Dell Laptop on the RocksMy big bruising Dell Laptop, Old Faithful, is beginning to falter. After more than two years on the road, she is experiencing her first problems. I think that she is in desperate need of some tech support medicine, though there is not a computer hospital for over a day of travel [...]
Published on March 11, 2008
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Dell Laptop on the Rocks
My big bruising Dell Laptop, Old Faithful, is beginning to falter. After more than two years on the road, she is experiencing her first problems. I think that she is in desperate need of some tech support medicine, though there is not a computer hospital for over a day of travel in any direction.
My big bruising Dell Laptop, Old Faithful, is beginning to falter. After more than two years on the road, she is experiencing her first problems. I think that she is in desperate need of some tech support medicine, though there is not a computer hospital for over a day of travel in any direction.
Well, so the story goes, I was uninstalling some useless programs off of Old Faithful’s hard drive on a fateful day a couple of months ago when I got to a program for Word Perfect Office that said that I have not used it for a year. Now I use the Word Perfect word processing program everyday, so I figured that this Word Perfect Office was some trial version “buy me” crap that came with the computer. So I began the uninstallation procedure only to realize that I was axing my word processing program. With a start I halted the proceedings, but some kind of odd damage was done. My Word Perfect word processing program was saved, but something really stranged happened none the less.
Now every time I start up my computer, Old Faithful thinks she is installing Word Perfect Office and asks for a CD to begin some crazed manner of installation procedure. I try to cancel it but the instalation screens just keep popping up again. And again. And again. I found that if I control-alt-delete it I can get it to go a way for a while. But a couple hours later the installation procedures begin again. This has been going on for the past two months, and I am beginning to suspect that other programs are on the verge of breaking down because of it.
Everything is slowly getting worse as the days go on. I am fearful that one day, I am going try to rev Old Faithful up to find her cold and dead.
This will be a sad day.
I do not really know what the problem is. I suppose I could just uninstall the entire Word Perfect package, which is mostly junk anyway, and be done with it. But this could potentially leave me without a word processing program, which I need. I also do not have access to a fast enough internet connection to install a new word program.
So I am stuck in limbo. Do I delete it all, or continue letting it eat away at Old Faithful’s innards?
It is looking like I may be doing another 10 days in the USA in May. Perhaps I will have to finally put Old Faithful to rest.
A brooding sadness.
Wade from Vagabond Journey.com
Copan Ruinas, Honduras
March 11, 2008
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About the Author: Wade Shepard
Wade Shepard is the founder and editor of Vagabond Journey. He has been traveling the world since 1999, through 89 countries. He is the author of the book, Ghost Cities of China, and contributes to The Guardian, Forbes, Bloomberg, The Diplomat, the South China Morning Post, and other publications. Wade Shepard has written 3465 posts on Vagabond Journey. Contact the author.
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