for a change of pace, this time it's a software problem

[aruan]

walkingshadow seriously wins Best Friend Ever status for answering her phone at 2:30 a.m. and letting me rant and babble and half-sob pretty much without taking a breath for almost an hour about the fact that OMG my computer wouldn't boot and the archaic process of data storage and never saving bookmarks anywhere but del.icio.us again and fic and music and scary, cold tech "support" guy's Windows is corrupt and the warranty doesn't cover data retrieval, like everything I've ever used the thing for is some sort of incidental.

But I took the chance that it could work when rolled back far enough, and through the magic of resetting the computer's clock, everything turned out to be fine on Dec. 15. If I were in any condition to perform higher brain functions, I'd want to know how that works, rolling back software without erasing any of the files you've created in that time. But everything is now backed up, the benefit of having a software as opposed to the usual hardware problem (please don't ask about the asthmatic noises my other external drive that's holding my Paris photos hostage makes.) I'm honestly not a bad computer owner! No drinking/eating over the keyboard, no blocking of vents, no dropping from heights, updated antivirus software, regular defragmenting, no sketch porn sites, and yet here we are. Proof positive that all the meek will ever inherit is a whole lotta regret.

Anyway, suggestions? Do I have to wipe Windows and start over? Can I *69 the unhelpful, unsympathetic bastard at Sony? Will there ever be such a thing as trustworthy machines? And please don't tell me the answer is Apple, there's far too much in my life that would be rendered useless if I went that route.

Comments

Repair

[xalxuffasch.livejournal.com]

Well, if everything is safely backed up, and I mean everything, you are, theorerically, supposed to be able to 'repair' windows. You boot up from the disc and it scans your computer and replaces any Windows necessary files that have gotten screwed up.

Realistically, I have never seen this work. Though usually because the system is so fragged that a complete wipe is in order. However, I would think that if you can roll back your system clock and get full functionality, from what I understand, a repair might actually work.

The key thing is that if it says, more or less, "no files will be saved" or at any point in the process of you trying to repair asks you to delete a partition, thats not what you want to be doing.

If this doesn't work, maybe give me a call. I don't claim Guru status, but I can usually work my way out of my problems.

Re: Repair

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the pointers. Once I've sat down and reviewed that everything has indeed been saved this coming weekend, I'll definitely try patching Windows, though as you say, it'll probably involve a hard disk wipe. Oy. Me and machines, man. You'd think I was some bent farmer in a previous life who insisted that I liked planting crops by hand, who needs this plow business. I love technology, really. I just want a *little* reassurance that the feeling is mutual.