Where I Currently Stand

The computer should be up and running by Monday. When I finished assembling everything last week, I turned it on. Everyone was jumping up and down and screaming until I discovered that it would boot. The computer posted and let me play with the BIOS, but I got bored of raising and lowering fan speeds. I noticed that when I told it to go ahead and load windows, it told me that it didn't detect any IDE drives. IDE is an interface used for CD, DVD and hard drives. My strategy up to that point had been to use the main hard disk (20 gigabytes) from my old Dell, because it already had Windows and all my system files. This was necessary, as Windows can cost up to $300 retail. Most home builders start with a blank hard drive, then install the operating system and all their programs from scratch. Well, after consulting an expert at my motherboard's manufacturer, ASUS, I discovered that I would not be able to use my old disk. Something complicated about windows forbids it from transferring to a new computer even if it's on its original drive. This meant I needed a new operating system. I would NOT use Linux, and to my surprise, I found that Windows is available much less expensive than I had thought. I bought a copy of Windows XP Professional for $85 on eBay (I LOVE EBAY, I LOVE EBAY!). My plan now is to use the 200 gigabyte (for all of you who don't know, this is gargantuan) hard drive that I had been using as extra storage on my Dell. I'll copy all its files onto my father's external backup drive, then wipe the 200 gig clean. I'll put it in the new system and install windows from scratch, like most home builders. Then, once I have an operating system up, I will be able to copy settings and some files, including SETI@Home, from my old 20 gig main hard drive. Like I wrote above, most of this should be done by Monday.