I've actually cried all over a computer. That I think I broke.

[CarpeVinum]

Or maybe windows 8 hates me.

I need a fecking drink.

I'm 46 years old, allegedly not technologically incompetant (I used to repartition and reinstall and everything when I had windows XP, just haven't needed to do it for years) and I've cried all over this virtually new computer and I think I am about to cry again. Like actually plopping tears and everything.

If I can't fix it my son gets two crap Christmasses in a row. ( Mil was dying in hospital last year, so not so grave, but his most wanted xams pressies are totally redundant without his 'puter.

Due to a FURBAR during a.... "go back to factory settings you laggy git faced computer" session ....things went horribly wrong. Mainly cos the computer was speaking in Italian and I was tired. Probably.

So I had amazon UK rush a proper full copy of windows 8.1 in Bloody ENGLISH to Italy. DHL finally found me after a tense 48 hours of increasingly heated phone calls with me yelling "how can I always be "customer out" if you have kept me trapped in the house for TWO DAYS!"

I got into BIOS (whatever that is) I changed the boot thingie to CD-rom drive as first choice (gingerly, never been in BIOS before) All went swimmingly, but then it hung for hours and It couldn't finish the last bit of a clean install.

So a youtubber siad delete partitions.

So I did. Well some of them. 2. ACER and USER

And then I clicked next and the fecking computer complained something was missing so it couldn't run the cd-rom drive. Or something like that.

I have spent 113 euros. And all I have managed to do is kill the computer more.

And christmas is ruined cos the computer shop is not taking any repairs in till he comes back in the New Year.

Dos anybody have any ideas what has gone so horribly wrong and how to put it right ?

And if you don't. Can you please start sticking pins in an effigy of the Windows 8 wholly annoyingly displeasuring start screen of pissingoffness.

Or pass a hanky.

Is this peri menopause making me an emotional wreck due to poxy software ?

Wine. I wish I had wine.

[LakeDistrictBabe]

I am totally incompetent when I have to give advice online because it would be so much better to be there and maybe sorting something out.

I had a few problems like that installing Windows 7 English on Windows Vista Italian. Yes, it was not going anywhere, it was getting at 39% of the installation and then dead.

I have no clue what happened but after the fifth format and partition windows 7 went through.

Concerning Windows 8, the only one who had it installed was my FIL and he so hated it that he went to great lengths to reinstall W7.

So I feel a bit useless Carpe. I would like to help you but I don't know how :(

We have vin santo... Can it replace wine of any kind? :)

[CarpeVinum]

I'll take anything

I think when I treid to go back to factory setting it said...do the bit where windows is, or do the lot. I may have chosen "do the lot" and killed the back up preinstalled copy of windows (that I failed to make a back up of)

I remember the word unità is that Italian for a partition on the hard drive by any chance ?

I'm wondering if the puter needs ACER drivers that were pre installed on the hard drive, but not on my bog standard copy of windows 8.1. Which I must have deleted when I deleted partitions as instructed by youtuber (who I hold entirely responsible)

And now I can't even download them. Cos computer is deeply unhappy and ... obsrructive. And just sitting there.

I hate computers.

[BoreOfWhabylon]

[1sassylassy]

What error message are you getting?

[CarpeVinum]

I hope that hurts Windows poxy 8!

You Christmass ruining ..thing.

Why did I listen to random youtuber ?

WHY?

I wouldn't jump off a cliff if intructed by person in bedroom with webcam, but delete presumably essential bits of hard drive, oh yeah that I'll do as soon as instructed.

I am a twat.

[RandomMess]

Passes huge bottle of wine, bottle of gin and bottle of slimline tonic.

[CarpeVinum]

1sassylassy

Right after ai finished deleting partitions on the hard drive,I clicked "next" to carry on with the installation.... and a little cross box jumped up and said there was... some kind of media file missing and it wpuldn't carry on withput it. It offered to scan, I found myself browsing god knows where in the 'puter, but.. nada. Then I turned it off and ran away. And cried.

Should I go and turn it back on and get a more accurate version of the error message? I think it was looking for a driver to run the cd-rom drive.

[LakeDistrictBabe]

@Carpe

I have no idea... I had an American laptop for six years (therefore in English) and when I changed it I got an Italian one.. I checked the system details only when installing Windows 7... Maybe I can check online if unitá means partition.. Because I think that would be 'partizione'... Maybe

[CarpeVinum]

RandomMess

Ohhh, your user name would really suit me !



I cried all over my lawyer too. She only called to see if I wanted to go for a drink tomorrow as a cheers for helping with a translation. And I howled all over the phone at her. Like a baby.

I am so embarrassed.

[DeWe]

Do you have any friends who work/OH's work in IT? Give them a ring. One of them might be able to help, or have a collegue who can.

I'll ask dh to look at this when he comes back, but seeing the computer is much easier, so I don't guarantee he says anything other than "Dave probably could sort it"

[Hassled]

There are lovely helpful people on the GeekyStuff forum who just live for this sort of stuff. Worth reposting there maybe?

[1sassylassy]

The exact message would help,
Do you have a flash drive handy.
Can you post the exact model number of machine.

[RandomMess]

I honestly wouldn't every attempt anything like that - I'd have to buy one already to plug in and work. I can't get my wireless to function for my work laptop so have a 20 foot cable acrosss the lounge when I work from home!

[CarpeVinum]

WAIT!

If the cd-rom driver is missing... if I get somebody to transfer the windows 8 installation disc onto a flashdrive for me... will the E drive thingie work and let me install ?

Bet that needs a magic missing driver too.

I don't understand. I used to just wipe the fecking hard drives clean on old computers and reinstall and they never kicked up a fuss aoput missing things.

Why did they go and make it so complicared. I thought things were supposed to get easier. Not worse cos the OS was trying to be fish and fowl for all devices. Or Just foul.

[CarpeVinum]

Off upstairs to turn on EBIL computer.

[LakeDistrictBabe]

@Carpe

unitá means something like the cdrom slot or the hard disk.

Partition is partizione in Italian.

Can you post the error you get (even if it is in Italian). Maybe DH can help you with me translating.

[CarpeVinum]

Cd installation disc in.

On

cd rom making racket

oh

this time not booting from disc even.

Trying again.

YES!

ah .. fuck, keyboard off.

try again

on, cd racket, click any key for cd drive......waiting

acer, explore beyond limits (of your patience)

It's an acer Mc605

just going to do language prefs and other shit cos the disc loaded... hang on...

[1sassylassy]

Carpe,thats what I was getting at full instructions here

[XmasLogAndHollyOn]

You have my sympathy. I made this mistake once. I eventually managed to get the OS installed again, but nothing really worked properly - e.g. The wireless.

It was at that point I decided to go into management rather than stay a technician as I couldn't take the shame.

[CarpeVinum]

set up starting

right away

load driver

a media driver your computer needs is missing. This could be DVD USB or Hard Disk driver. If ypu have a cd, dvd, usb with the driver please insert now (but I don't, computer didn't come with any cds, only four useless black ones)

Note if the installation media for windows in in the dvd/usb you can safely remove it for this step.

browse ok cancel

I did browse.

I think it was here I first got weepy.

Acer Aspire (to have a computer that actually works) MC605

[BertieBowtiesAreCool]

OK, don't panic. How are you mumsnetting? Phone, ipad etc - you can download the driver using that. (Even better if it is another computer.)

Search on the acer website for the driver you need. Then you'll have to somehow get the driver off the other device onto the USB but this might not be

I think you screwed up when you deleted the Acer partition but ALL IS NOT LOST!

If you can get to a computer with a disk burner and internet you may be able to download the recovery disk for that computer off the acer site.

[BertieBowtiesAreCool]

This might not be... I don't know where I was going with that one sorry I think I meant you may be able to plug it in directly from a phone using a USB (possibly anyway)

[CarpeVinum]

Ta XmasLog we are kindred!

1sassylassy

I'll have a flashdrive somehwere in the house, but ... I'll probably need a working computer to transfer the cd to the flashdrive, correct ?

So if I go and cry like a baby over politely introduce myself to my brand new neighbours... in the morning, I might be able to do this ?

Do I have to delete all partitions like the youtubers said ?

I am possibly allergic to deleting partitions after today. But .. has to be done?

Sassy? Will you marry me if this works and you save Christmas in deepest darkest Lomellina ?

[CajaDeLaMemoria]

Is the driver for the CD drive on the Acer website?

If so, download it and give it to the laptop at that point.

It will look for it in the 'Acer' partition that usually holds all the drivers, but it sounds like you have deleted that, so it has no way to get it itself.

[CajaDeLaMemoria]

Ah, people beat me too it! I hope you've got it working now.