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Blue Screen of Death

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Written by: Rod Boyle

Category: Miscellany

Published: 04 December 2008

Hits: 2228

Running Windows XP, service pack 2, this morning, in the midst of work I decide to power down the computer.

I haven't powered it down for a few days, choosing to hibernate instead, I've been busy with projects and like to keep the folders, files and websites I'm working on up when I log in. But the computer has gotten slow, IE has begun to freeze and crash, and so I think it's time for a reboot.

And when the screen reappears I'm confronted with the "Blue Screen of Death."

Windows can't find an essential file in Windows\System32\Config\System folder. "The file .... is missing or corrupt".

This is not good news.

And I frantically try and remember when I last did a full backup of the computer. Not so long ago, but I'm working every day and the thought of losing even a days work is frightening.

Terrifying, in fact.

My passwords are on the computer. All 129 of them, every one different, randomly generated alpha-numeric and ascii. Email, websites, administration.

And so I attempt to repair it, it asks me for some "Windows backup recovery floppy disk" - in large DOS type characters somewhat centered in the middle of a blue screen, only somewhat centered, oddly enough every other line seems to be a few characters off center to the left or right.

I don't have a floppy drive.

I don't have the required disk, either, and I have every DVD that came with the bloody computer. One of the few times I've every run a legitimate version of windows and the supplied inventory of disks aren't doing the job. Drivers on one disk, windows on another, trying disk after disk, each one rejected by the blue screen of death.

I remember when I did technical support, the blue screen to the computer was the end of the road. If there were no disks in the drives only the onsite people could fix it. And reviewing the case notes, most of the time they didn't.

SO I try the backup computer, a garage sale find for $2.00, but it won't recognize the network connection, and I can't get online to troubleshoot the network connection. Maybe it's the computer. Or maybe it needs a Shaw high speed installation disk. Can't be too fussy for a toonie.

I'm going from terrified to pissed off. Mentally I'm wondering who to blame for this catastrophe, I've decided it will be my brother. He got me started on this whole computer thing, he can suffer my wrath. And he worked for Dell, which makes him a co-conspirator. If he doesn't own up to it I'll blame his wife. But it's important I blame someone.

I'd call him, but his number's on the computer.

I'd email him, but....

And so I repeat the steps over and over again, inserting various disks, trying to get the PC to boot off one of the dozens of drivers, utilities and windows disks I have laying around. I have to be careful I don't reinstall the operating system, as this would be bad. Very bad.

Eventually I eject the disks finally and do a reboot without; the computer comes back, working again. "For how long...." I wonder.

And after this close call there are the inevitable hours spent backing up all my information from the disk. All of it. Every last bit. Well, not ALL of it, but everything I'd miss.

Then it's back to work.

Impossible

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Written by: Rod Boyle

Category: Ideas & Questions

Published: 01 December 2008

Hits: 1567

Then there is the idea of "impossible".

We live in an impossible world. So much of what we take for granted - at one time or another, was considered to be "Impossible". And, with time and consistent effort, every impossibility has yielded, and become not only possible, but commonplace. Think of automobiles, airplanes, computers, cell phones. The list is endless.

The most important aspect of "Impossible" is the fact that whenever anything is generally accepted as "impossible", it generally is.

There are a few ideas as to why this might be, the most obvious is that most people will not spend time addressing the impossible, prefering to address the easy and difficult possibilities instead. And so unaddressed it remains impossible. But once addressed, impossible frequently proves to be a mirage, a problem with our thought or approach. We've created our own limits and boundaries. Impossible, then, becomes the easy answer to the flawed question.

Here are a few phases that relate to the challenge of impossible:

Phases:

#0: Not even considered. Of course, nothing is possible until first there is the idea or recognition of it; it must first be thought of. 

#1: Out and out dismissal- not possible. As noted above, the problem or issue needs to be addressed before it can solved. Hence in this phase things tend to remain impossible.

#2: Rationalized: Considered, but dismissed as impossible. Impossible things are speculatively considered, but dismissed as impossible. Circuitous thinking at it's best (or worst)...

#3: The Challenge. The Impossible is attempted, usually with poor results. But as much depends on the approach, the next phase is crucial. Here you should have in your mind the fleeting and grainy black and white film image of a man flapping wax, paper or cardboard wings leaping off of a pier....

#4: Reconsidered, reapproached. retried. The impossible is approached from a different angle. Now consider the more lasting image of the Wright Brothers.

#5: Perhaps failure again. If failure, redo step #4. [Note: often things end here because people keep retrying the same approach. Key is knowing when to vary approach and effort.]

#6: Success

Once conquered, you have the exception, you've disproved the rule, it is no longer impossible, and with patience and continued effort the exceptional will become the rule.

Find something impossible to do. Then give it a try. It might be easier than you think.

Read more: Impossible

Of White Whales and Dark Energies

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Written by: Rod Boyle

Category: Link of the day

Published: 28 November 2008

Hits: 1762

Science and history made fascinating. A short but excellent read on the history and discoveries that led up to the current theories of Dark Matter. 

Dylan Thuras should write textbooks.

Link: www.htmltimes.com