Is this laptop ok?

[Barry Sanchez]

Mr Polaroid Saint, maybe this is for your expertise?

 

 

I have just got a new laptop and was in the process of trying to transfer music across to it from my old desktop, two issues arose from this,

 

1) The files transfered fine but my e drive did not work after this, coincidence?

 

2) The music would not play and came up with a 2004 xp windows page saying my drivers were out of date?

 

I am reformatting the laptop after numerous resets and attempts (running around the lounge like my hair is on fire) to rectify this I could not think of anything else, unless of course its broken but I shall find this out after the format.

 

A couple of questions

 

1) If this is the usb/flash drive how do I rectify this?

 

2) On windows 8 how and where do I find if my drivers are all up to date?

 

3) Is it possible at all to transfer legitimate music between systems now or do I simply (not) have to put my cd collection through i tunes/wmp again?

 

Many Thanks

[pap]

Fair dos!

 

Not picking on you Pap; however when you mentioned and suggested Dell – that is when I think anyone REALLY into IT would have groaned and felt their hearts sink. Each to their own and all that, but that's why the comment of 'out of date it manager' seemed so apt to me. Sorry!

 

I think I was trying to say : unless you are a professional in need of a high end machine, or an enthusiast looking to play games, you simply don't need a top, or even mid, range Laptop these days.

 

If someone comes on a footy forum asking what laptop to get then it is fair to assume that they are neither a professional IT user or an enthusiast.

 

You are right to be suspicious of my 'don't play games on a PC' : I am one of the weirdos that would rather spend a day building and tweaking the hardware and OS on a PC than shooting zombie aliens (or whatever it is you kids do on your games).

 

The first helpful suggestion I gave remains the best. i.e. go buy PC Pro and pick the best in your price range.

 

I mentioned the Dell because they are decent machines with some good finance options, and Bazza's price range was limited.

 

I rather enjoyed your attempt at the end to label gamers as perpetual man-children. Of course, there are two main problems with your closing statements. First, I'm not sure whether you've noticed, but geeks have done a pretty good job of inheriting the Earth. Gaming is something enjoyed by people of all ages. The other problem I have is your stated "purpose", if you can call it that, on PCs. Tweaking OSs and hardware? To what end? It genuinely sounds like the most boring thing ever.

 

Could you explain a bit about exactly what it is you tweak? Are you soldering 6502s into ZX Spectrums as some kind of sick joke? Making the fonts really big, then really small? Switching between a Windows-managed page file and one where you determine the size yourself? Toggling ClearType on and off to marvel at Microsoft's font-smoothing tech? I'm just going to keep making stuff up, so please, let me know what it is about tweaking operating systems and hardware is so damned interesting, and I'd be particularly interested in how that helps you afterward.

[Barry Sanchez]

The first helpful suggestion I gave remains the best. i.e. go buy PC Pro and pick the best in your price range.

 

I mentioned the Dell because they are decent machines with some good finance options, and Bazza's price range was limited.

 

I rather enjoyed your attempt at the end to label gamers as perpetual man-children. Of course, there are two main problems with your closing statements. First, I'm not sure whether you've noticed, but geeks have done a pretty good job of inheriting the Earth. Gaming is something enjoyed by people of all ages. The other problem I have is your stated "purpose", if you can call it that, on PCs. Tweaking OSs and hardware? To what end? It genuinely sounds like the most boring thing ever.

 

Could you explain a bit about exactly what it is you tweak? Are you soldering 6502s into ZX Spectrums as some kind of sick joke? Making the fonts really big, then really small? Switching between a Windows-managed page file and one where you determine the size yourself? Toggling ClearType on and off to marvel at Microsoft's font-smoothing tech? I'm just going to keep making stuff up, so please, let me know what it is about tweaking operating systems and hardware is so damned interesting, and I'd be particularly interested in how that helps you afterward.

 

As a child I once put my tip in the power hole......................

[Polaroid Saint]

Ooh. Crikey. Really touched a nerve there haven't I?

 

I really did not mean to infer geeks were perpetual man children, merely using 'you kids' as a term of an endearment as I am not 'down with the kids' and I don't play games on my PC, like the sad old man I am. It really wasn't meant as a dig.

 

However, please don't think just being "a gamer" makes you a geek either, it doesn't. I appreciate there is a crossover but not everyone playing MMO RPGs is a geek and not every geek 'spends their time' playing games.

 

I would of thought someone who does do pretty much what you say – printing and soldering PC boards from scratch, writing code from nothing and then getting the two to work together (amongst loads of other lesser and greater bits of 'tweaking' just as you suggest) is at least as much of a geek as s/he who wants to play SkyRim while looking like a Goonie. But if course, you find the suggestion 'boring' so maybe it's even geekier...!?

 

Look, I am guessing you work in IT so there is a bit of professional pride that has been hurt here, with the suggestion you are 'out of date', I take that agreement back, you clearly know your onions and it was only meant a light bit of ribbing on a forum.

 

Please believe me when I say I actively encourage all forms of nerdiness and geekdom: I wasn't trying to put you or gamers down;

Personally, I just wish young people were more interested in Kernels than Generals and SPIs than FPS..!

[pap]

What's all this nonsense about professional pride being bruised or nerves being touched?

 

I appreciate the climbdown and retraction of your out-of-date comment, but the part of me that used to hire developers and sniff out professional bullsh!tters has got blood in his nostrils now.

 

When asked for detail of end product, you start at the beginning, with heroic tales of soldering PCB boards together and writing code from nothing. If that's genuinely what you do, why are you doing it? If you came back to me and told me you were Frankensteining ATI cards together to build a low-cost bitcoin miner, I might be amazingly impressed. As it is, it just comes across and vague and directionless.

 

Now, I appreciate that you may have started out way earlier in this industry than I did, and may be approaching things from a different level of abstraction. I think that the first computer I ever saw in someone's home was a kit computer, where the owner had done all the things you say that you do. Built the machine. Soldered bits together. Coding with nothing more than a reference to the various hardware registers that he had in his machine. I take my hat off to him. Tremendous achievement in 1981.

 

These days, I think you'd have to have pretty specific reasons for hitting the metal at such a low level. What are yours?

[Polaroid Saint]

Sorry Pap, I didn't mean to be so antagonistic!

 

Yes, I think that is a nice way of putting it, 'we approaching things from different levels of abstraction'.

 

To be less vague, in fact specific, the latest project I am working on is a low cost (sub $100) PC for SEND children. Based on a fedora Linux distribution with a custom built (designed, printed, soldered and assembled from scratch) physical interface (basically a keyboard with knobs on) and a custom GUI. It was interesting you mentioned Clear Type before, as a major challenge has been to produce a font and colour scheme that works across multiple disabilities.

 

Honestly, (and I know it could be deemed very sad) I get as much enjoyment out of each little improvement, as I used to get trying to push another single BHP out of an A Series block on one of my old Minis!

[Polaroid Saint]

Baz, I cant answer all your questions as I don't have the time to be honest, but rest assured I don't think you have any serious issues.

I guess your iTunes library is already registered? In which case pay 20quid or whatever and join match. All your legit files and also others will be copied into cyberspace and can be copied back to your new PC. Google music manager is a nice quick free option too.

Impossible to know if your 'e drive' is broke or not.

Windows Key + R, type devmgmt.msc to get device manager.

[pap]

That's quite alright, Polaroid - and rather a noble way to expend your efforts.

 

There is a lot of satisfaction to be had from refinement.

[Barry Sanchez]

Baz, I cant answer all your questions as I don't have the time to be honest, but rest assured I don't think you have any serious issues.

I guess your iTunes library is already registered? In which case pay 20quid or whatever and join match. All your legit files and also others will be copied into cyberspace and can be copied back to your new PC. Google music manager is a nice quick free option too.

Impossible to know if your 'e drive' is broke or not.

Windows Key + R, type devmgmt.msc to get device manager.

 

Thank you, it reads dvd's, games but not cd's! The fellow in pc World stated as I bought it online (I bought it online instore as they did not have any there!) I have to contact Lenovo, feel like just getting a refund but surely this is not a hardware but a software fault and can be easily resolved?

One thing is certain I should of heeded advice and not gone into pc World.

[buctootim]

Thank you, it reads dvd's, games but not cd's! The fellow in pc World stated as I bought it online (I bought it online instore as they did not have any there!) I have to contact Lenovo, feel like just getting a refund but surely this is not a hardware but a software fault and can be easily resolved?

One thing is certain I should of heeded advice and not gone into pc World.

 

 

1. Shouldn't have bought a Lenovo 2. should have sent it back when problem arose. 3. now you've messed around with it they probably wont take it back.

[Polaroid Saint]

I must admit the project is not entirely altruistic ; there is a small but decent business opportunity there too!

 

In addition the kids I am working with (and I mean kids this time, the youngest is 15) have got a great future in computer engineering and design, which is also incredibly rewarding and reassuring.

 

Slight clue as to what I do there, too ;-)

 

Baz,

Have you tried a standard audio CD or just ones you have burnt yourself?

[Barry Sanchez]

Standard audio, still not working formatting now and waiting for an email code to get a refund from lenovo via pc world, poor too be honest.

[Barry Sanchez]

1. Shouldn't have bought a Lenovo 2. should have sent it back when problem arose. 3. now you've messed around with it they probably wont take it back.

Messed around with it?

[Barry Sanchez]

1. Shouldn't have bought a Lenovo 2. should have sent it back when problem arose. 3. now you've messed around with it they probably wont take it back.

 

The issue arose friday night.

[Clapham Saint]

I have had issues with both PC world and Dell customer service in the past after machines have failed just weeks after purchase. It seems that this is not a problem which I have suffered alone.

 

http://www.trustpilot.co.uk/review/www.pcworld.co.uk

http://www.trustpilot.co.uk/review/www.dell.co.uk

 

I would recomend www.pcspecialist.co.uk

 

http://www.trustpilot.co.uk/review/www.pcspecialist.co.uk

 

I received my new machine within a week and am delighted with it. They also have some active forums where those more knowledgable than I will give advice on specs (there is also a function in the sales pages to post your proposed spec directly to the forum for advice).

 

I'll recomend www.pcspecialist.co.uk again.

 

I don't know the spec or cost of the machine that you ar returng but I'd be willing to bet that you can get the same specs for the same or less. Online reviews are also excellent.

 

Mine arrive wihin a week and I couldn't be happier with it.

 

Transfered my itunes and other files very easily.

[Barry Sanchez]

All I want is to play a couple of games and play music through my sound system, seems that task is quite difficult and so does it appear getting a refund or repair (3 weeks) from lenovo, crap customer service, John Lewis for me, spend more but get customer service.

[Clapham Saint]

All I want is to play a couple of games and play music through my sound system, seems that task is quite difficult and so does it appear getting a refund or repair (3 weeks) from lenovo, crap customer service, John Lewis for me, spend more but get customer service.

 

Do you?

 

In my recent dealings I have definately spent more but the customer service has been hit and miss at best.

 

Going slightly off topic here but "british icon" retailers such as John Lewis and M&S have been trading off thier historic reputations for a whilse now, whilst offering middle of the road service at best.

 

(BTW I don't own shares in www.pcspecialist.co.uk)

[Jonnyboy]

Dune always did struggle with technology.

[JPTCount]

Actually got an overclocked i5, not an i7, in my own machine.

 

Not a laptop though.

 

Let's hear your up to date IT knowledge before you impugn mine, eh - JPTCount

 

Only teasing, but as polaroid said, the biggest hindrance to business these days is an out of date managers in IT. So many are stuck in their ways, and won't upgrade to newer systems because it would cut down on the workload, and money, available. Also tend not to think about the user, rather the principles and jargon behind it.

 

It's like HTML, a useful skill but less people need to know it now than ever, websites can be created and managed by an admin team. The same applies to a number of other skillsets in IT, but it's easy for those in IT to convince the norms that they are the only ones able to do the job. Or even create systems only they understand, preventing any handover without consent.

 

I bet your still running your mail through MS Exchange on site, and have to keep everyone on IE8 because of some internal web based system that would need replacing, and retraining staff on.... Google Apps all the way