computer has blue screen of death

So much I want to share but it is hard when you computer develops the blue screen of death. I have been fighting it this last couple of weeks and I am afraid I am losing the battle. I have resorted to an old box to send this message in. For all those that I promised to send stuff via e-mail, my apologies, I will get it done as soon as I can, whenever I am functional again that is.

The HP box we brought home less than a year ago is the one that is giving us fits. I must say that I am glad we bought it at Costco since they have a pretty helpful concierge service for just such a thing and I have been working with them to see if we can figure out what the problem is.

There have not been any consistencies as to why it will shut down or when. I have had it report everything from memory error and dumps to no OS found. I have done reboots and hard reboots. I have run diagnostics several times and always nothing shows wrong. I have run virus scans and adware and spyware scans with nothing to report. I have updated every conceivable update to device drivers and software including all the latest service packs for Windows Vista and Explorer with no luck. By the way as a side not, the new Explorer 8 update is not recommended as it doesn't play well with the add-ons for 7 yet and so it is less than fully functional.

I can not tie the system problems to any recent events and though there have been some compatibility problems with Microsoft Vista and the new HP Printer/Scanner/Fax machine I don't think this is the cause. It tended to restart whatever program you were using to print from after you shut it down, glitchee but not blue screen worthy.

There is the system recovery program but I fear this is the method of last resort as it takes everything back to square one. I have backed up most things so I think I can recreate but that means a whole lot of time and no guarantee that it will not do it again tomorrow, but I am afraid that is my only option. I guess I can look at the bright side as this will give me a chance to go back to Explorer 7.

Anyway the box is beeping at me and I was told that HP uses beeping codes for diagnostics so I will take one more shot at it before pulling the big switch. If it is not repairable then I am confident that Costco and HP will help put things right. Customer service is so key to things these days. I hope that I will always remember to be twice as quick to praise as to criticize.

I know that there are some out there that have had to go through the same thing and there are those that never have. All I am saying is 'wish me luck'.

This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.