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(Message started by: Havanor on 03/04/03 at 02:01:09)
Title: My Situation
Post by Havanor on 03/04/03 at 02:01:09
It's been a bad couple weeks.

So I get back in to college, and move everything into my dorm. As I reinstall my hard drive, a stray protruding piece of metal gashes the side, rendering the device unreadable.

Meanwhile, my college won't let me get food at the cafeteria or buy books at the campus store, because they think I'm delinquent on my payment. So I basically don't eat for two days. Funny thing is, they made that mistake due to a clerical error, which is spotted two days (and 25 phone calls from family and accountant) later.

The first company I order a new hard drive from ends up deciding they're out of stock and doesn't tell me this until I call their tech support four days later. The second company seems pretty cool, but I find out today that my sole credit card defaulted (primarily due to making emergency payments to the college). Meaning the company now puts the hard drive back up for sale.

So I'm going to get that taken care of as soon as possible, so I don't have to rely on public, write-protected computers for my computing needs. But until then, yeah. I've been scarce and might be for another week or whatnot. Sorry about that, guys and gals. Consult opening line.
Title: Re: My Situation
Post by dognapot on 03/04/03 at 04:48:40
ouch. well i'm glad to see things are atleast not continueing to get worse, and i'm knocking on wood as i say that too.
Title: Re: My Situation
Post by PureMourning on 03/04/03 at 20:24:45
Wow, your first time back to college is not very cheerful. I feel sorry for you. I hope we'll see you soon!
Title: Re: My Situation
Post by Deval on 03/04/03 at 23:04:46
It's all ever so lonesome on AIM without you Hav, just blame Karen and make her pay to fix the puter, or just steal hers. Then we can skip through sunkissed fields of daisies holding hands and whispering sweet nothings  :-*
Title: Re: My Situation
Post by Havanor on 03/09/03 at 19:55:44
Okay, have a new HD. Now I have a question for the general populace. I need to cold-install a new OS (preferrably XP). I notice on many sites that you can buy an XP certificate of authenticity with no CD for around 50-60 bucks (for computer labs and other networks I assume).

Do any of you know if I could then, in theory, order one of these Certificates of Authenticity, and just download the actual XP software on a program such as Kazaa or get an XP cd from someone else?

Here is an example of a site selling a XP Key:
http://www.buymstar.com/detailsSoft.asp?pid=779
Title: Re: My Situation
Post by wonderful_nightmare on 03/09/03 at 20:24:27
ok i got something for you lol this is a really nifty program but illegal as shyt :D

it checks loads of xp serials and finally gets one that isn't used allready so you can still update (it works i got a copy of xp and i get all the updates) :P

if you want it i can send it to you

(it took me about 3 times 40 mins till i got a serial that worked so be patient if you use it :p)
Title: Re: My Situation
Post by ICP on 03/09/03 at 20:28:12
memo Homicide the site to get that prog  :P  :P
Title: Re: My Situation
Post by JLH on 03/09/03 at 20:35:44
i'd love to know how it finds a key that someone else in the world hasn't already used.
in order to do that, you'd have to access the microsoft database by repeatedly trying to register, and i think microsoft may just notice that.
Title: Re: My Situation
Post by wonderful_nightmare on 03/09/03 at 20:38:06
well i didn't make it lol and i do think it tries to get an update with the key or something all i know is that i still get updates and have a copy of xp :D
Title: Re: My Situation
Post by Havanor on 03/09/03 at 20:44:23
Do you know if using a legitimate, paid-for cd key and then swiping a copy of XP from, say, the computer lab, would work?
Title: Re: My Situation
Post by wonderful_nightmare on 03/09/03 at 20:51:04
what i understand of the microsoft update system is that you can only register a cd-key once and that system can get the updates.

if you just install a copy with a diff cd-key it should work but you just won't be able to update :D
Title: Re: My Situation
Post by Havanor on 03/09/03 at 21:32:27
It's a fresh, legitimate and unique cd key though.
Title: Re: My Situation
Post by JLH on 03/09/03 at 21:33:26
the cd key defines your pc, the cd you use to install xp (as long as they have the same files on) is fine.
Title: Re: My Situation
Post by newb on 03/10/03 at 02:19:32
From what i've heard, XP is pretty wack. I loved 95, I only got 98 because 95 is way too obsolete. My suggestion is to get 98, not yet outdated and it doesn't have the ridiculous cd-key limitation stuff.
Title: Re: My Situation
Post by JLH on 03/10/03 at 02:35:42
personally, i'd use win2k. win98 is the best operating system for games, however win2k runs most newer games and is a lot more stable. winxp is just win2k with a fancy front end.
Title: Re: My Situation
Post by dognapot on 03/10/03 at 03:28:48
the only thing you'll need an unused serial number for is getting service packs from microsoft's site right? i think that's how it works, even then you could still get your updates from other sources. without spending more than a lil time and maybe $1 on a rewritable cd you could easily get 98, win2k/pro/Adv. server, and XP/pro.
Title: Re: My Situation
Post by Havanor on 03/10/03 at 06:20:51
Here is the other problem.

My college throttled the bandwidth for all PtP programs (kazaa, dc++) to something obscenely slow. Meaning it would take me about three weeks of straight downloading to burn a copy of XP or win2K that might or might not work.
Title: Re: My Situation
Post by dognapot on 03/10/03 at 06:56:10
there are still other ways to transfer files like that to wherever you need them. if kazaa or a program like it going slow on campus you might try using an alternate port, proxy server, or even have someone tranfer it to you through aim after acquiring the file themselves. most versions on file sharing networks come with a cd key that will work and unless you need to register it with microsoft you'll be just fine from there on.

another thing, sometimes colleges will sell expensive software to students at idiotically cheap prices. word, adobe stuff, and even operating systems going for like a fraction of thier usual price. goto the bookstore and see what kind of cheap software your bookstore is selling for educational purposes; you might not have to break laws to get an OS.
Title: Re: My Situation
Post by wonderful_nightmare on 03/10/03 at 07:32:26
i say get yourself a win xp cd key and install xp and forget about the updates :D (btw i seem to get alot of security updates and not only the sp updates)
Title: Re: My Situation
Post by Havanor on 03/18/03 at 01:54:27
Exciting new update. It appears that the new hard drive I ordered is defective, yet the company is fighting me every step of the way on it's return. I am currently debating whether or not to take this to the Better Buisness Bureau. This complicates my life once again, and will delay my decent back into Nightmisting even more.
Title: Re: My Situation
Post by dognapot on 03/18/03 at 02:21:06
suX0rs!


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