A guy in Italy managed to get a refund from HP for Windows XP and Works 8 which were preinstalled on his system. Apparently, the license agreement states that if the customer doesn't accept the agreement, the vendor will refund the money.
This could be the start of a disturbing trend as far as computer retailers are concerned.
Tags: Microsoft, Windows, Your Rights
Vista apparently runs out of memory when copying over 13,000 files in one go without any warning. While that is a lot of files, this seems to be a fairly large bone-head mistake. First of all, why can't Microsoft figure out that file transfers should be pausable and resumable (same as when downloading from the Internet). Of course, even that was something they had to steal from Mozilla rather than figure out on their own.
Tags: Windows, Windows VistaVista has been a rough release for Windows. I would say that it's probably the first time since Windows 95 that a new system wasn't better than the previous (other than ME, but that didn't last long). Some people think Microsoft's mistakes with Vista are such that they should just abandon it and move on.
Much talk has been given to Service Pack 1 and how this update should address many of the issues users have with Vista, but I simply don't agree. Will SP1 eliminate the ridiculous Microsoft licensing schemes? Will SP1 drop the price on the higher-end versions? Will SP1 eliminate the need for users to buy a new computer just to use the faulty OS?
People who would normally be forced to have Vista because of buying a new computer are now being given the option to "downgrade" to XP.
The article also says that the unpopular Vista operating system cost 6 Billion dollars to create. Ouch.
Tags: Microsoft, Voluntarily Downgrade, Windows, Windows XPIn some slightly overblown reporting online, Microsoft has been caught downloading updates to its software without user knowledge or consent. In this case, they were just updating the Windows Updater, but the key complaint here is that the users didn't get to choose.
In the past many people delay updating (or avoid it altogether) because the updates can sometimes cause less security or add features that we don't want.
Tags: Microsoft, Windows
...if the Bureau could get the CIPAV installed on the user's machine, it would be able to collect the machine's IP address, MAC address, list of running programs, operating system, Internet browser used, language used, the registered computer name, the currently logged-in username, and more. All of this information would be relayed over the Internet back to an FBI computer in Virginia.Spyware: Any software that covertly gathers user information through the user's Internet connection without his or her knowledge, usually for advertising purposes. Spyware applications are typically bundled as a hidden component of freeware or shareware programs that can be downloaded from the Internet. Once installed, the spyware monitors user activity on the Internet and transmits that information in the background to someone else.Microsoft says that users have the possibility to disable or not use the features and services altogether. But at the same time Windows update is crucial to the security of Windows Vista, so turning it off is not really an option, is it?
Maybe this has been around a while, but it's the first time I've seen it. There are utilities to unlock files that Windows won't let you delete because they are "in use".
The main suggestion in the article is a free utility called "unlocker" which will probably work well for normal users and I might add it to my list of tools for that reason. However, a commenter said that the Process Explorer utility will let you find the exact program that's using that file so you can close just it instead of unlocking every process at once.
Once I've experimented with them, I'll have one or the other on my tools page. Until then, feel free to go to the article and check it out yourself.
Tags: Tools, Well Duh!, WindowsIf you want to learn more about my professional background, click here to learn more.
Check out one of my guides/tutorials:
| Avoid fake and nasty websites with my search engine trick. |
| Watch out for online addiction. Getting lost in fun online activities can be just as addiction as any drug. |
| So you want to write, publish, or share information online? Be careful. Things you say may be lost or forgotten, but things put on the Internet never are. |
| Don't fall for the well-known (or the new scams either) bad guys use to trick you into give away data or money. |
| Want to make an account with some online service? Read this first! |
| The newest, biggest risk online? Account hijacking! Don't become a victim by allowing your account to be taken over and learn to recognize when someone else has been. |
| Be sure transmission security is active before entering a name, password, credit card number, or other important information online. |
... or check out any of my other guides and tutorials by clicking here!
| Copyright © by Jeremy Duffy All rights reserved. | About Me and This Site | Blog | Contact | Policies | My LinkedIn | My Youtube Channel |
There are bogus websites out there hoping you'll hit them by accident or using phishing to trick you into coming to them. Learn my simple trick to avoid these sites!
[Click for full description]Concerned about online addiction? You should be. Learn the types, the signs, and the preventions.
[Click for full description]It's fun to post online. What you think, what you feel. But words typed and posted on the Internet can come back to bite you more than anything you could say with your mouth.
[Click for full description]Just because you won't willing give up data doesn't mean that I can't trick you out of it. Don't fall for these well known tricks!
[Click for full description]When you create an account with an online site, you should know a few things first.
[Click for full description]One of the newest threats we face is the risk of someone getting control of your online account and using it against you and the people you know. Do everything you can to prevent that from happening!
[Click for full description]Making online accounts is useful and fun, but doesn't mean much if someone can capture your login information and use it against you. Make sure to use this simple trick to prevent that from happening.
[Click for full description]
