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Source: (consider it)
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Thread: HEAVEN: Ancient Geek - the computer thread
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Autenrieth Road
Shipmate
# 10509
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Posted
babybear, for transparent Windows XP icon backgrounds:
Start, Control Panel, Performance and Maintenance (*), System, Advanced, Settings in Performance section. Turn on "Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop."
(If you're using Category view. Go straight to System if you're using Classic view.)
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Truth
Posts: 9559 | From: starlight | Registered: Oct 2005
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comet
Snowball in Hell
# 10353
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Posted
Mac Geeks! I need you!
my iBook G4 is bogging down, and I suspect I need a defrag. How do I do that? I've pitched cookies and cleaned the detritus off the desktop, but I can't remember how the heck to do a system defrag.
help!
(I blame a dodgy link in Hell for this.... ![[Disappointed]](graemlins/disappointed.gif) )
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Evil Dragon Lady, Breaker of Men's Constitutions
"It's hard to be religious when certain people are never incinerated by bolts of lightning.” -Calvin
Posts: 17024 | From: halfway between Seduction and Peril | Registered: Sep 2005
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amber.
Ship's Aspiedestra
# 11142
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Posted
This link gives a few clues, I think, though from memory the new operating system on Macs is supposed to do all the defragging as it goes, so they don't give you a defrag thingy with it any more and you have to buy/get a separate one?
Apple defrag link
Posts: 5102 | From: Central South of England | Registered: Mar 2006
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babybear
Bear faced and cheeky with it
# 34
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Autenrieth Road:
Turn on "Use drop shadows for icon labels on the desktop."
Sadly, it was already turned on. I have unticked, and applied, and the re-ticked, but no no avail. I still have an anti-aliased (against blue, rather than the background image) and non-transparent bits (blue again) where the file and folder titles are.
Posts: 13287 | From: Cottage of the 3 Bears (and The Gremlin) | Registered: May 2001
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BroJames
Shipmate
# 9636
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by comet:
Mac Geeks! I need you!
my iBook G4 is bogging down, and I suspect I need a defrag. How do I do that? I've pitched cookies and cleaned the detritus off the desktop, but I can't remember how the heck to do a system defrag.
help!
(I blame a dodgy link in Hell for this.... )
Is it bogging down altogether or only with specific tasks/software? What OS are you running? Have you tried (from Finder) selecting Utilities from the Go menu and starting up Activity Monitor? This will show you if a particular application is hogging a lot of CPU usage. In % terms how much space is available on your Hard Drive?
Hope these ideas are some help to get you started on tracking down the problem.
Posts: 3374 | From: UK | Registered: Jun 2005
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basso
Ship’s Crypt Keeper
# 4228
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by comet:
Mac Geeks! I need you!
my iBook G4 is bogging down, and I suspect I need a defrag. How do I do that? I've pitched cookies and cleaned the detritus off the desktop, but I can't remember how the heck to do a system defrag.
You don't usually need to do a defrag on OS X. The design is 'way more efficient than other filesystems.
If you want to try something similar, try booting from your system install disk and choose Repair Permissions.
How much memory do you have?
Posts: 4358 | From: Bay Area, Calif | Registered: Mar 2003
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R.A.M.
Shipmate
# 7390
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Posted
My machine (iBook G4) never had trouble with going slow till I installed leopard. It is to be expected as all the Leopard documentation said you needed more memory and stuff. It is still fine, but looks slow next to Frozen Flowers' whizzy swishy sexy machine.
It DOES slow down under certain circumstances, certain applications don't like running with millions of others. (Transmission comes to mind, and video chatting on Skype) If I haven't got much memory left, that tends to slow things down as well.
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Formerly Real Ale Methodist
Back after prolonged absence...
Posts: 1584 | From: (Sunshine on) Leith | Registered: Jun 2004
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Mamacita
Lakefront liberal
# 3659
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Posted
Seeker963 posted this question on another thread:
quote:
Does anyone know of software for preparing UK taxes that runs on a Mac OSX 10.5 operating system?
There must be some tax-and-computer geeks on board?
Why yes indeed, and they're on this thread. Can anyone help Seeker963 out on this one?
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Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. Do justly, now. Love mercy, now. Walk humbly, now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.
Posts: 20761 | From: where the purple line ends | Registered: Dec 2002
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aj
firewire technophobe
# 1383
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Posted
Tax on the Mac will be a frustrating thing for a while yet, I think.
When I was in Australia the best advice their tax department could offer for Mac users was "E-Tax has been found to work well on a Mac running Virtual PC software" (E-Tax being a downloadable application rather than just an online form).
I guess now that we're in the age of the MacIntel there's even less incentive for the creation of a non-Windows government-sanctioned software application for doing tax.
But I'd like to be wrong.
[ 26. April 2008, 06:53: Message edited by: aj ]
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if there's no god, then who turns on the light when you open the fridge?
Posts: 2994 | From: ...on location | Registered: Sep 2001
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Seeker963
Shipmate
# 2066
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Mamacita:
Seeker963 posted this question on another thread:
quote:
Does anyone know of software for preparing UK taxes that runs on a Mac OSX 10.5 operating system?
There must be some tax-and-computer geeks on board?
Why yes indeed, and they're on this thread. Can anyone help Seeker963 out on this one?
Thanks, Mamacita and sorry for getting protocol incorrect.
I'm fearing the answer isn't the one I wanted to hear! To the shipmate who said to use HMRC's own software - they have very cleverly made certain that Ministers of Religion can't use that system. Arrrgggh.
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"People waste so much of their lives on hate and fear." My friend JW-N: Chaplain and three-time cancer survivor. (Went to be with her Lord March 21, 2010. May she rest in peace and rise in glory.)
Posts: 4152 | From: Northeast Ohio | Registered: Dec 2001
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iGeek
Number of the Feast
# 777
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Posted
Do the tax software providers offer an online only option?
For years here in the US I've used Intuit's Turbo-Tax software installed on my Windoze PC. This year, I did it completely online with my Mac. I was even able to import last year's *.tax file to take care of the mundane entry stuff. I didn't get a .tx file output at the end of this year but I can make a pdf of the forms if I so choose.
Posts: 2150 | From: West End, Gulfopolis | Registered: Aug 2002
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lilithofthevalley
Shipmate
# 12698
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Seeker963:
quote:
Originally posted by Mamacita:
Seeker963 posted this question on another thread:
quote:
Does anyone know of software for preparing UK taxes that runs on a Mac OSX 10.5 operating system?
There must be some tax-and-computer geeks on board?
Why yes indeed, and they're on this thread. Can anyone help Seeker963 out on this one?
Thanks, Mamacita and sorry for getting protocol incorrect.
I'm fearing the answer isn't the one I wanted to hear! To the shipmate who said to use HMRC's own software - they have very cleverly made certain that Ministers of Religion can't use that system. Arrrgggh.
Have you tried working your way through
this list on the HMRC website?
I know Taxcalc don't recommend anything cept Windows, but one of the others might...
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"Dance like nobody's watching; love like you've never been hurt. Sing like nobody's listening; live like it's heaven on earth”. Mark Twain
Posts: 139 | From: Manchester | Registered: Jun 2007
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Mamacita
Lakefront liberal
# 3659
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Seeker963:
Thanks, Mamacita and sorry for getting protocol incorrect.
No apology needed; it was not a matter of protocol but rather just steering the conversation over to the right corner of the party. I hope you're able to find a satisfactory answer.
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Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. Do justly, now. Love mercy, now. Walk humbly, now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.
Posts: 20761 | From: where the purple line ends | Registered: Dec 2002
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Seeker963
Shipmate
# 2066
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by lilithofthevalley:
Have you tried working your way through
this list on the HMRC website?
I know Taxcalc don't recommend anything cept Windows, but one of the others might...
Yes, I have worked my way through the list. Most of them don't even say which operating system(s) they work with, although a handful say that they can only be used with Windows.
I'm loathe to download something and find that it fries my hard-drive!
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"People waste so much of their lives on hate and fear." My friend JW-N: Chaplain and three-time cancer survivor. (Went to be with her Lord March 21, 2010. May she rest in peace and rise in glory.)
Posts: 4152 | From: Northeast Ohio | Registered: Dec 2001
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lilithofthevalley
Shipmate
# 12698
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Seeker963:
quote:
Originally posted by lilithofthevalley:
Have you tried working your way through
this list on the HMRC website?
I know Taxcalc don't recommend anything cept Windows, but one of the others might...
Yes, I have worked my way through the list. Most of them don't even say which operating system(s) they work with, although a handful say that they can only be used with Windows.
I'm loathe to download something and find that it fries my hard-drive!
This will no doubt sound defeatist, but unless your tax affairs are really complicated, it may be safer (and cheaper) just to fill in the form and let HMRC do the calculation of how much you owe/are owed!
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"Dance like nobody's watching; love like you've never been hurt. Sing like nobody's listening; live like it's heaven on earth”. Mark Twain
Posts: 139 | From: Manchester | Registered: Jun 2007
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Nats
Shipmate
# 2211
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Posted
Can anyone recommend a Geeky online forum to ask complicated questions about creating ADM files to add sections in to the GPO in a Windows (mixed between 2000 and 2003 server) network?? The TechNet forum specifies server 2008 nothing lower ![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
Just incase anyone here knows the answer this is what I want to post...
You'll have to excuse me because I'm new to all this, having recently moved over from a desktop support role, but can anyone help?! I'm trying to modify our group policy to reduce the IE history retention down to 5 days, and the max space used to 5120Kb. I've gone round and round and round in circles, looking mainly at
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/resources/qanda/jun05/hey0613.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter/resources/qanda/dec05/hey1214.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/windowsserver2003/technologies/management/gp/admtgp.mspx#ESNAC
And I'm still not really getting anywhere. I suspect that there's a silly little mistake in here, but I can't find it. Can someone point me in the right direction??
This is what I have written:
CLASS USER
CATEGORY !!iehistory
POLICY !!history
KEYNAME "Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\URL History"
EXPLAIN !!retentiontime
PART "Days" NUMERIC
VALUENAME "DaysToKeep"
MIN 0 MAX 21 DEFAULT 5 SPIN 1
END PART
END POLICY
POLICY !!size1
KEYNAME "SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\5.0\Cache\Content"
EXPLAIN !!maxsize1
PART "Limit" NUMERIC
VALUENAME "CacheLimit"
DEFAULT 5120
SPIN 0
END PART
END POLICY
POLICY !!size2
KEYNAME "SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Cache\Content"
EXPLAIN !!maxsize2
PART "Limit" NUMERIC
VALUENAME "CacheLimit"
DEFAULT 5120
SPIN 0
END PART
END POLICY
END CATEGORY
[strings]
iehistory="I.E. History"
history="history retention"
retentiontime="Days to retain Internet History"
size1="max size 1"
size2="max size 2"
maxsize1="Maximum size of Internet Cache in Kb Value 1"
maxsize2="Maximum size of Internet in Kb Cache Value 2"
Many thanks in advance for your assistance.
Nathalie ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
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life is purple
Posts: 376 | From: Swindon, UK | Registered: Jan 2002
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Jengie jon
Semper Reformanda
# 273
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Posted
I'm not a techie but I wonder if any of the list here might be appropriate or some other techie list from Jiscmail. The best advice I can give, if a list looks a possibility, then read the latest posts and see if yours would not appear too out of place. Also note the date of last post, some lists are very inactive.
If there is something more obvious to search on than "server" please search for it.
Jiscmail is a UK academic resource. Most lists are academic topic related but as Universities run computer networks there are some computer network related lists. As reliability is often favoured for these networks rather than keeping up to date many institutions run older versions of software where they know the kludges that are required (rather than have to learn a whole new set).
Jengie
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"To violate a persons ability to distinguish fact from fantasy is the epistemological equivalent of rape." Noretta Koertge
Back to my blog
Posts: 20894 | From: city of steel, butterflies and rainbows | Registered: May 2001
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Nats
Shipmate
# 2211
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Jengie Jon:
I'm not a techie but I wonder if any of the list here might be appropriate or some other techie list from Jiscmail. ....
Jiscmail is a UK academic resource. Most lists are academic topic related but as Universities run computer networks there are some computer network related lists. As reliability is often favoured for these networks rather than keeping up to date many institutions run older versions of software where they know the kludges that are required (rather than have to learn a whole new set).
Jengie
Thanks - I've signed up for my password.... there do seem to be some people who post who are not in the ivory towers! I've also posted on TechNet asking for the server 2003 boards back.... 2008 is far too new for the majority of companies I can't believe that it is "normal" yet...
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life is purple
Posts: 376 | From: Swindon, UK | Registered: Jan 2002
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Wesley J
Silly Shipmate
# 6075
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Posted
This here is for people with big ones. Big screens.
I'm quite happy with my current 17" computer monitor, but might occasionally like to use my bigger TV screen as a monitor, e.g. for some films.
As it seems, the only video-out I currently have is one VGA monitor connection, which I am told is low-quality when it comes to TV screens (which does have a VGA in-socket, though).
I admit that my graphics card (ATI Radeon X300 - don't ask... ) is rather at the lower end of the spectrum - though I can use two monitors -, so perhaps might one day get a better card. But for now, Ladies and Gents: Any advice on VGA? A monitor switch box (physically switching between two plugged-in screens) and cables are easily available and not too pricey, but is it worth it?
Ta muchly. ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
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Be it as it may: Wesley J will stay. --- Euthanasia, that sounds good. An alpine neutral neighbourhood. Then back to Britain, all dressed in wood. Things were gonna get worse. (John Cooper Clarke)
Posts: 7354 | From: The Isles of Silly | Registered: May 2004
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mousethief
Ship's Thieving Rodent
# 953
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Posted
Windows XP problems at a weird and deep level:
Okay start by flogging me for messing with this stuff at all, but the damage is done and now I need a way to back out of it.
There seem to be two different levels of user account and password login for Windows XP. There is the familiar screen you see when you turn on the computer with the silly avatars and you click your name and a password box drops down.
But there is also a network-like login system, and my computer seems to have gotten kluged up between the two. I ran "control userpasswords2" from the "run" box, and fiddled around with it, and now all Hell has broken loose. I can no longer log in as Administrator at all, nor change the password for that account. In the userpasswords2 application, it says to press ctl-alt-del in order to change the password, but when I press the three-finger salute, the task manager comes up.
I created another account Administrator2, at both the deep level and the control panel level, but when I log in using that account it cannot create or remember a user account set of directories and shunts me to a default of some sort.
The reason I got into all this was that I wanted to make it so I didn't have to log in. I'm using the computer in question merely for a streaming music station (broadcasting to my Sennheiser cordless headphones -- greatest invention since sliced woofers). Anyway like a fool I clicked "change the way users log in" and when I logged out and logged in suddenly it wanted to log me in under WatersOfBabylon's name. Which I found odd because she has no account at the control panel level at all -- which is when I found out about this deeper level of accounts and passwords.
It's all over my head and I'm about to either reformat the son of a bitch or better yet switch it over to Linux.
Who can rescue me from this body of death?
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This is the last sig I'll ever write for you...
Posts: 63536 | From: Washington | Registered: Jul 2001
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Wesley J
Silly Shipmate
# 6075
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Posted
Anyone downloaded SP3 for Windows XP yet? Any comments or practical experience?
Ta.
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Be it as it may: Wesley J will stay. --- Euthanasia, that sounds good. An alpine neutral neighbourhood. Then back to Britain, all dressed in wood. Things were gonna get worse. (John Cooper Clarke)
Posts: 7354 | From: The Isles of Silly | Registered: May 2004
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Ian Climacus
Liturgical Slattern
# 944
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Posted
Mousethief,
Sorry if I've mis-understood you, but am I right in thinking that you want to log in as Administrator -- or at least change the password of Administrator? Have you tried loading Windows in Safe Mode? I think [emphasise think] from there you can change the Admin password as you should be able to log in as Administrator, but unfortunately I am not at home so I cannot check.
With regard to the issue of WatersOfBabylon's name coming up, sorry, but I didn't quite understand this bit. I seem to recall an option that enabled you to say, when you removed the ever-helpful Welcome screen, which User you used to log in by default. I know you write there is no such user [or at least not one that can be seen], so I am rather confused.
Good luck. I hope I haven't led you astray.
[ 07. May 2008, 00:52: Message edited by: Ian Climacus ]
Posts: 7800 | From: On the border | Registered: Jul 2001
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mousethief
Ship's Thieving Rodent
# 953
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Posted
Thanks Ian, and no, I haven't been led astray, except by my own folly. I ended up deciding to reinstall XP, but since this puter has no i/o devices, I uninstalled the HDD and put it in my own computer and installed XP on that. Then I switched it back in, and it won't boot at all. Sigh. I've ordered an external [cd-rom] thing and when that gets here we'll see if I can make it trot again.
(etf: w/c)
[ 07. May 2008, 02:23: Message edited by: mousethief ]
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This is the last sig I'll ever write for you...
Posts: 63536 | From: Washington | Registered: Jul 2001
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mousethief
Ship's Thieving Rodent
# 953
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Posted
Okay, back up and running. Only one major problem remains:
I can't get WinAmp to bring up Shoutcast. This is work-aroundable because Shoutcast has its own website. But it would be nice to do it from within the program iteself as it was designed to do.
There are actually a few threads in the WinAmp online forum where people discuss the error I'm getting, but I can't figure out how to do the fixes they suggest. (They all seem to involve going to menu selections or directories that don't exist.)
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This is the last sig I'll ever write for you...
Posts: 63536 | From: Washington | Registered: Jul 2001
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Eutychus
From the edge
# 3081
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Posted
Sorry if I've asked this here before somewhere, but I can't find an answer.
My laptop, which runs XP, doesn't like Java (or at least some sorts). For instance, for the café, it opens the app but then says that it cannot verify the certificate. This is not specific to the café but has happened for several other apps too.
I have downloaded the latest and brightest Sun Java but to no avail. It seems like there is some certificate validation something-or-other missing off my computer. How can I fix this?
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Let's remember that we are to build the Kingdom of God, not drive people away - pastor Frank Pomeroy
Posts: 17944 | From: 528491 | Registered: Jul 2002
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Hazey*Jane
Ship's Biscuit Crumbs
# 8754
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Posted
Some questions for you wonder-geeks:
1. How would I go about buying a laptop with XP? I heard a rumour that Dell were still offering them, but the page that claims to list the products still offering XP is rather empty.
2. Alternatively, how hard would it be for a Linux virgin to get to grips with a different type of operating system, such as Ubuntu?
3. I want to become a geek. How/where do I start? Or should I avoid it at all costs?
[ 15. May 2008, 23:30: Message edited by: Hazey*Jane ]
Posts: 4266 | From: UK | Registered: Nov 2004
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Dinghy Sailor
Ship's Jibsheet
# 8507
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Posted
1) Try some of the geekier sites, like scan.co.uk - they have just about everything. Scan have a range of XP laptops atm.
2) If you've got some spare hard disk space (upwards of maybe 5GB), install it on your current machine and see how you like it.
3) Get yourself down to thinkgeek.com and buy a t-shirt with a really nerdy joke (How many people in the world can read hexadecimal if only you and DEAD people can read hex?* is my favourite.) and the everyone will assume you're a geek, whether you know anything or not.
*57006
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Preach Christ, because this old humanity has used up all hopes and expectations, but in Christ hope lives and remains.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Posts: 2821 | Registered: Sep 2004
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Paul.
Shipmate
# 37
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Hazey*Jane:
Some questions for you wonder-geeks:
1. How would I go about buying a laptop with XP? I heard a rumour that Dell were still offering them, but the page that claims to list the products still offering XP is rather empty.
You could try Dell Outlet - they sell refurbished/returned computers, including laptops, some with XP. I bought a PC there last year. The stock changes day to day so it's a good idea to check it regularly for a while to find the best deal.
quote:
2. Alternatively, how hard would it be for a Linux virgin to get to grips with a different type of operating system, such as Ubuntu?
It depends on a) what you mostly use a computer for - for example a browser is pretty much a browser on any OS - and b) how good you are at adapting to different ways of doing things. I think these days Linux distros like Ubuntu are perfectly useable by non-techies but you will find some things work just a little differently.
quote:
3. I want to become a geek. How/where do I start? Or should I avoid it at all costs?
I wouldn't say avoid it at all costs. If you want to learn then that's a positive thing. Many people want to know as little as possible about how it works and just know enough to use the thing. Like how I am with cars.
I'm not really sure what's a good place to start - depends on your current level of knowledge I guess. I'd suggest thinking of something you'd like to do, a project, and try to do it. Use the internet to search for 'howto' guides and look up error messages etc when you hit problems. If you have a spare PC you might want to try installing Linux on it. Installing it alongside Windows is a little trickier (not much but a little) and it's always good to have a 'sandbox' where if you have to wipe everything and start over it doesn't matter.
Posts: 3689 | From: UK | Registered: Jun 2004
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Paul.
Shipmate
# 37
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Josephine:
Registry cleaners. Are they something everyone ought to be using, like a firewall and ad-ware killer software? Or is it something to avoid because it will kluge your registry?
I was discussing this with a colleague today. He thinks they're a good idea but I'm sceptical. I'm not sure how much harm it does to have extraneous info in your registry. If you have entries that are in that startup section (see post by Karl Liberal Backslider earlier in the thread) then I can see how that would be annoying.
But then again I only really use Windows at work and I don't install/uninstall tons of software - which is what I imagine really makes the registry untidy.
I'm sure there's some value to these programs but I think you can live without them and I definitely wouldn't put them in the category as firewall/antivirus which are pretty much essential these days.
Posts: 3689 | From: UK | Registered: Jun 2004
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Eutychus
From the edge
# 3081
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Hazey*Jane:
Some questions for you wonder-geeks:
1. How would I go about buying a laptop with XP? I heard a rumour that Dell were still offering them, but the page that claims to list the products still offering XP is rather empty.
I bought a new Dell laptop for the business a few months ago. No XP option was apparent or mentioned in the sales conversation - until the absolute very end when the sales agent mentioned the possibility almost offhand; I jumped at it (although I had to call back and amend the estimate they sent me which specified Vista). Give Dell a ring and ask them about whether it's possible for the specific model you have in mind is my advice.
Oh, and this article from a few days ago suggests you may be in luck.
quote:
Dell, HP and Lenovo are exploiting loopholes in Microsoft's licensing terms to extend the operating system beyond a 30 June end of life date.
In other news, still looking for help with my Java issues... surely this must have happened to someone?
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Let's remember that we are to build the Kingdom of God, not drive people away - pastor Frank Pomeroy
Posts: 17944 | From: 528491 | Registered: Jul 2002
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Hazey*Jane
Ship's Biscuit Crumbs
# 8754
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Posted
Thanks for the thoughts everyone, I shall explore some of those possibilities.
quote:
Originally posted by Dinghy Sailor:
3) Get yourself down to thinkgeek.com and buy a t-shirt with a really nerdy joke (How many people in the world can read hexadecimal if only you and DEAD people can read hex?* is my favourite.) and the everyone will assume you're a geek, whether you know anything or not.
See, I must already be some kind of geek, because I've been hankering after this.
Posts: 4266 | From: UK | Registered: Nov 2004
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Pheonix
Twisted fire starter
# 2782
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Eutychus:
In other news, still looking for help with my Java issues... surely this must have happened to someone?
Umm.... Have you tried windows update and installing the root certificates update under optional/recommended updates...
Posts: 2384 | From: on the move. | Registered: May 2002
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Drifting Star
Drifting against the wind
# 12799
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Posted
How easy is it to replace a laptop keyboard? The letters are wearing off mine, and although I've tried using replacement stickers, they're wearing off really quickly too.
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The soul is dyed the color of its thoughts. Heraclitus
Posts: 3126 | From: A thin place. | Registered: Jul 2007
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BroJames
Shipmate
# 9636
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Posted
Probably not that difficult depending on your laptop. I've had keyboards off various kinds of iBooks/MacBooks before. There is a tutorial here which gives the general idea. You might want to do a bit more research about your particular laptop before proceeding further.
Posts: 3374 | From: UK | Registered: Jun 2005
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Eutychus
From the edge
# 3081
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Pheonix:
quote:
Originally posted by Eutychus:
In other news, still looking for help with my Java issues... surely this must have happened to someone?
Umm.... Have you tried windows update and installing the root certificates update under optional/recommended updates...
Do you have a more specific link?
I looked in my "update windows components" box under "add/delete programs"; the "update root certificate" box is checked but contains zero MB. All the stuff I can find online at Windows update is about removing/disabling this component but not enabling it...
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Let's remember that we are to build the Kingdom of God, not drive people away - pastor Frank Pomeroy
Posts: 17944 | From: 528491 | Registered: Jul 2002
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Drifting Star
Drifting against the wind
# 12799
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Posted
Thanks BroJames - that looks quite do-able, and I found plenty of info specific to my model.
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The soul is dyed the color of its thoughts. Heraclitus
Posts: 3126 | From: A thin place. | Registered: Jul 2007
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Pigwidgeon
Ship's Owl
# 10192
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Posted
I occasionally receive e-mails with "docx" or "xlsx" suffixes, which I cannot open in Office 2003. I thought it was Windows Vista that was adding the "x" but a trusted Shipmate says it's Office 2007 and that I should be able to download something to allow me to open them. Any suggestions? (I tried the Microsoft website but wasn't sure what I was looking for.)
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"...that is generally a matter for Pigwidgeon, several other consenting adults, a bottle of cheap Gin and the odd giraffe."
~Tortuf
Posts: 9835 | From: Hogwarts | Registered: Aug 2005
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Wesley J
Silly Shipmate
# 6075
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Posted
Yep. There're some Office Viewers available. You can't change or format any documents there, but at least you can read and print them out.
Link here.
Hope that's what you were looking for?
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Be it as it may: Wesley J will stay. --- Euthanasia, that sounds good. An alpine neutral neighbourhood. Then back to Britain, all dressed in wood. Things were gonna get worse. (John Cooper Clarke)
Posts: 7354 | From: The Isles of Silly | Registered: May 2004
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Eutychus
From the edge
# 3081
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
I occasionally receive e-mails with "docx" or "xlsx" suffixes, which I cannot open in Office 2003.
There is a free option available for Office 2003 to convert .docx files to .doc files, after which they can be freely edited (although obviously they will not retain any specific docx features, notably XML). Alternatively, you can open and edit either in Google documents (same limitations apply).
[ETA I think the Office add-on is called a "document converter" or some such]
[ 19. May 2008, 19:37: Message edited by: Eutychus ]
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Let's remember that we are to build the Kingdom of God, not drive people away - pastor Frank Pomeroy
Posts: 17944 | From: 528491 | Registered: Jul 2002
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Pigwidgeon
Ship's Owl
# 10192
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Posted
Thanks! I'll try that tomorrow. (I'm about to head for home, so I don't want to start a download now.)
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"...that is generally a matter for Pigwidgeon, several other consenting adults, a bottle of cheap Gin and the odd giraffe."
~Tortuf
Posts: 9835 | From: Hogwarts | Registered: Aug 2005
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Sparrow
Shipmate
# 2458
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Posted
Is there a gender-neutral term for the person who runs a website? I built and run the website for our church, but I really don't know what to call myself - I don't like "webmistress"! Any other suggestions?
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For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life,nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Posts: 3149 | From: Bottom right hand corner of the UK | Registered: Mar 2002
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amber.
Ship's Aspiedestra
# 11142
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Posted
Website Manager
Posts: 5102 | From: Central South of England | Registered: Mar 2006
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Doc Tor
Deepest Red
# 9748
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Posted
I almost hesitate to post this here, but hey... ![[Biased]](wink.gif)
My main computer is on the fritz - still useable for t'internet, but no game playing or big graphical things. I have a bit of spare cash coming (having sold another book ) so:
xp or Vista?
Things to bear in mind are: I have a large legacy of pre-Vista software (tbh, pre-xp software which works well enough with xp) which I don't want to have to buy again. I've downloaded Microsoft's Vista-ready check thing, and it tells me that none of the programs I consider important are incompatible, but how reliable is that?
I'm also aware that xp is due for the axe, and Vista requires mahoosive memory and graphics cardage.
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Forward the New Republic
Posts: 9131 | From: Ultima Thule | Registered: Jul 2005
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Hiro's Leap
Shipmate
# 12470
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Doc Tor:
xp or Vista? [...] Vista requires mahoosive memory and graphics cardage.
Don't worry too much about graphics cards - new ones should be fine, even if it's a basic card integrated into the motherboard. Turn Aero off you need to - I do anyway because I think it's ugly. Memory hasn't been a problem for me either, running quite a few big applications at the same time with 2gb RAM on a laptop.
Personally I'd go for Vista hands down now, except (and it's a big except) for those compatibility issues with your old software. No idea about that.
Posts: 3418 | From: UK, OK | Registered: Mar 2007
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Jack the Lass
Ship's airhead
# 3415
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Posted
Help required with BBC iPlayer please (NB for advice purposes please assume maximum cluelessness on my part ).
I have just (at last) downloaded BBC iPlayer, and am trying now to download a couple of programmes so that I can watch them offline. However I keep getting a message that "Windows Media Player needs an update to allow iPlayer to download and play programmes" (it appears to be a security update that is required). When I click on the button to update I get an error message, telling me that the player security has not been updated. I can't see any settings for Windows Media Player (and I'm sure in iPlayer I've got it set up so that downloaded programmes are played on iPlayer as default, not any other media player). What am I doing wrong, and what can I do about it?
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"My body is a temple - it's big and doesn't move." (Jo Brand)
wiblog blipfoto blog
Posts: 5767 | From: the land of the deep-fried Mars Bar | Registered: Oct 2002
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Hare today
Shipmate
# 12974
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Jack the Lass:
Help required with BBC iPlayer please (NB for advice purposes please assume maximum cluelessness on my part ).
I have just (at last) downloaded BBC iPlayer, and am trying now to download a couple of programmes so that I can watch them offline. However I keep getting a message that "Windows Media Player needs an update to allow iPlayer to download and play programmes" (it appears to be a security update that is required). When I click on the button to update I get an error message, telling me that the player security has not been updated. I can't see any settings for Windows Media Player (and I'm sure in iPlayer I've got it set up so that downloaded programmes are played on iPlayer as default, not any other media player). What am I doing wrong, and what can I do about it?
You could try Real Player instead. I use the free one for my BBC iPlayer
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Ht
Come let us sing of a wonderful love (1933 MHB No 314)
Posts: 401 | From: Middle England | Registered: Sep 2007
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Nats
Shipmate
# 2211
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Hiro's Leap:
quote:
Originally posted by Doc Tor:
xp or Vista? [...] Vista requires mahoosive memory and graphics cardage.
Don't worry too much about graphics cards - new ones should be fine, even if it's a basic card integrated into the motherboard. Turn Aero off you need to - I do anyway because I think it's ugly. Memory hasn't been a problem for me either, running quite a few big applications at the same time with 2gb RAM on a laptop.
Personally I'd go for Vista hands down now, except (and it's a big except) for those compatibility issues with your old software. No idea about that.
XP Every time. I haven't yet met an IT professional who likes Vista and thinks it's any good. XP will be supported for a good while yet. Don't make your life any more difficult than it needs to be.....
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life is purple
Posts: 376 | From: Swindon, UK | Registered: Jan 2002
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Lumpy da Moose
Shipmate
# 9038
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Doc Tor:
I almost hesitate to post this here, but hey...
xp or Vista?
Things to bear in mind are: I have a large legacy of pre-Vista software (tbh, pre-xp software which works well enough with xp) which I don't want to have to buy again. I've downloaded Microsoft's Vista-ready check thing, and it tells me that none of the programs I consider important are incompatible, but how reliable is that?
I'm also aware that xp is due for the axe, and Vista requires mahoosive memory and graphics cardage.
Let's just put it this way. Most people in business in IT are pretty much underwealmed with Vista. Remember Windows Me? Lame version of 98 that did multimedia a bit better and had a bit better USB support. Vista is to XP what Me was to Windows 98. The only cool thing about it IS the Aero desktop, and if you shut that off, what's the point? There's DRM issues, plus the stupid nanny thing that asks you over and over if it's Really, REALLY OK to run this program. No thanks. The Mac people make fun of Vista in their TV ads for a reason.
Not a week ago I bought a new XPS laptop from Dell, through their outlet store. It came with Windows Vista Home Premium, whatever the hell that means. It was on here less than half a day. I wiped it the first evening home and there's XP SP3 installed on here now. I did my homework, found all the drivers ahead of time, and am quite happy to have things my way.
In addition, I use my laptop on my job and it has to work with a legacy Windows NT network, plus (I can't believe I'm saying this) we still run a DOS-based set of databases for our production records. M$ wasn't very forthcoming about NT compatibility or if it would even work with DOS programs.
As for games and other software, I would take anything M$ has to say about compatibility with a large grain of salt. There's supposedly something called "compatibility mode" available in Vista (it's in XP as well, but I've never had to use it) that MAY let your old software work. Yes, they will be quitting support for XP end of June, but so what? It won't suddenly stop working. I suspect they will continue to offer such things as security updates for a little while.
I don't know what you have for hardware, but the requirements for Vista are a bit steeper than most people are used to seeing, effectively double of what XP needed to barely run. It might be a good idea to rethink your whole computer, but as I don't know what you have, I cannot advise you further about that.
M$ keeps crowing about how many people have bought Vista and blahblahblah, but the truth of it is, most of those were units that had it pre-installed and most folks aren't able to just wipe and install a new operating system. So there you go . . .
Up to you to decide, really. But if you don't want to reinvest in software (again, you don't specify which ones), then consider the conservative choice.
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member, Our Ladye of the Bandwidthe and All Angels
Posts: 1035 | From: Gulf Coast, USA | Registered: Feb 2005
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Hazey*Jane
Ship's Biscuit Crumbs
# 8754
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Posted
I'm also interested in the XP vs Vista question. I need to buy a laptop in the next 12 months, and although I'm in no desperate hurry otherwise, I'm partly inclined to get a move on so as to get one with XP before they stop offering it. Still, I'm not quite sure from Dell's site how to get them to sell me a laptop with XP unless I pretend to be a small business.
Anyhoo, some more questions:
1. If you want to wipe a hard drive, before you pass a computer on to someone else, how do you do it? I am vaguely aware that deleting stuff isn't enough - stuff can still be recoverable. I also seem to remember reading something about there being some kind of wiping process that you should do seven times in order to make sure everything's off there, but that may have been an article in Pagan PC User.
![[Confused]](confused.gif)
2. Can anyone recommend one of those websites that enables you to email/transfer great big files from user to user via the web?
Thanks
Hazey
[ 01. June 2008, 18:39: Message edited by: Hazey*Jane ]
Posts: 4266 | From: UK | Registered: Nov 2004
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