Month: June 2014

Finally, I have found out why The HP Envy 23 will not upgrade.. IT IS THE FAULT OF HP.. see here.. This is the text underneath the ‘not tested’ part.. For this reason, HP is unable to provide update instructions or Windows 8.1 drivers. You may lose basic functionality and reliability if you try to update your system.. This machine cost the client almost $1000 (ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS), and it was supplied with Windows 8 pre-installed. Imagine a manufacturer supplying a system which could handle Windows 7 but not Windows 7 SP1. It just re-enforces my belief that HP products … Continue reading Windows 8.1 Upgrade 80004005 error.. Part 2

I took in an HP Envy 23 this morning, and on starting it, I hadn’t seen so much bad stuff on just one PC in a long time. It took a while to fix the basics because there was just one pop-up after another, absolutely relentless but worse was to come. Apart from a multiplicity of apps which have been added, some maybe bought, this is a ‘straight 8’ machine, running the original release. When I try to upgrade to 8.1, I keep getting the 80004005 error, and I am not alone. I have been given clearance by the owner … Continue reading Windows 8.1 Upgrade stopped in its tracks..

If you try to install and run older 3rd party software in Windows and it doesn’t run, asks for dll’s or anything else.. .. it is not up to Microsoft to provide an answer.. .. Microsoft has no financial interest in the sale of new versions of 3rd party software or hardware.. .. it is not my fault, and I have no financial stake either.. I recommend what is best from an operational point of view, which incidentally may not be the cheapest route. Like many others, I also can’t afford to upgrade everything to the latest level, and yes, … Continue reading When older software does not run, who is liable?

See here. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9249125/Microsoft_strips_some_Windows_7_users_of_IE11_patch_privileges?source=rss_latest_content&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+computerworld%2Fnews%2Ffeed+%28Latest+from+Computerworld%29 As usual, there is a smattering of anti-Microsoft people posting, but I am not put off by any of it and neither should you be. I left a post stating my view.. ‘ ‘ALL browsers and operating systems have to update. So what is the difference in this case? I am a staunch user of IE, always was, always will be..’ It is my belief that users who get into trouble using IE11 is doing something wrong because I never have problems with IE ever.. Anyway, for those of you who are update-shy, there are lots of … Continue reading Compulsory updates for IE11..

I paid a visit to TigerDirect recently and was immediately jumped on by one of the new commission-only sales staff. When asked, I told him that I was in for a CPU fan, and he followed me down to the appropriate area. The fan was for an aging Dell desktop and is a 92mm, three pin type. There were some in stock and he took one down for me. Having being told by the employee that it was a case fan and not suitable for use as a CPU fan,  I then proceeded to open the packaging to check for … Continue reading The trouble with ………….

Four machines to do, but one will be delayed because there is Facebook junk running on it. The Windows 8 desktop managed to install all 17 major updates plus 1 optional, rebooting back to Windows 8 with no issues. The Windows 7 desktop managed all 9 major updates plus one optional, and rebooted back to Windows 7 with no issues. The Netbook running Windows 7 took a different route. Of the 9 plus 1 optional, it first stated that the updates were all successful but actually didn’t install anything at all. The second attempt claimed that 2 updates had installed … Continue reading Windows updates June 2014..

Take a look at your smartphone, tablet or iPad. The top surface is called a ‘digitizer’ panel, of good optical quality, and very expensive. I know this because my grand-daughter’s iPad Mini which she won in a ticket draw at her school was dropped onto decorative garden stones. It now looks like a spider web, but it still runs on and appears to be ok other than the glass. I have searched online for ways to repair it, and have discovered that one needs the panel, specialized tools, specialized adhesive and a lot of patience as it is a very … Continue reading It isn’t just a piece of glass.

I know it is because the Dilbert cartoon on my home page has six elements instead of the usual three. So far, I have: run maintenance on my Toshiba Netbook, a painfully slow process at best, updated it’s Libre Office to 4.2, followed up on some answers I gave in the Microsoft Community forums last week. run event viewer on my main computer which still only shows three errors of no particular concern Last week, I installed Microsoft Office 2013 on a client computer and am now glad that I didn’t go beyond Office 2010. The 2013 interface is just … Continue reading It’s Sunday..

Microsoft will not include a home-grown traditional start menu into Windows 8 until next year, and it will only be a mini-menu anyway, but I wonder if anybody truly cares anymore. http://www.zdnet.com/no-microsoft-start-menu-for-windows-8-until-2015-sources-7000030100/?s_cid=e539&ttag=e539&ftag=TRE17cfd61 A client of mine, who recently attended a six month re-training session, informed me that Windows 8 is all pictures, and that MS Office 2013 wouldn’t read Office 2010 data files. It annoyed me on both counts, but Microsoft is squarely to blame for the first part of the statement. Windows 8 should have installed with the best interface for the machine type, but it didn’t. We all … Continue reading Not until 2015..

Facebook wants to use your smartphone microphone to pick up on music that maybe playing in your background.. Facebook said last week it will soon introduce "a new, optional way to share and discover music, TV and movies." If users allow Facebook to access their microphone while they’re writing a status update, the company will identify the content playing in the background and automatically include it. So, if you are standing next to a busy road, will it include ads for the ‘Le Mans’ or ‘Grand Prix’ movie soundtracks? ‘ This is one stupid and annoying feature and who can … Continue reading In the news 2..