My Fujitsu LifeBook is gone.
This weekend while I was in Davis, something happened to input jack for the AC adapter. Even if the adapter was plugged in to the computer and in to a socket, my computer didn’t recognize that it was there. To make matters worse, my battery has a very short life and dies in about 45 minutes.
I took my laptop back to Fry’s for service. I got all chillona and stressed because the guys told me they would have to send it back to the manufacturer for service. This could take anywhere from 5 to 12 weeks. They also couldn’t just add a new battery from a LifeBook in the store because they no longer carry my model. Oh and did I mention that there are several things on my hard drive — like a lot of music, hundreds of photos and lots of school work — that I haven’t backed up in a while?
This made me stressed, and it made me feel dumb for putting off buying an external hard drive to backup everything. When I get stressed and I feel stupid, I cry. And that’s what I did at the Fry’s service counter.
I guess the middle aged man and his 20 something supervisor (who was cute and looked like he belonged in the band Inspector) felt sorry for me, especially when it was clear that I was a student and needed things on my laptop. Rather than charge me about $70 to backup my data, they did it free of charge. I also have a loaner Sony Vaio. I’m not sure I like it, mainly because of the size and because I find the keys funny.
I miss my little LifeBook. And all my music… there’s only so much you can fit on a DVD that holds 4.7 gigs.
So thats what happened to your pooter. A couple of weeks ago mine just sorta gave out on me. Well, it would start up but freeze/get stuck on the windows xp screen. I never backed up any of my files, my photos, my papers, my music, all gone. I mostly just care about the papers and photos (which aren’t all printed or stored anywhere.)…my sister was trying to figure out what the hell was wrong with it without having to reformat, but she went on vacation and i bought a macbook. I love my new computer, like woah. The battery life is amazing, the size, the silentness of this pooter..the programs, etc etc…Its amazing..But i still miss all my stuff that was stored on my old computer.
Its weird having a computer that has just about nothing stored on it. Ive managed to download some music, and take some photos, but its just not the same.
girl i would be crying too. I have so much stuff on my computer.
I hope it comes back soon!!
I know how you feel, I too am without my laptop – well atleast for the next few days. I started to have computer problems last month but since I was in the middle of finals I put fixing it off until now. I called IBM and they sent me a box with instructions to ship it back. So I did and since yesterday I have been without my trusty laptop. What will my life become now? LOL.
As for your experience at Fry’s, I just got to say that I am glad I didn’t go with you…seeing women cry always makes me feel awkward, like I have to do something to fix the situation or something. I might have ended up just buying you a new laptop or something! Note to self: Only go with Cindylu to shoe stores, anything else is too risky!
Cindy,
I am glad to hear your experience at Fry’s was better than the average computer user. I am amazed they gave you a loaner laptop! That was really nice of them. lmao @ the 20 year old boss
One thing you may one to request for future reference if you have to send it in for service again is that they physically remove the hard drive, prior to shipoing it in for repairs. This will ensure your data remains intact, since it was the AC Adapter that is the issue.
My trusty Dell died a little over a month ago — just seeing it dead was a shock, the thought that it would die w/o notice had never occurred to me. Replacing it w. a newer Dell had, but the scenario in my mind had two computers, my old one and my new one, co-existing peacefully. No such luck. Now gone are music, photographs and un-backed up docs, it’s like losing a section of one’s brain, if only momentarily.
Welcome to hell I live with almost every day. We always tell our users to make sure they get external devices because no matter how expensive the computer there is always the possibility of the hard drive failing.
I would recommed a Mac. You’d LOVE it.
ooh, so sorry to hear that. a couple of years back, days before my last day at my last office job, my work pc crashed and died. i really had no reason to be upset except i lost about three years of accumulated music that i was meaning to extract during my last few days. timing could not have been better. it was a very sad moment for me. my own laptop has been doing strange things lately so i’ve started backing up and shopping around for something new. but if i had known, i would have taken hp to microcenter and started crying while he was in town.
Wow, you’re right … crying really does work.
Sorry about the computer and the music, but 1.) Jeff makes good recommendations and 2.) when you get your new computer I’ll bring my hard drive up to LA and you can copy all the music you want.
I did almost the exact same thing last december! i was at an apple store, and my computer was messed up and yeah, i couldn’t hold back the tears and the guy just hooked it up. but it’s so embarrasing sometimes… argh…
Cindy,
first let me just say that since I was introduced to your blog (thank pachuco 3000 for that) I have been reading your blogs almost everyday. I like to click randomly and read your old blogs on different topics. and let me just say that I have been enjoying it very much. I do have to admit, your writing inspires me and it also intimidates me (in a good way, b/c i guess its motivating me to push myself). I started a personal blog a few months back, but I have only shared it with 1 person. Mostly because I doubt my writing skills, and really I’m nervous to have others read what I have to say. Sometimes I feel I have so many ideas in my head, but when I want to write them, I just can’t. I have always been better at math, and that has always been my excuse for my bad writing (my brain functions better when calculating math problems), but I have come to realize that I need to become more comfortable with my writing. Especially since I’m applying to the PhD program. I had to start a second blog, which was a class requirement for a masters course in the public health program, and I thought this blog would be easier, since I had to narrow my topics to things related to global health (its broad but I felt that it was going to give me some guidance, and its a topic that I’m mostly comfortable with), but I’m ashamed to say, that I have not been doing well with that blog either! So when i read your blogs, it makes me mad at myself for not being able to write more often. I keep invisioning me someday being able to write 1 blog a day, while still being able to conduct research and write about it… and I guess I can only do that by practicing. Anyways, I’m rambling here… but i did want to say that I’m grateful to have you inspire me (even if you didn’t know you were doing that). So thank you for that.
Well now for the main reason why I started writing this comment… I have a Fujitsu Lifebook too (that I got at fry’s too). So what ever happened with your computer? were you able to get it ficked? is it still working for you…? I have to say that I am very very happy with my laptop. But I too constantly tell myself that I need to buy an external hardrive to save all my stuff….
I know this is a very old blog, and you may have addressed it in another blog, but I’m going to stop randomly picking or reading your blog tonight, b/c guess what… I’m writing a term paper, thats driving me crazy…and i really need to get back to it. oh, well, now you know too that i like to procrastinate reading blogs!
sssshh…
so let me know how your lifebook is doing now…? if you still got it….