So I am convinced I am cursed when it comes to computers.

My current computer, which is less than 2 years old, has decided that it no longer recognizes USB drives. Or more like, it's perfectly willing to give it power, but that's it. It doesn't want to acknowledge that anything connected to it wants to have anything to do with it other than draw on it for some juice.

Anyway, a week ago, I put my computer on sleep mode, and when I took it out of it, the next time the computer went automatically to stand-by mode, it decided not to recognize my USB mouse. So Whateley thought he should re-boot the machine so the mouse can do its thing.

Well, when it rebooted, it decided that along with the mouse, it will also no longer recognize the keyboard. Now, my computer is running Vista, and Vista requires you to login by clicking on your profile.

Yeah, you see where I'm going.

So since the mouse doesn't work, it won't let me click on the profile. So then I tried re-booting it and getting into setup. But to do that, I need to hit a key at the loading screen to do so.

... yeah....

So no matter how many times I restart my computer, I can't do anything but watch it go to the login screen and then just sit there. After a few restarts, the computer freaks out and gives me the option of loading it in Safe Mode, but only if I use the arrow key to select that option.

Uh huh, you see why that can be a problem.

After a few more restarts, the computer freaks out even more, and tries to start up System Repair upon booting. Only thing? It prompts you to PRESS ANY KEY to start up System Repair.

So what about plugging the keyboard into the PS2 port? Wouldn't that work?

Yes it would... if my friggin' computer HAD a PS2 port. See, I got my computer from Dell, and apparently, they don't make motherboards with PS2 ports. I HAVE to use USB keyboards and mice. But what the hell are you suppose to do if the USB ports aren't being recognized?

Sigh....

Our friend Xeowolf decided to lend me his spare computer so I can at least play WoW and make the raids while we decide what to do next with my computer.

And yes, I'm cursed when it comes to that too. :-(

Y'see, that computer has Vista installed on it, only it's the same product key as his current computer. It hadn't been updated in awhile, so I started installing Windows updates, mostly cuz that computer didn't have any separate virus scanners installed. Well, turns out, my installing these updates, it also prompted Vista to verify the product key, found that it was running on two machines, and invalidated that one. So it kept warning me that I had 10 days (and counting down) to activate the Windows, or it'll shut down or something, I guess.

Sigh....

Xeowolf brought over his XP disk and we've just re-formatted a fresh install. This is going to take awhile.

I don't know what's the deal. It seems me and computers just don't mix. Well, at least computer ownership. The one that just borked out I had gotten because my previous computer had borked also.

Perhaps this is a sign that I should shun all technology and go live in the woods.