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Plenty of good suggestions here, however what if one needs to use that external drive to backup in PreOS Mode? Acronis True Image calls it something else, but it works the same. By pressing a key at startup (F11 for Acronis & Todo Workstation simply adds another boot entry), one can backup/restore their computer totally outside of the Windows enviornment, which is faster & preferred. No Windows processes to interfere with the backup/restore whatsoever.

How does one temporarily bypass the encryption to get the job done? Other then unencrypt the drive & re-encrypt it? This option won’t work with TrueCrypt, as once unencrypted, it has to be formatted prior to re-encryption. However, BitLocker can do it & leave the data intact, but how does one access the external during the PreOS process? This is a legitmate concern, fortunately many paid backup apps offers it’s own encryption system.

However, this is of little good to those who uses free backup apps. For those who are using the freebies, it’s probably best NOT to encrypt those drives. The ones with your precious data, family pics, songs & movies, those are the ones to encrypt. For those who are running 7 Ultimate/8 Pro, BitLocker is included & your data is not harmed (as always, back these drives up prior to implementing an encryption system). It’s best for these computers to have a TPM (accessed through the BIOS), however it can be done w/o it. It’s just less prone to bugs if the physical chip is there.

As mentioned by myself & others above, TrueCrypt is available & free. Just remember, the drive HAS to be formatted first with the TrueCrypt setup. And when you’re creating your security, be sure to follow the instructions closely. There comes a time when it’s suggested to move the mouse around those keys for a couple of minutes (to make it even more crack proof). Don’t skip this vital step. For most, TrueCrypt is probably as good as it comes, free or paid. The app could easily be licensed & sold for $50 per user if the author wanted to, it’s that good. It’s saved many accused criminals from being convicted in court. What is very securely & properly encrypted, no one can access. The exception to this is tyrant countries who waterboards (& uses other practices of torture) suspects to extort info. Even still, TrueCrypt offers a second “hidden” encrypted enclousure inside of a “dummy” one that usually useless info is on. Consider this when planning your hidden drive. If you are forced to give a password, make the crook think nothing’s there, mabye some random photos or made up credit/debit card credentials.

Be sure to read the documentation very closely. For beginners, here’s the place to start. Make small, simple encrypted containers or drives (such as a Flash drive) at first. Then practice mounting/unmounting (securing) it. These drives should not be simply yanked from the computer as many does their Flash drives (which shouldn’t be done anyway).

http://www.truecrypt.org/docs/

Before long, with practice, most anyone can use TrueCrypt with ease.

Cat

I don’t buy this at all. Recently, with the shortage of Windows 8 tablets/hybrids (because the OEM’s dropped the ball), many who wanted a new Windows 8 computer had to buy either a traditional notebook or desktop. One can have a Windows 8 desktop for as little as $299 ($349 w/monitor included), which is fine to web browse, check email, make purchases, etc.

More robust ones with discrete video cards are also plentiful at many retailers & online at sites like Newegg.

However, I’m tired of buying computers loaded with crapware that slows them, & spending time figuring out what’s good & what should stay. So I’m now in the process of saving & bookmarking components to build my own. I’ve looked at many of the Newegg DIY PC combos as a reference, though most has a weak link, it gives me a guide to go by. Being that there’s not a ton of savings by buying these combos, & there’s some components I already have (a extra 128GB M4 SSD & many SATA HDD’s, DVD burner, will use existing keyboard/mouse), I can instead buy the things that I know I’ll need instead, such as a CPU cooler, NVIDIA discrete GPU & high quality PSU, along with the 32GB of DDR3 1600 RAM that I covet greatly & is within price range now.

My computer will be built around the i5 CPU with Intel 4000 graphics below, that I found in one of these DIY kits.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116504

I was tempted to go with the latest AMD APU, to hold down costs, but being that I run VM’s, I need to have a respectable CPU, & there are varying opinions as to whether one of these will do what I want. The thing is, even the latest of these APU’s are often benchmarked against the i3, which is insufficient for my purposes. Plus Intel is simply a superior brand, perhaps their onboard graphics aren’t that of the latest AMD APU’s, however I don’t want a AIO type of CPU. I don’t want to sacrifice CPU performance for good looks, which is what I perceive the APU’s to be, when I can have both by purchasing a separate CPU & GPU.

Clint’s comment above is proof in the pudding that portables can’t do it all.

“There will always be a need and place for potent processor & graphics applications, like architecture’s software, as one small example.”

My current MSI notebook, a good mid range one, is good for many things, however even with a i5 480M, GeForce GT425M (1GB DDR3) & 8GB DDR3 1333 (10700) RAM, it’s not always enough. If it would hold 16GB RAM mabye, but still there’s the thermal deal of a notebook to consider.

As far as the “desktop is dying or is dead”, I’ll believe it when I see it. Most homes that I go into, there’s a PC (though there are usually portables also), & every business that I walk into has one or more PC’s in sight of the customers. Many are still running XP, but that’s for another discussion. Hard core gamers & other number crunchers (folding@home participants, for example) needs a solid PC. I know firsthand, because despite the fact that my notebook has quality components, & it was on a quality notebook cooler, after 3 months of 24/7 non-stop folding, the video card fried. MSI replaced it with a brand new one & for my troubles, gave me a $50 Newegg gift card. However, lesson learned, to do heavy duty work, one needs heavy duty equipment.

Kind of like pulling a large boat with a 4 cylinder pickup truck, yes it will pull it, but it will break it down & fast.

Intel has simply joined many other outlets that has stated the same thing that I started hearing in 2010, it’s probably their excuse to downsize their portable CPU’s (this is already happening). Yes portables are in high demand, but that doesn’t mean that the PC “is dying”, & I doubt in my lifetime that it will be dead.

Cat

Here’s my list, with the assistance of Belarc Advisor:

Adobe AIR 3.5
Adobe Systems, Inc. – Shockwave Flash Version 11,3,375,10
Adobe Systems, Inc. – Shockwave Flash Version 11,4,402,287
AOMEI Partition Assistant Version 5.0.0.0
Belarc, Inc. – Advisor Version 8.2f
Bitsum LLC – Process Lasso Version 6.1.0.74
EaseUS Todo Backup Workstation Version 4.0.0.5
Eastman Kodak Company – KODAK AiO Printer Driver Version 5.4.6
HD Tune Version 2, 5, 5, 0
ESET NOD32 AV Version 6.0.115.0 RC (changed today)
FileHippo.com Update Checker Version 1.039.0.0
Google Earth Version 6.2.2.6613
7-Zip Version 9.22 beta
Classic Shell Version 3, 6, 2, 0 (installed today)
ImgBurn Version 2.5.7.0
Logitech SetPoint Version 6.50.152
Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder Version 2.0.8.2
Malwarebytes Anti-Malware Version 1.65.0.0000 (Pro-Lifetime)
Microsoft Office 2010 Version 14.0.6123.5005 – complete package (64 bit)
MiniTool Partition Wizard Version 7, 5, 0, 1
Mozilla Corporation – Firefox Version 16.0.2
Nitro Pro Version 7.0.0.1
Nitro Reader 3 Version 3, 0, 4, 4
Opera Internet Browser Version 12.02
Oracle Corporation – Java(TM) Platform SE 7 U9 Version 7.0.90.5
Oracle VM VirtualBox Version 4.2.4.r81684
CCleaner Version 3, 24, 0, 1850
Recuva Version 1, 43, 0, 623
Speccy Version 1.18.0.379
Rainmeter Version 2.3.3.1522 (64-bit)
Raxco Software, Inc. – PerfectDisk Version 12, 5, 1, 312
Secunia PSI Version 2.0.0.3003
SUPERAntiSpyware Version 5, 6, 0, 1012 (Pro-Lifetime)
VLC media player Version 2,0,4,0 (64 bit)
Realtek HD Audio Manager Version 1, 0, 0, 791
Revo Uninstaller Version 1, 9, 4, 0
Western Digital – DLGDIAG for Windows Version 1.24

All of this & more using only 26.9GB of 69.8GB of space. Windows 7 alone, after updates would nearly consume this. Some of the entries were redundant (or updates) & didn’t see the need to list them.

Windows 8 is quite compatible with a lot of commonly used apps. I don’t see spending a lot of money for apps at the Store, although I added some freebies last night.

Cat

Thanks for the warning, I won’t be installing Windows Essentials on Windows 8, at least until I remove it from 7. I didn’t see the need to install the full client on two installs. Especially since 8 Pro includes a Mail tile anyway.

I’m just getting into this mail client deal, for years, I’ve accessed my email from the browser, mainly because all of my email services can’t be added. Hotmail/Outlook Mail, I only use for important things, I have scattered others that I use for other purposes, one especially for getting free software (Yahoo). It’s nothing for me to get 700 to 1,000 spam emails a week on there, & don’t want it on a client. FastMail, I use for forums, that one won’t work with Windows Essentials because I’m using the free version.

The last thing that I need is for my Hotmail/Outlook services to get screwed up.

I hope that you get this sorted out soon, my guess is that you’re going to have to choose one OS or the other for Windows Essentials.

Another reason that MS would prefer us to go with 8 & not dual boot, I may totally give up 7 at some point, but not right now. Mabye after SP1 is released.

Cat

I’ve used Comodo before, really have nothing bad to say about the protection, only that it’s not suitable for CPU’s that runs under 2.0GHz. Too much of a load on underpowered computers, desktop or portable.

It also offers to redirect traffic through their secure servers, but I found that it slowed my downloads noticeably. One doesn’t have to select that option to have the firewall.

On Windows 7, I’m currently running the 30 day trial of Emsisoft Anti Malware, which is a AM/AV in one product. I’ve had it for three months now, being that I posted a link on another forum for the product with my customer ID, the original 30 days have been extended twice.

The other cool thing about Emsisoft is that the user gets a discount on every renewal, that continues to decrease the price each time. The initial price seems expensive for the full suite, but it does decrease with each year, and the user also gets a link to post that extends the time. I’m considering the 3 computer pack of the entire suite, as ruirib described above, once my current ESET license runs out. However, I do need to tryout the full suite, to see the impact on my system. After this trial runs out, I’ll give that one a test run.

I spend 4 to 8 hours on the computer per day, 25 cents a day is dirt cheap for first rate protection.

Cat

Glad to hear that things worked out for both of you!

Now, if only we can get the free streaming Internet TV in Media Center again, my favorite part of the app. It was just recently dropped, as I had just set the last one up in August. MS gave us no notice on that one.

Cat

Thanks Ted! It’s been awhile since Classic Shell has been updated.

I’ve tried other apps of this sort, Classic Shell beats the others by far. I just may install this on 7 as well.

Cat

I did that too, the one that I ordered is going to be stored in my safe deposit box. At the price that I gave for the OS, that was still less than going to the store & buying the boxed version, I have a total of around $60 in it after ordering the DVD. The extra $18 didn’t break me.

Still, by far, the lowest cost Windows OS that I’ve ever bought.

Cat

One other very powerful app seldom mentioned to run, this scans every byte on the drive. It’s very popular in Europe, & independent studies shows it’s detection rates are #1 in the security industry.

http://www.emsisoft.com/en/software/eek/

If this emergency kit won’t find & cure it, I don’t know what will. This scan takes several hours to run on a drive with a lot of data, so go ahead & do whatever you need to do while it’s running.

Cat

Just in case you need the Windows 8 Pro install disk in the future, there’s a link in the confirmation email from your Windows 8 purchase to obtain one. Also a link for the setup app for the Windows 8 upgrade again, though this one won’t give the option to create media.

I went ahead & ordered my extra disk “just in case”, with shipping & taxes, it was close to $18. It’s better to have it & not need it than not to have it & desperately need it.

Cat

I had to install the 64 bit edition of Office 2010 due to error code 0x80073683 with the 32 bit one. I tried twice, first by Flash drive, then by DVD, the same error both times.

Being that I had a 64 bit DVD of the app (from TechNet), I thought I’d give that a shot, being that I prefer 64 bit apps anyway. I would have installed 64 bit the very first time, back in 2010, but members on the Windows 7 forum that I was a regular at stated that 32 bit was best, that it was more “backwards compatible”, whatever that meant. At the time, that could have meant there was no stable 64 bit Flash app, but that’s not the case now, there’s been several 64 bit Flash updates, they get updated when the 32 bit does, normally.

http://www.filehippo.com/search?q=adobe+flash+player

Here they are, both stable releases, IE & non-IE.

VLC even has a 64 bit version now, as I linked in a prior post.

Cat

Until I installed Office 2010 Pro Plus onto 8 Pro, I didn’t realize just how many updates there were (over 600MB for mine). This is my first 64 bit install of Office, I keep the latest SP on a Flash drive for Office 2007 & 2010 (32 bit), this saves time.

acbeaton, glad to hear you bit the bullet, hope that 8 Pro serves you well. I believe that it will. If you’re like many of us who has ran the betas since 02/29, or 05/31, you already have experience with the OS that will serve you well. This is the reason that I feel the beta program should keep on rolling. Those who runs them daily are more likely to purchase.

If the timing goes like the last two releases, we’ll be testing the next Windows around 02/15, slightly over two years.

In line with the topic, I felt it would have been best for the same software distributor to handle both 8 Pro & Media Center. Hopefully not many users are negatively affected by this. If so, hopefully all will be resolved soon. Users should keep in mind NOT to wait until the last day to upgrade, by doing so, there’s a strong possibility of missing out on the promo Media Center addon. That’s one good thing about the betas expiring about two weeks before then, they will have been almost 11 months old, time to buy 8 Pro or go back to whatever prior OS being ran.

Cat

One trend that I’m noticing already, many of the new Windows 8 computers, especially tablets, notebooks & AIO’s (which is what my desktop is), is that the CPU power is being lowered. My notebook that was bought early last year is powered by a i5 @ 2.66 GHz (2.91 GHZ Turbo Boost).

The i5 on many of the newer Windows 8 computers (portables) are running at 1.5 GHz, a massive power hit. Most likely for better battery life, but still, that’s what my desktop CPU runs at, a cheap AMD Athlon dual core 3250e. I never want to buy anything that weak again.

Hopefully the desktop will still be a factor in a few years, I believe that it will be. Portables aren’t designed to be ran 24/7, as I was volunteer at the folding@home project, the notebook that I described above is a new replacement for the one that I originally purchased. After 3 months of non-stop folding, the 1GB discrete GPU (GT425M) burned out, & MSI issued me a brand new one, telling me that they had never seen a NVIDIA card get in that shape that fast. Portables cannot cool as well as properly cooled/ventilated desktops can, even with a quality notebook cooler, which I have.

There are thousands of teams involved in this project, as well as millions of hardcore gamers/number crunchers, I see the desktop as still being here for years to come. Although I do agree that the numbers are in decline & will continue to do so, as portables are a essential for work/school, & countless hand held devices are also in service (I used one of these myself on the job, beginning in the early 90’s).

As far as the OP title goes, I don’t want to imagine that happening. I’ll build my own if they disappear.

Cat

I install VLC Media Player on all of my OS’s as a backup player, but like the Media Center that Windows offers better. BTW, VLC offers a 64 bit version now.

http://www.filehippo.com/download_vlc_64/

But since their streaming Internet TV was discontinued (why?) from WMC, I wouldn’t pay extra for it. There are 3rd party options, VLC being one of them. Still, being that Windows Media Center was included in the promo, I’d be calling/emailing MS daily until I received what I payed for.

This is assuming that the details of the promo are the same in all included markets. Many countries were on the list.

Drew, these type of things used to be called “programs”, in recent times they’ve been referred to as “apps”. That’s probably why many users now uses that term. Kind of like the term “surfing” is not used often anymore, “browsing” seems to be today’s term for web searching.

Cat

I don’t know about that one. Media Center must be added using the key that you request & receive via email.

Without this, one cannot watch DVD’s or access other Media Center features. There are 3rd party options, but the Microsoft option is the most compatible one.

Cat