Windows 8 woes!

[Loose rivets]

I used to tell my CAD workstation customers to upgrade to 6.22. And to PLEASE not put Windows on their computers, saying it's just a colourful toy and won't catch on.

[BEagle]

Apart from Fortran at university, I didn't bother with computers until the Boss obtained a BBC Master for the squadron. I taught myself to write a couple of programs for that, including all the current ATP-56 rendezvous manoeuvre calculations.

Then came Win 3.1 which I only used for WordPerfect, although the PC was supplied for us to use for HMI evaluation of a Link16 proposal.

The first laptop I owned used Win95, which was fine. I skipped the next versions of Windows and went straight to WinXP which is also fine.

Win7 doesn't include Outlook Express, neither is it compatible with it. A silly thing for Microsoft to have done as the supposed replacement, 'Windows Live Mail' is truly awful.

As for Win8, advice I've had is not to bother with it.

[Keef]

I abandoned Outlook many years ago, when it crashed (as things do) and lost ALL my mail, ALL my diary appointments etc. It turns out it keeps everything in one giant file (unless you know to tell it to do otherwise). One hiccup, and it's all gone.

The backup was dud, too.

Enter Thunderbird and Pocket Informant, and I've been happy ever since.

I tried the "Customer Preview" of Win 8, fortunately with a dual boot. I removed it after a short time. I'm sticking with Win 7.

[Andu]

I've recently upgraded (though that's debatable) to Win8 and since doing so, cannot succeed in getting Bluetooth to work properly. I have two rather old Nokia mobiles, both of which are found and recognised by my (now)Win8 laptop, but both phones show as OFFLINE on the device list on the laptop, despite having been selected to 'visible to all' with Bluetooth ON.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what I should do to make my phone(s) display as being ONLINE? I can't see any switching on either the phone or the laptop that leaps out and bites me.

[Mac the Knife]

Use a different Bluetooth stack from the rather poor MS one.

I suggest - BlueSoleil - Bluetooth Software,Bluetooth Driver,Bluetooth Dongle

Much better.

$27 but worth it.

Mac

[Andu]

Thanks for the quick reply, Mac. However, the problem would seem to be with the phones rather than Microsoft. I've tried the same exercise with an iPad. The iPad recognises both phones, but the connection repeatedly drops out after maybe one or two seconds. (On the Bluetooth page, the phone shows as 'not connected'. Press/swipe on that, it shows 'connected' for one or two seconds, then 'not connected'.

Perhaps my phones are too old and therefore not compatible with Win8 or ipads? Are there software updates available for old Nokias to make them compatible with iPads and Win8? I'll take a look on the Nokia site.

[nathanroberts2K8]

Windows 8 for the desktop I shall avoid it like the plague. May aswell be windows 3.1.

[Blacksheep]

Windows 8 is the biggest pile of crap seen on this planet since Diplodocus became extinct.

In my case it has not only forgotten my password, it has forgotten my fingerprint as well. I can't get back in even to wipe the drive and start again... Urgh!

[Milo Minderbinder]

Blacksheep
Send it back under warranty or reject it
May well be a failed TPM chip in it
Trusted Platform Module - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Gertrude the Wombat]

I'm from the ZX81/Sinclair QL (remember those??) generation......

Yes, I worked on the QL ... if nothing else there's a bug fix in one of the chips which is down to me!

The press launch in the Intercontinental was good fun too. I wasn't in too good a state, whilst sitting on the platform pressing buttons for the TV cameras, having not really sobered up from the previous night before starting on the Buck's Fizz for breakfast. But I only missed one cue.

Win7 doesn't include Outlook Express, neither is it compatible with it. A silly thing for Microsoft to have done as the supposed replacement, 'Windows Live Mail' is truly awful.

Thunderbird is only slightly different in most everyday uses to OE, and will import OE message bases. There are some minor UI irritations (things that are harder to do than with OE for no obviously good reason) but nothing serious that I've come across.

[Booglebox]

Originally Posted by Keef

I abandoned Outlook many years ago, when it crashed (as things do) and lost ALL my mail, ALL my diary appointments etc. It turns out it keeps everything in one giant file (unless you know to tell it to do otherwise). One hiccup, and it's all gone.

That's also how Thunderbird works AFAIK. But in this day and age you should be using IMAP anyway.

[Keef]

Originally Posted by Booglebox

That's also how Thunderbird works AFAIK. But in this day and age you should be using IMAP anyway.

No, Thunderbird has a full set of files/folders. Normally, it hides them in the User folder in the bowels of drive C, but they are there. There is a separate folder for each e-mail address, then separate ones within that for Inbox, Drafts, Sent, Trash, and any added folders the user sets up. Mine's got dozens. I also have a backup routine that creates a dated set of copies, just in case.

My diary is in a completely separate place (not run by Thunderbird anyway). That synchronises between PC, iPhone and iPad.

I don't use IMAP for most accounts because very often when out and about, there's no internet and no 3G connection. I like to have the mail and my diary available at all times. Accounts I only ever access from home are IMAP.

[Spitoon]

Originally Posted by Milo

Interesting to state that so far I've not been asked to either install or repair a Windows 8 computer.
When Win7 came out I was inundated with calls
Seems to me things aren't happy with Win8 sales

Interesting suggestion. The alternative that went through my mind when I first saw the post was that maybe Win 8 was just working well for anyone who wanted it.

At that point I hadn't played with it. Since then I've installed it on my laptop and, as others have mentioned, I think it can be summed up as 'a bit different from earlier versions, fine when you get used it and it's got some pretty good improvements and tricks when you dig around under the bonnet'. I bought it as a boxed upgrade for the equivalent of about £40 (where I am at the moment) and I started to think it might be good to have on my main desktop that I use for business and important stuff. I'm a little perturbed to find that the upgrade assistant tells me that a couple of programs that I use on the desktop are marked as 'Upgrade available' but, in truth, I'll have to buy a brand new version if I want to continue using them and the cost will run into hundreds of £££. And then I take a look at the Microsoft site to see how much Win 8 would be now that the introductory discount period has ended and find that it's a little under £200.

So the decision is easily made. The things that have impressed me are not worth the cost and the possible problems that might accompany the upgrades.

So, if Milo was right about sales when Microsoft was offering it at what was, for me anyway, a reasonable price, I suspect that they'll go down the plughole now.

Shame really.

[rans6andrew]

OK, I kicked out Zonealarm, enabled Winduz firewall and injested Avast. The machine now boots more quickly, will open attachments before I lose the will to live and closes down in some minutes.

BUT

it still goes around the "do not unplug, installing upgrades" bit on EVERY power down.

I think Adobe is the culprit, it fetches a new update on a regular basis but I think it fails to install properly.

I can live with it, for the moment, until I have time to fiddle with it unless anyone has a real quick fix up their sleeve?

Ta,

Rans6.

[Milo Minderbinder]

no, that will be a windows update problem

look at the windows update histories and you'll probably find the same ones failing. Which are they? Each should have a discrete KB reference number

[Mike-Bracknell]

Originally Posted by Milo Minderbinder

Interesting to state that so far I've not been asked to either install or repair a Windows 8 computer.
When Win7 came out I was inundated with calls
Seems to me things aren't happy with Win8 sales

I already know they're worse than Vista.