Monday, August 8, 2016

Microsoft Hates Me

I had a different post in mind for today. For one thing, I planned to post it bright and early this morning. Obviously that didn't happen.

I've spent the last several days locked in mortal combat with my new computer, a brand new installation of Office 2013, and Microsoft's product activation system, which refuses to activate the product.

Since Friday, I've been to a hundred and seventy-two websites (okay, I wasn't really counting), have followed numerous different instructions for "resolving this issue", have uninstalled, rebooted, run disk cleanup, rebooted, re-installed, and rebooted so many times I know the steps by heart.

Right now I'm waiting from a vendor support callback promised by very nice young lady in India (if I recognized the accent correctly). I'm only semi-hopeful since she was having trouble with the difference between an eight and a nine in my area code. And she promised a ten minute return time and it's been forty.

Naturally, my eldest is taking advantage of the situation to remind me of the virtues of Mac's over PC's... while I'm staring at my brand new PC. Not helpful.


I was delighted to have so many friends drop by to say they hadn't forgotten me while I was off wandering in the wilderness (or hospital corridors or wherever).  And since several of you said you missed my funnies, how about instead of my planned post I offer these:

Do you think I should take my computer to these guys?



They have very convenient office hours.



 That even beats the Beatles. 
(Eights days a weeeek.)


This isn't connected to anything but it made me laugh.


And it's been a long time since I shared an "aw". 

Will this do?

 
 
Yeah, it worked for me, too.


Hey, while I was working on this, I got that call back. Got a new product key from the vendor. Did the whole uninstall, reboot, re-install thing again but this time - Alleluia and Amen - the Microsoft Mama Ship accepted her brand new bouncing baby Office installation. I have been activated!

Now I just have to finished transferring my files, set up Outlook with my multiple e-mail addresses, reconfigure my home network, move the old PC to the extra bedroom, set up my new PC where it belongs, learn a whole new version of Office and...oh yeah...I also bought Scrivener. Gotta learn that, too. It's going to be an interesting week.

I'm going to stick with posting on Monday's for a bit while I'm figuring things out so please look for me next week.

Have a great week!

Riddle for Today:

  Sing it with me!
 

17 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

The pastor one is hilarious!
Sorry you are struggling. Microsoft help is non-existent. I still wouldn't own a MAC though.

Mason Canyon said...

So glad your got your program to work, LD. I hate getting the run around with no help from anyone. Hopefully from here on in everything will work smoother (fingers crossed). Love the funnies. The photo was definitely an 'aw' moment. I have to say I especially liked the joke about the youth pastor (bless his heart). Have fun and good luck.

Thoughts in Progress
and MC Book Tours

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

I love MACs but they're so expensive. I'm glad you got it figured out. Thanks for the funnies and I'm singing Joy to the World, All the Boys and Girls....

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Aw!

My tech support is my husband. He can figure out most issues.

Heather R. Holden said...

Oh, gosh, that "aw" picture is way too precious... *dies of cuteness*

And that sucks how your PC has been giving you issues. Glad you finally heard back from the vendor, though! Good luck getting everything set up!

Stacy McKitrick said...

See? That's what happens when you upgrade! I'll stick with my Word 2003. :)

I had enough of my own computer issues this year (turned out to be a bad motherboard, but they had to replace the hard drive like 5 times first--sheesh!). So glad everything is working now.

Jemi Fraser said...

I'm sweating in empathy over here!!! Upgrades terrify me!
Love the funnies again - you've been missed :)

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi LD - I was told .. no need to install Microsoft 2013 - so haven't - when I do I'll get some help! Glad things are coming together ... but the tittle tattle is such fun - that pastor ... and those images - cheers Hilary

Kaye George said...

Joy to the world, All the boys and girls!
Yay that it got done. Oh man, I do NOT want to ever get a new computer. I hope I die before that has to happen.

mshatch said...

Glad you're up and running again aka Joy to the World ;)

Love the pastor joke. Still snickering.

LD Masterson said...

I'll bet you've guessed I was offline all day yesterday working on my computer woes. Sorry to be so long in answering.

Alex - Me neither. I'm a PC gal all the way.

Mason - Thanks. Still trying to get my software issues smoothed out but we're getting there. I loved that youth pastor joke, but you have to know our youth pastor.

Susan G/K - Yup, I was singing it all day.

Diane - Unfortunately, I'm supposed to be the techno-weenie in this house.

Heather - I just love a good "aw". Glad you did, too.

Stacy - I've kept Windows XP and Office 2003 on my old PC forever. But Dropbox - which I use with my online crit group - is dropping XP and you can't but 2003 anymore so I figured with my new PC it was just time. You'll notice I did not got Windows 10 and Office 2016. I won't buy the latest version of anything from Microsoft.

Jemi - Aw, thank you.

Hilary - Well, it's a new computer so I had to install something. Otherwise, I hang on to my old versions as long as I can.

Kaye - Well, it may be a race to the finish line but it looked like my old PC wasn't going to outlive me.

mshatch - Singing and snickering. Yup, that's how I like to leave you.

Maria Zannini said...

The Mac/PC debate is alive and well at our house. I'd love a Mac, but I don't want to have to buy all new software just to use it. They're expensive enough as it is.

Murees Dupè said...

Jeremiah was a bullfrog
Was a good friend of mine
I never understood a single word he said
But I helped him a-drink his wine
And he always had some mighty fine wine

Singin' joy to the world
All the boys and girls now
Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea
Joy to you and me

Hahah! Love this song.

I definitely missed the "aw". I hope you have conquered the new office program and that Scrivener isn't giving you too much trouble. I still have to learn Scrivener too:) Wishing you well, LD.

LD Masterson said...

Maria - I've been a PC person since back before Windows. (Does anybody remember MS DOS?) I liked them because I could speak DOS, so we could communicate. You couldn't talk to a MAC. Everything was point and click. Now Windows is almost as bad as a MAC, but I'm too old to change.

Murees - Sing, girl, sing! And thanks. You, too.

Susan Flett Swiderski said...

UGH! There's nothing like that sort of pain-in-the-keister PC problems to give you the urge to deliver the computer a REAL boot. I'm glad things were finally resolved for you.

Love all of your funnies, but especially the one about the pastor. That would be a hilarious thing to do! A teensy bit mean, but way funnier...

Sherry Ellis said...

That had to be so frustrating! And bless the Indian associates, but they are nearly impossible to communicate with.

Mike Keyton said...

Love the Pastor funny - and I love my relatively new Mac :) I was anticipating a similar dilemma when my old PC was dying and the alternative was one with a preloaded beta Windows 10. I thought life's too short so went to the dark side - or the light - as others would have it