Hey, come laugh at me in here o/

[Tai]

12:58 Tai oh boy
12:58 Tai when did I sign off
12:58 Aeron 36 minutes ago
12:59 Tai between then and now
13:00 Tai I've potentially gotten in $2500 worth of trouble

Ok, so I was in a computer lab, multitasking. Writing some of my novel, studying, chatting. I keep a sort of all in one thing in google docs - writing draft versions of novel, little reminders to do stuff, all in the same file. This way, I am more likely to see something instead of it just being filed away and forgotten.

One of my notes was basically shorthand for "check program list for boot CD". CDs are small little things when you're putting a whole bootable OS and diagnostic programs on it, so every kilobyte counts. I knew that from the stock version of the boot CD, there were basically duplicate programs - five different programs that do basically the same thing. I wanted to delete all the duplicate programs so I'd have room for other shiny tools. I just so happened to have a copy of my current build with me - I like carrying around a few tools (screwdriver, knife, bootCD) because I HATE the feeling of wanting something and not having it.

If you're lost after that paragraph, all you need to know is that I wanted to see what programs I have on my CD, and which ones I can safely delete in the next version. So what do I do, I stick in the CD on the slot drive of the Mac. At this point I'd like to say that I hated macs before coming to this campus. Then I realized, coming here, hey, they weren't

so bad. Even better than windows in some respects. This was about to change.

The Mac refused to pop up that little CD icon on the desktop, which would let me access the CD's contents. No problem, I said, maybe the CD made in windows just couldn't be read by the mac, some encoding difference or somesuch. I'd just eject it and be done with it. No dice, ejecting though itunes or the keyboard failed, and I lacked admin to try a few other ways to force eject. Shit. I call over the lab tech, who might have a bit more know-how about Macs than I did.

I turn it over to the lab attendant who before I could stop him, restarts the Mac. Having a boot CD with very powerful programs on it in a computer that isn't yours is not good, especially when it's not working the way it should be. All I was praying for is that the intel processor in the mac would be able to at least recognize the CD. No dice, the $2500 all in one Mac/monitor combo advertised in the student computer store was basically bricked. Tuition just more than doubled, and now I might have to pay for a bricked Mac.

At this, the attendant called over the lab overseer. This overseer isn't a pasty white 100 pound nerd, he's a black dude with dreads (Or at least in my panicked memory, he has dreads) that is at least a foot taller than me. I knew I was pants the moment I had to say "The boot CD is stuck in your expensive computer". They take the whole computer out from the wall and carry it off, and I stand scared out of my mind.

The overseer gets my name/ID number from the attendant, and I give him my cell number. Basically, I'm waiting now to see if the boot CD ruined the Mac when it tried to load the preboot enviroment over and over and over (the lab attendant basically tried restarting the computer over and over to "fix" the problem), and if I"m liable for any damages that caused, never mind the CD being stuck in the compuiter. And if shit hits the fan, I have to explain why a CD with programs that can format hard drives, override passwords, and so forth is in a school computer.

On top of that, I think there's a few programs I didn't quite pay for on the CD, if they dig hard enough. The campus is so fanatic about copyright law that they don't allow teachers to show youtubes of copyrighted material. I'm just stewing now and preparing for the next conversation if it comes, going to cite invasion of privacy if they snoop though the unencrypted contents (which technically has a password on it but only requires the password on boot); if they cite me for attempted hacking, I can counter with "All the programs are written for windows and not macs I just wanted the text files", and so on. And worst case scenario and I end up owing money, maybe I can defer it by doing drudge work for their computer department, not like they're going to trust me working school computers too much after bricking their computer.

What kills me is that, if this mac had a regular tray drive like any PC would have, I have a bent paper clip with my tools to manually open the tray.

pants Macs.

887287 here i come

[nickspoon]

If it's any help, I very much doubt that you permanently damaged anything.

[Muninn]

Stories like this make largely computer-illiterate people like me scared to ever try stuff for fear it'll completely wreck the poor little machine.

I hope you don't get stuck with having to pay anything Tai.

[Baconsticks]

I wouldn't worry. It's a Mac, so it's inherently broken anyways.

[Burning Sheep Productions]

Mac's non-existent CD eject button strikes again. ):

[osprey]

I'd say if you get in any trouble on this matter, you should sue Steve Jobs.

Hope it works out.

[nickspoon]

MOOMINS

[Arloest]

HAHAHAHAHA OH TRAVIS WHAT A NOOB YOU ARE.


Also I'll read your original post later.

[MuffinSticks]

I wouldn't worry. It's a Mac, so it's inherently broken anyways.

You're so clever.

[osprey]

MOOMINS

[Muninn]

MOOMINS

Huh, what? Oh wait, Moomins. Yeah.

[Mattes]

MOOMINS

Aww I totally forgot about them

[osprey]

MOOMINS

Aww I totally forgot about them

They were like half my childhood.

[Bocaj Claw]

I've never heard of them and suspect that you made them up.

Tai: Any updates?

[Mekkah]

Macs suck.

/thread