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My Absense A Brief Explaination

#1 Theo Nean Donly

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Post icon Posted 07 October 2004 - 02:15 AM

My absense as of late was caused by my computer dying, that is, it no longer believes it has a hard drive. Mostly my appologies to Avatara for the lack of a promised post. I now have the next four days off and I'll see about getting back in touch. If anyone knows how to get data off such a broken computer, I'd be immensely appreciative, as I have/had a rather painful amount of half-finished programs and a devistating amount of written and lyrical poetry that I would spend most of my current money to retain.

This post has been edited by Theo Nean Donly: 07 October 2004 - 02:15 AM

"I don't need a plan, just a goal. The rest will follow on its own"
- Magic: the Gathering, "Temper"

The One And Only
~Theo Nean Donly~

#2 cache22

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Posted 07 October 2004 - 02:23 AM

What kind of computer, what OS, drive format, and what kind of failure? Also, do you have another computer you could possibly put the drive from the old one in?

"The e-mail of the specious is deadlier than their mail" - Tom Holt, 'Snow White and the Seven Samurai'

#3 Theo Nean Donly

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Posted 07 October 2004 - 03:13 AM

cache22, on Oct 7 2004, 07:23 AM, said:

What kind of computer, what OS, drive format, and what kind of failure? Also, do you have another computer you could possibly put the drive from the old one in?

Dell Inspiron 8600 (laptop), Windows XP home, not sure what is ment by drive format, failure: press power button, it loads initial dell inspiron screen, after which it waits for a few minutes before flashing to a black screen and saying "no boot sector on hard disk" blank line "no bootable devices - strike F1 to retry boot, F2 for setup utility". I can get to setup via F2, but nothing else, and no sensible changes there help. It will recognize my windows cd, it can't find or install windows. This is my only computer. My guess (as a computer-mechanically inept person), is that the hard drive is somehow disconnected or just completely broken. This is my only computer. It is still within the 1 year warrenty, but I'm afraid to send it in and miss any chance I may have of getting any files back. But I plan to call Dell tomorrow. Any thoughts?

"I don't need a plan, just a goal. The rest will follow on its own"
- Magic: the Gathering, "Temper"

The One And Only
~Theo Nean Donly~

#4 cache22

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Posted 07 October 2004 - 04:18 AM

If it's under warranty, than sending it in is probably your best bet for retrieving your files. It does sound like either something's disconnected, or the controller's fried, or the boot sectors of your disk (and hopefully nothing else) have been destroyed. In the latter two cases, it might be possible for them to insert the drive as a second disk into another computer, and copy your files across. It would pretty much have to be a Windows NT/2000/XP box, since the disk format is almost certainly NTFS - if it were FAT, then a Linux box or a Mac would probably have done, if you could find an adapter for a 2.5 inch drive.

"The e-mail of the specious is deadlier than their mail" - Tom Holt, 'Snow White and the Seven Samurai'

#5 Pallas Athene

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Posted 07 October 2004 - 08:06 AM

Hmm... I remember installing a bootloader as part of the Linux install process, and I think that would fix your problems (not sure though). However, I don't know of a way to install a bootloader without installing Linux.

A search for 'lilo' or 'grub' would return some potentially relevant results.

#6 cache22

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Posted 07 October 2004 - 01:20 PM

Pallas Athene, on Oct 8 2004, 01:06 AM, said:

However, I don't know of a way to install a bootloader without installing Linux.

It's doable, but not easy. It won't help if there's a hardware malfunction, though, which is what it sounds like.

"The e-mail of the specious is deadlier than their mail" - Tom Holt, 'Snow White and the Seven Samurai'

#7 Theo Nean Donly

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Posted 08 October 2004 - 11:52 PM

Don't ask me why, but I called Dell, the first guy that picked up said he didn't have the proper training and said he'd transfer me to someone higher up. While I was waiting I went to turn on my computer so that I could see the exact error message and it loaded perfectly. *blink* *blink* As puzzeled as I am as to why it stopped working, I'm even more puzzeled as to why it does again. Thanks for all the input.

"I don't need a plan, just a goal. The rest will follow on its own"
- Magic: the Gathering, "Temper"

The One And Only
~Theo Nean Donly~

#8 Avatara

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Posted 08 October 2004 - 11:57 PM

Now's the time to backup anything important, in case your luck fails you, or secret ninja assassins come in to finish the job.

"Sometimes I get confused whether I'm posting on ATT or in the War Room. But then I remind myself: If it's moderators acting scatter-brained and foolish, then it's the War Room*.

*Unless it's Avatara, of course."
-- From the memoirs of Sundered Angel

#9 Pallas Athene

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Posted 09 October 2004 - 09:23 AM

Avatara! He's not supposed to know we're coming!

#10 cache22

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Posted 09 October 2004 - 04:50 PM

Theo Nean Donly, on Oct 9 2004, 04:52 PM, said:

I went to turn on my computer so that I could see the exact error message and it loaded perfectly. *blink* *blink*

It's Windows, Theo. You have to expect a little unpredictability.

"The e-mail of the specious is deadlier than their mail" - Tom Holt, 'Snow White and the Seven Samurai'

#11 Selax

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Posted 09 October 2004 - 07:02 PM

Quote

Now's the time to backup anything important, in case your luck fails you, or secret ninja assassins come in to finish the job.

Quote

Avatara! He's not supposed to know we're coming!

He won't. We are using snipers instead of ninjas.

Long Live Cythera! Long Live the Cythera Web Board!

I now run a TS Character Killing Service.

Selax

#12 Theo Nean Donly

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Posted 10 October 2004 - 04:07 PM

Ohhh, so that's why Avatara was trying so hard to find out my name yesterday... one just never knows about these things... so many aliases

"I don't need a plan, just a goal. The rest will follow on its own"
- Magic: the Gathering, "Temper"

The One And Only
~Theo Nean Donly~

#13 Avatara

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Posted 10 October 2004 - 04:19 PM

But thanks to you, a name and address make it much more conveniant...less collateral damage and all.

#14 Theo Nean Donly

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Posted 10 October 2004 - 04:39 PM

Gymnasts > ninjas or snipers, or even ninja snipers and sniper ninjas. Step up.

"I don't need a plan, just a goal. The rest will follow on its own"
- Magic: the Gathering, "Temper"

The One And Only
~Theo Nean Donly~

#15 Avatara

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Posted 10 October 2004 - 06:12 PM

I forgot to mention, my ninja snipers are equipped with rocket launchers. I think you're going down, boi!

#16 Selax

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Posted 10 October 2004 - 09:38 PM

Quote

Gymnasts > ninjas or snipers, or even ninja snipers and sniper ninjas. Step up.

Ha! Our ninja snipers (equipped with rocket launchers) are gymansts as well.

We are also considering sending them at anyone who hasn't posted on Echoes from the Past for a while.

This post has been edited by Selax: 10 October 2004 - 09:44 PM

Long Live Cythera! Long Live the Cythera Web Board!

I now run a TS Character Killing Service.

Selax

#17 The Wizard

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Posted 10 October 2004 - 09:57 PM

Selax @ October 10, on 02:38 AM, said:

Ha! Our ninja snipers (equipped with rocket launchers) are gymansts as well.

We are also considering sending them at anyone who hasn't posted on Echoes from the Past for a while.

Very talented aren't they?

Wizard