Even for experienced enthusiasts, the ability to dig ourselves out of technological mishaps is no longer a given. In the Windows 98 era, there were a myriad of simple tricks to be tried should a P-ATA drive lose a shoe. Windows 8 introduced “Refresh your PC” to reset an OS without data loss and, years later, the matured self-healing technology within Windows is as dependable as a cat’s promise to stay off the furniture. When the OS breaks, there’s a significant chance that the system recovery system is also stuffed.
It’s a double slap in the chops for the user. Not only has the machine croaked, but the damn thing can’t do anything about it. I’ve had lots of “I’m not angry at you, but…” conversations with frustrated Windows users, but even from my side of the workshop, PC resurrection isn’t always straightforward.
A lack of Intel-igence
The annoyed customer vacated our shop, leaving me staring at the HP laptop, which worked less than 24 hours ago but now won’t boot. It was a mid-range Windows 10 machine, and hardware tests showed it appeared to be electronically and mechanically sound. Why it wouldn’t start was anyone’s guess, and after several hours of poking it with different tools and troubleshooting strategies, it remained a non-starter.
This was the customer’s backup) was required for a manual installation procedure.
