About ten days ago, I was happily put some figures in to a spreadsheet, when an ominous black box appeared on my screen telling me, in four languages, to shut down my computer. Over the next few hours, that black box became a frequent companion. Digging around on the net I found I had a nasty case of kernel panic.
So I booked myself an appointment with an Apple Genius at the Apple Store in Regent Street, thinking well this is a software fault and my Genius will be able to plunge deep into the system, fix it and I’ll go home with a working computer.
Sadly, the diagnosis was that it was some interaction between the operating system and a bit of faulty hardware that was the problem and I am still waiting for it to be fixed.
What appalls me is the recognition of how deeply my computer is entangled with my life. All though I have had access to a number of computers during this time, I still find myself reaching to do something and realising that the information or application I want is no longer available. Things that were easy have now become hard.
All of which reinforces my view that our personal computers should reside out there in cyberspace rather than being closed up in a single bit of hardware.
Sigh
Normal service will be resumed once my kernel panic is over.
One thought on “A nasty case of kernel panic”
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We had a similar problem – all three machines wrecked by something – we think one by a virus made by a Russian teenager who has just been put under house arrest for a virus that attacks BIOS.
It’s a horrid experience – I am still trying to track down emails. Sorry this has happened to you too.
But “out there in cyberspace” – yes, but… what if someone shut that down? AAAAARGGH – instant nervous breakdown for most of the population.
And – Richard, do you ever REPLY to comments. Blog, Man, blog (or don’t if not so inclined).