The Conservative Cave
The Help Desk => Computer Related Discussions & Questions => Topic started by: franksolich on September 21, 2012, 07:43:13 PM
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This old computer's on its last legs, but not quite yet. However, I'm getting tired of it crashing.
I'd purchased a new used computer three months ago, but held off putting it up because I wanted to get the maximum possible use out of this one first.
The new used computer was completely reconditioned, new parts and all that, and set up all ready to go.
Three months ago.
This is going to be a big event when I do this in the morning.
Question.
Since it was last "on" three months ago, at Connecting Point, when I first turn it on here, am I to expect a whole lot of downloads of updated programs (Explorer, Firefox, the virus detectors, &c.). Does this have the potential to take up a whole lot of time? I don't care if it does, but would like to know beforehand.
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Yes, but you can always postpone updates.
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Yes, but you can always postpone updates.
Well, no, but I just wanted to know whether or not to expect it.
Just as soon get it all done in one fell swoop.
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By the way, what does this mean?
I have Firefox (not the whole computer, but just Firefox) running in "safe mode" right now.
I have no idea why; the computer suggested I do it.
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Yeah, you can expect it. There will be updates. If your web browser is running in Safe Mode, something may have happened to cause it to do that. Try closing it and re-starting your browser.
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Yeah, you can expect it. There will be updates. If your web browser is running in Safe Mode, something may have happened to cause it to do that. Try closing it and re-starting your browser.
Just did that; closed it and restarted it.
It looks normal, but then on the other hand, in "safe mode" it looked normal too.
I guess it's all moot, given that I'm expecting only a couple more hours' use out of this one.
TVDOC, who knows it like the back of his hand, tells me it's still good, and suggested I take it to Connecting Point in the big city to be redone and all that--there's some kink in it that happened a few months ago, when I replaced the battery--and I'll be doing that. TVDOC says he thinks it's a minor problem; it's only that I myself can't figure it out.
<<likes having spares here during the winter, so doesn't have to go out in 42" of blowing snow, -10 degree temperatures, to get something if something goes wrong with what I'm using.
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Yeah, you can expect it. There will be updates.
Okay, it ended up taking less than five minutes; God is good.
I'm trying to rearrange and alter things, though; the settings as done by the guy who reconditioned it were as if for a person with poor vision, icons and stuff really really big. I got that taken care of.
Now, I like to have as "clean" a desktop as possible; the less on there, the better--and besides the miniature short-cuts are on the task bar (or tool bar; whatever that strip is, running along the bottom of the screen), thus easily accessible.
I know I can't get rid of the "Computer" and "Recycle Bin" icons, but this other stuff looks untidy. What is the purpose of having "Owner," "Network," and "Control Panel" short-cuts on the desktop? Not only on this computer, but on all other computers I've owned, I can't get rid of those short-cuts.
If I had my druthers, I'd have no short-cut icons on the desktop at all; it would look better without. (No, I don't use a picture or anything as a "background;" I like to use just plain ordinary grey.)
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Firefox's safe mode disables any add-ons you may have. It will look the same, just no add-ons.
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Firefox's safe mode disables any add-ons you may have. It will look the same, just no add-ons.
Thanks, sir; I thought it was weird, because the only other time I saw something in "safe mode," years and years ago, it looked different, blown up, grainy, and all that. So I thought that's what "safe mode" should look like, and was confused.
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Thanks, sir; I thought it was weird, because the only other time I saw something in "safe mode," years and years ago, it looked different, blown up, grainy, and all that. So I thought that's what "safe mode" should look like, and was confused.
That would have been Windows "safe mode".
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I know I can't get rid of the "Computer" and "Recycle Bin" icons, but this other stuff looks untidy. What is the purpose of having "Owner," "Network," and "Control Panel" short-cuts on the desktop? Not only on this computer, but on all other computers I've owned, I can't get rid of those short-cuts.
If I had my druthers, I'd have no short-cut icons on the desktop at all; it would look better without. (No, I don't use a picture or anything as a "background;" I like to use just plain ordinary grey.)
Frank,
You can delete any desktop Icon you don't want. they are just shortcuts and won't affect the files. On the other hand you can create your own desktop file and drag & drop the others into it thereby having only the one desktop Icon.
Or simply make them disappear.
Show Desktop Icons
Show Desktop Icons is a feature available in the later versions of Windows operating systems. You can access this feature by right-clicking a blank area on your desktop. Be careful not to place your cursor near an icon so that Windows can distinguish between the right-click menu for the desktop settings and the menu available for each individual icon. After right-clicking, position your cursor over the View option to open another context menu, and then click the box next to Show Desktop Icons. When the box is checked, the desktop icons will appear; when the check mark isn't there, the icons won't be present.