Bluescreen hell and hope ( Google O.S. )

My computer got attacked by something lately - I'm not sure what really, but it involved a lot of blue screens and 'STOP 0x0000007B' messages. Entirely peeved, I decided to format my hard drive, having backed up everything beforehand, which I do on a regular basis anyway ( the machine got progressively slower over time, and I sensed the worst - backing up is good advice which can not be repeated too often )

I then embarked on a reinstallation nightmare. Windows setup was giving me various bluescreens. Having confirmed the disk were not surface - damaged or dirty, it took forever to get to the root cause of the problem - well, sort of get to the root of it. Having strained the grey matter I remembered unistalling Pinnacle products before the roof fell in. I answered 'yes' to 'remove all files' even if they were shared. Either it's a coincidence, or that stuffed my machine.

Having re-written the bootsector, performed LLF on the drive, and run various variations of FDISK and so on, I discovered why windows wouldn't reinstall. I was using an OEM Windows XP home disk, trying to use the XP Professional Uprgrade, and the thing was hanging. There was only one thing for it: a slipstream disk. Thankfully I had another machine connected to the net, and found the instructions without any trouble.

Basically a slipstream disk copies over the files which an OEM disk lacks. I was able, by following the instructions carefully, to combine the XP pro with Home, and throw in SP-2 for good measure - all on the one disk. I can't remember how many times I've had to go to these lengths over Windows. It took almost a week to get my computer up and running again, and my patience was at nil for a finish. It looks like the days of paying a wad for an O.S. have - praise to the Lord - finally come to an end though.

Within the next few months, Google O.S. will be making an appearance. From what I can gather, firstly on Notebooks / Netbooks / PDA's, but later on we'll be getting it on all forms of computer. About time, and hats off to Google yet again. It's much more than an O.S. though, it's more of a way of life. Not a new way of life, but rather one we live already but which MS is still too dumb to recognise.

For example, video player? - what video player?! Google are betting on us not needing a video player fundamental to the O.S., because most people watch streamed video online. Beautifully logical. Get ready for a super - Linux. I can't wait! No matter if it starts off wobbly ( there's no evidence it will, based on the excellent Chrome ) but besides, there's plenty of room for getting it wrong at the start. If Google do their worst, the Beta will be no worse than the final product of MS with all the patches, sellotape and plastic ties that help it barely chug and fart along. Oh, and it won't cost the laughable €392 I was quoted when XP came out. No, it will be FREE!

The future suddenly looks a lot brighter!

ClickandPay.com / NetObjects - which is worse?

Well, back in July I decided to purchase some software from NetObjects. They were in discounting form and I had money - never a good combination. The last time I bought from them - 2008 - I simply did a Bank Transfer from me to them with no problems - invoice was emailed to me, and despite not great communication otherwise ( none in fact ) the product arrived within a few weeks. As it came from Germany I was a little bit peeved ( the Germans are pretty fast ) but a few weeks was okay. Just about.

It's a slightly different story this time. On the 27th. of July I went on their site to make my purchase. When it came to 'Checkout' time there was no sign of 'Bank Transfer' ( which is still advertised on their site ) but rather 'ClickandBuy'. I had no choice but to opt for it. Unbecknownst to me, I was signing up for a whole different service ( more about 'service' later ) which had nothing to do with NetObjects. To make matters worse, clickandbuy are moneygrabbing bastards by all accounts. Thanks NetObjects.

Following a long process of looking at blank 'help' pages on ClickandBuy.com, I finally managed to discover that my payment is just sitting there, doing nothing. I then went on Google to check out 'ClickandBuy'. By all accounts it's a "service" ( London - based ) which lies somewhere between a virus and a 419 scam.

I'm thoroughly disgusted at NetObjects for seeing their customers as a cynical opportunity, and more than disgusted that 'ClickandBuy' have my account details thanks to NetObjects. So much for trust. Take a look at the links below and decide if these are the sort of shisters who you'd be happy giving your details to! Oh, and I've gone completely off NetObjects too. I no longer want anything to do with a company that dupes customers like that: a half - decent company should not take advantage of customers.

I've demanded a full refund and will be in touch with my Bank about ClickandBuy.

http://www.ripoffreport.com/ClickandBuy/Internet-Services/ClickandBuy-clickandbuy-scam-7C4PM.htm

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081113045549AAvAN3G

Windows 98, MMX and driver problems ... ahh, the good old days!

I recently dug out an old Dell laptop, namely because Windows XP 'compatibiltiy mode' doesn't work with quite a number of my really old games, Like Destruction Derby 2 ( 1996 ). The problem is rarely graphics: quite a number of games will run, but with no sound. Things have moved on a bit from 'MIDI' 'WAV' and 'AWE32' ... not to mention 'Roland'! In other words, I stretched 'backward compatibility' to breaking point.

The old Dell in question is a 1997 Latitude XPi CD ... that's right, it has a CD-ROM drive, maw! It also has something I really like ... a floppy drive! Out came the 2 gb. drive and in went my 100 gb. Fine but runs a bit hot. Specs otherwise are: 64 mb. RAM ( + 16 onboard ) Pentium 166 MMX processor, Neomagic graphics ... and ESS sound.

The sound is proving to be a bit of a problem though. The Dell website, surprisingly, has nearly every driver still on it for this machine ... except the correct sound driver. I set up the machine with Windows 98 SE and Windows 2000 Professional on a dual - boot system. No sound in either case. It turns out that the driver on both disks is slightly different from the Dell driver, and dell no longer have the file available ... ESS1887 to be precise.

I have to say I'm impressed with the catalogue of files available via the Dell support website though. I was less impressed with Microsoft. I try to like Microsoft. I watch videos of Microsoft's history on Youtube and get a warm feeling all over. Then something happens and I just go back to hating them! This was to be one such time.

True to form, Windows 98SE wouldn't shut down. Then I remembered the 'shutdown assistant', a little patch for this pretty major flaw which was issued by Microsoft. Did I find it on Microsoft's website? - no way! Now that REALLY annoys me. To put it simply, Dell don't have a driver I want. No problem, that's tough ( but as already mentioned they still have a lot of files - 12 years on ).

In the case of Microsoft, here they made a complete balls of something. That's different. If they make a balls of something, the patch ( shutdown ) should be available for as long as it's likely that someone will need it. If they don't want to provide it, they should quit stopping others from providing it. Microsoft are incredibly protectionist. Even the old Windows 3.11 disks are not legally available for download. It's stupid. Who is going to make a fortune from Windows 3.11? Might it usurp Windows 7?

I eventually got the download so that I could shut down Windows 98SE from a person who, presumably, was 'illegally' hosting it. My God, how I really do hate Microsoft! Whatever about Windows 3.11, which is of course their property, not making a fix available for something bought is purely contemptible. I must get my linux user manual out again ... and get to like it.

All in all, I'm enjoying my little step back in time. Like many who get misty - eyed about computing of long ago however, I had forgotten how frustrating searching for drivers can be ... and making floppy disk bootdisks!