Sunday 7 March 2010

That Sodding Laptop!!

And, yes, I know that Karen Chilvers — our part of Brentwood’s hard working Liberal Democrat councillor — will probably not thank me for being a touch vernacular, with the title of this post, but I’ve just spent most of my weekend with an aging laptop.

And, boy, did I feel like I was banging my head against a brick wall, with the dratted thing!

Bless her, my youngest sister, Ruth, has had problems with the Toshiba she’s had for several years, now: for STARTERS, the blooming thing has had regular slowdowns and freezes, for quite some time, now.

And I think — in between swearing, pulling my hair out and banging on the walls with frustration — that I’ve figured out part of the problem.

It is — as I mentioned in yesterday’s post about it — a driver problem with the graphics card.

Which I don’t know if I’ve actually solved. or not.

I know I spent most of yesterday in a fruitless attempt to try and install either Ubuntu 9•10 or Xubuntu 9•10 on to it.

Hmmm …

It wasn’t until I’d managed to boot from the Xubuntu LiveDisc, today, and realised that one of the options available was to boot into what’s called Safe Mode — where every bit of extraneous code is turned off — and installed from there.

What a relief doing THAT was!

•••••

Oh, just a side point, here: I’ve got George Harrison’s When We Were Fab playing in the background. I think that — along with Always Look on the Bright Side of Life — is one of the saddest songs I’ve heard …

•••••

Any way …

I’ve now managed to install Xubuntu 9•10 on Ruth’s laptop.

Which — frankly — still hasn’t helped much.

It’s still quite slow.

But — before I throw the thing — there’s one or two other thing’s I’m going to try.

INCLUDING adjusting the settings for the laptop’s on-board display: I think a lower setting will definitely improve things.

But that’s something to do in the morning, I think.

I’m pooped!

And Allison does complain if I don’t get at least ONE early night, once in a while …



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