I’ve done it again!
You would have thought I might have learnt my lesson by now. But it seems not. Every so often I get the urge to install some version or other of Linux onto a computer, and every time it doesn't work.
This time I've tried to create a partition and install Mandrake on the laptop. But due to the manufacturer 's perferred recovery system – they put a partition right at the front of the drive to store the recovery software – I'm now totally stuck. Neither Windows nor Linux will load, it keeps going round and round on the recovery, and not being able to do a system restore. I have no seperate recovery disk either. I'm trying to reinstall Mandrake at the mo, but it seems to have gotten stuck too. (Retrying now).
I'm now wondering if the reload cd I have for the big pc will work. Just to have a working laptop would be nice!
Time to drum it into myself – stay away from Linux!
16: 40 – Wow Update: I sent an email to the manufacturer at 4.10; I get a reply at 4.29. They can supply a image cd to restore the laptop to factory settings. Danny Baxter is to be praised from very tall buildings – I will not hear a bad word said against him. [And should he ever Google his name…. Hi! 🙂 and thank you very much.] Fine with me. Am I correct in thinking that'll totally format the entire drive? Who can spot the computer dunce? Wishing I had computer geeky friends, of the internet sort or otherwise!
16:50 Update: Mandrake loads to a point. It stops responding to the keyboard when it askes for my user password. The reload cd isn't compatible with the laptop, but I'm sure someone already knew that. Looks like I'm buggered till Mr Baxter responds to my email, and I recieve the cd in the post, and I wonder how long that will take. *sob* laptopless! How am I going to console myself?
Nothing (much) To Report 
KM said,
7 September, 2005 at 1:33 pm
Are we still praising said Mr. Baxter from the rooftops? – still waiting to hear about that there wedding!
whale said,
7 September, 2005 at 1:58 pm
Mr Baxter is to praised for the foreseeable future.
Ah, yes. The wedding. Well, I was typing that up in Word…on the laptop. So, it looks like I'll have to start all over again. I will do so, soon. When all the required components are working i.e. brain, eyes, fingers. Procrastination heaven or hell?
KM said,
8 September, 2005 at 6:43 pm
From what I hear about weddings – most probably the latter!
dotdavid said,
8 September, 2005 at 8:32 pm
I don’t hold much truck with recovery CDs. They tend to just restore the hidden partition with the system software.
Demand a Windows CD if you don’t already have one and reinstall it yourself. That way you won’t get all of the crap they put on it like Norton “I’m Shit” Antivirus, free trials for AOL and whatnot.
Oh and if you need geeky help, most of Mosaik work in IT for companies as diverse as BT, LogicaCMG and WayAhead (wot do the See tickets).
Tom Reynolds said,
10 September, 2005 at 8:49 pm
I’ve also given up with Linux as an unfriendly OS with limited support of such arcane trickery as WiFi cards and monitors.
(But only after trying a dozen distros, and a handful of machines).
Kizi said,
12 September, 2005 at 3:12 pm
I’ve thrown my hands up in despair and run away from all versions of Linux. I may try again one day, on a machine that isn’t already spoken for, i.e. a Windows lover.
Oh, and Woo! Tom Reynolds was ‘ere!
I must calm down.
dotdavid said,
12 September, 2005 at 7:46 pm
And there was me thinking our ambulance people had work to do 😛
Kidding.
Kizi said,
13 September, 2005 at 3:42 pm
I doubt he’ll be back somehow.
The good, bad and simply ugly people of London (or just a certain bit of it) will be well looked after, whether they want it or not. Ungrateful sods.–>