My compy is officially on my hit-list starting today.
It all started when I tried installing the latest Motorola drivers. Why? Because those old Motorola Razrs are extremely hackable and customizable. Fun stuff! I had done it before on an old XP machine, so I was a pro, haha.
...Anyway, I was careful to get the most up-to-date drivers for optimal compatibility with Windows 7. And sure enough, the latest version did tout support for Microsoft's latest OS. So I downloaded, and installed the installer (Yes, I know, redundant). But when I went to install the actual drivers, a big ol' Blue Screen of Ultimate Geoflcl Frustration reared its ugly head in an instant. Fantastic!
But, hey, not all BSODs are fatal. I actually get the all the time from accidentally opening my disc drive before it's done burning. No big deal. So I sort of just shrugged it off, and restarted.
Everything looked in order as it booted back up. I opened Google Chrome, and looked down at my keyboard to type "motorola drivers windows 7 bsod" to as a search query (nope, I'm not a touch-typer). But as I looked up at the screen, I was looking at one of the delightful connection problem screens that always seem to brighten one's day. Blechh.
So I sort of waited it out for a few minutes. It wasn't uncommon for my Internet connection to catch up on a boot. But the interwebz never came...
It was a problem with my PC for sure, since my netbook, which uses the same router, was a-OK. Jeez, man! I had a bone to pick with Motorola now. :angry2:
I tinkered around with varios router and internet settings, to no avail. What on earth was causing this?
On top of it all, the PC's monthly diagnostics test reported some bad news as well. The hard drive was failing.
Yes! My new HP Pavilion is already showing signs of early crap-outtery! I guess it failed the SMART quick self-test. Apparently, if I don't replace the hard drive, it could fail on me at any given moment. Bahh!
So I called up HP, already in a terrible mood and dreading the worst (in terms of cost to fix, as well as cooperation from the representative). It was actually quite painless. I was under warranty (albeit running out here soon), and they'd replace the drive for free. The only thing I'd have to do is back up my files (duh, I wouldn't want HP lookin' at em' anyway
), and pay someone to get the old, cruddy drive ripped out. Not bad, I guess. Also, the lady was quite nice. Sorta eased my nerves. One of the better customer service agents I've dealt with.
What really bothered me was how it just sort of came out of nowhere. It was such a sudden ailment. I had run the same last month, and it was A-okay. And I'm a freak when it comes to my PC's health. Virus scans, ventilation, etc. I'm pretty up to speed in that aspect, I think. Methinks someone in my house dropped it or something while they were rearranging the computer room this month while I was away. But that's just me jumping to unfounded theories and whatnot. And heck, maybe I don't know what I'm talking about. I dunno.
Anyway, after I was done shooting the breeze with the representative (when she asked me if there were any other questions she could answer for me, I asked "Do you like the Beatles?"), I was sort of still paranoid about my poor compy for all the problems that were gang-raping it. So I went ahead and did all sorts of unnecessary (or were they?) virus scans and program uninstalls and stuff. After all, I don't know much about the variety of malware out there. It sounded weird to me, but maybe there is a virus out there that can affect hardware.
I did a ton of System Restores, too. I know they never work, but hey. I kept restoring farther and farther back, and it finally fixed the internet probs after I restored it to a roughly two-week point in the past. Drat, now I gotta reinstall Sony Vegas Pro. AND my hard drive is still on the verge of shitting itself. But hey, at least I have internet, so I guess I'm alright.
Anyway, even though I'm in the clear, I still have unresolved questions. What on earth did that Motorola driver do to my compy that made it shut down all contact with the internet? Why is my hard drive burning after six months? When is my DS replacement case getting here? Oh, wait.
Anyway, there you have it. Pure, unorganized thoughts of my annoyance with today. You guys are pretty chill, so comments or suggestions of any kind are appreciated.
It all started when I tried installing the latest Motorola drivers. Why? Because those old Motorola Razrs are extremely hackable and customizable. Fun stuff! I had done it before on an old XP machine, so I was a pro, haha.
...Anyway, I was careful to get the most up-to-date drivers for optimal compatibility with Windows 7. And sure enough, the latest version did tout support for Microsoft's latest OS. So I downloaded, and installed the installer (Yes, I know, redundant). But when I went to install the actual drivers, a big ol' Blue Screen of Ultimate Geoflcl Frustration reared its ugly head in an instant. Fantastic!
But, hey, not all BSODs are fatal. I actually get the all the time from accidentally opening my disc drive before it's done burning. No big deal. So I sort of just shrugged it off, and restarted.
Everything looked in order as it booted back up. I opened Google Chrome, and looked down at my keyboard to type "motorola drivers windows 7 bsod" to as a search query (nope, I'm not a touch-typer). But as I looked up at the screen, I was looking at one of the delightful connection problem screens that always seem to brighten one's day. Blechh.
So I sort of waited it out for a few minutes. It wasn't uncommon for my Internet connection to catch up on a boot. But the interwebz never came...
It was a problem with my PC for sure, since my netbook, which uses the same router, was a-OK. Jeez, man! I had a bone to pick with Motorola now. :angry2:
I tinkered around with varios router and internet settings, to no avail. What on earth was causing this?
On top of it all, the PC's monthly diagnostics test reported some bad news as well. The hard drive was failing.
Yes! My new HP Pavilion is already showing signs of early crap-outtery! I guess it failed the SMART quick self-test. Apparently, if I don't replace the hard drive, it could fail on me at any given moment. Bahh!
So I called up HP, already in a terrible mood and dreading the worst (in terms of cost to fix, as well as cooperation from the representative). It was actually quite painless. I was under warranty (albeit running out here soon), and they'd replace the drive for free. The only thing I'd have to do is back up my files (duh, I wouldn't want HP lookin' at em' anyway
), and pay someone to get the old, cruddy drive ripped out. Not bad, I guess. Also, the lady was quite nice. Sorta eased my nerves. One of the better customer service agents I've dealt with.What really bothered me was how it just sort of came out of nowhere. It was such a sudden ailment. I had run the same last month, and it was A-okay. And I'm a freak when it comes to my PC's health. Virus scans, ventilation, etc. I'm pretty up to speed in that aspect, I think. Methinks someone in my house dropped it or something while they were rearranging the computer room this month while I was away. But that's just me jumping to unfounded theories and whatnot. And heck, maybe I don't know what I'm talking about. I dunno.
Anyway, after I was done shooting the breeze with the representative (when she asked me if there were any other questions she could answer for me, I asked "Do you like the Beatles?"), I was sort of still paranoid about my poor compy for all the problems that were gang-raping it. So I went ahead and did all sorts of unnecessary (or were they?) virus scans and program uninstalls and stuff. After all, I don't know much about the variety of malware out there. It sounded weird to me, but maybe there is a virus out there that can affect hardware.
I did a ton of System Restores, too. I know they never work, but hey. I kept restoring farther and farther back, and it finally fixed the internet probs after I restored it to a roughly two-week point in the past. Drat, now I gotta reinstall Sony Vegas Pro. AND my hard drive is still on the verge of shitting itself. But hey, at least I have internet, so I guess I'm alright.
Anyway, even though I'm in the clear, I still have unresolved questions. What on earth did that Motorola driver do to my compy that made it shut down all contact with the internet? Why is my hard drive burning after six months? When is my DS replacement case getting here? Oh, wait.
Anyway, there you have it. Pure, unorganized thoughts of my annoyance with today. You guys are pretty chill, so comments or suggestions of any kind are appreciated.
