Adventures in geeking.

[sessifet]

Decide to rebuild my main computer as it's been slow to load stuff even after adding shiny new memory. Back up everything I want to keep (after having been told that booting into safe mode would be a lot easier if Windows Explorer keeps crapping itself in normal mode. Yay, geekfail moment (stay tuned, there are more).

Make a rather silly mistake and delete entire 'to be sorted' folder on the D: drive to make some space while meaning to delete some files in the folder, not the whole thing. Have lots of space. Not quite was intended, but nothing that can't be fixed.

Claim I won't need much help. Immediately start asking questions. Realise if I go ahead with this it will be my computer and my dad's name will be gone from it. Be a bit silly and have a bit of a cry.

Next step: figure out which is the C: drive as the silly bugger won't boot when I disconnect either hard drive. Nor can I quite figure master/slave. I don't want to presume master is top and slave is bottom (fnar), so a work-around it is (after yet again heavy hinting on the part of remote tech support :)).

Check hard drive size, write down hard drive size and then check on the physical drive and pray to whatever deity out there that a) I can find it, b) it's legible and c) I don't cock it up along the way.

Have a major 'I fail at geeking' moment. Ponder asking if anyone knows of a good medium so I can call dad figuring that, since it's his old computer, he'll know what to do.

Pester remote tech support.

Figure out what's what. Silly Windows doesn't tell me which drive is of which make. This is confusing. Also once again learn that sliding out the cradle works a lot better than trying to unscrew the other side of the case. Fortunately I look before actually starting to unscrew the side that has the motherboard and assorted stuff bolted to it.

Theorise why the silly bugger won't boot when both drives are not attached. The C: drive is set to master with slave, which might mean it goes tits-up when you just disconnect the D: drive without changing the jumper on the C: drive to just a master drive. Do so. Reboot PC. PC goes splat. Go flaily mcflail. Notice I forgot to attach a cable. Go 'Durrrrrrrr'. Try again. Theory is vindicated as PC boots.

Pester more knowledgeable geeks yet again.

Kick off re-installation of XP. Ask for confirmation along the way. Get confirmation that this is what is supposed to happen. Wonder why the hell I don't have an XP manual that says 'Don't Panic' in Stephen Fry's voice. I could do with one.

Currently waiting for re-installation finish so I can panic and have major geekfail moments about re-installing all the needed drivers and programs and service packs and such and pondering staying up until I've made it work. This might not be the best idea in the world.

Have currently not yet made a blood offering to the Gods of Tech. Wonder if I should get a goat or a chicken for tomorrow's installment.

Comments

[spooforbrains.livejournal.com]

In terms of the IDE chain, master is the end connector, slave is the middle connector. Of course, the jumper settings on the hard drive are a whole different story and cable select is evil.

Good luck with the reinstall. I assume this is XP. So, yeah. Good luck! :) Consider dual booting :)

[troo.livejournal.com]

It has to be human blood, preferably caught on a sharp edge someone forgot was in the computer.

[swaldman.livejournal.com]

It wouldn't be a PC case without razor-sharp edges on the inside.

Of course, modern Mac cases have the razor-sharp edges built into the external "carrying handle" instead :-)