Place: smashburger
Lunch: 1/3 lb All-American with egg, chili cheese dog, Coke
This is my second attempt at a chili dog today. Between yesterday and today, my life has been so awesome I just might puke.
One of the things I decided to budget into this year was a new PC. But because PC's haven't come quite as far as I had expected them to by now (specifically Blu-ray authoring...which you CAN do, but it's not to the speed/processing/price point that I want to see yet), I decided to upgrade my existing 3-year old unit. It already runs everything I want to run fast enough, so why not. So I figure I'll get a bigger hard drive, get an additional PCI slot USB port (I have one more dedicated USB device than available slots on the back) and update to Windows 7 (I have a Vista machine) and use this one for a year or two more.
What could possibly go wrong.
So I pick up Windows at Costco. I also find a nice Microsoft wireless keyboard/mouse that would not only reduce the number of annoying wires I have running around, it would free up that needed extra USB slot. They don't have internal hard drives, though. The one I want is available at Amazon or Best Buy for $99. So I go to the neighboring Best Buy.
The IN-STORE price for the same hard drive that's $99.99 online is $119.99 in the store. Huh? So...do I go home, order it online, and come back to pick it up? Or order it from Amazon? Or eat the $20 and get it here? I eat the $20 because I just want to get going on this.
So I go home with Windows 7, new hard drive, and snazzy keyboard/mouse in hand.
First things first...I install the hard drive. Or so I think. The hard drive didn't come with a data cable. WHAT? The hard drive uses a newer SATA power and data cable, which my existing hard drive also uses, so at least they match. My PC's SATA power cable has two plugs so I'm fine there...just no data cable.
Nice.
I had also been trying to decide between doing a new Windows 7 install on the new drive and transferring files from the old one (having one single 1 TB drive in the end) or doing an upgrade on my current drive, using the existing drive for programs and the new drive for files. Initially, I decided to just use the new drive. So I plugged in the new one and fired up the machine to boot from the Windows 7 CD.
Things start the way they should, then just quit when it comes to "booting from CD".
Okay.
I plug in the old drive and load Windows. Then go to look for the Windows install CD. Which isn't a CD at all, of course...it's a DVD. And after much troubleshooting, this is when I realize that my DVD burner has quit reading DVD's. Actually, it hasn't successfully burned a CD in awhile either now that I think about it. Crap.
Best Buy is closed by now, so off to Walmart for a DVD burner. If I'm lucky, they'll have a SATA cable too. I'm not lucky. But I get a new DVD burner for $40. I get back home, open the box, and...what's THIS? A SATA data cable? SCORE! But why would a DVD burner need a...Oh great. The DVD burner requires a SATA cable/power source. My old one used the big gray ribbon cord and a four-point power plug. There's no way my existing SATA power source can do the drive and the hard drives at the same time. So I'm looking at an adapter. But at least I can get started. It's a mystery why the mother board has like five inputs for SATA data sources but the power supply is only set up for two. Quick research shows four-point SATA power adapters are readily available, though. I've completely bored you to tears by now, haven't I.
By this time, I'm frustrated enough that I decide to forego the ground-up install to the new hard drive and just upgrade the existing build. In order to power both the DVD drive and the hard drive, I have to have them within a few inches of each other due to the short power cable. So I start the PC with the hard drive rack on the floor next to the DVD burner (also on the floor) and start the upgrade process.
Windows 7 goes through the motions, does some searching, then presents a list of programs it wants me to uninstall. Okay. Done.
Windows 7 goes through the motions, does some searching, then presents a list of other things it wants me to do. Okay. Done.
Windows 7 goes through the motions, does some searching, then says "Reboot your computer, stupid." Okay. Done.
Windows 7 goes through the motions, does some searching, then says "Okay. I'm going to install. You can go. For now."
So I wander to the bedroom and fire up a movie. Chester, who is sprawled across the bed like a big orange tabby beach towel, and I watch "The Wizard of Oz". The three-disc "Emerald Edition" Blu-ray was on sale for $12.99 at Costco. Jeepers. Did WB print too many of them or something? It's $39.99 at Amazon.
I watch the whole movie while Windows 7 installs. Then I watch the new "Aqua Teen Hunger Force". Then I am prompted to enter the product key. Then I'm told the product key is wrong. Then I figure out one of the 8's I entered is supposed to be a B. Then Windows 7 starts and everything works perfectly. Go figure.
So I shut down, disconnect the DVD burner, put the hard drive case back in the tower, and hook up both drives. The DVD will have to wait for my SATA power adapter and 3rd SATA cable to arrive (which I order from Amazon because I can't even imagine what Best Buy charges for that crap, and they've punished me enough for one weekend). I don't really need it right now anyway.
I fire up the machine. The new 1TB drive is nowhere to be found.
Double-check connections. They're fine. Fire up and check the BIOS. It sees it. What's the deal here? I decide to wait until tomorrow to find out.
Morning comes and I do some online searching. I discover this is a common problem. I take some notes on how to fix it but am late for work. And really really hungry.
Make very frustrating drive to office amidst 40 mph stop-and-go traffic made up of zombies who have no reason to exist other than to obstruct traffic and waste resources. Stop at QuikTrip for chili dog and soda. Get to office. Chili dog goes flying out of my hand in the parking lot. Package breaks open and hot dog escapes bun, rolling through the parking lot and becoming encased in a layer of sand and gravel left over from snow removal.
Which is why this is my second attempt of the day at a chili dog.
And I still haven't hooked up the new keyboard and mouse.
