The "I'll be gone for _______" topic.

[AlexThePenguin]

I had someone else tell me to press F8 repeatedly whilst it's loading.


As far as my experience goes, F8 has never done anything for boot up.

Should it?

[Fatso]

If you press F8 repeatedly BEFORE the Windows "Loading" screen shows up, eventually you'll get the timing right and the launch options will show up and you can select Safe Mode among other things.

What Chron is talking about, however, is different. You'll need to find out which key gets you access to your BIOS settings from the motherboard's manual. Alternately it should say 'Press F# to enter Setup', where # is from 1-12.

From there you can change the order of devices to boot from.

EDIT: I should doubly stress this, if you're in there and you see something that you don't understand DON'T #####ING TOUCH IT. There's no better way to completely destroy your motherboard than ill-advised BIOS tweaking

[AlexThePenguin]

In my BIOS setup, I see nothing relevant to DOS start up, and I've fiddled with everything.

I should note that my BIOS set up has lots of things disabled (not in the sense of toggled off, but in the sense of I can't do ##### to them or they are non-applicable).

[Chron]

If you press F8 repeatedly BEFORE the Windows "Loading" screen shows up, eventually you'll get the timing right and the launch options will show up and you can select Safe Mode among other things.

What Chron is talking about, however, is different. You'll need to find out which key gets you access to your BIOS settings from the motherboard's manual. Alternately it should say 'Press F# to enter Setup', where # is from 1-12.

From there you can change the order of devices to boot from.

EDIT: I should doubly stress this, if you're in there and you see something that you don't understand DON'T #####ING TOUCH IT. There's no better way to completely destroy your motherboard than ill-advised BIOS tweaking

... no, I meant the safeboot thing.
It's been so long since I've done it that way that I had forgotten it was before specifically.
I always use msconfig these days anyway.

[AlexThePenguin]

I couldn't find an option for accessing files without loading the OS.

This is what I'm trying to do.

[Chron]

... if you have some restore discs/boot discs, now would be the time to use them.
You'll need an OS to do anything, because the BIOS really can't do file IO outside of bootstrapping.

[AlexThePenguin]

Huh. The OS crashed on my last computer, but I was still able to access a file list and save them to a secondary source.

Maybe I'm just confused.

[Chron]

I am too.
Thank you.

[Majikn]

I figured it required doing something physical to the computer to make the files accessible under a different operating system. I sent my own computer in for repair last year and they offered to salvage certain files for me before wiping my C drive and re-installing the operating system. I had already figured they were completely lost to me.

[Fatso]

No, hard drives are pretty nice that way, as long as it's merely an OS problem and not an actual hardware issue you can just plug it into a new computer, make sure NOT to boot off of it, and extract any essential files.

[Chron]

Standardization is good like that, but there was a time when files were not only stored in different systems, but using different algorithms for storage and translation (from binary to intelligible form). A short time, but eh.

Hard disc drives are pretty interesting hardware.

[Majikn]

Considering my computer is having the exact same problem it did before it killed my OS last year, I may need to do that in a few months.

I think I'll just back everything up. I have all the crap for the computer in this little tiny box.

[Snare]

I just wanna let you guys know that I'll be here for you.

Forever...

[Johncarllos]

We appreciate you Snare.

[preventerWIND]

You're like that oldest and biggest tree in the world. Everyone loves you too.

And one day we'll drill a hole through you so the cars can pass through.

[ASR]

And make toilet paper out of you.

Toilet paper.

[Mikero]

Snare is The Giving Tree.

[ChaosVortex]

And make toilet paper out of you.

Toilet paper.

Charmin Ultra. Only the best.

[ASR]

This is the moment where I realize I am unable to call to mind any toilet paper brands.

[preventerWIND]

CHA-CHA-CHA! CHARMIN!

[Johncarllos]

SCOTT.
BEST.

Charmin SUCKS.
It's too soft to wipe my chiseled butt with.
I need something with a lot more gumption.

Scott does the job every time.
The rolls last forever.
It never rips.
And I don't care how soft it is when I'm in a rush to get out of the bathroom and do something more productive.

[ChaosVortex]

SCOTT.
BEST.

Charmin SUCKS.

[Johncarllos]

Those bears would never use Charmin.
In this recession it's too expensive and doesn't last long enough.

Scott is needed.

[Slugkid]

I won't log in much for some time, because my mom got a laptop. For no set reason, she moved the PC upstairs, out of internet-cable reach, and she said we were going to get wi-fi on a week (Which I read as three months or so).
I'm using her laptop now, but she said she won't lend it to me again for other three days or so, because "It's not a toy".
Meh.

[Johncarllos]

That's super lame. People will never understand how important having things connected is.

[Mikero]

Scott is an asshole and I don't like him (but not because he's an asshole).

But really, I'm tired of the internet. What I mean is, being so connected, all the time, it's tiring. I enjoy when something screwy happens and I can't use the internet for a few weeks.

I don't really like having my cell phone go down though. I don't like using it for calling people or anything but I like it for planning and stuff, and mostly try to just text with it.

It's nice to not have internet for a bit, you'll notice it frees you up a lot more and you can just ignore more drama aswell.

[ChaosVortex]

Yesterday morning I was extremely bored for 5 hours because out internet died, and while Mike is right, I was pretty bored.

[Mikero]

Sounds like me when the power is out.

You could have just read a book though.

[Chron]

That's what I do.
I'm eternally bored, though, even if I'm having fun.

[Mikero]

Yeah I'm like that took. I always have to be doing twelve things.

[Winged Warrior]

I get bored using the internet...

Also, I'll be gone for the next few years... but I'll totally be here, not being here.
I'll still post and things, but I won't be online.
I'll still log onto the internet and wast my time, but for no more than 23 hours a day.

So I guess I'll see you guys... someday... probably tomorrow or later today...

[Chron]

Please stop taking so much acid.

[preventerWIND]

That reminds me, I should finish Requiem for a Dream..

[ASR]

Hey, urrbod, I forgot to mention that I'm going to Chicago for the weekend to do an improv class at Second City.

COOL, RIGHT.

[Mikero]

Reasonably cool.

[ASR]

Guys, I'm back.

I can definitely say that it was one of most all-around non-stop fun weekends I've had in an extremely long time.

Basically, the classes themselves were equally engaging, hilarious, fun, and informative. And then AFTER the classes, I just get to hang out in frakking Chicago with one of my comedy buddies from college who also signed up with me. We went to a bunch of comedy shows, one on Friday and two on Saturday.

Without a doubt, it's the most and hardest I've laughed in one weekend.

It was also cool since there was a huge age range taking the classes. I was acting like a nutball in front of adults not only equal to my parents age, but some were decades older. And they were acting just as nutty. And when you're doing improv with a group of people, even in a class, you really get close to all of 'em. And these were all genuinely funny people that I had a blast doing this with.

TL/DR: ALEC HAD FUN.

[Mikero]

That's pretty cool. Too bad it wasn't earlier in the year when the Bulls were playing the Celtics. Then you could've seen some awesome ball that I watched on TV, except live.

[ASR]

Yeah, I have a friend who's a huge fan of the Bulls and said something similar. I actually watched at least one of the games you're talking about, and even as someone who could care less about basketball, it was a pretty rad game and everyone I was watching it with (i.e., everyone who was making me wait around until it was over) was getting really into it.

Anyway, we did check out Wrigley Field. So, something sports-related.

[Mikero]

How did you check out one of those games if they've been done for weeks?

[ASR]

I meant on TV, with some friends, weeks ago.

[Johncarllos]

Starting on Sunday I'll be gone for about 5 days.
Camping in northern Maine with no internet.

Gonna be able to spend a lot of quality time with my girlfriend.

[Mikero]

That's too bad.

I meant on TV, with some friends, weeks ago.

Surre.

[ASR]

I remember there being like 3 or 4 overtimes or something! I don't know! I was on Facebook, not paying attention!

[Mikero]

It was triple overtime. That's never happened in a playoff game before. It was good.

I was just like "surre" about the friends part though.

[ASR]

The "friends" part of the equation is the only way a sports game would be on my TV.

[Johncarllos]

Hey I'm back.

[ChaosVortex]

Hey, while you were gone, Mega Man 10 was announced.

Welcome back.

[AlexThePenguin]

My mom, who's been graciously footing our internet bill, cut us off without warning, so we'll be on very sporadically.

[Johncarllos]

Aw.

That sucks.

[AlexThePenguin]

I'll still be able to get on on my breaks at work.


... WHEN I work. ¬.¬;