Monday 8 March 2010

Make do and mend

My previous post, Christo's Legacy, was a post too far for my ageing laptop computer. The photographs were slow to load and as I was putting the finishing touches to the post, blogger swallowed half if it. My attempt to resurrect it, from the ruins that I was left with, were in vain. I had to remove all of the photographs and start again, which meant that time that I had allocated for visiting was used for post writing. A couple of days later I had more problems when I was trying to re-arrange the widgets on my sidebar. The widgets were all over the place, including places that I would never get them into, if that was where I wanted them to go. At this point husband decided that we would look at blogger's help pages. We found that other bloggers were having similar problems but there did not appear to be a solution to the problems. Then just as we were putting the laptop to bed for the night it expired on us. The following day husband decided, after fiddling with it, that the hard drive had gone. Perhaps blogger was not to blame for the problems after all.

I was slightly dismayed when husband talked about repairing my laptop. This is the third time that it has let me down in the last nine months. It is husband's hand me down and is approaching five years old. I am not sure what that equates to in human years. About pensionable age I would imagine. Last time that it let me down, we had agreed that the next time it let me down, that it would be replaced. So husband reluctantly agreed that I could have a new laptop but he was also going to repair the old one and sell it. I was expecting a trip to PC World but no, husband maintained that a higher spec. less expensive laptop could be bought via the Internet, which is what we did with a two day delivery. I saw the brown and gold UPS delivery van reversing down the lane, from the bedroom window, and husband was standing on the doorstep before the driver had got down the path. The box was opened in the kitchen and as I was about to put the packaging in the recycling bag, I thought perhaps we should keep this in case it doesn't work. Husband set about commissioning the laptop, but you have probably guessed by now that it didn't work and it was soon back in the packaging which thankfully we had not had to fish out of the rubbish. So that hard drive, that husband had ordered, came in useful after all and my ageing laptop has had yet another reprieve and is back in business. But before it has chance to let me down again I intend to replace it. However, for now I am going to catch up with all of your posts.

23 comments:

Strawberry Jam Anne said...

These computers do sometimes seem to have a mind of their own. We had problems a few months ago and bought a new system. I am still getting to grips with it but persevering. Trouble is husband is not very computer literate and is always asking me for help. The phrase "the blind leading the blind" springs to mind fairly often. A x

Working Mum said...

I've had problems with widgets recently, so I think there is a problem at Blogger. However, it may be time to get a new laptop. I've just replaced my ten (yes, ten) year old desk top with a lovely new laptop. Well worth it! And I went and bought it from a shop so that I wouldn't have to faff about sending it back if it didn't work - can recommend doing that too!

Jennytc said...

Stand firm, CW and demand a new laptop - or else.....!

Maggie May said...

Widgets do seem to have a mind of their own. Mine come & go but so far have not changed places.
Hope you get it all sorted.

Nuts in May

Rosaria Williams said...

These computers don't last forever. They need a lot of memory to upload pictures and music.

the fly in the web said...

I just caught up with your Great Dixter post and it made me regret that I left a country with such great gardens and the culture which produced them...I was there in the lifetime of the family, I have all the books, they inspire so much of what I want to do in the garden - but, this winter, even the structure of my garden has been killed.

I await the shoots of hope - which always come - but I am too old to begin again.

I will just have to read 'the well tempered garden' as a sort of dream world that I can never recover.

Grumpy Old Ken said...

I have just taken my fourth printer back to PC World. They were not amused but mechanical things do NOT last for ever.

Akelamalu said...

It is so annoying when computers keep crashing. My laptop keeps turning Explorer off then restarting I'm just about to throw it through the window!! Arrrgggghhh!

Valerie said...

My computer expert explained to me that it's the programmes and constant updates that use up the memory in computers. He also said that because of this the life of a computer is now no longer than four years. So, it's time you had a new one. However, there is definitely a problem with blogger. I can't leave comments on certain styles of comment boxes, and I have to 'sign in' every single time - never had top do that before. Good luck with your computing.

debsdigest.com said...

Widgets on your sidebar?! Sounds like a disease. You're obviously a lot more computer savvy than me.
Hope it's sorted anyway.

Rob-bear said...

Sorry about all your computer disasters. I've had a succession of Macs over the years, and they have worked well until the wore out, literally.

I think you should get a new laptop. Start budgeting now, and in four years, you'll be able to get another one.

Midlife Roadtripper said...

Go with a MAc next time. They work. Glad you are up and running in the meantime.

French Fancy... said...

I can really imagine the sigh and words said aloud when all your photos on the Cristo post disappeared - and you did have quite a lot of them and it must have taken ages - first time and then the dratted second one.

Oh dear re the new laptop. Thank goodness I am married to a technical wizard - although with him working away now my fingers are permanently crossed that nothing goes wrong with my system.

I hope the new laptop works just fine on set-up.

Gilly said...

Get a new laptop!! Mr. G got a laptop (second hand) and gave me his old computer, which is now the master one, as my old computer died on me.

I'm fairly computer literate (more than Mr. G is!) but we nearly always buy our computer stuff, printers etc. from a nice man up the road who has a smallish computer shop, is very knowlegeable, and will always help in a crisis!

Jennyff said...

I normally get very cross indeed when the computer goes wrong, more so than say if the washing machine broke. However for a couple of days we've been without internet connection and while I thought I'd be raging without emails of blogs, I did a lot of work in the garden and kept calm. Hope you are soon returned to normal service.

Anonymous said...
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Carol said...

the price of netbooks have come right down and I think they are just as good as a laptop...tis what i use. Might be worth thinking about!!

C x

imbeingheldhostage said...

MAC. They're easy, reliable and did I say easy? I'm so sorry-- nothing is worse than being out of commission because of a cranky computer. Did you have sunshine today?

cheshire wife said...

Akelamalu - I know the feeling!

Valerie - thank you.

Deb - I have given up with widgets.

Rob - by then it will be nine years old.

FF - luckliy my technical wizard was home last week.

Jenny - catching up is a slow process.

imbeingheldhostage - yes, we had sunshine but we were decorating.

CG said...

I feel like hell if our computers go wrong! And if the internet goes down...disaster! I hope you don't have any more glitches for a long time!

Hilary said...

Sorry to hear about your computer woes. That's never a pleasant time but I'm glad you were able to get a bit more life out of the old laptop.

Sniffles and Smiles said...

Oh, my...what a time you've had!! Hope you've been able to replace the laptop by now!! So sorry you've been having computer problems! There are few things more frustrating than that! Love you! Janine XO

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