Computer woes kept me away for about 3-31/2 weeks. Think it was the latter.
Some may remember I had just got a new computer, a AMD 64X2. My old desktop still worked, but I was getting blue error screens (Windows) more and more. Plus it was only a Pentium III, so it was slow and I was pushing the memory and that was a problem too. So I figured time for an upgrade. The new computer is fine, except for not having enough drive bays. I posted about two days worth of messages to the list before I had problems. I decided to network my old desktop with my new so I could copy files easier, not have to format and copy stuff to about 50 CDs. Uh. I think that took two weeks all by itself. First I tried just Ethernet cables -- a friend had told me that would work. Nope. Tried a crossover cable. Nope. Got a USB cable with software that worked. Except the USB cable while file copying would time out now and then. I also have an old LaserJet that needed a parallel port which the new machine doesn't have. A guy at Fry's convinced me I needed a print server thingee, and that didn't work either. So I went back to my Belkin router. When I got my router about a year and a half ago or more, I bought it because it could also be used just as a gateway, since I did not have broadband. Plugged everything in that and, bingo, it worked. Could also network in the laptop, wireless to the router. I had stopped using it wireless between old desktop and laptop because an upstairs neighbor complained that it interfered with his radio. Took back the print server, and finally found a simple parallel to USB cable. The simple solution to make the LaserJet work. The other had been overkill. But once the home network worked, my modem no longer did. Trying to sign onto AOL it seemed it kept trying to go through my network, although I kept trying to configure it just for phone modem. So I gave up and ordered a cable modem and service from Comcast. Got the self install kit, finally. Tried to set it up. Didn't work. Nothing in their literature/box said that you have to get the service turned on first. In fact it implied you could set up an account just using their software, at least if you are an existing Comcast TV customer. Well, finally called them. Yup, you have to call them to set up service first. Got all that done. Still didn't work. Called back a couple of times, finally they sent out a technician. There were filters on the cable nodes that he had to remove. He said they are supposed to that every time, send a technician out when some starts service, as this whole area has filters. Duh. While all this was going on, my old desktop stopped booting up. Have finally fixed that. Seems maybe I have a bad outlet that tripped the surge suppressor and it corrupted the BIOS boot up. Pressing F1 and redoing BIOS setup fixed that. But until I got around to it, I was a bit worried my board had fried. Still worried about the outlet. Well, everything works now. All computers -- new desktop, old desktop, and laptop are home networked -- cable modem is fast, fast, and now I can get AOL free. I should have made this long story brief. Except, frankly, I couldn't quite believe it -- what kept not working or going wrong -- as it happened. And if I wasn't pretty darn computer literate, what would I have done? Geeze. I pity the poor novices. Sometimes I really hate computers. When I don't love them. Marnie aka Doe :-) -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
