How many of you are ready to run out and upgrade to Windows 8?

[Gene Wirchenko]

[snip]

Eh? You're not SERIOUS are you? The last time (about a month ago) I did
a fresh install of Window 7 it took all of about four hours - INCLUDING
all updates and re-instatement of all data and MS Office 2010.
If it really does take you that long then you're doing something really
wrong...

Or have a lot of configuring to do.

Well, "months (if not years)" has to be an overstatement as far as I'm
concerned, but for me, it's much longer than four hours. I've done
clean reinstallation of Windows only once, and it took me two days. I
had a lot more software to install than just Microsoft Office, and I
had many programs with custom configurations to set, etc.

I think it was three days for me. It was a reinstallation so it
was not so difficult. If I had changed versions at the same time, it
might have been longer.

Sincerely,

Gene Wirchenko

 

[Gene Wirchenko]

On 06/10/12 15:04, Ken Blake wrote:
[snip]

Well, "months (if not years)" has to be an overstatement as far as I'm
concerned, but for me, it's much longer than four hours. I've done
clean reinstallation of Windows only once, and it took me two days. I
had a lot more software to install than just Microsoft Office, and I
had many programs with custom configurations to set, etc.

Then you should use a disk imaging program. Easy.

Not in my case. The reason that I had to reinstall Windows was
because SQL Server 2008 Express munged up my system. It had something
to do with it not coping well with repeated installs and uninstalls.
At any rate, if I had restored an image, I would likely have had the
problem back.

Sincerely,

Gene Wirchenko

 

[Gene Wirchenko]

[snip]

When you decide to paint your house and someone later asks you how
long it took, do you add the amount of time it took you to decide on a
color and visit the paint store to buy paint and brushes? I don't.

My point is that you can usually take all the time that you want to
prepare for a task, but you certainly wouldn't include that planning
time when you report on how long the task took to complete.

Well, yes, I would. Unless I was reporting on the painting itself
only.

Sincerely,

Gene Wirchenko

 

[Char Jackson]

Well, yes, I would. Unless I was reporting on the painting itself
only.

Thanks for the warning. I'll be sure I don't ask you that kind of
question then.

 

[Char Jackson]

On 06/10/12 15:04, Ken Blake wrote:
[snip]

Well, "months (if not years)" has to be an overstatement as far as I'm
concerned, but for me, it's much longer than four hours. I've done
clean reinstallation of Windows only once, and it took me two days. I
had a lot more software to install than just Microsoft Office, and I
had many programs with custom configurations to set, etc.

Then you should use a disk imaging program. Easy.

Not in my case. The reason that I had to reinstall Windows was
because SQL Server 2008 Express munged up my system. It had something
to do with it not coping well with repeated installs and uninstalls.
At any rate, if I had restored an image, I would likely have had the
problem back.

Create the image after the initial installation of the problem child.
Whenever you restore from that image, the installation count will be
'1'.

I'm intentionally ignoring the obvious, of course. Which is, why would
you repeatedly install and uninstall a program? Can't decide if you
like it?

 

[charlie]

IIRR there was a minor bug in the OS, which showed up embarrassingly if
you used Calculator to work out 3.11-3.1 (calc must have called the
relevant faulty routines). Whether this was the Workgroup version, or
3.11 or 3.1, I can't remember.

I'm not "ready to run out and buy" Win8. It's included in an annual MS
subscription I pay for, which includes multiple ops systems and various
office versions. The cost of retail one copy of each for a workstation
and server exceeds the subscription cost by a considerable amount.
Sadly, the subscription was "free" until I retired.

 

[Mike Barnes]

I feel like I'm stating the obvious, but maybe your Explorer screen
doesn't look like all of the Win 7 Explorer screens that I've seen to
date. Anyway, when you launch Windows Explorer, one of the categories
on the left is the user name of the person currently logged in.

You've clearly not seen my Win 7 Explorer screen. I'm not sure what you
mean by "categories on the left", but the current user name doesn't
appear anywhere. In fact I'm not sure what the user name is, exactly.

 

[Char Jackson]

You've clearly not seen my Win 7 Explorer screen.

I don't know you and haven't been to your house. ;-)

I'm not sure what you
mean by "categories on the left", but the current user name doesn't
appear anywhere. In fact I'm not sure what the user name is, exactly.

Who's computer are you using?

 

[Mike Barnes]

I don't know you and haven't been to your house. ;-)

That's a plausible explanation.

Who's computer are you using?

Whose? Mine. ISTR being asked for a user name when I installed Windows.
I most likely entered "Mike" or "Mike Barnes", but I don't recall which,
and don't much care.

 

[Char Jackson]

ISTR being asked for a user name when I installed Windows.
I most likely entered "Mike" or "Mike Barnes", but I don't recall which,
and don't much care.

If you get bored, open a Command Prompt and type the following:
set | find "USERNAME"

 

[Gene Wirchenko]

[snip]

Not in my case. The reason that I had to reinstall Windows was
because SQL Server 2008 Express munged up my system. It had something
to do with it not coping well with repeated installs and uninstalls.
At any rate, if I had restored an image, I would likely have had the
problem back.

Create the image after the initial installation of the problem child.
Whenever you restore from that image, the installation count will be
'1'.

I'm intentionally ignoring the obvious, of course. Which is, why would
you repeatedly install and uninstall a program? Can't decide if you
like it?

I was not sure what settings I should have, and it was not
obvious how to change some of them after installation. It was back
when I first started dealing with SQL Server.

I was, by all means, hardly the only person who had run into
whatever bug it was. I searched for ways to solve the problem, but
found little that was sufficiently well-explained that I would feel
comfortable using on my system. In many cases, that would not have
been a problem, because there was not enough detail for me to
understand what to do, never mind why. After wasting too much time on
that, I had Windows reinstalled.

Sincerely,

Gene Wirchenko

 

[Gene Wirchenko]

Thanks for the warning. I'll be sure I don't ask you that kind of
question then.

There is a horrible tendency for people to judge how long it
takes to do something by how long it takes to do the most visible
aspect of the thing.

I prefer to consider all aspects of it.

If I had to reinstall Windows 7 and had to reformat to do so, I
would not be counting just the time to run the Windows installation
program. I would *also* count my time with:

1) determining what of my data needs to be preserved and where it
is. With Windows liking to hide it in various places, this is not
necessarily trivial.
2) determining what programs I will have to reinstall and making
sure that I have the programs
3) backing up the data
4) taking down the system and preparing it for the Windows
installation

Insert Windows installation here. As you can see, it would not
be lonely.

5) the installation of the progams
6) the copying of my data to the new system
7) configuration of Windows to my preferences
8) configuration of my programs
9) shakedown to verify the setup is correct
10) loss of efficiency due to the almost-inevitable, little bits
missing. This also includes such things as history of frequently used
files not being in the new setup at first.

There could be a few more points.

Sincerely,

Gene Wirchenko

 

[Mike Barnes]

If you get bored, open a Command Prompt and type the following:
set | find "USERNAME"

Thanks for letting me know, but I'd just forget it again. Along with
many other things, it falls into the category of information that is
apparently important for Windows to know, but not relevant to me as
user.

I think next time I install Windows I'll tell it I'm "User1". That's
easy enough to remember, should I ever need to.

 

[Char Jackson]

There is a horrible tendency for people to judge how long it
takes to do something by how long it takes to do the most visible
aspect of the thing.

By horrible tendency, I assume you mean a natural tendency.

I prefer to consider all aspects of it.

If I had to reinstall Windows 7 and had to reformat to do so, I
would not be counting just the time to run the Windows installation
program.

I don't think anyone else would, either. In this thread we've been
consistently talking about more than that.

I would *also* count my time with:

1) determining what of my data needs to be preserved and where it
is. With Windows liking to hide it in various places, this is not
necessarily trivial.
2) determining what programs I will have to reinstall and making
sure that I have the programs
3) backing up the data
4) taking down the system and preparing it for the Windows
installation

Insert Windows installation here. As you can see, it would not
be lonely.

5) the installation of the progams
6) the copying of my data to the new system
7) configuration of Windows to my preferences
8) configuration of my programs
9) shakedown to verify the setup is correct
10) loss of efficiency due to the almost-inevitable, little bits
missing. This also includes such things as history of frequently used
files not being in the new setup at first.

There could be a few more points.

Certainly, although a few of your points aren't necessarily part of
the process, or aren't really necessary at all.

Still, if you've given it some thought and you're reasonably well
prepared, I can't see the whole thing taking more than about a half
day.

Sincerely,

Gene Wirchenko

Someday, we should help you configure a proper signature. You're as
bad as Ed Cryer with that.

 

[Char Jackson]

Thanks for letting me know, but I'd just forget it again. Along with
many other things, it falls into the category of information that is
apparently important for Windows to know, but not relevant to me as
user.

I think next time I install Windows I'll tell it I'm "User1". That's
easy enough to remember, should I ever need to.

You can also click on the Start Orb and see it at the top of the right
hand column. For me, it'd be easier to remember my name than something
random, but whatever floats your boat.

Also, now that you've said you don't know your user name, it seems
quite possible that it does appear in Windows Explorer but you just
don't recognize it as such.

 

[J. P. Gilliver (John)]

In message <[email protected]>, charlie <[email protected]>
writes:
[]

I'm not "ready to run out and buy" Win8. It's included in an annual MS
subscription I pay for, which includes multiple ops systems and various
office versions. The cost of retail one copy of each for a workstation
and server exceeds the subscription cost by a considerable amount.
Sadly, the subscription was "free" until I retired.

Interesting; how much _is_ that subscription (or is that confidential)?

Also: why are you continuing (or rather, starting) to pay it now you've
retired - in other words, (why) do you think you need it?
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G.5AL-IS-P--Ch++(p)Ar@T0H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

a little bit of me still feels that some southerners think we northerners are
issued at birth with doomed kestrels. - Alison Graham, Radio Times,
3-9/11/2007.

 

[Mike Barnes]

You can also click on the Start Orb and see it at the top of the right
hand column. For me, it'd be easier to remember my name than something
random, but whatever floats your boat.

I don't regard "User1" as random. It's the logical default for the first
or only unnamed user.

Also, now that you've said you don't know your user name, it seems
quite possible that it does appear in Windows Explorer but you just
don't recognize it as such.

Good point! Thanks to your insight, I've just taken another look, and my
user name is obviously "Favorites".

 

[Stan Brown]

I'm not sure what user-configurable option you're referring to. Can
you clarify, please?

Sorry, it was two years ago.

 

[Stan Brown]

I think it was three days for me. It was a reinstallation so it
was not so difficult. If I had changed versions at the same time, it
might have been longer.

Does anyone ever really finish configuring Windows? Sure, the
activity tapers off, but there's always one more tweak around the
corner.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

I don't regard "User1" as random. It's the logical default for the first
or only unnamed user.


Good point! Thanks to your insight, I've just taken another look, and my
user name is obviously "Favorites".

That's my 'favorite' joke of the day...

As for your user name:

Go to Control Panel.

If your display is one of the icon displays, i.e. a grid of individual
control panel items, click on "User Accounts". All will be clear.

If your display is the Category display, click on "User Accounts and
Family Safety". In the resulting panel, click on the "User Accounts"
heading, the green one, not the blue details under it or the other green
headings on the page. Again, all will be clear.

BTW, my favorites list in the Explorer does show my user name(it's a
reference to my user directory), but I think that is because I put it
there. I don't think it was there by default, but I don't really recall.