The computer thread

teddy

Duckmeister
I think it is like any system, occassionally needs a tweak and protection from the actual user. My business partner habitually keeps over 2500 e mails, none of which are filed and some of which are quite large (film clips etc). This makes his computer unstable and he is constantly calling in the IT guys who make a fortune out of him. I have spent £200.00 in the last four years on my office machine because I try and look after it. Its like they say about cars - The most dangerous bit is the nut that holds the wheel.

teddy
 

JHC

Chief assistant to the assistant chief
Quite right teddy and a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but I can now see the repair mans reasoning in that there wouldn't be a lot around that understand Linux so if he specialises he will in all probability have it to him self. even if as cwarchc says it don't go wrong much.
 

cwarchc

New member
Linux doesn't go wrong very often.
However, it's not always straightforward to get things working (especially if you are a "brainwashed" windoze user) Teddy's IT man is probably getting some programs to work on it?
It's a lot better than it used to be, most software drivers are available, you could probably get that old printer working easily
It's never too late to try something new.
variety is the spice of life, so they say
The best thing is, that it's very cheap to try it
 

Albert

New member
I am in Windows, unfortunately. I was OS/2 a few years back - well 20 + - and found it was extremely stable. It ran Win 3.11 10% faster than Win 3.11. Unfortunately, I earn quite a bit of extra money in a dbms that only runs on Windows. I have just finished a major upgrade to my 10 year old laptop to bring it up to Win 7. It is considerably faster than XP Pro SP 3 because I opted for the 64 bit version. It runs my XP only programs faster in a Virtual space, because the XP has been upgraded to 64 bit as well.

If you are in Windows, the consensus is XP Pro or Win 7. T he upgrade from Win 8 is Win 7
 

JHC

Chief assistant to the assistant chief
I have been thinking of getting a new lap top but it seems Windows 8 is not popular and it is hard to find one with Win 7 but I am in no hurry, my desk top is Vista home 32bit and I would not want to repeat that experience again, although it is much better the last 2-3 months than ever before.
This is interesting

Capture windows.JPG
 
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JHC

Chief assistant to the assistant chief
I have been running Firefox for about 6 weeks with no problems that is until yesterday when it just stopped working, by rebooting the PC it fixed things but it has just packed in again so I have uninstalled it, I will install again and see what happens.
 

Dorsetmike

Member
I've been using FF for more than 6 years, occasionally a website will cause it to crash (most recently the Met Office weather forecast!) but it always restarts and gives me the option of trying that site again or reverting to home page. The only moan I have is the nagging update reminders.
 

JHC

Chief assistant to the assistant chief
Mike, this is the first time I have tried FF and was more than happy no problems at all once I had found my way around, what caused this FU I do not know, but I will install again on Friday and see how it goes btw I am about to try a new search engine that I read about called "Duck Duck Go" apparently it does not spy on your searches as does Google Long live privacy.
 

Krummhorn

Administrator
Staff member
ADMINISTRATOR
Colin,

You might also try dumping your "cache" ... deleting all stored cookies and history on a routine basis.
I do this every two weeks without fail and seldom ever experience browsing lock ups.

I've been on FF since early 2005 and use it exclusively. There is one website that I have to sign on to once a year that only "speaks" to IE, so I keep a really old version of that one around for that single purpose.

I agree with your assessment on search engines ... I don't like the tracking either ... I do have a FF add on called AdBlock which takes care of most of the crap that loads with commercial websites these days.

I also keep my task bar free of programs/applications - those seem to load into RAM and tend to slow things down. My PC is a Win 7 Professional Version, 64 Bit.

Lars ♫
 

cwarchc

New member
Mike, this is the first time I have tried FF and was more than happy no problems at all once I had found my way around, what caused this FU I do not know, but I will install again on Friday and see how it goes btw I am about to try a new search engine that I read about called "Duck Duck Go" apparently it does not spy on your searches as does Google Long live privacy.

Duck Duck Go is ok as a search engine, it's a bit US centric, but the tracking issues don't appear to be associated with it.
I also use Opera as a web browser, with no issues.
FF's popularity is causing it's own issues
 

JHC

Chief assistant to the assistant chief
Mike, Lars and Cc, after sleeping on it I am wondering if it was updating itself I do remember ticking the box for 'auto' updates as opposed to 'ask me first' although I would not have thought that it would become unusable in the process.

I will re install this morning and tick the ask me first box. I do a cache clean up but only about once every 7-8 weeks if I remember.
 

JHC

Chief assistant to the assistant chief
Firefox...still having problems, it just will not connect to the big www, I was notified yesterday that an important update was ready to d/l so did that and installed, all OK untill to night then once more a failure to connect. Thank goodness I took Lars advice in keeping IE as well, it connects OK.
 
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Dorsetmike

Member
Last edited by JHC; Today at 10:43. Reason: To insert a comma which in my haste I had omitted to include in the post that I had posted I must be more careful in the future for all our sakes or I will be in trouble again

[nit picker]
You still missed one after "d/l" & another after "to night", you also failed to correct spelling of until, and tonight is one word not two
[/nit picker]

massmoon.gif
 

JHC

Chief assistant to the assistant chief
[nit picker]
You still missed one after "d/l" & another after "to night", you also failed to correct spelling of until, and tonight is one word not two
[/nit picker]

massmoon.gif
It is OK now but I expect it will go again thisevening how's that.
at the end of the day it seems to get a bit tyred.
 

JHC

Chief assistant to the assistant chief
I tink it is sorted (Irish Accent)...I signed up to a Fierfox forum and they suggested it could be a McAfee tool bar, but although I use McAfee I did not employ their tool bar with FF, but I had loaded AVG Secure Search Tool Bar so I have sent this to the sin bin and so far it seems to have fixed it, this may help someone in the future and that is why I posted it....so there.
 
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Dorsetmike

Member
These days just about any downloaded app tries to install a tool bar or registry checker or other rubbish, watch the download dialogue windows very carefully, they hide the "extras" very well, usually very small print and a check box hidden in the spiel and waffle.
 

teddy

Duckmeister
Too right. Careful as I am I sometimes discover Google has disappeared to be replaced with something else because I let a check box slip through.

teddy
 
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