How To Do Computer Stuff: Part 153

Today was spent trying to install an operating system. This is my guide to installing Windows 98 :
* Search for a Windows 98 installation disk. Fail. Search again until you find one in a strange place.
* Find that you can't boot into the installation procecure - you need to install MS-DOS first, and call it from there
* Search for MS-DOS on a floppy disk. Fail. Search again until you find something similar, like a Windows ME boot disk.
* Discover that the disk is corrupted.
* Try booting up using PartitionMagic. Get an error message you've never seen before, and a crash. Do this several time just to make sure.
* Remember that your father has a computer running Windows 95. It's 200 MHz with 1GB, but he refuses to upgrade because he's seen the trouble upgrading can cause. He may have a point. Anyway, try to make a Win95 boot disk on his computer, with which to install Win98 on yours.
* Try to do it again with a different floppy disk.
* Run the Win95 boot disk on your computer. Discover that it won't. Probably because the floppy reader is rubbish.
* Replace the floppy reader. Find that the new one won't connect to the plug in your computer. Put the old one back.
* Install Windows 2000 out of desperation.
* Discover that it is possible to boot into the Win98 installation after all.
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EDIT: Part 153b
* Realise just how old Win98 is, and how little software runs on it. Plump for Windows ME instead.
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News headlines today:
Pope Still Not Dead. I couldn't help thinking of something in The Hitch Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy. "The emperor is nearly dead, and has been for many centuries. This is because in his last moments, he was, much to his imperial annoyance, lock in a perpetual stasis field. The result of which is that power has moved a few rungs down the ladder."

The maneuvering behind the scenes at the Vatican must be absolutely frantic. All the factions bargaining and smearing, trying to get their figureheads in place to be elected when the old man finally dies.

World Doomed. A major report has been published on the environment. Greenhouse emissions, unreplacable natural resources, pollution. All the usual stuff, the usual multinationals saying it isn't a problem but they're taking care of it anyway, and the usual amnesia a week later.

Jacko Perv Trial. It's like David Blaine in a box, but even less interesting.