Messages

351

General Software Discussion / Re: Windows XP Key Code

« on: February 04, 2016, 08:03 PM »

There is a lot of software that allow you to retrieve your Windows product key:

HowToGeek has an article about this.
MagicJellyBean - you might have to look for an older version that supports XP, seems to have been bundled with adware, nowadays.
NirSoft - one of the places to look first on any piece of software that accesses core Windows functionality, the other one is SysInternals. Both offer suites of their software. Get both of them!
Belarc Advisor - oldie, but goodie.
SIW - I use this one in my own arsenal of portable tools.

-Shades (February 04, 2016, 05:36 AM)

I downloaded NirSoft from your link to its home page and installed it, and McAfee went totally bonkers and blocked installation and execution even though I told it to 'allow'; twice, and I still can't get nirsoft to run. mcafee is very annoying.

352

General Software Discussion / Re: Microsoft - Windows 10 aggression

« on: February 04, 2016, 07:46 PM »

"I'm from the government Microsoft and I'm here to help." 

"Gee, so you're a Microsoft upgrade technician. Wow, can I help you out? Which way did you come in?"

353

General Software Discussion / Windows XP Key Code

« on: February 04, 2016, 03:07 AM »

How can I find my Windows XP product key code in my laptop?

354

General Software Discussion / Re: Firefox Extensions: Your favorite or most useful

« on: January 29, 2016, 02:12 AM »

Pale Moon does not work with XP or I would switch.

-holt (January 28, 2016, 06:48 PM)

https://www.palemoon.../palemoon-atom.shtml

This version of Pale Moon is optimized specifically for use on Intel Atom™ processors and compatible with the Windows XP and Server 2003 operating systems.

These builds are specifically optimized for Intel Atom™ processors, and are not recommended for regular Intel or AMD processors on current operating systems (Vista or higher). The extra optimizations only work on Atom processors and will execute a little slower than the normal version of Pale Moon on a non-Atom processor (but otherwise run just fine). In general use, you will likely not notice much (if any) difference if run on a non-Atom processor that is likely more powerful, anyway.

-4wd (January 28, 2016, 07:50 PM)

It works. Nice. palemoon-atom for Windows XP. My vintage Gateway TA6 has an Intel Centrino cpu, which I never heard of before receiving it, but with the SSD it's really not that slow.

355

General Software Discussion / Re: Firefox Extensions: Your favorite or most useful

« on: January 28, 2016, 06:48 PM »

I'm really just giving feedback, but appreciate all your suggestions. FF used to be a good browser, but somehow it just doesn't seem so great anymore. Pale Moon does not work with XP or I would switch.

356

General Software Discussion / Re: Firefox Extensions: Your favorite or most useful

« on: January 27, 2016, 06:48 PM »

Theme Font and Size Changer

-MilesAhead (January 12, 2016, 07:20 AM)

I can't seem to get the Theme Font and Size Changer to work.

-holt (January 27, 2016, 12:22 PM)

Do you have checkCompatibility installed?

-MilesAhead (January 27, 2016, 04:15 PM)

I do now; still no luck on FF font size too small, but not sure if all my options are aligned; I pick 14 as minimum font but some fonts on some pages still look like 10pt.

Just to clarify, checkcompatibility works more like it should be named 'fix compatibility'; right? That's what it does; right?

357

General Software Discussion / Re: Firefox Extensions: Your favorite or most useful

« on: January 27, 2016, 12:22 PM »

Theme Font and Size Changer

-MilesAhead (January 12, 2016, 07:20 AM)

I can't seem to get the Theme Font and Size Changer to work.

358

Living Room / Re: Interesting "stuff"

« on: January 25, 2016, 03:59 PM »

Basketball team booted for being too good 'Are we supposed to play worse to make them happy?' + Kurt Vonnegut's Harrison Bergeron

359

Living Room / Re: Forbes forces users to disable ad blockers, promptly serves malware.

« on: January 23, 2016, 08:12 PM »

I took the hint from posts here and added Adblock Plus and uBlock. Two of my other frequently visited sites, one is a different forum, and one has video stuff, quit working with just ABP only enabled. I could not figure out how to add the web sites as exceptions, it only seems to allow 'add filter groups', so I had to disable ABP.

360

General Software Discussion / Re: Use a flash drive as memory in Windows XP?

« on: January 22, 2016, 06:51 PM »

I'm glad I asked. I do already have an SSD hard disk. As per your advice (bottom) to create a backup before 'aligning', I have an external hard disk USB device on order so I can run an external hard drive and do that. 

361

General Software Discussion / Use a flash drive as memory in Windows XP?

« on: January 21, 2016, 11:37 PM »

Use a flash drive as memory in Windows XP Although I would not use CNET as a source of software to avoid pups, I found the above article (and video) on how to use a thumb drive as RAM.

Someone comments as Genius321 Feb 14, 2012 I think I kinda figured it out, to make it work, you need to go to your "c" "Drive and select "no paging file" and click "Set." And then go to your usb and set it up, like the above instructions. If you don't do that, your computer will auto use the "c" drive and not the usb. 

My Gateway TA6 laptop (freebie with no documentation/paperwork) is already maxed out with 2GB ram, and I have a spare 2GB thumb drive to experiment with, and I wonder if there is a way to combine and get 4GB usable ram? Because it looks like, to get it to use the thumb drive in G:, I'd have to disable the resident 2GB ram in the motherboard?

I also have an unused slot for a memory card reader that I'm totally unfamiliar with as to what it uses, and same question can I get a memory card and reallocate it as extra ram (without disabling the 2GB motherboard ram)?

362

General Software Discussion / Re: gateway ta6 laptop

« on: January 16, 2016, 09:33 PM »

Familiarizing myself with MiniTool Partition Wizard (so I wouldn't bug you so much), I found this; The Difference Between Basic and Dynamic Hard Disks, "Dynamic disks are not supported on laptop computers." All this is a little over my head, but I note this because my computer is a laptop with Windows XP Tablet and a 100GB SSD hard drive. The external drive case which I'm thinking of getting, is to hold a 500GB platter type 7400 RPM SATA hard drive.

363

General Software Discussion / Re: gateway ta6 laptop

« on: January 16, 2016, 05:03 PM »

Yes, HD's power down after a certain threshold of inactivity is reached. Using a portable HD case that comes with its own power supply, this threshold is larger than than with a portable HD that draws power from the USB port it is connected to.

And I don't think it is bad to assume the threshold for each type of portable HD varies when connected to a desktop or a laptop. In principle, a desktop has less problems sustaining the portable HD that draws power from USB than a laptop does. Mainly because the power supply in a desktop is much "beefier" than the power supply of a laptop.

If a portable HD with its own power supply is used with a laptop, it will put much less strain on the laptop and as a result the threshold could be increased.

One more thing to consider: the threshold will also be affected as well by the power saving settings of either the desktop or the laptop.


Prolonging life of a hard disk...that is an interesting subject, invoking much debate.

For me (running servers and desktops 24/7) it is important to keep hard disk in their "comfort zone", meaning: between 35 and 45 degrees Celsius operating temperature, dust free and using philosophies to reduce writing/reading wherever I can. Yes, trusting the NTFS file system to do that for you is...not smart. This is me, being politically correct here. In case you are interested, see other threads here in the forum how I really feel about this subject.

Just know that powering up any hard disk is quite taxing for that device. So you want to prevent that as much as possible. If you are going to turn it off, leave it of for a significant amount of time. If you continuously power down/power up a hard disk you will wear it out much quicker than have it running all the time. All of the above is valid for spinning hard disks...SSD hard disks are a completely different type of beast.

Come to think of it...if you are still running XP on your laptop, you should check with a tool such as Minitool Partition Wizard (free/commercial) to check if the partition(s) on your hard disk are aligned. If that is not the case, I suggest you let that software fix that for your laptop. That is a job that can take all day, depending on the size of your hard disk and the amount of data that is stored on it. It is also essential to keep your laptop connected to reliable power grid for as long as this procedure takes. Afterwards you will notice a 5 to 15% gain of general speed, because writing/reading to your hard disk has been reduced significantly.

Modern version of Windows already take care of aligning the partition(s), but XP and older didn't.

-Shades (January 16, 2016, 06:18 AM)

Thank you, it is very much appreciated!

364

General Software Discussion / Re: gateway ta6 laptop

« on: January 15, 2016, 08:18 PM »

I like this external hard drive case. But I read somewhere, some cases will power down the drive when not in actual data transfer mode; is that something I should look for to prolong hard drive life, and can someone please comment, or even show me a link to one?

365

General Software Discussion / Re: gateway ta6 laptop

« on: January 14, 2016, 06:42 PM »

I royally dread advance purchase agreements like that, especially compulsory ones, and most especially surprise compulsory ones. NEXT time, I will know what to expect, and I don't think I will be purchasing McAfee no matter how nice their product is. I do not like that kind of sales approach.

-holt (January 14, 2016, 05:52 PM)

Yeah, ironically, you need to be even more careful of the big names, than of the smaller ones...

-tomos (January 14, 2016, 06:32 PM)

I just finished reading every post and link in the Topic: Is Windows 10 a trojan? thread; and I thought I had problems.

366

General Software Discussion / Re: gateway ta6 laptop

« on: January 14, 2016, 05:52 PM »

That's very good advice, and thanks. I'm thinking of -or strongly tempted anyway- to make a separate post, titled something like "McAfee's Nasty Little Secret" or words to that effect. I had purchased a McAfee Key Code card from a non-McAfee vendor who advertised it for a cut-rate price as 'compatible with Windows XP', and found out it didn't cover Windows XP, and refused to install. McAfee's hot line chat representative, after I courteously explained my predicament and showed my proof of purchase with a genuine McAfee Key Code serial number, 'made good' and very nicely set me up with a valid subscription that works with Windows XP.

But in the process, I learned that McAfee normally requires your credit card number as part of the Key Code validation/authentication process, and sets you up for automatic renewal the NEXT time around (1 year later) at full retail price (and very exorbitant). I somehow circumvented and skirted past this little high-pressure sales gambit this time, because of my product Key Code problem; the chat rep validated me differently and didn't ask me to crank in a credit card number.

But NEXT time I need to renew, 1 year from now, I am forewarned in advance what McAfee's game plan will be; "Give us your credit card number, and agree to automatic renewal charges in advance (at McAfee's exploitive online website full retail price), or we won't let you register THIS time." That's quite a surprise, and nobody gets advance warning of it until they go to register what they've already purchased, even if elsewhere such as from an Ebay or Amazon.com reseller first. I royally dread advance purchase agreements like that, especially compulsory ones, and most especially surprise compulsory ones. NEXT time, I will know what to expect, and I don't think I will be purchasing McAfee no matter how nice their product is. I do not like that kind of sales approach.

367

General Software Discussion / Re: gateway ta6 laptop

« on: January 14, 2016, 12:02 PM »

My AV (Symantec) just gave a warning about it containing OpenCandy, but that's relatively harmless. I tried the ImgBurn provided mirror, btw, maybe other mirrors trigger the warning based on their hostname?

-Ath (January 14, 2016, 01:35 AM)

Thanks. After I install ImgBurn, I'll just run Malwarebytes and a few other anti-pup scans to do a general pup cleanup.

368

General Software Discussion / Re: gateway ta6 laptop

« on: January 13, 2016, 09:10 PM »

I downloaded ImgBurn from the official website, and my anti-virus triggered a warning for a 'pup' or 'potentially unwanted program', named -of all things- PUP-FCA. Google has no info. Can anyone please advise. Thanks.

369

General Software Discussion / Re: gateway ta6 laptop

« on: January 12, 2016, 06:38 PM »

Well, as usual when the price is too good to be true: it probably is

-Ath (January 12, 2016, 01:29 AM)

...even in ebay, with a trusted seller of alleged good repute, who is actually a ripoff con artist.

My freebie ten year old laptop came with on-board dvd burning software known as Cyberlink Power2Go, with a UI that looks a lot like Nero 7 layout. The laptop lacks sufficient memory (2GB) to run Nero, so I uninstalled Nero, but wanted to save it to a dvd I have, titled 'downloads'. I finally got daring enough to try burning my 190MB Nero download to that dvd. Power2Go ran almost like Nero, took 10 minutes to burn to dvd, and 'failed'. The entire laptop OS locked. I finally had to power off by holding on the power button until it shut down the OS. On reboot, the laptop tried to read the dvd and went into a continuous loop feedback. I powered off with the power button again, and used a straightened paper clip to manually eject the now-toxic dvd, which went straight into the 'circular file' (waste paper basket). On reboot, the laptop took an extra 5 minutes to reach desktop, but recovered. I went online and found out how to create a restore point in XP and ran it.

I guess I'll try ImgBurn next.

370

General Software Discussion / Re: Firefox Extensions: Your favorite or most useful

« on: January 12, 2016, 12:07 AM »

I found this youtube video on how to restore the classic FF look: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C51X1DCMtwI

371

General Software Discussion / Re: Firefox Extensions: Your favorite or most useful

« on: January 11, 2016, 07:40 PM »

I have the newest version of FF, and I don't like the layout; the forward, back, stop, home, and other buttons are all not where I'm used to; how can I get back a more classic look & layout? I'm interested in either an add-on, or earlier FF version.

372

General Software Discussion / Re: gateway ta6 laptop

« on: January 11, 2016, 03:39 PM »

512GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive Metal Swivel High Speed Memory Stick Thumb Pen Gifts
$13.66 & free shipping
[..]
I'm thinking of buying, and seeking opinions. The laptop I was given is about 10 years old, and only has USB 2.0 anyway, so it would be pointless to pay more for USB 3.0 or greater. I do wish to be warned if the offers may be bogus somehow, because a few years back there were bogus thumb drives being offered on ebay, but times change and the technology seems legit in this case.

-holt (January 10, 2016, 02:42 PM)

it's hard to believe they're real at that price, but I dont know :-/
The negative reviews the seller gets are all related to SD cards that dont have the advertised space:
http://feedback.ebay...rkparms=negative_180
which would make me wary.

I suspect many people buy, see 512GB listed as size on PC and give positive feedback -- but AFAIK that can be 'fixed', and it's only when they run out of space @ 32GB or whatever, that they realise they've been conned.

-tomos (January 11, 2016, 01:04 PM)

I can hardly believe my eyes, but you're right. It's the same con. A ripoff, the reviews tell all:
//--PC shows it is 256GB but it's not able to hold that much-FAKE, do not buy.
--Memory card does not work...beware of low price
--Works only to 10G!
//
Imagine that.

373

General Software Discussion / Re: gateway ta6 laptop

« on: January 10, 2016, 11:11 PM »

....(portable) hard disks (and virtualized" tapes....

-Shades (January 05, 2016, 03:47 PM)

I'm not sure what you're referring to but it sounds interesting? Something that could be hooked up to a laptop?

374

General Software Discussion / Re: gateway ta6 laptop

« on: January 10, 2016, 11:08 PM »

For only fourteen bucks it's a steal. Now I'm thinking, it's also about the time I would put in on this, and is there any option besides this anyone would like to suggest? Any other thumb drive?

375

General Software Discussion / Re: How do I change computer name?

« on: January 10, 2016, 07:38 PM »

I'm not quite sure I follow your navigation, but see if this will get you what you want.

-x16wda (January 10, 2016, 07:27 PM)

The values for those two entries, Registered Owner and Registered Organization, were blank, so I entered my preferences. However, the unwanted name remains in the location I mentioned.
update--You put me on the right track; I found the answer here:
How to Change the Computer Name in Windows XP Software
It definitely made my day.