One of these days, I'm liable to beat my computer to death with a hammer, I swear. It's bad for my blood pressure, that's what it is.
Of course, it's usually my own damn fault -- I have an itchy clicking finger and have a tendency to stop things halfway.
For example, Monday evening I was preparing some tax software rebates and I needed to copy my receipt. So, since this computer is pretty fresh from its Windows install still, I had to install the Compaq scanner drivers and junk.
I start this up, no problem. Then I see an install box that says its copying some Adobe stuff across. Thinking, "hey! Don't mess with my Acrobat!" I click Cancel.
It cancels.
On reboot, it turns out it didn't back out of the cancel gracefully. In fact, it messed up my NT Kernel! Bastards.
So I figure, "hey! I've got an emergency repair disk from my last install!" so I boot to that. Nope. So I boot to the Windows install CD and tell it to use the disk. Completely useless, doesn't recognize it. Bastards. I think it's more a placebo than a "repair" anything.
So I do a more extended recovery. No problem, everything is still there, except for Adobe mind you, and works. Mostly.
Except I can't get to the internet for mail or web browsing.
I check all my network settings and they are good.
I can ping anything, and DNS works.
But FTP, Web, mail (both directions) don't work.
And then I run out of time.
Finally, yesterday, looking at it again, I discover that my Zone Alarm is blocking some non-application processes out of bizarre ports. What is this?
I fiddle with the settings a bit and voila! It all works again!
However, I remain very suspicous of things. Do I have a virus? An evil entity posessing my computer? Why would Zone Alarm list activity to the 'net, VITAL activity it seems, but with no associated program?
I may eventually upgrade to XP because it seems to make at least a TOKEN effort at protecting its system files. Windows 2000 lets anyone and their dog piss all over vital kernel files, and that's a huge pain when I have old, ill-behaved installations to do.
Of course, I could install at NOT administrator, but then, the installs don't work. At least my kernel would be safe.
Computers. Bah.
Posted by Edwin at April 14, 2004 07:30 PM