Recently, I succeeded in making my radio show available from the radio show home page of this web site. I attempted to do the same thing for my television show. That didn't work so well, but I'm still trying.
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First, I purchased hardware and software to convert the TV show from videotape to a computer file. Then, I installed the hardware and loaded the software. When the new system failed to record the TV show as a computer file, I called the manufacturer for assistance. Technical Support said that I needed to upgrade my sound card, so I bought a new one of the brand that the Technical Support guy recommended.
Over the weekend, I installed the new sound card in the correct slot inside the computer and ran the software that came with it. Everything worked fine until the end. An error message came up, but after I clicked, "OK," the computer continued with the routine and announced that the new hardware and software had been successfully installed. I was instructed to re-boot my computer for the new settings to take effect.
When I re-booted the computer, Windows 98 crashed. I couldn't get Windows 98 to run, and without a functioning operating system, the computer became, essentially, a very large, expensive and frustrating paperweight for the rest of the weekend. No e-mail, no instant news and weather, and no way to update my web site.
My computer technical guru, Jim, restored my computer to better than its old self. He came over yesterday afternoon. The first thing he did was to find a way to get DOS to work. Then, using DOS, he searched my Windows directory for something called CAB files, from which he could re-install Windows. He found the CAB file directory, but for some unexplained reason, it was empty. That was trouble.
Then, he told me that, when he converted my computer from Windows 95 to 98, he made a back-up copy of 98, under a separate directory name, and stored it on my hard drive, in case anything bad ever happened to my computer. He found the back-up Windows 98 directory, located the CAB files within the back-up, and utilized those CAB files to re-install Windows.
Next, Jim made the computer even better than it was before. Jim explained to me how Windows had stored, in a temporary file directory, a copy of every image that I had ever viewed on any web site since I started using this computer. I run the automatic maintenance program on the computer regularly, but the only internet-related files that get deleted are files called "temporary internet files." There are additional files in what is called "off-line content," which is stored on my computer so that the images don't have to be downloaded each time that I make a return visit to a web site that I've been to before. These files also should be deleted, periodically, but those get deleted only while using my web browser by selecting, at the top of the page, "Tools," "Internet Options," "Delete Files" in the "Temporary Internet Files" box under the "General" tab, and then checking the "Delete all off-line content" box before hitting "OK." I didn't know about all that, but Jim did, and now I have deleted a full gigabyte of data that was cluttering up my hard drive.
Who needs God? I've got Jim!
What this demonstrates is that a good plan, combined with the right talent, is far better than a good prayer combined with a make-believe deity-parent. All the praying in the world could not have wished my problems away, restored my computer to operation, found the desperately needed back-up CAB files or deleted the unneeded off-line content. What rescued my computer and me from eternal damnation in cyber-hell was good planning by a very talented atheist (Jim, not me) and the talent to execute that plan.
Chicago Tribune columnist Eric Zorn tells me that Windows crashed on his computer last year, so he knows what aggravation that is. Eric just might be doing another story about me later this month, but not about the Windows crash. Something else. Stay tuned.
So, I'm back on the internet after a nearly a week in cyber-purgatory. I'll have all the regular and expected features back up for tomorrow, including the internet version of last week's radio show and the second part of the school commentary that I began here last week.
Thanks for your help, Jim.
Rob Sherman P. O. Box
7410
Buffalo Grove, IL 60089-7410
A post office box is used
because
the street address uses a curb mail box,
which is not secure.
Telephone: (847) 870-0700
Fax: (847) 870-1156
E-mail: rob followed by the at symbol followed by robsherman dot com