Who’d a thunk a biographer would have a BIOS problem? I was wondering if it wasn’t the stupid CD—it always stopped at 90%.
I heard about the new virus—but warning my computer about a virus would be like taking Helen Keller in for a glaucoma test.
Don’t worry.
Okay. Basically, Eve, if it’s a software problem, I’m going to fix it for you. For the intents of this, I’m considering the BIOS software.
If it’s a hardware problem, I’m going to identify it, and then it goes back to Toshiba as it’s under warranty. Yes, Kinthalis, often manufacturers put little seals on the access panels of computers. You can upgrade, it just voids the warranty. They claim. With a computer this new, it’s not worth the hassle and cost.
Thank you, dear—I assume Toshiba has service places in Manhattan I can haul it to if necessary? Thank goodness it’s a laptop . . .
could be bad sectors on the HD. a format and wipe sounds like a fixer.
Remember folks, there are only 2 types of Hard disks. Those that are about to die, and those that have.
Yeah, you can always replace the entire thing if its this new and not working in such a major way. In fact, the less tech savvy you pretend to be, the faster you can convince them to get you a new machine.
Amen to that. Papa Tiger is a computer geek from back before the stone ages (IBM programming school inn 1969), and even he doesn’t crack open the case on a computer unless he’s on the phone with the manufacturer tech support and THEY tell him to open it. Which has happened on several occasions, when they figured out that they had a honest-to-goodness non-idiot on the phone with them.
[hijack]A whole store full of imported anime? Ooh, do they have a website? Young Tiger LIVES for the stuff![/hijack]
I guess I’m a bad geek, because I tore the case off a brand new computer in 1997 (a computer I’d had less than an hour) to add a network card when I discovered that if I did that, I could hop on the lan at college instead of dialing up.
Since then I’ve not really worried about the warranty seal, cause I build my own.
Mama Tiger:
… Imported anime and anime products. Wall scrolls, action figures… Now, the truth be told, the best place to get fansubbed anime these days is… uh. Well, I’m not going to say on this board, but there’s a natural evolution of the old slogan of “Keep Passing The Tapes.” It involves having broadband, a computer, and some software that I’m not discussing. They do have some japanese import stuff on DVD, but it’s mostly, ah, well… about the same stuff. Mmm. New Godzilla movies.
(Ending that discussion now, not saying anything more about the evil subject in this thread)
www.imageanime.com is their web site.
But I only buy stuff I walk in for there.
For the real stuff. The expensive stuff, I get it from their source. www.hlj.com
Cheapest place to get anything japanese in the world. Cause he’s there. Still, nothing like walking in and picking up a reissue Megatron.
On the other hand, you want to get good fansub, there’s this place on Elizabeth Street… You in the City?
Catsix: The key here is warranty and cost of replacement parts. Me, I’m not worried, I’m being thrifty. You break the seal, you pay for parts. I whitebox my stuff, I don’t care about seals. But this is Eve’s computer so I’m not cutting any corners.
I just had lunch with Oxy, and he insists he can find my place w/o my coming into town to collect you—but if there’s any question, I’d be happy to.
Even if you can’t fix my computer, we’ll have a pleasant afternoon of hanging out and having lunch, anyhoo.
So, anyone else coming?
I understand your concern, E-Sabbath. I do remember once being very, very nervous about the ‘tech’ who was sent to my house to replace a motherboard in a computer that was three days old.
The guy looked like he had never heard of ESD before. 
Typically when I’m working on someone else’s computer that’s under warranty, I will attempt to fix the problem in software, and if I can’t, I’ll narrow it down to hardware, and then have them contact the manufacturer.
Good morning! Eve should be coming back sometime this week, so I’m refreshing the thread. Yep. Boom da boomp.
In other news, spent the weekend dealing with an odd DMA issue that blew out the synch between video and sound on some other computer.
In other other news, Eve’s Emergency Backup Spare Computer is fully armed and operational, even if she’s not. 
I had the parts…
No negative reflection on your skills, E-Sabbath, and I have some idea of what you are dealing with, but what’s taking so long?
I’ll move this to MPSIMS, as it’s hardly a Pit topic anymore . . .
Catch you in MPSIMS, Drop. Er. What’s taking so long is Eve was out of town, see above, and we scheduled for next Saturday.
Now, to plan the Eve’s Computer An’ GeekDopeathon, go to the thread following.
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=208708