Done!

[hatman]

Well, two hours into my birthday, and...



I transferred files off the old laptop last night. Today, I spent 8 hours making a new Ghost backup of the drive and an additional 2 hours verifying that the image was intact. Then I transferred a couple of directories I'd somehow missed before.

And then, I got to do it. Type the single most powerful command of them all.

"format c:" (MWAHAHA! The power!!)

... (*thwart*) Which gave me a prompt, asking for the drive's volume label. Which I guessed wrong a couple of times, failed to find on the drive properties or anything of the sort, and then successfully guessed... (The power!!)

(*thwart*) Which gave me an error that I couldn't format the drive while I was using it to run Windows.

So I created a DOS boot disk. (The power!)

Which worked fine (once I remembered to tell BIOS that the new floppy drive the tech installed today actually works, so it can stop ignoring A: drive).

Except that the boot disk refused to recognize c: drive. (*thwart*)

Then I remembered that I have an OS reinstallation CD handy for the replacement HDD. (So much for my nerdly power trip...*sigh*) I didn't actually format or wipe the drive, but I did delete the partitions (c: drive plus the preinstalled "hidden" dell diagnostics partition). So now it'll actually take a bit of effort to read my old data, if the people at Dell parts find themselves curious or something. Short of actively overwriting everything, that's really the best I can do, anyway.

So, that's it. Old drive is boxed up and just about ready to be shipped back. New drive is installed. New comp is shaping up nicely. Still have some files to move around and maybe some programs to download off the web, but I've got the important stuff more or less in place. I've even got a spiffy new keyboard. And if it turns out that I need any other old files, well, I've got an intact backup image.

Should be smooth sailing from here.

*waits for lightning bolt*

Comments

[annabtg.livejournal.com]

The continuous thwarting of the POWER cracked me up *rotflol*

Good to know everything's going fine!

Happy Birthday!
Anna :)

*installs lightning rod*

[nene2811.livejournal.com]

Well, isn't that a neat keyboard? If I ever decide to get a move and buy a new PC, I just might go for this same keyboard...

Happy Birthday, Paul! :)))

[nene2811.livejournal.com]

And "Happy Birthday" from my brother, too. We were talking of this and that and I said something like "It's Paul's birthday today" and he looked at me puzzled. So I said "I mean, it's Bob's birthday today" and he immediately said "Oh! Make sure you tell him happy bday from me, too!". [g]

I honestly don't know why, but he keeps thinking of you as "Bob". And it all started that night in the hotel hall in NYC, while we were taking pics, when he slipped and called you Bob (which I'm pretty sure you guys didn't notice at that time). [g]

[pgwfolc.livejournal.com]

lol! I remember that! He's always called me Bob. Like you said, he called me that when we first met, and it just stuck for some reason. Maybe I look like a Bob. Hmm. Does that make my sisters Float and Weave? Well, Float and Weave don't go together, but... never mind.

(It's okay, really. It's kind of funny. And at least he remembers a name for me. I remember him, but the name just isn't coming to mind. Hmm. Maybe I should call him Weave...)

As for the keyboard: Yeah, it is pretty cool. I got mine for half price from one of the "used and new" links, and it works great. The most comfortable keyboard I've used, and the extra buttons are quickly going to spoil me.

Anyway, thanks to both of you for the bday wishes. :)

[stellar-dust.livejournal.com]

Happy birthday!

[viqii.livejournal.com]

happy b-day!

kisses...

PS: i loove ur new keyboard , pretty cool