My #@%*^%$ PC.

Just when I thought my PC was running well, it went bonkers suddenly.

First, I could not start up. When I got it started, it behaved weirdly with a mind of its own. I got my friend Chow to help me. He came and changed my motherboard to the previous one. As it was the same series, I need not re-format my HDD, a task I always hated because I lose all the data in my files and folders.

The PC started normally and I thought everything was back to square one. Chow left some programs for me to try out, one on spyware and two on DVD. I then realised that my disc drives could not auto start, whenever I loaded in a DVD or any disc. Called Chow and told him of my further problem. He said he would call back but he never did.

Exasperated, I called my other computer friend Richard. He came and after a long diagnostic, discovered that one of the DVD program that Chow installed for me clashed with my disc drives. So I removed it and the problem was solved. I also found that the spyware interfered with my email and I removed it.

I then discovered that my PC would suddenly restart by itself. This was terrible and a serious problem. I would lose whatever work I was doing whenever the PC restarted. Unfortunately, I noticed that Chow always avoided diagnostic problems because it is very time consuming and tiring process. He never responded to my calls.

It was then I decided to seek professional help. I had used Nuclear services before and quite like their professional approach and work attitude. The next day, Winston responded to my call and turned up. Acknowledging the serious problem of restarting, he started the diagnostic, which went on for three hours into the night.

He could not find the fault and had to come back the next evening. Still unable to rectify the problem, he had to re-format. Before that, he backed up my data, and re-formatted. While re-installing the operating system (Windows XP Pro), there was an error and a second attempt was made to re-install. Towards the end, the PC restarted by itself. Back to square one! He took my components for testing in his workshop.

Several days later, he called that he would be back to set up for me. Unfortunately, he had too many jobs and there was a delay.

When he finally came, he had already installed the system and put my PC together. I was very glad that his backing up of my essential data, restored my PC with my email, favourites and documents intact. So I did not lose my important and personal data. He had to remove two of the RAM memory chips for warranty claim. My PC is running a little slow now until these two chips are restored.

After installing a new antivirus software and Nero 8 including my other programs, my PC is at last running again. I spent the last three days doing that and though the darn antivirus program is disturbing some of my programs, the PC is running alright. When Winston replaces the two RAM memory chips, the PC should be running better.

Till then....