trouble!

[zyzyly]

My notebook is acting funny. I'll click something with the mouse and it keeps repeating the same command over and over and over, and even comes up with some of its own. I opened up winamp today, and it just kept opening up winamp windows until there were about a dozen of them. This seems to drain the battery rapidly--like from two hours to 6 minutes in a span of less than 15 minutes.

It only does this intermittently. I first noticed it when I was camping and trying (unsuccessfully)to download pictures. I attributed it to the cold weather, only beacause I couldn't come up with anything else. After I got indoors it stopped happening. I did a virus scan and it was clean and it has worked ok since then, although I don't really use it for much other than to stream audio into my stereo receiver.

And now it is doing it again, rendering the thing almost completely useless. Three days before I leave.

Back in the old days, I would have secretly been pleased about this--it would have been the perfect opportunity to pry loose some money from Arlina for a new computer. After all it is 4 years old. But now I'm managing the money, and am a little perturbed with myself for my reckless spending habits. I can certainly see her point.

Crap!

I don't have a user icon to reflect frustration. I have always had just the bare minimum, but recently broke down and bought the 50 in lieu of getting a permanent account. This is my original user icon for LJ. It's from a picture Arlina took of me at Lake Tahoe when we were first dating--probably July of 1990--15 years ago (wow).

One of the first LJ people to meet me in person noted that I now look nothing like it. This had been kind of a recurring theme with people who meet me in person. I'm also much shorter than I sound.

I know the icon has nothing to do with the above post, but I really never get a chance to use it anymore. And no, you can't buy a new computer!

Comments

[weaktwos.livejournal.com]

is this an external mouse or the track pad you're using? do you let those windows stay open all at once, and is that why the battery drains?

[myasma.livejournal.com]

It's the track pad--is that it? is that it?

[weaktwos.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure; I am merely hypothesizing. I've not seen something like this before. But since the last known act is clicking your trackpad, and you've checked for viruses, I would be curious if you attached an external mouse (do you have an extra one in the house?) if the problem would surface.

[myasma.livejournal.com]

I just dug one out and am trying it--as soon as you mentioned it, it made perfect sense. I have a can of that compressed air somewhere too and will try cleaning around the trackpad too.

[myasma.livejournal.com]

I have attached the external mouse and so far so good. I am going to run through a test of what I need it for--unloading pics and burning them to a cd, and see what happens.

[weaktwos.livejournal.com]

I hope it works!

[myasma.livejournal.com]

It started doing it again, but stopped when i plugged it in--i'm wondering if it might be the battery. I have another battery somewhere and will dig it out.

[weaktwos.livejournal.com]

wow...this is most curious. It could even be two problems at once. ;-)

[weaktwos.livejournal.com]

Is your laptop now stable?

[myasma.livejournal.com]

seems to be--everything has run fine since I replaced the battery. odd, huh?

[weaktwos.livejournal.com]

Yes...I've not seen a battery behave like that. But, I'm glad you got to the bottom of it. :-)

[daisydumont.livejournal.com]

you're shorter than you sound? hmmm.

[myasma.livejournal.com]

Yes--that was a quote from someone who met me in person. How tall do you think I am?

[daisydumont.livejournal.com]

duhhh... 5' 8"? that's about how tall i am, so i'll guess that!

[myasma.livejournal.com]

I did a poll once and pretty much everyone on my fl thought the same--5'8 to 5'10. Only one person came within an inch of my true height--just under 5'5.

[daisydumont.livejournal.com]

i wonder how many of those people did what i did and guessed using their own height? :)

[myasma.livejournal.com]

It's interesting, because if I had guessed, I would have thought you were about 5'2"!

What is the saying? If horses believed in God, God would look like a horse. Or something like that.

[wordweaverlynn.livejournal.com]

I'm also much shorter than I sound.

You're not the only one.

[saintgeorge.livejournal.com]

I'm also much shorter than I sound.
I think I know what you mean. I am much taller than I write.

What do you need a computer for anyway? If it breaks en route you are going to be hauling its useless mortal remains across the country until you get home. Take a paper journal and transcribe the saliant points of your day to paper. Canada is not a Third World country, you know. Internet cafes are almost everywhere (even in Muddville) and you can connect as and when needed.

[myasma.livejournal.com]

It's not the internet connection--I need it to process and store my digital images.

[pinkroo.livejournal.com]

I'm apparently taller than I write, too--when a fellow ljer met me, she said, "You're so tall! I thought you'd be short!" I wasn't sure what to make of that.

[filmsacramento.livejournal.com]

Buy a Powerbook!

[pasticcio.livejournal.com]

Why can't you buy a new computer?
I think you should do just that :)

[myasma.livejournal.com]

What if it is just something simple like dust in the mouse or something?

[pasticcio.livejournal.com]

If it is something simple like dust then no big deal - you have 2 computers.

A fancy NEW one and a not so fancy new one.

I'm not help, eh? ;)

[myasma.livejournal.com]

hehe--i'm thinking the same thing, but I already have two computers!

[pasticcio.livejournal.com]

Oh well fine then.
Don't buy the damn computer!
Sheesh, I try to help and this is the thanks I get?

;)

[myasma.livejournal.com]

ok, I'll buy it then, but only to make you happy. :)

[pasticcio.livejournal.com]

YAY!!
I knew you'd see things my way ;)

[0nmyknervz.livejournal.com]

You should buy anything you want. Since you bought a Honda instead of a Porsche, you can use the money you didn't spend on a porsche for a new laptop. And... if it turns out you have two perfectly good laptops, I would certainly be willing to take one of your hands. : )

[myasma.livejournal.com]

Well, the reason I bought a Honda instead of a Porsche is because I didn't have the money for a Porsche. Amyway, I think I came to the sourse of this problem--the battery. Fortunately I have a spare.

That was a good pic of Dad--did you take it?

[fried-pearl.livejournal.com]

Computer trouble seems to be going around today. Or everyday. So, you are shorter than you sound? That's okay, I'm taller than I sound. Or look, for that matter.
I hope you get that thing working. Or get a new one.