Okay, so Windows 10 turns out to NOT be the last Windows ever, and in Micro$oft tradition Windows 11 is a bloated, invasive operating system that will sap your computer resources to the max. If you are in Ogemaw, Oscoda, Roscommon, or other regions within 50 miles of Rose City, MI, and are on Windows 10 you may need to assess your needs for upgrade before Windows 10 is no longer under Micro$oft support. This may require hardware replacement costing hundreds of dollars, a “hack” to make your current system accept the next Windows, or leaving Micro$oft altogether to use an open source, free to use Linux operating system with all the bells and whistles you need without the constraints and restraints that Micro$oft places on you. If you are looking toward the future and wish to consult with a knowledgeable source about your computing need in regards to operating systems you can get in touch at jeff@jeffdoesit.biz and I will be happy to help.
Category: Computer Tips
General tips on using your computer
Never Have So Many Owed So Much For So Little
An Open Letter To Microsoft:
Dear Microsoft,
It’s been a pleasure using your OS for these last few decades. As a freelance IT nerd and occasional business staffer I have been thrilled by the challenges of learning the M$ software that runs on Windows, from 3.1 to 10 and all the updates. Especially post Windows 7, when updates, more often than not, would change some crucial setting and render a critical 3rd-party application useless until I could divine the fix with hours (sometimes days) of searching online and experimentation to restore functionality. It was even more fun to watch you take things away, like WMC (Windows Media Center), the greatest HTPC application ever, so that over-engineered and clunky 3rd party applications like Kodi could fill the void with months of configuration twiddling to attain half the functionality of WMC. Really nice move, there.
But the greatest move so far is the one you have coming up, the one that replaces Windows 10, the system that you claimed was the last Windows you would ever put out, Windows 11. I have not yet installed this new and improved Windows 10, but I have seen the videos. I must say, I am impressed with the dramatic pictures that you’ve chosen for the background. And moving the taskbar icons to the center? Genius!
Of course, you know this will be driving some consumer-level Windows users to learn Linux. This is because some of us aren’t really ready to replace their trusty, perfectly serviceable, loaded personal computers with new ones that accept the TPM 2.0 that you demand. Granted, it’s four years before Windows 10 needs to be retired. That should give the average power user time to find the Linux replacements for M$ Office and any of the other software they currently use.
The big advantage for you, dear M$, is that you will force businesses, from small mom & pop to major corporations, to comply with your dictate and either update with TPM chips or replace their computers with new units to avoid having to do, on a mega-scale, what individual users who switch to Linux will have to do. Changing document formats, spreadsheets, whole databases? IT hell! And can you imagine the learning curve for the users? The re-education dollars would be immense. I’m sure you’ve calculated all that, though: replacement costs vs. OS switch. I’d guess you’ll come out on top, since you get a piece of the new computer sales from your partner companies. And, hey, you probably need the money. I’m sure you’re strapped for cash, after all this Plandemic stuff. And it’s not like there isn’t precedence for this move. The FCC did the same kind of thing a few years ago by taking away analog TV so that they could sell frequencies to cell phone service providers. Smart! Hell, people needed to buy cable or satellite subscriptions anyway. Those companies have better funded lobbyists. Gotta keep those political contributions rolling in. Good for America! Besides, everything looks so much better on a 60″ flat-panel LED television, made by $1.00/day labor in some Asian sweatshop. That is, until the signal gets weak during bad weather, or if you live in fringe areas. But I digress.
It is with heavy heart that I will not be able to afford to follow you, M$, into the Windows 11 money pit. I live on a fixed income and just cannot see my way clear to replace the high-powered, home-built machine that far exceeds the general requirements you’ve placed on Windows 11. I cannot even justify the cost of a TPM chip, something that used to cost about $10 before you announced the need for your upgrade, which naturally drove the cost to @ $90 now (love that free market. Are you getting a piece of that, too?)
So I have a question, M$: Which Linux distro do you suggest for my machine to keep it working just like it does with Windows 10? Just kidding; I know you don’t care.
So This Is Happening
For the last seven years I’ve offered a website service wherein I provide a year of hosting, a domain name search, and the latest WordPress installation with theme configuration and initial SEO settings, for $180.00. That’s super cheap and I believe it is a quick way for a person or business to achieve a web presence without the learning curve of doing it themselves.
I’ve had clients come and go, and those that let the hosting lapse have done so because they don’t see their site appear on Google. Invariably, the lack of search engine traction is due to a lack of regular content addition. Now, I do include training on the use of WordPress with my package, along with a discussion on the importance of posting to the site on a regular basis with two to three paragraphs of relevant, truthful, useful information in the blog section. Without fail, it is that section of their site that remains fallow. It seems that spending an hour a week adding something to their site is just not a priority. And that’s a shame as no one would know more about their site subject than the owner, and spending four to five hours a month on self-marketing the business is far more cost effective than paying someone else to do it.
However, it seems that content creation and management is a viable service and one that I can provide. For as little as $250.00 a month I will research and create content for your website for regular updates and posts. I can also offer video creation in a range of production values for reasonable rates. If you have an interest, see my pricing list here.
10 things you should do to every Windows PC | TechRepublic
It may be anachronistic to think about a new desktop when the world seems to be going mobile, but there are still those of us who depend on our monster box at the work station or home office. Mark Kaelin at Tech republic runs through a list of things that you might want to check and adjust when you first turn on your new PC or Mac. The article is a little dated (2005) and is based on Windows XP, but as a Windows 7 user I can attest that most of the information is timeless. The first point Kaelin makes is to get your ‘puter internet ready with anti-malware apps and firewall settings. This makes me wonder what anti-malware comes on most smartphones….
My tl;dr (too long, didn’t read) on Windows 8
Every one is a critic but I’d like to sum it up quickly:
Pros:
- Built in pdf viewer
- Built in ISO mounting
- MUCH faster boot times and everything is generally snappier
- WAY BETTER multi-monitor support (taskbar on each screen is amazing)
- WAY BETTER task manager (includes MS config to edit start up programs)
- Much needed improvements in Windows explorer (Ribbon similiar to Office)
- “Refresh your PC” setting that allows you to basically do a re-install without booting your W8 disk
Con:
- Metro start screen (press Win+D to go to desktop)
Unlocker – Delete stubborn files in Windows
If you’ve ever been unable to delete a file in Windows, and can’t figure out what program’s using it, Unlocker is the answer.
Example Windows Error Messages:
- Cannot delete folder: It is being used by another person or program
- Cannot delete file: Access is denied
- There has been a sharing violation.
- The source or destination file may be in use.
- The file is in use by another program or user.
- Make sure the disk is not full or write-protected and that the file is not currently in use.
Click here to download: http://www.emptyloop.com/unlocker
Right click the folder or file and select Unlocker. If the folder or file is locked, a window listing of lockers will appear. Click “Unlock All” and you are finished!
Pandora Chrome Extension
In a previous post I talked about the Windows Pandora Gadget; I wanted to find a similar way to play Pandora on OSX and came across a solution for cross platform compatibility (using Chrome).
I found a Chrome extension called Anesidora that plays Pandora without the need to have a tab open for Pandora.com and it never plays ads. Anasidora was previously hosted in the Chrome extension store but has been taken down. Once i found a download site i was able to install the extension however, it would not let me log in! The hosted download is a later version that has a simple bug and here is how to fix it:
Edit: I have found a site that hosts a working version thanks to a Facebook friend:
http://chromeunderground.b
1. Go here and download the extension (using Chrome) http://pandora-extension.googlecode.com/files/Anesidora-1.3.2.crx
2. You’ll get the issue where it won’t let you login. This is because of a bug in version 1.3.2. The Web Store version was up to 1.3.7 I believe and had fixed this issue, but in the 1.3.2 version the bug still exists.
3. To fix it you have to hunt for the file “anesidora.js”
On OSX extensions are located at: ~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/Default/Extensions
On Linux, extensions are located at: ~/.config/google-chrome/Default/Extensions/
On Windows XP, extensions are located at: C:\Documents and Settings\UserName\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions
And on Windows Vista/7, extensions are located at: C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions
For Windows, you may have to ‘Show All Hidden Files’ to see the AppData directory in Vista/7, or Local Settings directory in XP.
This is worth it stick with me!
4. You’ll know you’ve found the right folder when you see the a folder “1.3.2.0”.
5. When you’ve found that folder, open it, and then open the “js” folder, and you’ll see the file “anesidora.js”. Open that with your favorite text editor, and do a search for “v3” (use ctrl+f). There should only be one occurrence. It will say v30 or v31 to start with, but it needs to say v32.
6. Change it to v32, save it, and restart Chrome. You should now be able to login and enjoy the wonderful experience that is Anesidora.
Please comment below if you run into any issues so i can modify my post with more clarity if need be.
Microsoft Security Essentials (Antivirus)
If you’re running Windows you’re going to want to run up-to-date antivirus software. There is no need to pay for antivirus anymore because Microsoft Security Essentials is free if you have a genuine copy of Windows (not pirated). It protects against viruses, spyware, and other malware without being a resource hog in return not killing system performance like many other anti-virus’. No anti-virus software is fool-proof so you will still have to browse safely and make sure to run Windows updates, which Microsoft Security Essentials is integrated into. Once MSE is installed it will reside in the system tray in the bottom right hand corner of your task-bar; make sure to keep an eye out for the little castle looking icon and if it’s orange or red, it needs attention.
The download page can be found here: http://www.microsoft.com/security/pc-security/mse.aspx
Internet Connectivity Diagnostics
I wish i would have found this troubleshooting guide sooner. Networking problems are a computer problem that i cannot simply solve by connecting remotely to a machine so i usually end up troubleshooting over the phone which isn’t the most convenient. This diagnostic map was put together by a networking tech support guru to whom i owe many thanks! Print off the map or view it on another computer while trying to solve internet connectivity issues.
http://mind42.com/pub/mindmap?mid=0f55a05d-f7ca-47f6-a800-8afa3f20c526
Monoprice
HDMI Cable price comparison
Monoprice: $4.34 (10ft.) VS. Monster: $69.95 (13.12 ft.)
Do you NEED the best?
