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Callunna
Revolving Grey Blob
3044 Posts
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Posted -
17/12/2010
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10:26
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Over the years I've not done so bad when it comes to working with computers, and most times I can eventually fix things up when it all goes pear-shaped.
Yesterday my Mac went not just pear-shaped but a complete fruit pudding with meringue and custard. Over the past few weeks it had been getting slower and slower until it said: "You know what? I can't be bothered anymore. I quit." And it did.
Fortunately there's a thing called Time Machine which regularly backs up the OS and all files to an external drive, so I wasn't too nonplussed.
Unfortunately my Mac refused even to start up. Missing its core thingies or something.
No probs - just re-install the OS from the original discs. Almost there - the discs were a bit out of date but I could easily update the version from the internet.
Went to restore all my settings, files, programmes, etc from Time Machine. Unfortunately my finely tuned and slimmed down original system had bloated by about 20GB when reinstalled - and my drive didn't have enough space on it to complete the job.
Grrr.
My backup drive (1TB capacity) is also getting full so it looks like I'm going to have to buy another to dump my data into, then give it all a good clean out.
On top of that, once you start messing with reinstallations, I find much of my work software needs reactivating from the software companies - it's going to take me absolutely ages to get back to where I was a few, happy and organised days ago.
I hate computers.
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pluggy
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Posted - 17/12/2010 : 10:43
It might be worse than you think.... Its possible your hard disk is 'getting tired' and has given you a warning. If it does it again I'd replace its internal drive. Slowing down isn't a Mac trait and I would tend to think theres an underlying issue. Macs like linux just tend to work unless theres an hardware issue or you've been seriously screwing with it. Windows slowing down is par for the course
Need computer work ? "http://www.stsr.co.uk"
Pluggy's Household Monitor |
catgate
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Posted - 17/12/2010 : 12:13
I would be inclined to take off the covers and look inside. The sort of thing you describe could possibly be attributable to a cooling problem caused by dust. I am not suggesting you have a dusty house, but dust is attracted to the insides of a computer like a drunk is attracted to a Yates' Wine Lodge.
A good blow out with the exhust of a vacuum cleaner or some such thing (hair dryer on cold) might help.
Every silver lining has a cloud.
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Callunna
Revolving Grey Blob
3044 Posts
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Posted - 18/12/2010 : 00:34
Thanks for your comments, lads.
I'm delighted to announce that after a whole day - which included a mad dash to PC World for another 1TB drive – my Mac is back up and running just as I want it.
It probably wouldn't have taken so long if I hadn't been so thick and had just stopped to work out exactly what I needed to do instead of taking a knee jerk reactionary approach.
Thanks to the Mac's Time Machine I was able to restore everything - OS, settings, files, the lot - by starting up from the install disc and choosing a TM backup from a couple of days ago. I'd dumped all my work files onto the new Terabyte drive so there was plenty of breathing space for TM to work its magic.
I'm almost certain it was a software issue (by that I mean "an inappropriate action by a dumb user" issue) because now the Mac is lightning fast and I have a whole 60gig more space on my drive than I used to.
I hesitate to celebrate too much before I've had chance to test everything, but it's looking good so far. The thing I'm grateful for is that Apple assumes its customers are not likely to be particularly technically minded and therefore they make it easy for the likes of me to tackle the job. |
catgate
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Posted - 18/12/2010 : 11:50
I like a happy ending.
Every silver lining has a cloud.
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belle
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Posted - 18/12/2010 : 11:58
Glad it got sorted, techno things are way beyond me, I can hardly understand the instructions so just reading this has given me sweaty palms.
Life is what you make it |
Callunna
Revolving Grey Blob
3044 Posts
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Posted - 18/12/2010 : 12:37
The next big job is to set up the new wi-fi system, now that we've got a landline. It's ages since I had to do this and I'm not looking forward to it. I can never remember all the passwords and incoming/outgoing server details (yes, I know they should be written down, and they are ... somewhere!)
However it will be worth it to have a high speed connection at last.
If anyone in Barlick hears screams and possibly some bad language it's either Christmas revellers or me.
I was musing to myself how wonderful it would be if life imitated science and allowed us to have a Time Machine system in our daily lives. Made a bad decision? Had some bad luck? Things gone pear-shaped? Just go back to a point where it was all rosy and start again. |
moh
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Posted - 18/12/2010 : 13:47
Me too Belle!
Say only a little but say it well |
marilyn
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Posted - 19/12/2010 : 01:20
quote: Callunna wrote:
I was musing to myself how wonderful it would be if life imitated science and allowed us to have a Time Machine system in our daily lives. Made a bad decision? Had some bad luck? Things gone pear-shaped? Just go back to a point where it was all rosy and start again. They probably make a pill that does that these days, Cally.
get your people to phone my people and we will do lunch...MAZ |
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 19/12/2010 : 06:24
Heather, don't forget Pluggy, he's brilliant and he won't charge you an arm and a leg. Think of the time and stress it will save! Tel. 505089.
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
Callunna
Revolving Grey Blob
3044 Posts
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Posted - 19/12/2010 : 22:32
Nice to know Pluggy is there but surprisingly I got all wi-fied in less than 10 minutes, and 5 of those were spent looking for an extension lead to plug the router into.
The "Easy Set Up" disc supplied by Talk Talk hung up at Step 2 so I did it manually. I say manually ... once again the Mac's Network Setup Assistant took over and did all the work for me.
I must remember to stop trying to be clever and just let the machine take control of my entire life. Much easier.
Any road up, connection is much faster than the mobile. Just did a test and it's 10912 kbps. Talk Talk suggested I might get 14 - 15mbps but I know that's only a theory. I remember when I was deliriously happy with 2... |
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 20/12/2010 : 06:17
Heather, an efficient connection in Barlick seems to be 14mps down and 1mps up, depends on the server at the other end of course so you are dong as well as anyone.
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
panbiker
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Posted - 21/12/2010 : 22:18
Talk Talk have just upgraded their routers at the local exchange. I get 13-14Mbps solid. Your losses will be due to the infrastructure between the exchange and your house. That will probably be part fibre but mostly twisted copper, street cabinet to pole, pole to house etc. If you know how to look at the stats in your router it will tell you the losses expressed as line attenuation and noise. Mine is 21db line attenuation (which is about average for a good line) with 12db of noise. If you have a new cabling from the pole and internal to the house you can assume that any losses are between the new gear in the exchange and your local pole.
Edited by - panbiker on 21/12/2010 22:21:55
Ian |
Callunna
Revolving Grey Blob
3044 Posts
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Posted - 21/12/2010 : 23:53
OK - now say that in English... |
Callunna
Revolving Grey Blob
3044 Posts
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Posted - 22/12/2010 : 00:03
Sorry - that last post of mine looks very curt!
What I meant to say was: thanks for the info, Panny - I do understand a lot of what you're saying actually. Well, the bits about the line on the pole and stuff.
But the attenuation bit did a little wiggle and shimmied right over my head. |
panbiker
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Posted - 22/12/2010 : 11:13
Very tongue in cheek H, here we go:
Talk Talk have installed the latest gubbins in the Barlick exchage, so there should be nowt wrong there. New wires at your house so all should be OK there as well. Any reduction in strength of signal will be down to the bits of wire or fibre between the new bits in your house and the new gubbins at the exchange.
The clever bits in your router, which is the grey, white or black box that fits between your computer and the phone line, can tell you (if you know how to access the clever stuff in your router) how much of the signal is being lost along the way.
My signal, now it has been fixed by the nice BT man is rather good. Stanley lives close enough to the exchange to throw rocks at it which will explain why his signal is so good. Them that live further away have to take pot luck with the bits of the system that have been the same for about the last 100 years.
At least your not frozen in, have a gud un!!
Ian |