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Windows 8, iTunes etc. General ranting on software :).

Post #1 made 13 years ago
by PistolPatch
MODNOTE: Changed the topic tile on 4th July 2014 to better match the direction the topic has turned.

Just received an email from "Windows" re Windows 8. I thought it must be spam as I haven't even heard of Windows 8.

Double-checked on the MS site and it seems to be real. This is the weirdest upgrade offer I have ever seen. You click on it, it 'examines' your computer for a few minutes, offers you a pretty crap report that you can't get any more detail on and then entreats you to get "Windows 8 Pro" for only $40.

If I hadn't got this from the MS site direct, I would really have assumed this is spam.

If you press the order button, you have to supply your delivery address - no digital download. Can anyone enlighten/update me on what is happening in the Windows world?

I suspect I am a technology dinosaur :smoke:

:scratch:
Last edited by PistolPatch on 28 Oct 2012, 01:15, edited 3 times in total.
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Post #4 made 13 years ago
by BobBrews
I ordered it to update one of my test PC's. The latest version came out on the 26th of October 2012. It is meant for the new internet. It can be used by touch screens or mouse. It is made "APP" like for the move to mobile units. It is suppose to be good? My spare PC will let you know!
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Re: Windows 8 ???

Post #8 made 13 years ago
by sokinsilihok
I am windows8 user since April or May when the beta version was installed accidentaly(i intented to make a dual boot pc but this one sat straight over my previous w 7) and although i was scared that i would lose everyrhing ..they worked smooth "remenmbering" all my software abd settings. I WAS AMAZED. On friday i bought this special offer formy private laptop anx sems that ii am gonna Be happy once again as i did not lose a single file

απανταω διαμεσω του γαματουγκαλαξυεστρια
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Post #10 made 13 years ago
by PistolPatch
Great pic thughes :lol:,

Well it got the better of me and I put it onto my craptop. Like sokinsilihok, nothing blew up or got lost. The voice commands aren't very good though... I tried saying, "Go and get me a beer," "Make me coffee," and "Massage my back." None of these worked.

The price is cheap john. Looks like they want to give iTunes a run for their money.

Interesting :interesting:.
Last edited by PistolPatch on 28 Oct 2012, 19:40, edited 2 times in total.
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Post #11 made 13 years ago
by BobBrews
Lylo wrote:I assume this "test" pc is sitting close to the diet hi-test Bob?
I liked the play on words lylo! They are 30 feet apart. The high-test is too far from the test machine to reach! I have made allowances in that I can crawl quite quickly with practice and I pass the loo (toilet) along the way! The "High-Test and Test while High" scenario fits best!

I have 6 computers that have various versions of windows for testing. I have a tablet and two laptops! No smart Phone yet? They are all in my office. The shed has 3 or 4 more oldies awaiting to be disassembled and slowly dumped into the trash. They won't take computers whole unless it's a special "pick up computer day"

When you build a website they now have something called "Responsive Web Design" That means you have to design the website three times to fit smart phones, tablets and full computers. That is more than I want to do! I am getting out not that I have ever been in! Let the young guys figure it all out!

I hope windows 8 works out? 7 wasn't bad. I like my wife and I to use the same system just for ease of networking in the home. Go Packers Go!
:salute:
Last edited by BobBrews on 28 Oct 2012, 22:29, edited 2 times in total.
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tap 2 Bourbon Barrel Porter
tap 3 Czech Pilsner
tap 4 Triple IPA 11% ABV
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Post #13 made 13 years ago
by BobBrews
Lylo,

To be honest (for once) the BeerFast is struggling. The beer (9.5%) I am using is meant for sipping at night. Small glasses slightly warm. I thought they would fill in until I had a more suitable beer? I get to much of a buzz right after breakfast and don't accomplish anything during the morning. Lunch is the same way! Drink and sleep. So until I get some 5.2% beer out of the fermenter I will substitute tonic water or plain water (yuck) for breakfast!

Last night we were celebrating (it's Saturday) and I made a mixed drink. My old usual the Vodka Gimlet! I made it they way I always do with olive's and pickled Brussels sprouts! Never thinking "It's food". I had the drink and the mighty full meal of two olives and two sprouts! BeerFast is now BeerFarce! So for the day I had 100 calories in solids and everything is shot! I will start again today while watching my Green Bay Packers!

P.S. Alcohol has no calories! It's a Fact!! I believe, I believe! Believe and it will come true!
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tap 2 Bourbon Barrel Porter
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tap 4 Triple IPA 11% ABV
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Post #14 made 13 years ago
by PistolPatch
WARNING!!!!

Well, my Windows Vista on my main PC was starting to play up a little. I think we all know that with Windows, once it starts playing up, it's time to do a painful full re-install.

I couldn't be bothered doing that and, as mentioned above, the Windows 8 install on my laptop went with no problems. While I think the whole Windows 8 interface is gimmicky and full of friction, I thought, "Microsoft isn't going to change so I better get used to this new interface now rather than later. What could possibly go wrong?"

FFS :lol:. I've been battling with this since Sunday :smoke:.

1. Blocked out the first five hours of problems, something to do with a USB Host Controller. Finally got the thing installed.
2. Where's Office gone? (Yeasty will now have to answer all spreadsheet questions here :P ).
3. More importantly, where is my Office key? Can't find the thing anywhere!!!
4. Re-install a few other critical programs that disappeared.
5. Read a billion internet threads trying to work out stupid things like the difference between Windows Mail and Windows Live Mail. (Ridiculous terminology issues aren't restricted to brewing alone.)
6. Download Windows Media Centre and now the thing is asking me every time I log on to activate Windows. No matter what key I use that they have sent me, they don't work.
7. Windows Media Centre fixed one thing and stuffed up about ten others in their interface. FOr example, it now uses 24 hour time. For God's sake!

Why? Why? Why?

:roll:
PP
Last edited by PistolPatch on 22 Nov 2012, 20:19, edited 2 times in total.
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Post #15 made 13 years ago
by BobBrews
Thanks Pat!

I bought windows 8 to upgrade my old laptop! Now I am worried! I know computers and it's easier for me to get the upgrade done but if it's such a job to upgrade then they should pay us for our time spent re-jiggering the operating system. Your office key is on the package isn't it? My package has a card (with a big key on it) on the back page of the box! It is in a slot like a hotel room key (card).

Do you have a upgrade or a new install? Did you wipe out everything? I hope not! Stiff upper lip and all that!
tap 1 Raspberry wine
tap 2 Bourbon Barrel Porter
tap 3 Czech Pilsner
tap 4 Triple IPA 11% ABV
Pipeline: Mulled Cider 10% ABV

http://cheesestradamus.com/ Brewers challenge!
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Post #17 made 13 years ago
by PistolPatch
They did have a list John but but no mention of Office. With iTunes you have to de-authorise it. No mention though that you will have to re-download it. Beersmith2 stayed on my laptop desktop but disappeared from my main PC. Don't have to re-install it though. Hopefully some other programs are buried away there as well. Fingers crossed!

Bob, I have all my computer discs in one spot or so I thought. You can guess which is the only disc missing :lol:. As for sending MS a bill, I've often thought of that. I remember doing a re-install years ago and having even more problems than usual. After hours of reading, buried away in some thread was a little note saying, "Make sure you install MS Access before Publisher" or something like that :roll:.

Activation Mysteries

Went for telephone activation. Typed in 63 numbers (I'm serious) and ended up with, "This number is already being used on another computer. Ring back between 8am and 8 om." Just rang back and had to enter the 63 numbers again!!! Finally got through to operator. "Please read out the 63 numbers." :smoke:

All activated now. I asked why it did't work. No sensible answer. Maybe my USB Host controller drivers installed themselves somewhere in the process and it thinks I have a new computer?

The interesting thing is that anytime you do a re-install, you have to use telephone activation. I asked if I need the keys sent to me via email to do this. Answer, "No." Not sure how that works? Maybe I could have saved $40 :lol:.

My next goal is to get rid of this bloody daffodil on my screen :P,
PP

P.S. Can someone please send me Office 2007 :lol:.
Last edited by PistolPatch on 23 Nov 2012, 06:15, edited 2 times in total.
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Post #19 made 11 years ago
by PistolPatch
johnaberry, firstly, we haven't forgotten your excellent stove-top video. Are you going to make an even better one that will become the definitive stove-top BIAB video? I hope you are on to that!

Meanwhile, without going into detail, I thought today, before I spent the next three days writing some major things here, I should refresh Windows 8 as everything is running really slowly. I have several hard disks and several external disks and have generally taken a "just back everything up approach." But, I've always known this never works because thanks to Windows ridiculous and ever-changing directory structures, you can never find anything and end up backing up the same file in eighty different ways.

I've just done five hours straight, sorting out directories etc and haven't even got to the main parts that we all hate.. backing up your emails, latest docs etc etc.

Every time I go through this process, I'm astounded at how unnecessarily hard it is and how no consideration is given to the user. Twenty years ago, things made a lot more sense. You had two major directories - 'Programs' and 'Data'. All you had to do then was back up your 'Data' directory. It was that simple. Now, I can't even find my data and when I can it is duplicated in a directory system whose nomenclature makes no sense at all to the user.

...

Oh and if you think I am a dinosaur and don't understand computers, I'm not. The last time I let a computer expert near my computer, two years ago, he installed Windows on my oldest and smallest drive even though I had two other drives available four times the size and far newer. I couldn't believe it but what do you say?

So today is all about fixing up a two year old mistake by a 'professional' and Windows thoughtless directory structure. Is it just me or does anyone else find this stuff totally stupid?

Mind you, in my day job, I do the same.
Last edited by PistolPatch on 06 Jun 2014, 20:35, edited 2 times in total.
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Post #20 made 11 years ago
by PistolPatch
And now after all that work, I am down to my C drive and it is as bare as anything so I think I am done but, "No, hold on..." 92 GB to sort through still. I'm at a total loss as to why no one else finds this bionically ridiculous.

And no, that 92GB is not my whole C drive, it is just the bloody Users directory.
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Post #21 made 11 years ago
by mally
Have you tried Acronis Pat?

This can do a lot of what you need (I think).
I recently used it (exact product is "trueimage home")to transfer my 640 GB "old magnetic style" C: drive to a new 250 GB solid state.
Did the swap no trouble (cloned) and even re-partitioned to the smaller size. I booted up windows and it didn't even miss a beat.
Does backups as well, incrementals, etc. etc.
G B
I spent lots of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I squandered
I've stopped drinking, but only when I'm asleep
I ONCE gave up women and alcohol - it was the worst 20 minutes of my life
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Post #22 made 11 years ago
by PistolPatch
I thought yesterday I'd sort out what emails etc I had triple backed up instead of just double. Changed to FreeFile Sync and on the first press of the button managed to move everything from right to left instead of vice versa :P. Have spent all day now trying to get old emails back etc as there were a few things not triple backed up :smoke:. I know those ridiculously long Windows directory paths off by heart now. Still can't make any logical sense of them though. Some of these same emails are in ten different places - public, private, windows mail, windows live mail. It goes on and on :roll:.

I used to have something of Acronis's but I believe that most image programs are of no use if your hardware fails??? I think you have to have exactly the same architecture or something as you had originally. Same with Microsoft back up files. Wonder if you would have been okay if your hard disk or motherboard had failed and you only had an old image? I tend to do full re-installs any time I run into trouble which is probably every couple of years or so. I imagine the image file wouldn't really help you out in the case of when you are doing a full re-install due to machine operating slowly etc.

Anyway, lucky I didn't get a touch screen with Windows 8 as it would be a punch screen by now :lol: :lol: :lol:.

Wonder if I'm going to have to download a billion gigs of Windows 8 files again :think:.

If you sent me an email in the last few days and I either don't answer it or answer it ten times, you know why - lol! Thanks mally ;)
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Post #23 made 11 years ago
by PistolPatch
Another four hours on :)...

Had a crack but had no option of which disk to install windows to. It just over-wrote my current C drive which hopefully I backed up properly.

After even more searching, I stumbled across something that made some sense. Looks like I have to physically unplug my current C drive (and all the others except the one I want) from the motherboard. I think I'll be leaving that until tomorrow. Pretty weird how basic design errors (or worse) are just accepted by the general community.

:scratch:
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Post #24 made 11 years ago
by jhough
Pat.. I say leave it till tomorrow . I had computer problems (automobile kind ) today at work and said f-it its my day off . Relax and have a cold one.
J
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Post #25 made 11 years ago
by PistolPatch
I had a few cracks today trying various ways to install it on the larger, newer drive but couldn't get anything happening. Think I'll do a full re-install on the older drive and then maybe take an image of that.

Trust in mally :pray:.

I reckon I have downloaded the entire friggin' internet in the last two days and then copied it from drive to drive :).
(Next up Windows 8.1 update and then Office which adds up to another few terabytes I think :))
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