Replies

If you are going to stop using a Microsoft email account export the whole structure to a PST file. If you are not going to stop using it, just configure it in Outlook. When you open Outlook, Outlook will login to the account and it will never go away from disuse.

I was previously using .PST files but this setup stopped working and I found I could no longer connect to my Hotmail accounts using POP or IMAP (I gave up after some considerable effort). I was forced to switch to using the Exchange connector & thus OST files.

There is a tool here: http://www.rekenwonder.com/linkmagic.htm for working with Junction Points & symbolic links. It should allow you to see clearly which it is and hopefully help to remove it. Of course the usual make a backup first, mantra applies.

Too bad the Microsoft Support people didn’t know that. It took a couple of days of back and forth before they came up with that answer.

I also found interesting reading after a google search with ‘What happens to my free Windows 10 upgrade after 29 July 2016 if I need to change hardware?’

Basically Retail Win 7 and Win 8.1 licenses become OEM.

I bought a copy of Windows 8.1 for use initially on a VirtualBox VM (with a virtual Motherboard), I have now upgraded it to Windows 10 and wonder if I will still be able to transfer it to a real PC once I have finished trying it out? Also what about transferring it to a different Virtual Machine – Say VMware (which presumably has a different virtual motherboard)?

In order to apply the KB312574 Roll-Up without the huuuuuge wait at the start, I wonder if anyone has tried DISM /Add-Package with the /IgnoreCheck argument and if so does it work? (Scenario you have just installed Windows 7 SP1, so you know none of the included patches have already been applied). Also, are there any other applicability issues that are being checked for that would relate to the hardware environment?

FYI: When I applied this .MSU in the standard fashion (double click on the .MS,U not using a DISM command line), I tried to click on the Cancel button when I realised it was still going to do the checking, there was no immediate response to the click, but hours later, when the checking was complete it told me I had cancelled the update and I had to start all over again. It still took hours the second time (I left it running overnight).

The thing that I am most keen to know about before comitting to a free Windows 10 upgrade is what happens if I need to re-install the software – I’m assuming Microsoft would have to cover this scenario but I need it confirmed.

Also if my existing Windows 7 license allows me to transfer Windows to another PC will this right continue with Windows 10 or will it be “locked” to that PC.

Will I be able to move an upgraded copy of Windows onto a Virtual Machine?

Regarding the Taskbar Tweaker, my pet hate with the Windows 7 taskbar is when you try to drag a file onto an application minimized on the taskbar to open it. The icon dances left & right trying to get out of your way & escape the task you are trying to give it, till after a few seconds you eventually manage to pin it down. (in my case this is usually a .jpg onto Photoshop Elements)

I wonder if this, or another Tweaker can help with the problem, or if we simply have to put up with another area where Vista & later are inferior to XP.

I’m also a fan of “Everything” as usually it’s a filename I’m searching for rather than the contents of a file. Even now I know the syntax for Windows Search (I can’t use Everything at work) although I still haven’t managed to get it to work without a UAC prompt which is a downside.

Windows 7 was supposed to be the version of Windows that finally didn’t need third party search tools, but it’s so clunky and unintuitive to use. I still miss the ability to right click on a folder to search it. Why do I have to type System.filename: even XP was better, I could just type the filename into a search field.

What we need is for someone to write a new context menu search tool that uses Windows existing index, but uses a form based approach with fields like filename, rather than trying to do away with the fields by forcing you to use/remember arcane syntax.

Regarding the TP-LINK & hotel room story. It seems to me it was having the 3G USB modem that was the answer to the described problem and just plugging that in the side of your laptop is of course much easier than setting up the TP-LINK. No doubt the TP-LINK is a good piece of kit, but it wasn’t clear what advantage it provided in the scenario described

I had also concluded my next computer should be a tablet, but like most readers I own a digital camera and dislike the Apple SD card reader dongle kludge as well as the Apple lock in & 30% app tax. So which tablet to buy?

Well obviously I would be looking for an Android tablet with a 4:3 screen to match the aspect ratio of my photos, plus a full size SD card slot like I’ve had in my current model for years (a Palm Tungsten T5 since you ask). It would be nice if it could double as a digital photo frame too with some sort of stand/charging cradle, but we can’t expect everything all at once. Hang on a sec, seems the best I can get is 2 of those 4 requirements. The only vendor I found offering a full size SD slot is Sony and their slot is VERY tight. Yes some vendors offer a mini-SD slot, which I could just about live with, along with an adapter to put it in my camera. 16gb seems to be the max size for this combo however.

What about that 4:3 screen (P.S have you ever seen a photo of someone using a widescreen tablet in portrait mode? Have you ever heard an iPad user complaining that Apple didn’t offer a wide screen version?). Well Viewsonic offer a 4:3 screen on their Viewpad 10e. Nice screen with good viewing angles for sharing photos, but unfortunately that tablet is aimed at the bottom end of the market and suffers in other areas. Why has almost the entire Android market ignored this format when they are all trying to compete with the 4:3 iPad, which is such an obvious success? It is reported that Asus let slip the reason – Apple is soaking up most of the 4:3 panels being made, so they wouldn’t be able to get sufficient supply (Viewsonic make their own screens, which gives them an advantage here). I know in the monitor market 4:3 panels have mostly given way to widescreen formats because they are cheaper to manufacture, so perhaps that’s another factor in the tablet market.

So come on Viewsonic give us a real competitor to the iPad, you might find you have a runaway success, especially if you target it at the millions of digital camera owners out there.

Oh and the other elephant in the room with tablets is they can’t compare with my old Tungsten T5 for stylus input – tablets were originally conceived by Microsoft with note taking as a major reason for buying one – think One-Note & E-Ink (which got good reviews). Windows tablets failed to take off I know, but I think that was for other reasons.

Thanks Zig. I will give EaseUS a try, just one reservation from looking through the documentation, it appears file backups may be based on including specified file types. I have always found it safer to do the reverse – include all file types by default and add exclusions – that’s a fail safe approach, rather than finding when you need to do a restore that whoops that particular file type hadn’t been added.

I have been looking for some software for scanning various documents into PDF format and was delighted to find nitro PDF Pro 6 free on this months PC Pro cover CD. It has good reviews and I have been very impressed with it so far (I’m not easily impressed). Definitely worth a look. It’s quite powerful and uses the latest ribbon style toolbars so as you would guess it is designed to integrate well with Office.

Since applying the last batch of updates I have been unable to Hibernate. As soon as Hibernation appears to have been completed, the computer starts itself up again. I haven’t had time yet to troubleshoot by removing the patches one by one, but interested to hear if anyone else has experienced this.:(

The article also mentions upgrading to Firefox 4.0

I’m currently holding off on upgrading to Firefox 4 because of Roboform insisting I re-purchase their product (in spite of them promising that all future updates would be free) – lots of anger around about this. I wonder how many others are holding off for the same reason – or more likely upgrading to Firefox 4.0 then getting a shock. It’s probably worth mentioning this limitation in the next newsletter.

I’m evaluating alternatives such as LastPass.

The need to pay extra for GoodSync to sync passwords is also a bit of a cheek.

In your article entitled “Best way to clean out unneeded program files” you recommend CCleaner and jv16PowerTools to completely uninstall programs. I couldn’t agree more. However, I would like to hear your opinion about the free version of Revo UnInstaller for this purpose. I am starting using it, and I am very satisfied.
Cheers,
Jorge

Revo was already covered in an earlier newsletter, so yuo should be able to find the review.

Sorry Susan, It still doesn’t make sense. Doesn’t/Shouldn’t Windows use the defined search order (for finding files who’s location hasn’t been specified) and pick up the .dll from 1? Why should Windows ignore the search order and go straight to 5?

Robin