Compocalypse '09: I AM SO OVER THIS

[cleolinda]

You are not going to BELIEVE this. I take Camille 1.2 out of the box. It does exactly what Camille 1.1 did--that is to say, went to a BIOS/DOS screen and then eventually went black. I was actually prepared for this, because my life just sucks this bad; I figured I'd call ASUS and have them tell me some incredibly simple solution.

The ASUS guy walks me through booting the computer back up. It does exactly the same thing. We're sitting there in front of a black screen and he says, "It'll go to the BIOS screen every time you boot up. Sometimes it just takes a while to get to the OS."

"Yeah," I say. "I sat here and waited on it for a pretty long time, listened to a CD" (that would be U2's Achtung Baby, because everything else is ON MY OLD COMPUTER) "and... it just never came back. Technically, this is the second ASUS in a row, in the last 24 hours, that has done this to me. Oh, and I put the support CD in, and nothing happened with that, either."

We wait.

"It... still hasn't come back?"

"Nope. Still black. You want me to reboot again?" And then I look at the front of the computer. The power button is actually about the size of a silver dollar with a bluish light behind it. I mean, when it's on. "The computer's not on anymore," I say.

"It... it just shut itself down?"

"Apparently?"

I hold the power button down. It doesn't come back on.

"You want me to flip the power switch in the back?"

"Yeah!" he says cheerfully--clearly! this is what happened! somehow the power switch got turned off! back there! SOMEHOW!

Yeah, no. I flip the power switch off and back on, because it was always on, because it hadn't magically switched itself off.

I press the power button again. I hold it down for a long time.

The computer doesn't come back on.

"Well, I... I have never seen this before," he says.

He kind of sits there stunned for a moment.

"So... I'm gonna go back to Best Buy and get a refund, I think."

"Yeah... you should probably do that."

Here's the thing, though: I refuse to believe that I got two lemons in a row. I just cannot believe that. I'd just call it a day and exchange it for a fucking Dell, but the odds don't support the problem being on Best Buy or ASUS's end at this point. Betsy 2.0's death came after two power outages in a five-minute span; maybe the storm killed that particular outlet? (As my mother just suggested... maybe Betsy is not dead at all. I mean, I was told she was dying slowly anyway, so I needed to back her up and replace her, but if I plugged her into a different outlet... maybe she would not be really most sincerely dead. Yet.) So I'm going to hook my power strip/surge protector (with the monitor and computer plugged into that) into an extension cord and go around the house trying different outlets to see if maybe the problem's specific to my room and whether we will need to get an electrician out here, which we probably will just because my life sucks that bad.

Failing that: Geek Squad. Who I have heard are not necessarily the best-trained sandwiches in the picnic basket, but you know what? We paid $150 for a three-year service contract and by GOD someone is going to come out here and explain what the fuck is going on. Either way, no matter who comes to call on me and Camille, I'm going to have to clean the living hell out of my room. You know, one of those nice, exhausting panic cleanings where you just start throwing shit into closets.



Also, the support CD is still stuck in the drive. Allegedly there's an eject button to get it out, but I don't see one.

Comments

[falco-conlon.livejournal.com]

un-fucking-believable. Deepest, deepest sympathies.

[sunni-sideup.livejournal.com]

Oh my --

That sounds like what happened to my old computer after it had been raped by twenty viruses. Not like something that should be happening straight out of the box. Ridiculous. I hope you get things sorted soon.

[melissa-actress.livejournal.com]

*peers at icon*
Totally off topic...
is that a Teri Polo in the Phantom mini series with Chalres Dance icon? 'Cause, wow, I thought there were only three people besides me who'd seen that. I guess there's a fourth! :)

[jrs1980.livejournal.com]

Toldja so. Wait, that doesn't make sense. I totally didn't comment while you were shopping.

When you stun a tech guy? Wow. Your socket logic stands to reason, best of luck.

Edit: Um, that was supposed to be jokey. I think you know that, but just in case.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Heh, I knew what you meant. : )

[wenelda.livejournal.com]

Oh my God. I am so sorry you're dealing with this. D:

[franklanguage.livejournal.com]

True…no one deserves these problems, least of all you.

I got lam-basted for what I commented to your previous post (about getting a Mac) and I admit I should have flagged it /***SARCASM! SARCASM! (wink wink)***/ and I am sorry for saying it and putting it the way I did.

Computer problems just suck; these machines are put on earth to work for us. I'm following your saga with a combination of dread and trepidation.

[more-dragoncelt.livejournal.com]

Holy hand grenade of Antioch, Cleo!!! That sucks so very very hard, I'm so sorry! The finger is for your computer luck that sucks so very hard.

[neveth.livejournal.com]

Dear god, this is just hitting absurd levels.

[greyduck.livejournal.com]

Sweet jumping baby jeebus.

Your notion of a bad outlet may not actually be too off-base, actually. One HELL of a way to wind up troubleshooting that, though. My sympathy, you have it!

[snapdragon76.livejournal.com]

Well shit. When it rains it pours.

I certainly hope it's the outlet rather than the computer itself. It seems very strange indeed that two computers in a row would crap out like this...

[flamingtoilet.livejournal.com]

I have nothing to add except an extremely appropriate icon.

[laughingacademy.livejournal.com]

May I gack that? If so, who should I credit?

[beachlass.livejournal.com]

Oh hell no.

[editornia.livejournal.com]

I agree with both your icon (which is just about perfect) and your comment.

Poor Cleo. :(

[morning-star82.livejournal.com]

OMG. I am so sorry you're going through this. I hope that everything gets really, truly, finally figured out and settled and fixed for you. This is just...horrible. Best wishes for a fast fix!

[palmetto.livejournal.com]

o_o;

I--I...I'll tell you what rathanylakan did when it happened to her. (I told you about her yesterday.) She went back to Best Buy, got the refund, and bought a Gateway.

I'm not a fan of Gateway, but geez. It's gotta be better than this!

[draksila.livejournal.com]

My wife's last system was a Gateway. By the specs, it should have left my laptop in the proverbial dust and taunted it as it circled the raceway. Instead? It growled really loudly and had graphics issues that my ancient clunker pre-laptop didn't have problems with.

Gateway was, at one point, a fine computer company. I'm not sure who the hell hired the wrench-toting poop-flinging monkeys they have making their systems now. I'm working with Dell by default, because I've had the least issues with their hardware... but truth be told, I prefer to buy parts from wholesalers and make my own systems. No surprises that way.

[reynardo.livejournal.com]

Wish I was close by - would provide tech support in exchange for coffee, cookies, and a chance to play with the dolls appreciate Bella and Edward.

[mitchy.livejournal.com]

o_0 At this point, I'd abandon tech support and call an old priest and a young priest.

Deepest sympathies.

[deililly.livejournal.com]

Er.

Think you might be right there about your power outlets. You can't have *that* much bad luck with PC's surely? On the bright side, if you do, then you are burning it all off at a rate of knots and your next pc will last until 2050 or something.

[aranel13.livejournal.com]

You sound like you're having one of my sorts of weeks. I routinely expect new things NOT to work correctly, just because I buy them. I think it's something in my personal electromagnetisfuckedupsphere.

[golden-d.livejournal.com]

What the shit, man. I hope this all gets straightened out for you. :/

[megalosaurus.livejournal.com]

oh god, I hope you can get something working soon. wtf.
maybe you need to sacrifice a tamagotchi to the computer gods or something, I just don't know.

[genmaicha.livejournal.com]

Dear lord, what the hell.

[gfrancie.livejournal.com]

When I think of the name Camille, I think of the 19th century novel and the movie with Greta Garbo about the courtesan who has consumption.

[beckyh2112.livejournal.com]

I think of hurricanes.

I also did this with Betsy. Knowing Cleo's location, this may be intentional.

[piccgirl.livejournal.com]

OMG.

Wow.

That does seem like a good idea, to try the other outlets. We had one that would freak the computer out when the iron (and only the iron) was plugged in. And then it stopped working. So yeah-see if that will work.

I hope this gets better!

[shoiryu.livejournal.com]

I'd deeefinitely say start checking other outlets. And uh, goes without saying maybe, but don't plug anything into that socket for a while. Does everything else in your room that's pluged in seem to be functioning nominally?

[notuslethe.livejournal.com]

I think, actually, that it would be very wise to try the computer on another outlet.

Also, when you turn it on and it doesn't do anything, it should still be able to spit out the support CD.

Best of luck though - this is so terrible for you!

[akathorne.livejournal.com]

WHAT THE FUCK, for real, I think you need to bypass the electrician and go for the exorcist.

Definitely try other outlets (when I had troubles with my Dell, they made me try like three outlets. Also, they made me change the power cord out with one I knew worked. Nothing really fixed it, it just....started working on its own and has worked fine for over a year now. Computers are weird).

[juliekaye.livejournal.com]

Nothing really fixed it, it just....started working on its own

That happened to me. I bought a new computer but it wouldn't stay turned on. Kept shutting down. I remember tech support guy, after an hour on the phone, finally saying "Take it back and exchange it for a new one."

Next day, took it back. Employee guy plugged it in, computer booted up and stayed up for like 15 minutes. So, took it back home, plugged it back in to the SAME OUTLET, and it worked fine for 6 years.

Bizarre.

[beltainelady.livejournal.com]

Some people just don't have any luck with Best Buy. I have friends who swear they'll never go back to Best Buy, not even for a DVD.

Too bad we don't have a Fry's here. Sorry about the 'puter problems...my boyfriend just builds his own and my tech support days are far behind me.

[orgasmic-voices.livejournal.com]

Fry's is the frickin' Holy Land, man. They have everything you could possibly want, and the employees are friendly and knowledgeable. I get giddy anytime we need to go there.
But what you say about Best Buy is true: I never, ever, ever trust Geek Squad.