Location settings place me 30 miles away from home-Windows 8.1

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Hi, all.

I have Windows 8.1 on my desktop computer. I’ve never had occasion to question this until recently, when I purchased a tablet computer which also has 8.1, and I decided to install “Locate my Tablet” to the new machine.

When “Locate my Tablet” was installed on the tablet, it located me about 30 miles away from my correct location in another town. I have tried everything I can think of to correct the location. I have the Bing Maps apps on both computers set to my correct location. I have the weather apps also defaulting to my correct location. I uninstalled and reinstalled “Locate My Tablet” twice with the same result.

Searching Location privileges, I’ve enabled the apps allowed to use my location. Under “change location settings”, the only two options I get there are to turn on Windows Location Platform or Help Improve Microsoft’s Location Services. I’ve checked the first, unchecked the second one.

I recently am noticing some of the ads on my yahoo mail page on the desktop computer showing the other town, which is a recent change. I’ve seen ads referencing my correct location there previously. So somehow the incorrect location of the tablet seems to carry over to my desktop.

I find similar situations from searching for support, but nothing that helps. Can anyone tell me what else I can do? I login on the admin account, which I realize isn’t the best idea. I am the sole user of both computers. Thanks in advance. Judy

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Judson,

Unless your tablet has a GPS it is getting your location based on your ISP’s (or what ever ISP serves the current hotspot you are connected to) location. If you have a GPS enabled tablet make sure the GPS is enabled and has a good view of the sky to get an accurate location. HTH :cheers:

May the Forces of good computing be with you!

RG

PowerShell & VBA Rule!
Computer Specs

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Judson,

Unless your tablet has a GPS it is getting your location based on your ISP’s (or what ever ISP serves the current hotspot you are connected to) location. If you have a GPS enabled tablet make sure the GPS is enabled and has a good view of the sky to get an accurate location. HTH :cheers:

Hi, RetiredGeek.

My ISP is in a town about 20 miles in the other direction from the town that’s showing up, so I’m about in the middle between the two towns in a 50 mile radius.

My tablet is a Surface Pro 2. I can’t find any gps feature on it. So I guess “Locate my Tablet” won’t be of much use to me. Thanks for your insight. Judy

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My ISP is in a town about 20 miles in the other direction from the town that’s showing up, so I’m about in the middle between the two towns in a 50 mile radius.

Judy,

You’re ISP may have servers in more than one location not just their home office and that may be the one you’re connecting to. HTH :cheers:

May the Forces of good computing be with you!

RG

PowerShell & VBA Rule!
Computer Specs

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Reinforcing RetiredGeek’s previous statements, your ISP or someone else for them have provided some database records that associate IPs and locations and IP based location just relies on this information, which is usually inaccurate by a smaller of higher degree.

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Amuse yourself by trying out this geolocation page!

For me, two of the suggested locations are approximately correct (just 12 miles out), another is 90 miles away and the fourth is 182 miles away!

BATcher

Plethora means a lot to me.

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Thanks, guys.

Should have bought a large phone instead of a tablet maybe?

I did try the geolocation page. Amazing. First one on the list puts me right where I should be, but the others show a town very close to the incorrect location. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm. Guess I’m just fortunate that I’ll now be getting the spammy ads for both areas. 😉 Judy

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Amuse yourself by trying out this geolocation page!

For me, two of the suggested locations are approximately correct (just 12 miles out), another is 90 miles away and the fourth is 182 miles away!

I tried that link.
The first finding had me in California. Ooops! (I’m in Florida)

Finally, the last one gave the city location of my ISP, but that’s 20 miles away from me, and I’m on the mail route of another town all-together. Close, but no Cigar!!!

😎

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BATcher,

That page puts me in a city 35 miles away! But then again I do live in the sticks! BTW: I use Time Warner Cable as my ISP. :cheers:

May the Forces of good computing be with you!

RG

PowerShell & VBA Rule!
Computer Specs

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