# Computer NIGHTMARE!



## Kevin (Mar 27, 2002)

I'm back! This explains why I haven't been on DBSTalk for over a month:

One day in the middle of August (the 16th, I think) there was a severe thunderstorm with some pretty bad lightning at noon. That evening, at 6pm, my computer recieved a blue screen out of nowhere and then proceeded to restart and do an automatic ScanDisk. The ScanDisk froze at 3% so I flipped the power switch on my surge protector, waited a few seconds and then flipped it back on. Then I noticed that the power button on the computer was lit yellow instead of the normal green. The CPU and processor fans were running as they should but no matter what I tried, I couldn't get the computer to boot (I couldn't even get the monitor on, as a matter of fact). I spent almost 2 hours on the phone with the Dell Tech Support taking the computer apart and troubleshooting only to find out that my motherboard had been fried by the lightning earlier that day through the phone line and that my computer was no longer covered under the warranty since it expired in June. I was forwarded to the sales department which told me that I would have to buy a brand new motherboard and put it back together myself, so I told them forget it and hung up. I was so pissed at the computer that I decided to forget about it for a little while because I needed a break from it. It sat there for 3 weeks before I took it to a computer repairman who told me that I can file a claim under the homeowners insurance and possibly get the whole thing replaced. The next day my mother called the insurance company and filed the claim. She was told that they would replace the computer if we paid the $250 deductible, so we faxed the computer's specs over to the insurance company and the new computer was ordered.The computer arrived today and what a surprise I got! Not only did they send us a new hard drive, but new speakers, keyboard, and mouse too (I thought that they were only sending us a new hard drive)! Plus, I got 256MB RAM and a 2.0gHz processor, almost twice as fast as my old computer! That's about the only good thing I can say about the whole ordeal. Not having a computer for almost 6 weeks really sucked and it's great to be back.


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## Chris Blount (Jun 22, 2001)

Hi Kevin! Welcome back. I was wondering what happened to you. Glad everything worked out.


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## Steve Mehs (Mar 21, 2002)

Guess who's back
Back again
Kevin's back
Tell a friend
Guess who's back, guess who's back, guess who's back, guess who's back 

Welcome back! I had a similar experience a few weeks ago, but not nearly as bad. My modem got fried, a few days later a tech came to replace it under warranty. I was just the modem though. It suck not having a computer for 6 weeks, but you got a nice new machine out of the whole situation


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## James_F (Apr 23, 2002)

Thats why I never use computers.


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## MarkA (Mar 23, 2002)

"I thought that they were only sending us a new hard drive"

Uh, how would a new hard drive fix a damaged mainboard (the term motherboard is sexist IMHO, mainboard means the same thing) They had to replace at LEAST the mainboard and the case (because you needed a new mainboard according to Dell, and only Dell makes mainboard that fit Dell cases so you'd need to replace the case also)


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## Chris Blount (Jun 22, 2001)

> _Originally posted by Zac _
> *(the term motherboard is sexist IMHO*


Give me a break!


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## MarkA (Mar 23, 2002)

note the IMHO. I also don't like "master" and "slave" on IDE and much prefer to use device 0 and device 1 (which is actually more correct with the design of modern IDE controllers). That wasn't the point of my message though, just a quick explanation of why I used the term mainboard even though he used motherboard in the original post...


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## gcutler (Mar 23, 2002)

You would have loved Lotus old product "cc:Mail". Originally one of the the Syncronization schemes was called Master-Slave, but was changed to Superior-Surbordinate.

Any other words your prefer not to use?

Cockpit
BlackBalled
BlackListed
Girly
Dominant-Submissive
Dominatrix
feMALE
HIStory
???


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## MarkA (Mar 23, 2002)

Too be honest I would agree with all of your list except female, history, and cockpit. Especially girly since I know all too well how it's used as an insult...


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## James_F (Apr 23, 2002)

Blackballed, you are sick! I prefer blueballs. :shrug:


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## James_F (Apr 23, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Zac _
> *They had to replace at LEAST the mainboard and the case (because you needed a new mainboard according to Dell, and only Dell makes mainboard that fit Dell cases so you'd need to replace the case also) *


No you don't. I have a ASUS "masterboard" (is that ok?) in an old Dell case. You don't need a new case.


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## MarkA (Mar 23, 2002)

I'm not sure about ALL Dell cases, but the ones I've seen have a custom mainboard.


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## Mark Lamutt (Mar 24, 2002)

Ahem..._damn computer industry ...work of the devil..._ 

Welcome back Kevin!


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## Scott Greczkowski (Mar 21, 2002)

Next Zac is gonna ask how you make a Floppy Disk into a Hard Disk.  :lol:


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## Rick_EE (Apr 5, 2002)

I have heard several people refer to the entire case (Mobo, hard drive, floppy,etc.) as a "hard drive".


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## cnsf (Jun 6, 2002)

> _Originally posted by Zac _
> *I'm not sure about ALL Dell cases, but the ones I've seen have a custom mainboard. *


Way off base. Every Dell I've worked on in the past for years (many, I might add) are all ATX form fitting. Easy swapouts.

And I'm also up for "Gimme a break!!!!!" on the "motherboard" comment. Keep your pontificating to the Potpourri forum.


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