RIP MSTS001

I lost one of my computers this afternoon. It had been playing-up for sometime and had become very unreliable. Despite my efforts to discover the root of the problem, MSTS001 (its network identity) finally expired leaving my without a DVD writer and a lot of valuable data. I really hate losing a computer. I used to have seven all doing different things. My wife cannot understand the fuss but to me its like losing a friend. We become attached to computers. After all, we spend a great deal of time with them and we grow to know them and understand their little quirks. We arrange the desktop in a particular way and we know where to find things. The bond is palpable and when it's broken it really is a wrench. Now, having accepted MSTS001's demise, I set about trying to limit the damage. Luckily, I had an identical unit which I didn't use as much as MSTS001. In fact I used it just for scanning, browsing and updating my blog. Being the same machine, I was able to transplant the innards from MSTS001 into it, the data intact on the hard drive. I was also able to substitute the CD reader for the DVD writer. With the lid back on I pressed the power button and sat fingers crossed while my new creation booted. I half expected a blue screen of death or at least an error message or two. Instead, it booted perfectly. Hurrah! Another crisis averted. All that's left of MSTS001 is a carcass. I expect some of it will come in useful for spares. I'll just add it to my growing heap...