RAM upgrade I put in back in 2004. It hummed along fine for 3½ years, [...] [...] problem with the PowerBook has been confirmed to be the RAM upgrade I put in back in 2004. It hummed along fine for 3½ years, [...]

]]> By: Kelson http://www.hyperborea.org/journal/2008/02/powerless/#comment-39817 Kelson Sat, 16 Feb 2008 20:27:29 +0000 http://www.hyperborea.org/journal/archives/2008/02/11/powerless/#comment-39817 They confirmed that it's the RAM. Which is actually better than it being the drive, because it's easier to replace <em>and</em> it went recently enough that there shouldn't be any actual loss of data. We should have it back today or Monday! On the minus side, if it weren't for that stripped screw, I probably would've been able to test the machine without it, and gone down to Fry's that afternoon for replacement memory. For want of a nail... They confirmed that it’s the RAM. Which is actually better than it being the drive, because it’s easier to replace and it went recently enough that there shouldn’t be any actual loss of data.

We should have it back today or Monday!

On the minus side, if it weren’t for that stripped screw, I probably would’ve been able to test the machine without it, and gone down to Fry’s that afternoon for replacement memory. For want of a nail…

]]> By: Kelson http://www.hyperborea.org/journal/2008/02/powerless/#comment-39788 Kelson Fri, 15 Feb 2008 20:09:19 +0000 http://www.hyperborea.org/journal/archives/2008/02/11/powerless/#comment-39788 Finally got an update. They did call yesterday, but all they could tell me was that they were having problems getting the diagnostics to run! Anyway, the good news is that the drive seems to be physically okay, and I've asked them to grab a backup of the data (or at least the home directories). They booted it up while I was on the phone, logged into my account, saw my wallpaper, etc. Then it froze again, but hey, that's farther than I'd gotten, and at least they've seen the problem in action. The inability to start seems to have been a bootloader issue where it was trying (and failing) to load the Linux partition that I haven't used in years. Long enough, in fact, that I'd forgotten how much of the drive it takes up. Apparently it's ~20 GB of a 60 GB drive, not ~5 GB of a 40 GB drive. They're currently looking at the RAM upgrade as the culprit. This was the one thing I wanted to test on Sunday, but couldn't, because one of the screws holding on the panel had been stripped (the head, not the threads). Finally got an update. They did call yesterday, but all they could tell me was that they were having problems getting the diagnostics to run!

Anyway, the good news is that the drive seems to be physically okay, and I’ve asked them to grab a backup of the data (or at least the home directories). They booted it up while I was on the phone, logged into my account, saw my wallpaper, etc. Then it froze again, but hey, that’s farther than I’d gotten, and at least they’ve seen the problem in action.

The inability to start seems to have been a bootloader issue where it was trying (and failing) to load the Linux partition that I haven’t used in years. Long enough, in fact, that I’d forgotten how much of the drive it takes up. Apparently it’s ~20 GB of a 60 GB drive, not ~5 GB of a 40 GB drive.

They’re currently looking at the RAM upgrade as the culprit. This was the one thing I wanted to test on Sunday, but couldn’t, because one of the screws holding on the panel had been stripped (the head, not the threads).

]]> By: Kelson http://www.hyperborea.org/journal/2008/02/powerless/#comment-39762 Kelson Fri, 15 Feb 2008 02:01:59 +0000 http://www.hyperborea.org/journal/archives/2008/02/11/powerless/#comment-39762 Not yet. I called this afternoon for an update, but they hadn't started with it. They said they'd call me back before 7:00 tonight, so they've got about an hour left. Even if it is ready today, at this point I'm not going to be able to get there before closing in rush hour traffic. Probably just as well. I don't really want to spend <em>tonight</em> reinstalling software anyway! Not yet. I called this afternoon for an update, but they hadn’t started with it. They said they’d call me back before 7:00 tonight, so they’ve got about an hour left.

Even if it is ready today, at this point I’m not going to be able to get there before closing in rush hour traffic. Probably just as well. I don’t really want to spend tonight reinstalling software anyway!

]]> By: West http://www.hyperborea.org/journal/2008/02/powerless/#comment-39761 West Fri, 15 Feb 2008 01:34:24 +0000 http://www.hyperborea.org/journal/archives/2008/02/11/powerless/#comment-39761 Did you get it back, yet? Did you get it back, yet?

]]> By: Kelson http://www.hyperborea.org/journal/2008/02/powerless/#comment-39687 Kelson Tue, 12 Feb 2008 20:30:55 +0000 http://www.hyperborea.org/journal/archives/2008/02/11/powerless/#comment-39687 No kidding! I'm not even going to go into some of the stuff I've been dealing with at work the last few days. It's been...well, I'm not sure <em>interesting</em> is the right word. I just dropped the laptop off yesterday, so best case is probably Thursday to get it back. Good luck with your gf's parents' computers. It's always frustrating when 2 machines go at once. No kidding! I’m not even going to go into some of the stuff I’ve been dealing with at work the last few days. It’s been…well, I’m not sure interesting is the right word.

I just dropped the laptop off yesterday, so best case is probably Thursday to get it back.

Good luck with your gf’s parents’ computers. It’s always frustrating when 2 machines go at once.

]]> By: West http://www.hyperborea.org/journal/2008/02/powerless/#comment-39684 West Tue, 12 Feb 2008 20:14:09 +0000 http://www.hyperborea.org/journal/archives/2008/02/11/powerless/#comment-39684 This seems to be the weekend for crashes. I was just thinking about posting about my gf's parents' tech issues. While we were on our way to help fix their desktop computer, their laptop died. I don't remember if you said you got yours back yet or not, but I hope it worked/works out well. This seems to be the weekend for crashes. I was just thinking about posting about my gf’s parents’ tech issues. While we were on our way to help fix their desktop computer, their laptop died.

I don’t remember if you said you got yours back yet or not, but I hope it worked/works out well.

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