Month: August 2015

Copy and move.. a painless registry tweak

By Mike

If you’ve been around Windows for a while, you will know that there used to be ‘copy to’ and ‘move to’ functions in the right click menu but there isn’t anymore, and hasn’t been since Vista. I will admit that neither is much use on a single drive computer, but my system is NOT single drive and never has been. So, every time that I move to the next OS, I run a couple of registry tweaks which you can get here.. Scroll down to the install section, click on the download link, save them to ‘downloads’ and then run each of them in … Continue reading Copy and move.. a painless registry tweak

Internet privacy.. in general

By Mike

There are those who seek to besmirch the name of Windows 10, and while they create noise around the new operating system, there is a veritable cacophony everywhere else. See here.. I lead a perfectly boring life, interspersed with broken joints and cancer treatments. I do nothing illegal by any standards, and everything is completed at half speed because that is the best I can manage these days. If I used Windows 10 for a thousand years, I doubt that that anybody could come up with as much as half an A4 sheet on me that contained anything other than … Continue reading Internet privacy.. in general

Windows 10 privacy.. Updated

By Mike

There has been a lot of talk about this, so Microsoft have released a fairly comprehensive website covering all aspects.. see here.. The way I see it for the most part.. if you want privacy, an Internet connected computer is NOT the place for you, and never really has been.. 🙂 The Update: I don’t personally believe that Microsoft is spying, and neither does Ed Bott. Please read this article, and then throw away the tinfoil hats once and for all..

The upgrade fails when..

By Mike

.. it encounters foreign stuff and malware. This is no reference to different languages or anything like that. I am talking about old junk, programming, updates produced by companies who would rather not put any effort into general support, preferring instead to blame Microsoft. It happens a lot, you know.. 🙂 The process of upgrading an OS is major stuff, more than just transplanting version names. Third party anti-virus, hardware drivers specific to the older OS, older programs barely compatible with Windows 95, all take their toll. Decisions, decisions.. So, before starting the upgrade, there are one or two decisions … Continue reading The upgrade fails when..

Optical or Laser? That is the question..

By Mike

I am going to keep this short and free from claims that a laser mouse is a trillion times faster and more accurate than a boring old cheap optical mouse. The main difference for almost all of us is the kind of surface on which the mouse will be used. Laser mice and Microsoft’s Blu-track range will work on 99% of surfaces, including carpet according to Microsoft, and even clear glass, BUT.. An optical mouse is as fussy as a mouse can get, and should you get a cheap mouse mat or a $$$ gaming mouse mat because control can … Continue reading Optical or Laser? That is the question..

Browser silliness..

By Mike

Mozilla is not happy. Microsoft has set Microsoft Edge as the default browser, and to add insult to injury, Edge sets Bing as the main search engine. Boo hoo hoo. Like any of the this will make the slightest difference to the millions who hate Bill Gates, Microsoft and any browser the company produces. A funny story: While I was in rehab, I just had my Netbook sporting a fairly raw install of Windows 10. So, I wanted to connect to Wi-Fi there, but Microsoft’s Edge wouldn’t display the popup for me to complete the job. I had to use … Continue reading Browser silliness..

Patch Tuesday for Windows and 10..

By Mike

Is this the first official Patch Tuesday for Windows 10? You can read about what it does here. There is a reboot involved but it doesn’t have to be immediate. Personally. I prefer immediate, and not because I am never doing anything important. I like to get things done and out of the way.. 🙂  

Cleaning up (sweeping away) the old operating systems..

By Mike

It is time, for me at least, to see off the old operating systems on my big PC and the Netbook. To this end, I am using ‘Disk Cleanup’, which can be found in All Apps > Windows administrative, to clear out unwanted stuff from the new Windows 10 installation. I am not getting any problems, and have no desire to go back in time. I would pension off the Netbook before using Windows 7 again. Windows 8.1 on the big PC I could live with ok, but why do that now 10 is out? The other two computers are … Continue reading Cleaning up (sweeping away) the old operating systems..

Upgrading to Windows 10..

By Mike

So far, I have to admit that it has been a painless experience for me and others I know. The process doesn’t take too long, and what you get is what you saw on your screen before the update, but sitting on a better operating system. Admittedly there is a small learning curve, examples being the ‘Settings’ box:  click on the Logo and then select Settings and how to get to the old Control Panel: right click on the Logo and select Control Panel or any of the other entries in the list but for average home users, it will be business as … Continue reading Upgrading to Windows 10..