Okay, it's been weeks since my last update, but I have an excuse ... my computer exploded.

Alright, not exploded, it suddenly stopped working. The power supply hums up - and once it got through to Windows and started complaining about hardware configurations - but for the most part there's no actual response from the base unit. No beeps, no BIOS, no nothing. It's just not firing up.

I think I experienced this once before, when there was simply insufficient power getting to the mainboard to support all three of my hard drives, but I've tried paring down power usage to almost nothing and there's still no response. I'm assuming catastrophic hardware failure, mainboard or CPU or something.

I have access to my partner's laptop, but it would be unfair to just rely on him for hours of computer work every week, and anyway all my templates and presets and typefaces and stuff are on my old box. So, current plan is to order a new CPU, mainboard and power supply, cross fingers and hope.

This means I need to take some time to pick out components that work together, scrape together a little cash, and actually make it happen, so there may be a few weeks yet before we get properly back up and running. I'll see if I can sneak some laptop time and get some sort of art or something onto the front page before then though!

ugh, been in this boat more times than I care to mention...

I hope you get it fixed soon...Good luck, hopefully it's something simple (Power supply caused us something similar on the desktop a few months back...caught it just before the warrantee ran out!)

Yuck. I had my own Great Computer Asplode of 2006. The magic smoke escaped.

It's a right bugger, eh? Good luck.

HD issue is easy to fix if you have stuff on it you can buy something so it can be read via USB

http://www.amazon.com/Drive-Adapter-Con ... B001OORMVQ

Something like that there is many version and prices for it you can find them pretty easy that is one example.

Not the one I was looking for but it is one

Nah, the HD's fine, I suspect it was the memory. I couldn't be bothered replacing each part in turn, though, so I just bought a new CPU and mainboard too. Don't tell anyone, but I was secretly glad of the excuse to upgrade...

This SPAM Bot can't spell either!