After The Crash @Solsticepublish

I’m back!!  On Wednesday my old Windows Vista computer finally died on me.  It has been devastating.  My whole world was wrapped up in that computer.  But I was smart.  I backed up my important files on an external hard drive and in the cloud at Norton.  So I went out and spent what seemed like a ridiculous amount on a new computer and warranty. (I have to have the warranty.   I can’t fix this stuff)  I took it home and found I had a new and powerful enemy.   Its name is Windows 8.1.  IT IS EVIL!  My hard drive was not compatible with it and my Norton files downloaded over 2 days to who knows where. The product key for my Microsoft Office was on an email in my old system but I do not seem to be able to read my old emails in this new system.  So I chatted with Microsoft and begged for the product key.  They wanted the email address, mailing address, name and date of the order.  I was able to locate all of that.  Then they wanted the last 4 digits of the credit card used to buy it.  That was 3 years ago and the card was lost and replaced.  They could not help me without it.  So while I was in chat mode I called my bank’s 24 hour line and explained that I needed those numbers.  The associate said that the numbers would have been deleted after the new card was issued.  Then she checked with her supervisor.  They found them!  So I proudly gave the numbers to Microsoft and they gave me my activation key.  Without it I would not be talking to you now.  I have been fighting with this machine since Wednesday night.  This is exhausting and I still have yet to find any of my pictures, music or emails. But at least I’m back on my blog which makes me happy.  Apparently none of my old software is compatible with 8.1 except for Office.  I still don’t know what 95% of this stuff is.  When I ask friends for help they answer with things like, “Dude, you have Windows 8.1?  That’s, like way different.”  No kidding.  Can you help?  “No.  Maybe if it was Windows 7.”  Well it’s not Windows 7.  I can’t even get that on a new computer.  Microsoft dictates what we will use and we as consumers are just supposed to adjust.  Until this incident I actually thought I knew a few things about computers.  Now I am starting over.  It’s like trying to learn a new language where they don’t use the same letters as English.  I’m spent for the night but I am back.  Sorry it took so long.