The RAM and XP question

[frogbeastegg]

Phew. Lots of work. Some solutions, some new issues, lots of learning, and I've managed to find a whole 2 things I like about the entire OS.

Did a system restore to take me back to the fresh install stage. Then I approached matters in a slightly different order. Full windows updates first, reboot, install antivirus, install firefox, check it works, install a few other bits and bobs, everything was fine. Well, except for the fuzzy text, firefox insisting on starting in safe mode and discarding my preferences every time, and a few dozen other annoyances, plus the fact I'm wandering the interface like a lost tourist minus map and phrase book.

Fixed the fuzzy text (font smoothing!) after about an hour of option hunting, fixed the firefox stuck in safemode thing after loads more work, finally made some of the folder and data presentation options less obnoxious, did yet more updates, moved a few backup files from the old PC over to this one, tried out the new version of media player and loathed it (I liked 10; it had some features which were perfect for the way I use it) so got winamp instead as it does something similar but not quite as good as what I liked about MP10, and defragged C: very thoroughly. Phew.

Now I have a mostly working basic OS setup. After this I can try for some of the advanced stuff. Checking directx and video drivers are up to date, testing out a game, getting my writing tools set up, etc.

The two features I like? The presentation of data in the 'my computer' section. You know, the one with the bars under the HDs showing how much space is used up, what system specs are, etc. I used to have to do a bunch of clicking on several screens to get that same gather of info. The other is pinning things to the taskbar. Reminds me of a favoured feature on my macbook.

I use zonealarm because I've only had 1 problem with it in 6-7 years of use; I started using it shortly after I joined up here because it got recommended so often. It played nicely with everything else I had; I use it mainly to control programs dialing out. I'm open to recommendations for a replacement, provided the program is free.

I'll do the removal tool tomorrow. System restore should have gotten the hooks out of other files and left it as so much useless data but I don't trust system restore one bit; it's obviously improved a lot since XP's version but that's hardly saying much. I found that version to be more useful if it was left turned off!


Next question: what's the game browser like for actual use? In theory it sounds handy. In reality? Does it do a decent job of finding patches, finding the right patches, and finding them for a wide range of games instead of just the big names? Anything else useful it can do? Or is it a glorified folder which wants to be like steam?


This thing needs a manual. The little help boxes you can bring up are decent but it's not the same as being able to get a full overview of what you can do and how, then heading off to apply that base knowledge to learn more advanced stuff.

[Beskar]

Forget about the Game browser, I never used it. Some games don't even appear in it. Never used it in the 4 years of contact with it. I just disabled it.

Microsoft does have its own free anti-virus as well.

I will tell you now, for the love of everything, do not install games/steam/etc in programs. Do a folder on the harddrive you have your games on, called \Games\, for example, "C:\Games\". Other than making it very easy and helpful you have your games separate from your programs, it will save you lots of heartache, due to inbuilt Microsoft security.

[frogbeastegg]

I will tell you now, for the love of everything, do not install games/steam/etc in programs.

I run a dual hard drive setup. C: is for windows and core programs; D: gets everything else. Amazing setup which I first used by semi accident; I needed a bigger HD because DVD based games had made install sizes go through the roof overnight but did not want to lose everything in a reformat. Way back then we had a local PC shop and they were damned good. They suggested a secondary HD, I reluctantly agreed thinking it would be weird, and within a few days of use I loved it. So many advantages! Nowadays it is a flat out requirement; I will not own a PC with only one HD.

Steam and my games sat on D: untouched during this entire process. All I did was run steam.exe from that folder and it worked for a bit to repair itself; it's now fully functional and I didn't have to reinstall any games. That's a useful feature.

[Beskar]

I run a dual hard drive setup. C: is for windows and core programs; D: gets everything else. Amazing setup which I first used by semi accident; I needed a bigger HD because DVD based games had made install sizes go through the roof overnight but did not want to lose everything in a reformat. Way back then we had a local PC shop and they were damned good. They suggested a secondary HD, I reluctantly agreed thinking it would be weird, and within a few days of use I loved it. So many advantages! Nowadays it is a flat out requirement; I will not own a PC with only one HD.

Steam and my games sat on D: untouched during this entire process. All I did was run steam.exe from that folder and it worked for a bit to repair itself; it's now fully functional and I didn't have to reinstall any games. That's a useful feature.

That's good.

I did similar, but the problem I have now, Seagate want me to return the harddrive, since it is apparently faulty. The issue with that is, it is a terrabyte drive, and it is 700gigs full. My on-computer harddrive is 500gigs total.

Yeah.. not too impressed with that. They don't even send a replacement first, which I would have thought was obvious. >_>

[frogbeastegg]

:sigh: Latest problem. I have directx11 installed. Every game I try to play won't run, citing "You do not have d3dx9_41.dll installed". I've tried doing a DX update during the installation of one of these games, and it failed for unknown reasons. So now I'm left attempting a manual fix. Why can nothing in this infuriating OS just work? Every single step no matter how minor has turned into a freaking paper chase! That's why, on day 3, I'm only just beginning to install stuff like games. Gah!

Which reminds me, when I installed the patch for victoria 2 I got a useless windows nag popup telling me that windows wasn't sure if everything had gone ok because windows is a paranoid old granny with no tech sense. How can I kill that? I never want to see it again.

EDIT:GAH!! And now the directx update I attempting using microsofts own latest directx end user runtime failed instantly with no reasons given.

Much more of this and I am going to return my gaming favours to my xbox for the near future - civ 5 et al can go hang!

[frogbeastegg]

At this point the only thing keeping me from reformating and returning to XP is the money investment. I didn't buy that RAM and fork out for this torture on a fancy disc in order to use XP with an extra 1.5GB. I hate windows 7. It's a feeling which grows with each hour of use. Or should that be abuse?

Ok. Directx fixed. Another hour down the toilet with little to show for it. Yet more illogical, senseless problems fixed by doing nothing much other than repeat the same step over and over until windows realises it's meant to do something. I have to fight for every single tiny step forward and it's exhausting.

Next problem. It's simple. I want to be able to get at my games quickly and easily. Since I'm now starting to install them I want to get that solution set up and work with it as I go. Fine. No problem. Easy, right? Easier than in XP thanks to all these fancy interface improvements and that games folder and so on. Right?

No.

The games folder is useless and hasn't automatically picked up anything I've installed so far. Manually creating the shortcut is a pain in the rear. It also won't let me organise the links how I want. I want things split up by genre. I don't want some great fat mass of 50+ alpha order icons.

So how about desktop icons? I used to use them as my primary access method. Problem: default size has icons roughly the same size as the tiles on my roof. I hate large icons, and I hate cluttered desktops. So I hit google and find you you can re-size the icons by holding control and using the mouse wheel. Great, problem solved, right? No. It only applies to icons already on your desktop. New ones are still huge. Attempting to resize via ctrl+mouse affects everything equally, so everything is stuck being different sizes. Now I have to bin a bunch of icons in order to get everything back the same size.

Ok, last resort. Start menu folders. My old secondary access method. One folder called games which needs to go on the first part of the start menu, then various genre folders inside it which house links to the games. problem: can't create any folders whatsoever. Problem the second: moving the existing games folder causes windows to whine at me and delete the start menu entry when I try to use it because "It isn't in the right location" No - that's because it's where I want it!

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.

So I can't organise my stuff at all, can't access anything quickly, and generally am running slap bang into yet more stupid, inane barriers. Now I see why steam is so popular - it's the only way I currently have to arrange anything in a half decent manner.



I'm out of patience, will, and generally don't give a damn any more. I'm out of all possible interest in playing anything on my PC or even using it for anything. It's too much trouble. Far, far more than it's worth.

And somebody please, please tell me how to get firefox to recognise English spelling. I am not interested in becoming American and I'm mighty tired of seeing it class my language as an error! It didn't do this before. I turn spellcheck off and it insists on turning itself back on. Joy. Boundless, endless joy.

[Beskar]

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.

Right Click > Properties > Customize > Tick 'Also apply this template to all subfolders'
or alt, tools, Folder Options, for setting up things for more you like it.

As for the majority of your problems, I never experienced anything of the sort.

Did you do a clean reformat?

[caravel]

And somebody please, please tell me how to get firefox to recognise English spelling. I am not interested in becoming American and I'm mighty tired of seeing it class my language as an error! It didn't do this before. I turn spellcheck off and it insists on turning itself back on. Joy. Boundless, endless joy.

Go to tools add-ons, search for "dictionary" and install the British dictionary.

I don't have anything good to say about Vista/7 so

[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.