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Home Computer Is Down
Unfortunately I have quite an issue with my ability to engage the gold blogging community via the podcast and this blog. In the previous post on the status of this site, I mentioned how I haven't been able to use my home computer due to Charter working on the line for a couple of weeks. That work is over now, but I have even bigger issues. My home computer is now down until I can save up enough money to have it completely fixed. I have a quote to get it repaired and upgraded to working condition again. Unfortunately, I don't have the extra money to get it fixed. I might be able to scrape enough money together by the end of the month to get it fixed.
The end of the month, maybe. Problem is that I no longer can write posts from work either. As I mentioned on Auction House Junkies Episode #15, I have been promoted to a new position at work. Today is my last day training my replacement before I move to the new department. The new department does not have internet access, so I will not be able to do any blog posts from work anymore. Yes, that sucks, but wouldn't be a big deal except that my home computer is going to take $200 to get it running where I can start posting daily gold tips again.
So what does this mean?
Until I get my $200 saved up for the computer repairs:
- There will be no new blog posts at Cold's Gold Factory (there may be an occasional post, if I can find time to hit a library).
- There will be no new Monday posts (that's my day) at Goldgrubs.com.
- Diablo3GoldTips.com will be on hold unless Wes gets a post up.
- There will be no new episodes of The Auction House Junkies podcast until my computer is fixed. (Wes and I tried to record Tuesday evening, but I come across as robo-voice speed talker.)
- My current project of a second gold guide, which is already in the works) is on hold as well.
You can see it is a sad day for Cold's Gold Factory and my other blogging and podcasting projects.
What Can You Do To Help Out?
I need to try and raise $200 total as soon as possible, so that I can get back to posting daily and providing content for all of my wonderful readers. Wes and I are also itchin to get another Auction House Junkies episode out as well as release our initial Diablo 3 podcast teaser episode. Can't do either until I can raise the $200 and get my computer fixed.
I had mentioned how I was a #sadpanda after relaying the news to my followers on Twitter yesterday. I had an Auction House Junkies listener contact me asking for my Paypal address because he wanted to help out. This loyal fan of the podcast sent me $50 to my Paypal account to get my $200 computer repair savings project underway, so we can get more gold making podcast episodes out as quickly as possible. Thank you so much for your generous contribution, sir.
If you too would like to help out and help us get back on a regular posting and podcasting schedule, then these are the following options that will assist in raising the cash needed for the computer repairs.
- Purchase a MFC Mastery Gold Guide. This guide has helped nearly 100 players so far and has been very well received. MFCs continue to be hot sellers and there is less competition now that school is back in session.
- Buy a guide from either the WoW gold guide page here at CGF or from the shop at Goldgrub's.
- Send a donation via Paypal to email address SSmith0911 (at) Live (dot) Com. Any amount no matter how large or small will be greatly appreciated. If you would like a shout out on the blog or on the podcast, please say so with the donation message.
- Buy something from Amazon.com with my referral link.
- Tweet this post, post it to Facebook, or any other social media site. Tell your friends.
- Contact me for various advertising ideas for your own site, podcast, or blog promotion.
Thanks in advance for anyone who decides to help out. The faster I can get money earned and saved up, the sooner the blogs and the podcasts will be back in business. I will be back ASAP. Thanks for understanding. In the meantime, there are over 520+ posts here at Cold's Gold Factory to keep you busy with gold making tips and tricks as well as strategy discussions.
PS: If you are wondering where the money is from all of the MFC Mastery guides I've sold. Every last penny went to pay for a root canal for my girlfriend who has no job and no insurance. Major dental work without insurance is outrageous.
Enjoy The Posts Here at Cold's Gold Factory? Check Out Cold's Mysterious Fortune Card Mastery Gold Making Guide To Get You Started In Gold Making. Also Check Out The Teenager's Gold Guide To Get Started With Learning The Auction House As A Younger Player.
What's broken? Perhaps someone would be willing to donate the parts? "I need $200 or the blog gets it" is a little sketchy sounding. :)
ReplyDelete@John Coleman
ReplyDeleteThe system bios need reflashed, the registry files are corrupted, and I just cleaned off 19 viruses, but they are re-populating. So I need a full re-format, re-install, and tune-up. So nothing hardware related to donate.
PS: Never let your girlfriend on your gaming machine, even if her computer breaks. :(
@Cold
ReplyDeleteUnless it's a custom built computer, "re-format and re-install" is as simple as a) booting to the recovery partition and hitting Next a few times b) sticking in the mfg restore disc and hitting Next a couple of times if recovery partition is not available c) ordering the mfg disc (pay S/H only) if b) is not available, then following b).
You don't need a tune-up if the computer is freshly restored. At the most you will want to defragment your hard drive.
As for the system BIOS needing to be reflashed, does the computer not display anything on the screen or are you having boot issues other than Windows not loading? Because normally a BIOS flash is done if there are system instability issue due to a buggy BIOS release from the manufacturer, certainly not because the computer is infected with viruses.
Most BIOS flashes/updates are nowadays done through Windows and is truly as simple as going to the manufacturer.com and downloading an EXE to run on it. So if you feel you need to update it, it could be done after the Windows reinstall.
As for the hidden recovery partition - what brand is the computer?
$200 Is the quote for full repair for everything needed from The Geek Squad (which is right next door) at Best Buy.
ReplyDeleteThere are system errors, connectivity errors, dll errors, not booting up properly on start up, framerate is less than 5 fps, I believe the virus is embedded in the restore partition as well since it is repopulating even after removal.
So it is pretty screwed up atm.
I don't know enought to fix it myself, otherwise I could do it for cheaper I'm sure.
@Cold
ReplyDeleteIt's quite possible that you have a rootkit virus, which most antivirus software won't catch and even a restore wouldn't get rid of by itself (one extra step to take there).
I guess "easy" is relative, since people change oil in their cars themselves and I wouldn't dare attempt it and rather take it in.
My Mom had her pc taken to the geek squad (she doesn't live close). I had her tell me what she was paying for because the same $200 sounded steep to me. It includes unlimited software repairs on 3 computers for a year, as well as antivirus for a year, and they also do a diagnostic to check for hardware problems. So it's not really a bad price, considering Time Is Money, Friend! as we know.
Best of luck to you though.
Hi
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to ad a comment or two to your computer problems, if I may.
First of all, I agree with Anonymous sayings about flashing BIOS, reformatting and
reinstalling software. It isn't as difficult to do as it may seem. But, working in IT-support
myself, I can understand your reluctance to dabble with a full restore yourself.
When first reading your "But I'm Not Dead Yet!"-blog, I had to think both twice and trice to
get a grip on your asking for donations fixing your computer. You needed $200? You have just
changed postion, and can't afford $200? I use more than that on lunch each week. No way am I
gonna donate to help reach such a lowly figure. You live in the US, the worlds richest
country...
But then I thought. You live in the US, but you're not the richest country in the world. With recession hitting the US hard, and a national debt of 14 gazillions, or a bit less, I can understand your asking for a donation. The wealth distribution and wages in the US is
ridiculous compared to where I come from. If you don't have $200 for a computer fix, it's cost
could have been a gazillion, you don't have the dollars anyway.
I myself live in Norway, and we're on top of most of the lists, the positive way.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(PPP)_per_capita
So, I could eat lunch out the next week, or help you out a bit.
I'll help you out this week, and eat my "matpakke" :-)
Keep up the good work, and especially the podcasts.
$50 is on your way as a donation from me.