I forgot about Safe Mode.
On 13/02/2025 04:26, micky wrote:
I forgot about Safe Mode.
Ant just advised us that Linux has an easy way to restart a PC in Safe
Mode so you should join him to move away from Windows.
I didn't know that people buy computers to start them in safe mode
almost daily so clearly there is a high demand for Safe Mode in this
news group.
Have you joined John C's safe mode club yet? He can share some good tips >about booting into Safe Mode.
How many times a day do you boot up your machine into safe mode?
In alt.comp.os.windows-10, on Tue, 11 Feb 2025 00:47:05 -0500, micky ><NONONOmisc07@fmguy.com> wrote:
I stalled around for over a week before trying to install
ExplorerPatcher and tonight I spent about 2 hours reading more and
trying to install.
If I thought I had trouble before, now I really have trouble.
I dl'd ep_setup.exe, didn't rush the download, and I ran it.
Nothing happened.
I looked in my file manager and found more than one entry for
ep_setup.exe. I guess I'd dl'd it 3 times.
But the original copy, the one I ran, was only about 1/10th size of the
other two, only about 1MB instead of about 10.6, what the dl page says
it is. (Unfortunately, I deleted the short "version".)
Then, or earlier, I noticed I had no Taskbar and the Windows key did
nothing. The programs were still working, but I still restarted the PC.
After it restarted, the screen was totallly black. Ctrl-shift-esc
started task manager, and from there I could start Firefox, just by
entering "Firefox" in "start a new task" and Firefox worked fine. Buyt
I couldn't wstart anything else.
Explorer didn't work.
File explorer caused it to say File not found
I think I tried Settings, but it gave same message.
PDExplo caused it to say PDExplo not found, and my real hope
Ultimate Windows Tweaker 5.1.exe cause it to say Ultimate not found.
So why did Firefox work?
I restarted again with no greater success.
My working computer said that Window-I would go to the taskbar settings,
but Win-I just gave a comment about not working.
The History section of Task Manager listed all the programs I want but
it has no way to start a program in the list.
Also I saw that alt-tab displayed all the currently runing programs in
what I think is the win10 way. I think the win11 way had been
different.
Any other ideas?
Do I need to reset it to the original factory setting?
Most of the methods I find use methods that require the PC to work more
than mine seems to, but I know it's possible to reboot from a flashdrive
and install that way. >https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/reset-your-pc-0ef73740-b927-549b-b7c9-e6f2b48d275e
Do you think I should write to the reburbishers? Maybe they have some >specifice advice. Maybe they'll tell me exactly what file they use?
They have a good rating on Amazon, their own webpage, and they sell
directly from their webpage. Al but one model today is under 260, and
one is 360. https://tekrefurbs.com/ Mine is not there but it's been 8 >weeks since I bought it for $550, and at least today, allowing for
Amazon's commission/profit, they're not selling ones as expensive as
mine, afaict. The warranty is 3 months with a month left but this is
not a warrnaty claim. I know it's my repsonsibility.
Now all of you who thought ExplorerPatcher was a bad idea may laugh and
post scarcasm, etc.
Micky.
I stalled around for over a week before trying to install
ExplorerPatcher and tonight I spent about 2 hours reading more and
trying to install.
1) windows update tells me that 24H2 is ready to be installed. Should
I install it first, because I read*** I'd have to uninstall
ExplorerPatcher before installing 24H2, OR SHOULD I NEVER INSTALL 24H2 >because it will break most of what I want in ExplorerPatcher
What about 25H1 and 25H2, and 26. Will I have to uninstall ExPatcher
before each of those?
2) I've considered reverting to win10, but will I be forced into win11 >within a year or so anyhow? Is reverting a bad idea?
3) But I tried to go ahead with the installation and still had trouble.
In addition to the people who post here who were scary, even the page
with the instructions was scary: >https://github.com/valinet/ExplorerPatcher/releases/tag/22621.4317.67.1_b93337a
I'll complain about that in the footnotes, but my question is how to
install it: At the bottom it has:
Assets 4
ep_setup.exe 10.6 MB 2024-11-02
ep_setup_arm64.exe 11.2 MB 2024-11-02
Source code (zip) Nov 2, 2024
Source code (tar.gz) Nov 2, 2024
I think arm has some special meaning, but I ignored my thoughts on the
matter and only noticed the "64" and, without being certain, tried to
install it. It would not install. Am I correct that I want
ep_setup.exe???? Does arm have a special meaning?
4) It also says in the middle of the page "If you are downloading from
this page, please temporarily disable real-time protection or save to a >folder excluded from antivirus scans." But what happens when I turn on
real time protection again?. Won't the AV find it and complain? Or
will it not matter by then and I can quarantine the executable, because
it's already installed?
5) Do you folks like Windhawk. Is it worth installing?
Footnotes and complaints :-) :
This would have been hard enough to understand and do if I were using
win10, but it's twice as hard with win11, because I haven't installed
Open Shell yet and win 11 is so hard to use.
After reading it 4 times I was able to do this:
For Defender, you can run the following script in PowerShell as an
administrator:
Add-MpPreference -ExclusionPath "C:\Program Files\ExplorerPatcher" >Add-MpPreference -ExclusionPath "$env:APPDATA\ExplorerPatcher" >Add-MpPreference -ExclusionPath "C:\Windows\dxgi.dll"
Add-MpPreference -ExclusionPath >"C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.Windows.StartMenuExperienceHost_cw5n1h2txyewy"
Add-MpPreference -ExclusionPath >"C:\Windows\SystemApps\ShellExperienceHost_cw5n1h2txyewy"
6) If I excluded all these files, which why didn't I just exclude the >installer too wherever it would be downloaded to. Then wouldn't the
problem in question 4 above not exist?
"We DO NOT recommend using EP on work machines running Windows 11
version 24H2." Because the program errors are tolerable. That's >encouraging. My parents told me I should learn to be tolerant.
***When updating to 24H2, please uninstall EP before starting the
update. You can install EP again with your settings intact after
updating to 24H2. Due to explicit blocks by Microsoft, the update cannot >proceed if EP is installed.
In alt.comp.os.windows-10, on Wed, 12 Feb 2025 23:23:55 -0500, micky <NONONOmisc07@fmguy.com> wrote:
In alt.comp.os.windows-10, on Tue, 11 Feb 2025 00:47:05 -0500, micky
<NONONOmisc07@fmguy.com> wrote:
I stalled around for over a week before trying to install
ExplorerPatcher and tonight I spent about 2 hours reading more and
trying to install.
If I thought I had trouble before, now I really have trouble.
I forgot about Safe Mode. Even though I think the taskbar is the same
in safe-mode, I should try that, I suppose.
I dl'd ep_setup.exe, didn't rush the download, and I ran it.
Nothing happened.
I looked in my file manager and found more than one entry for
ep_setup.exe. I guess I'd dl'd it 3 times.
But the original copy, the one I ran, was only about 1/10th size of the
other two, only about 1MB instead of about 10.6, what the dl page says
it is. (Unfortunately, I deleted the short "version".)
Then, or earlier, I noticed I had no Taskbar and the Windows key did
nothing. The programs were still working, but I still restarted the PC.
After it restarted, the screen was totallly black. Ctrl-shift-esc
started task manager, and from there I could start Firefox, just by
entering "Firefox" in "start a new task" and Firefox worked fine. Buyt
I couldn't wstart anything else.
Explorer didn't work.
File explorer caused it to say File not found
I think I tried Settings, but it gave same message.
PDExplo caused it to say PDExplo not found, and my real hope
Ultimate Windows Tweaker 5.1.exe cause it to say Ultimate not found.
So why did Firefox work?
I restarted again with no greater success.
My working computer said that Window-I would go to the taskbar settings,
but Win-I just gave a comment about not working.
The History section of Task Manager listed all the programs I want but
it has no way to start a program in the list.
Also I saw that alt-tab displayed all the currently runing programs in
what I think is the win10 way. I think the win11 way had been
different.
Any other ideas?
Do I need to reset it to the original factory setting?
Most of the methods I find use methods that require the PC to work more
than mine seems to, but I know it's possible to reboot from a flashdrive
and install that way.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/reset-your-pc-0ef73740-b927-549b-b7c9-e6f2b48d275e
Do you think I should write to the reburbishers? Maybe they have some
specifice advice. Maybe they'll tell me exactly what file they use?
They have a good rating on Amazon, their own webpage, and they sell
directly from their webpage. Al but one model today is under 260, and
one is 360. https://tekrefurbs.com/ Mine is not there but it's been 8
weeks since I bought it for $550, and at least today, allowing for
Amazon's commission/profit, they're not selling ones as expensive as
mine, afaict. The warranty is 3 months with a month left but this is
not a warrnaty claim. I know it's my repsonsibility.
Now all of you who thought ExplorerPatcher was a bad idea may laugh and
post scarcasm, etc.
Micky.
On Wed, 2/12/2025 11:26 PM, micky wrote:
In alt.comp.os.windows-10, on Wed, 12 Feb 2025 23:23:55 -0500, micky
<NONONOmisc07@fmguy.com> wrote:
In alt.comp.os.windows-10, on Tue, 11 Feb 2025 00:47:05 -0500, micky
<NONONOmisc07@fmguy.com> wrote:
I stalled around for over a week before trying to install
ExplorerPatcher and tonight I spent about 2 hours reading more and
trying to install.
If I thought I had trouble before, now I really have trouble.
I forgot about Safe Mode. Even though I think the taskbar is the same
in safe-mode, I should try that, I suppose.
I dl'd ep_setup.exe, didn't rush the download, and I ran it.
Nothing happened.
I looked in my file manager and found more than one entry for
ep_setup.exe. I guess I'd dl'd it 3 times.
But the original copy, the one I ran, was only about 1/10th size of the
other two, only about 1MB instead of about 10.6, what the dl page says
it is. (Unfortunately, I deleted the short "version".)
Then, or earlier, I noticed I had no Taskbar and the Windows key did
nothing. The programs were still working, but I still restarted the PC.
After it restarted, the screen was totallly black. Ctrl-shift-esc
started task manager, and from there I could start Firefox, just by
entering "Firefox" in "start a new task" and Firefox worked fine. Buyt
I couldn't wstart anything else.
Explorer didn't work.
File explorer caused it to say File not found
I think I tried Settings, but it gave same message.
PDExplo caused it to say PDExplo not found, and my real hope
Ultimate Windows Tweaker 5.1.exe cause it to say Ultimate not found.
So why did Firefox work?
I restarted again with no greater success.
My working computer said that Window-I would go to the taskbar settings, >>> but Win-I just gave a comment about not working.
The History section of Task Manager listed all the programs I want but
it has no way to start a program in the list.
Also I saw that alt-tab displayed all the currently runing programs in
what I think is the win10 way. I think the win11 way had been
different.
Any other ideas?
Do I need to reset it to the original factory setting?
Most of the methods I find use methods that require the PC to work more
than mine seems to, but I know it's possible to reboot from a flashdrive >>> and install that way.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/reset-your-pc-0ef73740-b927-549b-b7c9-e6f2b48d275e
Do you think I should write to the reburbishers? Maybe they have some
specifice advice. Maybe they'll tell me exactly what file they use?
They have a good rating on Amazon, their own webpage, and they sell
directly from their webpage. Al but one model today is under 260, and
one is 360. https://tekrefurbs.com/ Mine is not there but it's been 8 >>> weeks since I bought it for $550, and at least today, allowing for
Amazon's commission/profit, they're not selling ones as expensive as
mine, afaict. The warranty is 3 months with a month left but this is
not a warrnaty claim. I know it's my repsonsibility.
Now all of you who thought ExplorerPatcher was a bad idea may laugh and
post scarcasm, etc.
Micky.
You mean to tell me, you still haven't learned to do full backups
before dangerous experiments ?
When I was gifted a laptop, the first thing I did was a backup.
Before even making any plans.
When I got the Optiplex 780, backup for that too. It's since replaced
the original HDD (because while the outside of the disk
is cosmetically spotless, the drive isn't a champ and had some high-fly >errors, which are CRC errors that disappear after a write).
*******
You can insert your Windows 10 USB stick with the OS installer on it,
and run Setup.exe to kick off a Repair Install.
It may refuse to install, telling you that you must remove Explorer Patcher first.
And that's because, being a program in your Program Files folder, or
being in the installed programs list, it would be "migrated" during a
Repair Install, then on first boot up, Explorer Patcher will be running
again (running... broken).
As well, there is no particular reason that Windows Defender exceptions
would be carefully copied from the old setup to the new setup. You might
have to enter those settings again, and portions of Explorer Patcher
could end up removed by Windows Defender when the repaired OS comes up.
There are all sorts of interesting possibilities involved there.
*******
On my Refurb, there was *no* factory recovery partition. That's
one of the reasons you do a backup, to make for yourself a factory
recovery partition.
*******
Do you own a backup hard drive ?
Paul
It may refuse to install, telling you that you must remove Explorer Patcher first.
And that's because, being a program in your Program Files folder, or
being in the installed programs list, it would be "migrated" during a >>Repair Install, then on first boot up, Explorer Patcher will be running >>again (running... broken).
Isn't there an option with windows installs to NOT install any of the >programs that have been user-installed?
Yes, in the link in t he post you're r pelying to one of the options was >"Remove everything
Also known as Reset, this option reinstalls Windows and removes all
your personal files, apps, and settings. It's ideal for a fresh start or
when you are giving away or selling your PC."
So if it's not going to copy it over anyhow, why should it object to it?
In alt.comp.os.windows-10, on Thu, 13 Feb 2025 02:06:29 -0500, micky <NONONOmisc07@fmguy.com> wrote:
It may refuse to install, telling you that you must remove Explorer Patcher first.
And that's because, being a program in your Program Files folder, or
being in the installed programs list, it would be "migrated" during a
Repair Install, then on first boot up, Explorer Patcher will be running
again (running... broken).
BTW, why would it be running again? AIUI EP is run once to change
certain taskbar code, and all those changed files would be restored to
their original when windows is installed again, but even if the RP
executable is copied over, unless someone ran it, it would just be
sitting there.
The instructions say that before updating to 24H2 EP has to be removed
or it won't update, but they say nothing about the taskbar reverting
during the time it's removed, so I think running EP once is all it takes
to make changes, but running it never is not enough..
Isn't there an option with windows installs to NOT install any of the
programs that have been user-installed?
Yes, in the link in t he post you're r pelying to one of the options was
"Remove everything
Also known as Reset, this option reinstalls Windows and removes all
your personal files, apps, and settings. It's ideal for a fresh start or
when you are giving away or selling your PC."
So if it's not going to copy it over anyhow, why should it object to it?
Then, or earlier, I noticed I had no Taskbar and the Windows key did
nothing. The programs were still working, but I still restarted the PC.
After it restarted, the screen was totallly black. Ctrl-shift-esc
started task manager, and from there I could start Firefox, just by
entering "Firefox" in "start a new task" and Firefox worked fine. Buyt
I couldn't wstart anything else.
How do you feel about backups right now ?
Would you make one ?
And no, I'm not talking about one of your xcopy methods, I'm
talking about one of the free backup programs, like a Macrium.
On 2/12/2025 11:23 PM, micky wrote:
Then, or earlier, I noticed I had no Taskbar and the Windows key did
nothing. The programs were still working, but I still restarted the PC.
After it restarted, the screen was totallly black. Ctrl-shift-esc
started task manager, and from there I could start Firefox, just by
entering "Firefox" in "start a new task" and Firefox worked fine. Buyt
I couldn't wstart anything else.
I think I remember them desribing that possibility on their
website. But why did you install it in the first place on Win10?
On 2/12/2025 11:23 PM, micky wrote:
Then, or earlier, I noticed I had no Taskbar and the Windows key did
nothing. The programs were still working, but I still restarted the PC.
After it restarted, the screen was totallly black. Ctrl-shift-esc
started task manager, and from there I could start Firefox, just by
entering "Firefox" in "start a new task" and Firefox worked fine. Buyt
I couldn't wstart anything else.
I think I remember them desribing that possibility on their
website. But why did you install it in the first place on Win10?
In alt.comp.os.windows-10, on Thu, 13 Feb 2025 07:49:08 -0500, Newyana2 <newyana@invalid.nospam> wrote:
On 2/12/2025 11:23 PM, micky wrote:
Then, or earlier, I noticed I had no Taskbar and the Windows key did
nothing. The programs were still working, but I still restarted the PC.
After it restarted, the screen was totallly black. Ctrl-shift-esc
started task manager, and from there I could start Firefox, just by
entering "Firefox" in "start a new task" and Firefox worked fine. Buyt
I couldn't wstart anything else.
I think I remember them desribing that possibility on their
website. But why did you install it in the first place on Win10?
No, I'm talking about win11. Tbere is no point to running it in win10.
I only included the win10 groups so people considering "up"grading, or
more likely for those whose computer can't run win11, buying a new
computer that can, should see the kind of problems they may have.
So reinstalling windows is the only way out, right?
I wish I hadn't deleted the version of EP that was 1/10th as long as the other. I suspect the 1 meg I did download was the same, but the other 9
megs were missing, and if they'd been there, things would have worked
well.
On Thu, 2/13/2025 9:29 AM, micky wrote:
In alt.comp.os.windows-10, on Thu, 13 Feb 2025 07:49:08 -0500, Newyana2
<newyana@invalid.nospam> wrote:
On 2/12/2025 11:23 PM, micky wrote:
Then, or earlier, I noticed I had no Taskbar and the Windows key did
nothing. The programs were still working, but I still restarted the PC. >>>>
After it restarted, the screen was totallly black. Ctrl-shift-esc
started task manager, and from there I could start Firefox, just by
entering "Firefox" in "start a new task" and Firefox worked fine. Buyt >>>> I couldn't wstart anything else.
I think I remember them desribing that possibility on their
website. But why did you install it in the first place on Win10?
No, I'm talking about win11. Tbere is no point to running it in win10.
I only included the win10 groups so people considering "up"grading, or
more likely for those whose computer can't run win11, buying a new
computer that can, should see the kind of problems they may have.
So reinstalling windows is the only way out, right?
I wish I hadn't deleted the version of EP that was 1/10th as long as the
other. I suspect the 1 meg I did download was the same, but the other 9
megs were missing, and if they'd been there, things would have worked
well.
Use your 10MB version, and uninstall it by renaming the file.
http://al.howardknight.net/?STYPE=msgid&MSGI=%3Cvoks5e%242tuad%241%40dont-email.me%3E
Paul
On Thu, 2/13/2025 7:49 AM, Newyana2 wrote:
On 2/12/2025 11:23 PM, micky wrote:
Then, or earlier, I noticed I had no Taskbar and the Windows key did
nothing. The programs were still working, but I still restarted the PC.
After it restarted, the screen was totallly black. Ctrl-shift-esc
started task manager, and from there I could start Firefox, just by
entering "Firefox" in "start a new task" and Firefox worked fine. Buyt
I couldn't wstart anything else.
I think I remember them desribing that possibility on their
website. But why did you install it in the first place on Win10?
https://github.com/valinet/ExplorerPatcher/blob/master/README.md'
Uninstalling [four methods, use the one best suited to your situation]
- Right click the taskbar then click "Properties" or search for "ExplorerPatcher", and go to "Uninstall" section or
- Use "Programs and Features" in Control Panel, or "Apps and features" in the Settings app or
- Run ep_setup.exe /uninstall or
- Rename ep_setup.exe to ep_uninstall.exe and run that. <===
If the Task Manager is working, then you could run it via the rename idea (the fourth item).
Use the Run box on the Task Manager to run ep_uninstall.exe
Programs can check the zeroth argument on ARGV/ARGC on a program,
to figure out what "role" you want the program to play. I wrote a
program that works that way. The program changes what it does,
based on the name you give the executable.
Using the option that does not need a parameter passed to it,
is the best option (more ways to launch it).
That's the 10MB original file.
Paul
So reinstalling windows is the only way out, right?
I wish I hadn't deleted the version of EP that was 1/10th as long as the other. I suspect the 1 meg I did download was the same, but the other 9
megs were missing, and if they'd been there, things would have worked
well.
On 2/13/2025 9:29 AM, micky wrote:
So reinstalling windows is the only way out, right?
I wish I hadn't deleted the version of EP that was 1/10th as long as the
other. I suspect the 1 meg I did download was the same, but the other 9
megs were missing, and if they'd been there, things would have worked
well.
I'm afraid I just don't know about this, as I didn't have any trouble.
If you do re-install Windows then I'd suggest that you get it all
set up first. Do any updates. Make sure it activates. Then make a disk
image of that. Only then start with the tweaking.
On 2/13/2025 4:11 AM, Paul wrote:
How do you feel about backups right now ?
Would you make one ?
And no, I'm not talking about one of your xcopy methods, I'm
talking about one of the free backup programs, like a Macrium.
I would no longer do any kind of Windows Update without a
disk image. In setting up a new system I make several, at
various stages of progress. Then when it's pretty much done
and activated I make an image to be my basic backup.
I'll typically keep at least 2 images for each computer. Then
if I get feeling whimsical and decide to let Windows Update do
something, I'll make an image immediately prior to that. (My
success with WU on Win10, after it's all set up and tweaked,
has been 0 for 2.)
But people need to also understand what real backup means.
Even in just a month a lot of things can change. Was data kept
on C drive? Has off-machine backup of data been done? Are
you facing the loss of your taxes, the scan of the lottery ticket
that won 100K and your family photo collection? Anyone who
uses their computer for more than gmail needs to have a data
backup plan.
I've known a lot of people who use a computer and never think
about the risk to data. One is a psychiatrist who cooked her
laptop loading pictures onto it. Another is a professional
photographer who had all of her work on her laptop, with
no backup at all!
I've known a lot of people who use a computer and never think
about the risk to data. One is a psychiatrist who cooked her
laptop loading pictures onto it. Another is a professional
photographer who had all of her work on her laptop, with
no backup at all!
What do you use to make your images?
I don't make an image very often but for the last one I used the free
version of Disk Genius (Windows 8.1)
- https://www.diskgenius.com
On 2/14/2025 4:49 AM, wasbit wrote:
I've known a lot of people who use a computer and never think
about the risk to data. One is a psychiatrist who cooked her
laptop loading pictures onto it. Another is a professional
photographer who had all of her work on her laptop, with
no backup at all!
What do you use to make your images?
I don't make an image very often but for the last one I used the free
version of Disk Genius (Windows 8.1)
- https://www.diskgenius.com
I hadn't heard of that one. It looks thorough, but it's $70
for a license they claim is limited to one computer. The free
version must have been a temporary marketing idea.
I use BootIt. For partitioning,
imaging and multi-booting. Most of the software I use is free,
but for something like this I don't skimp. I think it's $40 now,
but well worth it to me.
25 years ago I was using Partition Magic and Drive Image,
from Powerquest. They were very sleazy, expensive and
designed so that neither program quite handled all operations.
The setup license claimed they were licensed only for one
hard disk! But at the time, the only other option was a primitive
Norton tool.
PM and DI were slow, but they fit on floppies and provided
a convenient GUI. Some years later, Powerquest sold out to
Symantec. Symantec has had a long history of buying things,
gutting their functionality, doubling the price and then marketing
them like crazy. But they turned DI into a .Net backup program!
Even the lapdog tech media, who depend on these companies
for advertising income, agreed that the new DI was useless junk.
Why would Symantec do something so crazy? Did Microsoft send
them a kickback? Did they think there was a giant, untapped
market of people who knew enough to want disk imaging but didn't
know enough to actually do it? Arguably there was such a market.
Acronis started out charging $100 for software to do a kind of
RAID image backup. It seeemed to be wildly successful among
exactly that market slice of people wjho wanted disk imaging
but wouldn't notice if they paid $100 and didn't get it.
Anyway, long story tolerable, I hunted around when they broke
PM and DI. At some point I needed a newer product. That's how
I found BootIt. I've used it ever since, maybe 20 years. I just had
to buy it again once, when the developer remade the program. It
now handles GPT, BCD, etc. It might still fit on a floppy, but I
boot it from a CD or USB stick.
I hadn't heard of that one. It looks thorough, but it's $70
for a license they claim is limited to one computer. The free
version must have been a temporary marketing idea.
The download for DiskGenius is the Free Edition. https://www.diskgenius.com/download.php
There were enough features for me to still be using it.
On 2/14/2025 9:38 AM, Allan Higdon wrote:
I hadn't heard of that one. It looks thorough, but it's $70
for a license they claim is limited to one computer. The free
version must have been a temporary marketing idea.
The download for DiskGenius is the Free Edition.
https://www.diskgenius.com/download.php
There were enough features for me to still be using it.
It certainly looks good. I'm surprised that I've never heard of it.
A lot of people talk about Macrium, but this is the first I've
heard of DiskGenius.
On Fri, 14 Feb 2025 08:12:09 -0600, Newyana2 <newyana@invalid.nospam> wrote:
On 2/14/2025 4:49 AM, wasbit wrote:
   I've known a lot of people who use a computer and never think
about the risk to data. One is a psychiatrist who cooked her
laptop loading pictures onto it. Another is a professional
photographer who had all of her work on her laptop, with
no backup at all!
What do you use to make your images?
I don't make an image very often but for the last one I used the free
version of Disk Genius (Windows 8.1)
 - https://www.diskgenius.com
  I hadn't heard of that one. It looks thorough, but it's $70
for a license they claim is limited to one computer. The free
version must have been a temporary marketing idea.
The download for DiskGenius is the Free Edition. https://www.diskgenius.com/download.php
There were enough features for me to still be using it.
   I use BootIt. For partitioning,
imaging and multi-booting. Most of the software I use is free,
but for something like this I don't skimp. I think it's $40 now,
but well worth it to me.
   25 years ago I was using Partition Magic and Drive Image,
from Powerquest. They were very sleazy, expensive and
designed so that neither program quite handled all operations.
The setup license claimed they were licensed only for one
hard disk! But at the time, the only other option was a primitive
Norton tool.
  PM and DI were slow, but they fit on floppies and provided
a convenient GUI. Some years later, Powerquest sold out to
Symantec. Symantec has had a long history of buying things,
gutting their functionality, doubling the price and then marketing
them like crazy. But they turned DI into a .Net backup program!
Even the lapdog tech media, who depend on these companies
for advertising income, agreed that the new DI was useless junk.
Why would Symantec do something so crazy? Did Microsoft send
them a kickback? Did they think there was a giant, untapped
market of people who knew enough to want disk imaging but didn't
know enough to actually do it? Arguably there was such a market.
Acronis started out charging $100 for software to do a kind of
RAID image backup. It seeemed to be wildly successful among
exactly that market slice of people wjho wanted disk imaging
but wouldn't notice if they paid $100 and didn't get it.
  Anyway, long story tolerable, I hunted around when they broke
PM and DI. At some point I needed a newer product. That's how
I found BootIt. I've used it ever since, maybe 20 years. I just had
to buy it again once, when the developer remade the program. It
now handles GPT, BCD, etc. It might still fit on a floppy, but I
boot it from a CD or USB stick.
On 2/14/2025 4:49 AM, wasbit wrote:
I've known a lot of people who use a computer and never think
about the risk to data. One is a psychiatrist who cooked her
laptop loading pictures onto it. Another is a professional
photographer who had all of her work on her laptop, with
no backup at all!
What do you use to make your images?
I don't make an image very often but for the last one I used the free
version of Disk Genius (Windows 8.1)
- https://www.diskgenius.com
I hadn't heard of that one. It looks thorough, but it's $70
for a license they claim is limited to one computer. The free
version must have been a temporary marketing idea.
I use BootIt. For partitioning,
imaging and multi-booting. Most of the software I use is free,
but for something like this I don't skimp. I think it's $40 now,
but well worth it to me.
25 years ago I was using Partition Magic and Drive Image,
from Powerquest. They were very sleazy, expensive and
designed so that neither program quite handled all operations.
The setup license claimed they were licensed only for one
hard disk! But at the time, the only other option was a primitive
Norton tool.
PM and DI were slow, but they fit on floppies and provided
a convenient GUI. Some years later, Powerquest sold out to
Symantec. Symantec has had a long history of buying things,
gutting their functionality, doubling the price and then marketing
them like crazy. But they turned DI into a .Net backup program!
Even the lapdog tech media, who depend on these companies
for advertising income, agreed that the new DI was useless junk.
Why would Symantec do something so crazy? Did Microsoft send
them a kickback? Did they think there was a giant, untapped
market of people who knew enough to want disk imaging but didn't
know enough to actually do it? Arguably there was such a market.
Acronis started out charging $100 for software to do a kind of
RAID image backup. It seeemed to be wildly successful among
exactly that market slice of people wjho wanted disk imaging
but wouldn't notice if they paid $100 and didn't get it.
Anyway, long story tolerable, I hunted around when they broke
PM and DI. At some point I needed a newer product. That's how
I found BootIt. I've used it ever since, maybe 20 years. I just had
to buy it again once, when the developer remade the program. It
now handles GPT, BCD, etc. It might still fit on a floppy, but I
boot it from a CD or USB stick.
There is an old comparison here, but it does not include DiskGenius.
As far as I know, Raymond is working at Microsoft right now, and he
has retired the web site, but there is still an archive version. The
person who does these reviews is not Raymond, so maybe some day we'll
see one of these comparisons done somewhere else.
https://web.archive.org/web/20220517235715/https://www.raymond.cc/blog/10-commercial-disk-imaging-software-features-and-backuprestore-speed-comparison/2/
And they rated things like brushability and ease of brush cleaning.
Was the color true? Did the brush strokes settle? Did it hold up
over time? Was it water-permeable on sills? Who cares?! Brand
X rinsed out of the brush 1.27 times faster than brand Y.
On 16/02/2025 12:59 am, Newyana2 wrote:
<Snip>
And they rated things like brushability and ease of brush cleaning.
Was the color true? Did the brush strokes settle? Did it hold up
over time? Was it water-permeable on sills? Who cares?! Brand
X rinsed out of the brush 1.27 times faster than brand Y.
But that COULD mean you get down the Pub sooner!! ;-P
This kind of thing reminds me of Consumer Reports. They
get 10 DVD players that are basically the same, so they rate
them on how easy it is to dust them or change the batteries
in the remote. I once saw CR do a paint review. They reviewed
only latex exterior. (At a time when oil paint was more common.)
And they rated things like brushability and ease of brush cleaning.
Was the color true? Did the brush strokes settle? Did it hold up
over time? Was it water-permeable on sills? Who cares?! Brand
X rinsed out of the brush 1.27 times faster than brand Y.
In alt.comp.os.windows-10, on Sat, 15 Feb 2025 08:59:59 -0500, Newyana2 <newyana@invalid.nospam> wrote:
This kind of thing reminds me of Consumer Reports. They
get 10 DVD players that are basically the same, so they rate
them on how easy it is to dust them or change the batteries
in the remote. I once saw CR do a paint review. They reviewed
only latex exterior. (At a time when oil paint was more common.)
And they rated things like brushability and ease of brush cleaning.
Was the color true? Did the brush strokes settle? Did it hold up
over time? Was it water-permeable on sills? Who cares?! Brand
X rinsed out of the brush 1.27 times faster than brand Y.
Wow, and LOL. I tried CR a few times and they kept recommending things
that didn't seem to be sold where I lived (In NYC). So I gave up on
them. I didn't get as far as you did.
I'm especially surprised with pick-ups. Back in the 80s,
companies like Toyota, Mazda, Honda, etc came out with small, good,
cheap pickups. By the 2000s, those same pickups had larger bodies,
more drink holders, and were marketed to suburban teenagers at
twice the old price...
On Mon, 2/17/2025 8:43 AM, Newyana2 wrote:
I'm especially surprised with pick-ups. Back in the 80s,
companies like Toyota, Mazda, Honda, etc came out with small, good,
cheap pickups. By the 2000s, those same pickups had larger bodies,
more drink holders, and were marketed to suburban teenagers at
twice the old price...
Or you could get in line for the Maverick.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Maverick_%282022%29
It's still not a real pickup truck, but at least you don't
need a tiny ladder to climb inside :-)
On 2/18/2025 3:21 PM, Paul wrote:
On Mon, 2/17/2025 8:43 AM, Newyana2 wrote:
I'm especially surprised with pick-ups. Back in the 80s,
companies like Toyota, Mazda, Honda, etc came out with small, good,
cheap pickups. By the 2000s, those same pickups had larger bodies,
more drink holders, and were marketed to suburban teenagers at
twice the old price...
Or you could get in line for the Maverick.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Maverick_%282022%29
It's still not a real pickup truck, but at least you don't
need a tiny ladder to climb inside :-)
Wasn't it Ford that made the Maverick sporty compact?
On 2025-02-13 10:11, Paul wrote:
How do you feel about backups right now ?
Would you make one ?
And no, I'm not talking about one of your xcopy methods, I'm
talking about one of the free backup programs, like a Macrium.
When I boot a laptop the first time, I plug in a Linux boot USB and an
empty hard disk, and boot that instead of the factory prepared Windows.
I then create a dd image of the pristine factory hard disk, compressed.
Only when I have that backup, I boot the laptop as intended and create
the first Windows login.
(in fact, I install Linux in that empty hard disk, with the software for imaging; I buy a rotating rust disk at least double the size of the
internal ssd)
How do you feel about backups right now ?
Would you make one ?
And no, I'm not talking about one of your xcopy methods, I'm
talking about one of the free backup programs, like a Macrium.
On Tue, 2/18/2025 4:58 PM, Newyana2 wrote:
On 2/18/2025 3:21 PM, Paul wrote:
On Mon, 2/17/2025 8:43 AM, Newyana2 wrote:
As for my opinion on transmissions, my findings are
that manual transmissions last until the vehicle is
too rusty to drive. That's if you're not doing
stock car racing with the thing. I've never
replaced a clutch plate, or a gear box, on a manual
transmission car.
On the automatic transmission car
(used), the transmission failed, but I suspect it was
damaged in the shop by someone using a brake lathe.
and they neglected to do something properly. To get
a transmission for the stupid thing, required a trip
to a junk yard (no replacement stock available). My opinion
of automatic transmissions hasn't changed. Didn't like
them before I got one. Didn't like them after
I got one (two).
Programs can check the zeroth argument on ARGV/ARGC on a program,But surely they don't all work that way**, it takes time to write and
to figure out what "role" you want the program to play. I wrote a
program that works that way. The program changes what it does,
based on the name you give the executable.
test and especially people working in the hope of donations, why would
they duplicate what can be done with, for example, /uninstall?
As for my opinion on transmissions, my findings are
that manual transmissions last until the vehicle is
too rusty to drive. That's if you're not doing
stock car racing with the thing. I've never
replaced a clutch plate, or a gear box, on a manual
transmission car. On the automatic transmission car
(used), the transmission failed, but I suspect it was
damaged in the shop by someone using a brake lathe.
and they neglected to do something properly. To get
a transmission for the stupid thing, required a trip
to a junk yard (no replacement stock available). My opinion
of automatic transmissions hasn't changed. Didn't like
them before I got one. Didn't like them after
I got one (two).
On 2025-02-13 18:53, micky wrote:
...
Programs can check the zeroth argument on ARGV/ARGC on a program,But surely they don't all work that way**, it takes time to write and
to figure out what "role" you want the program to play. I wrote a
program that works that way. The program changes what it does,
based on the name you give the executable.
test and especially people working in the hope of donations, why would
they duplicate what can be done with, for example, /uninstall?
It is actually easier.
I have used the trick both in Windows and Linux.
I'm also happy with the AC. I used to prefer heat to
cold and didn't want to spoil summer with AC, but as
I get older I don't adapt well to heat.
On 2025-02-19 13:30, Carlos E.R. wrote:
On 2025-02-13 18:53, micky wrote:
...
Programs can check the zeroth argument on ARGV/ARGC on a program,But surely they don't all work that way**, it takes time to write and
to figure out what "role" you want the program to play. I wrote a
program that works that way. The program changes what it does,
based on the name you give the executable.
test and especially people working in the hope of donations, why would
they duplicate what can be done with, for example, /uninstall?
It is actually easier.
I have used the trick both in Windows and Linux.
Forgot to mention, than in Linux the trick has a twist that makes it
more interesting: You can have the program with a name, and have several >other symlinks pointing to the same file. Depending on what symlink you
run (same binary) the behaviour is different. Example:
cer@Telcontar:/usr/bin> l | grep joe
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 3 May 25 2018 jmacs -> joe*
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 701104 May 25 2018 joe*
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 3 May 25 2018 jpico -> joe*
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 3 May 25 2018 jstar -> joe*
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 3 May 25 2018 rjoe -> joe*
cer@Telcontar:/usr/bin>
This is an editor that emulates several other editors. You choose which
with the symlink you call.
I understand that ntfs also has links.
The method saves total size, because if you create several different
programs instead, they all share a lot of the same functions inside. And
is easier to maintain, only one program to compile.
The CR website is very
strict. It's useless unless you buy a subscription. Not being a big
consumer of microwave ovens or Pop-Tart alternatives, the
subscription is not worth it to me.
The landscape is changing, too. Not long ago I needed to
replace our BluRay player. The only remaining local retail source
is Best Buy. Their selection is severly limited because they want
to push the overpriced 4K machines. So there was really nothing
to research. I got the same cheap Sony that we had before. They
seem to last maybe 4 years, with light use. But there's no
way to fix them and the cost of a new one is modest. It tries
to be "smart" but it has no access to Internet. It works well
enough.
Nearly everything is disposable these days, with the notable
exception of cars, with those prices going up wildly due to excessive >computerization and "luxury" marketing. So it makes sense to repair
those. I'm especially surprised with pick-ups. Back in the 80s,
companies like Toyota, Mazda, Honda, etc came out with small, good,
cheap pickups. By the 2000s, those same pickups had larger bodies,
more drink holders, and were marketed to suburban teenagers at
twice the old price. Today the pickups are gigantic, cost more than
cars, and are marketed to metrosexual men who don't want to be
mistaken for gay in their tight pants, 1/8" beard and eyeliner. So they
buy a giant, American pickup and leave a rusty old chainsaw in the back.
(On a rubber pad so it doesn't scratch the bed.)
Becasue this is a Windows ng and some people get all upset when I post off-topic, I didn't include this group when I told about my DVDR with hardrive, that I've had for about 15 years. It broke and I boughht an identical one on eBay. Then I took the first one apart and found a tiny
push button switch inside. I pushed it and afact everything started
working again. Apparently such switches are not uusual, but I found
nothing on the web about them. It was even labeled Reset sw.50, but I wouldn't count on it being labeled that well.
On 2/21/2025 10:22 AM, micky wrote:
Becasue this is a Windows ng and some people get all upset when I post
off-topic, I didn't include this group when I told about my DVDR with
hardrive, that I've had for about 15 years. It broke and I boughht an
identical one on eBay. Then I took the first one apart and found a tiny
push button switch inside. I pushed it and afact everything started
working again. Apparently such switches are not uusual, but I found
nothing on the web about them. It was even labeled Reset sw.50, but I
wouldn't count on it being labeled that well.
Interesting. I've gone through several Bluray/DVD players for
movies. I still have some around. They seem to just
quit qorking after 2-3 years. Maybe I'll try disassembling one.
Mid February. Freezing cold. Got nothing better to do.
On Fri, 2/21/2025 12:35 PM, Newyana2 wrote:
On 2/21/2025 10:22 AM, micky wrote:
Becasue this is a Windows ng and some people get all upset when I post
off-topic, I didn't include this group when I told about my DVDR with
hardrive, that I've had for about 15 years. It broke and I boughht an
identical one on eBay. Then I took the first one apart and found a tiny >>> push button switch inside. I pushed it and afact everything started
working again. Apparently such switches are not uusual, but I found
nothing on the web about them. It was even labeled Reset sw.50, but I >>> wouldn't count on it being labeled that well.
Interesting. I've gone through several Bluray/DVD players for
movies. I still have some around. They seem to just
quit qorking after 2-3 years. Maybe I'll try disassembling one.
Mid February. Freezing cold. Got nothing better to do.
The optics on optical set top players or optical drives, are
pretty sophisticated. The Bluray may have a diffraction grating
and complex corrector lens. it may have AR coated lens assemblies.
These are not things that need a "dosing in isopropanol and a
wipe with tissue paper". Just about any human interference with
the optics, makes the optical properties worse.
A DVD Set Top play, would not have very sophisticated DRM. It
has CSS, the Content Scrambling System.
Whereas after DVD was hacked to shit, the industry swore an
oath, they would build a Battle Star in the next generation.
And that is Blu Ray.
The Blu Ray revels in "key revocation". Let us say
I bought a title in 2010. As a BluRay, it played fine.
Many plays, no scratches, just works.
Ok, the year is 2022. I go to the Walmart Delete Bin and I buy
some piece of crap in BluRay format. The disc can have a
"revocation list". It can revoke the key for the 2010 item
I bought. Suddenly, I plug in my year 2010 disc and "it doesn't play".
Why ? Why you ask. We don't know why such keys get revoked, but
there are tales about this.
The Set Top box player can have an Ethernet interface. It can
get key revocation info over the Ethernet interface.
The BluRay discs have JAVA code onboard. The player has a Java
interpreter. This may produce menus for the media, list
special features, allow setting the sound to stereo or ATMOS
or whatever. But the program can also be looking at your taste
in titles.
In short, the BluRay player is one promiscuous piece of hardware,
that will listen to anybody, except you :-)
Enjoy your research,
What do you suppose makes them die or malfunction?
Dust on the reader? I've had several go. In fact, my DVD
writer on my computer also started acting up awhile back.
I don't use it a lot. They're cheap, so I just got a new one.
But all of these kind of devices seem to have short lives.
On 2/21/2025 10:22 AM, micky wrote:
Becasue this is a Windows ng and some people get all upset when I post
off-topic, I didn't include this group when I told about my DVDR with
hardrive, that I've had for about 15 years. It broke and I boughht an
identical one on eBay. Then I took the first one apart and found a tiny
push button switch inside. I pushed it and afact everything started
working again. Apparently such switches are not uusual, but I found
nothing on the web about them. It was even labeled Reset sw.50, but I
wouldn't count on it being labeled that well.
Interesting. I've gone through several Bluray/DVD players for
movies. I still have some around. They seem to just
quit qorking after 2-3 years. Maybe I'll try disassembling one.
Mid February. Freezing cold. Got nothing better to do.
On 19/02/2025 11:17 pm, Newyana2 wrote:
<Snip>
I'm also happy with the AC. I used to prefer heat to
cold and didn't want to spoil summer with AC, but as
I get older I don't adapt well to heat.
Back in the 60's/70's, where I lived, the local Council had an open air, >Olympic swimming pool which would normally stay open till 6:00p.m.
But, if at 5:00p.m., the temp was 30C (about 85F) or more, the pool
would stay open till 9:00p.m.
Come 4:45 or so, there would be heaps of kids standing around thinking
"Come on 30 degrees".
Now-a-days, anything over about 25C (about 75F) and I'm pretty much flat
on my back!! ;-(
In alt.comp.os.windows-11, on Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:03:47 +1100, Daniel70 <daniel47@eternal-september.org> wrote:
On 19/02/2025 11:17 pm, Newyana2 wrote:
<Snip>
 I'm also happy with the AC. I used to prefer heat to
cold and didn't want to spoil summer with AC, but as
I get older I don't adapt well to heat.
Back in the 60's/70's, where I lived, the local Council had an open air,
Olympic swimming pool which would normally stay open till 6:00p.m.
But, if at 5:00p.m., the temp was 30C (about 85F) or more, the pool
would stay open till 9:00p.m.
Come 4:45 or so, there would be heaps of kids standing around thinking
"Come on 30 degrees".
Now-a-days, anything over about 25C (about 75F) and I'm pretty much flat
on my back!! ;-(
My mother knew a lot of people, especially women, who moved to Floriday because they couldn't stand the Indiana, Pennsylvania winters. She
didn't want to go because it was hot there
Me too. If you're cold, you can put on mmore clothes, but if y ou're
hot, there is a limit to how much you can take off. Once you're naked,
you can't go any further.
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