The Sky is Falling Complaint Thread

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  • LeatherGryphonLeatherGryphon Posts: 11,508
    edited May 23

    Complaint:  Oy, now it seems that my laptop charger brick/cable/plug may be wonky.  System was plugged in and running fine doing Windows updates, when I luckily noticed that it had a big popup warning of "Low Battery".surprise  A few jiggles of the cord/plug saved me, then it went back to battery again and shut off.  Arghhh...crying

    Now it's sitting there doing an install and seemingly stuck at 85%.  Although the disk activity light is still jittering, so maybe it will straighten itself out in time.  This machine only has 4GB RAM, trying to run Windows10-Pro.  I'm sure there is a lot of memory paging going on.  Only two more Windows updates left in the list.  That laptop hadn't been updated since Feb 2, 2021.  I didn't realize it had sat on the shelf for over 3 years.  Only occasionally pulled out for a minor job and not updated before being put away again.frown

    Post edited by LeatherGryphon on
  • NylonGirlNylonGirl Posts: 1,814

    LeatherGryphon said:

    Complaint:  Sigh..., new battery has arrived.  Laptop now turns on when battery inserted.yes  Laptop boots OK, but after about 10 minutes will completely shut off, poof, gone!no  But reboots without complaint.indecision

    Ran "HwMonitor" to watch the temperatures.  CPU is around 40C, RAM is around 60-68C, SSD is about 50C.

    Battery instructions had recommended discharging new battery to 2% before charging to 95%.  Currently still discharging,

    Has been running for about 10 minutes during current restart, expecting crash momentarily, temps still sane.

    Boom:  System went dark while I was typing.  HOWEVER, upon reboot it was obvious that the system had gone into hibernation, as instructed by my settings when battery hits 7%  But battery went from 35% to 7% in just a few minutes, and came down from an initial 77% fresh out of the box, to 35% in only about an hour encompassing 3 or 4 reboots.  Hmmm..., excess drain on battery?  New battery should last 2 hours on this machine.  But, then again, it's not an official HP battery, and may be cheaply made, because I paid a cheap price for it.

    System now on and charging seemingly normally, up to 14% now.  Felt the keyboard for heat, and there is a little warmth above where the power circuits are, but not alarming or unexpected. 

    System is busy doing something.  Disk activity light is very active.

    30 seconds later:  Ah ha, the system was doing a Windows Update and has now rebooted.  

    Non-complaint:  Knocking on wood here, but the system hasn't had an unexplainable crash for about a half hour, is running several programs that I started, and is also scanning system for more updates,   New battery up to 35%.

    Sorry about the running commentary, I'd originally just wanted to say laptop is back in service, but that would have been a lie, and since I had the computer open typing this entry, I went into "Lab Mode" and do what I always do when fixing computers, take copious notes of observations, actions, and thought paths.  It's a habit, and the notes help keep my ancient brain on the rails, and the notes come in handy when interrupted by life.blush

    Maybe the battery has to be completely discharged and recharged in order to know it's actually at 7% rather than 35%. 

  • Sfariah DSfariah D Posts: 26,276

    I found a ramshorn snail in my aquarium.

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  • kyoto kidkyoto kid Posts: 41,054
    edited May 24

    Richard Haseltine said:

    Complaint - washing slug-slime off ones fingers takes a lot of soap.

    Context - I was putting the shopping away. We keep vegetables in a little lobby at the back of the kitchen. I was consolidating the remaining potatoes to put the nw in at one end of the box when my finger met something squishy - "Ick, an off potato" I thought, lifting it out. "Hmm, that;s very neat for a potato, and why does it have a mottled pattern on it?" ... "Ick, it's a slug."

    Complaint - this probably explains why the carrot that had been on top of the same box had odd, hemi-spherical divots when I peeled it the other day.

    ...aren't the ones that have shells considered a delicacy in France? 

    Living in the Pacific Northwest, the shell-less ones are rather common here as well. 

    Sfariah D said:

    Anyone want some gummy worms?  I got enough to share.

    Always wondered why an enterprising candy maker never created Gummy Slugs.  Would be so perfectly icky.

    Post edited by kyoto kid on
  • LeatherGryphonLeatherGryphon Posts: 11,508
    edited May 24

    NylonGirl said:

    LeatherGryphon said:

    Complaint:  Sigh..., new battery has arrived.  Laptop now turns on when battery inserted.yes  Laptop boots OK, but after about 10 minutes will completely shut off, poof, gone!no  But reboots without complaint.indecision

    Ran "HwMonitor" to watch the temperatures.  CPU is around 40C, RAM is around 60-68C, SSD is about 50C.

    Battery instructions had recommended discharging new battery to 2% before charging to 95%.  Currently still discharging,

    Has been running for about 10 minutes during current restart, expecting crash momentarily, temps still sane.

    Boom:  System went dark while I was typing.  HOWEVER, upon reboot it was obvious that the system had gone into hibernation, as instructed by my settings when battery hits 7%  But battery went from 35% to 7% in just a few minutes, and came down from an initial 77% fresh out of the box, to 35% in only about an hour encompassing 3 or 4 reboots.  Hmmm..., excess drain on battery?  New battery should last 2 hours on this machine.  But, then again, it's not an official HP battery, and may be cheaply made, because I paid a cheap price for it.

    System now on and charging seemingly normally, up to 14% now.  Felt the keyboard for heat, and there is a little warmth above where the power circuits are, but not alarming or unexpected. 

    System is busy doing something.  Disk activity light is very active.

    30 seconds later:  Ah ha, the system was doing a Windows Update and has now rebooted.  

    Non-complaint:  Knocking on wood here, but the system hasn't had an unexplainable crash for about a half hour, is running several programs that I started, and is also scanning system for more updates,   New battery up to 35%.

    Sorry about the running commentary, I'd originally just wanted to say laptop is back in service, but that would have been a lie, and since I had the computer open typing this entry, I went into "Lab Mode" and do what I always do when fixing computers, take copious notes of observations, actions, and thought paths.  It's a habit, and the notes help keep my ancient brain on the rails, and the notes come in handy when interrupted by life.blush

    Maybe the battery has to be completely discharged and recharged in order to know it's actually at 7% rather than 35%. 

    It's important that the battery NOT be drained to 0%.  From what I understand, circuitry either in the battery or the laptop calibrates the "empty" & "full" points during an uninterrupted full discharge/recharge cycle and it should be established early in the battery's life.  The paperwork with the battery suggested 2% and 100% and made a point of saying NOT 0%, as that could permanently damage the battery and shorten its life.   And the battery should be charged to 70% before storing for extended periods, 

    In my case, apparently the system settings were set to shutdown when the battery was "determined" (however that's done) to be at 7%.  Yeah, I probably should have checked the settings beforehand.  But it's a cheap battery, the laptop is over 14 years old, on its last legs, if it's not callibrated perfectly, I'll live.  And if I can keep it band-aided together for another year, I'd be happy.  I've already got feelers out for a half-decent used laptop with enough RAM and not stuck at Win10.  But the trouble with newer laptops is the non-replaceable battery, or the expensively replaced battery requiring custom tools.angry  Who ever thought gluing laptops together was a good idea?

     

    So far, the laptop now seems to be performing well, although I did have to give up on updating the existing OS and user files.  I replaced the SSD with blank one, and reinstalled Win10-Pro.  It took hours, but I now have a virgin Win10 system, but without all the correct drivers yet.  That's a job for tomorrow.  But I do need to look at the battery charger brick/cable/connector to see if that's a real problem and fixable.

    Post edited by LeatherGryphon on
  • richardandtracyrichardandtracy Posts: 5,678

    Complaint:

    My CNC router motor started talking to the computer through the aether. And the CNC did strange things, like mince some of the bed of the machine before I could hit the panic button. I was not impressed. Changed the PC from a Dell to an Aries with a metal box instead of plastic, and the router motor went dumb.

    I think I'll avoid Dells from now on if I can in the workshop.

    Regards,

    Richard

  • LeatherGryphonLeatherGryphon Posts: 11,508
    edited May 24

    Tin foil.enlightened  Lots of tin foil.  Make tin foil hats for your computer or router.  Avoid the negative waves.devil

    Post edited by LeatherGryphon on
  • AgitatedRiotAgitatedRiot Posts: 4,437

    LeatherGryphon said:

    Tin foil.enlightened  Lots of tin foil.  Make tin foil hats for your computer or router.  Avoid the negative waves.devil

    In every box of foil, I heard there is a free tin foil hat. 

  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 100,899

    kyoto kid said:

    Richard Haseltine said:

    Complaint - washing slug-slime off ones fingers takes a lot of soap.

    Context - I was putting the shopping away. We keep vegetables in a little lobby at the back of the kitchen. I was consolidating the remaining potatoes to put the nw in at one end of the box when my finger met something squishy - "Ick, an off potato" I thought, lifting it out. "Hmm, that;s very neat for a potato, and why does it have a mottled pattern on it?" ... "Ick, it's a slug."

    Complaint - this probably explains why the carrot that had been on top of the same box had odd, hemi-spherical divots when I peeled it the other day.

    ...aren't the ones that have shells considered a delicacy in France? 

    Living in the Pacific Northwest, the shell-less ones are rather common here as well. 

    I have a strict escargot embargo.

    Sfariah D said:

    Anyone want some gummy worms?  I got enough to share.

    Always wondered why an enterprising candy maker never created Gummy Slugs.  Would be so perfectly icky.

  • LeatherGryphonLeatherGryphon Posts: 11,508
    edited May 24

    Complaint:  RIP my laptop. crying  'Twas working fine last night when I went to bed.  But this morning, it's doing the random instantaneous shutdown thing again even with a virgin copy of Win10, regardless of whether I'm using AC or battery for power.  So I extracted its 500GB SSD, archived the important data to another drive, wiped the SSD and put it back into my box of blank media.  Additionally, during this morning's testings, I determined that the power brick/cord/plug are AOK, and the crashing problem has to be in the laptop itself. and probably not the RAM because that survives all tests I can throw at it.

    Anybody want a 14 year old laptop with a new battery but no hard drive, and a penchant for dying at will?devil

    Post edited by LeatherGryphon on
  • Sfariah DSfariah D Posts: 26,276

    I have good news!  My pre-pandemic position has just started back up.  I will fill out paperwork tomorrow.

  • AgitatedRiotAgitatedRiot Posts: 4,437

    Complaint: When did people try to sell you things and call it marketing instead of sales? We went to Branson and spent a weekend at a resort, and then they wanted to sell us a timeshare. They kept telling me it was marketing. The same goes for door-to-door solicitors. We are not trying to sell you anything. This is just marketing.

  • Sfariah DSfariah D Posts: 26,276

    I keep seeing these in game ads that make no sense.

     

    like one is about a kid got his inheritance and wastes it without going into debt.  He can't afford food because of his lavish spending but there is no sign he went into debt.  Even though they show no debt being accumulated, the kid goes bankrupt just because he can't afford a burger at a fast food place?  Also when I said kid I probably mean a young adult between the ages of 18 and 21.

     

    Another annoying ad has a start up company spend too much on decorating and end up not having any funds.  They aren't shown with any debt but the employees can't be paid on time.  Another thing about that ad is that they have to pay to start a project.  That is confusing to me.

  • Sfariah DSfariah D Posts: 26,276

    Just realized I forgot to check if my outdoor plants need to be watered.  It has to wait as I don't want to go outside while it rains. I will try to remember to check tomorrow if it isn't raining tomorrow.

  • DanaTADanaTA Posts: 13,209

    Sfariah D said:

    Just realized I forgot to check if my outdoor plants need to be watered.  It has to wait as I don't want to go outside while it rains. I will try to remember to check tomorrow if it isn't raining tomorrow.

    If the plants are outdoors, and it's raining...the answer is no!  They don't need watering, they're getting watered! 

  • ArtAngelArtAngel Posts: 1,692
    edited May 25

    Complaint: While hubby at doctors, decided to clean a filthy oven. Used Goo-Gone Grill Cleaner and I was barely finished spraying it, when he arrived back home. About 3 pm he turned on the oven and pretty soon the place was filled with toxic fumes. Everything after that was a mad dash. Racing to collect dogs and cats. Refusing to open the tank lid to feed the fish. That ex-covid N95 mask came in handy as I dove face first into the oven to wipe away the chemicals.

    Non-Complaint: Today we released 15 new Gouldians into our outdoor  aviary.

    Post edited by ArtAngel on
  • kyoto kidkyoto kid Posts: 41,054

    Richard Haseltine said:

    kyoto kid said:

    ...aren't the ones that have shells considered a delicacy in France? 

    Living in the Pacific Northwest, the shell-less ones are rather common here as well. 

    I have a strict escargot embargo.

    ...even the ones by Nissan? 

  • GordigGordig Posts: 10,056

    kyoto kid said:

    Richard Haseltine said:

    kyoto kid said:

    ...aren't the ones that have shells considered a delicacy in France? 

    Living in the Pacific Northwest, the shell-less ones are rather common here as well. 

    I have a strict escargot embargo.

    ...even the ones by Nissan? 

    That looks like the kind of van 3DJoji would sell.

  • TJohnTJohn Posts: 11,105
    edited May 25

    Complaint: These cicadas. Sounds like someone rattling a thousand strings of beads at once. The whole "tolerance of nature" thing is wearing a bit thin. Grumph...

    Post edited by TJohn on
  • LeatherGryphonLeatherGryphon Posts: 11,508
    edited May 25

    Suggestion:  Cicada soup. Macaroni & cicadas.  Cicada ravioli.  Chili con-cicada.enlightened

    I haven't seen 'em here yet (western NY), but in years past I remember vast swathes of central Pennsylvania forests being turned brown in a few days as the cicadas laid their eggs in the tender shoots at the ends of the branches making each tree look like it had a halo of brown fog of small dead twigs, buds & leaves.

    Complaint:  Rain forcasted all day on Memorial day.frown  Not that I was planning on doing anything interesting, but this town only has one public event a year anymore.  The Memorial Day parade of firetrucks, high school bands, tractors, antique cars, horses & wagons, etc. and it hasn't rained here on Memorial day for years and years and years.  

    Post edited by LeatherGryphon on
  • McGyverMcGyver Posts: 7,051

    Good morning folks... I keep wanting to write something... in fact after the ads went away I started writing one of my dumb assembly of words loosely glued together with random thoughts, but I got interrupted and forgot what I was writing... I decided to keep it and add to it like a captain's log because I kept getting interrupted and it'd be like a day before I could go back and I kept forgetting what I was going to write... but I deleted it because it was long, not funny and made no sense after a week of that... I figured I should just say "Hi" and go from there... 

    Hi!

    Ugh... interruption calls...

    See yaz later crocodiles... 

  • Sfariah DSfariah D Posts: 26,276

    McGyver glad you said see yaz later as that means you will be back!

     

    right now I'm debating on getting water from Chick-fil-A or waiting to get my paperwork done for a J-o-b at my favorite mall's food court.  I hope those J-o-b-s still include a paycheck. If it has direct deposit, I can look up the numbers on my phone.

  • DanaTADanaTA Posts: 13,209

    McGyver said:

    Good morning folks... I keep wanting to write something... in fact after the ads went away I started writing one of my dumb assembly of words loosely glued together with random thoughts, but I got interrupted and forgot what I was writing... I decided to keep it and add to it like a captain's log because I kept getting interrupted and it'd be like a day before I could go back and I kept forgetting what I was going to write... but I deleted it because it was long, not funny and made no sense after a week of that... I figured I should just say "Hi" and go from there... 

    Hi!

    Ugh... interruption calls...

    See yaz later crocodiles... 

    Hi!!!   Glad to see you back! 

  • LeatherGryphonLeatherGryphon Posts: 11,508

    Non-complaint:  Hey, McGyver.  Yep, ads are gone.

    'Nother non-complaint:  Wheee... entertainment.  Lady in the house to the east of me (visible out my kitchen window) is having a tree removed.   I love work, I could sit and watch it for hours.yes  But it's gonna rain, hard, soon, darkening quickly.  Hope that lightning doesn't decide to strike the tree or the big crane disassembling it.frown

  • Sfariah DSfariah D Posts: 26,276

    I found this place that gives me a free chicken sandwich if I help.  There is a place at the table where I just get a free chicken sandwich if I want.

    this place gives me approximately 10 dollar per hour I help out.  I think I'll get the funds as a check every two weeks.

  • DanaTADanaTA Posts: 13,209

    Sfariah D said:

    I found this place that gives me a free chicken sandwich if I help.  There is a place at the table where I just get a free chicken sandwich if I want.

    this place gives me approximately 10 dollar per hour I help out.  I think I'll get the funds as a check every two weeks.

    yes 

  • LeatherGryphonLeatherGryphon Posts: 11,508
    edited May 25

    Complaint:  Didn't have time to watch the tree removal, but it's gone.  Leaves an ugly empty space in the yard.

    Non-complaint:  Yay!  I finally was able to reset the "Administrator" password on my 20 year old WinXP computer.  If I remember correctly,  several years ago I'd done a complete reinstall of XP and all its service packs and existing updates, but left the machine as a virgin XP, no user accounts, just the default "Administrator" account, and i'd forgotten the password. (actually there was a password written on the back of the machine, but it didn't work).  But making a very long story short, I finally was able to reset the "Administrator" password to be empty ie.blank which is the default.  Then I installed a proper user account with administrative permissions, and gave it the password written on the back of the machine.  System works fine as far as I've tested it.

    Complaint:  The process of resetting the password ran into many CGTFH (Can't Get There From Here) issues.  In order to boot to "Safe Mode" to try some of the fixes, I needed to find a keyboard with a round PS2 connection, because Safe Mode couldn't see my USB keyboard.indecision In order to find a PS2 keyboard I had to move several of my parts boxes, to get to the big keyboard box on the bottom.frown    With boxes laying around the floor in a crowded apartment, I naturally broke my little toe on it, twice.crying  No standard Microsoft tools or online hints would let me get logged into the system without the "Administrator" password,sad  So I needed to make a bootable USB or bootable CD to get a third-party utility into the system to do the password resetting.  However, the system was too old to know how to boot from USB, so I had to burn a CD.no  The utility I first used to create a bootable media only recognized USB but not CD.  Then I discovered that I could use WindowsMedia on my win10 system to burn a bootable "iso" file to a CD. Yay, something went right.yes  Then I discovered that only one of the CD/DVD drives in the old XP system was able to be read during boot.angry  But eventually, I got the system to boot my bootable CD with a copy of "LiveBoot" on it, and that was able to reset the "Administrator" password.  Whew!  And nobody died, just a twice broken pinky toe.frown

    Now all I have to do is put things back in their boxes, restack the boxes, and pour me a shot of Disaronno (for the pain).heart

    "Mischief managed."

    Post edited by LeatherGryphon on
  • NylonGirlNylonGirl Posts: 1,814

    Yes, so I've been sweeping up pieces of the sky all day. The skyholes are getting to be almost as bad as the potholes. I almost lost my drone. The republic says it will notify everybody when there is a permanent solution. In the meantime, there is an emerging market for sky blue duct tape.

  • kyoto kidkyoto kid Posts: 41,054

    ...welcome back McGyuver.  Missed your stories and historical ramblings.

     

    Sky not falling here yet (that won't happen until Tuesday and Wednesday) though there were fireworks last night for the opening of the city's Rose Festival" which is two and a half week long celebration here with parades, a midway concerts and of course food booths on the waterfront. there are also other linked celebrations that occur in various neighbourhoods.. One thing that's unusual this year, it won't be bucketing down rain for the most of the event, which in past years turned the waterfront park into a quagmire.  

    The festival used to be held in early to mid July when the prospect of dry weather was more certain.  Never understood why they moved it up to late May - early June.

    About the only parts of the festival I enjoy anymore are the fireworks the Dragon Boat reces, and the Starlight Parade, the latter which is a very silly and whimsical event.  The  park grounds (dubbed "City Fair" for the festival) charges a 15$ daily admission to enter (i stil lremember whne it was free) and f you buy your ticket online, there's an additional $3 "delivery fee".  Food prices have also spiked to ridiculous  as a burger that cost 9$ last year is now priced at 13.50$ (fries are extra) and even a small bottle of water is 4.50$ (which is about same price for a pack of 24 bottles at the grocery)..

    The "big event" is the Grand Floral Parade two weeks from today which is the second oldest (started in 1906) and second largest floral parade in the nation next to the Tournament of Roses in Pasadena which began in 1890. 

  • Sfariah DSfariah D Posts: 26,276

    The sky cried real hard as I went back home in a taxi.  Parts of it was glad I wasn't driving.

     

    took a nap when I got home.  Feel a tad better.  But where are my glasses?

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