A Little More Partly Back
This has been a big educatation for me (reinstalling from backup). I have learned a thing or two that may come in handy for you if you ever have to do this. I hope you won't, but...

1) When you're storing stuff, don't fling it all over the hard drive. Sounds boring, but storing all your data and files and such under the Documents tree is a good thing. A VERY good thing.

2) You should be shot for having major amount of data living on the desktop. For example (like me), I started storing all my scanned and manipulated and game images under a mess of files on the desktop. It's all over the freeking place, and it moves around constantly. When you restore, it DOESN'T DELETE DATA if you happen to have moved it.

3) If you do incremental backups, for GOD'S SAKE, don't let them accumulate for 6 MONTHS! I've had to start with my last complete "normal" backup from APRIL, then BY HAND restore forward my virtuously created daily backups. Many days I didn't store anything to speak of (especially when I was playing a lot of games over the summer).

4) I know it's free, but there has to be a better product than what Windows provides. I don't hold out much hope for Vista's version or Windows 7s version either. I think I'm going to have to find something that's SEARCHABLE and BATCHABLE. For the life of me I can't figure out why Backup doesn't show the creation date of each of the sets stored in the .bkf file. Maybe I'm missing a menu choice someplace, but it makes it STUPIDLY HARD to figure out where you are when you're restoring.

5) I have no idea why I've been backing up the system state all this time, since I couldn't use it.

6) I have no idea why the reinstallation created a funky user name with computer name prepended before the regular user name. I didn't realize it was there and so restored to just the user name file and got a duplicate and nothing over in the "new" user's Document tree. So have had to futz stuff and do weird moves and copies and shortcuts.

7) I love applications that don't write a bunch of stuff to the registry. Just have to point myself to the .exe in the program file directory and it RUNS. I love games that have no problem executing if you bought them and feed them the purchase key again. I especially love them if you can download a fresh copy and forget all this aliasing and lying crap. I HATE apps that have changed how they do stuff between the time you originally installed it and now (eg. "free" stuff from Gamehouse, which used to be relatively ad-less too).

8) Oh, well. Am procrastinating. Should get something to eat and probably sleep before I try the last of the "big" artwork and document messes. Think I'm going to restore to a new temp directory, then once everything is mashed together, try to sort it all out.

I suppose it's now a good thing I did practically nothing all summer long.

If you out there in TV land have never even looked at what's behind the icon you click on your machine, if you ever find yourself in this state, HAND IT OVER TO THE TECH GUYS and GALS to fix. If I had a bit of extra money, this is what I would have done (but NOT the Geeks at Best Buy, dear god, at least not the ones around here). They most likely have better tools to restore stuff with, would probable restore to a "clean" server, then move it all over pristinely. That's how I'd do it.

This is too long, because I haven't had sleep and am just typing at this point. Sorry. Nite nite.

Not looking forward to installing a brand new computer that will arrive at some point. Really not. But if I can get the artwork and image files and docs straightened out, at least I know what NOT to do now.

But then will have 2 completely working computers. Just hope I like the new one as much as this old one, even given the problems that arose only after 5+ yrs of solid use.

Probably won't. At least I'll be able to watch Hulu in widescreen.

Labels: computers

- posted by Cynthia @ 11:45 AM | | | Link |

 
Partly Back
In mid reinstallation of my poor old laptop -- have all the "big" software (windows, office, and photoshop) set up pretty much.

Had to start with XP Service Pack 1 (what was on my OEM distributed installation disks) and am all the way up to Service Pack 2.

One nice thing: the hard drive they sent me (after sending the completely wrong one first) got overnighted and is twice the size of the old one.

Unfortunately, it meant I couldn't just do an in-place install directly from the backup, since all the boot stuff was wrong, etc.

I tried it anyway, so have shreds of a botched installation all over the place.

At this point, am unsure whether I want to continue onward and attempt an upgrade to Service Pack 3. If so, will try to run it overnight, since I remember how long it took to do the first time.

Still have all my images and docs and games etc. on the backup drive. Thinking about moving them after SP3 happens.

In any case, just thought folks who were worried about me might want to know what's up. Will check in with youse guys later. Yes, I can get mail now on other than my phone or at the library.

I even watched something on Hulu tonight.

Labels: computers

- posted by Cynthia @ 10:23 PM | | | Link |

 
Happy 5th Anniversary
to me.

Well, missed it by a few days, which is odd, in its way, to miss such a milestone.

Maybe with Obama firmly in charge, one of my original impulses to blog has lessened (but we must never ever drop the ball again. Not ever, else they will creep back in with their evil ways.)

The blogosphere has changed, consolidating around Facebook and/or My Space, so that individual blogs seem almost beside the point.

I'm not doing as much artwork as I was 5 years ago -- or it seems different -- or it's not painting -- or something.

I haven't been knitting in awhile -- 2 sweaters I started still need to be sewn together.

Mostly have been cooking and watching the market and my savings collapse, sometimes at the same time.

For example, am making my famous chicken leg 'n' thigh soup (roast 2 or 3 of 'em for about an hour at 375, then strip the good meat, dump bones and skin and weird meat, add rosemary, salt, pepper, a couple of carrots, celery, a half bay leaf into your favorite microwave bowl, cover with water and pan fat, nuke at 60 percent for about 45 minutes. There you have it -- strain and separate out the stock so you can refrigerate and skim the fat off -- but save it for sauteing).

And, of course, still scripting and doing artwork for my never-ending game, Darkdevil County. Next installment is nearly ready. I mean it this time.

Labels: AGS, art, computers, cooking, Darkdevil County, GOP incompetence, obama, robots

- posted by Cynthia @ 5:27 PM | | | Link |

 
Robot With Sneakers


This is Duo, the robot I talked about below. He (or she) is no longer barefoot and has been reassembled.

He (or she) is one of the robots in my computer game Darkdevil County. If you go to the Ox-Bow benefit tonight, you'll have the opportunity to buy a different robot -- but a really good one, framed and everything.

Is so cold, but I really should get myself going if I want to get down there (I don't, not really, even with the full cash bar and fabulous food). Have been programming like mad all today and yesterday. Want to FINISH this latest version, because there's tons of GOOD STUFF in it -- not just more rooms to explore, but a the story line has gone a bit deeper and the animations are gradually getting better.

Also, am definitely looking to pick up a contract programming/part time/ maintenance/Excel/Access/lite development gig, if anyone knows of something. I can program any of the Visual Studio languages, tho the C family and Visual Basic are my key strengths -- and gaming languages, of course. I've done SQL Server work, but not using a recent implementation (does anyone remember pre-7.0??).

And yes, this is because my savings have been all but wiped out. Thank you, 8 years of failed GOP policies. Thank you very much.

Labels: AGS, art, computers, Darkdevil County, games, robots

- posted by Cynthia @ 4:10 PM | | | Link |

 
How About Appointing a Freeking Democrat
...for a change?

Gregg withdraws as nominee for Commerce

He cited "irresolvable conflicts" with Obama's handling of the economic stimulus and 2010 census.

Yeah, like he's a freeking REPUBLICAN!! Who hates to spend a nickel on the little guy!!

Good afternoon, friends. Have been programming the new scenario busily all afternoon, led astray by an uninitialized variable that was causing (as they tend to) weird effects, but this in the color I was trying to tint a room. Was about to report it as a bug in the new version of AGS until I dumped a bunch of stuff and discovered, what do you know, it was my problem.

Kind of like Gregg. He's one of the bugs in the Obama code. We fix it, and move on.

Labels: AGS, computers, Darkdevil County, games, politics

- posted by Cynthia @ 6:02 PM | | | Link |

 
Somewhat Proud of Self
Disassembled the mouse -- dropped everything on the floor a few times, and kept losing the case on my desk (don't ask me how -- kept thinking it was a different color or something, I guess).

Cleaned out 5 years of crap, dust, cheetos, etc. Discovered that the right mouse button clicker lays against the cord to the mouse, which may interfere if the cord gets pulled too much (and it does -- it's always falling on the floor and dangles.).

Managed to get it to kinda work though, which is better than it not working at all. I just have to be deliberate about clicking. And I may have replaced a spring on the scroll wheel backwards or upside down, or maybe the wheel really liked all that juicy junk food grease. It scrolls one way just fine, but the other way is a little jerky.

Hope all of you have been having fun with the new Google Toolbar which for your convenience installed itself today and blocked off the screen so I couldn't access IE. For some reason I couldn't get out of whatever mode it put me in, not even with clicking, escapes, etc. etc. Reinstalled, and the message went away. Now it just chops off the first 5 chars of the notebook. Ah well, I never used it anyway, so maybe will continue to not use it.

Have scanned the robot in and will present it shortly. Nothing like spending hours fixing stuff rather than doing other stuff.

Labels: computers

- posted by Cynthia @ 12:49 PM | | | Link |

 
Computer is Home
... and appears to work completely for the first time in a long time. What a nice Xmas present for myself. Got the Visa bill for it just yesterday.

So, folks, will be answering your emails etc. again, and blogging will now commence. I hope to start back with game development and all the usual activities real soon.

Am going to pour myself a glass of champagne now, and hope I don't spill it in the keyboard and short out everything.

Labels: computers

- posted by Cynthia @ 2:58 PM | | | Link |

 
Ya Wusses
Even though I had to get up at dawn to shovel out the driveway, I showed up at studio today. So where were you all? Sleeping soundly, probably, looking out the window with your cups of coffee and bagels and cream cheese, saying, "Brrr... I bet it's cold out there."

Shouldn't have opened up, since I managed to screw up an aquatint on my new robot plate -- well, maybe didn't screw it up, but it doesn't look all that good. Definitely a chine colle candidate with a lot of a la poupee. And no, I'm not going to add the accent marks, because I'm at the computer in the library and everything is different here.

Sent off the faulty computer (again) the other day, due to get delivered to the repair place (per FedEx) today, in time for them to not repair it over the weekend, and then not ship it back next week because of Christmas. But it had to be done.

So, will do what I have to do on the internet, check out a few movies, buy a bottle of bourbon and some eggnog, and go home.

EAC students, if you're desperate to print something, like for a present, call me on my land line or cell, send me a tweet, or send me an email. If you want to figure out what's happening, this blog has my Twitter feed, which is easier for me to keep up to date from the tiny browser in my phone. If I want to update the blog, I have to send an email to it, something I haven't tried yet. Perhaps I will. Or not.

Labels: computers, EAC, printmaking

- posted by Cynthia @ 1:37 PM | | | Link |

 
Sobbing into the Box
Backup done, packing up the computer to send it out for repair again. Hope the tears dropping onto the packaging don't ruin anything.

As before, will be checking stuff at the library, and from the phone, so all is not lost. Will probably get quite a lot done this coming week -- last time got through all of The Return of the Native (Thomas Hardy), I book I have a feeling I was supposed to have read in high school but possibly never did, since it seemed completely unfamiliar. Next up: The Mayor of Casterbridge, and KNITTING!

See ya, at some point. Good news -- sold some stuff at the Evanston Art Center sale -- there are still 2 more opportunities to see my work (at Morpho and at Chicago Printmakers Collaborative), so please indulge and give yourself (and myself) a treat.

If you saw something at the EAC sale you liked, and only just now realized the sale was over and you really wanted to get it, just let me know.

Labels: computers

- posted by Cynthia @ 4:01 PM | | | Link |

 
The Latest
Finally got up the nerve to talk to Dell again -- this time via the online chat feature, which is fabulous, if you're the kind of person who does better in type than on the phone, which is me. Only took 2 rounds, this time, and the first was probably not necessary. The tech had me reinstall the latest bios for my system, providing me a download link as part of the chat -- nifty, possibly in case something had zapped it during transport, or just because he figured he had to do something.

Of course it didn't do anything, since I think the new system board that had been installed already had the latest revision. Anyway, got on and chatted to another person who finally told me the problem is indeed with the LCD unit they installed and they would send me another box, and I should ship it back to them again.

So will be without the computer again soon, and will be briefing you on my adventures as before from the library and the phone. With luck this will be the end of it.

And on top of everything, Chris at AGS has released the latest version of the adventure game software I've been using that fixes the problem that had held up me releasing my latest version of Darkdevil County.

Just in time for me to be without my system again. Ugh. It's a conspiracy, I tell you. First the election, then the stock market plunging, eating all my savings, then all the hardware stuff, then me being snippy and bitchy to people, and now I'll be forced to read a book, or watch TV, or maybe paint something or go to studio and print. Why do they keep doing this to me?

But not today. Time to get off the pity-pot and bake more banana bread.

Labels: computers

- posted by Cynthia @ 6:30 PM | | | Link |

 
Good Morning
Now that the convention is over -- what? You say it isn't? There's still more to come? You mean, they haven't actually nominated Barack Obama yet?

WTF are they waiting for?

Good morning, folks. AM started off rough and scary, with computer booting up in partially weird mode. Seems to be ok now. Have redownloaded virus programs and am scanning, just in case, tho protection has been in place since day one on this thing and has never been allowed to lapse. And I don't visit virussy porn sites all that often.

Keep forgetting to add labels to my posts, so if you're subscribed to the feed and keep getting irritating pings, it's just me labeling things. Unfortunately, since I still use the "Classic" Blogger template, I can't use the label widget in the sidebar. Would like to migrate, but don't like the generic look of the new templates, not that this one is much better, but it gets the job done.

Have One More Thing(TM) I want to do for the next Darkdevil County release, but don't of course, want to step on the political process and hog all the news. I must learn patience and humility.

Labels: computers

- posted by Cynthia @ 9:53 AM | | | Link |