i'm just about ready to try this one more time, and here's the deal - i'm essentially bored and fed up with this. i need to get some actual work done, now. this has been going on for weeks.

so, if this doesn't work, i'm going to copy the files i need over to the pc, put the laptop aside for a bit, and do the work i need to do offline.

i will need to get the laptop working again before i can upload anything. but, i'm sick of fighting with this and desperately want to move on.