Note - from June 24th 2009, this blog has migrated from Blogger to a self-hosted version. Click here to go straight there.
Today's OzRant will be up late - probably about 8 or 9 p.m. 'Strayan time. I had a prick of a weekend - a RAM module in my desktop went 'fratz' (but only intermittenty) and Microsoft's ever-helpful Blue Screen of Death was only prepared to offer me cryptic guidance... STOP 0x000000008E. Thanks, Microsoft - and thanks for all the security holes, too... they are just a JOY. 76 updates, I had to download when I decided to chance an upgrade to SP2 again, in order to be able to get rid of some anti-virus software that was using buku heaps resources, and therefore tripping this memory error (that's what 0x8e is - but XP's BSoD doesn't tell you that...)
It turns out that once again the web saved the day; Microsoft's "Knowledge Base" was worse than useless, but some bright Russkie had managed to transcribe a whole load of STOP codes (and their explanators) to the Web - he is probably violating copyright (a set of laws that should not exist - they permit monopoly profits on goods with literally zero replication cost). I don't give a rat's if he is, he's to be congratu-ma-lated. It hasn't fixed the problem, but at least I now know (from trial and error) that I have to keep my memory load below 75% until the new SIMM arrives. So long as memory used stays below 75%, everything isrelatively stable.
So that's by way of background: the real thing that the PC problem delayed, was the issue of subscriber usernames (which I have decided to take over myself rather than having someone else do it... there have been to omany errors lately), and also the write-up and release of the revised MarketRant Model Portfolios; until these things are done, they've got priority.
And to top it off,. in half an hour I've got to drive The Lovely to Maisse for her to catch the train into Paris, too.
