Second Life Forums Archive - 13 hours of hell

Cybin Monde

Resident Moderator (?)

Join date: 27 Jan 2004

Posts: 2,468

03-29-2004 21:41

Well, i finally have my computer running again..

Just about the same minute 1.3 came online, i downloaded, installed and chose to run it. ..thus began my 13 hour fiasco. ..and counting

I was given the message many of us (from what i'm gathering) have gotten.. something about drivers not being up to date and to 'click here' to see the page where it could be corrected.
I 'clicked there'.. no critical updates were found as needed, but there were a dozen or so recommended updates. So, i chose 5 or so and clicked 'install now'.. woops ..

Upon restarting my comp, i found that something horrible had happened.. 'Windows could not finish setup due to a missing or corrupt file' which it said was 'pci.sys'..

You know what? that small message resulted in two phone calls to the manufacturer, two calls to the point of purchase, multiple attempts at starting the computer with different options selected, playing around in DOS, installing Windows on the secondary drive (from a Dell Laptop disk, that i had to drive 20 minutes to get).. which finally let me load up the computer!

THEN i eventually figured out the daunting truth.. i had to make a copy of what i felt was worth saving from the Primary drive to the Secondary drive, then 'Recover' the Primary drive.. which basically means, wipe all non-original programs/etc.. off the Primary and re-installing/loading the original factory settings/applications!!!

Did that. Then had to copy everything BACK over to the Primary from the Secondary, while also re-setting my preferrences all around!

Several restarts, deleting frenzies, installations, and so on.. and now here i am, 13 - 14 hours later. Computer works again.

and NOW.. FINALLY.. i can try that wonderful 1.3 we've all been waiting for, the one that i was one of the first to download and install.. and yet will be one of the last to experience..

it's so completely maddening that i feel i must laugh.. i must laugh like a cackling madman.. mad as a hatter..

*wanders off muttering about a mountain of mercury-lined hats and jabberwockys*

...ps - lest anyone feel the need to berate me for feeling the need to post this incredibly long rambling about my harrowing day.. i just needed to blow off steam. wouldn't you after spending the better half of a day fixing a computer that was broken due to a Microsoft update?

_____________________

"We, as developers, are doing the easy part – building the scaffolding for a new world. You, as the engines of creation, must breathe life into it."
- Philip Linden

"There is no life I know to compare with pure imagination. Living there, you'll be free if you truly wish to be."
- Willy Wonka (circa 1971)

SecondSpace (http://groups.myspace.com/secondspace) : MySpace group for SLers.

Moleculor Satyr

Fireflies!

Join date: 5 Jan 2004

Posts: 2,650

03-29-2004 21:49

Just wait...

When you try to get back into 1.3, it'll start all over again.

_____________________

</sarcasm>

Pendari Lorentz

Senior Member

Join date: 5 Sep 2003

Posts: 4,372

03-30-2004 06:28

eek! That sucks Cybin! *hugs for your frustration*

_____________________

*hugs everyone*

Maxx Monde

Registered User

Join date: 14 Nov 2003

Posts: 1,848

03-30-2004 06:59

** deleted **

Huns Valen

Don't PM me here.

Join date: 3 May 2003

Posts: 2,749

03-30-2004 07:58

I found that running the .inf updater had zero effect on that error message, so I rolled back the drivers. No point installing software full of warnings about how it's beta quality and it might hose your system if the returns are zero.

Years ago, when I was doing technical support, one of the fixes the mac guys used was to zap the PRAM. Our company wound up having to replace someone's motherboard after doing that rendered it useless. After that the policy was to send them to Apple to do it.

Since LL has said that disabling AGP shouldn't have any significant performance impacts (viz. ATI users, problem in the latest Detonator drivers), I don't think it makes sense to encourage users to go poking around in that area.

_____________________

[ huns? || words || 1TBS KREW || VHI Aircraft || Whitepaper on Aircraft Physics ]

Make yourself and your objects immune to llPushObject().

Cybin Monde

Resident Moderator (?)

Join date: 27 Jan 2004

Posts: 2,468

i'm alive

03-30-2004 08:58

Maxx.. thanks for your expression of concern(?) .. heheh ..i just turned in for the night right after that post.

Pendari.. thanks for your consolation.

..so, i got 1.3 running with no problems(!).. i even played with the new terraforming for a minute

..i still have half a dozen programs to re-install on my comp.. but it's running well and almost back to normal..

_____________________

"We, as developers, are doing the easy part – building the scaffolding for a new world. You, as the engines of creation, must breathe life into it."
- Philip Linden

"There is no life I know to compare with pure imagination. Living there, you'll be free if you truly wish to be."
- Willy Wonka (circa 1971)

SecondSpace (http://groups.myspace.com/secondspace) : MySpace group for SLers.

13 hours of hell
Cybin Monde Resident Moderator (?) Join date: 27 Jan 2004 Posts: 2,468	03-29-2004 21:41 Well, i finally have my computer running again.. Just about the same minute 1.3 came online, i downloaded, installed and chose to run it. ..thus began my 13 hour fiasco. ..and counting I was given the message many of us (from what i'm gathering) have gotten.. something about drivers not being up to date and to 'click here' to see the page where it could be corrected. I 'clicked there'.. no critical updates were found as needed, but there were a dozen or so recommended updates. So, i chose 5 or so and clicked 'install now'.. woops .. Upon restarting my comp, i found that something horrible had happened.. 'Windows could not finish setup due to a missing or corrupt file' which it said was 'pci.sys'.. You know what? that small message resulted in two phone calls to the manufacturer, two calls to the point of purchase, multiple attempts at starting the computer with different options selected, playing around in DOS, installing Windows on the secondary drive (from a Dell Laptop disk, that i had to drive 20 minutes to get).. which finally let me load up the computer! THEN i eventually figured out the daunting truth.. i had to make a copy of what i felt was worth saving from the Primary drive to the Secondary drive, then 'Recover' the Primary drive.. which basically means, wipe all non-original programs/etc.. off the Primary and re-installing/loading the original factory settings/applications!!! Did that. Then had to copy everything BACK over to the Primary from the Secondary, while also re-setting my preferrences all around! Several restarts, deleting frenzies, installations, and so on.. and now here i am, 13 - 14 hours later. Computer works again. and NOW.. FINALLY.. i can try that wonderful 1.3 we've all been waiting for, the one that i was one of the first to download and install.. and yet will be one of the last to experience.. it's so completely maddening that i feel i must laugh.. i must laugh like a cackling madman.. mad as a hatter.. wanders off muttering about a mountain of mercury-lined hats and jabberwockys ...ps - lest anyone feel the need to berate me for feeling the need to post this incredibly long rambling about my harrowing day.. i just needed to blow off steam. wouldn't you after spending the better half of a day fixing a computer that was broken due to a Microsoft update? _____________________ "We, as developers, are doing the easy part – building the scaffolding for a new world. You, as the engines of creation, must breathe life into it." - Philip Linden "There is no life I know to compare with pure imagination. Living there, you'll be free if you truly wish to be." - Willy Wonka (circa 1971) SecondSpace (http://groups.myspace.com/secondspace) : MySpace group for SLers.
Moleculor Satyr Fireflies! Join date: 5 Jan 2004 Posts: 2,650	03-29-2004 21:49 Just wait... When you try to get back into 1.3, it'll start all over again. _____________________ </sarcasm>
Pendari Lorentz Senior Member Join date: 5 Sep 2003 Posts: 4,372	03-30-2004 06:28 eek! That sucks Cybin! hugs for your frustration _____________________ hugs everyone
Maxx Monde Registered User Join date: 14 Nov 2003 Posts: 1,848	03-30-2004 06:59 deleted
Huns Valen Don't PM me here. Join date: 3 May 2003 Posts: 2,749	03-30-2004 07:58 I found that running the .inf updater had zero effect on that error message, so I rolled back the drivers. No point installing software full of warnings about how it's beta quality and it might hose your system if the returns are zero. Years ago, when I was doing technical support, one of the fixes the mac guys used was to zap the PRAM. Our company wound up having to replace someone's motherboard after doing that rendered it useless. After that the policy was to send them to Apple to do it. Since LL has said that disabling AGP shouldn't have any significant performance impacts (viz. ATI users, problem in the latest Detonator drivers), I don't think it makes sense to encourage users to go poking around in that area. _____________________ [ huns? \|\| words \|\| 1TBS KREW \|\| VHI Aircraft \|\| Whitepaper on Aircraft Physics ] Make yourself and your objects immune to llPushObject().
Cybin Monde Resident Moderator (?) Join date: 27 Jan 2004 Posts: 2,468	i'm alive 03-30-2004 08:58 Maxx.. thanks for your expression of concern(?) .. heheh ..i just turned in for the night right after that post. Pendari.. thanks for your consolation. ..so, i got 1.3 running with no problems(!).. i even played with the new terraforming for a minute ..i still have half a dozen programs to re-install on my comp.. but it's running well and almost back to normal.. _____________________ "We, as developers, are doing the easy part – building the scaffolding for a new world. You, as the engines of creation, must breathe life into it." - Philip Linden "There is no life I know to compare with pure imagination. Living there, you'll be free if you truly wish to be." - Willy Wonka (circa 1971) SecondSpace (http://groups.myspace.com/secondspace) : MySpace group for SLers.

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13 hours of hell