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Post by Allan on Feb 23, 2021 15:58:09 GMT
I think you overestimate the capabilities of the average home computer user in this area and also the willingness to learn skills other than those which will be put to daily use. For example, I can a ccess CRT's Stoppage database on its (extranet) network to find the number of stoppages on any given day and teach most how to do this. However, nobody would be interested because it does not really relate to something that they would want to do every day. linkMany home users don't find a broken PC other than a traumatic experience because the think they have lost all their files. Well, they say curiosity killed the cat. And its all such child's play these days. And free. All you have to do is download the software - even the OS. The rest is just flipping discs and pressing buttons. The problem is with curiosity killing your data not your cat! My recommendation for the curious is not to tinker with your PC or Laptop but buy a Raspberry PI, put it in a case and attach a solid state drive, keyboard and mouse via USB then plug it into your TV. You can run multiple operating systems booting from the solid state drive and install OS's and software via the internet. If your interests are hardware related then it is even better. You can also use it to back up the data on your PC. Tinker away to your hearts content ... The only problem is if your interests are specifically windows related (Windows can be a bit slow) and you will have to spend about £150.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 23, 2021 16:13:15 GMT
I back up important things on disc, portable Hd and flash drive .... I work upon the likelihood that at least one will survive .... if it doesn't then tough s***t That is a good idea. Back in the late 60's and early 70's, data was normally backed up onto magnetic tapes with these backup tapes being held in fire safes on site and second copies held at a different location. Always best to have two copies of backup. My first computer was a Sinclair QL. Would have been 1986. It had these really dinky little "Microdrive" magnetic tape cartridges which clipped into a reader on the side. The tape was about 1/4 inch wide or even less. Quite funny compared with today's gear.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 23, 2021 16:57:35 GMT
Well, they say curiosity killed the cat. And its all such child's play these days. And free. All you have to do is download the software - even the OS. The rest is just flipping discs and pressing buttons. The problem is with curiosity killing your data not your cat! My recommendation for the curious is not to tinker with your PC or Laptop but buy a Raspberry PI, put it in a case and attach a solid state drive, keyboard and mouse via USB then plug it into your TV. You can run multiple operating systems booting from the solid state drive and install OS's and software via the internet. If your interests are hardware related then it is even better. You can also use it to back up the data on your PC. Tinker away to your hearts content ... The only problem is if your interests are specifically windows related (Windows can be a bit slow) and you will have to spend about £150. Back then it was more that buying components and putting them together yourself was cheaper than buying a ready-to-go item, and adding the software was a difficult maze (especially if 'free' was the only price to pay). Today's world of PC is a cinch by comparison. Any bonehead can do it. Incidentally data stored on magnetic tape is much more durable than other media. I hear its the first choice in the most secure data repositories.
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Post by Allan on Feb 23, 2021 16:59:30 GMT
That is a good idea. Back in the late 60's and early 70's, data was normally backed up onto magnetic tapes with these backup tapes being held in fire safes on site and second copies held at a different location. Always best to have two copies of backup. My first computer was a Sinclair QL. Would have been 1986. It had these really dinky little "Microdrive" magnetic tape cartridges which clipped into a reader on the side. The tape was about 1/4 inch wide or even less. Quite funny compared with today's gear. Before starting my own company, I worked for British computer company, ICL. They marketed a device called One Per Desk (aka OPD) which was based on the Sinclair QL. Very unusual for the day, the device was fitted with a telephony module including voice synthesiser (for answering phone calls) and handset. We had to re-engineer the micro drives but they were still very unreliable. Back in those days, everyone was talking about the "paperless office". I was reprimanded for making a presentation to senior management regarding poor sales figures for OPD's where I said that that the "paperless office" was less likely than the "paperless toilet" but the unreliability of the OPD's printer (worse than the microdrives) was actually helping in this respect. The reliability of OPD's failed to improve and it was eventually dropped from ICL's product range. Availability of paper in toilets was, however, increased following graffiti on toilet doors saying "Is this the paperless office then?"
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Post by patty on Feb 23, 2021 17:34:33 GMT
Avast section of boot sector viruses infect socks and are a known cause of athletes foot. Washing socks is more effective than scanning them. I get the feeling that Martin wants Ricco to ask him what a boot sector virus scan is and Ricco is not biting. No, I am very relaxed with his disinterest. I haf no idea what a boots sector virus scan is...jeepers its like a foreign language
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Post by Allan on Feb 23, 2021 17:43:46 GMT
The problem is with curiosity killing your data not your cat! My recommendation for the curious is not to tinker with your PC or Laptop but buy a Raspberry PI, put it in a case and attach a solid state drive, keyboard and mouse via USB then plug it into your TV. You can run multiple operating systems booting from the solid state drive and install OS's and software via the internet. If your interests are hardware related then it is even better. You can also use it to back up the data on your PC. Tinker away to your hearts content ... The only problem is if your interests are specifically windows related (Windows can be a bit slow) and you will have to spend about £150. Back then it was more that buying components and putting them together yourself was cheaper than buying a ready-to-go item, and adding the software was a difficult maze (especially if 'free' was the only price to pay). Today's world of PC is a cinch by comparison. Any bonehead can do it. Incidentally data stored on magnetic tape is much more durable than other media. I hear its the first choice in the most secure data repositories. Back then? It would appear that you have been living in a cave (but we might have guessed that from frequent references to installing software from disk! - who does that in this day and age). For information, the Raspery PI is a single board computer (SBC) that is constantly under development for the last ten years - think of it as a credit card sized motherboard. It does not require any assembly other than putting it into a case of your choice. If you don't want to do that you can buy one built into the base of a keyboard. If you don't want to download an operating system from the internet, then you can buy it for a few pounds - it comes with browser, email, office software etc. For anyone who likes to tinker with hardware or software or learn about computers, it is the ideal machine.
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Post by Jim on Feb 23, 2021 17:48:34 GMT
No, I am very relaxed with his disinterest. I haf no idea what a boots sector virus scan is...jeepers its like a foreign language It is, Nerdish. National dress, an anorak.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 23, 2021 17:53:18 GMT
Back then it was more that buying components and putting them together yourself was cheaper than buying a ready-to-go item, and adding the software was a difficult maze (especially if 'free' was the only price to pay). Today's world of PC is a cinch by comparison. Any bonehead can do it. Incidentally data stored on magnetic tape is much more durable than other media. I hear its the first choice in the most secure data repositories. Back then? It would appear that you have been living in a cave (but we might have guessed that from frequent references to installing software from disk! - who does that in this day and age). For information, the Raspery PI is a single board computer (SBC) that is constantly under development for the last ten years - think of it as a credit card sized motherboard. It does not require any assembly other than putting it into a case of your choice. If you don't want to do that you can buy one built into the base of a keyboard. If you don't want to download an operating system from the internet, then you can buy it for a few pounds - it comes with browser, email, office software etc. For anyone who likes to tinker with hardware or software or learn about computers, it is the ideal machine. Well, for one thing if after formatting the hdd and loading whichever OS you prefer, if it turns out that the driver for the ethernet module wasn't included in it then you are sort of shafted if you don't have it on disc somewhere. So yes, archaic it may be but I find it useful. TBH, I regret the demise of the 3.5" floppy drive but there you are. Also I know what a raspberry pi is but what can it do that a PC can't?
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Post by Clinton Cool on Feb 23, 2021 18:01:49 GMT
No, I am very relaxed with his disinterest. I haf no idea what a boots sector virus scan is...jeepers its like a foreign language Something about going for a walk, trying to avoid those infected with coronavirus, that could be it.
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Post by patty on Feb 23, 2021 18:09:06 GMT
I haf no idea what a boots sector virus scan is...jeepers its like a foreign language Something about going for a walk, trying to avoid those infected with coronavirus, that could be it. Ah ok i can do that
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Post by Deleted on Feb 23, 2021 18:16:43 GMT
These antivirus people are almost as bad as the antivax.
I'm afraid it's all Fake News.
There's a lot of it about these days.
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Post by Allan on Feb 23, 2021 19:57:39 GMT
I haf no idea what a boots sector virus scan is...jeepers its like a foreign language It is, Nerdish. National dress, an anorak. I could give you chapter verse but as you say it is nerdish. As I stated earlier, I think it was just mentioned in the hope that the term would impress and ricco would ask what a boot sector virus was.
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Post by phil70 on Feb 28, 2021 7:56:22 GMT
No, I am very relaxed with his disinterest. I haf no idea what a boots sector virus scan is...jeepers its like a foreign language I laughed when I read this because Chris worked for IBM and was a systems controller for a building that consisted of 3 tower blocks, it was a education centre. She would come home with a book 2 or 3 inches thick and avidly read it, I would look over her shoulder and go Jeez what the hell is that? With a look of utter disdane she would say " oh we are installing a new system and I'm just getting ahead of the game ready for the install" it was complete gobbledegook, as Patty said a foreign language. Phil
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