Last week, my almost new (1 year old) laptop died a horrible and untimely death at the hands of Windows10. Why did I download Microsoft's version of the anti-Christ? Because I'm a trusting dumbass. Anywhoo, a week after the takeover, MS sends a message that it has Win10 updates. Are you fucking kidding me? I've had it for one fucking week and you're already updating it? So dumdum me downloads the updates. Somewhere during the download, our internet cut out, just for a second, not even really noticeable, but it screwed everything up. Oh noes! Microsoft has no idea how to back out of a botched download! The whole system crashed. Everything after March, my last backup, is lost. And the fun thing? $179 to restore to factory settings. Fuck that.
Now, the Angel household isn't entirely without computer. We have Teen Queen's computer, operative words being "Teen Queen's". When she's not on it, you can sneak a few minutes. Except spouse was home last week on vacation, so when she wasn't on it, he was. Doing his Craigslist thing.
"Hi, I'm R, I'm a Craigslist addict."
"Hi, R. Welcome."
So I knew what I had to do. I needed a new new laptop, already with Win10. I needed to go shopping. Because of the generosity of two readers who felt compelled to donate to the blog, even though I don't take donations, I picked out a little Dell, $199, $216 with tax. I'm looking at putting Linux on my other laptop. Always good to have a backup, yeah?
So that's my story; not as exciting as when wirecutter disappears for days, but for now, I'm back.
27 comments:
Another win10 computer? Won't be very long before you have two Linux computers.
Fuck Microsoft.
Terry
Fla.
One month on your PC and it prevents you from loading your Win7 backup...
...and you're stuck with 10 or have to find a different OS.
I have been experimenting with Linux Mint and am very happy with it. I didn't like the way windows ten was introduced with the gwx update and understand that it is just a big spyware program. I am still using seven but will eventually change over.
Manjaro Linux is not too bad on laptops. I'm using it on a server and two laptops in the house and garage. Easy enough to install. The others in the house are all Win 7 Pro.
UBUNTU UBUNTU UBUNTU As anonymous said...
I also vote for Linux Mint. I was clinging desperately to XP, but I'd been running Ububtu on a laptop for a few years. Last time Windows barfed all over my tower, I made the jump. I haven't yet encountered anything I need to do, that Windows could and Linux can't.
AND IT'S ALL FREE. Mint comes with Firefox, LibreOffice (which is OpenOffice, which does just about everything MicroSoft Office does including PowerPoint), and everything else you're likely to need, while most other stuff is free for the downloading. Just yesterday I learned how to author a DVD with menus and subtitles, with a free Linux program. I never did have that figured out in Windows.
Glad to see you back. We missed you. Two of our computers (soon to be three) are happily running Mint. Linux is not for everyone -- gotta be able to do some computery stuff if you stray beyond what's ready to download, but it has more than enough available for many people.
Anonymous because my only available identity is connected to stuff I need to keep separate.
Anon @ 5:00, I have several identities if you'd like to borrow one.
Welcom back, sweetie. Yow were missed. Windows 10 sucks
In the future could you please (insert scolding parental type look here) please have WC or someone post an "ok angel's not really dead " note on the refrigerator or something?
So win 10 doesn't create restore points prior to installing updates? As for your lost data, why not get an external optical drive enclosure and see if you can pull your stuff that way.
Bill Gates is the anti-Christ.
The only thing M$ is good for is keeping help-desk personnel employed.
That and BigPharma producers of B.P. meds.
so glad you are among the cyber living...this place gets a bit wierd(er) without your guiding presence...... meantime this very NONtechno person has an old,retired jewel of a computer geek who also speaks understandable texican....I buy/install whatever he tells me to buy/install, and it seems to work....the less I know/understand about the innards of the stuff the better I am able to use it......
vaquero viejo
Is he one of those people who call everyone on craigslist looking for free stuff?
I totally hate when you put something up free and someone calls and says they'll take it but only if you deliver it. If I was willing to load it in my truck i'd take it to the dump not to a random strangers house.
Exile1981
https://www.freedomsphoenix.com/News/190973-2016-02-04-using-gwx-control-panel-to-permanently-remove-the-get-windows.htm
Life is good after I installed GWX Control Panel Hope it helps.
I'll have to remember this post next time my friend who works at Microsoft gets mouthy about poor Win10 adoption rate.
He ranted at me for an hour today because I vetoed a tabletop game design suggestion that required unnecessary tech integration.
I also installed the GWX Control Panel tool on half a dozen Win 7 machines that HAVE to stay on Win 7.
It works perfectly!
As far as Linux goes, I've been using various flavors of Linux since 1995.
I don't car for Ubuntu because of the arcane Gnome desktop, but Kbuntu with the KDE desktop works for me.
And IF YOU'RE COMING FROM WINDOWS.....you'll find the KDE desktop environment to be much more to your liking. I've had many people say they "couldn't learn Linux" do just fine with it ("Is this a MAC?") when I dumped then front of a machine running the KDE desktop. It was the Gnome desktop that was "too different; too hard to learn" that turned them away from Linux.
If you're an uber nerd, then go with the Gnome desktop. If you want to get work done, go with KDE.
Ok I can't resist..
I was worried that you had finally succumbed to one of your many horrible car accidents. ;)
Glad to see you back on line. I don't know jack squat about 'puters (even though I am a CAD jockey from years back). Frustrating when 'New and Improved' updates sucks a$$ ! Hope the computer troubles are behind and soon forgotten.
Glad to see you are back. I was getting worried and then read on Wirecutter's site that you had computer problems.
Phew!! You're back and alive. I was getting a little worried about you. As for Win10, I'm using Win7 on all three computers and have a dual boot on my laptop with Linux Mint. I'm slowly working out the problems of switching to Linux and so far so good. I don't intend to go to Win10.
I upgraded 3 of my notebooks to 10, 2 from 8.1, 1 from 7 Pro with no issues at all when it 1st came out and they have been rock solid from day one. Dunno what ta tell ya guys. Mine is a HP Pavilion dv6, Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-2450M CPU @ 2.50GHz, 6gb RAM running Windows 10 Pro 1511. One is an HP Envy running an AMD FX cpu and the other is a Toshiba Satellite A500ST5601.
Download this and tuck it away for the next time Windows dies. It boots and runs from the CD without touching the hard disk so you can safely get on-line until you can get Windows fixed.
http://www.spi.dod.mil/lipose.htm
The standard version loads fastest so it is best for most but the deluxe offers Adobe and Libre Office if you need them.
Windows 10 is pure evil. Perhaps the biggest piece of spyware ever foisted on the America public. That "free" upgrade ? -- there's no such thin g as a free lunch. The terms or agreement in Windows 10 installation is frightening to me.
Check these links -- if they are still up:
http://thehackernews.com/2015/08/windows-10-update.html
http://www.thenewamerican.com/tech/computers/item/21400-windows-10-is-spyware
http://www.disclose.tv/news/a_terrifying_traffic_analysis_of_windows_10/121544
http://tools4hackers.com/warning-turn-off-your-windows-10-keylogger-now/
Jst want to keep everyone safe. I would stay with Win 7 ( and secure it with firewalls) or move to Linux .
Just my $0.02
Glad you are back and OK, like many here I was worried that you finally had real "vehicle" issues or something else not good.
Its a relief that only the computer was the issue...1st world problems are acceptable.
To hell with Win 10 bashers. I have been running it on my main laptop since it was first released, and loaded it onto my backup machine 4 months ago or so. No major issues with either machine, just a bit of a learning curve while I figured out where everything was, and how to do things with it. While I haven't had something like an internet outage while downloading an upgrade happen, and I have no idea if you did something wrong, or were unaware of a way to correct the error, I have found that most issues with computers are caused by the user doing something wrong. And a lot of my friends come to me with computer issues, due to my experience with them.
Let me just ask one question of all of the haters who commented here: why would a company that makes its living from computer operating systems make their new OS as buggy or hard to use as so many people claim? Could it not be possible that it is the user who is the weak link?
Oh, I forgot to mention that I like your site. Keep it up.
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