first post for 2009
what did i spend today doing?
Well, I started my first full day of the new year at a lovely reasonable hour. Basically spent the day reading Lords and Ladies - it was just as scary as I remembered ^_^ - and cleaning up after my shindig. The party itself was fine. I enjoyed myself, but in a vague way. Didn't really have as much fun as i had hoped, ( Read more... )
Well, I started my first full day of the new year at a lovely reasonable hour. Basically spent the day reading Lords and Ladies - it was just as scary as I remembered ^_^ - and cleaning up after my shindig. The party itself was fine. I enjoyed myself, but in a vague way. Didn't really have as much fun as i had hoped, ( Read more... )
In any case, it'll be possible to remove the disk from the external enclosure and either transfer it to another enclosure or just install it in a desktop PC to get the data off. If it's 2.5" PATA you need an adapter, but I have those lying around and can loan one if you want. In any case, removing it from the enclosure and popping it in a desktop for data recovery is something that should be easy for me (or you if you prefer) to do, and I can run a self-test of the disk at the same time to make sure it's not too likely to die in the near future. If it works OK when removed from the enclosure and the self test passes, it'd be easy to just install it in a new enclosure (they cost about $20 - $30 from Austin Computers in Osborne Park).
Re ebay, unfortunately the listed prices are completely meaningless because everybody submits their real bids at the last second (literally), often using automated tools. If an auction offers a "buy it now" price then that's a useful guide for the real cost, but otherwise the price at auction close won't have anything much to do with the price you see currently. Sorry if I'm telling you what you already know, but better to say than not. The best thing to do is search past closed auctions for an indication of price - though unless you're buying a damaged/dead laptop for parts, there's not much point sticking to the same model anyway.
It might also be worth trying a few laptop repair places. If they have parts they might be able to swap the motherboard for a reasonable price, or even repair it if it turns out not to be a fault in the graphics memory after all or if the graphics chipset is on a daughterboard. I've seen a couple of recommendations for:
Doctor Laptop
(08) 9328 4994
Fitzgerald St
but haven't used them myself. There was also a place in Welshpool a couple of years ago that I had good results with, but I can't find any details on them for the life of me I'm afraid.
Even if they don't have parts, they can probably repair it for you pretty cheaply if you can supply them with another dead laptop of the same model (so long as it's dead because of a failed hard disk, faulty screen, etc rather than motherboard fault).
Oh, and you need not do anything. I'd love to take you up on the cookie offer, but while the short term appeal is strong it's not ideal in the long run :S . Maybe extend an invite some time if shenanigans are in the offing. I know I plan to do the same. Otherwise: call me weird, but I'm generally just happy to help out when I can, and it's not like it's a huge sink of time and struggle :-)
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Well, I might at least check out the place on Fitzgerald street and get a quote or something.
As far as the HD goes, it relies on external power. I know it's not the actual cord/adapter that's gone, because my sister has the exact same model (which I assume has to be convenient *somehow*) and I tried her cables the other night with no success.
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If you like I can take a look at the disk pretty much any time, either at work in Shenton Park (I'll be there Monday late morning onward) or at my home in East Perth this w/e since Sunday looks pretty quiet at present. I have plenty of spare data storage in both locations if you want me to copy the data off it and don't have anywhere else to put it at the moment. It's not really something I can come to you and do, though, as I'd need plenty of scratch storage space, a PC I can open up without worrying, and a bunch of misc cables. With the right bits, though, with luck it won't take too long.
You might want to think about bringing the laptop along too. I should be able to pull your data off it really easily even though it won't boot by removing the hard disk and installing it in another system temporarily. That way you'll have full backup of the system in case it decides to fry properly. I don't have any spare external disks etc to loan, but I can keep the data safe until you do have somewhere to put it.
If you want to drop things over for me to attempt to get them going, it's best to message me or something first since I don't check my mail/lj/etc particularly reliably and I'd want to make sure I was actually there. Mobile number in your mailbox.
Oh, and re the icon: Yes, the pumpkin is an original part of the painting by Jamie Wyeth, entitled Pumpkinhead. It's credited earlier in the journal - pity lj has no way to attach a credit link to an icon, actually, given how often they're borrowed from somewhere or other.
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