Computer blew up

Update: My Computer blew up.

Not literally, but the HDD (hard drive) has stopped working. I know enough about computer hardware and sounds to know that the chances it works again are very, very low, and even if it does, I would need to rush to save any data. Data like the Quebec projection maps, and the spreadsheet program used to make them.

Fortunately, as my maps can be easily edited, I can get my map back simply by downloading the image in my last blogpost. The spreadsheet is not so easy. However, again, fortunately I'd shared it with someone, so, they sent it back to me. The problem is this version does not include the latest riding adjustments, but, those can always be re-entered.

With a dead hard drive the above will basically be the story of my life for the next week. What I've not backed up needs to be re-found. (the most important stuff in my life is backed up multiple times, but the overwhelming majority of what I own is not) Since I love sharing my maps, most of them will have been saved, and, since I consider my core maps part of what is important, those have been backed up.

What I've lost is thousands upon thousands of hours of work. Much of it on stuff that never goes anywhere. At the moment my HDD broke I was working on an alternate-history map of Poland. One that I almost certainly was never going to even share with anyone.

So.

Where to go from here.

I'd like to walk you through the steps I've already taken and the ones I will need to take in the coming days.

As soon as I heard my HDD making weird noises I tried to load up the C drive in windows. It did not load. I knew right away the HDD was dead. I restarted the computer, and yup. Dead.

First things first, I went and grabbed my "backup desktop". Its an AMD machine that my old boss gave me. Apparently I know enough to get a job fixing computers but don't know enough to keep a job fixing computers. I then grabbed a spare Windows 7 install CD that I found on the ground one day, and installed Windows 7. The case had all the numbers I needed for verification. Then I turned that computer off.

My next step, before I did anything, was to leave the house. Why? Well whenever I have massive computer issues, one thing I tend to need to do is re login to my ISP. If I have that login data written down anywhere, I have "lost" it (It's probably in one of my piles of important documents) but chances are I actually don't have it written down. Since I do everything on the computer - EVERYTHING - I'd need to find a telephone from which to call my ISP. Before I did that I decided I'd go to the Library and use the internet there and see if I can find out what my ISP's phone number is, as well as get other information I may need, such as my account number at my ISP.

Once obtained I then walked to the dollar store to get a Telephone Handset. I do, after all, have VOIP, but mostly just use it for its voice mail services. They did not have one so I went to Home Hardware and bought a handset. From there I pulled out my old Laptop. For those wondering, this is an Acer Aspire 3515. A picture of it can be seen here. Yes that's really the computer I'm using right now. 32 bit, single core, 1.9G speed, 2G ram (at least that's not bad) on Windows Vista. Apparently, if you use Vista, internet browsers get mad at you and tell you to upgrade. I can not get the latest browsers and am looking forward to finding out what websites I can not access.

The laptop, once plugged in, was able to connect to the internet. This is when I realized/remembered that chances are the login information my ISP needs is not on the desktop, but rather, on the router. If true, I should theoretically be able to log in to my ISP with any computer so long as its plugged in to the Ethernet.

So, once I was able to confirm the Laptop will get me online if all else fails, I fired up the backup Desktop I have, and tried to go online. One remaining roadblock has to do with Windows 7. The CD I found on the ground was after someone moved out of an apartment building I lived in. As usual, they leave anything they think others might find useful in the lobby. The problem here is I don't know if this copy of Windows 7 has already been installed and authenticated on another computer. It probably has. When I do get the desktop online, the authentication will happen and I may well be unable to use Windows 7. If so I will need to figure out what else to do. The reason I'm talking in the future tense, is I was not able to get online with the backup desktop. Turns out it has no Ethernet card. No place to plug in the wire.

As such I turned off the computer, and opened the hood. I've been trying to get the HDD out of the backup so I can plug it into my old/broken computer, as, since its only the HDD that's broken, this should give me one completely functioning computer, but I can't for the life of me figure out how to remove the HDD from the backup desktop.

This is when I decided to plug the laptop back in, an update everyone on the situation. That means all of you, my small but dedicated community of regular readers, but also the various people I'm going to link to this post, so that everyone in my personal and professional life can be on the same page.

So, what is next?

I've been eyeing a computer at the computer store I bought my old computer from for a few weeks now. Its about $200 and has everything I need. The problem; this store is in Toronto and I am not. I could try an online purchase and shipping, but I have no credit card and don't know if they take paypal. Even if they do, my apartment is far from ideal to ship parcels to, so I'd need help from my father nearby to receive the actual computer when it arrives. I may also be able to get a friend to pick it up when he makes one of his semi-regular trips to Toronto. The problem is this friend is a computer store owner, and I'd literally be asking him to go buy a computer from another computer store for me. I could also try to get my half-sister who lives in the GTA to help, or ask one of my 'friends' in the area; but they are all online friends and some level of trust would need to be established before I wire them $200.

Money is also an obstacle. I still live on ODSP. I can not afford $200 this month. I can, however, if I truly squeeze my budget, afford $100 this month, and $100 next month. I can make up the difference with a 0% interest loan from my father. I'd rather not do this, but it is an option. It also means two months of very right budgets.

The easier solutions are either to get an Ethernet card for my backup desktop, or, to plug in the backup desktop's HDD into my old computer, thus making that computer work as well as it did this morning.

Once I do have a functioning computer, the next step will be to start any data recovery. That only comes once I have a functioning computer. If I do end up getting one from Toronto that could be a week from now.

This is where the sad news comes in.

Part of that data to be recovered is all my projections.

Even if I do get full on help, the earliest I can get everything back running smoothly (even if everything goes perfectly) is tomorrow morning. There is also a lot more than just projection files I need to find once more. It would take more than a day to really truly be able to get all of that back. This means, sadly.

There will be no more Quebec projections from me.

I've not been able to check any polls this morning, so even stuff from yesterday afternoon is unknown to me at this time; but, from what last polls I did see, I do expect a CAQ minority of between 50-60 seats. The PLQ is likely to take around 45-50 seats, with the PQ near 15, and QS at somewhere around 7. I expect the PQ and CAQ to work out some kind of deal; be it full supply and confidence, or even an outright coalition (unlikely) that would enable the government to operate for at least 18 if not 30 months. By which time the polls will likely have shifted radically enough to make the next election a very different story (if the PQ does prop up the CAQ you can expect them to be utterly replaced by QS and will be unlikely to take even 3 seats next election)

Writing a blogpost is actually something I can easily do in my current situation. My laptop is so slow that even highlighting text has a slight delay, but writing here in blogger works just fine. This may actually result in significantly increased blog output.

Regardless, I am sorry to say the official Quebec numbers are likely done for. I may, MAY, be able to get more done, but am not going to commit to anything.

Thank you all for your understanding.


PS. If anyone wishes to throw in a few bucks to help me get a new computer, contact me on twitter @pellaken