ZortMcGort11

http://byukruk.tripod.com/ IconDesk ^Check out this program, it's Dope!!! Very simple way to make stuff look better/modern. On your desktop it can make your icon's text transparent. Which I thinks makes it look cleaner and more up-to-date. Here's what it does: You just run the installer, then the program gets added to your StartUp folder, so that when you start your computer it always comes on and is minimized to the system tray. Then right click on the little icon in your system tray, then click on "Transparent Icon Text Background Color." That's it! (2) Then to make it look more cool, right click on your desktop, select properties, then click on the "Appearance" tab. Then click on the "Item" drop down list and select "Icon." Once you select "icon" from the list, then you can select the font and text size you want. I put mine on Verdana, font size size 9. Now it looks pretty Neato! Anybody else got any desktop tweaking programs or hints ??? Thanks.

Imagine 1.1.0 - Freeware image viewer http://www.nyam.pe.kr/dev/imagine/

Sorry, don't have the link for the user agent switcher. It was a dead link anyway :-( Wow that's quite the Opera Toolbar, congratulations! How much work did that take? Just a few questions, but what is TLS? You mentioned "Roytams special FF2 - FF3.6 builds with TLS1.2"

***SOLVED**** I figured it out. All I had to do was set it to "Identify as Internet Explorer" and now I have the old Google webpage back now. I can view cached pages again :-) Here's how: Go to.... Quick Preferences->Edit Site Preferences->Network Tab (then identify as Internet Explorer)

"And when finally learning about it, it was almost too late, there were already ALL Opera addons deleted on the web :(" -Siria @Siria Yeah, I hear ya there. I found a link for an Opera User Agent Switcher add-on, but I couldn't get it to download... or work. At least not from my Windows ME computer.

In my first post I should clarify, I'm using the Firefox 2 User Agent in K-Meleon 1.6, and that's why I can view the old school Google page. The default k-Meleon 1.6 user agent doesn't work either.

@Loblo I entered the string, but there was no way to save it. Once Opera is restarted it disappears. @Schwups Same thing, the string just disappears after re-starting Opera, even if I clicked "save." ^I might try these suggestions on Opera 11 and see if I have better luck than Opera 12. Thanks. @Siria Thanks for the information about Roytam1's programs... I will read those threads you linked to. But I'm not sure I will "upgrade" past basic old KernelEx 4.5.2. Sounds like there's a lot of potential problems if you don't know what you're doing, which I don't, and I don't want to have to format and re-install everything :-)

One last question... are there any Kernel Ex browsers, besides K-Meleon 1.6 or 1.7, that allow custom user agent strings ???? What about SeaMonkey 2.x, Firefox 3,4,56,7,8,9, whatever number??? Is it possible? Seriously, at this point, K-Meleon 1.6 seems to be the FINAL BROWSER for me. Once this one goes, it's bye bye Windows ME on the internet :-(

*There IS a way to choose to identify as Firefox in Opera, but you can't specify, or MANUALLY enter the string yourself. So it doesn't do me any good. Here's how: If you go to: Settings, quick preferences, edit site preferences, then click on the Network tab.... You can choose browser identification, then select Firefox. BUT..... it comes out as this "Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 5.0; en; rv:2.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/4.0" Firefox 4 on Windows NT 5.... which goes back to Mobile Google search results, hence no Cache function.

Anybody know how to change the Opera 12.02 user agent to this: "Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Win 9x 4.90; en-US; rv:1.8.1.20) Gecko/20081217 Firefox/2.0.0.20" The problem I have with Opera 12 is that for the last few months Google always loads what I assume is the MOBILE VERSION of it's home page. The search results don't have the option to view the cached site. And since half the websites out there now are "secure," because of HTTPS, I can't view them anyhow. So what I do is click on the Cached site, then view Text Only Version. On dial up this is absolutely necessary if I don't want to wait 10 minutes to read something. Basically, google is redirecting certain browsers to a useless, stripped down Mobile Thingy, where I can't view the cached site, and the image search results don't work. Only way around this is the user agent string from Firefox 2, or (cringe) Netscape 9. I started using K-Meleon 1.6 again, which is kind of a downgrade from Opera 12, but still way better than Firefox 2. It works good again, I can view the old school Google Results page, and click on cached websites. So I'm pretty good now. I was just wondering if the user agent can be altered in Opera 12? Thanks for any tips suggestions.

Image Eye 7.6 --- KernelEx 4.5.2 (WinXP SP2 Mode) https://www.fmjsoft.com/imageeye.html Alternate download @: https://www.sac.sk/files.php?d=5&l=I ieye76.zip Nice simple image viewer with ability to edit, copy, move, enhance pictures, and so on. Loads images surprisingly fast too, even on my old Pentium III.

I was at Best Buy yesterday looking at the Computer section. It looked like something out of Star Trek. Too many Egyptian Hieroglyphs and stupid buttons that I can't tell what they mean. In short, the user interface stunk. I still think the Windows 3.1 Program Manager was the greatest desktop screen ever invented :-)

Depends on your definition of bad. Do you want to own your computer, and feel free to use it for the next 40 years until, and go through as many hard drives as you want, and get your money's worth out of it. Or do you want to rent a worthless hunk of soon-to-be expired piece of over priced scrap metal that will become outdated in year, because of planned obsolescence that will require to buy the same old crap year after year, for the rest of your natural life. The top is Windows ME.... the bottom scenario is EVERYTHING after Windows ME. (Windows 2000 came out first, so yes, Windows ME was the last real Operating System that you didn't RENT.)

First off, why is it so hard to find the tiny little "Sign In" thing to Log In here? The design of this website used to be nicer too, but I digress.... actually no I don't digress. Why does everything related to computers seem to be getting worse? Well, I'm at the Library using god knows what version of Windows crap this is (probably 7), but I"m usingWord 2016, and it's the biggest, ugliest, stupidest pile of worthless crap I've ever seen in my entire life. Windows 3.1 and Word 6 were superior looking and working compared to this dreck. How does Microsoft get away with re-packaging the same absolute crap year after year, when it only gets more stupid and worse looking, and more clunky? I've had it with computers. They suck!!!!! Windows ME (I know 2000 is similar, but it's not 100% the same as ME) was the zenith of a nice looking user interface and having intuitive and elegantly designed menus and screens. Why does everything on the computer now have the plain, barren, sterile, crappy, broken-looking, half-finished design of a cheap tablet or Iphone? And why is every stupid button so dang small too? I hate new computers. I'm going to keep using my Windows ME computer forever. Ta Ta.

of course, the video is unavailable....

Hannah Georgas - "Don't Go" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9w7WKEZddU

Any further updates?

Thanks. I looked in device manager and there are indeed five things preceded with yellow question marks and or exclamation points: Ethernet Controller Multimedia Audio Controller PCI Simple Communications Controller Video Controller Video Controller (VGA compatible)

2nd update: For some reason "CCleaner 5.20" wouldn't run, and neither did "HWiNFO", nor "McAfee Stinger".... all three gave blue screens of death and froze the computer!!!! Yarrggghhh! Worse than Windows ME. LOL. Good news: installed latest VLC media player, and Malware Bytes Anti-Malware, and FastStone Viewer 4.6, and NewView Graphics Viewer 13.1. Downloading Foxit Reader 7.1 right now. Since there is a modem I might try using the newest version of Opera on dial-up in "turbo mode." Turbo mode is basically the same as accelerated dial-up, pictures get compressed on their servers. Will probably go with ClamWin and Clam Sentinel for anti-virus (along with Malware Bytes). What do you guys think about the built in "Windows Firewall." Any good?

Hi guys, thanks for replies. It's the second picture that Jaclaz posted. Here's a link to a picture I took (sorry I can't get my browser to upload a picture on MSFN board). I also put some arrows pointing to things on the computer. I'm sure #3 is the modem, because that's the one that says "phone" and "line" on it. :-) As far as #1 that's next to the USB plug-ins.... is that my connector for the network/ethernet card? It's like a bigger phone jack hole. No clue what that #2 thing is.

2nd update: tried to install IE8, but it said it needed to download updates from the internet. Needless to say, it didn't work without internet connectoin. Oh well. No biggie. I plan on using latest K-Meleon anyway. What hardware will I need to get on the internet with that thing? Thanks guys.

Hi all, thanks for the suggestions. Status update: Installed XP with no problems. Wasn't asked for any sort of key or serial numbers. Even Windows ME requested the registration key. So yeah, go figure. Copied the "System Information Viewer" program by Ray Hinchliffe to the computer for a quick system summary. 1GB RAM is already installed, so I figure that's good enough. No modems/Networking information detected. However, looking at the back of the computer I see two phone jacks so I'm assuming there is a modem, there is also a "Modem Installation Drivers" disc so maybe I'll pop that in next. I turned off Automatic Updates. According to the "Security Center" automatic updates are off, Windows Firewall is On, and there is no Anti-Virus installed. I figured as much, so no surprise. What are you guys' thoughts about Windows Firewall, when I get that computer hooked up to the web, will that firewall be good enough, or will I need something better? Right now, I'm on my Windows ME computer and I'm downloading Internet Explorer 8 and some other programs. I'm not actually going to use IE 8, just trying to update the system however. Will keep you guys posted, as I 'm sure I'll need help when trying to figure out the HIGH SPEED INTERNET stuff. Thanks :-)

Jaclaz said: Yes, there is a sticker on the case with the product key. And yes, my sister gave me the CD for the computer, it's a green Dell disc that says "Reinstalltion CD Windows XP Professions Service Pack 2." So, are you telling me I just install the operating system from this green Dell disc, then enter the product key from the case, and then I don't have to "ACTIVATE" it. It will just work. That would be cool. Awesome! There is also another green disc that came with the computer that is the Driver Re-installtion. Tripredacus said: It's from my sister's work office, they were going to get rid of it. It was too old for them to use any longer. She called me up and asked if I wanted it, would need to pick it up today. So I was like, okay why not. What's cool is that they also gave me the Install CD's that came with it. If Jaclaz is right, then it shouldn't be too hard to simply get XP back on here, activated without any hassle, then ready to roll. Hopefully. I didn't really have any idea what to do with this thing. I figured the EASIEST thing would be to simply buy Windows to put on it, but (a) I don't know what new version will work, (b) don't feel like tinkering with things trying to get them to work. Plus, I googled "Dell Optiplex GX280 with Windows 7" and the results weren't very promising. From what I gather people had trouble finding drivers for such ancient hardware. So yeah, don't feel like wasting time with it. If I'm going to purchase Windows 7 or 10, I might as well just get the new computer along with it. Tommy said: It might run on it, but I'm not really up to trying to get Windows 7 to run on it. I will most likely increase the RAM if need be though, since it's simple to do so. To me, Windows 2000 can almost be accomplished using Windows ME with KernelEx installed - no offense to Win2000, I'm speaking browser wise here. They both are stuck with like Opera 12 as the last web browser. I need a browser, anything I don't care, that is better than what's available with Win2000 or WinME with kernelex. Dibya said: Will add RAM if it's not already maxed out.... I haven't turned the computer on yet or nothing. Don't really want to bother with graphics cards. Last time I upgraded a graphics card was adding a Cirrus Logic with 1 MB RAM to Windows 3.1, and also an S3 Virge for my old DOS computer. I think the stock graphics cards are good enough for my needs. I will definitely try and update as much core components as is possible with XP Service Pack 2. I know that installing IE 6 on Windows ME makes it more stable than the IE 5.5 that it comes with. Thanks everyone for the suggestions. If XP is even a little better than Windows ME, in regards to web browsing, multi media viewing, being able to send/read modern file formats, then it will be a resounding success. I've been getting by (barely) on Windows ME for the last 15 years, it's time for something "newer." So, tomorrow or thursday I will install XP back on the computer. I may need to get a networking (for high speed internet) card. Any suggestions? I think there's only a dial-up modem in it. Oh and, any suggestions for Anti-Virus and firewall? I leaning towards ClamWin with Clam Sentinel installed. Any lightweight firewalls out there? Oh and, I'm a total newb when it comes to HIgh Speed INternet and routers, and whatever that stuff is. Been a dial-up man since Windows 98 days. Okay, talk to you guys later, thanks.

Hello, I received a free Windows XP computer (Optiplex GX280) that was going to be thrown away, donated, or recycled by a company - the hard drive was wiped. I'm wondering if there's anything I can do with it. I would like to install a newer version of Windows, and if so, which one can it handle? Anyway, here's the specs I found online: Did I inherit a useless paperweight, or is there the possibility of updating this thing. I don't want to bother with Linux, I want to make it my internet computer and keep it plain and simple with windows on it. I suppose putting XP back on it would be better than sticking with my older Windows ME computer. Would appreciate any tips or suggestions. By the way, what's the deal with Windows XP Product Activation? Do I still need in 2016 to call up Microsoft or something like that to turn my computer on? Thanks.

Maybe give FreeDOS a try. I remember installing it some years ago, and found it to be more worth while than MS-DOS. I like DOS, I think it's great, but having to live within the limited confine of its memory and hard drive limits, would be too much trouble for me. I think FreeDOS fixes *some* of those issues. And all the DOS programs I tried seemed to work. The only downfall is that Windows 3.1 won't work on it. People are still updating freedos too, so as soon as they can get Windows 3.1 to work, I'd definitely start building my ultimate Windows 3.1 machine :-) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FreeDOS http://www.freedos.org/download/