A long while ago, I posted about messing around with a Windows installation of Ubuntu. After the initial romance of the idea had worn off a bit, I didn't really boot to the linux OS very often--I had a handful of posts to write, some Twilight cultists to kill. You know, important stuff.
Last week, my hard drive failed.
I had warning. For almost two weeks ahead of time, my computer kept badgering me about how a hard drive failure was imminent, that I should backup my files. Long before that, I'd been having real problems with my laptop's fan--it was making more and more noise, and the only thing I could do to bring it down to acceptable levels was to poke holes in the grating of the fan and then poke pieces of paper in to manipulate the fan. I was getting used to the idea that the whole laptop was getting a bit worn down and old (it's about 2 and a half years old, now). I had a bit of cash, so I sent off to Newegg.com for an external hard drive--something that I'll use even when I get a new computer. I moved everything from my Win7 library folders--which, sadly, I've recently realized isn't ALL of my personal files (goodbye, unsynched EverNote content).
So, late last week, when the hard drive actually failed as it was promising, I was mostly prepared. I started to shop around online and at Best Buy, looking at features and prices. Then, on my (long) way to work one night, I realized something--I have the tools and the know-how to be able to reanimate the remains of my laptop!
Hence the title of today's post. My fiancé had loaned me her WinXP laptop for the week. I used it to download and create a bootable copy of Ubuntu 11.04 (code-named "Natty Narwhal") on a flash drive I had sitting around. With that, I set up another copy of "Natty" on my external hard drive using my "dead" laptop--and presto! My noisy little computer serves me even in death.
The shopping will continue--Ubuntumancy allows me to still use the other hardware of my laptop over my fiancé's, but it's definitely not optimal, it's just a better backup plan. Playing WoW is problematic, and my guild needs their Highlord. Also, All-in-One computers are really, really cool with the multi-touch screens...but I'm mostly still looking at laptops, for mobility. I just hope that when I find a replacement, this old noisy thing stays obediently in the corner muttering "...ceepeeyoos...ceepeeyoos..." to itself, and doesn't get jealous, or rise up against me or anything.
Last week, my hard drive failed.
I had warning. For almost two weeks ahead of time, my computer kept badgering me about how a hard drive failure was imminent, that I should backup my files. Long before that, I'd been having real problems with my laptop's fan--it was making more and more noise, and the only thing I could do to bring it down to acceptable levels was to poke holes in the grating of the fan and then poke pieces of paper in to manipulate the fan. I was getting used to the idea that the whole laptop was getting a bit worn down and old (it's about 2 and a half years old, now). I had a bit of cash, so I sent off to Newegg.com for an external hard drive--something that I'll use even when I get a new computer. I moved everything from my Win7 library folders--which, sadly, I've recently realized isn't ALL of my personal files (goodbye, unsynched EverNote content).
So, late last week, when the hard drive actually failed as it was promising, I was mostly prepared. I started to shop around online and at Best Buy, looking at features and prices. Then, on my (long) way to work one night, I realized something--I have the tools and the know-how to be able to reanimate the remains of my laptop!
Hence the title of today's post. My fiancé had loaned me her WinXP laptop for the week. I used it to download and create a bootable copy of Ubuntu 11.04 (code-named "Natty Narwhal") on a flash drive I had sitting around. With that, I set up another copy of "Natty" on my external hard drive using my "dead" laptop--and presto! My noisy little computer serves me even in death.
 Image via Wikipedia |
| One of these should say "Slay enemies clumsily. |
