I’ve been pretty much offline the past week. I decided to do the bi-yearly (something like that) reformatting of my computer. I just think of it as my contribution to Spring Cleaning. Late, but not forgotten. Of course, in preparation for the big clean up I backed up all my important files and assorted goodies – a CD burner is just SO useful! Then I went ahead and did the reformat. Not my first time, I’ve done it successfully several times now.
However, my optimism gets in the way. I always go to it thinking it will be just a run of the mill, plain and simple reformat and reinstall of all the goodies. It never is though. When will I learn…?
Typically, it’s the modem and it’s vanishing drivers which are the problem. Last time I found new drivers on the Internet. Just a quickie download and everything was fine again. Not this time. I tried several downloads, I cursed my computer and it’s ancestors. I even cried at a weak moment, mainly battling Internet phobia and my own exhaustion from staying up even later than ususal, trying to get plug and pray to work.
Anyway, yesterday I drove down to Newmarket, the plan was to take the nephew to Zathura, which we did see this afternoon. Before I left the house I took apart my rebel without a modem computer and dusted it’s guts, literally. I also removed it’s old modem and brought it along with me. Much like a trophy. I sort of did think of it as the beating heart of my enemy, still gushing blood or at least dust bunnies.
I bought a new modem, one that comes with a CD and drivers. No more plug and pray. This modem will work. I hope and assume. When I get back there tonight I will pull apart the computer’s guts again and install the new thing. If I post tonight it works, if not….