Friday
Well...the fun hasn't started yet. No, I'm not sitting with one of the grands. I'm sitting with the computers while my files get transferred from the old computer to the new one. This is attempt number 5 or 6...I've lost count. The transfer cables that Carolyn bought when she got her Dell did not work on my new computer, possibly because I got a 64-bit machine, although I don't really know. Just guessing. Brent picked up the cable I needed yesterday and I'm now on my third attempt with them. Apparently, the new computer goes into a standby mode after sitting idle for a while. Moving the mouse has not proved to be successful in getting it going again. I've had to (improperly) turn it off to get it started again. Not an auspicious beginning to my experience. It's quite frustrating.
However, as most of you know...getting angry at the computer is pretty pointless. And we've been conditioned over the years to accept what it dishes out and move on. As an example: I am typing this post into an email on my iPhone, practicing using both thumbs. I'm not very good at it and constantly have to correct run-on words, accidental returns and hitting the "n" or "m" when I mean to hit the spacebar. And, I think I'm actually getting worse instead of better. Just a minute ago I hit "send" when I meant to scroll. That sent this email to my blog and stowed it as a draft. I then go into my blog and open the draft and either publish it or continue working on it. Well, crap! I just accidentally hit send again.
Well...the fun hasn't started yet. No, I'm not sitting with one of the grands. I'm sitting with the computers while my files get transferred from the old computer to the new one. This is attempt number 5 or 6...I've lost count. The transfer cables that Carolyn bought when she got her Dell did not work on my new computer, possibly because I got a 64-bit machine, although I don't really know. Just guessing. Brent picked up the cable I needed yesterday and I'm now on my third attempt with them. Apparently, the new computer goes into a standby mode after sitting idle for a while. Moving the mouse has not proved to be successful in getting it going again. I've had to (improperly) turn it off to get it started again. Not an auspicious beginning to my experience. It's quite frustrating.
However, as most of you know...getting angry at the computer is pretty pointless. And we've been conditioned over the years to accept what it dishes out and move on. As an example: I am typing this post into an email on my iPhone, practicing using both thumbs. I'm not very good at it and constantly have to correct run-on words, accidental returns and hitting the "n" or "m" when I mean to hit the spacebar. And, I think I'm actually getting worse instead of better. Just a minute ago I hit "send" when I meant to scroll. That sent this email to my blog and stowed it as a draft. I then go into my blog and open the draft and either publish it or continue working on it. Well, crap! I just accidentally hit send again.
Anyhooo, I decided to set the alarm on my phone for 22 minutes. When it chimes, I go move the mouse so it knows it's being tended. So far I think that is keeping it going. It looks like it's transferred about 50% of the 32.4 GB it's supposed to move. It indicates that it will take another 5 hours or so. That time estimation fluctuates up and down, so I won't bank on it. I'll just plan on getting plenty of exercise today, running up and down the stairs.
Saturday
I did all that running up and down the stairs for about 10 hours. Every 22 minutes for 10 hours. The last time I got upstairs, the computer had apparently shut down and restarted because it was waiting for me to log in. I never saw a message saying that it had finished and I didn't see a list of transferred files which I was supposed to see. The last time I was up here before that happened, I estimated (because it didn't show percentages) that it had about 10 % left to transfer. It did indicate that it had about an hour and a half to go. It looks like most of the files transferred, but I haven't been able to find the Quicken data files that I need or the contact files for two email programs. Not to worry...they're still on the old computer, on the online backup and on a flash drive and the cavalry is coming. My computer guru has said he will come and help me sometime next week. Now I just need to clear a path and do a lot of dusting and hope my calves don't cramp up from all the trips up and down the stairs both yesterday and today.
I did get my new printer out of the box and installed it today. Still have some work to do to be wireless, though. I'm waiting for Jedd to help me with that, too. You should see this room. Stuff everywhere. My laptop is on top of a pile of papers and a notebook. I threw a bunch of old paperwork into a box to look at later. I had to do that to make room for the old printer, which is still hooked up to the old computer. A few weeks ago the old printer started printing badly. New cartridges, aligning the cartridges, cleaning the cartridges...none of that fixed the problem. It was leaving off the bottom part of about every other line. The old printer was over four years old, so I decided to get a new one. And here I am with two computers, two printers, cables strung every which way, papers, fileboxes, storage boxes...it's a nightmare.
Saturday
I did all that running up and down the stairs for about 10 hours. Every 22 minutes for 10 hours. The last time I got upstairs, the computer had apparently shut down and restarted because it was waiting for me to log in. I never saw a message saying that it had finished and I didn't see a list of transferred files which I was supposed to see. The last time I was up here before that happened, I estimated (because it didn't show percentages) that it had about 10 % left to transfer. It did indicate that it had about an hour and a half to go. It looks like most of the files transferred, but I haven't been able to find the Quicken data files that I need or the contact files for two email programs. Not to worry...they're still on the old computer, on the online backup and on a flash drive and the cavalry is coming. My computer guru has said he will come and help me sometime next week. Now I just need to clear a path and do a lot of dusting and hope my calves don't cramp up from all the trips up and down the stairs both yesterday and today.
I did get my new printer out of the box and installed it today. Still have some work to do to be wireless, though. I'm waiting for Jedd to help me with that, too. You should see this room. Stuff everywhere. My laptop is on top of a pile of papers and a notebook. I threw a bunch of old paperwork into a box to look at later. I had to do that to make room for the old printer, which is still hooked up to the old computer. A few weeks ago the old printer started printing badly. New cartridges, aligning the cartridges, cleaning the cartridges...none of that fixed the problem. It was leaving off the bottom part of about every other line. The old printer was over four years old, so I decided to get a new one. And here I am with two computers, two printers, cables strung every which way, papers, fileboxes, storage boxes...it's a nightmare.
One of these days this will be a distant memory and then I can start to have fun. Soon, I hope.
2 comments:
How are the legs today? I expect to shop for a new computer next month, so I'm soaking up your experiences and hoping for a very happy ending to your computer chronicles.
No cramping during the night, so all is well. But, I don't think I moved a muscle once I fell asleep. I might have had a different story to tell if I had so much as stretched during the night!
FYI: I probably should have talked to a Dell rep while I was making my choices. I think the Studio 17(studio? Ohhh) might be geared more toward multimedia...not something that I really required for my current use. I do like that it has a number keypad on the keyboard...something made possible by the 17", I guess.
Post a Comment