It's Been A While

It has been a while since technology gave me the blues, but during the past week Windows has done some automatic updates that have resulted in this laptop not being able to get online.  The first time I realized the cause of the glitch and "restored" the system to pre-update.  No worries.

The second time I realized I'd have to get some help, so I called 1-800-Microsoft (literally! 1-800-642-7676 if you don't have letters with your phone keypad.)  There was going to be a two hour hold time, so I was invited to leave our call back number.  Two hours later, the phone rings and there they are.  Cool!

So I explain the issue and apparently it's pretty prevalent out there because they immediately sent an email with answers dating back to 2009!  (You would have thought that by now Windows would have some fix IN its update to prevent the glitch, huh?)  So we said goodbye, and I planned to follow the steps outlined in the fix-it email.

Nothing in life is simple. Ever.

Turns out that the instructs include garble.  I never did learn to speak garble, read garble, and I certainly never learned to appreciate garble.  (In fact, I'm thinkin' it ought to be introduced into the four-letter-word dictionary.)

Not to ruin my Sunday with Granpa, I decide I will tackle the problem on Monday.  Besides, we have his old, cast-iron heavy, slow as molasses in winter, ever reliable laptop that I can use this afternoon.  We also have his tablet - but it has an Android operating system that is alien to me and my brain simply doesn't want to do conversion theory.

So now it's Monday, and I've been on hold at 1-800-Microsoft for over an hour.  During that time I attempted an online chat with Microsoft using Granpa's computer.  "Chats" are usually pretty good, but this was my first with Microsoft, and it was like talking to an android: logical answers for computer to computer, but I had hoped for a lil' human interaction.  Ergo, end of online chat.



Still on hold on the phone though - my lifeline is intact. 

While I wait I attempt to create this blog post, check emails, and Facebook.  Granpa's laptop is like I'm beginning to be: lots of "low-on-memory" warnings.  Patience, patience, patience.

Suddenly I realize I'm not hearing my on-hold sounds from the phone.  Double aargh!  On hold for almost two hours, and the line disconnected.

I decide to message Granpa and ask permission to just go buy the newest Windows 8.1.  I'm waiting, waiting, waiting.  (I wonder if I can get on-hold pay like Granpa gets on-call pay???) 

Now Granpa's laptop is saying the "virtual memory" is too low, and I need to go here, click on that, go there, click on this.  I attempt to follow instructions - but the memory is too low.  Sigh.  I decide to set his laptop aside and try to at least learn how to do what I'm supposed to do on my laptop.  No internet connection required to increase virtual memory.  So, I pick up my laptop and - I'm fully connected to the internet!!

Man, if it's not one dilemma, it's another.  If Granpa says, "Yes," do I go buy the new Windows?  Do I wait to see if the next time I try to log on it works?  Is this connection a fluke?  Did Windows actually update or did it "system restore" itself (you know how those pesky programs auto-correct, auto-update, auto fix ...)

I decide to ignore my misery, work my laptop as long as it's willing to cooperate, wait for Granpa to be able to shop with me on Thursday, and just let 'er go. 

I am thankful, Lord, for Your telling me to let go and let God 'cause otherwise I'd be losing my temper and then needing to buy a new COMPUTER that already HAS Windows 8.1 loaded on it!  Thank you, Lord, thank you.