Monday 1 February 2010

NEWS UPDATE

I can't believe it is February already! Where did January go? So much for my resolution to blog more frequently - nothing posted since 12th January!

I thought I'd better give you a News Update.

Firstly, my computer has packed up working. Well when I say it won't work, what it actually does is open to the initial Windows screen. Here I have four users - Troy, Mrs Troy, Troy Junior and Guest. The first two are password controlled. Whichever one is clicked on, Windows opens for about four seconds showing the background screen but no icons. Then it logs back off and reverts to the first Welcome screen. So none of us can get into Windows and get at any of our files on the C drive. Now fortunately I've got all our digital photos backed-up and also some of my excel files but there are a handful of important files that I can't access and for which I don't have any back-up copies. AAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHHH!

I also have a netbook and I've now got that connected to a proper keyboard and a large widescreen but that still doesn't get me to the files I need - tax return details, all my savings details (which are spread around several banks) and "interesting" things like my cars' petrol records etc. etc. It would take "forever" to recreate them. I was told that I could get into Windows "Safemode" by hitting the F8 key on boot up. I did that but even the various safemode options log me straight out of Windows when I try to open it. The data is safe on the hard drive but presently totally unaccessible. Any ideas anyone? £25 reward to the person who comes up with a satifactory fix.

Secondly, I owe you an update on the problem we were having with our car remote controls and all our neighbours' electric gates etc. We got a person from OFCOM to come out but the first time (Sod's law) everything was working okay. He came out a second time and then discovered that someone (not us!) had installed a faulty device to their TV to transmit signals around their home. This device was faulty and effectively sending out jamming signals to our remotes when it was being used. So the situation is now sorted.

Thirdly, almost a year ago I told you about how my MGF car had died from a totally broken engine. We finally got a quote for £1,864 to replace the engine with a new one (and put in a new clutch whilst the engine was out). We decided to go ahead but the new engine supplied was faulty and wouldn't rev past 1,500 rpm (ie. useless). The company fitting the engine had a long run in with the engine supplier and finally they got a further engine from a different supplier. The whole episode started at the end of last February and we didn't the car back until late May. That was still in time to enjoy the "barbeque summer of 2009" with it being a convertible. It's now done about 2,500 miles on its new engine and last week passed its annual MOT without any issues (thank goodness!).

Fourthly, I had to take over, with no notice, as Chairman of Troy Junior's school's board of governors. Just as the Head Teacher resigned! (No connection!!). I can't say anymore for confidentiality reasons, but already year-to-date I've spent nearly 30 hours just on this voluntary position! And the HT recruitment process will take up a lot more of my time over the next couple of months.

So, I've not had a lot of time for blogging, or indeed surfing the Internet in January.

19 comments:

Elaine Denning said...

Two suggestions to resolve your hard drive issue.

1 - Instead of selecting Safe Mode after tapping F8 when booting your computer, try selecting "Last Known Good Configuration", or even "Repair Computer" and go through a system restore, which won't do anything to your files.

2 - Purchase an external harddrive enclosure, unplug the harddrive from your computer, plug it into the enclosure and connect the enclosure to your netbook via USB. That will enable you to browse the files.

(The above was written by my son, Dan, just in case you thought for a moment I had any idea what the hell you were talking about! Anyway, hope it helps.)

Ladybird World Mother said...

First of all... AAARRRRGGGHHHHH. In sympathy... how awful to have complicated arrangements with computers. Secondly, I need to tell you that having collected my lovely Stalwart Award, have gone back to the posts I hadn't commented on, and commented on them. If you see what I mean. Cos, one thing I cant stand is not being thorough. However, in your spreadsheet you did I couldn't see beyond Random Musings.. and it may be that there was one I missed.
This would be most remiss of me. And as a Stalwart must not happen.
Thirdly..
Chairman of Governors...!!! well done! And what a lot of work. You'll be brilliant at it... they are damned lucky to have you.
And fourthly, must put the kettle on. xx

Ladybird World Mother said...

And fifthly, am most impressed by Elaine's son. I would advise against external hard drive enclosures. My chickens hate theirs. x

Ladybird World Mother said...

And sixthly, I finally twigged on your comment re. Mother's Tense. (On my post last week, or whenever it was.) Blimey, I think I need a new brain.

Catharine Withenay said...

Blimey, Troy, your life sounds even more busy and confusing than mine!
(I don't have seven points to make to compete with LWM ... nor any knowledge about computer repairs. *sigh*)

Troy said...

Elaine - none of the various options after tapping F8 worked - I tried them all. I'll certainly look into the external harddrive enclosure idea - will speak with Tandy or the like.

LWM - one of the spreadsheets I've lost is "Blog Comments 2009 and 2010". I can't face recreating it but hopefully Elaine's son's idea may have come to the rescue of my files.
Agree they (school) are lucky to have me. Wish I didn't have MUG tattoed on my forehead though.
Finally, glad you caught on with my comment - well at least once someone else explained it on their comment!!!!!!

Troy said...

Catharine - don't feel you need to compete. LWM would just come back with eight points.
Your comment must have come through just as I was responding to Elaine and LWM.

DJ Kirkby said...

Excuses accepted. Good luck with that computer and the school governacing, how stressful.

cheshire wife said...

Glad to see that you have not been idle!

Troy said...

DJ - you are right about the stress. Eating a meal just before I was due to chair two important meetings I told my wife that this was the first time I'd felt any stress since I stopped work in 2007!

cheshire wife - not idle but unfortunately not paid either. The good news is that I'm very rarely bored.

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

Phew, I'm exhausted just catching up with what you've been doing. No wonder you've been away from the blog a bit.

Troy said...

Debs - I think from reading your blog that you have the right ideas : lying in the bath or in the sun, reading, walking on the beach and shopping for chocolate. (Oops! missed out working).

Anonymous said...

No time for blogging indeed, you're forgiven!

What a nightmare with the computer; I think I'd have bought a new one by now.

CJ xx

Hadriana's Treasures said...

Good luck with your computer - Troy - it sounds nightmareish but hope that the bad dreams are now banished!

I'm a school governor too but luckily have not been called in as much as you have....

Troy said...

CJ - nightmare indeed. Mrs Troy recently bought a computer and I've got a netbook so from that point of view we weren't short of computers, just short of some specific files which I should have taken back-ups.

Hadriana - I think I'm called in a lot because they know I'm 'idle' at home whilst many of the others are working. Being Chair is certainly quite a committment.

Lane Mathias said...

Is it February? Really? I'm astonished.

You've been mightily busy. So you're excused:-)

Troy said...

Lane - yep it's February and it'll be March in a blink of the eye the way time is flying by! Are you still breathing in? (see Lane's blog for an explanation of this last question).

Hadriana's Treasures said...

How's it going Troy?

I've noticed that your "bestseller blog" has disappeared. I've not forgotten about the June submission. I will get my writing skates on! (I'm feeling very guilty now...)

Troy said...

Hadriana - time is flying by. I've just called by your blog and realised that there is so much there to catch up on - I'll need to set aside a good part of a morning to catch up with it all. We are just about to rush out to Troy Junior's Under9 football game, so must dash..........