*Updated 31 Jan*

So, after using my “old” laptop as a paperweight for over a year after a reformatting disaster, I decided to enlist my brother’s help in getting the machine back in working order.

This all came about after a painful upgrade of my desktop to Vista, which took 2 Blue Screens of Death and 71 updates to get running smoothly.

We met up at the Parental Storage Unit for the usual escapades of Guitar Hero, gaming, and torturing our family.

Right from the beginning, things went awry. I forgot to remind my brother of the software I would need, so it was forgotten. After a good amount of pain and an ultimately futile scouring of the ENTIRE house, it turned out that what we needed was under our noses. (Actually, it was under the laptop, in our father’s desk drawer.. In plain site)

Getting the machine up wasn’t too painful after a small diagnostic was performed. While it’s no gaming machine to say the least, it will run most programs I use for artistic purposes. This will ease the pain of the all-nighters I sometimes get to pull!

Of course, it can’t end happily…

Upon return to my house with both my desktop and laptop in tow, I plugged in my desktop to find my fresh install of VISTA locking up (Yay, Vista)

A quick reboot left me with a sexy beep code, of which I could not find a solution to.

So, the “High Speed Gaming Machine” is in the shop, while I plunk away at the dinosaur laptop.

I hate computers….

*Update*
After multiple DIY diagnostics checks and a few phone conferences, it was deemed an impossible situation for me to resolve.
I made a few calls to various computer repair shops, starting with one large chain. You know the one.. It’s the “best” place to “buy” computer stuff!

70 bucks just to look at it! I think not..

I found a local shop that did the same thing twice as well, for 15 dollars.

After a few days of waiting, the bad news came back. The motherboard was fried.

Then came the really bad news. Being an HP, a part that normally costs no more than 50 to 60 bucks actually costs 250 to 300 bucks! That’s thanks to HP using proprietary hardware to ensure return business and WORLD DOMINATION!

I dunno about that part, but it still sucks!

So, I’ve ordered a “regular” motherboard that will support all the components of my HP. I’ll do a full transplant, and reformat the hard drive again to eliminate all traces of HP..

Except for the case…