Tag Archives: Windows 10

13 Updates

13 Updates

I logged in today and my computer reported there are 13 updates.  So, I reviewed them and told it to update my computer.  Instead of downloading the updates, it just sat there.  It was doing nothing.

The next step was to research on-line why this 13 updates were not installing.  The most popular suggestion was to turn on automatic updates.  (I manually initiate updates so I know what is getting installed.)

I turned on automatic updates and the machine started to update.  I them started getting messages about upgrading to Windows 10.  Nope.  I did that once and I won’t do it again.

As a result of these Windows 10 messages I turned off auto updates and the rest of the updates went through just fine.  It appears Microsoft slipped in something to force people to turn on automatic updates so they can advertise Windows 10.

Apple

Speaking of computers, the other day some guy told me how terrible Windows was and how great Apple support was.  As you know, my experience with Apple’s support has been dismal, at best.

It wasn’t more than three days later the same guy was posting on Facebook how his Mac screen keeps going crazy and how he’s taken it to the Genius Bar twice and both times they said there was no problem and it worked fine for them.  He was no asking his Apple buddies what might be the problem.

Had this been a PC I would have gone in to the Manage program and looked at the error logs.  I would have looked for driver and/or hardware errors, and then either updated/reinstalled the drivers or replaced the video card.

Flaking Paint

There was some flaking paint on the studio (as there is on the house too).  So, I scraped and touched up the areas I can reach.  It sure looks a lot nicer now.

Third Year

Third Year

We are about to start our third year of using our food storage for 3 months. That means… no grocery shopping!  YEAH!

While this may sound crazy, it makes sound sense.  First, it allows us to rotate what we’ve stored.  Second, it allows us to figure out what we might not need.  Third, it allows us to figure out what we items we should store more of.  It also means less driving during the winter time.

While I felt like a squirrel storing nuts for the winter, Elizabethe asked me to pick up a few items at the store.  There is no way they are going to last for 3 months, but at least we can ease into our three month experiment.

A good website for being prepared in all aspects of life is Provident Living.  I don’t consider us “preppers” by any means.  I do want to be self-reliant – temporally, mentally and spiritually.

Windows 10

Windows 10 has given me grief again.  For a while, it had been running fine on my laptop.  (If you recall, I had to completely remove it from my desktop.  I had to re-format my desktop’s hard drive because Windows 10 just would not work on it.)

This time it appeared to be a fight between Windows 10 and my virus software.  Windows 10 said I didn’t have any virus software, and the virus software said it needed to do an update.  Long story short, it appears Windows 10 did something to DHCP’s service and DHCP had to be repaired before it would allow the virus software to update.

Ninty-seven (97) updates later, Windows 10 appeared to be working until I attempted to connect using WiFi.  Yup… DHCP services on the the WiFi connection weren’t working either.  After repairing that, I took my laptop home and tried it and it seems to be working now.

After all of this, Microsoft sends me a survey asking about my Windows 10 Experience.  They asked me to rate it.  I gave it a “1”.  They asked what they could do to improve the score.  I answered, “Keep Windows 7.”

Early Start Today

Early Start Today

I got an early start today.  Well, no earlier than usual for a Thursday, but then, I didn’t get to bed until about 12:30am this morning.  So, it feels like an early start.

I am still dealing with the aftermath of Windows 10.  While it sure did a number on my by causing me to go and re-install all of my software, I am taking advantage of the newly formatted hard drive to re-organize how and where my data is stored.

My next step is to set up a software package called Leo to do automatic incremental backups.  I chose Leo because it stores data the same way the computer does and thus restoring the data is simple and doesn’t require any special software.  It’s pretty easy to do it this way.  (And, before someone asks me to do it for their computer, I will be happy to do so, but I will also charge you for my time.  Let’s make that clear from the start.)

It is fun having the grandchildren around.  I get a knock on the studio door, “Grandpa, it is time to come eat.”

You just don’t get reminded you have to eat when you’re empty nesters.

Reformat

Reformat

It’s time to reformat my hard drive and restore the software from the original disks.  I’ve had it with Microsoft Windows 10.  Call backs have been promised and promises have not been kept.  I am so very disappointed in Microsoft.

Most of my day has been spent restoring my hard drive.  One of the programs, DxO Optics was an older release and it wouldn’t activate.  So, I contacted them only to be told it cannot be activated.  Great!  So, the guy puts me on hold and comes back and says they are going to give me the latest version.

Now, that’s what I call customer service!

All day I have been going back and forth between my laptop and my desk top  copying files and installing software on my desktop (the machine that Windows 10 trashed).  It’s running well and working great.  I’m going to leave well-enough alone this time.

Dealing with Microsoft

Dealing with Microsoft

Another day dealing with Microsoft.  I called in the morning as directed last night.  I finally got through to someone named “Ann” (or, at least that’s what it sounded like.  She had a heavy accent.)  She took a lot of information and then said someone will call me in 2 hours.  (By this time, it was noon.)

I continued to work on non-computer stuff in my office and 2pm came and went.  4pm came and went.  6pm came and I knew at this point if they call it was too bad because I have a client coming at 6:30pm.

My client came and went and I backed up the images via my laptop and headed to the house.  It’s 10pm at this point and I’m not real happy with #Microsoft.  They keep making promises of call backs and the don’t happen.

Chatting with a few people on social media, I think the best thing is to wipe my hard drive and go back to Windows 7.  Once I get it all installed and reinstall my applications, I’m going to mirror my hard drive and store the copy away.

What drives me craze is I give them a case number and I get the run-around.  “I can’t update the ticket”, or, “That’s a tier 2 ticket, you can only talk to tier 2, I’m tier 1.”  And, when I ask to be transferred they make excuses as to why they can’t.

I suspect tier one is in one country, and tier two in another and the time zones make it awkward.  Who knows.  This much I do know, Microsoft has a product with more bugs than should be allowed in a release.

I think it was when Windows 7 came out they had a program that you could run and it generated a report that told you whether your hardware was ready for Windows 7.  I remember running it and getting a message stating some of my hardware wasn’t ready.  A few months later I re-ran it and it said my machine was ready.  At that point, I upgraded.

With Windows 10, they should have had something like that.  Heck, just build it in to the installation process.  I’m 99% sure the reason why my machine is crashing is some of the hardware drivers are not Windows 10 compatible yet.  And, not only are they not compatible, Windows 10 does not handle the error exceptions nicely.

Also, when I went to install my graphics card Windows 10 driver (it came out 2 days ago), Windows 10 crashed and the error pointed to Windows 10 installer being corrupted.

So, today ends with no resolution from Microsoft.

Tomorrow Windows 10 will be removed via a re-format of my hard drive.  It’s a drastic move but I’ve given Microsoft every chance to fix their problems.

Past 10pm

Past 10pm

It is past 10pm and Microsoft was supposed to call at 9:30pm.  The support guy at Microsoft scheduled an appointment for 9:30pm and it has come and gone and he hasn’t called.

Last night we left it that my machine would run for the next 24 hours to see if things are fixed.  Well, they aren’t fixed and when I tried to call Microsoft to have them add it to the ticket, I was told they can’t add comments to the ticket.  (I called 3 times to try to get someone who could add it to the ticket.)

This is ridiculous #Microsoft!  #Windows10 sucks!

The tech support guy says if it doesn’t BSoD in Safe Mode, then the problem is Windows.  If it does BSoD in Safe Mode, then it is probably hardware related.  So, I’m going to bed tonight with my machine running in Safe Mode to see if it BSoDs in Safe Mode.

Aside from spending my day working on my PC, I started backing everything up for the inevitable event.  That is, for when I have to revert to Windows 7 after formatting my hard drive.

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At the temple tonight I spent most of the evening in initiatories.   We got a lot of my family names completed and ready for endowments.

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Tomorrow I have a busy schedule and that’s only adding to the stress of my computer not working.  I’m really disliking Microsoft right now.  They used to have better support and better QA.  My prediction:  Google will continue with its technological acquisitions until they manage to have a platform that will squeeze out Microsoft, and perhaps even Apple.

Microsoft really blew it with Windows 8 and the Windows Phone.  Let me clarify how they blew it with the Windows Phone.  They dropped supporting the best phone operating system yet while focusing on Windows 8 and Surface.    Now, they have two dogs:  Windows 10 and Windows Phone.  I really don’t see how they are going to dig themselves out if they let this go.

Windows 10 Bug

Windows 10 Bug

I’ve discovered a Windows 10 bug.  That is why my computer keeps getting a BSoD.  While my laptop does not, my desk top does.    As a result, I’m using my laptop more because it is annoying to have your computer reboot while you’re trying to send or read an e-mail.

I searched the support pages and evidently this is a huge problem.  Some people have fixed it, but applying their fixes has lessened the reboots, but it hasn’t resolved them entirely.

How frustrating.

I took a break to go to my networking meeting, but so far, all of my efforts have been futile.

It is late and I’m thinking I’ll just leave it sit until the morning to see if my issues are fixed.

Tommorrow I’ll have to call Microsoft.

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Other than my computer problems, it is fun having the grandchildren around.  They are intrigued with my Zizix doll.  (It’s like a talking Magic 8 Ball.)  They keep coming in to my office to ask questions.  Of course it has a limited number of responses, but they get a kick out of the answers.

Spencer has been pulling bushes out of the back yard.  He’s got a lot cleared and it is a win-win for all of us.  I’m enjoying having Spencer and Jennifer around too.