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Source: (consider it)
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Thread: Heaven: Geek Bail-Out: it's computering question time! 2016
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Eigon
Shipmate
# 4917
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Posted
I'm considering getting a basic laptop. Mainly, I want to be able to back up files from my desktop computer, and work on my stories - which is why I want a proper keyboard - and then copy the files back onto the desktop. I don't want it to connect to the internet (I spend enough time online already!) but I will probably want to listen to audio files on it.
Can anyone give me advice about what to look for? In easily understood English, as I am technologically challenged?
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Laugh hard. Run fast. Be kind.
Posts: 3710 | From: Hay-on-Wye, town of books | Registered: Aug 2003
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Baptist Trainfan
Shipmate
# 15128
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Posted
I don't think you can buy laptops that aren't Internet-ready (unless you get a really old second-hand one) - but, of course, you can always turn the Wi-Fi off.
One question which is worth asking is whether you require a CD/DVD drive. Many newer laptops don't have them, but you might want to copy your writings onto disks for safe storage.
Posts: 9750 | From: The other side of the Severn | Registered: Sep 2009
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Alisdair
Shipmate
# 15837
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Posted
@Eigon - if you wanted something new you could probably do worse than this (available from Amazon and PC World for £150):
Lenovo IdeaPad 100S-11
http://tinyurl.com/j2bojcs - leads to 'PC MAg UK' review.
Chromebooks probably offer better value for money, but are very internet focussed, although you can use them without an internet connection.
Posts: 334 | From: Washed up in England | Registered: Aug 2010
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Eigon
Shipmate
# 4917
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Posted
Thanks Alistair! Someone I asked in RL recommended the Lenovo, too, so I'm definitely going to be looking for that one.
And if I really want safe storage of my stories - I print them out, Baptist Trainfan! If the files did get lost, it's just as well I'm a touch typist! (and not working to any deadlines!).
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Laugh hard. Run fast. Be kind.
Posts: 3710 | From: Hay-on-Wye, town of books | Registered: Aug 2003
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Sandemaniac
Shipmate
# 12829
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Posted
I have just listed an item on ebay that I am selling for my defiantly non-computer literate mother. The item location that it needs to be collected from is two hours drive away from my location yet, despite me filling in the form with the correct location time and time again, it insists on showing the item location as being my location. I've not had this probelm before, any idea what I am doing wrong?
Ta!
AG
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"It becomes soon pleasantly apparent that change-ringing is by no means merely an excuse for beer" Charles Dickens gets it wrong, 1869
Posts: 3574 | From: The wardrobe of my soul | Registered: Jul 2007
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Alisdair
Shipmate
# 15837
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Posted
@Sandemaniac - you should probably open up your ebay account, and visit the section called 'Addresses'. I would imagine that Ebay simply draws the details off this information by default, regardless of what you happen to type into the box when setting up a sale page.
Posts: 334 | From: Washed up in England | Registered: Aug 2010
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Pigwidgeon
Ship's Owl
# 10192
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Posted
I resisted Windows 10, having heard NOTHING good about it. I deactivated automatic updates several months ago (but update manually regularly) so that Windows 10 wouldn't start downloading on its own. Now that 29 July has come and gone, is it safe to reactivate automatic updates?
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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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lilBuddha
Shipmate
# 14333
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Pigwidgeon:
I resisted Windows 10, having heard NOTHING good about it. I deactivated automatic updates several months ago (but update manually regularly) so that Windows 10 wouldn't start downloading on its own. Now that 29 July has come and gone, is it safe to reactivate automatic updates?
Well, kind of. Windows will not automatically update to Win 10, it does not even show as an option in my updates window.
However, I do not automatically install any updates on any system.
Windows and Apple have both had updates which did more harm than help at first release.
Always read what the update is and does and, when possible, let others test it first.
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I put on my rockin' shoes in the morning
Hallellou, hallellou
Posts: 17627 | From: the round earth's imagined corners | Registered: Dec 2008
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Sparrow
Shipmate
# 2458
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Posted
I woke up to a problem this morning with my calendar. I have Windows Live Mail 2012 on a Windows 7 desktop. This morning everything in the Live Mail calendar had disappeared. All my emails are still there, just all the calendar entries have gone! I tried a system restore but that hasn't helped. Can anyone advise please?
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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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Snags
Utterly socially unrealistic
# 15351
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Posted
Sparrow, I don't know for sure, but it's potentially related to MS phasing out support for Windows Live Mail. If you use a hotmail/Outlook.com email address then it almost certainly is related to this.
See this article for more info.
Note, this is not going to be the answer you want, I'm afraid ![[Frown]](frown.gif)
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Vain witterings :-: Vain pretentions :-: The Dog's Blog(locks)
Posts: 1399 | From: just north of That London | Registered: Dec 2009
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Sparrow
Shipmate
# 2458
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Posted
No, it's not Hotmail or outlook.
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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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Snags
Utterly socially unrealistic
# 15351
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Posted
OK, there are some other possible causes.
The "oops" one is that you have multiple calendars (possibly unknowingly) and for some reason your main one has been turned off from displaying. Exactly how likely this is will depend on which services you're syncing Live Mail with, and where the Calendar is stored etc. etc.
The other is that there appear to be some historic updates that break the Calendar functionality. However, those all seem to be quite old, so it's unlikely they'd have bitten you now.
Who's your email provider, and where does your primary calendar 'live' (local machine, Google account, Microsoft Account etc.)?
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Vain witterings :-: Vain pretentions :-: The Dog's Blog(locks)
Posts: 1399 | From: just north of That London | Registered: Dec 2009
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Sparrow
Shipmate
# 2458
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Posted
I don't think I have more than one calendar, just the POP account provided by my ISP (John Lewis Broadband). As far as I know the calendar is stored on my local machine. I did check the webmail version but there is nothing there either.
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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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Snags
Utterly socially unrealistic
# 15351
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Posted
With Live Mail closed, have a look in %userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail\Calendars
You will hopefully have folders "DBStore" and also some "Backup" folders.
If you do, you can try renaming "WLCalendarStore.edb" in DBStore to something else e.g. "Original.WLCalendarStore.edb"
Then copy the WLCalendarStore.edb from the most recent Backup folder into DBStore.
Then launch Live Mail and see if it works.
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Vain witterings :-: Vain pretentions :-: The Dog's Blog(locks)
Posts: 1399 | From: just north of That London | Registered: Dec 2009
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Sparrow
Shipmate
# 2458
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Posted
Fixed it - or at least it has come back. I found a solution on the Microsoft help site and managed to back it up from the LiveMail folder on my C drive.
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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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Sparrow
Shipmate
# 2458
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Sparrow:
Fixed it - or at least it has come back. I found a solution on the Microsoft help site and managed to restore it from the LiveMail folder on my C drive.
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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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The5thMary
Shipmate
# 12953
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Posted
I broke down and updated to Windows 10 a week or so ago. It's not bad but I keep getting an error message that "Windows 10 Defender is turned off" and my computer is vulnerable to attack. Okay, don't want that! But, I went into my settings and SOMETHING is clearly defending my computer. Defender is there and active, so it says. Is or isn't my computer protected? I'm at a loss. Going to the Microsoft webpage was frustrating and confusing. I couldn't find shite about Defender! Hellllllllllllllp! Am I too old for these new-fangled computers? I used to think I was so damn smart about computers...sigh.
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God gave me my face but She let me pick my nose.
Posts: 3451 | From: Tacoma, WA USA | Registered: Aug 2007
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Penny S
Shipmate
# 14768
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Posted
Very weird thing has just happened.
I went into my email, which is on a webmail server provided by John Lewis through Plusnet (I found out somewhere) and which has not been any problem so far.
I went into the junk mail folder, which had a lot of stuff I didn't want plus a few I did. I did what I usually do, and selected all of it via a button at the bottom of the list and then went to unselect, via holding down CTRL and clicking on them, the couple of things I wanted. When I went to click on the second, the screen went black, and when it came back, it had rotated 90 degrees clockwise. On a laptop, this was not helpful.
It took some time to find the setting for getting it back, particularly as it assured me, in Control Panel/Display, that Mobile was the only display on offer. But I got it back. After restarting and trying various function keys to no avail.
I went back into the email, and repeated the process - it was as I pressed down CTRL but before I clicked on the second email that it did it again. Got it back again, and moved the wanted emails first, then deleted everything left.
The first thing I had deleted, before the mass deletions, was a single message of a type I have had before, which has not led to any problems, despite being designed to. From a name I know, but whom I have had nothing from nor sent to for a very long time indeed. A brief opening, a link I might be interested in and a signing out. I did not open the link but deleted at once, as I have done all such things. (And on checking, the surname is one I have had a message from, copied in in a message to someone else, but in that case the forename, though with the same initial, is different.)
I'm running a full scan at the moment.
Anyone any idea how I have inadvertently triggered the display change?
Posts: 5833 | Registered: May 2009
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Snags
Utterly socially unrealistic
# 15351
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Posted
On Intel integrated video (and some others) you can change screen orientation with Ctrl + Alt + Arrow keys.
Chances are you may have a sticky Alt key, and were using the arrow keys to navigate your list, not the mouse?
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Vain witterings :-: Vain pretentions :-: The Dog's Blog(locks)
Posts: 1399 | From: just north of That London | Registered: Dec 2009
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Curiosity killed ...
Ship's Mug
# 11770
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Posted
Some of the flashier laptop mouse pads have all sorts of functions included, which have enabled me to rotate my screen a few times. I haven't worked out what exactly does it, so I have to use the Ctrl + Alt + Arrow Keys to reverse it.
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Mugs - Keep the Ship afloat
Posts: 13794 | From: outiside the outer ring road | Registered: Aug 2006
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Alisdair
Shipmate
# 15837
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Posted
@PennyS - Windows has long had a 'hidden' feature whereby the display can be re-orientated.
Hold down 'Ctrl' and 'Alt' and then hit one of the arrow keys. Left arrow will rotate the display 90deg. anti-clockwise; the Down arrow will set the display to upsidedown, etc.
It's an unkind wind-up to play on anyone who doesn't know about it.
For an extensive list of Windows 'keyboard shortcuts' see the following:
http://www.mssmallbiz.com/ericligman/Key_Shorts/Windows%207%20Keyboard%20Shortcuts.pdf
Posts: 334 | From: Washed up in England | Registered: Aug 2010
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Penny S
Shipmate
# 14768
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Posted
Thank you very much! I have just had a bit of fun swapping the view round. I don't think I was anywhere near Alt, though, or arrow keys.
However, every now and then, as I think I'm doing something else, I arrive back at the screen I have just been at, and used the back arrow on the browser to leave - I suspect this may be a related problem.
I will download, and read that list of shortcuts avidly.
Posts: 5833 | Registered: May 2009
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Sparrow
Shipmate
# 2458
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Posted
I have noticed a problem the last few days when browsing. I always used to use the backspace key to go back a page, but this just doesn't work any more. Is it just me or has anyone else had this problem, it's very frustrating.
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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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Tukai
Shipmate
# 12960
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Posted
I'm afraid I can't help out on anyone else's current query, but I have one of my own.
Flash Player (Adobe) (FP) seems to be required to view a lot of videos on a Windows computer, and in particular the free to view replays of local television shows which I have missed but want to see.
My main computer runs Windows 7 and my main browser is the latest version of Mozilla Firefox. All was well until at least one of Windows, Adobe or Firefox updated. Now as soon as I install FP, and even if FP is not running, the computer almost freezes up; the screen goes pale and there is no response to keyboard or mouse. This seems to be more prevalent if Mozilla is running. Eventually a message flashes up " a plug-in is not responding" or " a script is running; click here to stop the script". Frustratingly, the latter message usually disappears before I can click on "stop the script", but the screen stays otherwise frozen until the same message pops up again. Eventually I can escape with repeated shots of CTRL_ALT-DEL.
When I uninstall FP, all else runs smoothly. I have tried the obvious thing, namely to update (in order) Windows and Firefox and then to re-install what appears to be the latest available version of FP, in the hope that their makers have fixed this bug, but this hasn't worked yet.
Shipmate's suggestions welcome.
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A government that panders to the worst instincts of its people degrades the whole country for years to come.
Posts: 594 | From: Oz | Registered: Sep 2007
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Alisdair
Shipmate
# 15837
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Posted
@Tukai - I can't solve your problem directly, but I can add this information.
'Flash' is, and always has been, a notorious security nightmare. The abolition and extinction of Flash has been the dream and ambition of many people in the IT industry for many years, and their efforts are finally paying off.
As part of the move away from Flash usage Mozilla's 'Firefox' is ceasing to support Flash; partly in a bid to encourage web developers to stop using it, and partly to simply plug the security hole in the most direct way. See the link below:
http://tinyurl.com/jt274f7
As to a solution: you could see if you can switch on 'Flash' within Firefox - assuming the plug-in is loaded at all, and not already switched on; alternatively, the source of the problem may be unrelated to the above. All the best in your search for a solution.
[ 16. August 2016, 11:44: Message edited by: Alisdair ]
Posts: 334 | From: Washed up in England | Registered: Aug 2010
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Eutychus
From the edge
# 3081
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Posted
Tukai:
I'm not an expert, but I suggest you install Flash (making sure you don't install McAffee and other stuff with it) and check the option in Firefox that requires permission to run Flash each time. This stops autoplay videos and potentially stops Flash playing something else in another window you're using.
Also, close all the browser windows apart from the one you're using. The problem might be to do with an advert or some such that is refusing to behave properly.
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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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Penny S
Shipmate
# 14768
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Posted
Just had a very worrying event.
After the rotating screen thing, I had a recurrence after coming out of Media Center where I had run the last Hobbit DVD and had trouble getting out of the connection to the projector. Easily put right, but it happened when I wasn't touching anything.
(I've just had a momentary flash of a message like NUM LOCK ON, which I didn't have time to read - not touching it, or caps lock.)
About an hour ago, I had accessed Outlook for a friend's email, come out, and come here, where I was reading a link to someone blogging about Cwmbran. I could not use the up and down arrows to navigate, and PgDn moved me to another page. I closed Firefox.
I'm not sure about the exact next sequence. Did I restart Firefox and find the same fault?
Anyway, I went on to shut down the computer and restart it. The password window would not accept what I was typing in. At one point, when I pressed backspace, it entered black dots across the window, one per press. Sometimes it accepted two black dots, then stopped. I was able to use the power button bottom right to restart and to shut down, waiting for about half a minute before restarting. No change. I tried F2 on startup to change the startup conditions, but this wasn't recognised. I tried F4, ditto. I tried force shutdown to make it come up with the start in safe mode dialogue, but this didn't happen.
I telephoned my useful computer shop, but their line was disconnected. I used another computer to search for them - they only have a mobile number. I searched around for their website, and wasn't sure it was them. I tried the mobile twice, and left a message. (Fortunately, I know someone here who has a trusted computer person, so if they've stopped trading, I have an alternative.)
Came back to the laptop, and tried again. It came up with the startup dialogue, but I skipped through with start up normally, and it did. Keyboard back to normal.
I've copied all my files over to my central store, and am running McAfee full scan for the 3rd time since the rotation event, or possibly the 4th. It hasn't found anything on previous scans.
I am worried.
[ 17. August 2016, 14:06: Message edited by: Penny S ]
Posts: 5833 | Registered: May 2009
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Penny S
Shipmate
# 14768
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Posted
Scan still running, 25%, nothing found.
Read the Cwmbran blog with no trouble with the IT - but oh my Lord, what a vile situation.
Posts: 5833 | Registered: May 2009
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Curious Kitten
Shipmate
# 11953
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Posted
It sounds like a keyboard issue. If you have a spare keyboard you know works you could swap them and see if you can replicate the problem.
If you can't then the problem is with the current keyboard hardware. With a desktop that's an easy fix but with a laptop it will need to see a computer repair person.
If you can replicate the problem then you either have a port issue or a software issue. It will only be a port issue on a desktop and again you'll need to see a computer repair person.
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Happiness is not having what we want but wanting what we have.
Posts: 107 | Registered: Oct 2006
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TonyK
Host Emeritus
# 35
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Posted
Has/does anybody use a password manager? Did it work OK? Can it handle two peoples' sign-ins on a single Windows Account?
Any information will be gratefully received.
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Yours aye ... TonyK
Posts: 2717 | From: Gloucestershire | Registered: May 2001
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Stercus Tauri
Shipmate
# 16668
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Posted
Another toxic update story. I have a Toshiba laptop with W7 which was already troublesome and extremely slow. Several days ago it informed me that it was downloading updates before shutting down for the night. This took a couple of hours. Next morning it configured the updates; another half hour or more.
The next day all I got was the Start-up Repair panel saying "your computer is unable to start" and saying it will fix any problems automatically. After an hour when I try to stop it, it says "The current repair operation cannot be cancelled". After about two hours, it started.
I had to leave for several hours and shut it down as it was running very hot and didn't want to leave it like that. Tried to restart when I got back, and it refused everything. Eventually it offered System Restore, but would only take the latest restore point at the recent update. It runs again! It's slow and baulky, but it runs. Meanwhile, my old XP netbook continues to work perfectly and runs software that the W7 machine won't.
Hard to conclude that it was other than a toxic update from Microsoft, so I've disabled automatic updates, but I'm open to suggestions - any ideas?
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Thay haif said. Quhat say thay, Lat thame say (George Keith, 5th Earl Marischal)
Posts: 905 | From: On the traditional lands of the Six Nations. | Registered: Sep 2011
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Penny S
Shipmate
# 14768
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by TonyK:
Has/does anybody use a password manager? Did it work OK? Can it handle two peoples' sign-ins on a single Windows Account?
Any information will be gratefully received.
I happen to have a password manager up for sale on ebay at the moment, which can handle multiple users on the same computer. It is up for sale because it came unwanted in a bundle, and duplicates another set of utilities, which I have installed, but not filled with all my passwords yet.
I have just tested its other version out, and was able to simply copy my password from it to the sign in page of the Lakeland web site. I suspect it may have more effective ways of doing it. It's going to be a bit of a faff filling it in, though.
SafeNSecure Password Manager seems OK.
And forgot why I logged in - completely clear scan, and being a laptop, no chance of checking with another keyboard. Working fine at the moment.
[ 17. August 2016, 18:07: Message edited by: Penny S ]
Posts: 5833 | Registered: May 2009
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Amanda B. Reckondwythe
Dressed for Church
# 5521
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Stercus Tauri:
Eventually it offered System Restore, but would only take the latest restore point at the recent update. It runs again! It's slow and baulky, but it runs. Meanwhile, my old XP netbook continues to work perfectly and runs software that the W7 machine won't. . . . I've disabled automatic updates, but I'm open to suggestions - any ideas?
Leave them disabled!
In the old days of Windows XP, it was possible to fine-tune the PC's performance (including speed) by fiddling with a number of settings. One of these was virtual memory (also called the swap file or paging file). Setting the size of the swap file was quite easy under XP, but it's much more difficult under Windows 7 although the ability to do so is still there.
You could try the following, but at your own risk. And be sure to do a full backup and/or create a restore point first. These steps may seem complex at first read, but they really aren't. You should print them out before attempting to do them, though, so you'll have an easy reference.
- On the desktop, right-click the Computer icon and select Properties. Take note of how much installed memory your PC has.
- Click Advanced System Settings and click the Advanced tab.
- Under Performance, click the Settings tab and then click Advanced again.
- Under Virtual Memory, note the Total Paging File size. It should be approximately the same as installed memory, as mentioned above. Click Change.
- De-select Automatically Manage Paging File Size.
- Select Custom Size. Note the suggested value for Recommended Size. It should be approximately 1.5 times the total Paging File Size as noted above.
- In the Custom Size window, for Initial Size, type the figure that was shown as Recommended Size above.
- For Maximum Size, type a number that is twice the size of the total Paging File Size as noted above. Be careful, however, not to exceed the number that shows as Maximum Allowed Size. Also be sure that your hard drive has plenty of free space to accommodate the Maximum Allowed Size, with plenty of room left over to spare for documents, applications and other files.
- Click Set and then OK out way out of all windows.
- Reboot the PC.
See if performance has improved. If it hasn't, repeat all of the above steps to restore the paging file settings to Automatically Manage Paging File Size, as they originally were.
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"I take prayer too seriously to use it as an excuse for avoiding work and responsibility." -- The Revd Martin Luther King Jr.
Posts: 10542 | From: The Great Southwest | Registered: Feb 2004
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TonyK
Host Emeritus
# 35
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Posted
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Penny S:
SafeNSecure Password Manager seems OK.
Thanks Penny S - I've found your eBay sale.
Should have said - for W10. Nothing on the SafeNsecure website indicates that it's W10 compatible. Currently it's $7.49.
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Yours aye ... TonyK
Posts: 2717 | From: Gloucestershire | Registered: May 2001
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Curious Kitten
Shipmate
# 11953
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Penny S:
And forgot why I logged in - completely clear scan, and being a laptop, no chance of checking with another keyboard. Working fine at the moment.
The intermittent nature is why I think it's a hardware issue. My suggestion would be to have a go at the keyboard with compressed air and make sure there is nothing caught. If your problem still occurs take it to someone who has the tools to properly take apart a laptop and test the connections.
[ 17. August 2016, 22:28: Message edited by: Curious Kitten ]
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Happiness is not having what we want but wanting what we have.
Posts: 107 | Registered: Oct 2006
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Alisdair
Shipmate
# 15837
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Posted
@TonyK, re password manager.
Personally I would heartily recommend KeePassX, see:
https://www.keepassx.org/
It's reliable, cross-platform, well used, free (as in beer), and free (as in speech).
Posts: 334 | From: Washed up in England | Registered: Aug 2010
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Snags
Utterly socially unrealistic
# 15351
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Stercus Tauri:
Another toxic update story. I have a Toshiba laptop with W7 which was already troublesome and extremely slow. Several days ago it informed me that it was downloading updates before shutting down for the night. This took a couple of hours. Next morning it configured the updates; another half hour or more.
The next day all I got was the Start-up Repair panel saying "your computer is unable to start" and saying it will fix any problems automatically. After an hour when I try to stop it, it says "The current repair operation cannot be cancelled". After about two hours, it started.
I had to leave for several hours and shut it down as it was running very hot and didn't want to leave it like that. Tried to restart when I got back, and it refused everything. Eventually it offered System Restore, but would only take the latest restore point at the recent update. It runs again! It's slow and baulky, but it runs. Meanwhile, my old XP netbook continues to work perfectly and runs software that the W7 machine won't.
Hard to conclude that it was other than a toxic update from Microsoft, so I've disabled automatic updates, but I'm open to suggestions - any ideas?
If it was already "troublesome and slow" it's a trifle unfair to pin the blame on a toxic update. It could certainly be an update that had issues because the system was already unstable, but that's a trifle different.
Disabling automatic updates isn't necessarily a smart move. It would be better, if one has the time/knowledge (or access to a benevolent friend with same) to get to the bottom of why it's troublesome and slow in the first place, and then at least allow the Important updates - these are (GWX excepted) security updates and bug fixes, and it's wise to allow them.
Liberal use of the Event Viewer and Google, coupled with purging %TEMP%, an sfc /scannow and a good sweep with a reliable anti-malware package (e.g. Malwarebytes) will probably go a long way to assisting.
Increasing your page file probably won't help on performance. If you run up Resource Monitor when the machine is sluggish you will likely see that Disk Highest Active Time is rammed at 100% and the disk queue >1 - basically there are too many processes trying to write to disk, and the disk subsystem can't keep up. It's a classic situation that develops with Windows 7 at about 3+ years old IME.
You can look at what's actually hammering the disk and try to tune your background process to minimise the effect, but often the most effective solution is to clone the system to an SSD.
Obviously that's all very, very broad brush and there could be a thousand and one things cause slow-downs and instability, so before dropping cold hard cash it's worth checking them all out and fixing as many event log errors as you can.
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Vain witterings :-: Vain pretentions :-: The Dog's Blog(locks)
Posts: 1399 | From: just north of That London | Registered: Dec 2009
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Penny S
Shipmate
# 14768
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Posted
CK, I've got the laptop booked in with the guy who I've used before, but who has closed his shop down so he can work from home, and he's coming to collect it tomorrow. He diagnosed it from my description, and thinks I may need a new keyboard because of membrane problems. Not quick.
I've copied all my files.
Posts: 5833 | Registered: May 2009
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Thyme
Shipmate
# 12360
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Posted
TonyK
Last Pass is very good and free (unless you want the premium paid version).
Stercus Tauri: I had a similar problem with and old Toshiba Satellite, I did a full system restore as a last resort before getting a new laptop and it worked like a dream afterwards. It had just got full of junk and corrupted files over the years, not malware, just junk.
[ 19. August 2016, 07:15: Message edited by: Thyme ]
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The Church in its own bubble has become, at best the guardian of the value system of the nation’s grandparents, and at worst a den of religious anoraks defined by defensiveness, esoteric logic and discrimination. Bishop of Buckingham's blog
Posts: 600 | From: Cloud Cuckoo Land | Registered: Feb 2007
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Penny S
Shipmate
# 14768
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Posted
Not cheap, either, he says. Designed not to be repaired. And the fan needs seeing to, too.
Posts: 5833 | Registered: May 2009
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Imaginary Friend
Real to you
# 186
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by TonyK:
Has/does anybody use a password manager? Did it work OK? Can it handle two peoples' sign-ins on a single Windows Account?
Any information will be gratefully received.
I use KeePassX, which I believe has a Windows version. Multiple users are handled simply by having different database files. The database can be encrypted by key, password, or both. It integrates reasonably well with the OS. And it's free. There are other more complete solutions out there, but if you want something quick and easy, I recommend this.
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"We had a good team on paper. Unfortunately, the game was played on grass."
Brian Clough
Posts: 9455 | From: Left a bit... Right a bit... | Registered: May 2001
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Penny S
Shipmate
# 14768
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Posted
While my proper laptop is off at hospital, I'm using my little Asus Eeepc, which runs XP - tiny screen. And Lo, with no announcement, Firefox has installed a Yahoo toolbar (thus seriously reducing the business area), and then replaced the New Tab screen with something weird.
Clearly I am not the only one to dislike this high-handed colonisation of my screen, since Duckduckgo immediately leapt to complete "How do I remove Ya" with a correct prediction, and I have undone the incursion.
Is there any way I can stop it doing it again? I really hate the way I don't own what I own.
Posts: 5833 | Registered: May 2009
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Alisdair
Shipmate
# 15837
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Posted
@PennyS, re Yahoo toolbar.
Firefox should never 'just install' something like that without your say so, it's never done it with me and it's v. bad practice, so unless you are running a specially modified version of Firefox it must be picking up settings through an configuration file in your home directory, i.e. the config file is not deleted when you delete Firefox, or over written when you reinstall Firefox because the config file is specific to your login and is held in your home directory, not with the Firefox program files, so anything from the old version will be reinstalled on the new.
Two things that I know of may help:
1. Click on the 'magnifying glass' in the search bar; click on 'Change search settings', then deselect and/or remove any search sources you have no interest in. You can also add others that you are interested in.
2. Back on the main window, click on the 'Options' icon (three horizontal bars', click on 'Plugins', and deactivate or remove any plugins that are of no interest or unhelpful (if you don't recognise something don't assume it's up to no good).
Posts: 334 | From: Washed up in England | Registered: Aug 2010
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Golden Key
Shipmate
# 1468
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Posted
Why in the world would Firefox automatically install a Yahoo toolbar? (If that's the source.)
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Blessed Gator, pray for us!
--"Oh bat bladders, do you have to bring common sense into this?" (Dragon, "Jane & the Dragon")
--"Oh, Peace Train, save this country!" (Yusuf/Cat Stevens, "Peace Train")
Posts: 18601 | From: Chilling out in an undisclosed, sincere pumpkin patch. | Registered: Oct 2001
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Jengie jon
Semper Reformanda
# 273
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Posted
What is likely is something like Java has actually installed the bar and Firefox on opening has queried whether you want it. This I have seen.
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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Penny S
Shipmate
# 14768
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Posted
First things first - there is no search bar (though referred to in Options). I think I removed it in the past to maximise reading space. It os mentioned in the customise section of the Toolbar option in the view menu.
I went into options - no Plugin tab there, but I worked through and removed all mention of any search engine except Duckduckgo, which is my default. At least, I thought it was, but Firefox thought it was Yahoo, and had a setting for autoupdating search engines, which is probably how it happened. This has now been corrected. The toolbar had appeared before, only to be removed, but it had never changed my NewTab page, which is the way I want it.
So thanks for the advice, which has hopefully removed the chance of it happening again.
Posts: 5833 | Registered: May 2009
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Curiosity killed ...
Ship's Mug
# 11770
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Posted
Have you collected Linkury somewhere? It often comes bundled in other software. That delight gives you a Yahoo search bar and all sorts of other horrors.
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Mugs - Keep the Ship afloat
Posts: 13794 | From: outiside the outer ring road | Registered: Aug 2006
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TonyK
Host Emeritus
# 35
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Posted
Thanks, guys, for all your help re Password Managers.
Penny S - SafeNSecure looks good but doesn't claim to be W10 compatible
Alisdair and Imaginary Friend - KeePass looks interesting, but on checking their website it seems to be rather too Linux-like and technical for me
Thyme - Last Pass was high on my list of possibles, based on PC magazine and other reviews. I'll have to look at it further.
My thanks again
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Yours aye ... TonyK
Posts: 2717 | From: Gloucestershire | Registered: May 2001
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Penny S
Shipmate
# 14768
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Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Curiosity killed ...:
Have you collected Linkury somewhere? It often comes bundled in other software. That delight gives you a Yahoo search bar and all sorts of other horrors.
I don't think so. But I do think it came bundled with something. Possibly even the initial setup from Asus. It doesn't appear in the list of programs I could remove, unfortunately.
[ 22. August 2016, 22:29: Message edited by: Penny S ]
Posts: 5833 | Registered: May 2009
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Golden Key
Shipmate
# 1468
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Posted
I've got Firefox and duckduckgo, too. Plus a couple of secondary search engines. Sometimes, my list of search engines has changed on its own. Might be when Firefox upgrades to a new version--maybe the list is reset?
I've found that lots of (free) downloads have a tiny line at the bottom of the "confirm you want this" screen, with a checkbox and "yes, I want this nifty extra that I actually don't want on my computer". ![[Biased]](wink.gif) Usually, the box is already checked, and it's easy to miss it. I wish they'd be more aboveboard.
I recently had to use Internet Explorer again. I usually stick with FF; but I needed something from the Microsoft site, which made it known that getting the item via IE was much easier. I like FF so much better! Especially because you adapt/"hack" (in the remake sense) it in all sorts of ways.
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
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Blessed Gator, pray for us!
--"Oh bat bladders, do you have to bring common sense into this?" (Dragon, "Jane & the Dragon")
--"Oh, Peace Train, save this country!" (Yusuf/Cat Stevens, "Peace Train")
Posts: 18601 | From: Chilling out in an undisclosed, sincere pumpkin patch. | Registered: Oct 2001
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