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Ahhh, something near and dear to this old repairman's heart! I am always on the lookout for new tools and Infoworld has The Top 25 Free Windows Tools with plenty of really good ones.
Over the years I've found my most valuable tool (besides my brain) to be a little bitty reg file that resets the sound on any version of Windows, I've used it more times than I can count. What's your favorite tool or trick to keep Windows purring along?
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I wonder if I ought to tell them about my PREVIOUS LIFE as a COMPLETE
STRANGER?
(Score: 2) by Geotti on Wednesday July 30 2014, @01:40AM
You know, Windows started to suck so bad in recent years, because the photocopiers finally broke. - Apple
(Score: 2) by Hairyfeet on Wednesday July 30 2014, @02:47AM
WTF are you babbling about? Hell even shitty GUI Windows 8 happily curbstomps Linux on anything anyone other than server admins give a shit about and while I will give Apple its props that in DTP they are kick ass like Linux they are pretty much one trick ponies. if ALL you do is surf the web, check your webmail, and use Google docs or Pages or whatever? Then sure its fine...so is a $100 dual core tablet for that matter. its once you get out of the one or two niches that they have focused on that they quickly start running into their limitations.
And again the Hairyfeet challenge has lasted SEVEN YEARS without a single Linux passing, the closest was some loser who tried using SCIENTIFIC LINUX (which states on their own page is NOT FOR HOME OR BUSINESS but for research labs) and even THEN, after breaking the first condition of the challenge he STILL failed by not having working sound OR working wiFi at the end. that is like saying "sure my Pinto can beat this Ferrari, as long as we don't actually have to compete on speed, handling, performance, or anything else anybody gives a shit about". If any of the FOSSies want to try (and fail) the Hairyfeet Challenge here it is. BTW it had been tried with Ubuntu, Fedora, PCLOS, and Mandrake/driva/whatever its called this week, all failed what SHOULD frankly be the absolute minimum an OS that is functional should be capable of...
Take ANY mainstream (not LTS, because even Ubuntu advises against mainstream users using LTS. if you don't like it take it up with Canonical) from FIVE years ago, this simulates a 5 year typical lifecycle. This BTW is less than HALF a windows support cycle, so I'm cutting linux a break. Lets say you use Ubuntu, that would be Ubuntu 9.10 and can be downloaded from their archive. Install it on ANY PC, desktop or laptop (NOT VM as that isn't real hardware and comes with special drivers) that has a wireless card. Wireless is required because more and more mainstream users are ditching wireless and nobody wants a laptop that doesn't have wireless, do they?
During this phase you are the system builder so CLI (which is usually required because Linux driver support is poor) IS ALLOWED. Once its installed you are no longer the system builder but THE USER, so like a windows user you are ONLY allowed to use the GUI. You then get to "enjoy the freedom" of using nothing but the GUI (because if you can't even update the thing without CLI you're no match for windows are you) of updating to current...with ubuntu that is SEVEN RELEASES, just FYI. You will film this and post it to youtube, you only have to upload the final install process of each release and a pic of the device manager showing working hardware and working wifi with WPAv2, but the complete video should be hosted on dropbox to prove you aren't faking it.
Its been 7 years guys. 7 years where Linux can't even provide the most minimum of functionality, the ability to update itself without shitting on its own drivers and dying. this is frankly windows 9x levels of fail and the fact that the community will put up with such shoddy piss poor product from the devs is just shameful. i can pass this with 15 year old Win2K (from RTM to EOL with NO driver fails), ditto for 14 year old XP, yet NO modern linux distro can provide even this basic functionality...pathetic.
ACs are never seen so don't bother. Always ready to show SJWs for the racists they are.
(Score: 2) by Vanderhoth on Wednesday July 30 2014, @09:43AM
Do you get paid every time you post that crap?
You're one of the few commenters here that no one would miss if you went back to the old site where the rest of the shills and astroturfers are. Nothing you've said about Linux in your pointless rant is true and hasn't been for more than 10 years so no one needs to waste their time with your paintless challenge. Get yourself up to date before demanding time from others. I at least have too much actual work to do, with my Linux machine, to waste time proving things to a MS lackey.
"Now we know", "And knowing is half the battle". -G.I. Joooooe
(Score: 2) by Hairyfeet on Wednesday July 30 2014, @09:17PM
Put up or shut up. The Hairyfeet Challenge has stood for 7 years while you FOSSies have failed to do anything but perform circle jerks around the latest GNUcrap. If your OS canj't even do half of what a 15 year old OS can? Its a joke, please go away. The was an article about WINDOWS TOOLS but I guess you can't read TFA? Perhaps if you can put your money where your mouth is you'd care to prove me wrong? Here is the challenge, which I can pass with Win2K (from RTM to EOL with no failures) XP(ditto) and with Vista and 7 to current. How about instead of crying all butthurt you prove me wrong? But of course you can't, that would require a functional OS and all that matters with FOSSies is the great GNU [youtube.com]. BTW you wanna throw anything besides TMs like shills, trolls, vampires [tmrepository.com] while you are at it? Keep going I might get bullshit bingo LOL!
Take ANY mainstream (not LTS, because even Ubuntu advises against mainstream users using LTS) from FIVE years ago, this simulates a 5 year typical lifecycle. This BTW is less than HALF a windows support cycle, so I'm cutting linux a break. Lets say you use Ubuntu, that would be Ubuntu 9.10 and can be downloaded from their archive. Install it on ANY PC, desktop or laptop (NOT VM as that isn't real hardware and comes with special drivers) that has a wireless card. Wireless is required because more and more mainstream users are ditching wires and nobody wants a laptop that doesn't have wireless, do they?
During this phase you are the system builder so CLI (which is usually required because Linux driver support is poor) IS ALLOWED. Once its installed you are no longer the system builder but THE USER, so like a windows user you are ONLY allowed to use the GUI. You then get to "enjoy the freedom" of using nothing but the GUI (because if you can't even update the thing without CLI you're no match for windows are you) of updating to current...with ubuntu that is SEVEN RELEASES, just FYI. You will film this and post it to youtube, you only have to upload the final install process of each release and a pic of the device manager showing working hardware, but the complete video should be hosted on dropbox to prove you aren't faking it.
ACs are never seen so don't bother. Always ready to show SJWs for the racists they are.
(Score: 2) by Vanderhoth on Wednesday July 30 2014, @10:00PM
Here's an idea, your claims, your challenge, you do it. You demonstrate what you say is in fact true then maybe someone will take you seriously.
So as you say, "Put up or shut up". Perhaps it's beyond the abilities of a seasoned "repairman" such as yourself, eh?
When searching to see if anyone's taken you up on this, I noticed that although you've been spouting off since at least 2009, you've never once posted a video of YOU demonstrating you can't pass your own challenge. It is your brain child after all, surely you can demonstrate what you say is true. I look forward to watching the results.
"Now we know", "And knowing is half the battle". -G.I. Joooooe
(Score: 2) by joshuajon on Thursday July 31 2014, @07:30PM
(Score: 2) by Vanderhoth on Thursday July 31 2014, @08:24PM
I've actually seen that video, but when it only went up to Windows 7. It is pretty neat. The purpose of it as I recall was to show how themes are maintained through the different versions. It didn't discuss any issues that might have occurred with drivers. They just install, load, check the colours, install the next version and load.
Honestly I have no issues with windows, I just hate reading the spiel over and over, specifically since Hairyfeet is factually wrong. Windows does have it's own issues, we all know it, we've all had driver issues with it, we've all see the blue screen. Pretending it's an infallible OS then claiming Linux is crap is ignorant and small minded.
"Now we know", "And knowing is half the battle". -G.I. Joooooe
(Score: 2) by Hairyfeet on Friday August 01 2014, @10:35AM
Already did with PCLOS, Ubuntu, and Fedora. But you see you FOSSies will just say Use Distro X [tmrepository.com] where X is whichever one of the 500 shittastic distros on distrowatch I didn't use, so you can keep spreading your lies.
Well put up or shut up FOSSie, because the truth hurts and I am stating here that GNUShit can't even do what a 15 year old EOLed version of Windows can. Wanna shut me up? Then prove me wrong, otherwise I'll just keep pointing out what should be obvious by the stagnant numbers, that a Linux disc is worth even less than an AOL CD, because Linux can't even compete with Win2K.
ACs are never seen so don't bother. Always ready to show SJWs for the racists they are.
(Score: 2) by LoRdTAW on Wednesday July 30 2014, @02:00PM
Wow. Nothing like a screen full of ignorance and butthurt. Let me make this as simple as possible for you: WiFi on Linux has always been a problem to no fault of Linux. If wiFi device manufactures don't release driver code or specs then no drivers can exist. Got it? Is that too hard for you to understand?
We then have to resort to goofy shit like wrapping windows drivers. No specs or driver code = no drivers. Not the fault of anyone is the FOSS or Linux kernel community. But that's okay, you don't know any better. This bit: "CLI (which is usually required because Linux driver support is poor)" shows you are completely ignorant and have no business commenting on anything computer related. Im not going to even touch your warped idea that Windows is #1 simply because of its market share and software library. You clearly have no concept of rational thought and zero understanding of the history of the PC industry.
My advice is to just STFU. Grow up and be an man and stop whining about irrelevant nonsense. How much of your life did you just waste writing those two awful, difficult to understand, and rage filled posts? That stress you are also experiencing is also negatively impacting your health. You better not have anyone in your family who suffered from a stroke.
(Score: 2) by mrider on Wednesday July 30 2014, @07:10PM
Not disagreeing with the rest of your post - but if you search teh interwebs for "HairyFeet", you'll get a whole list of places where the same user SIG has posted the same shit. So the answer to question is "10 minutes about 10 years ago", and "two seconds today doing a copy/paste".
FFS, HairyFeet, you post the same huge wall of crap every time anyone dares to mention GNU/Linux and Windows in the same breath. Give it a rest already...
Doctor: "Do you hear voices?"
Me: "Only when my bluetooth is charged."
(Score: 2) by LoRdTAW on Thursday July 31 2014, @02:58PM
Now that you mention it, as I was reading the post I felt like the guy was stuck in the early-mid 2000's.
(Score: 2) by Geotti on Wednesday July 30 2014, @10:20PM
Notwithstanding the fact that I posted a joke that you so rudely responded to and that you obviously have no clue about OS X (which for me is vastly superior to Windows for my line of work and interests - and no, it's not DTP), I'll provide you some of my personal experience.
I've recently upgraded a server from Slink to Wheezy, without a single service breaking (!!), in around 2 hours. I dare you to upgrade NT 4 to 2012 in a similar time-frame, while keeping everything working and not having to spend serious bucks on updated software. I've used a couple of tricks, you may too.
Yesterday, I've helped a newbie linux enthusiast (who can't take Microsoft's crap any longer) install LMDE on a new laptop, and, while I did resort to the command line, that was purely for my convenience. Everything he needs is working, including multiarch support, catalyst drivers, sound, wi-fi, wine/crossover, his function keys, peripherals, you name it. And I don't know much about linux desktop systems.
So, all in all, frankly, for me, the best Windows tools these days is putty along with the Sysinternals suite.
And while I didn't come here to bash Windows, I am feeling a bit compelled to after your response. And trust me, it ain't gonna be pretty if I do.
On the other hand, why should I care? You're welcome be a masochist and loose your time fixing things, while I enjoy my systems that "Just Work (tm)".
Unfortunately, if you're like me, you won't be able to know the difference between the orders of magnitude of difference in "just works" on Windows and "just works" on OS X until you try it. I haven't looked back a single time in 10 years, honest. But YMMV.
(I have to admit that I'm anticipating the necessity of having to switch to linux or a BSD flavor (more probable) in the next few years, if Apple continues on the road they are now.)
(Score: 2) by dilbert on Thursday July 31 2014, @06:54PM
I don't understand the reasoning behind your challenge.
Background:
I'm curious why you would expect a non-technical user to upgrade to every single new version of a GNU/Linux distribution over a 5 year period, when in my experience, non-technical Windows users never update their OS between versions, they simply buy new hardware with the new OS on it.
I don't run a repair shop like you, but I still get asked to help out a lot. I don't know anyone who asked for help upgrading a WinXP machine to Vista/7/8. Anyone smart enough to do the 'hunt down all the drivers' dance is smart enough to do a full format/reinstall which would mean they have a bit of technical ability and wouldn't necessarily be terrified of a CLI command. Anyone not smart enough would simply buy a new machine to run the new version of Windows, or have a friend (system builder) help them.
So the two issues I see with your challenge are:
1. Most users don't upgrade their OS between versions. Note, I'm not referring to the monthly updates, but rather the jump from XP to Vista to 7 to 8.
2. It would seem to me that your requirement of 'no touching CLI except in the system builder phase' because a standard user wouldn't upgrade OS versions at all, or would take it to a friend/system builder to do the upgrade (CLI allowed), or buy a new system.
Help me understand what I'm missing.
(Score: 2) by Hairyfeet on Friday August 01 2014, @10:25AM
Because the ONLY way to get updates for security issues is to jump on the upgrade treadmill PERIOD. If this bothers you talk to Canonical and the other distros that have been pushing their support cycles ever lower. Now theoretically you could just jump every year and a half but that would mean 1.- Know which release you have, 2.- Knowing the exact date it goes out, 3.- remembering to hit the upgrade button ONLY when that time is up....I'm sorry but if you think that is an acceptable alternative to Windows and OSX I have a bridge you might be interested in.
BTW you are making a common mistake, you see you DO NOT HAVE to upgrade Windows to get 10 years worth of security updates while THIS DOES NOT HOLD TRUE FOR LINUX. You can't compare a single release of Linux to Windows because the support cycle is so piss poor in Linux. Take Windows 7, in the same amount of time I've gone from Win 7 RTM to today Ubuntu has gone from 9.04 to 13.10...EIGHT RELEASES and this is if you do what Canonical suggests and use mainstream. Canonical themselves says do NOT use LTS unless you are a business, so their own website will tell an average user not to go anywhere near LTS.
So you show me a Linux distro aimed at home users that gets 10 years worth of security updates without upgrading for equal to or less than the cost of Windows? I'll be happy to change the challenge, until then fair is fair.
ACs are never seen so don't bother. Always ready to show SJWs for the racists they are.