The RAM and XP question

[Tellos Athenaios]

EDIT: here's an example. I see that to add folders to the start menu I need to go to C:\Users\USER\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\S tart Menu\Programs. I can go as far as users\froggy and that's it. There's no AppData. It's not hidden either. It's just not there.

Well some folders are just more hidden than others. But it's not a phantom, it exists for real and you have it too: the easiest way to access it is by typing the full path in the location/breadcrumb bar thing at the top of the Explorer. Double click it and it should change into a simple text field wherein you can type the path to the directory you would like to go, hit enter and get there. So if you are Froggy to your Windows, then C:\Users\Froggy\AppData\ would get you there. In case like me (C:\Users\Tellos Athenaios\AppData\) that is somewhat more than you care to type, %UserProfile%\AppData\ will work too.

[frogbeastegg]

I know it doesn't solve your problem, but I can verify that what you describe with icons being different sizes does not occur on any Win7 install I have used. For me, I can resize the icons with the CTRL+scroll method and any additional icons I place on the desktop are the same size as all the others.

I wonder if the difference is down to a setting somewhere?

I also wonder if this install is faintly borked.

Well some folders are just more hidden than others. But it's not a phantom, it exists for real and you have it too: the easiest way to access it is by typing the full path in the location/breadcrumb bar thing at the top of the Explorer. Double click it and it should change into a simple text field wherein you can type the path to the directory you would like to go, hit enter and get there. So if you are Froggy to your Windows, then C:\Users\Froggy\AppData\ would get you there. In case like me (C:\Users\Tellos Athenaios\AppData\) that is somewhat more than you care to type, %UserProfile%\AppData\ will work too.

Oh thank heaven, something worked at last. I did have to try repeatedly before it worked; to begin with it kept saying it couldn't find the folder.

Now, why did no one say you had to do this in the instructions? Everywhere I saw it mentioned the folder was implied to be in plain sight.

[Geezer57]

EDIT: Bah! Considering the barriers I'm running into and the gains I'll get across the board, I have decided that I'll go with the windows 7 plus 4GB extra RAM option.

Did you at any point actually clear the BIOS (usually you have to shunt a jumper near the battery on the mobo)? When adding new RAM, especially of a different speed rating, some mobos get very picky when the old stuff is still installed - unless the CMOS is cleared completely. You might not need to get quite as drastic as your proposed solution - then again, maybe you will have to resort the the change, hopefully not.

[miotas]

I installed Windows 7 a few days ago, but unfortunately I can't offer much assistance since my install was swift and pain free and so far I'm liking Windows 7 more than XP. Your file view problem however can be solved by setting the view that you want in the current folder you have open then clicking:

organise > folder and search options > view > apply to all

I didn't like the details view so I changed all files to small icons.

[frogbeastegg]

Mixed progress.

The C:\Users\Froggy\AppData\ thing has been a semi dead end. Adding a folder to the start menu doesn't function in the same way it used to. I can't follow it along in the start menu to get the shortcut I want. Instead I have to click it and it opens up the folder itself in a new window. I guess I can dump genre folders in there and stash my game shortcuts in there. Thing is, it's terribly clumsy solution.

So: does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can get my games organised for quick, easy access while having them filed how I want them instead of how windows wants them?

The firefox British dictionary only works in some places. It works when making a new quick post here, for example, but not when making a new advanced post or editing one. Is it meant to work like that?

Winamp doesn't offer any of the (small!) selection of things I want and actually makes my life more awkward, so I got rid of it. Back to the build in media player, which also doesn't offer what I need but which is slightly better. Where can I get a media player which does all of the following:
1. Places a small control bar on the taskbar or similar so that I can pause or tweak volume without changing window focus.
2. Has a large library window that lets me list files according to file path location.
3. Lets me play a single track on endless loop after selecting to play it from my library.

Media player 10 did all of the above and was great because of it. Media player 12 only does 2; supposedly it does 1 but it doesn't really work, and for 3 it actually expects you to do a search for the individual track and run it from there instead of just double-clicking the listing right in front of your face! Talk about backwards design.

Or can I use media player 10 in windows 7? I can't find a compatibility listing.

organise > folder and search options > view > apply to all.

It actually works where all the other methods for doing that failed! :weeps for sheer joy: May be now I will be able to find things.

Did you at any point actually clear the BIOS (usually you have to shunt a jumper near the battery on the mobo)?

Yes, I'd tried that.

I think now it may have been a fault with the RAM sticks, since I've had no difficulties with the new sticks I brought.

[Tellos Athenaios]

Winamp doesn't offer any of the (small!) selection of things I want

I doubt it because WinAmp falls squarely in the “everything and the kitchen sink” approach of software building. But it is not at all like the simple media player that simply plays whatever you tell it to do, so I guess removing it was a good idea.

That said...

Back to the build in media player, which also doesn't offer what I need but which is slightly better. Where can I get a media player which does all of the following:
1. Places a small control bar on the taskbar or similar so that I can pause or tweak volume without changing window focus.
2. Has a large library window that lets me list files according to file path location.
3. Lets me play a single track on endless loop after selecting to play it from my library.

I'm not sure on (2) [it's large but does it ordering by file path?], because I don't really use VLC for it but VLC certainly does (1) and (3).

[Beskar]

Back to the build in media player, which also doesn't offer what I need but which is slightly better. Where can I get a media player which does all of the following:
1. Places a small control bar on the taskbar or similar so that I can pause or tweak volume without changing window focus.
2. Has a large library window that lets me list files according to file path location.
3. Lets me play a single track on endless loop after selecting to play it from my library.

Default Player -

1. Can go one better, you can set it to keyboard commands, so you don't even does a taskbar.
2. It automatically sorts it by artist, album, etc. Not location however. Even then, you can just to go the said location and click play from there.
3. Default player can do this -
Select Track > Right Click > Play

You can even do it with multiple selected, or even your entire collection. It is entirely up to you.

[naut]

Also, please stop using this awful, awful list view for every folder on the computer. It's hard to find things. My eyes don't like it much either. I like tiles. Tiles! That's why I always choose it. Oh, wait - in windows 7 the choice only applies to a single folder. No global setting. Or if there is it's buried somewhere daft. So I have to toggle every last folder on the machine manually, or use a view I detest.

It's because Vista and Win7 auto-detect the contents of a folder and apply what it thinks is the most appropriate view setting. Usually list. Personally I like details. For Vista, there's this utility, that doesn't let Windows change it back, you still have to make the changes, but Windows can't decide to change it, which it does, often. Even though it is for Vista, it might work on Win7. Otherwise, you may have to check in with Google for any solutions.

[miotas]

The C:\Users\Froggy\AppData\ thing has been a semi dead end. Adding a folder to the start menu doesn't function in the same way it used to. I can't follow it along in the start menu to get the shortcut I want. Instead I have to click it and it opens up the folder itself in a new window. I guess I can dump genre folders in there and stash my game shortcuts in there. Thing is, it's terribly clumsy solution.

So: does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can get my games organised for quick, easy access while having them filed how I want them instead of how windows wants them?

Clicking start then right clicking All Programs > Open is the easiest way to get edit the start menu folders. Unless I've missunderstood you I done a quick try, putting a folder called games in the "Programs" folder then a sub folder in games called "Strategy" and it seemed to work fine

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Winamp doesn't offer any of the (small!) selection of things I want and actually makes my life more awkward, so I got rid of it. Back to the build in media player, which also doesn't offer what I need but which is slightly better. Where can I get a media player which does all of the following:
1. Places a small control bar on the taskbar or similar so that I can pause or tweak volume without changing window focus.
2. Has a large library window that lets me list files according to file path location.
3. Lets me play a single track on endless loop after selecting to play it from my library.

1 and 2 can be done with the default windows 7 media player. If you hover over the icon in the taskbar you will get pause, next and previous track options. And to show files based on location then click:

Organise > Customise navigation pane > Tick folder

[Xiahou]

I still like Winamp(lite) personally. 1 is easily doable. For 2, there is no library as such- Winamp only uses playlists. My "library" is my directory structure*, so when adding files to the playlist, I can easily browse by directory. 3 is also builtin and easily doable.

*Windows7 uses libraries, and if you added all of your files to them, you'd have them under one location there. I don't really use that feature since my music is on a network drive.

I also wonder if this install is faintly borked.

I think that's a distinct possibility.

[Myrddraal]

Tip: To get to your start menu, right click "All Programs" then click Open

EDIT: oops, didn't notice miotas got there first!

[frogbeastegg]

Thanks for all of the help

Making progress. Slowly, painfully. I'm at a level where I can sit and catch my breath, and use the PC for a time without trouble. That's my plan for the next week or so. It feels like I'm jury rigging everything, kind of like when your car breaks down and you do a temp repair in order to drive the last 5 miles home. If I hadn't managed to get some progress I'd do a clean reinstall and see if it helped; now I have too much to lose as I doubt I could remember half of what I've done to get it tolerable.

After that I shall look at changing my RAM settings on my board; it defaults to very safe levels and so they are currently running below spec. If only I can remember how I altered it when I built the PC and what settings I used ...

The extra RAM is nice. I got to play a few games and it's made an appreciable difference. Victoria 2 is the most drastic - it loads twice as quickly, possibly faster.

1. Can go one better, you can set it to keyboard commands, so you don't even does a taskbar.

What are the commands?

3. Default player can do this - Select Track > Right Click > Play

It works! Ah ha! And I've been all over the internet hunting for just that - Microsoft's own detailed user guide doesn't mention it! It insists that the only way to loop a single track is to search for it until there are no other results in the pane, and then play it.

Might seem like a lot of excitement for something so small - it's vital to my writing. I put a single track on endless loop and as long as it fits the mood I'm writing that's it, I blank it out entirely and write without trouble. Change the track or force me to pay attention and my writing flow dies completely.