Computers

That’s Kind of Backwards: Addendum

The optical drive I had came from an HP desktop and just looking at it it seemed like it would slide right into the spot in the Dell’s case. But I never really tried it, I just assumed. So naturally it didn’t fit. Like I mentioned previously, I can’t remember the last time I used an optical drive, so the only thing I lost was a bit of time and $3.99. Both of which are not a problem.

So right now I have a few different options: 1) Buy an official Dell external drive for $40, 2) buy an external case for the HP drive for around half that or 3) buy a random complete drive off Amazon for around the same price as that chancy case. Right now I’m going to take option four, i.e. don’t anything until I actually need an optical and worry about it then.

The Miata was used the last three days for short around town trips. On Tuesday it was sort of spring-like so I took it, top down, on the 2 mile ice cream run to soothe Donna’s sore mouth after a root canal. On Wednesday I took it to my 6-month follow up with the GP, because it was an early morning appointment the trip there was with the top up, but the way home it was down. Today was a rainy midday appointment with my dentist to get my new crowns, so top up the whole way. All three trips are reflected below.

11.6 miles.
Times Miata Driven since 01/01/22: 21

 

That’s Kind of Backwards

Last month when we got home from Santa Fe the desktop PC was dead, so we bought a new Dell and that was delivered 2 days later by our friendly FedEx man. I was kind of surprised that a signature wasn’t required, maybe it was under a certain price point because I really didn’t spend that much on it.

When it arrived I did the usual hard drive dance of removing the old ones, plugging in the old main drive to copy stuff that I wanted, removing it and then adding the old second drive that holds all our documents to the new machine.

Because we were in a hurry to get it, I picked one that was in stock, so it wasn’t customized in any way. While swapping around hard drives I noticed that there was a spot for an optical drive. It even had what looked like a precut punch out hole in the front if you wanted to add a drive. Although I can’t remember the last time I actually used an optical drive, there is still a stack of writeable DVDs in a desk draw somewhere around here. I did have the drive that was in the non functional desktop, so I thought why don’t I put it in the new Dell.

I went online and found the right part number for the optical drive cover and found out it was a mere $3.99 and that included the FedEx shipping. While searching I found a couple of Dell community forum posts that lamented the Dell didn’t actually sell optical drives for this model desktop. Which is funny because not only is there the cut out on the front panel there is an obvious spot to slide a drive in the case and the cabling to plug it in right there.

I ordered the optical drive face plate and three days later there was the FedEx guy on my porch again. But if I wanted him to hand me the small box containing my order I had to sign for it! Seems kind of backwards doesn’t it? I didn’t have to sign for the $800 dollar computer, but I did have to sign for the $4 bit of plastic…

Back Home

We got back home from Santa Fe at about 1:00pm and then proceeded to take the next four hours or so unpacking, doing laundry and getting a bit of grocery shopping done. All that and still watch the final round of the Masters.

I usually leave the desktop PC on all the time, but for some reason I thought it would be a good idea to give it a 2 week vacation while we were on ours. When I went to turn the HP Pavilion 590 back on, it just wouldn’t do anything. Tried to start it by holding down the power button for 15 to seconds before letting go, but that didn’t work. So I tried a trick that has worked in the past on computers, maybe even this one, unplug the power cord, hold down the power button while replugging in the cord. Didn’t work. Is it the power supply? The power switch itself? The motherboard? Or the little bitty board the switch plugs into? Where have the days gone where the switch was just a switch?

Our new Dell Inspiron Desktop 3891 by Tuesday.

We’re Doing Our Part

Our CARES Act check arrived unceremoniously into our savings account a week ago, exactly 2 weeks after I had the IRS deduct almost half of that to pay for 2019’s taxes. Since then we have been doing our part to stimulate the economy by spending the other half on buying:

  • A battery for the Miata from NAPA – the old one was done it by the car sitting for 2-1/2 months awaiting shipment to Oregon.
  • A 15″ Dell laptop from Amazon – the old one was limping along with a dead battery and was mortally wounded by a liquid spill.
  • A lawnmower, a weed whacker and a leaf blower from Home Depot – the old ones were left behind for the new owner of 778 Boardman Road. The mower and trimmer couldn’t be shipped anyway as they were gas powered…

I’ve Got A Screw Loose

Geez, just three weeks after the desktop PC wouldn’t turn on and we replaced it, the laptop refused to start tonight. I tried holding the power button down for over 15 seconds in case it was just in sleep mode, but nothing happened. So I tried pushing several button combinations with the same no results. I did notice that when first pushing the power button there was an adjacent light that would blink 3 times then no more, so I went to our new desktop and Googled For Answers(TM).

Best I could find said it was a possible battery issue, so I should remove the battery and plug the laptop in using the power cord to see if it would start. I was kind of hoping this would be it, as the battery is pretty much shot from use, as it can be used untethered for only about 45 minutes with having to be plugged in.

As I flipped over the laptop to get to the screws on the back, I heard something rattle around inside the case. That rattle has been there for a couple of months, but I’ve ignored it, because, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Well guess what, it’s broke. Maybe something broke off and was shorting something out?

After removing the eight screws and snapping the edges loose, there was still something holding the case together. I pried the edges apart some and could see a boss that looked like it was under the space bar that might be the culprit. That can’t be right? Flipping the laptop over, that boss was probably right under a rubber footing strip. Bingo, there was that pesky screw.1

When I got the back completely off, a little black screw fell onto the desk. Hmmm, all the ones I removed were silver, this must hold the motherboard or some component in place. I looked around all the visible places a screw could go, mentally lined them up with the ones I removed get inside and that left one likely looking boss in the upper right corner. I put the screw in and it screwed right down, holding part of a circuit board in like it was made to fit there.

Turning the laptop over I saw that on the other side was…that’s right, you guessed it, the power button. The laptop powered right on now. Note to self: if something rattles, something is loose somewhere, find it and tighten it.

What’s The Password Kenneth?*

g78FY7PMQ0tkT5w
AnVknz6LOHXdNMn
Qn5FlG16gX1WS0D
U5Ct1SVNN5K3EAQ
jHYkj8H7MjpGvK1

The PCs around Valve Store(tm), like most in a networked business environment, are locked down pretty good so that the regular Joe users can’t screw ’em up. That’s where an administrator password comes in, and I wield one.

One of my various functions at the the plant is Back-up IT Guy and because the Regular IT Guy is pretty ill, I’ve been doing a lot of more computer type stuff recently. While most of the real issues are handled remotely by the Help Desk techs at the Home Office in beautiful downtown Florham Park, NJ., sometimes it is just easier to just call Brian.

It used to be easy, I could keep my admin password the same as my regular network password, so it was always right at my fingertips. But about a month ago the corporation that pulls ASCO’s marionette strings decreed that all Administrators must use the RSA Token two-step authentication system. Now every morning I have to login to special Password Repository using a combination of my 4 digit PIN and 6 randomly generated digits, that change every 60 seconds, from my software token. This allows me to get a unique 15 character alpha-numeric admin password, good for 12 hours.

What you see above are my passwords from the past week. Feel free to copy them down for your own personal use on your favorite, or not so favorite, internet sites.

Started down, went up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 06/25/15: 38

*My twist on the used to be famous phrase, “What’s the frequency, Kenneth?”

Windows 10

 

 

This blog post is being brought to you in all of its Windows 10 glory.

I reserved my “free” upgrade to Win10 from 7 after Microsoft stealthfully installed the sign-up widget in my tray disguised as an update a few weeks ago. After reading a post on Lifehacker last Wednesday on how to skip the wait and go ahead and update now, I took the plunge.

Downloaded it and installed it on Thursday evening. The start menu was some sort of hybrid between 7 & 8 and I tried modifying it to my liking, but by yesterday evening gave up and downloaded a 30 day trial of the beta of Start10 to get back that Win7 menu love. The real deal will cost about $5, which seeing as the Window upgrade was free, an easy pill to swallow.

Like Windows 8, if you have a tablet or a phone all that touch screen goodness is still baked in, but unlike 8 if you have a plain ol’ laptop (or desktop) it isn’t forced down your keyboard. So far it runs just fine on this 1.3Ghz laptop with 3G of RAM. It starts up marginally quicker, but takes longer to shutdown. The upgrade was painless with the exception of Windows Mobile Device Center was incompatible which we use to sync our ancient IPAQ for geocaching. But I plugged it in, some perhaps newer version installed and it went ahead and synced up.

There have been a few teething problems, mostly involving Firefox (surprise) the icon disappeared from the task bar (fixed) and the Firefox label in the upper right-hand corner of the browser randomly pixelates (not fixed.) All the file associations were kept, but the first time you open a program by double-clicking, a file a dialog box pops up asking if you want to keep the default program or use a Windows 10 featured program or download an “app” from the Store.

All in all I like it and will probably do the desktop when Microsoft gets around to offering it to me. There are several other items of note that you should be knowledgeable about before taking the plunge, so if you want to get the latest version of Windows, do some reading – start here: Everything You Need to Know About Windows 10