Messages

151

Living Room / Re: WinXP is officially dead!

« on: April 09, 2014, 05:56 AM »

I haven't turned on my XP netbook for a couple of weeks, and now I'm wondering what the best thing to do is. Should I disable the automatic update the next time I turn it on or should I keep installing whatever updates have been or may still be released in the near future?

-dr_andus (April 08, 2014, 06:01 PM)

Quick guess (and prob part wrong!) is there are no "mainline" updates, so get whatever you can right up until today

-TaoPhoenix (April 08, 2014, 06:34 PM)

Thanks, TaoPhoenix, but I heard someone mention a nag screen. Wasn't that included in yesterday's update? I'd prefer to avoid that one, if I can.

-dr_andus (April 09, 2014, 04:27 AM)

Turn off Automatic updates - there won't be any now since MS turned off the updates except for the malware/scareware nag screen.

If you use MSE you should be able to use the built in update regularly to keep it up to date (but don't expect software updates). Better option is to dump it and download something else - for once I would argue a full suite would be in order including a good firewall and learn how to use it.

152

Living Room / Re: WinXP is officially dead!

« on: April 08, 2014, 04:52 PM »

Microsoft has basically adopted the ransomware model widely used by criminal hacking groups and increasingly popular with some allegedly legitimate cloud storage firms.

Microsoft will continue to provide support for governments and large institutions willing to pay huge sums to keep large numbers of XP systems safe for the next few years.  

So Microsoft will continue to write the necessary patches and provide them to those who can afford to pay their extortion, but it will not provide them to the rest of us, even though it would cost them next to nothing to make them available for download by everyone.

That doing so endangers everyone on the Internet matters not one whit to them.

-xtabber (April 08, 2014, 03:11 PM)

 

I have had a number of phones calls today from worried customers when they got the "scareware" = "extortion" pop up on their screen.

MS have effectively infected their XP systems with malware deliberately!!

Does anyone know if there is an easy way to turn it off? I found two scheduled processes to keep the popup going but deleting those processes doesn't stop the popup - I suspect the dregs of Windows Update (from now on I'll call it Windows Infect on XP systems). Does turning off Windows update stop them?

Personally I think many people may be better off without MS updates - they often caused more grief than they cured!

My approach to customers is make sure you have a good AV running and buy a copy of Malwarebytes Antimalware and install it to run in the background all the time. Download Google Chrome or Firefox and never use IE.

This was all good advice in the past anyway so nothing has really changed.

The question that doesn't have a clear answer is will MS be bribing vendors to remove driver support and software support (esp. AV) for XP ? Or are security suites in to make a killing?

153

Living Room / Re: WinXP is officially dead!

« on: April 08, 2014, 03:41 AM »

XP is fine for anyone with any sense - trouble is 90% of people using it don't have any sense at all!

154

General Software Discussion / Re: Malwarebytes is moving away from lifetime licenses

« on: March 16, 2014, 03:52 PM »

Back on-topic, I bought a MBAM license a few years back, not because I wanted/needed the real-time protection, but because I wanted to support them because they have helped me get *metric tons* of crap off of the computers that people have dragged in front of me begging me to fix over the years.

-Innuendo (March 15, 2014, 06:39 PM)

 

Ditto

155

General Software Discussion / Re: XP to Windows 7 advice

« on: March 04, 2014, 05:40 AM »

You only have to do it once to activate the product after that it works fine.

156

General Software Discussion / Re: XP to Windows 7 advice

« on: March 04, 2014, 05:11 AM »

FWIW Windows Live Mail is easier to deal with if you ever want to change to a different mail client.

Really annoys me that developers write programs that lock you in with no way to export data.

WLM isn't perfect by any means but it has better export functions than most of the others I have tried.

Re. Office I would suggest picking up a copy of MS Office 2003, 2007 or 2010 ASAP. I have Office 2013 on my laptop and it seems to add nothing to 2010 (which I use all the time) except annoyances and product entrapment - most notably their cloud offering (whatever it is called today!!!)

Having said that there is no guarantee that your VBA script will work unmodified in any other version of Office, you may even find that your VBScript in Office 2002 doesn't work properly without modification (assuming you can even get O2002 to run properly on Windows 8 in the first place - which is debatable). Most likely to work with O2003 which does work on Windows 8 - really be surprised if it works with 2007, 2010, 2013 unmodified given that there are major changes in Office products after 2003.

If you do go for a copy of Office 2003 from somewhere note when you activate you need to run at Administrator level (ie. avoid UAC) otherwise the activation gets requested everytime you run the program. Simplest way is post install at the start screen type WINWORD and then right click and run as administrator on the icon.

157

General Software Discussion / Re: XP to Windows 7 advice

« on: March 03, 2014, 03:53 AM »

Windows Live Mail is an easy upgrade from Outlook Express (copy the whole Outlook storage folder and import it) - don't forget the export your address book from OE to a WAB file.

Re. Office apps - the official line is that Office 2003 is the oldest supported version from Windows 7 onwards.

I have seen a couple of Windows 7 systems in a right mess with Office 2000 and Office 97 installed and I would really recommend following MS advice on this. Even Office 2003 has a few minor issues in Windows 7.

If you can't afford an upgrade why not go with free LibreOffice ?

158

General Software Discussion / Re: What the Heck is Happening to Windows? Article on Windows 8 Disaster

« on: February 20, 2014, 06:30 AM »

Sorry it was unclear - my previous post before I was talking about my customers' reactions and I just used "the ones" to continue my train of thought!

Oh the joys of posting in threads ;-)

159

General Software Discussion / Re: What the Heck is Happening to Windows? Article on Windows 8 Disaster

« on: February 18, 2014, 05:07 AM »

That's not exactly fair.  You're speaking to the feelings of people on a scale that we can't even know.

-wraith808 (February 17, 2014, 08:24 PM)

Not sure I understand - its not a question of being fair it is what my customers tell me on a daily basis. How are the feelings of the average user in a business "on a scale that we can't even know"?

160

General Software Discussion / Re: What the Heck is Happening to Windows? Article on Windows 8 Disaster

« on: February 17, 2014, 04:06 PM »

[...] since Windows 8 was released I have met precisely 1 customer who says they actually like the new interface - everyone else the first thing they say to me is 'how can I get rid of this'.

-Carol Haynes (February 17, 2014, 12:34 PM)

in fairness, [I presume] you're dealing with people who are looking for help, i.e. you're [probably] not dealing with people who are coping well with the change (they are out there - look at Josh/Allen/Innuendo/Josh's wife/wraith's son/etc./etc.).

Mind you - even after saying that - I reckon I'd fit well into your customer base

-tomos (February 17, 2014, 03:48 PM)

To be fair even the ones coping quite well with using it want rid because it just annoys them all the time. If your main use of a computer is Word, Excel and Outlook what exactly is the point of the not-Metro interface.

And lets face it the ONLY reason for the new interface is to push the app store (which like Apple and Google stores is full of crap and scumware) - it doesn't really add much else to Windows of use. The apps are pretty lacking in most people's opinion. Haven't looked recently but is there a Facebook RT app yet - there wasn't for a hell of a long time!!

Have to say I use Android a lot and I am becoming increasingly disillusioned with that too - I hate all the functionally crippled apps - eg. the GMail is pretty annoying compared to the web interface allowing virtually no convenient ways to actually manage your email (yes you can read and write emails but everything else is clunky) - Android Mail app by comparison is in the stone age.

Facebook apps on Android and the Apple eco-system are all pretty terrible compared to the full browser based version - there is just so much you can't do!! Hell you have to have a separate app to manage pages (which is even more limited in functionality than the main app) and if you manage a FB group most of the settings are missing in the mobile apps.

For all these companies this is all just about money ... none of them give a toss about what customers/users actually want or need.

161

General Software Discussion / Re: What the Heck is Happening to Windows? Article on Windows 8 Disaster

« on: February 17, 2014, 03:58 PM »

Sort of but since we have never actually met 

162

General Software Discussion / Re: What the Heck is Happening to Windows? Article on Windows 8 Disaster

« on: February 17, 2014, 12:34 PM »

Windows 8.1 and Start8 on my laptop ... guess what it looks and works almost exactly like Windows 7 and I am happy with that.

The not-Metro interface is a turn off for me (though I can use it on customer computers if I really have to). More importantly since Windows 8 was released I have met precisely 1 customer who says they actually like the new interface - everyone else the first thing they say to me is 'how can I get rid of this'.

The biggest annoyance I have to deal with is the plethora of really crappy apps that people download for the not-Metro interface - not least email apps that are very VERY limited and have no way to export data to something better. People who don't know better drift round the MS app store looking for anything that is free to solve a problem and end up in a horrendous mess.

I have been a Microsoft Partner for the last 5 years with a MAPs subscription ... this year I won't be renewing as I really dislike almost all of their current product range and wouldn't actively recommend them apart from Windows 8 (provided Start 8 is included) but even then I wouldn't recommend people upgrade even from Vista!!

For the average non-techy customer out there Windows 8 has caused massive confusion and stress. Even when people get Windows RT phones they think they have something else and are surprised they are Windows devices (sharp selling from a lot of mobile companies to shift these devices into the market, and prey on people's bewilderment to do it).

I have never actually met anyone with a Windows 8 or RT tablet!

163

General Software Discussion / Re: Malwarebytes is moving away from lifetime licenses

« on: February 11, 2014, 04:20 AM »

Yes I got a similar explanation - sorry meant to post is and forgot.

Have to say it isn't clear how the new licensing system will work with old licenses - I hope they don't have to go through the hassle with lifetime licenses of contacting them for new licenses when new versions are released.

164

General Software Discussion / Re: Why didn't anyone tell me I could make the Windows 7 taskbar height non-obscene?

« on: February 07, 2014, 03:34 AM »

Must be my eyes but on my 24" screen can't see a damn thing when it is set to small icons. Simpler to use auto hide if you want the space.

I have 3 x 24" monitors so the taskbar is not an issue for me

165

General Software Discussion / Re: Malwarebytes is moving away from lifetime licenses

« on: February 06, 2014, 10:01 AM »

Confused - purchased a number of licenses in the past.

All are the Pro version but some say Consumer License whilst others say Home License.

Given these were all bought during the lifetime license period am I covered? The website is not terribly clear of Consumer / home differences?

166

Living Room / Re: Amazing stories ...

« on: January 11, 2014, 07:18 PM »

LOL - I had completely forgotten about my post (not surprising after 7.5 years!)- but I like you followup - however late   

167

General Software Discussion / Re: Transfer data from Win7 to a new installation?

« on: January 03, 2014, 12:41 PM »

How about just copying the whole user folder to the new system (don't include the NTDATA and NTUSER files but everything else should transfer fine).

If you are using things like email software it may be worth backing up data manually before the transfer.

168

Living Room / Re: HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF DONATIONCODER - 2014!

« on: January 01, 2014, 03:05 AM »

Best wishes to everyone on DonationCoder for 2014. 

Let's hope 2014 will also see a little more sanity and rationality around the world too.

169

Living Room / Re: Migrating from Google Gmail.com to Microsoft Outlook.com

« on: December 17, 2013, 03:50 AM »

Pretty much the same in the UK - in fact AIUI encrypted email (that can't be read by your email provider) is illegal in the UK.

So if, for example, you always write your emails as text documents, encrypt them and send them as attachments to someone you have shared a decryption method with you are breaking the law in the UK.

Ironically the same rules do not apply to Royal Snail Mail.

170

Living Room / Re: Migrating from Google Gmail.com to Microsoft Outlook.com

« on: December 16, 2013, 07:15 AM »

Afraid I filter everything through Google - I get a lot of mail (most of which I don't get round to reading) and GMail's spam filter is one of the best. (Athough recently I have noticed an increase in false positives). I filter out adverts so I am not bothered by the nonsense served up - but I don't really care if an automated system wants to scan my email to target me for specific ads - at the end of the day those ads are filtered out anyway. By definition any service reads your email in one way or another - even if they don't make use of the info - if only to provide spam filtering, so nothing is really private.

Don't really care that much about privacy too much - most email is not that private anyway - but at least Google are up front. I don't trust MS or Yahoo to tell you the truth until they are likely to get caught. And Yahoo just sucks as a service - ironic since it is now MS too! I have been waiting from Yahoo to disappear into Bing and Outlook.com ... seems MS want to give the illusion of choice.

Ironically most of my email is actually filtered through my own server but I find GMail a handy place to do it all. I do daily backups offline.

Re. SSL/TLS - isn't it all an illusion anyway - it is secure to and from the provider (and only possibly at the other person's end) but in the middle there isn't any secure layer? Or am I missing something?

171

Living Room / Re: Migrating from Google Gmail.com to Microsoft Outlook.com

« on: December 13, 2013, 03:55 PM »

GMail is quirky in its approach (like POP doesn't work the way it is supposed to) but IMAP seems to work fine.

The only real issue with GMail is privacy but then ANY email service is hosted by a provider somewhere (even if you pay for your own server at a data centre) so as far as I can see GMail are relatively honest about what they do (in their despicable way) - MS have just been despicable in the past and resisted being honest until caught - and anyway just because they say they don't automatically gather info from email and document contents today doubtless at some point when no one is looking there will be tiny change in T&Cs to allow them to do what they like.

Apple are probably worse than both but who really knows - just my opinion.

172

Living Room / Re: Migrating from Google Gmail.com to Microsoft Outlook.com

« on: December 13, 2013, 08:57 AM »

If you are going to migrate from GMail why on earth would you choose Outlook.com - I use it with an old hotmail account occasionally and find the whole experience pretty unpleasant. Plus I trust Microsoft server maintenance even less than Google!

If you want to use the desktop Outlook why not just access GMail via IMAP - works pretty well here.

173

General Software Discussion / Re: Spammer Question with Webmail server

« on: December 06, 2013, 12:28 PM »

  LOL - I forgot you are whipped! 

174

General Software Discussion / Re: Spammer Question with Webmail server

« on: December 06, 2013, 10:33 AM »

Tell her to sort out the problems and not to complain in the future!!!

Nothing like withdawal of free support to provoke a response ... she can always pop mail from the old Yahoo account if she wants to but she needs to get rid of the online contact list on Yahoo otherwise her contacts will be getting pretty fed up with the spam!

175

General Software Discussion / Re: Spammer Question with Webmail server

« on: December 06, 2013, 07:40 AM »

Probably not a spam trick - Yahoo servers have been under attack for at least 2-3 years and regularly hacked into. Accounts have been compromised without passwords being needed.

I have had many Yahoo customers (and BT/Yahoo users) in the UK who have had spam sent out to their entire contact list and I know this has been an issue worldwide for a long time.

Also check any email addresses attached to your account - one other trick from this hacking I have seen is a bogus email address added in to your account settings which means that if you try to change the password the spammers are informed too!!!

I have also seen some people locked out of their account by passwords being changed by unknown parties - so far managed to get their accounts reinstated.

Best advice at the moment is find an alternative email provider and make sure you backup you address book from Yahoo and then delete your entire content list from their servers otherwise it will continue to happen.