Wednesday, November 28, 2007

New Computer - Urk!

I seem to have killed my lovely Acer laptop - am hoping that I can get my data (especially photos) off it. Yes, I know I should have done back ups. But I lost the cables for my external hard drive in 2006, and this year has been so hellish I never got time and energy to search for them.

So I trundle on with a new Toshiba P200-17C. Nice machine, I think I will have fun with it. Eventually.

Very embarrassed to find when I came to pay for it that I couldn't remember my PIN number for credit card. Fortunately John had sufficient available funds to cover it, but I feel really bad that he had to pay for me.

I'm having a few problems with getting Microsoft Vista to do what I want it to. For example, though I have Thunderbird as my default email program, MailWasher keeps opening Microsoft email when I "Process mail" to delete blacklisted and spam email.

Am using a simple work around at the mo - opening Thunderbird after checking and deleting email in Mailwasher, then immediately taking it offline. It's clumsy, and is a pain when emails are in html as you have to go online to see them. I wish all email lists would have a Plain Text Only option!

I'm sure that there's a way to do this better, but I am limited in how fast I can get to grips with new technology. Will be trying to sort it out when I have more time. Had hoped to put off buying a Vista machine for a few more months. But needs must when the devil drives! ;-)

Been offline since 22 November - eek, 6 days with no internet or email!!!

Painful withdrawal, interspersed with trying to get things going again. Read some books! I wonder if I can add a recently read books thingy to the side bar. Must look into that!

I highly recommend "The Executive Brain" by Elkhonon Goldberg. It's going to take me a while to read it right through, but it puts the role of of the frontal lobes of the brain into context. Very interesting, and also accessible for lay people like me.

No photos today, and possibly for a while, as I haven't worked that part of the new machine out yet!

6 comments:

DD said...

I hate having to swap to a new computer, it takes ages to get everything set up as you want it all over again.

There are places that do data recovery, if you look in Yell.co.uk for 'data recovery' in a convenient location, but they might prove expensive.

Libbys Blog said...

Glad to see you back in the world of 'blog'. In next to know time you will be doing loop the loop with your new comp! Just think back to when you first got your Acer!!!!!!!!! lol!

Artis-Anne said...

Oh no I hate it when you have to get to grips with new technology and usually wait until my daughter or son can sort it out for me !!
I need a new computer, preferbly a laptop but keep putting it off.
Great to see you back on line though & thanks for your lovely comments :)

Probably Jane said...

Hope your new machine has taken to its obedience classes - I look forward to seeing you spinning in the new year!

seahorse said...

Nice to see you and good luck with the pix. Maybe take the Acer to a small local computer shop (they can be better than big chains). I got one to do me back-up discs for a tenner. They could maybe do something with it. Best go on local recommendation though

Kahless said...

Seems like you are pretty good with technology to me. I have heard many people have prolems with Vista. Me I want to stay with xp.

Ands thanks for the reminder to go do a ackup of my hdd!!!!