Okay, Device Manager should have been my first thought but, lo, I am dumm.

Turns out "digital audio CD" was not enabled for the drive. Click a ticky-box...all problems solved.

*sigh*

You could just get a new fan.

I doubt the fan has gotten much louder--I'm just OCDing on it because I'm jonesing for new stuff.

Are manufacturers putting Bluetooth on their desktops these days? Are there enough wireless keyboards and mice to make it sensible? I'd sure love not taking up a port with one. As for WiFi I think I noticed it as an option before Dell scared me totally away--nice backup so you can steal your neighbour's signal in a pinch.

I think my foray into HDTV TiVo has cured me of wanting TV on my PC for the nonce. At least as far as capturing it myself goes.

I have been living in Device Manager for the last day or so, and I still can't make the computer see a thumb drive. Through a long series of changing, deleting, unplugging and rebooting, I finally managed to make the computer see my backup hard drive, so I'm back up with everything except e-mail and scheduling since September. Outlook's automatic backup? It apparently decided I had changed my mind. Also, did you know there's a maximum size for a .pst file? That's another thing I know now that I didn't know Saturday. Disasters are so enlightening.

Also, I miss my cookies.

DJ, TweakUI has already helped me fix another logon problem. Thanks!

Okay, Device Manager should have been my first thought but, lo, I am dumm.

Yep. Or maybe it's your brain going....

Today I used an If... Then loop, but I spelled it If... Than. First time in my life I've ever done that.

I think I need a lawn that I can chase kids off....

Today I used an If... Then loop

Dude, that marks you as old right there. Or are we come back around to using actual words in programming again? I keep blinking and missing trends.

The email client here is Outlook, and it uses the Word editor. I end up most of my emails with

Thanks,
ita.

but when I put the final period on, it capitalises my name and I have to ^Z it away. I've been into AutoCorrect and the like, and I can't make it not do that. What am I missing.

Also, did you know there's a maximum size for a .pst file?

We've been told, in theory, 2GB, but they get unstable as they approach it. Windows can compress them down quite a bit, though, if you've been deleting over time.

Dude, that marks you as old right there.

Yeah, I suppose. I'm using VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) at the moment for some Access front end to SQL Server thingie.

But wait - you can use VBScript or VB for .ASP pages on the server side. That's sorta' new. ish. OK, not as old....

In my version in Auto Correct, there's a ticky box for capitalize the first word of sentences. Is that there for you?

Also, did you know there's a maximum size for a .pst file?

...yes? Although I suppose that doesn't help you now, huh.

Computer use is full of learning by disaster. In some ways, it's like my knowledge of cars. I can often accurately diagnose in other people's cars all the things that have gone wrong in mine, but outside of my realm of experience, it's all "here be dragons." The file in question wasn't quite that large, but I suspect the size is why it's all wonky. I had another, earlier, backup that worked, but I'm still in the depressing situation of having to e-mail clients and say, "You know that picture you sent? I hadn't actually gotten around to saving it, so could you send me another?"