Random COMPUTERS! :D

So when I was with my parents I was given 3 computers to fix. One was super super old (from the early 90s), the other was my parents old computer from early '00 and the last was my sister's old computer. Then, at the last minute, my Dad comes home with another computer! (Total now is 4!)

This new computer was from someone at church. I guess a relative of there's got on their desktop and went places that caused viruses to be loaded. Essentially it destroyed the OS. And it was my job to fix it.

Well, it's an eMachine with XP, but no restore discs. Bummer. So I'm thinking "Well, generally there's a restore option right? Just use one of the F# keys...." but no F# key worked. In a last ditch effort I got it Windows Safe mode, as I had read some where that you could access recovery stuff through the start menu. It was a no go. At this point I'm beyond frustrated and decide I'd have better luck wiping the thing clean and starting from square one. (Luckily there was nothing important on the computer.)


Fortunately my parents have an OEM XP disc and a valid key. So I install the OS and then realize eMachine has "special" drivers for it's lan connections. Then I spend almost 30 minutes trying to find the stupid drivers (I was fortunate to find an older model with compatible drivers, otherwise eMachines would have required payment to ship a CD). Ok, so I get everything working and I'm happy to be done.

Jennifer's computer needed to have the harddrive wiped and cleaned and unreadable, for security type purposes. So I do that (takes a while with the program I using). Then I install Ubuntu on it. Why? Well, anyone using her old computer would do better using Ubuntu. :P

But my parents old computer had an important piece fall of the motherboard, so I didn't want to start it. I took out the harddrive, intending to install it on the ancient machine that had Windows 98 on it. Only to discover there are no SATA connectors. Then I open up Jen's computer only to discover there's no space for another harddrive. So then I gave it back and was all like "I dunno what to do with it!" (Until after I got home. Then I realized I could have gotten a free harddrive. DOH!)

Out of the 4 computers given to me, I could only save 2. My parents computer would be good scrap fodder, but the Window 98 machine... well... I was pretty sure that thing was on it's last leg.

But today I get a call from Dad saying how the eMachine wasn't working. The owners couldn't get the monitor to acknowledge the computer. I'm all confused because it worked fine for me. So I call the owner and he's talking to me about it not working, and in the middle of conversion he restarted the machine and I hear. "Oh, it's working!"

-__-

I don't even know what the problem was really. Either the computer couldn't find the driver for the monitor at first boot or he didn't have it plugged in all the way. My best guess. I was just glad it was working at that point.