Then, you get a program on your desktop, or actually pop up called “Windows Repair”.  Windows Repair seems to run through your computer and as these things do, it tells you you have a million problems.  Or fourteen, or whatever.

You run the program, and later find your desktop icons have disappeared.

Then you look at your start menu, and all your program files have disappeared.

You look on your C-drive, and your program files folder is gone!

No…. they aren’t gone.

What’s happened is that all your important icons, files and folders have been rendered invisible by Windows Repair.

It’s a really painful process to put everything back right.  Very difficult to remove, but not impossible.

Hopefully the antivirus programs will update quickly to be able to deal with this.

What I mean is, I’ll get a call from someone who tells me “my computer is slow”.  When I get more details, I find that it’s not the “computer” at all – it’s Internet Explorer, the standard web browser that installs with Microsoft Windows.  There are many things that slow IE down, not the least of which is all the “updates” Microsoft makes to each new edition.   that, and the new compatibility crap that has to be built in to standards-breaking Internet Explorer.  Microsoft can’t just release a product that follows international standards.  It has to create new standards of its own, which break international standards so badly, MS has to include a “compatibility” feature so that PROPERLY-built web sites look right in their ridiculously bloated browser.

With all this nonsense going on with Internet Explorer, it’s no wonder it craps out so often.  And when it does, it often can’t be fixed without reinstalling the Windows operating system.  I’ve seen cases where you click the IE icon, and it’s two full minutes before you can actually surf the web at speeds that are unbearably slow.  And so people blame their computer or their internet connection, when neither is at fault.

Do yourself a big favor:  try these three browsers.  ALWAYS have more than one browser on your computer so that if your only browser dies, you can still access the Internet with a backup.

Mozilla Firefox (mozilla.org/firefox)

Google Chrome (google.com/chrome)

Apple Safari (apple.com/safari)

Of the three, Firefox is the only one that will import your IE Favorites (which it calls “bookmarks”) and even your stored usernames and passwords.  It’s more feature-rich than the other two.

Many times, my customers are amazed when I install Firefox – I carry the install files of these browsers with me on service calls in case there’s no other way to get them – that suddenly the browser opens quickly and the Internet is fast again, and all their favorites are there.

The one fly in the ointment is that none of these browsers ships with the Adobe flash player, which powers Youtube videos, a billion different web sites, and many safe online games.   I think Mozilla has automated the system somewhat, but just in case, go to adobe.com/flashplayer to get that plugin.  Use the browser you want to plug it in to… and make sure you go to the site in all the various browsers to make sure each is properly equipped.

Apple Safari is the standard Mac browser.  I find it very fast and lightweight, but lacking in features.  Google Chrome is very similar, fast and easy.

And remember to practice safe browsing by keeping a PAID antivirus program on your system.

A laptop will cost a third to a half more than a comparable desktop.  The same power in an $800 desktop computer will require $1200 in laptop price.  This is because it costs a lot to miniaturize all the parts.  Smaller hard drive, smaller motherboard, smaller overall design.  Smaller has always meant more expensive in the computer world.

As well, a laptop, due to its compact design, has less air flow than a desktop.  Less air flow equals hotter components.  Hotter components equals shorter life span.  I would consider myself lucky to have a laptop made today, that is still running in five to seven years. (today’s cheapest laptops won’t even do that)  A desktop can last seven to ten.

Laptops require power supplies.  These power supplies can run a couple hundred a pop.  As one who has seen one worthless power supply after another, I can tell you that it’s another opportunity for you to be screwed by your computer company.  For example, the scambags at Dell will allow you to run your computer with a non-Dell charger, but notify you up front “your battery may not charge”.  Your battery DOES not charge, unless you shell out the bucks for a genuine 65-watt Dell charger.  There are some knock-offs that are supposed to have a chip that fools the laptop’s “Dell screws their customers” circuitry, but I know that none of these are meant to last as long as the laptop itself, and before you know it you’re out for another one.  Well, seems that way to some of my customers anyway.

A laptop – for some reason I haven’t figured out yet – has more problems with Vista and Windows 7 startup.  Since Vista, Microsoft has had to offer a “startup repair” routine.  Sometimes this gets caught in an endless loop, and you have to reinstall Vista or Windows 7.  If you have a Vista laptop, you are far more likely to know what I am talking about than if you have a Vista desktop.

Overall, in price, longevity and performance, a desktop is your best bet.  If you need the mobility of a laptop, then it justifies the price.  But if you are just going to set it on your desk, and it’s going to stay there a long time, you’re better off with a desktop system on the floor.

I was looking through Craigs List today and read their “how to recognize a scam” link.  I learned a few things,  so I decided to post it on the top right group of links on my main computer repair blog page. 

I plan to review it regularly,  hope you do too.

There was a comment on my previous post from Dave Farr:  “Any Canadians wishing to join a class action suit in Canada (Vancouver) regarding defective video chipsets and motherbaords in the HP brand dv series (perhaps others as well) please contact me. davefarr1967@gmail.com”

I wrote to him to ask more about this, and he replied more at length.  I present his email here as information about this motherboard malfunction.

Hi Dave,

Well, I own an HP dv9000cto which died in Brazil on me around June
after 2 years of service, the symptoms of the graphics chipset failure
began in April and I then started a service file with HP- this is an
American model and they strung things out long enough to be out of
every warranty and recall. HP then offered to ‘fix all issues’ for
$400cdn. I had researched the problems and wasn’t convinced that they
could fix the problem to last a reasonable length of time- I suppose
my expectation of a laptop lasting 5+ years is unrealistic. I used the
unit for work so that was a real problem as well.
When researching this I couldn’t believe the extent of the problem as
the name HP stood for quality (a lot of people, including myself
mistakenly thought), and I was bothered that Americans had their s**t
together and could go after HP for some kind of settlement. I then
decided ‘why not?’ and investigated a similar action here, it can be
done but it requires alot of work and I get the feeling that Canadians
are too busy to be bothered taking on a giant corporation… I found a
lawyer in Vancouver who is willing to take a shot at this with some
backup from down south. The biggest problem I have found is getting
the word out to HP-dv owners (especially in Ontario- why? because the
laws there favor cross country suites), any help on this issue would
be greatly appreciated. Bruce Lemer is the lawyers name and he made a
good point that these companies make and keep hundreds of dollars
profit on any owner that doesn’t squawk about the quality of the
product they sell to the public. I don’t know what issues Compaq has,
but I am sure HP has warehouses full of dead dv’s.

Thanks for the email…

Dave Farr”

The purpose of this blog is to provide tips and advice about using your computer and other technology.  I plan on posting information on computer hardware and software, file management, viruses and worms, using peripherals like digital cameras, scanners and printers, and more!

I hope that this blog will benefit the residents of Kelowna and perhaps the rest of the world.  Come back soon!