Life, Interrupted

The tower is in the shop, so I am communicating with the evil new laptop.

I hope your holidays have been happy! I will be sending out coupon codes to everyone who contacted me in the past day or so today, universe willing.

This is a Why I Hate Microsoft story. Enter at your own risk.

So I signed up for Microsoft's auto downloads back when I was ill, because I was rather busy getting well and didn't need computer problems on top of this. You would think that this service would A) give you all service packs and fixes you are entitled to as an owner of the software and b) would tell you, "By the Way, you haven't updated your X program. Go to the Microsoft site for further information."

This is a roundabout way of saying, guess what? My Office 2000 Premium has never had a single patch downloaded to it.
( The story Continues )
Well done, Microsoft. I think I'll avoid Chrome, too. Just to be on the safe side.

I just fired up my datebook, and all the individually entered events (like doctors appointments and other MAJOR things) are gone.

The addresses, thank the universe (what is LEFT of them) are still there.

Apparently I get to spend this week setting up a Google datebook.

Yes, we will all join the new evil empire IF THEY ARE THE ONLY ONES WHOSE PRODUCTS WORK!

Well, I resisted upgrading to a higher level from my 3.21 because I REALLY liked BBCode -- the add-on made my life a lot easier, let me post links at lightning speed, etc. Someone told me that there was a program for the newest version that would do the same thing, so I upgraded.

Apparently she was running 6.0. Mozilla's site gave me 6.0.1, which the newer program is not compatible with.

Unamused.

Haven't yet found anything else that will create links in context forms, BBCode, HTML. BBCode also would put in the symbols I use a lot. Sigh.

Disappointment.

I have been slaving over a nonprofit site I help out and get very little money from. They ask at the last moment, for incredible stuff, tons of it, and this weekend it is driving me nuts because I WANT TO WRITE THE NEXT ALLIE SCENE.

Also uploading my books to the new BackListEbooks site, which is gonna be AWESOME. My novels are up; I just have two e-anthologies I'm in to put up. Doranna Durgin rocks, and so does her idea!

And just read the manuscript for Jennifer Stevenson's forthcoming book about slacker demons. GREAT BOOK! This woman is the next Jennifer Crusie, I swear. Funny, heartwarming, sexy -- I'll let you know when the title solidifies.

I went in to the Add/Remove list to get rid of the Palm 3.5 which also doesn't work...and it's not listed there. Although I can find the shortcut that doesn't work in the start-up menu.

I think I'll go run errands instead.

I said I never throw out anything potentially useful. Genetics in action -- I am descended from the people who kept rain parkas because every 17 years hurricanes start up again.

Now, they claim to always install over the last stuff. Is that true when what you installed is defective? (The last update Palm offered on the Palm III versions was 4.1.something, at it continues to try installing, says it has installed, and then tries again when you try to open the program.) And will an older version install over a so-called later version?

I'm leaning toward using the Microsoft uninstall, and then installing the 3.5. At this point, I'm hoping there is an import feature for the address book....

But now, a break. I'm actually going to write something....

Tornado watch time! It already looks ugly northeast of here -- red and purple (purple Very Bad.)

Well, I have, with the help of a friend, isolated an address book. Whether it's the current one, or an older one, remains to be seen. But the newly-installed update refuses to repair or install, it just loops.

I am now looking for the plastic container of CDs containing the Palm 3.5 CD. I have no idea where the diskettes are -- they're not in the obvious place, dang it. I even found the dead cradle and the Palm (I throw out little, I fear. Maybe I can steampunk the cradle.)

Baking has yet to commence, but will start momentarily. Gluten-free dough waits for no computer screw-up....

I think I will go out for a while and boil my hands in the hot tub. Then I will check gig sticks for prior versions of this stuff.

Comodo was supposed to isolate this while the install happened, but I don't think it did, or I don't understand the feature. *Sigh*

I am quaking in my boots. My Palm calendar won't open -- the error has to do with personal ID info, not the program, so I'm trying an update to see if that will work.

I only use the desktop feature right now -- haven't used a handheld in years, it's not in budget since the last died. I sure hope I haven't lost my address book and calendar.

I will be /unhappy/.