jaclaz

VERY simplified: Your motherboard "talks" PCI or AGP (or PCIE) *Any* video card "talks" either of PCI or AGP (or PCIe) internally and either of VGA, DVI, Video, S-Video etc. externally. As long as you have drivers for the video card suitable to your OS, you are good to go, the BIOS sends *something* to the *whatever* bus, and the video card "translates" this *something* to *whatever* the video card is supposed to output, *any* video card is "compatible" with the *whatever* the motherboard sends through the bus (usually 80x25 text screen or low resolution frame buffer). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_card jaclaz

Well, the considerations you express about the OS are most probably very correct , but the approach sounds a lot like the fox and the grapes : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fox_and_the_Grapes jaclaz

Personally I use Opera 99% , SRWARE IRON (a bettered Google Chrome, actually better ) 0.9% and IE (6) only on a few sites that really-really need it 0.1%. In case someone has some spare 5 bucks without a use for them , this seems nice: http://www.addictivetips.com/windows-tips/group-and-organize-program-icons-in-windows-7-taskbar-with-bins/ jaclaz

No, there may be many others but all not "easy", "straightforward" or "safe". Another approach, impersonate "Trusted Installer": maybe it works on Windows 8 too . jaclaz

To continue adopting a different approach (a more aggressive one ) I find a lot of similarities between the guys at IPB and the Marketing Department of the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation: http://hitchhikers.wikia.com/wiki/Sirius_Cybernetics_Corporation in several (mostly unneeded/absurd) updates they changed the parsing engine and a lot of other settings, and effectively botched for good the (evidently less carefully managed than MSFN) reboot.pro board. Here on MSFN there were some issues, see the link in my signature: http://jaclaz.altervista.org/Projects/Convert_address.htm but at least previous contents of the board was kept. On both 911CD and boot-land a few years ago all links were botched, later on reboot.pro we had the same issues than here about thread post offsets, but also: all code and codebox contents botched (some in a way that is NOT correctable anymore, some in a re-parsable way, see: http://reboot.pro/topic/15275-release-botched-rebootpro-code-converter/ and http://pastehtml.com/view/b4t99xk89.html "random" issues with formatting the pre-parsing (WSYIWYG) of posts that is a "nightmare" quotes not showing the Author/Date until actually posted etc., etc. JFYI: If you just read the last thread and the corresponding reply on the IPB (not a bug): http://community.invisionpower.com/resources/bugs.html/_/ip-board/post-offset-disabled-on-new-version-r37167 you can have a good estimate of the probabilities they will ever fix the issue you are having. (0.00%) (sorry ) jaclaz

I think it is the usual FUD about "newer", "cooler", "leet". Usually POP3 "downloads" mail whilst IMAP doesn't. This has traditionally meant for the least technical knowledgeable user that with one the mailbox on the server is emptied (the message is copied to local and doesn't exist anymore on the server) and with the other the mail remains on the server and thus you have a mailbox accessible from several different devices. Example: http://www.domainmonster.com/editorials/pop3-imap-guide/ Of course one can set a POP3 client to leave mail on the server alright. And, in case of slow connections, limited resources, whatever there are nice programs that allow to check (and delete or download/move to local or copy to local) e-mails by only checking the object (and/or a given number of chars of the message). A very good tool I use since years (and which BTW has proven to be a very good "preventive measure" against phishing and maul-originated malware) is npop: http://www.nakka.com/soft/npop/index_eng.html jaclaz

Back to topic, meet the Robobee: http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2013/05/robotic-insects-make-first-controlled-flight/ The video doesn't display for me, however: http://robobees.seas.harvard.edu/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RoboBee http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/video/2013/may/03/robobee-insect-flight-demonstration-video jaclaz

That is the "normal" behaviour when you install a Windows 7 on a PC that already has Windows XP installed, unless you hide (or change the active status) of the partition on which XP is installed before installing the XP. If you do the above the XP partition would normally get the drive letter "C:" and Windows 7 will have (say) the "D:" one, the BOOTMGR and the \boot\BCD will be written to the C: (i.e. on the same partition on which NTLDR and BOOT.INI are). If you installed the two systems "independently" you are having instead on first partition NTLDR+BOOT.INI and on second partition BOOTMGR+\boot\BCD, and the C: drive letter is given to the partition that you set as active and boot from, to the first one when you boot XP or to the second one when you boot windows 7. Do this test: add grldr to first partition add to the BOOT.INI in first partition a line: C:\grldr="grub4dos" when booting, select "grub4dos" and you will get to the grub> prompt at it type (without double quotes): "find --set-root /bootmgr" and press [ENTER] then: "root" [ENTER] <- you should have here (hd0,1) as feedback then: "chainloader /bootmgr" [ENTER] then "boot" [ENTER] and the windows 7 on second partition should boot normally jaclaz

Cannot say if/how it will work on your particular system, but: http://pcdecrapifier.com/ jaclaz

Well, to be fair this (BTW nice ) is nothing more than a POC, a modded commercial quadricopter with some soft that can recognize a single (big) red spot on white piece of paper in a gym. If you have ever seen how white (please read as "any possible shade of gray or light brown) is a real sheep and how "pastel" are colours used to mark them, you would doubt on it's effectiveness, possibly in the mist, fog or rain for which Scotland is reknown in the world. And BTW the whole point is about just monitoring and locating, the rounding up is still a chore of the shepherd (with a quad). Babe would still score better : And dogs can do Extreme Shepherding : jaclaz

If you have your new SSD with a new install of XP booting fine, your next step should (could) be that of installing the 7 to the second partition. The 7 install will: set BOOTMGR as primary bootmanager add an entry in it's \boot\BCD for the XP install that already exists on the SSD (besides the "normal" one for 7) We can of course put together *something* that will allow you to "temporarily" (i.e. until you do not install the new 7 to the SSD) access the old install of 7 on another disk, but whatever this setup will be it will be nonetheless overwritten when you will install the 7 to your SSD. If you can list the BIOS disk order, I can easily make a new grub4dos menu.lst allowing you to use whatever: First disk, first partition (hd0,0) -> SSD, New XP install, active partition in the MBR First disk, second partition (hd0,1) IF primary, (hd0,4) IF logical volume inside extended partition ->SSD, partition on which you plan to install windows 7 Second disk? ..... Third disk? ...... (fill the dots) jaclaz

Sure , and you should actually appreciate it, you see, if everyone had the same approach you would never have choices . jaclaz

Maybe it is possible that you modified them "wrongly". jaclaz

Sure, it's not their fault , the nlite is something that is very nice but gives to the user a (false) impression of being easy (which it is) and that the things it does are easy (they are not). I don't think there is a good guide for it (in the sense that the interconnectedness of all things is not described in detail anywhere) but to this you add that most first time users just clck a page after the other selecting everything for removal without having read the available documentation thinking that anything they removed can be later re-added (with some items it is possible, with others, though probably possible it is not documented anywhere or it is so complex that it is simply not worth the time). Please remember that an essential part of a new install is to have the setup CD suited to the service pack of the machine, i.e. do not install a (say) SP2 and then update to SP3, it is much better if you integrate the SP3 in the source, this way you have - should problem of any kind arise - have the possibility of using Repair from the CD. jaclaz

The idea of using a good browser, just for a change after all these years of (bloated) internet explorer use, didn't cross your mind, right? jaclaz

Well, just to not forget how it all began: jaclaz

You don' t run normally CHKDSK, you run CHKDSK C:, CHKDSK D:, etc. (or CHKDSK E: /F, etc.) when you ran it, it didn' t run on your E: drive, but rather to another volume, most probably your C: drive (or another one). this report: is seemingly of a very small volume, 6173 allocation units x 512 bytes each is a 3,160,576 bytes. I wonder what volume it can be, possibly the boot.sdi of the Windows 7 recovery? But let's go back to the issue. You checked that the external disk had the needed space available. Now you have to check that the source volume has also the needed space to create the shadow copy. Can you re-run the same DIR command, this time after having established root on the "source" volume (which I presume being C:, but that could be another drive letter)? It is possible that it is the source that is "filled up to the brim". jaclaz

Maybe what you really-really want to do is to "move" your current install http://michaelstevenstech.com/moving_xp.html (but it is not exactly what I would suggest to a "newbie") A clone (or image) of the current disk - though it being fully "forensic sound" is not strictly needed - could be a good preventive measure (or "way back" if something doesn't go along the plans), and as submix8c correctly pointed out, a good idea if you are ever going to sell the machine or - for whatever reasons - you decide to change to Windows 7. No, in your particular case nlite would be of no practical use for you. nlite is a tool to modify a "standard" XP install cd removing components an customizing some aspects of the install. You need to know very well the tool, and the organization of XP subsystems in order to get a working system (or working OK). Most people use nlite to senselessly remove components they have no idea what they are for, then come here whining they cannot find anymore x or y. In other words, if you never felt the need to remove anything form your old time install, there is no reason why you should start now. A "side feature" of nlite is that of integrating the XP service pack, but this can also be done manually (and BTW is the first and "compulsory" step that you have to carry on, both if you decide to install form scratch or if you want to try the "move" approach, the CD NEEDS to be at the same SP level as your currently running XP). What you may want to do is to integrate in the XP CD the drivers for your new motherboard (particularly your SATA drivers). BTW, this is not strictly-strictly necessary, as it is possible to install (at least on desktops) in IDE compatibility mode and later "switch" to SATA/AHCI. A further possibility is to keep the Windows 7, reduce the size of the partition it uses, create the other partitions you like/need and then install the XP in dual boot with the current 7. Actually this is what I would suggest generically, as you can have the "best of both worlds" without significant issues in the installing procedure. Unattended makes no sense whatsoever in your case (actually in most cases IMHO). Unattended, particularly fully unattended, is used normally (properly) in (large) organization to install on a high number of machines (possibly identical between them) or in shops where the cure for *any* illness is "reinstall from scratch", a lot of people adopt this latter approach at home too, and thus reinstall from scratch very often and this is more or less the only occasion where the time to put together an unattended (particularly fully unattended) is justified. We are talking of hours/days to get the hang/use properly nlite, days/weeks to tune a fully unattended and test it. jaclaz

And all this time I thought that a statement (and particularly a statement issued in order to clarify something): http://majornelson.com/2013/05/24/xbox-one-and-used-games-2/ should actually state something (non obvious) and possibly also clarify it, additionally an "official" statement is normally very carefully worded in order to be not easily mocked by anyone still using an independent brain. Imagine Galileo Galilei : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galileo_Galilei providing this official statement: He wouldn't have been probably processed for heresy , but surely he would have been promptly sent to an asylum for the demented . jaclaz

Yes, in theory, but you would much safer using an Electric Fly Swatter, example: The "deluxe" version features rechargeable batteries and double ups as a torch: (you should have a torch to detect non-flying drones, like drone caterpillars and ants ) jaclaz

Nothing that "they" cannot already do by tapping your DSL or cable. In case of need: http://reboot.pro/topic/13177-an-improved-electromagnetical-shielding-device/ quite effective, besides aliens, against mind reading drones "they" may send to spy on you. jaclaz

Yes, submix8c posted a link to that effect. What is needed is - I presume - the Toshiba TVAP: http://support.toshiba.com/support/viewContentDetail?contentId=3368363 See also this: http://forums.toshiba.com/t5/Drivers-and-Utilities/Satellite-A200-Toshiba-Value-Added-Package-uninstall-error/td-p/123233 probably this is what is needed: http://www.toshiba.eu/innovation/download_driver_details.jsp?service=EU&selCategory=2&selFamily=2&selSeries=153&selProduct=738&selShortMod=532&language=13&selOS=26&selType=299&yearupload=&monthupload=&dayupload=&useDate=null&mode=allMachines&search=&action=search&macId=&country=all&selectedLanguage=13&type=299&page=1&ID=60820&OSID=26&driverLanguage=42 jaclaz

Yes , but it's again not really a fair comparison. iOS and Android may be competitors on a same market which includes tablets and smartphones. To be fair the numbers of Windows Store should be more likely compared with sold Surfaces (or RT licenses) and with Windows Phone 8. I mean, hard as it may seem to be understood by the good MS guys, there is the possibility that a lot of people use Windows 8 as a "serious" operating system, installed on a desktop and continue using the same software they used before under Windows 7, under Vista or Windows XP, i.e. (hopefully) "good" software and not the senseless apps theat are present on the Windows Store. One example for all: http://blogs.windows.com/windows/b/windowsexperience/archive/2013/04/05/app-roundup-back-to-the-drawing-board.aspx Anyone actually *needing* such an app would probably have the Pro Version already (or get a copy of it). Another example (still form the same page): http://apps.microsoft.com/windows/en-us/app/paint-drops/3CBDBF3F-054B-4749-A759-093C299B8705 You could do a quick poll among friends and relatives and see how many would pay even a trifling €1.19 for that kind of program. An interesting thing (see above link) is that you can see the page on the Windows store allright, only you cannot get a listing of the apps if you are on a non-windows 8. And (SCOOP!) this app is free : http://apps.microsoft.com/windows/en-US/app/draw-free/1176f13e-466a-47f4-a134-eb6e6bdee622 BUT it is rated 12+ years old.... jaclaz

Sure , we are just kidding, however the issue in that "study" is not the size of the sample (which is large enough) but rather the fact that it is not (and cannot be) "random enough". Example: If you make a poll at the exit of a subway station in (say) New York about the utility of small, electric, cars (let's say two seaters with max 35 miles range) it is likely you will find a majority of people expressing the desire to have one. If you make the same poll at a diner on Route 66, it is likely that the percentage of people interested in small, limited range, electric cars will be dramatically lower. You cannot draw a "US wide" conclusion from either of those, they simply make no sense as the samples do not represent population adequately. Seemingly it is, in English owl: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owl means both "gufo" and "civetta" (it is normally translated to "gufo"): In italian it would be a "civetta" (Athene noctua): http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athene_noctua a "gufo" (Asio otus) is different : http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asio_otus I guess that it should be "little owl": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athene_noctua The wikipedia page above demostrates how even babies have the same kind of look : jaclaz

Naaah, it's just a re-post : I see that you are also getting old and forgetful jaclaz