Computer geeks, queue here

[novocaine]

intranet. = internal network.
you have a router to connect you to the internet (yes I get the irony here) (not quite true, you a router modem, it's the modem bit that does that.)
because you've got that you technically already have the network to do what you want but really it isn't worth it.

modern tech is great. till it isn't. then it's a .......

 

[sunnybob]

I'm trying to stay above technobable. I'll send you a CD too.

CD= like a record but shiny and small.

What? smaller than my wax cylinders? Amazing. =D> =D>

 

[AES]

Nah Bob, wax cylinders just don't have the fidelity. It's 78 rpm shellacs that you need

 

[sunnybob]

They all sound the same through my papier mache horn trumpet :roll:

 

[Sheffield Tony]

As an aside - what makes Windows do that ? I've had a couple of machines that, fairly quickly, went from pretty normally usable to almost ground to a halt. Could not find why. Both times resolved most easily by a fresh install of the current version of windows. Is there some sort of inbuilt timer that decides you haven't paid anything to Micro$oft for quite a while ? :lol:

 

[sploo]

As an aside - what makes Windows do that ? I've had a couple of machines that, fairly quickly, went from pretty normally usable to almost ground to a halt. Could not find why. Both times resolved most easily by a fresh install of the current version of windows. Is there some sort of inbuilt timer that decides you haven't paid anything to Micro$oft for quite a while ? :lol:

Usually a result of many factors, including:

• Disk fragmentation (https://www.avg.com/en/signal/disk-frag ... ll-a-thing); which will happen on an SSD too, but doesn't usually cause any (noticeable) performance problems.
• Software and hardware driver updates causing incompatibility and stability issues (some types of error won't cause a process to stop, but may cause it to use CPU and disk resources while it hunts unsuccessfully for a piece of data)
• More and more programs being installed and having some "start on boot" component - i.e. simply more programs running in the background from the moment you start the computer
• Malware - basically malicious software that's found its way onto your machine, usually as a result of visiting dubious websites or opening attachments in spam emails

It's all measured using the Beaufort Cruft Scale: https://www.drdobbs.com/cpp/state-of-decay/184405140 :mrgreen:

 

[Robbo3]

I just dont want win10 to wipe the external hard drive first time i connect the two

Which begs the question, how are you connecting them? Will it be over the network (connecting both to a router using either an ethernet lead or by wifi) or will you remove the Vista hard drive & connect it to your W10 (laptop?) via a USB adaptor?
I use a Startech Satdock25u which is powered by a 'Y' lead from two USB ports.

 

[Robbo3]

As an aside - what makes Windows do that ? I've had a couple of machines that, fairly quickly, went from pretty normally usable to almost ground to a halt. Could not find why. Both times resolved most easily by a fresh install of the current version of windows. Is there some sort of inbuilt timer that decides you haven't paid anything to Micro$oft for quite a while ? :lol:

Unfortunately it's just a fact of life when using Windows.
SSD (Solid State Drives ie no moving parts) give you a faster boot than spinning disk drives with flash drives (M2/NVMe which connect directly to the motherboard) being even faster.
You can slow the deteriation down by being diligent in what you allow to start with Windows.
Msconfig is the built in Windows tool but for convenience I use the start up tool built into Ccleaner.

 

[sunnybob]

I just dont want win10 to wipe the external hard drive first time i connect the two

Which begs the question, how are you connecting them? Will it be over the network (connecting both to a router using either an ethernet lead or by wifi) or will you remove the Vista hard drive & connect it to your W10 (laptop?) via a USB adaptor?
I use a Startech Satdock25u which is powered by a 'Y' lead from two USB ports.

The external hard drive is purely to keep the excess of pictures on, and to keep the computer restore files. Its connected by usb wire only when I want to back up or access the pics.
Theres no plans to connect the two laptops.
I'm having second thoughts now. I've started using the win 10 and oh my, how ^%$&ng slow is this! :shock: My vista is twice as fast. :roll:

I am now wondering about how to proceed. There is obviously a LOT wrong with this win 10. I might have to get my UK friend to build a stripped down machine without all the 1,000's of junk apps I do not want. But thats a logistical nightmare.
I'm between the rock and the hard place now.

 

[novocaine]

That new age vinyl is still available.
Have to wait till next week though. I havent got any at home.

 

[sunnybob]

Vinyl CD's? whatever next?
I'm just getting used to 3 1/2" floppy discs (which by the way, ARE NOT floppy) (hammer) (hammer) (hammer)

 

[Dibs-h]

I'm just getting used to 3 1/2" floppy discs (which by the way, ARE NOT floppy) (hammer) (hammer) (hammer)

5 and a 1/4" are tho. :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[sunnybob]

I'm just getting used to 3 1/2" floppy discs (which by the way, ARE NOT floppy) (hammer) (hammer) (hammer)

5 and a 1/4" are tho. :lol: :lol: :lol:

THAT was whats known as a "passing phase". I only ever saw one computer that used them. It was about the size of a small bungalow. :roll:

 

[AES]

Just to show how "up with the times" I am, I still have a couple of those "big" floppy discs lying around - nothing to read them with though (dunno why I've still got them really)!

BUT to totally deny what every computer/software professional will tell you, I can take you to MANY places where the small (non) floppy disc are still in daily use - they're used to load the latest 30-day updated navi data base onto the flight deck of just about EVERY airliner flying today (can't speak about the A350 and A380, nor the B787, as I retired in 2014/5 as those new types were just coming into service).

I well remember the disbelieving looks on the faces of all the "experts" when I was buying my then new Lenovo laptop (Win 7) when I INSISTED that I get a USB external floppy disc drive 'cos I couldn't work without it. They took a LOT of convincing.

As said, I dunno about the newest airliner types (above), but with the world airliner fleet consisting of over 25,000 examples in daily service, I'd guess that there are at least 20,000 floppy discs still in daily use - add in the various support companies, etc that produce the date, there must be many more.

Sure, "a drop in the world-wide ocean" compared to their general PC use a few years ago, but still "quite a few" I'd say..

Edit for P.S. Bob, have you ordered your boxes of bamboo needles (for your 78 rpm shellacs) for when you next visit UK yet? ;-)

 

[sunnybob]

Dont need no stinkin' bamboo, got wild sugar cane at the end of the drive. :lol:

Way back when, when I had the best damn computer I have ever had in my life (commodore amiga, man I regret selling that)), there was a shop in evesham that sold computer bits. I went with 2 friends on a 100 mile each way journey to buy a half meg upgrade (which doubled the memory!) and they were advertising 3 1/2" floppys on a bulk discount rate for a 100. We were going to buy a 100 between us.
To this day I have never come across this attitude before, but when I asked for the 100 disc deal, he said "I've only got a 100 left so I cant sell them to you". On asking why? he replied "if i sell them to you, I wont have any to sell to the next customer"
Weds Thurs Friday?

Needless to say, he never got any other business from any of us. (hammer) (hammer) (hammer) (hammer) (hammer)

 

[Rich C]

Vinyl CD's? whatever next?
I'm just getting used to 3 1/2" floppy discs (which by the way, ARE NOT floppy) (hammer) (hammer) (hammer)

The disc itself is, it just grows a hard shell for protection, like a turtle.

 

[Robbo3]

The external hard drive is purely to keep the excess of pictures on, and to keep the computer restore files. Its connected by usb wire only when I want to back up or access the pics.
Theres no plans to connect the two laptops.
I'm having second thoughts now. I've started using the win 10 and oh my, how ^%$&ng slow is this! :shock: My vista is twice as fast. :roll:

I am now wondering about how to proceed. There is obviously a LOT wrong with this win 10. I might have to get my UK friend to build a stripped down machine without all the 1,000's of junk apps I do not want. But thats a logistical nightmare.
I'm between the rock and the hard place now.

PC Decrapifier is a free & well respected programme for removing unwanted rubbish installed by the manufacturer.
- https://www.pcdecrapifier.com/
Ccleaner (free version) also has a startup cleaner in it's Tools section as well as being a good cleaner. Portable or slim version
- https://www.ccleaner.com/ccleaner/builds
Windows 10 is notorious for updating in the background thus making the user think it's slow. Some updates take more than one reboot to install. Try updating manually & rebooting (if required) before using it for its intended purpose
- https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/480 ... -10-a.html

 

[Trainee neophyte]

I have been avoiding this thread, because Bob REALLY doesn't want to hear about Linux, but it is heartening to see I'm not the only one who has moved away from Microsoft.

However, should young Bob with the sunny disposition want to play, once the new toy arrives you can always put Linux on your old,grumpy vista machine, and it will suddenly start working again. If Linux mint doesn't fit/is too slow, try Puppy Linux, which was specifically built for ancient, low resource machines. Download, boot, do nothing else but use it.

We'll have you talking command line jargon in no time! Get you running grep expressions to search your photos and everything. (In case you wondered how you could ever survive without grep: https://www.thegeekstuff.com/2009/03/15 ... d-examples), and here is puppy Linux: http://puppylinux.com/

Oh, and here is a list of benefits for puppy Linux - note point two...

"Puppy Linux advantage
Ready to use → all tools for common daily computing usage already included.
Ease of use → grandpa-friendly certified ™
Relatively small size → 300 MB or less.
Fast and versatile.
Customisable within minutes → remasters.
Different flavours → optimised to support older computers, newer computers.
Variety → hundreds of derivatives (“puplets”), one of which will surely meet your needs.
If one of these things interest you, read on."

 

[sploo]

I'm just getting used to 3 1/2" floppy discs (which by the way, ARE NOT floppy) (hammer) (hammer) (hammer)

5 and a 1/4" are tho. :lol: :lol: :lol:

THAT was whats known as a "passing phase". I only ever saw one computer that used them. It was about the size of a small bungalow. :roll:

They make awesome frisbees BTW. The even older 8" floppies were even better.

Way back when, when I had the best damn computer I have ever had in my life (commodore amiga, man I regret selling that))

Now that was a computer. Way ahead of its time, and absolutely awesome in its day.

I built up my A500 with extra RAM and a GVP Impact HDD (a whopping 50MB of capacity :wink: ). Eventually I sold it to a mate, who, many years later, found it in a house clear out and gave it back to me :mrgreen:

I really must fire it up one of these days. That said, I don't know if I've got any displays now that'll work with it.

 

[sunnybob]

With the amiga, on a haf meg ram, I was running accounting spread sheets, membership lists, wordprocessing, AND playing more games than you can shake a stick at. With the extra half meg....I could even fly!

F18 interceptor =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D>
and Pinball dreams =D> =D> =D> =D> =D>

Microsoft with 64 GIG cant play those games. (hammer) (hammer) (hammer) (hammer)