This website and windows 8.1

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

This website and windows 8.1

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi There

This is the first time I have visited this site after upgrading to Windows 8.1.

Half of the graphics are missing, the green and black borders. No buttons on the web editor above the create new thread post.

I just wondered if anyone else is having the same problem?

I will downgrade to windows 8.0 tomorrow as the upgrade reduces the Winsdows 8.1 screen and all the programs to the same sort of view we got with Windows 3.0.

Thinking about it, programs under Windows 3.0 are better to look at than programs under Windows 8.1.

I only upgraded to 8.1 because 8.0 keeps crashing and Firefox and file manager close down several times a day under 8.0.

regards David

[blowlampParticipant @blowlamp]

No problem here, David.

Martin.

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi Martin

It happens when I use the high contrast theme.

Completly knackers all websites.

I need to create a new background image.

The problem is getting the task bar colour ok with a blank (colour) bacground to the desk top.

regards David

[Gone AwayParticipant @goneaway]

David, you probably didn't have much time to experience it but did you get any feel for the much-vaunted security improvements in 8.1.

My experience of Microsoft's security "improvements" is that each successive version makes it harder and harder to actually do what I want to with my own system since Microsoft considers that I'm a moron that can't be trusted. The facility is usually there – somewhere – but buried in such layers of obscurity that by the time most of us have found it, the next version is out (and it's then buried somewhere else).

Frankly I'm afraid to go for 8.1

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by OMG on 28/11/2013 23:08:32:

Frankly I'm afraid to go for 8.1

.

Apparently all is well with Windows … "Honestly"

MichaelG.

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

There is a new version of Windows past 98 ??

Whodathoughtit ?

[blowlampParticipant @blowlamp]

Posted by John Stevenson on 29/11/2013 09:24:24:

There is a new version of Windows past 98 ??

Whodathoughtit ?

Yeah, then they brought out Windows Pain.

Martin.

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

Today I sorted out a friend's son's laptop wireless connection. Under XP it kept refusing to connect by defaulting to need a security certificate. The MS forums have many threads where the stock solution is to disable security certificates of delete the connection. Nearly every thread ends with the person saying they still haven't solved the problem… in this case installing SP3 solved it – presumably a compatibility bug in earlier versions of XPbut not acknowledged as such.

Neil

[Keith Wardill 1Participant @keithwardill1]

More problems with Windoze Pain – Nowadays most versions of Linux are free, better than WIndoze, and no longer 'for Nerds only'. They install easily on almost all computers, and you can even try them out before installing without having to install it – the websites of (for example) Mint and Ubuntu both carry details how to prepare a LIve CD to run from the drive on a computer and try out all the functions, (and incidentally check whether the flavour of LInux can be successfully installed on the computer). The only difference between a Live CD and the installed version is that the CD runs slightly slower, otherwise everything can be checked, including Internet connections. The LInux community is far more hands-on and responsive than WIndoze, so any problems you do have can be quickly resolved. If you are desparate, you can even run Linux alongside WIndows on the same computer (and its easy to setup – see the Linux websites).

Usually, installation of a Linux OS also includes commonly used applications by default (but don't have to be installed, or can be removed easily later), such as LIbreOffice – this will do everything MS Office, Excel, etc will do, but usually better. It can also save documents in WIndoze formats or PDF if you insist, so no problems with compatibility. For users of things like Visual Basic/.Net, LInux has Gambas, which is an excellent basic-like object-oriented programming tool – my homebuilt EPROM programmer is programmed with it. There are alternatives for all WIndoze applications, and they are usually better.

Personally, I moved some years ago to Ubuntu, then to Mint. Ubuntu has now developed its own flavour of desktop – still easy to use, but some traditionalists aren't too happy with it, so Linux MInt caters for them – this is a menu-driven OS (like XP if you must have a comparison, but without the bugs) – this is probably the most popular Linux variant at the moment (= Ubuntu)

Viruses are very few and far between, updates are free and frequent, there is a vast library of easily downloaded applications for all purposes – and its all free.

There is also a very helpful and responsive community of losers, with many blogs and help forums, so any problems can be quickly and easily solved.

This forum displays fine on an 8 year old laptop running LInux MInt 14 – everything looks fine, and always has, from Updates of Linux Mint 10 through 15.

So why do we get these threads about ongoing problems with WIndoze? – take some action fro yourself – change it. You wouldn't buy and keep using a new car with problems like WIndoze – you'd demand your money back and go somewhere else.

Sorry – rant over – just fed up with weekly intrusions of Microsoft.

[Oompa LumpaParticipant @oompalumpa34302]

Posted by wotsit on 29/11/2013 20:10:38:

More problems with Windoze Pain – Nowadays most versions of Linux are free, better than WIndoze, and no longer 'for Nerds only'. <SNIP>

Sorry – rant over – just fed up with weekly intrusions of Microsoft.

You are making a good numbrer of assumptions I am afraid. Some of us use computers for work and some of this "work" (endurance testing) means we have to use Windoze based Operating Systems that we may install programs or software that we "support" for other users.

Having said that, Windows 7 is actually a half decent OS. Microsoft have a track record of producing -> Something that works – Crap – Something that works – Appaling – Something……. You get the idea.

I use Ubuntu on my Netbook as a digital source for my music but that is quite a modified version. I started with NeXt Step – remember that? And have only recently rid myself of my last Sun workstation. I have a terrific archive of some very old Operating Systems, some quite interesting and I remember the days well of Linus Torvalds posting on the newsgroups giving us an update to the latest release.

It is much, much easier nowadays with Virtual Machine technology (that works).

graham.

(PS Windows 8 is bad, really bad)

[Gone AwayParticipant @goneaway]

Posted by wotsit on 29/11/2013 20:10:38:

…….. weekly intrusions of Microsoft.

 

So a thread that was clearly about Windows (and reasonably located in "General Questions" ) did what? Jumped up and forced itself on your browser before you had a chance to stop it? Is that what happens in Linux? Probably not for me then – I prefer to choose what I read.

Edited By OMG on 29/11/2013 21:55:03

[joegibParticipant @joegib]

I've been having an occasional 'play' with Linux since 1995 and have been amazed at the strides it's made in capability/usability in that time. But for me one severe limitation it has is its handling of scanners. I need to use a scanner occasionally for copying documents and capturing bitmapped drawings for vectorisation. Linux handles communication with scanners using a protocol called SANE and over the years SANE developers have developed drivers for hundreds of scanners. Even so, there are big holes in its driver coverage — for instance Epson models are well covered whereas modern Canon models are not. To be fair that's because some manufacturers have co-operated with Linux developers to create drivers whereas others have withheld the technical information needed to do that. The upshot for me has been that whenever I've formed the intention over the years to switch to Linux it just happens that the scanner I have at the time has not been supported!

So, the moral is if you want to move to Linux and scanning capability is important to you, first check that your scanner is supported.

Joe

[Keith Wardill 1Participant @keithwardill1]

Graham (oompa) – you are right, of course there are some assumptions. I have also been in the position of being forced to use Windoze due to that being the standard used in our workplace – but that doesn’t mean it can’t change, or that people you should keep using something defective – I just wanted to highlight one of the alternatives.

joegib – again, what you say is correct, but is being gradually rectified. I once had a Canon scanner – nice machine, but the drivers were very hard to locate for Linux – not so hard these days. As I indicated in my original post, a LiveCD lets you check these things – maybe it will work with the latest offerings.

OMG -your attitude is what I feel is wrong sometimes with this forum – I posted a general comment, with the intention of providing some information which may be of help, because like many people, I am (was) interested in this forum, and tend to read most of it purely for the variety and to see if something interests me, or if I can contribute.

Since you tell us you choose what you read, why did you bother to read all the way through my longish post, or did it ‘Jump up and force itself onto your browser?’ – but that is sarcasm, and as Oscar Wilde said, it is the lowest form of wit. Try taking posts in the spirit they are intended.

[Gone AwayParticipant @goneaway]

Posted by wotsit on 30/11/2013 18:21:39:

OMG -your attitude is what I feel is wrong sometimes with this forum – I posted a general comment, with the intention of providing some information which may be of help, because like many people, I am (was) interested in this forum, and tend to read most of it purely for the variety and to see if something interests me, or if I can contribute.

… but I didn't comment on your "general comment", Wotsit, did I? The bit I commented on was plainly (and in normal forum fashion) that specific bit that I quoted. The bit where you implied that comments here on anything Microsoft were an "intrusion" (your word).

If you find them an intrusion, it's up to you whether you read them. And if you do, by all means share your experience with Linux and welcome. But if so, it's churlish to, at the same time, complain about the Microsoft part of the discussion.

And I don't apologise for my "attitude" – which I admit to having stated more than once – that people who complain about threads (that are perfectly legitimate in the context of these forums) simply because they personally find them irritating should learn to be more selective about what they read.

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

I'm interested in the view of Libre Office. It's installed alongside Office 97 on this machine, and I find the functionality practically identical, although LO is VERY slow to load initially. LO seems to be a bit better than O97 with some xlsx files, which is why I keep it.

I'm a big fan of open source software, but I find myself desperately missing Office 2010 which is streets ahead of Libre Office in terms of flexibility and user friendliness.

Neil

[dcostaParticipant @dcosta]

Hello Neil, good evening.

Some applications install parts of their code in memory at start up, so, when the user runs the application, a part of it is already loaded, in this way making the loading process quicker.

That feature is, in some applications, transparent to the user because it's made in his back so to speak. If my memory serves me well that is the case of the Microsoft Office.

LibreOffice when is installed gives the user the option to choose to activate (or not) this feature.

In the version of LibreOffice I have (4.0.6.2) if you change your mind after the installation you can do the following, extracted from here: http://ask.libreoffice.org/en/question/8650/tools-options-memory-and-check-enable-system-tray-quickstarter/ and tested in my machine:
Control Panel /Add/Remove programs / Change / Modify / +Optional Components.. find and enable the quickstarter option ( click dropdown and select "This feature will be installed on the hard drive." )

Hope this helps you.

Best regards
Dias Costa

Edited By dcosta on 30/11/2013 22:04:54

[Peter G. ShawParticipant @peterg-shaw75338]

I have to say that I am in the process of changing over to Linux Mint Mate Edition v.13 LTS. For the unititiated this is a Long Term Support edition which will be replaced next year by v.17 LTS which in turn will be supported until 2020 I think.

I haven't yet tried either printing (HP printer) or scanning (Canon Lide) but so far I have managed to get everything I want working – including using Windows XP in a virtual machine in order to run a "must have" DOS/Windows programs. Once completed, XP will be isolated from the internet and used purely for those programs. There is a Linux program, Wine, which can be used for some Windows programs, eg in my case Design Cad V17.2 and Paint Shop Pro v.7 although in this latter insyance I hope to be able ultimately to change over to The Gimp. All other programs, Thunderbird, Firefox, Libre Office are already Linux compatible.

I should point out that I do have a spare machine for experimenting on, hence am running Linux on the spare with Windows XP on the main machine.

For what it's worth, my reasons for going down this road were the removal of support for XP next year, and a problem with my daughter's new computer running Windows 7 which resulted in a new scanner, and a printer swop when both items were working satisfactorily with Windows XP. Plus my inability to get any sort of file and printer sharing running between the Windows 7 machine and two other computers running XP and Vista. Here again, my own network is running perfectly running XP machines so all in all, I don't see why I should fork out good money to Microsoft for a machine which will then require new accessories and which will require lots of messing about with networking. I might just as well mess about with Linux and save shedloads of money into the bargain.

Dias is quite correct by the way about Open Office (and for that matter Libre Office). Microsoft Office does indeed automatically pre-load parts of itself on machine startup thus cutting down on the startup time when the user requires to use Office. Both Open Office and Libre Office have the option of doing this – I don't bother with it because as I understand it, the pre-load takes up valuable memory and delays the machine start up time.

Regards,

Peter G. Shaw

[Keith Wardill 1Participant @keithwardill1]

OK, OMG, you win – you abviously have no sense of humour, nor understand the spirit of a forum. I have long felt this forum is dying, having followed it from inception. I will miss a few of the people who post sensible info,  but I don't need the hassle anymore. Bye to all. URL deleted.

Edited By wotsit on 01/12/2013 12:57:43

[martin perman 1Participant @martinperman1]

Peter,

I use open office, could you tell me where I could find the detail about a quicker start up please.

Martin P

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

Thanks Dias, Peter,

that's useful, but like Peter i want to minimise startup programmes.

Oddly enough I downloaded Spybot because I wanted to use its advanced startup manager to stop itune (another user uses it on this machine) loading at startup. Annoyingly I found it now has non-optional startup components so i'll have to install it, spike itunes and the remove it!

Neil

[Peter G. ShawParticipant @peterg-shaw75338]

Martin,

I haven't used Open Office for perhaps a couple of years now, so what I am going to say is from memory, and we all know how fallible can be. Anyway…

When you initially load Open Office, you will find a screen that gives you various options. For example, I have no need for either the presentation programme, or the database programme – sorry, can't remember what they are actually called – so what I do is to prevent them loading in the first instance. Ditto with various languages. It may be that you are presented with a two or three installation options, eg "Normal", "Complete", or "Custom". Generally, "Normal" will give those options most people use; "Complete" will install the lot, whilst "Custom" gives complete control over what is installed. It will be this latter option which you will need, and some where in it, you should find something "Quick Starter" or equivalent. Activate/De-activate as necessary.

It may be that if you do a re-installation, you will find a "Modify" mode: this should allow you to find the Quick Starter or whatever it's called. Alternatively, next time you do an upgrade check the options.

Neil,

Like you I used to use Spybot, but after reading some less than complimentary reviews, I abandoned it (and one or two others) in favour of Ccleaner and Glary Utilities. Both have free and paid for options. I use the free ones. Both allow disablement of start-up options. Both can be run on demand by ticking/unticking the appropriate options. And both seem to have reasonably good reports.

In terms of programmes which run at start-up, other than Windows itself, the only ones I have are Kerio v.2.1.5 and Avast. The former is a pure Firewall only with no bloat (later versions especially those produced by Sunbelt I think it is, did become over bloated). Thus there is no need to update the firewall. I do have a firewall in the router as well. The latter is on automatic virus update and has it's engine (program?) checked weekly when I do a full virus scan. I also use Malwarebytes and SuperAntiSpy, both of which are called up, updated, and run on a weekly basis. Any other programme, HP, Javascript, etc is rapidly disabled and called up when required.

Regards,

Peter G. Shaw

Edited to add reply to Martin.

Edited By Peter G. Shaw on 01/12/2013 15:00:22

[Gone AwayParticipant @goneaway]

Posted by wotsit on 01/12/2013 12:55:55:

OK, OMG, you win – you abviously have no sense of humour, nor understand the spirit of a forum. I have long felt this forum is dying, having followed it from inception. I will miss a few of the people who post sensible info, but I don't need the hassle anymore. Bye to all. URL deleted.

Let's settle for different sense of humour since I've read and re-read your responses to me and for the life of me I can't see any humour in them. And where were the smileys in your posts?

I think you mean "spirit of a forum" according to your own standards. One man's silk purse is another man's pig's ear.

As far as quitting, that's entirely your decision and echos your "spirit of a forum" viewpoint. I certainly won't be celebrating. You could just as easily simply ignore threads that upset you (we all have those) and use the "Ignore Member" button for people with whom you have a clash of temperament (most of us have those too – it's what the button is there for). Please feel free to use it on me if that gets you to stay.

[Russell EberhardtParticipant @russelleberhardt48058]

Like Peter I am running Linux Mint Mate here. If I click LibreOffice (the new name for OpenOffice) on the programs menu the LOffice menu pops up in about 2 secs. Then clicking on, say, Draw the LibreOffice Draw comes up ready to use in about one sec. so the slow response must be a Windows problem, perhaps Microsoft deliberately slow it down to try to keep up sales of their offering

Why am I using Linux Mint? I bought a laptop about a year ago with Windows 7. It wouldn't connect to my home network ( including Windows XP computer, PCLinux computer, and Android tablets). I tried replacing Windows with PCLinux but the special function keys didn't work, tried Linux Mint and everything worked "straight out of the box" including printers and scanner. If I need Windows for something like updating my TomTom, XP Pro is only a click away in VirtualBox and is ready for use in 17 seconds from a suspended session.

If you want to try it, one warning – it can be tricky to get it set up on some recent computers with UEFI booting.

Russell.

[dcostaParticipant @dcosta]

Hello Russel, good night.

Please see OpenOffice **LINK** and LibreOffice **LINK** .

Best regards
Dias Costa

[Author]

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