bookie32

Hi cannie The hole is getting deeper by the day.... bookie32

Hi guys! The latest crap from Microsoft...I have had a customer that I couldn't remove the update Icon Windows 10 the usual way and my customer wanted his computer back... Anyway, to cut a long story short and that isn't easy for an old fart like me...the icon disappeared..... He had got so used to seeing it that it got him a little suspicious... It turns out that Windows update had an update (free choice) that was an update for Windows 8.1 so he thought he would update it and started the process... As soon as the update started it said Windows 10 installing.... Now my customer thought he'd made a mistake so he tried it a couple of times...same response.... Every time he said yes to a Windows 8.1 update it turned out to be Windows 10.... There was no hint of Windows 10 when he started the update process!!!!!!!!!! I am really sick of his crap now!! bookie32

Hi again! I wouldn't have thought this problem would just be attributed to syspreping and capturing a VMware machine? I am no good at image capturing errors... bookie32

Hi guys! I hope I am in the right place.... I hve VMware workstation 11 installed on my server... I am trying to create update syspreped images to deploy to my computers... Scenario. I create a new virtual machine..for example Windows 7 Pro I create two virtual drives on is C: and one is D: I install Windows 7 Pro and when I get to add user I go to audit mode... CTRL+SHIFT+F3 I then proceed to install updates in audit mode. I then turn off Windows 7 and defrag my virtual machine.. I create a before_sysprep snapshot of the virtual machine I start the virtual machine and then run generalize and turn off the computer... I edit my settings to add my PE Boot 3.0 image... I boot into PE Boot and then proceed to capture my C: drive to my D: drive... This is where it goes pearshaped... I get the following error: [33%] capturing (with verification) progress: 13:59 min remaining [ERROR] C:\Windows\Logs\CBS\CBpersist_20151115080739.log <ERROR 2> Error imaging drive [C:\] The file can't be found What I don't understand is no warnings came up when sysprepping...the process ended without error.... Has anyone any ideas on this for me? Thanks! bookie32

Hi again! Now the latest things I have noticed.... When trying to remove KB3035582 it goes fhrough the procedure of uninstalling..then restart of computer and what do you know...still an icon in the system tray and a quick search shows it is still installed?!!!!!!!!!!! I remove it a second time and it actually is uninstalled....had this on three computers now....!! Another thing...when installing from scratch Windows 7 sp1...no sign at any time of the KB3035583...even with all updates....it just seems to popup...?!!!! Also had this on several computes now?!!! bookie32

I have to agree it is rather worrying.... Looks like we need to have a party... I, for one, can bring the beer... Another laughable little Microsoft crap day... Had a customer that was having problems with her Skype account and wasn't sure of the procedure....come to me and we will fix it I said.... Turned out that she had two accounts already and despite best efforts didn't work getting a new password..kept on getting a link to click on and add the security code...but it was always...you need to log out and login again.... The answer to this little story was simple..my customer has a hotmail account...it would seem Microsoft could fix that as her Skype account in seconds... I do remember someone saying the resistance is futile..... Don't you just love Microsoft... bookie32

Hi LetsWindows10! There you go... Well, it still doesn't get away from the fact that Microsoft are trying to force this upgrade on the unsuspecting public... I have just done a brand new start on a Lenovo and followed the installation process, updates etc waiting for the dreaded KB3035583 to turn up so that I could hide it... I was surprised to see that on all the updates up to todays date no sign of KB3035583...strange I thought..... Just started the computer to finish off before handing over to the customer and what do you know...it just turned up in the system tray and I even haven't said OK to the installation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have had this on other computers where it just turns up even when you are on the look out for it.... ******* Microsoft I say!!! Shame on them with their dictatorship of what we should have and not have....thought this was a democracy and one could choose.... From now on all new computers I am restricting updates until this crap is restricted from installing on the computer!!!!!! bookie32

Hi NoelC! Some really nice work here! I use classic shell for most of my customers with Windows 8....they are all so grateful to get away from the crap from Microsoft. bookie32

Hi Ridrok! Yes, I am inclined to agree with you on that one.....BUT....the fact that so much is hidden in the new agreements for installing Windows 10...I wouldn't put it past Microsoft to hide the fact that you forfeit your old licence when you upgrade to Windows 10. I already know that this isn't the case because of the computers that I have reinstated to the old licences....but it doesn't hurt to speculate on what will Microsoft do next and what are they really capable of.... I think personally that if Microsoft had taken that attitude that they are offering a new OS free - but your old license is no longer valid....would have taken the cake...they wouldn't get away with that ...I for one would have just erased all knowledge of Windows from my computers and just used Linux The whole idea that the upgrade is free is an insult to our intelligence... bookie32

Hi NoelC! Well, funny you should mention it...my customer rang me a short while ago about buying a new battery for his laptop... I didn't know that his battery had got too low to run Windows and it shutsdown Windows automatically to save customer files etc.. I only noticed this when I removed the drive to back up his files to my server.... I usually put the drive from a dead computer in an external drive...I then run a linux computer and connect the external drive to that...that way I can easily copy all files and Appdata etc without any user rights issues when connecting to another Windows computer... Sorry, waffeling on here Anyway, linux wouldn't mount the C: drive because the computer had gone into hibernation...I had to remove the hiber file before being able to mount the drive to back up his files... So. his computer must have gone into hibernation when the battery went to low and didn't come out of it even when the power supply was connected... So this is a typical example of the problems you mentioned and that several have been ringing me about... I couldn't get any life despite trying new memory, removing the drive to see if I could get into bios, removal and draining residule power etc...just don't know if it is worth testing a reset of the bios from USB... Perhaps another reason to stay clear of the dreaded Windows 10 Getting off base...just had a young teenagers highend games computer to fix. He decided to update the bios from a utlity in Windows while carrying on gaming....computer crashed and no life...i ran many different attempts to get it to recover its bios (only one bios)...just about to give up when I saw my flash drive start working and then I had a "your bios is corrupt and needs recovering" come on the screen....SAVED by the bell..... I am a bit of a stubborn old git that does do his best for his customers even if it costs me at times...hated to see a young teenager have to payout to either have the motherboard reset by the manufacturer or buy a new one... My girlfriend says I am soft in the head He has now been informed about the pitfalls of trying to update the bios especially from Windows... bookie32

Hi again! Can't say for sure but another Windows 10 failed upgrade... Another customer that thought it would be OK to upgrade....from Windows 7 to Windows 10. The computer was having problems, going slow etc and like so many thought it would be a way to fix the computer by upgrading...?!! It seemed ok for a couple of days and then the computer died...I can't get any life out of at all apart from the laptop fan starting... it could be the graphics, bios, memory...just can't get a peep out of it to be sure and it isn't worth stripping down and wasting money on a computer that is already 5 years old... Of course it doesn't have to have anything to do with Windows 10 or does it.... bookie32

Hi again! The sad thing with the upgrades is the lack of knowledge in general...some of the customers that I have just don't want to learn...so my reply is why have a computer at all...people need to take a basic interest in what they are doing with their computers...stop clicking on blinking adverts telling them there computer has tons of problems...what do they do...of course they click on it and that is the start of the crap....God help us...what happened to basic common sense... I have even had engineers coming to me with infected computers because they clicked on some blinking advert telling them the performance of their computer needs looking at...go figure... I am a little off track but what I really mean with this is there are hundreds of thousands with problems on their computers that think Windows 10 is the saviour....!!! and that is not making recovery an easy thing... I have had two computers from the same customer who upgraded to Windows 10...This customer lives a long way from me and at first I wondered about why he hadn't gone to someone nearer... The first one was so infected with malware and programs that mess with Windows registry....etc that I recommended backing up his files and doing a fresh install of Windows 7 again which wasn't a problem with activation... The second one was similar to the first...but this one was a fantastic games computer that started shutting down after a short while...he got a local company (close to him) to check it who didn't find anything wrong (according to him) I opened the computer in his presence before he left it with me to fix...the CPU's mounting brackets were all broken and the cooler was loose....I said there is your problem..... I replaced the cooler with a noctua dh-14 and put it on test for a few hours....no further problems with shutting down - but it was sluggish in Windows... I saw a ton of crap installed on the computer and recommended a clean install ...also Windows 7 and then activated it no problems... One thing though...regarding Windows 8/8.1 I haven't had a computer that I have erased the drive completely yet apart from the ones with recovery media created earlier specifically for their computers...so I am not sure about the activation of Windows 8 and 8.1 with a clean install... When I get one that needs that I will post here.. bookie32

Hi again! Well, in Windows 8.1 "Update and Security" > "Recovery" it actually states that you have 30 days to downgrade...It would seem that the recovery files from Windows 10 upgrade wont be available after that date... Nothing is actually permanent...I have reinstalled two computers from their factory partitions to both Windows 7 and 8/8.1 Saying that I have had to reinstall several from recovery media created earlier because the recovery partitions have been corrupted... bookie32

Hi NoelC! No problems yet with activation... Remains to be seen how long that lasts... Thanks for your info! bookie32

Hi guys Well, back to the story about upgrading to Windows from windows 7 or Windows 8.0/8.1. I have tried to recover several different makes and models of computers/laptops and have only had one that seems to have survived the return to previous OS before the 30 days grace is up... One said it had recovered to Windows 8.1 and when I started the machine it was still Windows 10.... One Windows 7 computer could recover from Windows 10 to Windows 7 but it left a lot of broken programs, drivers etc... Of course the excuse from Microsoft could and probably would be those computers (and many more I might add that I have fixed) were infected with Malware/Virus etc...this could be the case and was with a couple of them - but bye the same token Microsoft must realise a good percentage of the those that have upgraded have no idea what is on their computers and were hoping for a miracle with Windows 10 and not the **** that it is, and the fact that they have no idea "apart from how to turn on their computers" what they were doing when they said yes to the upgrade....!!! I am still getting customers saying that they upgraded and now realise that it isn't what they want or expected and that it has gone more than a month since they upgraded...bla., bla, bla, I have had some computers that didn't survive the recovery from Windows 10 to the previous OS that Microsoft promises and couldn't be reinstated from the manufacturer's recovery partition...well, what is left....a bootable usb, DVD....!!! It has been a very costly exercise in stupidity...first those who didn't read my warning emails, those that did and still upgraded, and finally those that listened to a friends advice instead of the guy that fixes their computer!!!! the list goes on... bookie32

Hi GrofLuigi! Very nice info... It turns out that there is a hotkey application for this computer but needs a bios update to use it on the Windows 8.1 machne... I am now looking into that option via the manufacturers... I do appreciate your input and if I don't get anywhere with the hotkey driver installation - then I have a great solution here! Thanks! bookie32

Hi guys! On the keyboard to the laptop a customer has the Windows key and FN key are in oposite positions...he has installed Windows 8 on this model and uppgraded it to Windows 8 Pro... A friend suggested physically moving the two keys but it isn't always easy resetting keys and he doesn't want to risk breaking the connectors... I have done a search with differen't search clues but can't find the info I need to achieve this... I am attaching a pic of the keyboard he has... So when he clicks on FN that has the Windows start menu connected to it and Windows key has the FN commands connected to it... bookie32

Hi again! Well, I must say it is sad when one goes out to ones customers with all the information regarding this crap from Microsoft - many still go out and buy or upgrade and ignore the consequences of that.... I am getting calls every day where customers have tried to update and it hasn't worked....!!! I say we can fix most things but I recommend resetting to Windows 7 or 8.1...had a customer ring and ask me to reset the computer...."don't we need to back up my files before doing so" was the reply!!! I am very good at giving my customers detailed information about what one should and shouldn't do before upgrading etc....shame that a lot of them don't seem to have ever learnt to read....??????????? My girlfriend says that I try too hard to save the customers money....just take it off them because they don't listen to what you are trying to tell them.... I almost agree with her on that score.... This fiasco with upgrading to Windows 10 is long from over and I am already fed up with resetting computers..... Not unhappy about making money....of course bookie32

Hi ralcool I agree with NoelC on this one... This is sort of what I was getting at earlier....there are solutions to the problem as long as one is prepared to look outside of the box... You can continue to run products for as long as the virtual software supports them... There is no shortage of decent motherboards, processors, psu's, memory. graphics cards that are up to the task... Of course no one wants to have to run everything in virtual software - but these days it has proved its worth over and over again I fell in love with the Adobe CS series and was ****** angry when they adopted the cloud based solutions and not give the customer the right to buy their products as before. I do have a CS6 and even if the newer cloud based ones offer add-ons that I would like to use....I will just continue running CS6 for as long as it is viable for the work I want to do and most of that can be achieved in Virtual Software if needed... I like the idea of this super duper dual E7 Xeon workstation motherboard as a next build for myself...yes they cost but the rewards are their and I could continue running my Windows 7 without the support for a long time to come..... So, even if I would not be buying or upgrading to newer versions of Windows if they don't change their path...I will have a computer that can run the older versions for some time to come.... I already run most versions in vmware on one of my servers... bookie32

Hi guys! NoelC OK I stand corrected on your original statement.... I, of course, understand your point of view and am grateful for you pointing out it in more detail...and yes a lot of us have invested time, money and energy into learning Windows - but by the same token if people are going to have to learn a new system, desktop etc and for many that is a big deal - then many will choose another path like Mac or Linux. The reason I learnt Linux in the first place is I wanted a reliable system for my servers that didn't cost an arm and a leg....Linux doesn't offer everything that Windows does on that subject - but the cost is time and not a hole in your bank balance... I can't remember that last time I used Windows to create an image of a customer computer...I tend to use Clonezilla these days...but as NoelC says it means becoming a newbie and learning something new and many wont want to make that effort... I am glad to say I am not a total newbie to Linux and it wont hurt me as much as others to make the switch... The average home user will not have a problem moving to Mac or Linux...but huge corporations that have invested huge sums of money in the Microsoft way - then, of course, that is another story... If Microsoft continue down the path they are going - then I hope it has a big cliff at the end of it an put us all out of our misery.... I am just wondering where this leaves the games community....games that demand more and more of a graphics card, processor, memory etc...just take a look at some of the rigs people are building to run their games!! What are Microsoft going to do for them? Like I said before...most games users don't spend much time wondering about the OS just their ability to play their games... This is a great opportunity for the games developers to think about Linux as a long term solution... I, for one, will not just sit back and accept the crap that is going on right now and I can run my Windows programs for some time to come in Linux the good thing is as more powerful components become available the programs one needs to use to run Windows products wont be a drain on resources that are noticeable... I will, however, continue to use Windows 7 on my works computers for as long as their is support for it even if it means installing it on a new computer if my older ones die on me...but after Windows 7 unless Microsoft change their attitude it will be bye, bye for good! bphlpt: Thanks for the links....I have actually seen them before and have commented on this guys favourite Linux... There are so many different versions available it can make your head spin...everyone is basing their version on another version that is based on another version and so on... bookie32

Sorry Just realised doh! Realistically, anyone with any savvy will NOTfind it a very difficult decision to move to Mac or Linux. bookie32

Hi NoelC I guess my comments about Windows 10 being used as a listening bug for the American government struck a chord... OK! Let us look at this from another perspective...While I admit and can understand a lot of users wanting an OS that is familiar on all media...I don't see any trend showing millions going out and buying Microsoft units on the smaller tablet platforms... If we are going to go down the road of about 200 million users in the coming years...then that doesn't really even cover America so that isn't going to help Microsoft sales...? Another thing to look at is the Millions of large corporations going over to Linux for their servers (security) that is already happening here in a little country like Sweden. Large companies, banks etc haven't any confidence in Microsoft already so pardon me if your statement "Realistically, anyone with any savvy will find it a very difficult decision to move to Mac or Linux" doesn't make sense... But then again I haven't any savvy, so the move wont affect me... Millions are using Linux on their own home servers because it is so widely supported by millions across the globe actually trying to create an OS that they are proud of and not how much it will make for the share holders...and it doesn't cost an arm and a leg like Microsoft server versions...it is actually free! Of course large corporations pay for the support for their Linux based servers - but I don't see that coming close to the rip off charges Microsoft have... At the moment it is the size of Microsoft and the fact that they are controlling the sales of their products in many retail outlets across the planet, and that once a new version comes out the retail outlets only stock the new version and the staff are brain washed into telling their customers that there aren't any older versions of Microsoft to buy...and the fact that their are many major companies producing cheap crappy computers with a version of Windows on them (also being controlled by Microsoft).....so I guess that stepping stone could be a difficult one to overcome... But even in the scheme of things, even if I am just one insignificant little company trying to do the best for my customers....many are already asking about Mac...the sad thing is I don't see Mac producing or filling local retail outlets with cheap crappy computers that have their OS on them - but then again those that have seen the light buy Mac because they aren't afraid to pay more for their reliable computers.... I am fed up with companies boasting about the processors, ssd drives, amount of memory on these cheap crappy computers being shoved on the unsuspecting public...many of them just think they are getting a good deal and not that the rest of the computer is being made of inferior components, and that they are coming to me with their new Windows 10 computers that are basically going slow from the outset....and want me to speed them up a bit.... The amount of referrals to the local Mac store is going up - but I am just an insignificant speck in the great scheme of things... Getting off my soap box now... bookie32

Hi guys! Tommy! I agree with you on the spying and third party apps etc.....but as NoelC enlightens us he has been doing this since time began.... most of us tweak our desktops in some way or another...whether it be in a small way or large...just never looked under the hood as much as many do here... NoelC! I have never really looked under the hood like a lot of your guys and it is scary how much has been going on that I really wasn't aware of or just didn't pay attention....but that time has gone and I am awake now... bphlpt! Thanks for your explanation into why dhjohns commented like he did.... but as jaklaz points out he didn't think it was my post that was funny rather that "You are a very funny man" ...never thought of my self as doing stand up comedy before...glad it makes some members laugh...it is better than the alternative... dencorso! I remember the Borg.... I agree it is futile...I honestly can't see why there is any point in staying with an OS that you have to change a ton of stuff to be completely happy...we could just all do as this guy has done.... or maybe I haven't understood your reference to "Resistance is futile" I haven't been that displeased with Windows 7...or have I....I have been using Object Dock as my starting point for a long time...just find it quicker with all my icons on one dock and it is setup to how I like it....now I am just noticing I that I have never really used Windows 7 as it was intended...I like a clear desktop so I hide all my icons apart from my object dock... The great thing about the extensive knowledge here is one can improve things without the risk of breaking too much... I am prepared to do some changes to a OS version to get it how I want it to look...but having to remove all that makes a new OS what it is intended to be takes the cake....The worst thing with the new changes for spyware etc they can and probably will be changed with an update...So, maybe "Resistance is futile"...? Microsoft have made a big mistake if they think people are not going to notice the spying software....and as long as there are companies...how small (mine I am referring to) can warn the customers to the pitfalls of buying or upgrading to something that just a new listening bug for the American government... I do realise that that statement is going to **** a few people off...sorry... bookie32

I stand corrected ☺

Hi dhjohns Would you like to elaborate on what you think is good about Windows 10 because I didn't mean my original post to be seen as what you call funny? bookie32