Sporkers Helping Sporkers

Had to force-shut down Windows on my MBP tonight, after which it would only boot to a black screen. Safe Mode worked, but I couldn't get beyond that even with video driver rollback and last known good configuration. By an odd coincidence, I had just made my first WinClone backup in months on Sunday. (I don't back up Windows much, since it is just (re-downloadable) games.) Restoring from backup now. This has the potential to save me hours of download time, as well as saving all of the little configuration changes that I have made over the years. Not to mention trying to find the Windows authorization code that I used for that install.

May not work (I refuse to take backup viability for granted), but it looks like WinClone may haves saved me a lot of hassle.

Back up early, often, and pathologically.

Now I am going to bed, while my restore continues.

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Back up early, often, and pathologically.

Gold...

DPBD!

On top of everything else it turns out my mother, after having the good sense to quickly turn the wine-soaked laptop off quickly and flip it upside down, then tried to turn it back on "just to see if it was still working".

Twice...

The screen lit up the first time...

I'd certainly give it a try. Removing the battery from unibody machines isn't too hard, but you will need a small set of torx drivers and a #0 Phillips.

Wine is sticky, so an alcohol wash is almost a requirement. Follow the wash up with several days in a rice bag or at least a day sitting on a box fan with the air blowing on it.

Just to expand on Tom's good advice: "alcohol wash" does not mean "use whatever's left of the wine".

ddt

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tomierna
I'd certainly give it a try. Removing the battery from unibody machines isn't too hard, but you will need a small set of torx drivers and a #0 Phillips.

Wine is sticky, so an alcohol wash is almost a requirement. Follow the wash up with several days in a rice bag or at least a day sitting on a box fan with the air blowing on it.

This is a silly question, but the rice bag bit - is that with the cover back on or the logic board still exposed? (I saw a YouTube video where they wipe down the logic board with alcohol & a cotton bud)

Nobody has a friend/colleague/student looking to do some lightweight iOS/xCode work? Okay, headed into the untamed stretches of elance.com... .

ddt

WinClone DID save my bacon. I'm glad that somebody decided to continue the product.

ddt, consider using PhoneGap. Light wrapper that allows you to make your app mostly in HTML/Javascript.

You can also write App-Store-approvable apps in Ruby.

Thanks, I'll check out PhoneGap. Though I need a tie in to Facebook Connect. JW: like I know anything about ruby.



ddt

Tony,

I'd put the whole laptop in a light cloth bag before putting it in the rice bag.

Cover off would be best. The rice absorbs the moisture, but you don't want the rice to get in the mechanisms or ports.

I have not hung on every word, but I just used DAMP RID for the first time. That stuff is a water sucker.

You can do Facebook Connect via Javascript.

Just an update. My mothers laptop is now apparently working fine. Voided warranty, but it works.

Good news, Tony.

Wow, between that and JW's Windows rescue, it's been a good week for this thread!

ddt

Great!

My MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2009) is starting to flake out. Anything colored white on-screen is subject to turning into white with vertical pink line segments, and strobing somewhat as it happens. It doesn't seem to happen in games, which makes me think it's the low-end nVidia 9400M card (it's got a more powerful nVidia 9600M GT that it runs for performance apps). I don't really know. I'm going to try all the old tricks (zapping the PRAM still do anything?). Any other thoughts?

(I took a screenshot to show you, but of course it doesn't show up in a screen shot. (Unless you're viewing it on my MBP while it's freaking out.) I am an idiot.)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/12/2012 06:21PM by John Willoughby.

Did you say Pink Slime?