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Ancient Geek-Computer myths and facts

1911131415

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  • KarlLBKarlLB Shipmate
    edited November 2020
    No more than you can remove IE from Windows or Safari from Mac or Samsung Internet from a Samsung smartphone.

    Don't like it, then don't use it.

    Edge has always been in W10 and not removable. When they started replacing old Edge with New you could go back to the old. Old Edge is nearing EoL so that option is no longer available.
  • Probably depending on the version of the Windows 10? You can apparently block the Edge browser. https://www.ghacks.net/2020/06/04/how-to-block-the-new-microsoft-edge-on-windows-10-devices/

    YMMV with the above, I spend my spare time fooling around with cast-off computers, and giving them away to disconnected people who need to connect with others (web browser, video calling, Netflix viewing) when I'm not fooling around with bicycles. However, I replace Windows with Linux in all cases, so I only know how to wreck Windows.
  • Well, Edge in either form was not visible on my friend's machine. It did pop up a while ago out of the blue, and was got out of sight. It could be removed on Saturday evening, so it isn't entirely like IE. And it has overwritten the program for opening certain links on the desktop with itself without asking, and no longer allows alternatives on right clicking. Not using it under those circumstances is not an option.

    The hack is too late. And I wouldn't fiddle with the registry anyway.
  • KarlLBKarlLB Shipmate
    edited November 2020
    Penny S wrote: »
    Well, Edge in either form was not visible on my friend's machine. It did pop up a while ago out of the blue, and was got out of sight. It could be removed on Saturday evening, so it isn't entirely like IE. And it has overwritten the program for opening certain links on the desktop with itself without asking, and no longer allows alternatives on right clicking. Not using it under those circumstances is not an option.

    The hack is too late. And I wouldn't fiddle with the registry anyway.

    You need to change the default browser to the one you want to use. Type 'default' into the search window and the default application settings will pop up on the results.

    I can't explain why your friend hasn't seen it before but Edge in legacy or new form has been in every home W10 edition since the start. "Getting rid" of it only got rid of the new version and put the old one back. It would also probably set the default browser back to whatever was used before which might be why you didn't notice it.

  • KarlLB wrote: »
    KarlLB wrote: »
    Or an extender which connects to the router wirelessly.

    Yeah, but that halves the available bandwidth. That's ok if you've got a good connection but we found it too restrictive.

    If you can persuade MrsLB that ethernet cables run from the lounge to the landing are acceptable you're a more persuasive speaker than me.

    MrsFeet is also a techie, daughter of a software developer, so we've networked every house we've lived in since before wi-fi was widely available. You've not properly moved in until you've run flat UTP cables under the carpet and cleated them up the stairs. Though we're planning to have our new house wired with cat7 from the start and we'll just wire in the access points where we need them.
  • The default browser is set to what my friend wants, and it has not changed. He had a nag screen asking if he wanted to change, and some links on his desktop - and I can't remember what they showed before as I didn't see - now have the Edge icon, but he can open with Chrome. My own Win 10 device is not showing me Edge, though it is there, and recently updated. My updating preferences have changed so I can't choose to see what is to be updated, as have his.
  • KarlLB wrote: »
    KarlLB wrote: »
    Or an extender which connects to the router wirelessly.

    Yeah, but that halves the available bandwidth. That's ok if you've got a good connection but we found it too restrictive.

    If you can persuade MrsLB that ethernet cables run from the lounge to the landing are acceptable you're a more persuasive speaker than me.

    MrsFeet is also a techie, daughter of a software developer, so we've networked every house we've lived in since before wi-fi was widely available. You've not properly moved in until you've run flat UTP cables under the carpet and cleated them up the stairs. Though we're planning to have our new house wired with cat7 from the start and we'll just wire in the access points where we need them.

    Further to this conversation, I assisted some friends of mine with their network issues, finally diagnosing their power line network plugs as the weak link. As all they needed to do was link a PC on one side of a large room to the router on the other they're ordering a network cable.
  • Is there a word for a software bug that means a piece of code works fine when it's tested, but then falls over several years into the future? The Millennium Bug being the archetypical example.

    The best I can find is 'logic bomb', but that implies malice aforethought, whereas the situation I have in mind is more 'No-one expected the software still to be in use so far into the future'.
  • Unplanned obsolescence.
  • Ricardus wrote: »
    Is there a word for a software bug that means a piece of code works fine when it's tested, but then falls over several years into the future? The Millennium Bug being the archetypical example.

    There's a lot of those around. Many GPS systems failed when the epoch rolled over. It's particularly entertaining on various embedded systems (which tend to be in use for much longer than general purpose computing) where you find yourself having to keep rooms full of obsolete computers in order to have a toolchain that will support your obsolete embedded hardware, so you can fix it when it breaks.
  • Autenrieth RoadAutenrieth Road Shipmate
    edited January 2021
    My internet connection at hone has suddenly vanished. The computer (and my phone) doesn’t see my wireless connection at all, and the Windows network troubleshooter thinks my Ethernet cable is broken or disconnected. I tried unplugging the power from the box, and also tried unplugging and replugging both ends of the Ethernet cable, but no luck. I also tried rebooting my computer.

    Steps still to take: track and unplug/replug all the rest of the wires attached to this stupid thing; call the phone company to be sure my account is actually paid up; call the phone company to have to them walk me through troubleshooting.

    Any other steps I should add to my troubleshooting toolkit?
  • KarlLBKarlLB Shipmate
    My internet connection at hone has suddenly vanished. The computer (and my phone) doesn’t see my wireless connection at all, and the Windows network troubleshooter thinks my Ethernet cable is broken or disconnected. I tried unplugging the power from the box, and also tried unplugging and replugging both ends of the Ethernet cable, but no luck. I also tried rebooting my computer.

    Steps still to take: track and unplug/replug all the rest of the wires attached to this stupid thing; call the phone company to be sure my account is actually paid up; call the phone company to have to them walk me through troubleshooting.

    Any other steps I should add to my troubleshooting toolkit?

    I think your router has died.
  • Thanks, @KarlLB . That’s helpful; it wouldn’t have occurred to me at all.

    Just to check: the router is the box with a little antenna that all the wires plug into, and flashing lights on the front?

    I wonder if I should take the opportunity to see if I can find a better Internet deal, if I’m going to have to be waiting for equipment to be sent to me anyway.
  • BroJamesBroJames Purgatory Host
    Just to check: the router is the box with a little antenna that all the wires plug into, and flashing lights on the front?

    Sounds like a router to me. (BTW Have you also checked the connection between your router and wherever your broadband comes into the house?)
  • Leorning CnihtLeorning Cniht Shipmate
    edited January 2021
    Just to check: the router is the box with a little antenna that all the wires plug into, and flashing lights on the front?

    Yes. You probably have one box which is a combination of wireless & wired router and Cable Modem / DSL box / whatever.

    It will have your phone cable / cable connection, some RJ-45 sockets for wired ethernet, and the antenna for WiFi, and the all-important blinkenlights. If you haven't, try unplugging the power from that for 30s or so, and plugging it in again. The blinkenlights should give you status (at least so far as indicating whether the box has a connection to the phone company, or has functional power).

    When this happens to me, someone's usually been moving furniture and has dislodged a power cable.
  • I have no luck with mobile phones. Can anyone tell me why my simple (Android) phone, with few additional apps, tells me that it is out of memory, and won't install anything on the SD card that I installed when it was new? My expert friend who knows about these things has no idea. I am considering taking it to the railway line for the pleasure of watching a train run over it.
  • It will partly depend on how the SD card is set up. If it's removable storage some apps won't accept being installed there; if it's formatted to pretend to be internal storage then it's prone to failing catastrophically. If it's the former it's worth trawling through installed apps and seeing if any can be moved, along with photos and videos that default to storing on internal memory. It's worth checking the likes of whatsapp and instagram apps too as they have separate folders for such things and can eat up space rapidly.
  • I have a similar problem, with my phone claiming to have no space. I have removed a number of apps which used to work well - and never had whatsapp or instagram. Most apps are installed on the SD card, or have been moved there. When I look at the internal storage, it is supposed to have space, according to the figures, but it shows space as greyed out in the graphics. I've run cleaning apps. I've vast amounts of room on the card.
    Can't remember the exact details off hand and am not near the thing at the moment as it's charging, but I've lost enthusiasm and stick to my Nokia for phone things. It is used mostly as a store for an inventory of all my food! Taken over from my Palm Pilot as a PDA.
  • KarlLBKarlLB Shipmate
    Factory reset isn't just for when you've forgotten the PIN
  • I'm pretty sure I tried that, having copied all the stuff off. Most of that was on the SD card. And it still had the large chunk of storage greyed out and unusable. I couldn't copy back all the apps I had before.
  • I use Thunderbird for emails. Every day I check the spam, which includes quite a few things I would like not to be spam, but I can't work out how to direct them to my inbox. Some things I move to the inbox - family messages for example - but I tend to leave others in spam until I don't need them any more. For example, notifications of imminent deliveries, or messages from my energy company about meter readings. Over the last week I have noticed that things I have not deleted myself have disappeared - especially this morning, a meter reading reminder which I read, went to read the meters and came back to use the link, only to find it had vanished. And it wasn't in trash with the stuff I had deleted. Is there some setting which allows me to choose what gets deleted? It seems to be date related.
    I've just checked settings, and the automatic deletion is not on.
  • I would guess that both the spam filtering and the automated deletions are being carried out by your email provider rather than Thunderbird itself. Might be worth checking the account settings online?
  • Thanks - I tend to forget that layer.I'll have a look. Why they should suddenly start doing it I know not. Now, can I remember the password?
  • Got in. Nothing there seems to relate to what has been happening. Found a settings for the spam folder which had a retention tab, which said "use account settings" so I cancelled that and checked the "do not delete" setting. We shall see.
  • I've used Thunderbird for years but never had this issue. If something arrives in my spam folder which ISN'T spam, I move it manually to its correct folder. But I think that there is an option when you click on the email to say "this isn't spam" - I think it indicates that emails from this address can be trusted. As I say, it's been a long time since this happened so I can't be 100% sure and I'm not near my laptop at the moment.
  • Penny SPenny S Shipmate
    edited February 2021
    It just happened last week. The first indication of something peculiar though happened in the inbox. An email from a friend, back in August, and without a subject line, suddenly appeared at the top of the emails, with the date that morning with a time of 10.12 - or there about. In a different computer, I put it into the Archive folder, where it suddenly decided it had been sent in August. So I tried putting it back into the Inbox, where it disappeared completely. Not an important one.
    Just checked. It's now back in the right place! With subject line.
    I remember when the percentage of emails dropped down suddenly - which must have been when it happened.
    I usually move things across to a suitable folder and delete rubbish, or things with enormous photo files attached after copying them, I have now set up a Temporary folder to put the supermarket messages in, and energy company and so on to avoid anything getting removed again.
  • A Microsoft irritation now. On a computer running in Win 10. Over time it has occasionally, on opening, opened Word, which I do not use, and which I have immediately closed. It has now taken to opening it every time, unless it opens Excel, and not allowing me to close it down without my completing a dialogue box which insists that I either sign in or set up an account. Which I don't, using Task Manager to End Task. I can't find a place to remove it from starting up, and I don't want to delete Office, in case someone sends me something that OpenOffice or LibraOffice can't cope with. But I am fed up with the extra start up procedure. I already have to switch MacAfee Firewall off briefly to access my distant file storage which it does not allow my computer to see. (Other computers are fine.) It is getting as tedious as loading the BBC Acorn from a cassette player.
  • Start typing "startup" into the search bar; it'll bring up the startup config page which lets you desect items to run on start.
  • I've had a similar, though intermittent, issue. Even inspecting the startup apps doesn't help. The only thing I can think is that because I have an Office365 account (only used occasionally for work), there is something in Windows 10 that insists on trying to get me to register and use Word on my computer. Like @Penny S I use LibreOffice (& previously OpenOffice). Fortunately so far, when Word has opened automatically on startup, I've been able to simply shut it down again, which is no more than an annoyance.
  • I have Windows 10 and the Office365 account too, and the only time I get Word or Excel to open on start up is if it didn't shut down properly when I last shut down, for whatever reason (like the printer being in error and there being an outstanding document waiting to print).
  • I had already typed start up, and it didn't list any Office Apps, so no help, but when I went to Office itself, I found a Reset button, which I used, and which seems to have done the trick. Must have been one of those pesky updates, like the one which replaced Firefox with Edge. I resent the time spent poking around to find these workrounds, during which I forget why I opened up in the first place.
  • That's helpful to know, if I ever have that problem again. It hasn't happened for some time now, but then again, I haven't used Office365 for a while.
  • That's in System, Apps and Features, Microsoft Office
  • Forgot the Advanced Options option - and after I went in there to look at how I did it, Excel popped up again. Hmm.
  • So I tried the Repair Option. If that fails, there's a button labelled Terminate.
  • For those interested, I'd highly recommend installing and using a few third-party utilities to regain control of your Windows10 environment -

    Debotnet - remove bloatware and neutralize Edge
    WAU Manager - control MS updates yourself. When you want
    also
    Winaero Tweaker - lots of good stuff

  • Thank you. I started up Officeless this time, but it's back trying to persuade me to get Edge again.
  • I have a weird problem with my laptop. A while back, I was prompted to reboot to complete a Windows update. Even after I did this, every time I tried to power off, I would get the options to reboot to install updates. When I went into settings and tried to manually force a Windows update, it failed. Repeatedly.

    In the end, I took the laptop to a repair shop I trust. They have managed to do an update from thumb drive but they can't work out why I can no longer do updates myself. At the moment, I have an agreement with them that I will drop my laptop off every 6 months or so for them to force major updates through. It's that or reloading Windows from scratch, which would mean having to spend ages then reloading all my other apps. Things like LibreOffice are easy, but not all are like that.
  • And Officeless again. Do I hate doing a rebuild. Especially on machines with no DVD drive. And this one has only one connection via a teeny tiny USB port whihc doesn't take the original USB plugs, nor either of the small USB plugs, but its own special one whch handles data and power. I have a set of adapters, and copies of software on a Wifi storage device. Nothing is simple.
  • I have a weird problem with my laptop. A while back, I was prompted to reboot to complete a Windows update. Even after I did this, every time I tried to power off, I would get the options to reboot to install updates. When I went into settings and tried to manually force a Windows update, it failed. Repeatedly.

    In the end, I took the laptop to a repair shop I trust. They have managed to do an update from thumb drive but they can't work out why I can no longer do updates myself. At the moment, I have an agreement with them that I will drop my laptop off every 6 months or so for them to force major updates through. It's that or reloading Windows from scratch, which would mean having to spend ages then reloading all my other apps. Things like LibreOffice are easy, but not all are like that.

    https://www.windowscentral.com/how-use-dism-command-line-utility-repair-windows-10-image

    Have you tried DISM which is windows standard?? .... it repairs your Windows "image" and resets windows services without a risk of data loss.

    If you're using Debotnet and WAU Manager like I am (plus I disable a lot of unneeded services), re-run your tweaks after. I also use external, free, driver update managers so I don't rely on Microsoft ... e.g. "Driver Max" and/or "Driver Booster".

    Again backups are suggested as a normal precaution. Most tools will ask you anyway, say "Yes".

    Oh, and Glary Utilities is useful for seeing/controlling what starts or doesn't at startup :smile:
  • JuanaCruzJuanaCruz Shipmate
    edited February 2021
    I've had a similar, though intermittent, issue. Even inspecting the startup apps doesn't help. The only thing I can think is that because I have an Office365 account (only used occasionally for work), there is something in Windows 10 that insists on trying to get me to register and use Word on my computer. Like @Penny S I use LibreOffice (& previously OpenOffice). Fortunately so far, when Word has opened automatically on startup, I've been able to simply shut it down again, which is no more than an annoyance.

    There's a "bloatware" option in Debotnet, which I use, to uninstall ANY Windows (Store) Apps including Office (365) ... I use Office 2016. May not be suitable if you are using Office 365 though. I've uninstalled 80% of them apart from Skype and a few others that are actually useful.
  • Penny S wrote: »
    And Officeless again. Do I hate doing a rebuild. Especially on machines with no DVD drive. And this one has only one connection via a teeny tiny USB port whihc doesn't take the original USB plugs, nor either of the small USB plugs, but its own special one whch handles data and power. I have a set of adapters, and copies of software on a Wifi storage device. Nothing is simple.

    If Office 365, can't you uninstall/re-install from Windows Store?

    Just asking, I personally try to avoid 365 as I like my software and data under control on my PC ... but I'm TERRIBLY old-school in that regard (having worked in Corporate IT for 30 years so go figure ...!!!)
  • Penny SPenny S Shipmate
    edited March 2021
    I do not use Office with any number.
    There does seem to be a lot of me on this thread, and more is about to arrive. I mentioned above about having to switch off McAfee Firewall briefly on starting up in order to access the wifi storage elsewhere in the house. Once File Explorer was in, I put the Firewall back on, and all worked fine.
    Last night, however, it didn't. Start the computer, turn off Firewall, and no, I don't have permission to access the storage. Switch everything off and repeat. No access. Switch everything off overnight and repeat. No access. So I followed my local repairer's advice and uninstalled McAfee, and enabled Windows Defender. And all is working, I can get at my storage again.
    I can access the internet so the connection to the router, through which access to the storage is managed via ethernet, is OK.
    I intend to try completing the advice and reinstalling McAfee from a fresh download.
    I nearly forgot what I had turned on for last night. And then I couldn't use the failsafe computer which had a flat battery. I was reduced to paper and pen. The failsafe is now charged up, and is accessing the storage with no problems, and the same subscription to McAfee, but Win 8.1 instead of 10.
    I did notice that when I was looking in File Explorer before removing McAfee, the computer I was using, with the access problem, did not appear by name in the menu when I clicked on Network. It could see the failsafe one. It is now visible in the menu, now I am using Windows Defender.
    Has anyone any idea just what is going on?
    (Memo to self, find hard drive for airgapped* storage from its special secret hideyhole and copy recent stuff across.)
    *Useful word. Thanks. Already using the idea.
  • AlisdairAlisdair Shipmate Posts: 14
    PennyS, why bother using McAfee at all?

    Defender is not incompetent, and software like McAfee is absolutely notorious for being a resource hog, and general 'who knows what it's doing in the background' proprietary bloatware, that people run more out of fear than necessity.
  • SparrowSparrow Shipmate
    Penny S wrote: »
    (Memo to self, find hard drive for airgapped*

    Sorry, never heard that word before. Can you explain please?

  • AlisdairAlisdair Shipmate Posts: 14
    'airgapped' = no wired connections to any kind of network (and hopefully no wireless connections either); as a means of preventing nasties getting in/out re local storage.
  • Penny SPenny S Shipmate
    When I got set up with McAfee, Defender wasn't as it is now, and McAfee came with one of the computers. It also works with all the ones I have, whatever version of Windows they run, except the Asus netbook, where it insists on installing in the very tiny C drive instead of the D where everything else lives.
  • Penny SPenny S Shipmate
    Me again, and a repetition of the access to storage problem. The same Samsung, now using Defender not McAfee, suddenly decided mid-yesterday that it could not access the Seagate storage. OK when switched off, not when switched on again.
    Tried the switch off Firewall, open files, switch on Firewall trick. No good, except I could load three JPG files which appeared in the Quick Access list, but not other types of file in the same place. Having them open did not persuade the device that it could connect.
    Went through loads of troubleshooters which could not find anything except a possible problem with the firewall - which I had already tried.
    Other computers have no problem with accessing the storage.
    The Samsung, on which I am currently writing, can communicate with email and the internet with no problems. It can also connect to another computer which shows up in File Explorer.
    Any ideas?
  • Penny SPenny S Shipmate
    edited June 2021
    Forgot to mention. When I try to open a file from inside OpenOffice Writer's list of recent files, it reports "The operation...started with an invalid parameter", while giving the usual address which works on other computers. In other places, eg File Explorer, it reports "Error code 0x80070035, The network path was not found" The network path looks as it should.
    Diagnose button showed nothing.
    I'm going to try switching the Seagate off and on again.
    If I can't get this working again, I'm going to have to put one of the XP machines into play......
  • Trying Googling the error comes up with this page (link) of suggested fixes.
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