Tcll 66 Posting Whiz in Training Featured Poster

And they should still manufacture parts for my 59 Ford Sedan.

didn't I mention before cars and software don't compare >_>
there's a major difference between production requirments.
(autism kicking in, not sure how to word that atm)

at least the cars today aren't downgrades.

MidiMagic 579 Nearly a Senior Poster

at least the cars today aren't downgrades

Oh? I would rather have a new 1957 Chevrolet.

All of the things the government requires to be added to cars are downgrades.

Tcll 66 Posting Whiz in Training Featured Poster

All of the things the government requires to be added to cars are downgrades.

heh, ok fine, you got me.
only because I don't know alot about cars to have a deep argument about them...

maybe I'm overthinking todays cars a little bit, kinda similar to how many people like to overthink what an OS is supposed to do and therefore take something like Win7 or 8 for granted, when really they can't do anything because MS cut out all the old and re-defined new standards for everyone to follow.

everything that was good has now been brutily murdured because the newer OS's can't support the amazing stuff in the older OS's.
___

I guess MS is trying to take themselves out of the competition by building OS's nobody wants to build software for because in a few years their software won't work on the update.

thus my argument: "if my software doesn't work on your OS, then you need a better OS"

I may have switched to Linux, but I still use WinXP as my testing platform, and don't intend to change unless MS stops trying to control people and ACTUALLY tries to build a decent OS everyone can use.
(including updating WinXP and bringing it back from the dead)

Reverend Jim 4,968 Hi, I'm Jim, one of DaniWeb's moderators. Moderator Featured Poster

All of the things the government requires to be added to cars are downgrades.

You mean like seatbelts, airbags, etc.? Do you consider things that are there solely to keep you from dying downgrades?

Tcll 66 Posting Whiz in Training Featured Poster

oh comon rev, we all know he means the engine :P
which even I have to admit older engines are nearly indestructable... heh
though they put off more pollution where as newer engines are regulated and save ALOT more gas.

the equivelant of the seatbelts and airbags and such would be your security software which has gotten better over time (the free stuff anyways)

I don't trust anything paid as they're not in it to protect you, they just want the money, especially MS.
I've heard alot of complaints about Norton in this area where they infect you to make you buy something to remove what they infected you with.

unfortunately, this was all local info, so I have nothing I can post :/

happygeek 2,411 Most Valuable Poster Team Colleague Featured Poster

I would be very surprised if the Norton stories have any basis of truth in them at all. In 20+ years of being an IT security journalist I have not found a single piece of evidence to suggest it is the case. That's proper evidence, rather than hearsay, of course. Believe me, if this were the case then there are plenty of people who would be chomping at the bit to expose it; a real career builder of a story.

Tcll commented: nice =) +3
Palebushman 8 Bush IT Poster

+10 to happygeek on that point .

And talking about "chomping at the bit", how's one's 'Shergars' after that dreadful ordeal with the couple of big ones?

AKsarben 6 Light Poster

It would be nice if someone would work on updates and post them for users of XP.

Tcll 66 Posting Whiz in Training Featured Poster

It would be nice if someone would work on updates and post them for users of XP.

if I ever delve deeper into XP hacking (not black hat), I just might do that! :)

Member Avatar for Everyauction
Everyauction

It would be nice if someone would work on updates and post them for users of XP. <

Just in Case, IF you possibly missed something:

https://sebijk.com/community/board9-community/board5-pc/2985-getting-xp-updates/?s=e6b418d08dc8c3fe77a598eb2401a54449e09b52

If you want to make (MORE) sure, remove all 'JAVA' Stuff and all MS Office Programms, and don't use the XP Internet Explorer, where it can be avoided. The last recent automatic XP-POS MS-Update has been made on the 11th of december 2014.

I am NOT willing to to change, I love my XP, for as long as it works, as nice and swell as it does..., in Combination with my ZONE-ALARM Security and my lovely Spyware Blaster, I don't give a Damn...

http://www.brightfort.com/spywareblaster.html

Ernie

Tcll 66 Posting Whiz in Training Featured Poster

don't forget to protect chrome as well

chrome is the only browser I've used that comes with built-in active malware protection, but that's far from enough to render you safe from the web.

be sure to:
- disable cookies, JS, and even images (Pixel Trackers)
- install content blockers, redirect bypassers, and notifiers:
-- AdBlock
-- AdBlock Plus
-- AdBlock Pro
-- AdGuard (free is good enough)
-- Ghostery
--- Ghostery Fixer (fixes sites broken by Ghostery)
-- Disconnect
-- Avast (actively displays a link's site-safety)
-- Script Block
-- AdFly bypasser
-- NoCountryRedirect (NCR)
-- Web of Trust (actively displays a link's site-reputation)

sure all of these extensions will slow down your browsing,
but they'll keep you 90% safer from malicious JS, cookies, and images.

90% because not everyone can protect you from everything
(it's just multiple layers of spotty protection in different areas)
^ it adds up to more coverage than just using one or another

it's best to block the web first, then allow what you can trust.

I may be on linux, but I still follow those standards because the internet can't be trusted.

EDIT:
Comodo (I can't believe I forgot to mention them) has a build of chrome they add their secure DNS to, which gives you a DNS-sided firewall. (the site's content never even reaches your compy before it's blocked)
Comodo Dragon I do believe also improves chrome's malware protection and removes google's tracking tactics.

Dragon also comes with PrivDog which "barks" back at malicious content.

RobertHDD 15 Posting Whiz in Training

XP died in April but you can can still get unofficial packs that were newly made by other people other than microsoft

MidiMagic 579 Nearly a Senior Poster

Using more than one anti-malware program makes them spend most of the computer's time checking each other;.

MidiMagic 579 Nearly a Senior Poster

XP died in April but you can can still get unofficial packs that were newly made by other people other than microsoft

XP didn't die. It was murdered for profit.

MidiMagic 579 Nearly a Senior Poster

I guess MS is trying to take themselves out of the competition by building OS's nobody wants to build software for because in a few years their software won't work on the update.

thus my argument: "if my software doesn't work on your OS, then you need a better OS"

MS changed their software so it works on stupid phones.

I want a desktop OS.

They made one of those multipurpose tools that can't do any one thing well. It goes "clank" no matter which tool you are using.

Tcll 66 Posting Whiz in Training Featured Poster

Using more than one anti-malware program makes them spend most of the computer's time checking each other;.

I havn't had a problem with that...
Comodo's active protection is slow by default (I tried this w/o avast)

so yes, Avast has a more efficient active protection than comodo, but comodo covers a much larger range... it's a gamble in itself.

RobertHDD 15 Posting Whiz in Training

XP is really a good operating most people prefer this operating deemed a success while many users on the Windows 8 have been experiencing rare bugs and critical BSODs that wrecked their system causing massive data loss.

Tcll 66 Posting Whiz in Training Featured Poster

I wouldn't be surprized if Win8 was causing that, though I havn't heard any cases from ~40 forums and 5 massive skype groups, so I don't think too many users are experiencing this... heh

no what sucks about Win8 entirely is the UI and backend.
Win8 breaks many apps by trying to merge the mobile and desktop environments, which just simply won't work.
___

WinXP had the best interface as it was almost as customizable as a Linux desktop environment.
(so much so that you could make it like MAC if you wanted to)
I've not delved this far into the UI-hacking scene

all I did to hack my UI was something very basic and installed the SharpEnviro DE while using a custom theme.

this can be closely compared to XFCE on Linux.
___

what would be nice is a windows equivelent to OpenBox for the most customazable UI. :P

RobertHDD commented: If only i was still with XP +2
Tcll 66 Posting Whiz in Training Featured Poster

as much as I love WinXP though, I can't help but bring up the file system...

NTFS is extremely bad for HDDs, and ultimately one reason I wanted to move to linux.
last time I was on Windows, my 500GB drive decided it was going to corrupt the root sector causing chkdsk to forcfully run (couldn't stop it because USB keyboard (PS/2 isn't supported)) and take 4 days to mark 300GB as 0KB

alot of valuble data was lost at that event and ChkDsk will never be forgiven.
though ultimately a corruption never would've happened had I not used NTFS.
___

I bring this up as it's a discussion currently going on in a skype group.

RobertHDD 15 Posting Whiz in Training

I agree tcll

MidiMagic 579 Nearly a Senior Poster

Here is the real truth about real-time hardware and operating systems:

A. The company that makes real-time hardware (real-time data collection, process control, or media capture/editing devices) needs the following to be able to produce and sell such a system:

  1. Enough installed base of an operating system to be able to sell enough units to make development possible and worthwhile (This is why few products are developed for Linux).

  2. Enough time to develop, perfect, and market such a system before that operating system is taken off the market (This is why no products exist for Vista or 8).

  3. The OS must also support the other applications the customer needs to analyze or process the data the special device provides. Many times this includes Microsoft Excel using special procedures published in journals for the purpose.

This is why most real-time hardware was developed for DOS 5 and 6, Windows 3, and Windows XP. They stayed around long enough for the development cycle to complete and products to appear on the market.

B. The consumer does not understand that a change in the operating system causes most real-time hardware to malfunction:

  1. Any change in the frequency the operating system can access the special hardware is a disaster for the design of the real-time hardware. Often it makes the hardware unusable or greatly reduces its performance (devices made for DOS 5 and 6 with 1/1000 second resolution were downgraded to a 1/9 second resolution under Windows 3.X and 95).

  2. The manufacturer of the hardware often cannot develop a fix for their special hardware before yet another version of the operating system is developed. And often a fix is impossible.

  3. The customer is often suddenly stuck with a serious downgrade in the performance of the device he bought when the OS is changed, finding the new specs unusable for the intended purpose.

Even the manufacturers are unaware how a change in the operating system will affect their hardware until after the new system is actually released. Then, while they are still testing the effects of the new OS, the customer complaints start coming in.

C. Often the company that manufactured the special hardware does not survive the OS change. When they discover that their hardware is useless (or greatly downgraded) under the new OS, they often go out of business because they cannot afford another product development process:

  1. The first time this happened was when Windows 95 supplanted Windows 3.X. While they were still developing changes for Windows 95, Windows 98 (then called 97) was announced, with yet a different OS-to-hardware interface. Most real time device manufacturers disappeared from the market at this time (or drastically downgraded their performance ratings).

  2. It is often impossible to develop a product that works with more than one OS, meaning that the company must have multiple inventory and the customer must replace the expensive device and software every time the OS changes. This makes the device too expensive for most companies and most customers.

D. The customer is then stuck with the choice of keeping the same operating system or losing the use of the expensive hardware. Since XP is the last OS that lasted long enough to complete a product development cycle, people are clinging to XP. This includes all of that point-of-sale equipment.

E. Changes in computer hardware also often keep the customer from upgrading. Often the method of connecting the special hardware to the computer has been removed from the new computers needed to run the much larger new operating system.

F. Because no equipment has been developed to do the job using the new versions of the OS and computers, the customer is frozen to using the old equipment with the old OS. There are no new devices on the market.

Often the IT managers in the organization make this even worse, by demanding that all computers in the organization must use the latest OS. I remember a case where the users of special equipment came in on monday morning to find the old computers gone. The old software was found installed on the new computers IT replaced the old computers with, but it would not run. And the special equipment was left disconnected because the IT men couldn't figure out how to connect it. The special hardware cards that came with the special equipment disappeared with the old computer, because there was no way to put them in the new computer. Thousands of dollars of scientific equipment was instantly rendered useless.

Palebushman 8 Bush IT Poster

You are so, so absobloodylutely right MidiMagic!

"B. The consumer does not understand that a change in the operating system causes most real-time hardware to malfunction:"

I have been sent a Dell Alienware MX17 R4 where my client automatically installed the Windows 8.1 (64bit) update over his installed Windows 8.0 (64Bit); which now no longer works correctly, eg; the Dell Respawn and Command Center programs no longer work. The original 'Recovery' discs that were made from the Win 8.0 (64Bit)OS are now useless, and so too are those OEM paritions for the recovery/reinstall options, because Win 8.1 appears to be unable to see/read them!!
Needless to say, any human Support from Dell has been impossible and the Dell computerised Support website system no longer recognises this particular Dell Alienware MX17 R4 anymore because, I fear, this Win 8.1 is now a different OS from the OEM version. How crazy is that!?
I feel so very sad for my client, as this very expensive laptop gift from America was his pride and joy, and as a Paraplegic on limited finances, he was hoping that I would be able to resolve these issues.
But, without the support that I have grown accustomed to from the zillions of experts on the Win XP OS, it looks like this story is not going to have a happy ending either. :-(

Oh BTW, Everyone here at Daniweb, HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all. And a couple of xx's to her too ;-)

Reverend Jim 4,968 Hi, I'm Jim, one of DaniWeb's moderators. Moderator Featured Poster

The original 'Recovery' discs that were made from the Win 8.0 (64Bit)OS are now useless, and so too are those OEM paritions for the recovery/reinstall options, because Win 8.1 appears to be unable to see/read them!!

You shouldn't have to go into any version of Windows to recover the Dell machine from the recovery partition. It's a boot option that is available before Windows actually boots. I just did this on an ASUS (F9 at power up) and Dells are similar (try F12 or possibly F2).

Palebushman 8 Bush IT Poster

Many thanks for your tip there Reverend Jim, and forgive me fellow followers of this thread, I do not wish to hijack it, but just need to quickly reply to Reverend Jim.

F12 is the normal key for this Dell Alienware MX17 R4 to enter System Recovery, but because Windows 8.1 is now the newer installation, that's all it will boot to. The original OEM Win 8.0 is not even being seen in this process, even though I can still see the recovery files in that particular/relevent OEM partition.

Maybe I should start a Dell Alienware MX17 R4 misfortune thread, if that is allowed ;-)

Reverend Jim 4,968 Hi, I'm Jim, one of DaniWeb's moderators. Moderator Featured Poster

One more kick at the cat - what happens if you repeatedly press F8 starting right after you hit the power button?

Palebushman 8 Bush IT Poster

"One more kick at the cat - what happens if you repeatedly press F8 starting right after you hit the power button?"

This 'cat' is the most irksome one I have come across to date Reverend Jim.

The F8 key does not function (as we know it) on this Alienware machine.
Pressing Shift+F8 and clicking on 'Re-Start' does bring up the 'Option' screen with 'Refresh or reset your PC' being one of the four availabilities.
Sadly the 'Refresh or reset your PC' does not work as it gets suck in an endless 'Diagnostic' loop which can only be stopped by turning off the power to the machine.

Do you think it would be okay to start a Daniweb thread on this problem?

Reverend Jim 4,968 Hi, I'm Jim, one of DaniWeb's moderators. Moderator Featured Poster

Do you think it would be okay to start a Daniweb thread on this problem?

Definitely. I know that with the last couple of Dells in this house, the machines nagged me to create recovery media. Did you happen to do that at any point? If not you may still be able to download recovery images if you provide the Dell website with your Service Tag or Express Code.

Palebushman 8 Bush IT Poster

The recovery discs were done just prior to the Win 8.1 upgrade, and are not recognized by the new OS Reverend Jim.

Have started the new thread on Daniweb under Windows 7/8 titled
Alienware M17xR4 (U3E1) Issues.
https://www.daniweb.com/hardware-and-software/microsoft-windows/windows-vista-and-windows-7-8/threads/489724/alienware-m17xr4-u3e1-issues-

JenniferArden 4 Jennifer

Gee it seems OS's are going from bad to worse. I stil use XP Pro x64 and it works just great on my ACER 7740G Core i3 laptop aswell as my other systems (P4 3GHz and Core2Quad) I have never had any data loss problems in the 10 years I have been using XP and use NTFS. I do have Windows 7 but do not use it at all. Like many others I have also made custom XP versions with extra integrated drivers, integrated updates, updated UI etc.

Tcll 66 Posting Whiz in Training Featured Poster

ur just lucky. lol

all in all I can't even begin to count the number of corruptions I've had, but I can count the HDDs that died as a result of them.

  • [power loss] 40GB Maxtor
  • [Read Error] 80GB Seagate
  • [power loss] 80GB Maxtor
  • [power loss] 160GB Seagate (SATA) (most corruptions (first one to corrupt))
  • [Dead] 160GB Maxtor
  • [power loss] 232GB (250GB) Western Digital
  • [power loss] 500GB Hitachi (SATA)

I'm sure there's about 2 more I'm forgetting... heh

I didn't pay for any of these :P
the 232GB came from a DVR

anything marked with [power loss] is due to overheating except for the 500GB
(the overheating was because of the file system, not because of improper ventalation, excluding the 80GB)
^ I'm running under the ext4 file system now and they don't even get warm :)

of course though... I'm down to about 5 HDDs that don't give me issues... heh

EDIT:
I broke my MBD on the first corruption :P
I do believe everything from that compy was cursed as it was nothing but problems left and right.

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