Comic on Possible Haitus (Yay Adobe!)

[Valynth]

the way I see it, given amber's income is not steady at all, and usually makes at best around 1000 a month (exceptions when she says she'll be on hiatus if money/computer problems are solved) I don't view it really as a good business, altough an good side job if you are able to manage it while doing a more steady-income work

considering I make only about 200-400 dollars a month....  That would actually be a step up for me.  *starts trying to grow his mad artz skillz*

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

I assume you do actually realise that was a joke.

Nope. You missed the smiley off the end.

Sorry, we're not Cubi here. You do have to actually talk...

[Pheonix-IV]

Oh, right of course, i don't have my Pedobear avatar here so it's possible to take me seriously.

I can see that was a tactical error.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Isn't it always? ;-]

[Gamma]

I don't laugh at the Pedobear, I fear it. And must destroy it! :nuke

It still urks me about her computer though, what the hell could it be this quickly?!
I have my suspicions but I can't wait for the answer.

[Dagardo]

I'll destroy pedobear for money.

I don't laugh at the Pedobear, I fear it. And must destroy it! :nuke

It still urks me about her computer though, what the hell could it be this quickly?!
I have my suspicions but I can't wait for the answer.

I destroy pedobear for money. And you might as well speak your suspicions, I dont see the harm in it. 

[Gamma]

I already did, earlier post I talked about ram or the psu. But I guess I can elaborate.

Ram fits the best though, easily could go bad this quickly and cause all sorts of random problems from OS to individual programs, like photoshop activation.

PSU if not feeding the rails enough current but the right voltage could still work but be sporadic in problems. Making it pretty tough to find sometimes. It also can mimic or cause other part and OS failures.

Motherboard is actually pretty unlikely. If you change it as a "Hail Mary" it still might have solved the problem but it may have actually been a loose connection to the PSU, CPU, Ram, drive cable, and rarely the thing wasn't getting the proper grounding connection from case standoffs.

I've seen three machines that just didn't like their case either, two from work and our first pc a "Packard Hell."Some times the things optical drive wouldn't work when you put the case lid back on.

Been changing ram since I was 12, love my PUTERS!

[Dagardo]

Sounds complicated. And yeah I'm real sure you love your computers.

[Ghostwish]

Of course. Take it from Alexsi. Love is like a giant mallet...

[Amber Williams]

Minor update:

My husband did a few things to the computer. Mainly he did a full system restore back to the first of August and then he used a program called C-Restore I believe to try to fix any registry redundancies.

At the time it seems to have fixed the issue where I wasnt being able to turn off my computer properly and also the thing where firefox, aim, and several other programs were refusing to start in general.

Both Photoshop and Acrobat are still on the fritz though.  I was able to install Adobe Reader 9 which seems to run no problem so I am optimistic that I will be able to regain Photoshop by uninstalling/re-installing.  Its just a matter of either finding where my disks are at and having them mailed, or yarring it up. 

However I figure I wont bother trying to re-install anything until after the computer is back cause if there is something that requires me to pretty much wipe the system, I dont want to bother installing the thing twice.

NEW ISSUE:
Adobe Acrobat 7. The other program that has been giving me trouble along with Photoshop. (in many ways its this lil bugger that kickstarted the fiasco since it was the first program to freak out on me)  HOwever, unlike Photoshop...for the life of me I cannot find a way to actually uninstall this lil terror.  There is actually no uninstall file in its folder and when I go to control panel/remove programs/etc, it doesnt even show up in the listing.

It's like...it is there enough to try to wrest control over my PDF files from Reader, but not there enough to actually remove it from my computer.  And its bugging the hell out of me.

[Dagardo]

I don't think you can uninstall Adobe Acrobat, I think its just there cuz it needs to be for the comp to run right. If you upgrade it, I think it effectively removes the previous version though.

[Gamma]

What you regained control of helps support my failed ram idea. Registry clean/repair programs can undo damage from incorrect read/writes on ram. As long as a program doesn't use the bad block of ram again it shouldn't foul up.

It's possible a read/write error ate part of the uninstall wizard for Acrobat 7 when it's programing got borked. It's entry may have still been available but nonfunctional. The registry cleaner probably removed the invalid uninstall entry. If that's the case then a reinstall of Acrobat 7 should bring it back to working order once the hardware issue is sussed out. Assuming other parts of the program don't inhibit a reinstall. Adobe's good like that, uninstall borked, can't frigging reinstall. It's a needless integration with windows.
I've also seen program suites integrate multiple programs with one uninstaller, think Office or Adobe CS3 Master Collection (Arrr...)

No you can uninstall Acrobat, it's unnecessary, in fact for reading them I recommend Foxit reader if you don't need a write program. Apparently you do though since you had it.

What is nice as far as OS reinstalls are concerned, since it sounds to be a custom built machine you can always do a repair install of windows or reinstall over the top of it. Programs would still need reinstallation but files would still be where you left them.

[Amber Williams]

Final update before the computer drop-off:

Just called the place. They can take the compy in though its estimated it will be about 2-3 days before they finish. This is partially due to them having a few other computers already in queue.

Right now the compy seems to have gotten over its registry snafu thanks to the restore and C-clean...so I am optimistic in that it may not need a complete windows reinstall.  But I guess I will wait and see what the peeps say.

I am hoping to replace the graphics card and possibly the power supply if that is being a bugger. (And maybe investing in a UPS, I think the term is?)  Also really looking into upgrading the cooling because several times I have noticed my computer likes to randomly restart and I am getting the feeling it is the "oh crap too hot! *reboot*" variety.

If all goes well, I will get my compy back and it will be better than ever and not require me to reinstall everything. But odds are I will be re-installing Photoshop. And possibly Acrobat if only so I can get a stupid uninstall file.

[Dagardo]

Well whatever happens I wish you the best of luck. As do we all.

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

ok, randomly restarting is either heat or RAM or PSU related, usually. Usually heat, but not always.

If the output temp of your machine is up there, then heat may well be cooking your RAM. It'd be worth running a ram checker over it (the UBCD I mentioned earlier; I can provide a link if needed) just in case; even if nothing else, confirming that the RAM is ok takes one variable out of the list, and means you can concentrate on other things. Plus when it's grinding away (after about a half hour or so) you can check the temp of the air being blown out the back, and see if that's too hot. Two birds, one stone...

If your PSU is underpowered, then that could be triggering things. That's a bit harder to test, though.

Oh, and as far as cooling stuff goes? Get the biggest fan you can fit in the box - a larger fan makes less noise and moves more air.

I could waffle on for hours, but I suspect you're probably bored of me already. ;-]

[Amber Williams]

I figure worst case is I could always just buy a mini fridge and stuff the computer into that.

I keed! I keeeeed!

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

There are people who've done just that.


... some people just have more time on their hands than they should...

[Dagardo]

... Like my brother... But hey, if sticking it in a mini fridge works, then go for it.

[DarkAudit]

I have the lm_sensors package installed on my Linux box, so I can keep an eye on temps and fan speeds (CPU @ 44 C, CPU fan 2566 RPM at present in a computer desk enclosure with the door open). The ABIT motherboard I had in my pervious computer had monitoring software for Windows available for download on their web site.

in any case, it's a good idea to grab what ever monitoring software your motherboard manufacturer provides, so you can keep track of any behavior that could lead to another system barf.

[Amber Williams]

*typing from ze husband compy*

Wellp the computer is in the shop. Odds are I will be getting a call tomorrow or the day after to tell me what exactly is wrong, how it can be fixed, and how much that will cost.

I told them the issues it was having and they are running a full diagnostic so that should in theory shake out any of the problems.

So here's hoping for good news.

[Alterationartist]

*typing from ze husband compy*

Wellp the computer is in the shop. Odds are I will be getting a call tomorrow or the day after to tell me what exactly is wrong, how it can be fixed, and how much that will cost.

I told them the issues it was having and they are running a full diagnostic so that should in theory shake out any of the problems.

So here's hoping for good news.

C'mon! Big money, big money, no whammy, no whammy, STOP!

[Jairus]

Well, good luck Amber! Don't forget to keep us updated, okay?

[llearch n'n'daCorna]

Yeah, a full diag should shake all the monkeys out of the trees.

Best of luck with that.

[Sofox]

All the best Amber, I hope everything goes swimmingly.

[Pheonix-IV]

Two words:

Water. Cooling.


Solves all problems by looking awesome.

[DarkAudit]

Two words:

Water. Cooling.


Solves all problems by looking awesome.

But done wrong and...

It's best not to talk about such things. Amber's been through enough already.

[Pheonix-IV]

Two words:

Water. Cooling.


Solves all problems by looking awesome.

But done wrong and...

It's best not to talk about such things. Amber's been through enough already. D:

To be fair, it doesn't matter what it is you're doing. If you do it wrong it's not going to be awesome.

[Tapewolf]

If you do it wrong it's not going to be awesome.

I beg to differ.  Sometimes doing it wrong is the most awesome way of all.

[Naldru]

If you do it wrong it's not going to be awesome.

I beg to differ.  Sometimes doing it wrong is the most awesome way of all.

At first, it's ooh and ahh as you watch the fireworks.  And then the screaming starts.  And when you see your house on network news, you start feeling really down.

[Pheonix-IV]

If you do it wrong it's not going to be awesome.

I beg to differ.  Sometimes doing it wrong is the most awesome way of all.

In which case, by definition, you're doing it right.