Computer problems and/or advice 2012

[Alan_b]

... I have myself had some problems posting recently- I found that my internet connection was appallingly slow. Trouble is, it can appear good enough a speed but i can fall suddenly and that is where he problem arises. I suppose that the fact that the world and his wife are online at this time of year doesn't help!
Not something I can do anything about, I'm afraid. 

That's a popular misconception.  Your internet connection is highly-strung and very sensitive to disruption.  It doesn't like some Xmas lights, street lights, unfiltered Sky boxes, telephone extensions with too may wires connected etc etc.  If you are trying to access a popular site then the number of other people trying to do the same thing can affect the speed greatly but that probably doesn't apply to the SRGC sites.       

[Maggi Young]

   ... I have myself had some problems posting recently- I found that my internet connection was appallingly slow. Trouble is, it can appear good enough a speed but it can fall suddenly and that is where he problem arises. I suppose that the fact that the world and his wife are online at this time of year doesn't help!
    Not something I can do anything about, I'm afraid.


That's a popular misconception.  Your internet connection is highly-strung and very sensitive to disruption.  It doesn't like some Xmas lights, street lights, unfiltered Sky boxes, telephone extensions with too may wires connected etc etc.  If you are trying to access a popular site then the number of other people trying to do the same thing can affect the speed greatly but that probably doesn't apply to the SRGC sites.

You may be right about a popular misconception re busy internet use at certain times, Alan, but you certainly reinforce my comment on the fragile nature of individual internet speeds.

The vast fluctuations of speed, up and down in a short period of time must be responsible for a great many of the difficulties we face in this, or any other site.

[Maren]

Can't you just move your mailbox to your own disk? then no limit applies. I keep my mail in a file server of a terabyte in my stair cupboard and no complaints.

[Martinr]

OK, today's frustrating problem. For no apparent reason, since yesterday, when I click a hyperlink in an e-mail to go to a web address Outlook refuses to do it and displays the following message

"This operation has been cancelled due to restrictions in place on this computer. Please contact your ststem administrator"

Hunted high and low for a setting that controls this but can't find it. Anyone know where it's controlled?

ps I am the system administrator

[David Nicholson]

Martin,

I Googled your problem and it seems to be a common one. Msoft have a "Fix It" here:- http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310049

[Martinr]

Thanks David. I was sitting drinking coffee in our local garden centre when it dawned on me I should google the message but you beat me to it.

And it worked

Mind you the question of how it happened still remains!

[annew]

I'm redoing my website….

[Anthony Darby]

My wife's school laptop has had Windows 8 installed, so she thought: "must install this on my own machine". She went into the local (JB Hifif is usually the cheapest) store and checked the price. NZ$498 for the disc for single user licence. I've just checked www.windows.com and I can download Windows 8 pro for NZ$49.99! Am I missing something?

[Martinr]

I assume the cheap one is an 'upgrade' package but who knows!

[bulborum]

Cheaper to buy a new computer 
Or was the new computer inclusive ??

but serious
is your old computer fast enough to run Win 8 ??
enough memory and so
I still work with win XP
and I don't see any good thing in the newest Win 8 to spend money on

Roland

[Martinr]

When I looked at what 8 did it seemed to be of value only if you were using a touch screen and absoloutely pointless if using a keyboard. I'm sticking to 7.

[Alan_b]

In the UK you can buy Windows 8 Professional upgrade for £24.99 if you download the software and create your own discs.  With the installation discs included, the going rate is around £45. 

What you are missing is that your local store is operated by a bunch of crooks - or people who don't know enough about the product to spot when it has been mispriced.

By the way, there isn't a "Retail" version of Windows 8.  There is only an "Upgrade" version which you can use to upgrade from an earlier version of Windows or an "OEM" version which comes pre-installed or which you might be able to install yourself if building your own computer.  Nor is there a more-expensive version boasting more features than the Professional version.  So your local store really has no excuse.   

[Alan_b]

I'm inclined to agree with martinr that Windows 8 is best avoided if possible, unless you have a touch-screen device.  But questioning the decisions of ones better half is probably not an astute move.     

[Anthony Darby]

I'm inclined to think it was mispriced. I was just going on what my daughter had read on the price label, which I now realise was hand written. My brother describes it as the Marmite of operating systems. Vivienne's school laptop has Office 2013 on it too, but when I asked a friend back home about this he just commented that it wasn't available to the retail trade yet and he only gets his from J. Sparrow, Captain J. Sparrow.

[annew]

Does anyone know of a software program (preferably free) which will make a web photo gallery which shows the file name under the thumbnails? I'm using a mac and working with Dreamweaver on my website. I've spent several days fiddling with one way or another, with much wailing and gnashing of teeth, and would welcome any ideas.