Windows Vista and XP Availability - amended 07 Sep 2011

For anyone wanting to obtain a legal copy of Windows Vista and XP they are increasingly harder to find with an Internet search. Previously used copies may still be found at places like Ebay. Both are still available in the U.S. as new copies at http://index-downloads.com/ > Microsoft, then scroll down for the title and download link

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Windows 7 - amended 27 Jul 2011

Windows 7 is a significant improvement on Vista and even more so on XP. If it is being considered to change operating systems then the absolute first thing to do is download the Windows 7 Advisor, then install and run it. That will identify hardware and programmes that won't work with Windows 7. The report should assist in deciding on the most cost effective option - upgrade the hardware and/or programmes, or invest in a new system.

Caution should be used if it is planned to run the Windows 7 Advisor on a computer running XP and perhaps early Vista machines, particularly if the graphics are being handled by mainboard chips. The Advisor may report all is OK but when the install routine for Windows 7 starts a problem with graphics can occur and vital things for continuing the install are missing.

It appears the install routine for Windows 7 has a problem with some mainboard based graphics, i.e. built in chips. One possible way around that with a desktop computer is to fit a Nvidia or ATI based graphics card.

At this point the next options will depend on whether the existing system will run Windows 7 and whether the operating system is Vista or XP.

Vista

Assuming the existing system appears as if it will run Windows 7 (see above) then an upgrade version is one option. It should be remembered that installing Windows 7 over Vista will lead to inheriting any problems and junk baggage that exist. However the upgrade version offers the choice in the install routine of an in-place upgrade (installing over Vista), or a "custom" install (clean install alongside Vista. A custom install renames the Vista programme folder as Windows Old. Either way the user created data files, mail boxes and address book, Internet bookmarks or favourites should be backed up. Most of those may be lost depending on what install option is chosen.

If the upgrade option is chosen the Vista install DVD will be asked for as proof of upgrade pricing qualification. No genuine full version Vista install disc, (not a so called "recovery disc") then do not choose the upgrade option.

XP

See the caution in the second paragraph. Generally the same choices are there for XP users except.....there is no upgrade path. It is reported by the I.T. media that an upgrade version of Windows 7 can still be used but the only option is custom install as outlined in the Vista section above.

As a rule of thumb the hardware requirements for Windows 7 are less than those for Vista suggesting that an XP class machine will run Windows 7. Given that service packs 1, 2 & 3 for XP have been noted to impact on the performance of middle to low end computers, some thought may be given to that aspect. That simply means if a given computer is slow then switching to Windows 7 is not going to show an improvement. Somewhat different with Vista because Windows 7 is noticeably faster.

To further cloud the scene there is the choice between a retail copy and an original equipment manufacturer (OEM). An OEM copy differs only in that an expensive cardboard box and a next to useless booklet are not provided. Windows XP is increasingly harder to find in Internet searching.

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Roxio Media Creator - amended 27 Jul 2011

If you are running Windows 7 or Vista and Roxio Media Creator or Creator series from 7 through 10, a problem may be encountered with Label Creator and possibly other functions.

There appears to be a problem with Label Creator and the 'Aero Glass' feature in Windows 7 and Vista. Specifically Label Creator wont open in the same screen resolution, i.e. the native resolution of the monitor or that being used at the time. Instead a resolution of 1024x768 is insisted upon. The result of that is the Label Creator window is much too big and cannot be reduced to allow access to function buttons. This makes it unusable.

The work around is to temporarily disable the 'Aero Glass' feature, also called 'Transparency'. In Windows 7 that can be done by right mouse clicking a clear area of the screen, then 'Personalize'. From the range of Themes click on Windows Basic. The 'Aero Glass' effects will be turned off and the colour scheme will be a little different. Follow those steps to return to whatever the previous theme was by choosing it in Themes.

In Windows Basic theme Label Creator opens in the monitors native resolution allowing normal function.

The above applies to ver 7 through 10, but not to ver 10 if it has been updated with SP1. It is not known if the problem exists in ver 11.

To do this in Vista is a somewhat similar operation. Sometimes turning off 'Transparency' by un-ticking the check box is sufficient.

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Windows 7 and E-mail - amended 27 Jul 2011

To get around the lack of an e-mail programme in Windows 7 there are two approaches, (a) download Windows Live Mail from Microsoft or install Thunderbird downloaded via the path www.mozilla.org > Thunderbird > Get Thunderbird.

The Live Mail path is like any other web based mail in that your mail is held on a mail server and not on your computer. There are also limitations on the mail system's ability to handle embedded text and or objects originating from another programme.

Thunderbird looks and handles like an up-rated Outlook Express. It sets itself up with the account and server settings during the install routine, however if the connection account is a "Telstra Business" then problems may be encountered, and you will need to contact Telstra. A great feature is the ability to easily back up the mail boxes and the 'Profile' that contains the address book with a back up programme from:

http://mozbackup.jasnapaka.com

Follow the prompts for an .exe file that should be downloaded to a known directory. Activating the file runs the install routine. The programme is stand alone and does not install as a Thunderbird Add On or Plugin.

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How Much RAM - amended 22 Feb 2010

Some vendors are noted for supplying computers with insufficient random access memory (RAM). If the hard drive activity light on the front panel constantly, or often springs to life while carrying out a task, together with a noticeable slow down in performance, then it is a sure sign of not enough RAM. As a guide - Windows XP requires a minimum of 512Mb. That's just to run the operating system. 1 Gb is the optimum just for the operating system. Once other programmes are opened then the RAM requirement goes up. Generally XP is happy running 2 Gb.

Windows 7 32 bit is generally OK with the above number for XP however an increase to 4 Gb may be beneficial if the computer is used for video editing or photo enhancing. New computers typically come with 4 Gb however not all of that is available since some will be assigned for system use.

With the gradual shift to 64 bit operating systems that can address considerably more RAM then 8Gb and more will become normal.

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USB Flash Drives - amended 20 Oct 2009

Scandisk USB flash drives come with utility programmes installed in a partition not accessible for removing them with Windows Explorer or My Computer. If you use these then fine - leave them be. If not you can claim back some space by downloading and running a removal utility from http://www.sandisk.com/Retail/Default.aspx?CatID=1415

The drive will need to be formatted again. To do that right mouse click on the drive from My Computer and choose "Format". If the drive is to be used on a Win 98 machine choose FAT32 format from the menu. If it is a Win 2000 or Vista machine choose NTFS. The end space result will be the same, or close to it on a very large capacity drive.

It is not known at the time of writing if the utility works on other brand flash drives.

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Windows XP SP3 - amended 30 Jan 2009

If Windows Update is set to "automatic" then service pack 3 won't happen behind the scenes like other updates. The system notifies with a yellow shield in the notification area of the Task Bar. A left mouse click on the shield brings up the next step and just follow the prompts. If you decline this update you could find that updates, including security and priority, are not made available until SP3 is downloaded and successfully installed.

If you have Windows Update set to "notify but don't download or install" then the above paragraph is applicable.

SP3 is known to dramatically slow down computers intended for "office" work and other "low end specified" models.

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Word 2007 2010 Slow To Start - amended 27 Jul 2011

Having installed Office 2007 and you experience Word or the other applications are pathetically slow to start, it may be because Office is lacking current updates and service packs. With Windows Update set to automatic, or to just notify the availability of updates, the updates will happen either behind the scene or you should follow the prompts to update Office. UPDATING IS known to correct the slow start problem.

If that does not work then it may be due to the presence of an add in intended to convert a document to PDF format.

If you can do without this converter then open Word, then click the Office Button at the top left. In the menu click Add Ins. Look at the bottom of the window for the Manage menu line showing Comm Ad-ins. If it is not visible then click on the inverted arrow to the right of the line and then click Comm Add-ins. Next click on the Go button. In the next window look for an entry referring to PDF and remove the tick from the check box. Click OK, shut the computer down and restart it then start Word. If it does not open within a few seconds the repeat the above but this time make sure the entry referring to PDF is highlighted then click the Remove button. Shut down the computer and check again - all should be as it should.

Three choices should you need to convert Word documents to PDF format. Keep the PDF converter in Word and live with the slow start up, download and install Open Office in which Writer has a PDF converter, or look for a third party PDF writer.

There is another possible cause when there are two or more versions of MS Office installed (see further below for the Registry hack).

Another known cause is Word looks for a printer when it is started. If the printer is not switched on then Word cannot find it and takes forever to come to that conclusion. Try switching on the printer before booting the computer

Further - go into Control Panel > Printers and delete any printer icons other than for the specific printer installed. The Fax icon can be left alone.

If none of the above resolve the problem the next thing to try is a Registry hack. If unsure get someone who knows about Registry editing. Always make a backup of the Registry first. Do this at your own risk.

First make sure the correct version of Word opens a .doc file or .docx as applicable to Word versions prior to 2007 and Word 2007 respectively, by locating a file via Windows Explorer and double clicking it.

Next run the Registry Editor.

Then:

(a) Navigate down to HKEY_CURRENT USER to \Software\Microsoft\Office

(b) For Word 2007 (v12.0) continue to navigate through \12\Word\Options

(c) Once there click on the 'Options' branch in the left pane and create a new 'DWORD' and name it NoReREG. Next set the value to 1.

Do the same for other Word versions - they can be identified as Word 2003 (v11.0), Word 2002 (v10.0) and Word 2000 (v9.0).

Doing this disables the Windows installer from switching around between versions and changing settings to match the Word version being started.

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Speed Up Thunderbird Opening - Amended 08 Aug 2010

By default Thunderbird is set to display the Start Page in the Message Area. That makes the programme slow to load. If you don't require the Start Page displaying then go to Tools > Options > General tab and remove the tick from Thunderbird Start Page.

It may be noticed that the first time the programme is opened after boot up the load time of a new message pane is slow. Thereafter it is OK. The initial slow loading has not yet been resolved by Mozilla. Subsequent load time for a new message pane is faster because some, if not all, of the data is held in cache.

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Dictionary For Thunderbird 5 - Amended 07 Sep 2011

An Australian English dictionary for spell check has become available. Follow the path www.mozilla.org > Our Projects > Add Ons > Other Applications > Thunderbird. Type Dictionary into the Search line to display a list. Scroll for the English (Australian) Dictionary ver 2.1.2 and download the install file (xpi file extension).

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Microsoft Support For Win XP - Amended 10 Sep 2010

Support for service pack 2 versions has ceased meaning no more updates. At this time support for service pack 3 versions is scheduled to cease in 2014.

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Windows 7 64 bit - Amended 10 Sep 2010

If a new computer is bought the 64 bit version of Windows 7 is likely to be installed. The following considerations also apply to installing the 64 bit version onto a computer currently running the 32 bit version of Windows 7.

First off there has to be a compelling reason to run the 64 bit version. A possible reason may be that more than 4 Gb of RAM is required for something like video editing, or another graphics intensive task. Keep in mind that if 4 Gb of RAM is installed on a system running the 32 bit version of Windows 7 only 3. something Gb will be available. A 32 bit operating system cannot address more than 4Gb, and part of that is siphoned off for system requirements.

Secondly intensive research needs to be done on what programmes will really run on Win 7 64 bit. Some producer's web sites will state this and some do not, requiring a message to support asking the question. Hardware drivers is another problem area. Some manufacturers do not support more than one or two previous models for Windows 7. The respective web site support page needs to be checked for 64 bit driver and or other associated software, e.g. scanner software and album programmes.

The cost of replacing software and hardware therefore is a significant factor in deciding.

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Internet Usage Item - Amended 07 Sep 2011

A neat Internet usage meter that sits unobtrusively on Firefox's Navigation tool bar may be obtained from http://netusage.iau5.com It is compatible with Firefox 6.

When the very obvious download link is clicked the actual install function happens automatically right from the web site, and is an .xpi file that appears in the customisation area titled as Internet Usage Item.

To find the the customisation area where the additional function icons are stored, right mouse click in a blank area of the Menu bar, then click on the Customisation link in the drop down menu. The icon is moved from there to a point immediately before the address line in the Navigation tool bar by using the left mouse key in drag and drop method.

To set the meter up a right click on the icon in the Navigation tool bar drops a menu down. Click on Preferences and enter the relevant detail for ISP, auto refresh, Australia, user name and password. It will show a % readout automatically when you are logged on. If it doesn't then left click once followed by another left click to force a refresh. Further information is reached via a right click on the icon including a link back to the ISP's web site and your account log in function.

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Terminology - Amended 30 May 2011

For new users this can be a difficult topic to grasp, and made more so because it may not be possible to actually see the things referred to. The following link will open a list that is taken from Shcug's Basic course, and includes just those terms considered to be at that level:

Terminology

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