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Help- My Computer Died

by seriousmny
23 replies
Hi guys,

I was in the midst of getting some Christmas sites going and my computer died on me. I woke up to a weird smell and could not for the life of me locate the smell. I had my daughter go around and pull out all the electronics because it smelled like something electric. I went to check out my computer and turn it on and it was dead.

I was doing some keyword research and all my stuff was on my personal computer. I didn't back up my computer on any external system. I was trying to figure out how to manually do my research since my Market Samurai is on my personal computer. I have a work computer available which I am on right now, but I am not allowed to download anything on it.

How would you go about getting your work done?? I don't' have any disposable cash at the moment and really I'm not sweating that. I just need to move forward with my Christmas sites to get the cash flow going with my work computer. I found an online KEI calculation and was wondering if anyone was familiar with it and if it was the proper way to go to get this done manually. Please see what i found and see if I'm in the correct ball park. I need feedback.

What is KEI and How to Calculate KEI
#computer #died
  • Profile picture of the author Wham
    market samurai has some nice features but honestly the adword keyword tool is all you need.
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  • Profile picture of the author rajuthan
    You can do the following:

    - rent a computer in WA
    - borrow a laptop from a friend or relative
    - use a library or net cafe computer (be careful of key loggers)
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  • Profile picture of the author turbohips
    If it helps, you can get netbooks for stupid cheap and use them for your needs. They are plenty powerful enough, more so than my regular computer that's 5 years old.
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  • Profile picture of the author RebeccaL
    Maybe with his phone.

    Computers are cheap as chips these days. You can buy/build a 2nd hand one for $200. Or get a cheap netbook.
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  • Profile picture of the author mywebwork
    Hi Monique

    Chances are you fried either the power supply or motherboard. And while that isn't a very good thing the good news is that your hard drive is probably just fine.

    If you know a local computer geek have them give it a check over -after market power supplies and motherboards are pretty inexpensive and you may be back in business for a lot less than you expect, with all your data intact.

    Another option is to find a cheap used desktop and install your existing hard disk as a 2nd drive, this way you can get your data back. You may even be able to run Market Samurai directly from the 2nd disk, not sure if it makes any registry entries (if it does then it probably won't work).

    Sorry to hear about this, I've been there before and it's not fun (my one and only WF Blog post is about this very issue). Hope you resolve it soon.

    Best of luck...

    Bill
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    • Profile picture of the author seriousmny
      I got really pissed off last time my computer needed fixing and went to Geek Squad who wanted to charge me 500 bucks to fix my computer and found a shop that said my problem was simple and fixed it for 50 dollars. The people that fixed my computer have since changed management and the service has gone down the tubes, so I cannot go there any more. I really don't want to get screwed over again. I am going to just save for a new computer and work on the computer I use for my job and get things done.

      On the positive side, being forced to use Google Keyword tool and an Excel spreadsheet this evening has taught me a lot. I have found some really hot Christmas niches and I don't think I would have been able to concentrate without the stress I'm under to get this done. That's the weird thing about me...I cannot seem to get anything done unless I'm under the gun. I've found about 10 great keywords tonight just sitting down and doing keyword research manually. Go figure.

      Thank you for all that have responded to help me out. This little inconvenience has actually been a sort of blessing. It's storming like all get out this evening here in the Seattle area. I will be sure to unplug all my electronics tonight so nothing else gets fried tonight.

      Thanks for all the great advice guys.


      Originally Posted by mywebwork View Post

      Hi Monique

      Chances are you fried either the power supply or motherboard. And while that isn't a very good thing the good news is that your hard drive is probably just fine.

      If you know a local computer geek have them give it a check over -after market power supplies and motherboards are pretty inexpensive and you may be back in business for a lot less than you expect, with all your data intact.

      Another option is to find a cheap used desktop and install your existing hard disk as a 2nd drive, this way you can get your data back. You may even be able to run Market Samurai directly from the 2nd disk, not sure if it makes any registry entries (if it does then it probably won't work).

      Sorry to hear about this, I've been there before and it's not fun (my one and only WF Blog post is about this very issue). Hope you resolve it soon.

      Best of luck...

      Bill
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      • Profile picture of the author MarkAndrews IMCopywriting
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        • Profile picture of the author anu_smart
          well now this problem rightly indicates the importance of back up!

          i suggest you to get a second hand pc, or an assembled one which might be cheap for you to spend now and it does't bite your pocket!!
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        • Profile picture of the author seriousmny
          Whoa!! Didn't know I could get a computer so cheap. I'm going to probably go with Ebay and get myself one can't beat that price. :-O

          I feel much better now.

          Originally Posted by MarkAndrews IMCopywriting View Post

          Always pays to keep a backup system in
          the background to use for emergencies.

          I'm not familiar with computer prices in
          the United States but how about some-
          thing like this deal, it's as cheap as
          chips but should keep you going in the
          short term:

          1 cheap Dell Desktop PC P4 1.8ghz 512MB 40gb computer - eBay (item 180432673826 end time Nov-17-09 12:57:22 PST)

          $70 including post. Three months
          warranty. Windows XP Pro.

          What more do you need?

          Might not be the fastest machine on
          earth but will keep you going when all
          else fails.

          Hope that helps.

          Best regards.


          Mark Andrews...
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  • Profile picture of the author Crafty Blogger
    I'm also in WA, and given the recent storms I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't due to a power surge or lightening strike. (I always unplug my laptop during really bad weather and at night, and use the battery instead). Anyway, when my laptop died earlier this year I used my local library. Only downside was they imposed a one hour time limit on internet, but I got a decent replacement laptop computer for a couple hundred bucks off of eBay - an older Dell model, but it has been working well for over six months now. You might want to take a look.

    Also second: Google AdWords tools is good for keyword research.
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  • Profile picture of the author 1937dougal
    Do you have a ps2 connected mouse with a led that you can eyeball?
    With mains to computer psu on but computer off, does the led glow?
    Switch on and if the led dips or goes out, my money is on the capacitors in your psu. They run the hottest and stink the worst. Regards,Douglas.
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  • Profile picture of the author Diana Lane
    I think this must have been a particularly good year for the computer gremlin population. Not long after my monitor packed up in July, more or less the same thing happened to my daughter's computer that happened to yours, dodgy electrical smell and everything. The only difference is that she was using it at the time. It turned out to be the power supply giving up the ghost. It didn't cost a fortune to fix, and all her data was OK although we were told that data loss can happen if the power supply decides to take the hard drive with it.

    Since then, my PC has been out of action too for several periods of time, the first when a fan on the motherboard decided it was time to depart this mortal coil, the second when the hard drive waved goodbye just recently (taking a bundle of data with it) and the latest when my own power supply left for hardware heaven on Sunday.

    I'm currently snatching time on my daughter's PC or my husband's laptop whenever either are available, but neither run Firefox or have any of my most-used applications on them. My own PC may have been a major pain in the behind recently, but I can't wait to see it back again. The new power supply is due to arrive today, but I've no idea whether I've fried my hard drive too (and because it isn't five minutes since the last hard drive was replaced, I hadn't backed up yet. Lightning can't strike twice so soon, right? Wrong ).

    Unfortunately it looks like it's going to take a couple of days longer to assess the damage, because the guy who usually does the PC stuff that I won't attempt has gone down with swine flu. I'm not entirely incapable of doing these things myself - I've replaced my hard drive before, CD drives, the motherboard fan and added more memory, but the power supply looks a bit beyond me. There are so many clumps of wires leading to so many places that it looks like a pile of electrical spaghetti in there.

    I can honestly say that I feel your angst and am with you all the way. Here's hoping to the permanent eradication of computer gremlins - I hope you're properly up and running again soon
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    • Profile picture of the author rosetrees
      Hi Monique
      If you aren't allowed to download onto your work computer - have you thought of using Google docs to store your work? There's a spreadsheet and wordprocessor. All your stuff is stored online so you can access it from anywhere.
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  • Profile picture of the author Creative Thinker
    Cloud computing is becoming more and more popular and once it becomes widespread we do not have to worry about anything like this!
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    • Profile picture of the author steve39
      There is a very good chance that it is only your power supply if you can smell something electrical burning. I used to fix PC's for a living and this is a common thing. The fact that it is completely dead, also confirms this. The power supply has a fan beside the switch in the back - Is it turning? Is there a strong burning smell where the fan exhausts?

      It is not hard to fix - there are only 3 or 4 screws on the back holding it in. The toughest thing will be remembering where the plugs go on the motherboard and drives once you have the new power supply installed. Use masking tape and label the plugs and jacks.

      Once you have the power supply out, take it down to Best Buy or somewhere like that and make sure you get the same one (wattage, plug configuration). Shouldn't be more than 50 bucks.

      Don't try to do this yourself if you have never taken the cover off your PC. It is a do-it-yourself job for anyone with a little experience messing around with PC hardware, but if you don't have this experience, get someone who does.

      Hope that helps,

      Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author DAS_Matt
    I highly suggest the following two sites to find very reasonably priced computers. Ascendtech is one of the sites Price Watch lists for and gets very high ratings from their users.

    Pricewatch shopping comparison | Find and Buy all types of Computer Systems - With OS at the lowest prices

    Ascendtech Wholesale Computer Sale Laptops Servers Cheap PC Parts
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  • Profile picture of the author seasoned
    Originally Posted by seriousmny View Post

    Hi guys,

    I was in the midst of getting some Christmas sites going and my computer died on me. I woke up to a weird smell and could not for the life of me locate the smell. I had my daughter go around and pull out all the electronics because it smelled like something electric. I went to check out my computer and turn it on and it was dead.

    I was doing some keyword research and all my stuff was on my personal computer. I didn't back up my computer on any external system. I was trying to figure out how to manually do my research since my Market Samurai is on my personal computer. I have a work computer available which I am on right now, but I am not allowed to download anything on it.

    How would you go about getting your work done?? I don't' have any disposable cash at the moment and really I'm not sweating that. I just need to move forward with my Christmas sites to get the cash flow going with my work computer. I found an online KEI calculation and was wondering if anyone was familiar with it and if it was the proper way to go to get this done manually. Please see what i found and see if I'm in the correct ball park. I need feedback.

    What is KEI and How to Calculate KEI
    Do you know what phenolic resin smells like? Did it smell like THAT!?!?!? That is perhaps the most likely thing to "smell electric". If so, you may have simply blown a transformer. For a laptop, this might cost 30bucks or so. For a desktop, replace the powersupply. Sometimes, they just BLOW, and replacing them could have everything working.

    BTW steve39 is wrong. It doesn't have to be the same wattage. In fact, it could have blown if the wattage was too low. And you need to make sure it is compatible with your cases formfactor. Computer form factor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    In MOST cases, that gives you the right plug ALSO, but the reverse is NOT true!!

    Steve
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  • Profile picture of the author sylviad
    It might not be your computer at all, but your monitor.
    Did you check to see if the computer lights up when you turn it on? Does the light flicker, like it does when it's working?

    This could indicate that the computer is running but cannot display anything on your monitor.

    Do you have a Staples or Business Depot around? They seem to offer an ok service... it might be worth having them look. It might be a just a cable or monitor that they can fix quickly and cheaply.

    Sylvia
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    • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
      Monique, you're getting a bunch of good advice here. I'd like to add a suggestion...

      Spend a couple of dollars and get a good USB thumb drive - places like Staples and Office Depot run sales on them all the time. Then keep your working files backed up on the thumb drive.

      When my previous desktop bit the big one a couple of months ago, I also blew $60 on a higher-capacity USB drive for semi-regular backups.

      On a security note - if you have any sensitive information on your old hard drive, like log ins for bank accounts, etc., and you can't save the drive, take it out and smash it with a hammer. Recyclers have been known to pull hard drives and sell them to identity thieves who scan for passwords and such. If they should find a tax return and a roboform file with all your logins, they own you.

      The last time I lost one like that, I did the hammer thing, then dropped it in 60' of saltwater several miles offshore. Call me paranoid, but I don't think anyone will get anything useful from that drive...
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      • Profile picture of the author Kat Bartone
        Hi Monique,

        I haven't read all the replies, so I hope this is not redundant.

        I would pull the hard drive out, purchase a portable drive, and find a way to transfer my data files (e.g., with the help of a friend with a working computer that can temporarily mount your HD as a second drive in their system- otherwise a computer shop can do this for you), attach your new USB portable or external drive, and transfer the data.

        Once you've got your stuff on a portable drive, you should be able to use it on any computer, even if that computer does not let you save to its own hard drive.

        This time of year, you'll find some great deals on portable drives.

        Good luck,

        Kat Bartone
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  • Profile picture of the author TheBeatles
    Banned
    I remember the first day I made my first sale online...I got a blue screen :-(
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  • Profile picture of the author DrewG
    Black Friday is coming up next week, so maybe you could grab a cheap one on sale.

    If not, you can always use your local cafe or library.

    Good luck

    ~D.C.
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    • Profile picture of the author Nightengale
      This is precisely why I bought a laptop last July. I really, REALLY wanted one, but money's been tight and I felt I could hardly justify the expense. My desktop has only ever had minor problems (knock on wood), so I mostly wanted it as a backup for my desktop in case something ever happened. (The desktop's over 5 years old now.)

      I shopped around, asked lots of questions, and bought an Acer laptop for just under $800. I love it for it's portability and it's become my main computer. (In fact, I'm hauling it with me tonight to my singles Bible study group since I've got most of them on Facebook now where we post our updates, prayer requests and events. But some of them have no idea how to use Facebook, so I'm giving a little training session tonight after group.) And I have peace of mind, knowing I have a backup computer.

      I also had a panic attack several months ago after hearing stories like this. What if I lost all of my data on my computer? Aaaack! As a copywriter, it's most just Word and other text documents, but writing is time-consuming and I would lose a lot if I lost all of my work.

      So after asking for recommendations here on the WF, I bought a Seagate external hard drive and I just periodically back up everything in My Documents to it. So now I have the desktop, the laptop and the external hard drive.

      I know it doesn't help you now, but you can keep it in mind for later. That way, when you have some extra cash, you can buy an extra laptop or hard drive (or both).. (Because we all know Murphy's Law: when you can't afford to replace your computer, it will die.)

      But as someone else mentioned, check the power supply. That may be all that it is and you could be back up and running in no time for very little money. It happened to my mom (right when she was in the middle of her accounting exams!).

      HTH!

      Michelle
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  • Profile picture of the author seriousmny
    Das Matt, Seasoned, Sylviad, John, Kat, Drew, and Drew and Nightengale: Thanks for responding to my plea for help. I'm doing what I can on my computer from work...and getting as much work done as I can. I will probably get a refurbished computer or maybe if I wait a bit, I can get a new one for one of those crazy Black Friday deals. I definitely will never go without a backup system or thumbdrive to transfer my work to. It's just not worth the headache. I have years worth of PLR and other items I purchased that I don't have access to right now. Mostly I miss my Market Samurai and can't wait to get that downloaded back on my computer.

    Thanks for all the tips and well wishes.
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