Death of a Computer

I knew the computer downstairs was heading for a crack-up, so fortunately I did burn a DVD with all the recent work I have been doing, but I still expected to have a week or so.  But no. Last night it really and truly died.  It looks like the battery on the motherboard has died (roughly a year earlier than one would normally expect, though I will admit that I ran that thing pretty hard with all the internet radio recording I did until last summer).

I suppose it would be possible to have the battery replaced, but the bios has to be reset and quite a number of other annoying tasks.  I think if I took it to a shop, it would probably cost $200 and only extend the life another 6-9 months, so I think instead I'll run over to Staples and see what they have in stock.

It's just something I didn't really expect to have to do today and kind of throws a big kink into my plans.  (I just have not had much luck with electronics lately, with losing two external hard drives and now this.)  Well, I'll check in bit later, assuming I can get back on-line.  If I do buy a new computer, I can probably get it started in just half an hour, but it will take a lot longer than that to get it set up the way I am used to working (to say nothing of trying to salvage the data on the internal hard drive!).

Edit:  Well, I'm basically back up.  Internet is functioning and I seem to have gotten computer protection back on and most of the Acer bloatware turned off.  The real problem is the half-dozen or so little programs that I have gotten used to, and only some of them are compatible with newer computers (particularly those running this lousy Windows 8.1).

In general, it's been an up and down day with this really putting a huge damper on the day.  I did really enjoy the Amici concert (and I'll probably discuss that and the TSO Mind of Winter program soon), but I hated Hou Hsiao-Hsien's Millennium Mambo over at TIFF.  What a complete waste of time.  And I found out that because my piece got in pretty late to RedOne, that they won't be putting it on this Monday.  {Dark thoughts.}  I guess I'll come home instead and swim a few more laps in the evening and spend the rest of the time getting the computer back up and running.