Ain't computers fun!?!?

Well had a lovely Saturday, I realized just what I had done on Thursday night... See I formatted my main computer on Thursday and installed a brand spanking new Windows XP MCE 2005 install. The install went flawlessly, I used the 2 CD Rom drives and the install just grabbed what it needed instead of the previous install on the other computer....

(Remember, the I'm a hack"er" post...)

However, I jumped the gun and didn't backup several key things, like my desktop images, my favorites, and oh yea, my wedding plans folder..... AAAARGH!!

All this came at the same time I looked at my computer monitor on Saturday morning, with it saying:

Intel Pentium 4 2.8Ghz
memory

at the bios level and nothing else.

I powered the system off and back on and guess what

Intel Pentium 4 2.8Ghz
memory

Ok, ok, nothing to worry about, (yea right), just reset the motherboard and go again, I mean the cover is off the side of the tower any way.. Yea, that's all I need to do..

Boot back up:

Intel Pentium 4 2.8Ghz
memory

Oh, no it isn't working, ok, it is stopping before counting the RAM, maybe a stick of RAM is bad...

Pulled out a stick of RAM and Power the system back on...

CRAP:

Intel Pentium 4...

Ok, breath now I say to myself.. Maybe it is just a bad memory slot. I say to mayself as I also consider that I am saving up for a wedding, the rings, and the reception... UGh, my stomach sinks...

I try both RAM sticks in all 4 slots one at a time. No better... But the system beeps like crazy if I don't have any RAM in so it is detecting the sticks... I pull out every other card in the system, the network card, the sound card, the DXr3, (if you know it you probably worked with me at some point), unplugged the CD's the floppy and taking a deep breath, try to boot the system up.

GAH! The same thing, no change. I walk away and go back to bed.


But if you know me you know I can't rest unless I figure out the problem. I lay there in bed thinking I can change out the memory with another system, yea that will work... I get up and go back in there and realize that my new external HD is still plugged into the USB. Just for kicks I unplug the USB cable and reboot the machine and it boots up. So here I sit, with a stack of computer components laying on the desk and a fully functional computer booted up.

Lots of cables unplugged and laying down there on the floor..

And someone feeling like an idiot in the chair..

Never the less, the computer is back up and running, and my new external HD is working fine too, I just don't leave it plugged in anymore..