My friend Coolwanda (bless her heart), was at wit's end when she called me for help. Her computer, a Gateway EV700 with Windows 98 SE, was giving her error code attitude.
It seemed her computer was going mashuga because she couldn't install software on her computer, she couldn't copy any files to a CD unless she went from her ear to her nose via her toes, and she couldn't access the Windows Update web site. I assumed the worst-case scenario ... hard drive restoration. The only problem was, she had no restore disk with the specific drivers needed to enhance her computer's performance.
At the time I did this, I didn't know what kind of desktop computer she had other than a Gateway. I ended up downloading 238 drivers for the following specifications: Gateway desktop computer, Windows 98, all drivers. I printed each page as I downloaded each file. Well, yes, I could have made her do it, but she had dial-up Internet service, whereas I had broadband Internet service. I'm not that heartless :-P
When I got to her house yesterday, we sat down in front of her computer so she could show me the error messages she was getting. I decided to use the Internet search engines to find a web site that explained what the error code was and (hopefully) offer a solution. She left to pick up the pizza and chicken wings when I found what I needed.
It seems a .dll in the system file somehow got corrupted. As soon as the file was replaced, all the programs she received error messages from started working again. I, for one, was relieved because that meant we didn't have to reformat and restore her hard drive, then reload her software. Several years ago, we had to do that four times on one of her Packard Bell computers within a two-month period before I found out her computer was one of many Packard Bell computers with defective motherboards. I informed her of this just as it went meshuga again. I restored it one more time, but when I found out she got it from a rental center; I strongly urged her to return it and get another computer. But, getting back to the situation at hand ...
While I was there, she reconnected her DVD burner and double-checked her master and slave settings for both burner drives. At this writing, both drives seem to work. Coolwanda is not someone intimidated by electronic equipment. I've seen her knowledge and experience evolve over the years concerning computer operations and some maintenance. I checked her computer system to see if it was bloated with programs that load on start up or if her hard drive was too full (it should remain at least 50% free for optimal performance). Her system, for he most part, was lean and clean. She regularly scans and defrags her drive. She needs more disk space and more memory, but her system was otherwise in good shape.
Through the years, she and I have learned (through trial and error) how to troubleshoot, diagnose, and make minor repairs to our computers. When it comes to web design and creation of graphics, we've learned different techniques and taught each other what we've learned. We have our strengths, weaknesses, and preferences when it comes to our computer literacy.
After she and I checked several programs, downloaded the lastest updates from Microsoft, and played with the CD burner, we felt like we could exhale. Her computer was healed.
I have to admit, I was feeling pretty good when I left her place to go home at 3 o'clock this morning.
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