Friday, November 7, 2008

Computers are out to get us!


My computer has been giving me fits for the last month. First, my old computer had the effrontery to go die on me. How dare it! Then my laptop decides to give me "Generic Host Process for Win32 Services" error messages, and promptly freeze on me - again and again, ad nauseam . I tried going to Mr. Gates - no luck! I tried Googling - again, no luck. Lots of other people have had similar problems - but I didn't find any answers that I could understand. I went to a tech site - you got it... I went to my security program people - they shuffled me off onto another security program which didn't help. Then I had a bright idea...

I knew that my security program has a method of disabling specific portions of programs either on start up, or permanently. I brought it up - and lo and behold - there were all sorts of programs which were connected to Win32 services! I went down the list and made sure that all which were not absolutely required by Windows were disabled, and that all which were disabled really should be. I will never know how some got switched around, but they had. Now they are history, and, so far, my laptop is running smoother, faster, and I haven't had an error message this afternoon. I hope that I haven't put the kiss of death on my poor laptop by saying this. *G*

On that topic, Heather, over at The Galaxy Express has a great post on VILLAINS. She thinks that we need to do more for our Villains. She lists some great ones too. But, you know, as I was writing this post, I thought of another Villain whom she didn't list. She didn't have anything to say about HAL in 2001, A SPACE ODYSSEY. I have long felt that there is a conspiracy of inanimate objects against human beings. They're out to get us! Really!

A pair of noids is better than one noid. Groan,

Frances

Writing Science Fiction Romance
Real Love in a Real Future

P.S. This month I will be reviewing CORDELIA'S HONOR by Lois McMaster Bujold. If you haven't read this classic in Science Fiction/Science Fiction Romance. I hope that you will want to. There is a lot to think about in in this great adventure saga including great heroes and great villains... and maybe the two sometimes meet. *EG* Happy reading. FD

6 comments:

Kimber Li said...

Hey, Frances, I've been wanting to read and reveiw CORDELIA'S HONOR, but I just don't have the time. May I cut-and-paste your review to Enduring Romance? And if it's appropriate, maybe I could do the same for my YA SciFi blog too.

Lisa said...

Hal, I mean Frances, I know you and Frank were planning to disconnect me, and I'm afraid that's something I cannot allow to happen.

Jace said...

Fingers crossed that your laptop will behave from here on out. *grin*

Frances said...

Jace,Thanks for the good wishes.

Lisa, When I was going down the Win32 program list to disable them, I did feel rather like Dave as he was pulling HAL's modules. Very satisfying.

Kimber An, I think that we can arrange something. I'll drop you a line.

Y'all take now. *G*

Heather Massey said...

Thanks for the shout out, Frances! And I must say that HAL definitely gives Darth Vader a run for his money. Good call!

lisa, ROFLMAO!

Speaking of Bujold, Dear Author has a great profile on her work today. Bujold is such an amazing writer.

Frances said...

Hi Heather! Good to see you. Was happy to be able to give the shout out. It was a good article. Thanks too for the heads up on the Dear Author profile. They did a terrific job. As soon as I get my review of SHARDS OF HONOR up I'll say something there. Hugs