Service Pak 2 from Microsoft

[Hammerhead]

I can say first hand that this program will give you nightmares if you have any other device used for the internet for security. It will screw up rapped ape.
4 hours on the phone and it is finally resolved. Helps to understand the reps as they are all from another country and of little experiance except fact sheets.
I detest these super companies DELL - MICROSOFT In the name of duing good they can manufacture programs that they sold you and override them with there updates. F'm all be a cold day in hell before I purchase anything from these basterds again unless they are fair and keep there f'n business in the United States. Both outsource to the cheapest countrys available for there almighty buck. Might help if these so called tecks could speak or read english clear enough to understand. Hell No got to spell dam near everything with a phonetic alphabet. Service pack 2 can not be removed even by back dating. DO NOT download if you are satisfied with your present security system.
Plus missed the Jankee Sox game with all this crap and by damm the dam Sox win.
Life sucks. World watchout tomorrow.

[Blackgold]

I've had billions of crashed with my Dell laptop in the three years I've had it. . . it's always the same song. . . software people blame hardware and the makers blame software. .

Just replaced my daughter's computer hard drive as this Dell died after 18 months.

And Microsoft. . . they have more bugs than the Orkin man.

Oh, and once the customer services rep- IN INDIA- had me pop the bottom panel, take out the memory and re-insert it. . then he had me go for a phillips head and wanted me to, "re-seat the cd drive". . . I asked why, he said to make sure it's working- so I said how 'bout I insert a cd:. . .jeesh

So the Vietnamese guy that has a computer store and has worked on all my Dell/Microsoft bargins. . .well he says Dell uses cheap components. . . so next computer this dude is gonna build me one.

And did I mention that my cell phone runs windows mobile- and of course, my phone crashes and I'm constantly having to use the reset button. . .

Other the minor problems mentioned above, I continue to push the envelope with technology. . . . party on

[Tom]

It is amazing what absolute crap Microsoft is as a software and as a company. The one right idea Clinton had was to get that slimeball Gates and he missed him too.
Computers have been going downhill since DOS 3.2.

[NoDayJob]

;) Fuggetta 'bout the big name "confusers". Purchased my last 3 on the internet from Cpusolutions--- all Athlon 64's built to my specs. No problemo. Great prices, great service. Check them out. ;)

NDJ

[midnight]

DOS 6.2, the last standalone version of it, is very stable.

Don't get XP SP2 until MS works out all the bugs. It's a mess right now.

[Dick Schmidt]

Coupla 'o random thoughts:

Dell might not build the most robust computers in the world, but they really stand behind them. They had a tech at my house 22 hours after I called them to replace the entire guts of my computer. It failed because of an electric spike, nothing to do with Dell. I expected a hassle, but it took about 20 minutes and I was back in business.

I have had a local guy build machines for me, and it was crap. However, I had no recourse when he closed up and left town.

Those who have constant problems with XP need to consider that some (most) of them might be at least partially due to user error. I have had an XP machine for over a year and it has NEVER crashed. One reason (besides luck) is that I maintain it. I use a router AND two firewalls. I have three anti-virus programs and run each at least once a week. I run Ad-aware every day, and have yet to get a clean run. I always find spyware.

A good worker does not blame his tools. Take some responsibility and learn to maintain your machines.


Dick


"Life is tough, but its tougher if you're stupid." -John Wayne

[Jeff P]

Spent tonight installing a new hard drive after one of mine (a newer Western Digital 60gb) crashed. Had the stupid thing just a shade over 14 months. Fortunately I had several backup copies of my work.

This is just one more reminder of something a very good network guy taught me about 15 years ago:

A hard drive is a great temporary place to store information. Sooner or later it will fail. Make sure you have backup copies of anything and everything that you want to keep on a permanent basis.

[Hammerhead]

Hey Dick
I have been using xp with absolutly no problems until last night when I made the mistake of downloading that jackass service pack 2

[so.cal.fan]

OH CHIT!
I downloaded SERVICE PACK 2 a few days ago......so far....no problems....except my virus software....NOD32 keeps upgrading..... I hope I don't have any problems!
I should have checked with you guys first before I went and did this....damn it.....I never learn.

[JustRalph]

I wrote in a thread over two weeks back "Don't be the Beta Tester" .........noooooooooooooooooooooo!

Good post Dick................

Now, just one question. How many of you have a good UPS

for power management? Not a surge protector ( a surge protector is like a Fairy Tale, they aren't true) if it doesn't weigh like a car battery..........it isn't a UPS. You should have all or most of your components being powered off a UPS. It makes a difference. If you are using one of these...You deserve everything you get!......file corruption can be caused by voltage problems..........

http://ace.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/pACE-991476reg.jpg

Jumping off Soapbox

[so.cal.fan]

Damn it, JR
I've been reading all your political posts and must have missed that, I vaguely remember......but "forgot".........
I use one of "those" power surgers......I guess I deserve what I get.....:(
I wrote to my virus software people....they are in San Diego...they will write me back tomorrow....they are real nice to old ladies who don't have a clue.....like me.....:(

[JustRalph]

This is what your power solution should look like.

http://graphics.samsclub.com/images/products/0073130411371_L4.jpg

this particular one is $125 but they make smaller ones that leave you with fewer minutes of replacement power (5 minutes is enough, this one does 25) but they incorporate the same protection as the larger one.

Sams club has them for 39 bucks...............FYI

[so.cal.fan]

Thanks, JR
I'll show this to my husband.
He understands electronics better than I do...
So far, my computer and it's parts are working well, except for my stupid cheap digital camera.......you do get what you pay for.
It's terrible to not understand these machines.....unlike most of you on board here, I don't, and if I didn't have you people to help me with questions...I would live in constant fear! :eek: :eek: :eek:

[so.cal.fan]

Ralph?
I can use this with a cable connection, right?
It just plugs in and I hook everything to it.
Right now, I'm looking down at my EVIL power surger....it has 5 things plugged in it.

[Tom]

My 2cents...after all theses years of selling them as "home " computers, wouldn't it reasonable to expect that when you bought one to use for "home" entertainment you would get something out of the box that was basically a sound, safe machine to use? Like a TV or a stereo.
If I want freakin' tools that I gotta put all this work into, I might as well go to work.
:mad:

[JustRalph]

Originally posted by so.cal.fan
Ralph?
I can use this with a cable connection, right?
It just plugs in and I hook everything to it.
Right now, I'm looking down at my EVIL power surger....it has 5 things plugged in it.
no problem..........just use it as a power source for your hardware. If you run out of plugs........put the cheap stuff on the other grid and plug it into the new power supply..........but don't over do it.........

[GameTheory]

Don't get the 5 minute kind -- 15 mins minimum (cause it doesn't really last that long -- the 5 minute one might not last long enough just to do a proper shutdown). Most will come with at least 2-3 battery-protected plugs and a few surge-only protected plugs. Plug your computer & monitor into the battery ones and everything else into what is left over.

Make sure you also plug the data connector from the power source to the computer so they can communicate (so the computer knows there is a power loss and can shut down). Set the device (through software) to the "most sensitive" setting and use the tightest voltest range. This will cause the battery to kick in momentarily when there is not an actual power loss, but a voltage problem or electrical noise.

In general, very short power outages (blips) are more dangerous than a total loss that lasts a few minutes. A blip can easily fry a hard-drive or at least cause it to lose data...

[MrUniverse99]

There are only two types of hard drives. Those that have crashed and those that will crash.

[JustRalph]

speaking of drives

Sam's club has a decent deal on right now........

160gb for a Western Digital 7200 RPM with 8 mb cache

$79 bucks........not bad really........fYI

[Speed Figure]

I hate to say it, but i've had ZERO problems with SP2.

[JustRalph]

Originally posted by Speed Figure
I hate to say it, but i've had ZERO problems with SP2.

no reason to "hate to say it" you are probably doing something very right..........can't bitch about that. Good on you!

[GameTheory]

I had a couple of problems with my new Athlon 64 processor and the NX (no execute) technology (which isn't enabled on older processors). Zone Alarm will no longer work, for one thing. I switched to the Kerio firewall, which seems better anyway, and haven't had any other problems. The list on the MS site of programs that won't work with SP2 mostly have to do the NX stuff.

I have two other computers with Athlon XP processors, and have had no troubles with SP2 on those at all...