Blue Screen of Death

A few weeks ago, I mentioned that I ordered a new Lenovo laptop and wrote about my experience in setting up a wireless network. Well, lately it seems as if I've been having to do quite a bit of troubleshooting. My friend would say 'technology is evil'. And sometimes, I'd have to agree.

Part of the reason why I bought a new laptop is because my parents wanted a faster desktop. My dad got a new job, and he wants to be able to do some of his work from home. But like many first generation immigrants, they have a frugal, Depression era mindset. So they hate buying new things. Instead, they wait for their less frugal daughter to grow tired or bored of her stuff. And then they swoop in and offer to take it off her hands. Three years ago, when I bought a new, used car, they asked if they could have my old 1995 Acura Integra, even though they had a perfectly good Toyota Camry sitting in the garage. My dad is still driving the Integra to and from work every day. And my mom will gladly wear the clothes and shoes that I'm ready to give to away to a local charity. Very rarely will they let me buy new things for them. One time, for their anniversary, I bought them a much needed new refrigerator. And another time, they grudgingly allowed me to buy them a new desktop computer. Of course, I refused to tell them how much I paid. And sometimes, I'll intentionally buy something that I think they'll need, 'use' it for a brief period of time, and then give it them. But a part of me always feels guilty about giving my parents things that are technically hand me downs. Shouldn't they be the ones with the new stuff? They've sacrificed enough for me and my brother.

Anyway, when they asked me when I was planning on retiring my 'old' desktop, I figured it was time to do so. But the 'gift' quickly became a hassle for both the giver and the reciever. My dad couldn't figure out how to set up the router to connect the new computer to the Internet. So, this past weekend, I went over to their place to do it for them. Of course, it took a bit longer than I expected. And then last night, when my dad went to install a new software program on the desktop, he got the blue screen of death. So, I'm going to need to make a trip out to the suburbs again to try to reinstall the operating system and everything else that was on the hard drive. Sigh. More guilt and frustration. Maybe I should've just ordered a new computer for them, although I probably still would've had to help set it up for them.