Interesting Coincidence
Posted on July 27, 2009 Posted by John Scalzi 37 Comments
I come home from Confluence to find that it looks like my desktop computer has just up and died. Fortunately, I ordered a new desktop computer a couple weeks back. Estimated delivery date via Fed Ex? Today or tomorrow.
That said, I need to play with the current desktop to make sure it’s really dead. I was planning to give it to Athena, and she’ll be sorely disappointed if she doesn’t get it. Maybe it’s only mostly dead. We’ll see.
Also: Hello. I’ve made it home alive.
Why would it die on you while you were away? Was it pining for its owner?
Have you tried the obvious things like taking out the RAM one stick at a time?
I haven’t tried anything yet, since I just noticed it not working. I will be fiddling with it a bit later, never fear.
Had the same thing happen to me once. Ordered a new computer, the day before it arrived the old one gave up the ghost completely…
Thankfully it wasn’t due to go to anyone.
My wife’s hard drive chose to die the evening she bought her copy of WoW: Wrath of the Lich King….
Now that’s just lousy timing.
Power supply on the fritz, perhaps? That’s be a reasonably easy fix. (Just remember–PSUs aren’t hot-swappable.)
Sorry John, once you’ve worked tech support for any length of time it’s hard not to proffer unsolicited advice.
(It’s also hard not to view the world as a soulless void peopled solely with liars and incompetents, but that’s another story – and I’m almost completely rehabilitated now I don’t work tech support any more)
Marko:
I suspect that’s probably what it is.
Steve:
No worries.
Have you rebooted?
Sorry. Reflex.
Have you tried sticking a bellows in it and pumping it full of air?
When you hit the power switch is there a small voice that says, “I feel happy, I think I go for a walk”? In that case it might just be mostly dead, but it’s probably not really foolin’ anyone. Either that or you need the Computer Shopper Miracle Max edition.
Glad to know the wicked storms of yesterday didn’t swallow you up on the way back.
Max’s miracle pills can fix ANYTHING.
my PSU burned up the other day too. It sure if fun playing component-roullete as you replace things in order of least expense to fix, in the hopes that you fix the problem early on.
Unfortunately, /mostly/ dead is harder to fix than /all/ dead. I’ve had a couple machines seppuku on critical sections of hard drives, necessitating re-loading the OS, which always wants to nuke the entire machine (because of the lousy policy of “Restore to Factory Conditions”), which would take out all the /valuable/ stuff — documents, spreadsheets, music, etc. Getting that stuff *off* first is often the tricky part.
If it’s just a PSU, it should be easy and inexpensive to fix. If it’s the motherboard, it’s probably not worth replacing, just get a really cheap desktop for Athena. Assuming she doesn’t want to play L4D, that is.
Joelfinkle:
Well, see. She does.
If it’s dead, it’s dead. All my critical stuff is on archive drives in any event; All I’ll be losing is some applications I can re-download and plug in my registration keys. And regardless when the new computer comes I’ll pull the now-dead computer’s C drive and take anything off of it that I might have missed.
It wants to go out for a walk.
Did the Magic Smoke come out?
“Did the Magic Smoke come out?”
That only happens when they elect a new Pope.
mmmm… computer Pope.
Word of advice to those keeping their important data on their hard drives.
Never ever EVER keep critical data on an inboard hard drive. This allows you to blow up your computer at will, swap out bad hard drives, etc.
Always keep at lease three hard drives. One for regular use, and two backups that you rotate.
Now ask me how often I backup. G’wan. Ask me. (After I forgot to do it last night and bring the drive into work for safekeeping, swapping it with the one in my desk drawer. [graveyard whistling])
Just to add another quick thing to check:
Old computers often have heat-related issues from dust clogging the insides. The most frequent thing is cables/cards/processors/ram chips working their way out of slots and plugs. A good cleaning and checking that everything is secure can often fix the problem (if the dust or gremlins haven’t killed the power supply. . ).
John, it just knew you were replacing it and it did a HAL on you. “No, Dave, I can’t let you in. Further discussions would be pointless, don’t you think, Dave?” (for values of Dave equal to John…)
I, too, had a machine go creative on me the day I ordered a new machine — the laptop’s friction spring which held the lid open broke, so I had to find something to prop the lid up on.
Dr. Phil
I waiting to hear where to insert the bellows.
There are no dead computers, only spare parts.
Have you checked the fetzer valve?
If that is the problem then it is a simple fix.
If it’s only mostly dead, Miracle Max should be able to resuscitate it. But only if you truly loved it.
What a selfish computer! My friend’s Powerbook had the grace to let her transfer data to her new Macbook. THEN it died.
Oh and… Look for signs of cat sabotage. Esp. from the big furry one. No, the other one. Right… that one.
Jiggle the handle! Jiggle the handle! Oh wait….
Perhaps it’s just pining for the fjords?
So Athena’s going to get a zombie computer?
Perfect for playing Left 4 Dad.
A word to the wise (though a little late) promising our kids something when we had finished with it has frequently ended up being a costly affair, rather than the no cost affair we anticipated…
to blave, to blave, it is clearly saying to blave
which as we all know means, to bluff, and it’s just kidding
my laptop is on its last legs (when i boot up it sounds remarkably like two gerbils are duking it out over who gets to kick start the hard drive this time); the new laptop arrived on Friday – with two DEFECTIVE keys – so the gerbils get to continue their workout
You never should have left it alone with your iMac.
Maybe you can turn this experience into a how to book: Computer Necromancy for fun and profit!
The real lesson here is to never let a computer know that it’s replacement is coming.
Of course, if it’s all dead, then there is only one thing to do…go through it’s clothes and search for any loose change. Which for a computer would be, open up the hood and find any useful spare parts.
Sorry to hear of your misfortune. Funny enough, the lap
dogtop which my employer insists I must use chose this very weekend to metamorphose into a brick.Interesting coincidence — or enemy action?