use windows ? read this asap..

[incisor]

Disable Gadgets NOW says Redmond ? The Register (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/07/11/disable_stupid_gadgets_says_microsoft/)

[VladTepes]

gadgets are a sucky **** anyway.

[p38arover]

I don't know what a sidebar is - nor gadgets. I've only just installed Win 7 last week.

[incisor]

do a windows update now :p

the sidebar is on the ride hand side of the screen by default.

things like the orange clock and the news ticker are gadgets that show up on the side bar.

[p38arover]

do a windows update now :p

the sidebar is on the ride hand side of the screen by default.

things like the orange clock and the news ticker are gadgets that show up on the side bar.

Ah. I haven't got any of that stuff.

[incisor]

Ah. I haven't got any of that stuff.
you broke them already!

bloody hell!

[p38arover]

Maybe not — maybe so.

I did find that the Windows Easy Transfer doesn't copy the PST file from Outlook even though they say it does copy one's emails.

When Win 7 was installed and I wanted to reinstall MS Office, I discovered that all my emails (including the 2000+ unanswered ones) and my contacts list were nowhere to be found.

At least I don't have to worry about answering those emails anymore. However, I also lost all the software registration emails, too.

My system is much quicker with the 64-bit Win 7 than it was with XP.

Now waiting for a new SCSI card so I can get my film scanner and flatbed scanner going again. Win 7 doesn't support the Adaptec 2940.

Oh, and my new wireless keyboard has died. Back to the old one.

[DeanoH]

I've done 4 Windows 7 complete (W7 Home Premium OEM SP1) installs in the last week, two each of 64 bit and 32 bit. Two of the installs were upgrades using the easy transfer wizard and the Outlook .pst files came across in both. One machine had a 'c drive mail' .pst and it came across also.

I can't remember if I had to open the 'optional' (2nd group) of selections in Easy Transfer to manually select this but I don't think so.

If you still have the original Xp drive, connect it to the new PC and do a search for *.pst and locate the mail file (may have to tick 'show hidden files' can't remember) and copy the file. Then do the same in the W7 install, rename its Outlook *.pst to old.pst, paste in your 'old' *.pst renamed to whatever the new *.pst was and away you go. :)
Contacts and favorites can be done the same way.

As for the sidebar thing, didn't come up by default in any of the installs.

As a point of interest I found doing a bios update made a big difference to system stability on two of the builds I did. Both were new Asus motherboards with AMD 4100/6100 processors.


Deano :)

[mikehzz]

I've found that the pst files don't come across sometimes. I think it has something to do with user accounts and the versions of office in play on both machines. Most of the time they transfer.

[p38arover]

I might have missed something in the settings before doing the transfer. I had the full Office University 2010 install on the XP machine (now reinstalled on the Win 7 Professional machine).

Regrettably my boot drive is the same one so I can't go back to the old XP C:drive to look for the Outlook.pst file.

I should have backed it up to a DVD first. Oh, well, never mind. I'll have to chase down some of the contacts again. Fortunately, I have most of them on my iPhone so I just need to do a sync. It's only the latest ones that are missing.

My motherboard is several iterations behind on the BIOS firmware so I'll look into doing a reflash.

[loanrangie]

I have used the so called "easy transfer wizard" crap a few times and not once did it copy/restore the files i wanted. Since i use firefox and tbird i just used mozbackup to copy all my bookmarks, cached username/passwords and all my email contacts and settings and all emails/folders and then used the restore option to re install it all.
Gives a perfect replica of your previous setup without any ****ing around.

[DeanoH]

If you've still got the Easy Transfer files it might be worthwhile opening them in W7 and looking to see if the Outlook files are there. It may be possible to install them manually.

Updating BIOS isn't nearly as difficult as it used to be The major players now have Windows based updating which makes it a hell of a lot easier but the risks are still there so it's best to avoid multi tasking and pray for no power glitch when updating.

Deano:)

[p38arover]

I've searched the Easy Transfer file but the PST file isn't there. The MoBo is a Gigabyte board with QuickFlash built in. Gigabyte do warn about doing a reflash and that's what's stopped me.

If it screws up I have this motherboard in a box just waiting to be used:

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/computers/52652-what-do-i-do.html

http://www.asus.com.au/999/images/products/1850/1850_l.jpg

[DeanoH]

The two Gigabyte boards I've just re-flashed were older socket 775 boards. gigabytes @bios utility works a treat. Its instructions are here

www.gigabyte.com/webpage/20/images/utiltiy_at (http://www.gigabyte.com/webpage/20/images/utiltiy_at)bios_uefi.pdf

The latest version I downloaded from here

Free Downloads Encyclopedia - Softpedia (http://www.softpedia.com) › Windows (http://www.google.com.au/url?url=http://win.softpedia.com/&rct=j&sa=X&ei=aaT_T-6YGMTqrAfAnJWbBg&ved=0CGMQ6QUoADAF&q=%40bios&usg=AFQjCNH5f6hlZllt8doAnezbgqkSl4N3sg) › System (http://www.google.com.au/url?url=http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/&rct=j&sa=X&ei=aaT_T-6YGMTqrAfAnJWbBg&ved=0CGQQ6QUoATAF&q=%40bios&usg=AFQjCNHfJSrzkCw-BL0XU1o69E2vioDPFQ) › System Miscellaneous (http://www.google.com.au/url?url=http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/System-Miscellaneous/&rct=j&sa=X&ei=aaT_T-6YGMTqrAfAnJWbBg&ved=0CGUQ6QUoAjAF&q=%40bios&usg=AFQjCNH9So6L9FU2W3Q3WnVLc3A83C1-5w)

Whilst it was simple and painless to do so it's not for the faint hearted.
Downloading the bios is simple and the program does a CRC check on the downloaded file to ensure it's not corrupted before you commit to the update. The whole exercise only takes a couple of minutes with the critical period being the actual 'flash' process which takes (typically) less than half a minute. On newer boards which can have bios files >2 meg it can take a little longer. Some of the later Gigabyte boards have 'dual bios' so that if one fails the other can take over. In theory this should save a crashed bios update, but I've not had to find out.

Re your 'backup' Asus board. If you are using an OEM version of W7 and you have already activated it you will NOT be able to transfer the W7 license to the other board, or any other board for that matter.
When installing W7 three days are given before activation is mandatory. It is a good idea to leave activation till the last minute as if any problems arise that could mean motherboard replacement, even with an identical motherboard, the W7 license is NOT transferable.

Deano:)

[p38arover]

My MoBo is a Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3 — also a 775 socket board.

Interesting that one can't move W7. One could on earlier releases of Windows even if one had to re-register, even with, sometimes, a phone call to MS to read out the number around the centre of the CD/DVD.

[incisor]

you can do it by phone if your board was legitimately replaced due to failure etc etc

[DeanoH]

Windows 7 Home Premium is Microsofts OS designed specifically for home use by the average punter. There is also W7 Professional and W7 Ultimate.
They each come in two basic distributions, RETAIL and OEM.

W7 RETAIL, as the name suggests, is for retail customers to purchase and take home and install themselves on an existing PC. It is transferable between PC's but can only exist on one computer at a time. W7 Home Premium Retail comes in a pretty hard plastic case and costs around $200.

W7 OEM, also as the name suggests, is for OEM system builders and is supposed to be for installation on a new PC ONLY. It is NOT transferable between PC's and can exist on one machine only.
With an OEM install the criteria is that anything can be upgraded EXCEPT the motherboard. ie. it's the motherboard that defines the PC. So memory, hard drive, video, processor can all be changed but if you change the motherboard it becomes a 'new' PC, even if you use the original processor, memory etc.

An OEM builder can be someone huge like Dell, HP, Toshiba etc, your local PC shop or muggins building his own PC.
If you buy a PC from one of the 'biggies' it's warranty will cover motherboard replacement and in this case if an identical motherboard is used then the license will remain with the PC.

This is where it gets a bit murky. If your local PC shop vendor changes your motherboard for an identical new one under warranty it should also be covered. If it is swapped for a different motherboard or 'upgraded' to a newer motherboard it should not be. But a sweet talking system builder can sometimes 'persuade' the poorly paid and harassed call centre operator in some third world country to part with the magic numbers to transfer the license to a different machine.

For your average muggins OEM naive to the corporate machinations of the Microsoft juggernaut an identical motherboard change may be possible but an upgrade to a different motherboard will not be allowed.
W7 Home Premium OEM comes in a soft DVD case in a plain cardboard sleeve and costs around $100.

So the bottom line is the OEM version costs half the retail price and isn't supposed to be used for upgrades but everyone does as it's $100 cheaper. The downside is that its 'life' is that of the motherboard.


Deano :)

[incisor]

But a sweet talking system builder can sometimes 'persuade' the poorly paid and harassed call centre operator in some third world country to part with the magic numbers to transfer the license to a different machine.


it is not murky at all and rarely any sweet talking involved.

if you need to replace hardware due to a fault you use the activate by phone option, dial the number, put your current code in and answer two questions on an automated telephone setup and away you go.. no human other than your good self involved and the computer at the other end gives you a new code... if you answered the 2 questions correctly.

if microsoft suspect you are having a shot them it will pass you on to a human, who in most cases isn't that dumb but i have had to ask for a supervisor on a couple of occasions in the last few years.

full version or oem that is how you do it.

your mileage may vary..... depending on your level of clue.

[p38arover]

Mine is the Win 7 Professional Upgrade.

[DeanoH]

From Microsofts website.

....................... and the Retail Licence Terms apply to that purchase..........

So as a retail offering it's transferable as an upgrade between machines. :D


Deano:)

[Pedro_The_Swift]

Ron,, there are utube vids on upgrading bios,,
My last 3 boards have been Gigabytes and its fairly simple these days,,

that maximus board is a good one,,
use it before it becomes an antique;):p

any idea on the reload/new part Windows 8 restrictions?

I er, tend to reload my OS's (for whatever reason:angel:) quite a few times over its life,,

[p38arover]

Thanks Pedro.

Re Win 8 I have no idea what you are talking about.

I've spent all of last evening trying to get a laptop to run with Linux. I'm at the point of kicking it out the window. Windows is so much easier to install.

[p38arover]

It seems that my Toshiba laptop video card/system doesn't like Puppy Linux. After lots of searching, I see that nearly everyone has had the same problem. It will run in 640x 480 mode only. It's fine in 1080x1024 under Windows XP. I'd be happy with 800x600 for what I want to do. At 640x480, the Linux windows don't fit and they don't have scrollbars to make them usable.

I'll try another Linux distro but I'm not hopeful as I only have 132Mb RAM and a 4Gb HDD

Unfortunately, XP is too bloated for this laptop so I was hoping for something smaller. I'm gunna have to try loading Windows 98 (if I can find a full install disk).

I only want to run a couple of small monitoring programs.

[Dukkar]

If you're looking for a light / small distro, I'd take a look at installing Xubuntu if you're relatively new to linux, CrunchBang if you have a bit more linux knowledge or Archlinux if you're more toward the expert end.

Need a hand, give me a yell.

[p38arover]

Thanks but after trying several Linux distros (Puppy, Ubuntu, Xbuntu, Debian, Debris, et al) and wasting days on them, I've given up and installed Windows 2000.

None of the distros would drive my laptop video at above 640x480 - the only other option was 320x240! They just don't support it.

Win 2000 is doing it with ease and running well on this older laptop - and the apps I want to use will work with it.