General computer user advise

[Manator]

I will try the stinger and let you know how I get on

 

[steptoe]

*nix doesnt allow .exe to work.!

just an example , other good OS's are available .

 

[Manator]

Ok I tried stinger and identified one virus which was cleaned, however my laptop still will not boot up, and just goes to the blue screen. However it is an old laptop an IBM thinkpad, so I guess I will have to stop being so tight and buy a new one. Problem is I use it all the time at work, and the new ones look so flimsy.

 

[Sidewinder]

Manator,

We can fix this!

If the Forumite collective got me through my total disk failure then we can get your laptop up and running again!

Mind, I was on to Canon 2nd level support the other day as I have other issues!

We were making small talk whilst he remotely checked out some settings on my pc and he seriously suggested that any computer used for business should not only be backed up but have a physical spare machine to stuff the data straight on to to carry on.

When 9/11 happened he was in support for Doc Mgt & data support @ Canon and in their experience the majority of companies that failed post 9/11 was due to data loss rather then the physical loss!

Mine is still in hospital, but now it is undergoing cosmetic surgery rather than on life support!

I am setting up the new disk with the original data which I will then update with the current level once sorted and setting up a dual boot with Ubuntu!

I am now experiencing the limitations of the old way that Windows XP handles disks!

Just to make the Mac & Linux boys happy!

Perseverance is the key.

 

[Andy™]

you could either try re-installing OS, or go to the forum i linked to - have used them a while back. took 3 days, but got everything sorted in the end

 

[steptoe]

Manator, you can live boot a copy of Ubuntu from CD and use that to clean the windows HDD,

do you know the name of the file carrying the virus? makes it easier to find,

or simply copy all your data to an external drive or network then clean install windows again.

 

[green-hornet]

I have just read through the posts, I have had a similar problem, I managed to save all my data and files to an external hard drive, I then ran a clean install and found that the problem was the motherboard and nothing to do with any virus. Just another thought.

 

[Manator]

I am now back on line with Ubuntu, just getting used to it as we type Looks to be a lot faster than windows, but I did make a fatal mistake when I installed it, I did not copy all my files to an external hard drive as Green Hornet suggested, I have no idea as to why, but its done now.

I can deal with most of the lost files, but some were very important, I use the laptop to remote access alarm systems etc; so there is a lot of customer details I have lost and will have to retrieve. Oh well a clean start will be refreshing, I think I still have most of the software files on disk so I should be OK with the programs, I will have to contact Tysoft tomorrow and see if I can re-download it. I will start a regime of constant backups from now on though.

 

[steptoe]

Are we going to get everyone off windows? :slap

Be careful manator, you may find some stuff/applications dont work too well with Ubuntu.

Good Luck.

 

[Manator]

I will say one thing for it, it is 100% faster than windows

The bad bits so far is I know it will take me ages to get it how I want it.

 

[Sidewinder]

Well,

I had to buy another hdd for my laptop, & I could not restore the windows install as was, so it looks like it may have been fils system problems.

I recovered all my data though.

I installed Windows and created a dual boot with Ubuntu!

Still reinstalling on the Windows partition at the moment all the production apps I use!

Once I have created a restore disk for the as built machine I will have a play with Ubuntu before I transfer all my data back.

So, there may be yet another convert, though, not sure how I'll manage my emails & stuff yet as I have a several Gb pst file archive that I use often!

 

[Sidewinder]

Not yet mate, will do, once I have this laptop up and running and I'm happy with it that it won't fall over again.

I'll sort out my backups etc. and look at other things.

May ditch the win phone and look at an ipad just for emails?

It is just so handy having my emails, tasks, notes, calender and contacts the way they are, it is just what I learnt on and we used to use this heavily in a corporate environment for quick easy data sharing, that I set up long before we had any crm software!

Thing is I use my outlook a bit like crm software. Perhaps that will help you to get your head around my "issues"?

We're now hijacking Manator's thread!

Sorry Mr M!

 

[steptoe]

Not yet mate, will do, once I have this laptop up and running and I'm happy with it that it won't fall over again.I'll sort out my backups etc. and look at other things.

May ditch the win phone and look at an ipad just for emails?

It is just so handy having my emails, tasks, notes, calender and contacts the way they are, it is just what I learnt on and we used to use this heavily in a corporate environment for quick easy data sharing, that I set up long before we had any crm software!

Thing is I use my outlook a bit like crm software. Perhaps that will help you to get your head around my "issues"?

We're now hijacking Manator's thread!

Sorry Mr M!

you could get banned for that,!

good job its not Mr Smiths thread,

I dread to even think what would happen then,

 

[Manator]

Its not my thread, its just a place where anything about computer problems can be kept in on thread instead of multiple threads, so if it computer problem related this is the thread.

You would have to be real bad for me to ban, Mr Smith has me locked in chains ready for when he needs some muscle.

 

[Sidewinder]

Red or Blue, or, is it too late!

 

[steptoe]

I'll just close the door quietly so as not to disturb anyone, :|

:coat

 

[Manator]

Ok I have another problem, I use my laptop at work, most of my electrical programs have linux versions except easycert.

I have loaded wine but there is a problem in loading some .dll files. Does anyone know what I can do to resolve this?

I am beginning to like this OS, its much faster than windows, just takes a bit of getting use to. I have PC's in the office which I can use for easycert but I like to do it on site and issue the certificates there and then.

 

[steptoe]

Virtual Machine, or VM, its where you load a copy of 'windows' into Linux like a program and use it to run 'native' M$ software,

I would assume you have a fairly decent machine Manator.

I have an oldish (6years) core2duo with 1G ram and it does struggle to run it, as in effect you are running 2 OS's at the same time from the same chipset.

 

[Manator]

No my machine is an old thinkpad t42, old and solid, good for work but not much else. I do get laughed at by some of the younger guys who see it, most just do not know what it is

I am going to get a toughbook, I am not very careful and this laptop has been abused over the years. I may just put up with it until I can justify the outlay for another, its a bit hard to give up a bad habit like the think pad.

 

[NozSpark]

The only thing I would recommend is dual booting the lappy