Read directions first

We received the new hard drive for our personal computer Friday. I thought I'd get on it tonight after the kids were in bed. No problem. The hard drive is plug and play, so that was easy... though I did discover that there were two screws missing. Please save your comments for after I've told the rest of the story, then they'll be more deserving.

So, with the hard drive came all the software I have to reload. Well, the operating software (Windows XP) is needed pretty much before I can do anything else, so I plug that disc in and get going. Then I open this package that has the disc for our "special" media program. I begin to read the instructions for installing that, thinking that would be my next program. Lo, and behold, I read the directions and discover that was supposed to be the first thing I installed. I try and escape out of it, but to no avail.

So, two hours later, it's 11:00 pm, and I'm finishing up my chat with Dell support (who, once again, are very patient and polite while showing me how I've screwed up). They're going to send me a hard drive with the software already loaded. The guy on the other end is very diplomatic, but I've got to believe he's shaking his head over this one.

So, I'm afraid Shari and the boys won't have a working computer tomorrow, but it's coming. Maybe after Thanksgiving.

Now, about those missing screws...