Reinstalling Operating systems on ANCIENT labtops are not exactly the nicest thing to do. So yesterday I embarked on a mission to troubleshoot NINE ancient labtops. Dell ones. Firstly, as I plucked the adapter into the first one and switched on the power, it gave me a grey screen. It might be black though but it displayed grey due to the resolution of the screen. No words, nothing, no tell-tale signs of what is happening within it. A faulty one? So soon I found myself holding this 3 identical discs marked "W2K", (windows 2000). Okay, now I have 3 identical (or rather labelled identical) disc with W2K, who knows if it's Part 1, Part 2 or Part 3 or 3 clones of each other. Who knows....
So next. To install and operating system, I have to find where to put the disc in right? And to my shock, (and I should have seen it coming). That labby doesn't have a DISC drive! Okay, fortunately after searching the bag it came from I found an external disc drive. Before I could hooray, I realise there was this platform that the labtop has to sit on with all the external ports to connect to other stuff (for example Disc drive/USB) etc.. Ancient. Ancient. Ive never seen things like this before. So like Lego, I assembled them. turned it on. Inserted and tried ALL 3 discs. nothing happens. could hear the churning of metal within the labtop, but nothing seems to be happing. I left it on. 5 minutes, 10 minutes....15 minutes.
Switched it off. Frustration. Dell Latitude. Seriously, hopeless.
Tried another model. It was another dell. Switched it on. Fortunately, this model doesn't require any bulky platforms beneath it to connect external devices. Woots, so it loaded very well. Realised that W2K was already installed. Was quite elated when I saw that it was already installed (it means I don't have to do anythin!)
And then.
The nicest crap. They prompt me for Admin password. I was like "whoah". I thought there weren't any. I searched around to see if passwords came along, but nope. nothing at all. Determined, I decided to reformat windows 2K (with those discs)....
So I reinstalled Windows 2K. It worked! Woohoo! super super happy. So I left it there as I chatted on the phone. When I checked back...
The installation was where it promt me for Product Key. Woah, those DISCS were BURNT how the heck will there be product keys?
I was really frustrated. Can't those people that donated those junk at least give the things as a whole. Want to give reinstallation CD, then get me a product key because it won't install without one. (and don't tell me I have to go look for cracks myself). Secondly..., I suspect the first labtop can't read anything because there's no OS installed, there are no drivers to read from the CD drive....and so we will need a boot diskette (as Ive read from the net..) but well, IM too lazy to go get one (as in, I am working with what I am provided with)......
My room is in a total mess, horrible horrible mess. Everything messed up, wires uncoiled, entangled.
Well. Forgive me. I am maladroit at computers. (that is why I have to buy an expensive com that doesn't break down easily..)...., and worst still, after this round, I vow never to involve myself with or inccur the wrath of ancient rusty labtops.
Those labtops are supposed to be donated to Thai people when we go for mission trip. To whoever may be using them, I applaud them for their patience. Because I can imagine the power of those 9 labtops together combined and tenfold-ed not even sufficient to withstand a single dota game and perhaps not even load warcraft without bursting into flames. Even I think my handphone has specs than those labtops.
It's morning. Skipped school but going for Pw meeting later.
Post again later.
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