I just did a little research and found a vid on how to clone the boot drive onto a new SSD. Showed one of those NVMEs and it’s kinda neat! If I get a new SSD though, I’ll just stick with the regular 2.5 kind as I’m sure my mobo from 2015 probably won’t support one as it seems to be fairly “new” technology? Maybe?

<nods> 2015 is iffy at best for M2 slots. My mobo is a 2017 model (or late 2016?). It has them. But they were fairly new then. I think my original NVME drive is either a first or second generation model. (I bought a second later on.)

Okay, that's good to know. This is all new to me.

Might be an easier way but what I did was create folders for Documents, Music, Downloads, Pictures, Videos, and Screen Themes on a secondary drive 'E'. Moved the all files from the original 'C' drive folders to the new corresponding 'E' folders. Opened a lot of space on the Samsung NVMe 950 250GB "C" drive. Most of my games are installed a another drive 'F'. A 'G' drive is used to backup some of my more important files. Samsung 860 EVO 1TB is my current SSD of choice.

To be on the safe side DO NOT move anything. COPY files from one drive to the other. Once you're are satisfied the copy process was successful that's the time to clean up the C drive.

Feel like a dunce. I was able to bring the C: drive back into the blue by running disk cleanup, which is something I thought my virus scanner was doing for me.

Oh no! OH NO!!!!

As I sat down to lunch, the phone rang. It was Alison at Microsoft. My I.P. address has been compromised in three (?) countries. It will be terminated! I was told to press a certain number on my phone ("1", I think), and would then be able to select a new address. And then...catastrophe; I hung up the phone! This is the end, dear friends. My days online near an end. I will haunt these halls no more. So it's adieu, adieu, remember me. (farewell salute)




(On a lighter note, a replacement ergonomic keyboard, ordered off Amazon last week, is due to arrive today, assuming standing water recedes enough to allow the deliveryman to brave our flooded street.)

Well poot! They're out to get me, it seems. (Just coz I'm paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get me, does it?) First banned from the web, now this.

My new keyboard arrived during supper. Meal over, I open its shipping box. I'm greeted to a product box with a sizable chunk of its top missing. That section of box has been wrapped around with clear tape. Inside the product box, a small(er) chunk of keyboard hand-rest is damaged. Here's an image (taken with my neighbor's cell-phone) of the damaged box.

(photo link) https://i.imgur.com/O3LMfVM.jpg (photo link)

Oddly, the outer shipping box contains a small amount of damage that does NOT match inner box damage. I suspect foul play somewhere along the line, as the shipping box is not an official Amazon box. Interestingly, this is my first non USPS delivery in years. (It's UPS.)

I've already filled out the online Amazon return form, opting for item replacement. UPS is to pick it up my damaged keyboard either tomorrow or day after, depending on processing. I'll tape a note to my door telling UPS to knock LOUDLY due to my hearing.

That’s sucks, D. Hopefully they’ll get it sorted out!

I filled out Amazon's product return form early yesterday evening, opting for exact item replacement rather than money back. I also chose to have UPS pick up the repackaged product here rather than drive it to my nearest UPS facility. It was picked up at around 1530 today. Sadly, the replacement doesn't arrive until the end of next week. To the plus, I'm not doing any heavy typing, so a fully ergonomic keyboard isn't critical for now.

A slight worry is that the replacement keyboard is likely to be sent from the same place as the first. My not-provable theory is that the first keyboard was initially shipped sans outer packing box, received shipping damage, at which point the product box was wrapped in tape to cover its damage, and placed within an outer shipping box. In other words, if I'm correct the replacement might arrive in no better shape. We shall see, I reckon.

A replacement for my replacement ergonomic keyboard arrived yesterday afternoon. This one survived shipping, despite its outer shipping box being far being that the product box, with no padding of any sort to fill the space between inner and outer boxes.

It's up and running now without issues.

This keyboard is going to require much hand/finger training. It's smaller than I'm used to, with correspondingly smaller keys. I need to be more precise with finger placement than ever before, difficult for someone as klutzy as I'm prone to be. Oddly, despite its smaller size, reaching the BACKSPACE key requires a longer finger stretch than my appreciably bigger Microsoft Ergonomic 4000. I constantly undershoot it. On the other hand, I constantly overshoot arrow keys. Another change, every ergonomic keyboard I've used until now places its 'split' between F5 and F6. This keyboard places it between F6 and F7. Too, F-keys are appreciably smaller than I'm used to.

Gaming wise, I'll likely need to re-program functions now assigned to ALT-left and Ctrl-left, as they are now smaller and placed further left than is conformable for quick use.

To the plus, other than ALT and Ctrl, my left hand requires next to no re-training. Arrow keys and backspace should work themselves out with usage. (I'm already better with the latter.). I don't see the F6-F7 split as a major issue. Other than its small size, Ctrl might prove workable with practice. I need to remember that it took me some time to become proficient (ha) with the MS Ergo 4000. I was tempted to return to my ancient el-cheapo Micro-Innovations ergo many a time, despite its F/J finger-placement ridges being completely worn away.

Decrepit, I hope the new keyboard works out after some time to adjust. I know little things like that can certainly throw my typing/gaming off.


Just had some changes to my own system. Puter was built by a nice puter shoppe 4 years ago. Each year I take it in to them for a tune up, cleaning, blow out. Last year we discussed giving it a midlife upgrade this summer. So, after I finished posting Buffy's current book, I coordinated things and took Puter in. We deemed that its performance and memory were still plenty robust so all we did was upgrade the graphics card from a GTX970 to a GTX1660 and upgrade the monitor from a 21 inch to a 27 inch. I've had it back home and playing for a few days now and all is good.

Considering I still use my un-upgraded puter from 2009 together with a CRT, and that I bought two more puters with Win7 on them and have spare CRTs laying around, this post made me chuckle

Speaking of old gear, the product box for my Micro Innovations ergonomic keyboard, now connected to my secondary PC, proudly proclaims that it is compatible with Windows 95! It came with an adaptor so that it can plug into those newfangled round PS/2 sockets. (Its native connector is a larger round plug. I forget what those are called.)

As to PC upgrades, the upcoming Nvidia RTX3070 sounds appealing. At $500US-plus, it's a long shot for me, considering I have several expensive 'necessity' purchases I can't postpone much longer. Too, considering how little gaming I do these days it's hard to justify. My GTX1070 remains a fine card, especially at 1080p, my monitor's native resolution.

I have been having an issue with some of the .mp3s of podcasts that I download lately. Windows does not see the metadata in their ID3 tags. It just looks like the tags are blank in Explorer. But when I try to edit them in Explorer, it gives me an error message when I try to save. I did some digging and found that it is because there is a new ID3 version - 2.4. Windows Explorer cannot read it, not even Windows 10. Except apparently if you have something called Windows 10 Content Creator pack (which I am sure costs some money).

The way to get around it is to download an MP3 metadata editor. I went with ID3 TagIT.

Run it

Using the navigation pane on the left, find the folder containing the files you want to fix.

Select all of the files that need fixing and click Extended Functions > Transfer/Convert TAGs or press F7.

Select Convert TAG Ver. 2.4 to Ver. 2.3 and click OK.

Accept any warning given about incompatability.

Save the changes.

And now you can see and edit the tags in Windows Explorer.

hmm...

So far today YouTube videos won't play at 1080p without frequent long buffering pauses. Even at 720p I get occasional shorter pauses. My first assumption was that there's a problem with my internet connection. But...I tested that by downloading the current Nvidia graphics driver. Download speed is rock solid 825 KB/sec. That's as high as my ATT connection package allows. (Well, it can and sometime does hit 835 KB/sec. But more often than not it's below that.) So the issue seems to be with YouTube itself or, more likely, the patch to takes to reach my computer.

UPDATE:

The plot sickens. Not long after posting the above, Win10 informed me of an impending update. It turns out to have been a biggie, from 1903 to 2004. Knowing resistance is futile, I opted to get it over with. Afterward, some Nvidia control panel options were restored to default, including contrast and brightness. I restored my custom settings for those, only to have them returned to default again not long afterward. That's happened a few more times, even after updating to the latest Nvidia Driver. (The one I downloaded earlier today.) Also, my SoundBlaster Control Panel lost every one of its custom settings. My custom EQ config was unrecoverably lost. I have to reconstruct if from scratch. That's a major pain, my hearing being what it is. I wish I had thought to write down the 'old' custom EQ config.

I'm going to search for Win10 2004 'taming' videos on YouTube this afternoon and see how much damage this update might have done that need correcting.

I always play videos in 480. Only way for me to avoid buffering

Until now many years ago my internet connection was like that. 480p max. On very rare days I might be able to watch at 720p for extended periods. My current plan normally plays at 1080p just fine. 1440 is out of the question. My upload speed is abysmal. If I start uploading a 10-12min YouTube vid at around 2000-2030, it might be ready for view sometime between 0400 and 0600.

You were gaming with her that whole time? I did not know that! Thought you were writing from memory or notes.

Decrepit: Yes I would think any Nvidia with a four digit number following GTX would be primo for gaming.

SubRosa: Wow. That process actually might help with a little MP3 problem we had about a month ago.

My current PC has a 2060 in it, and technically I think the 1070 is still a better card due to this one being an intro model.

I'm also looking at possibly getting a 3070 but I need to double check my power supply can handle it. I still play world of warcraft on ultra at over 70 fps in most places(100+ in much of it, main city gets a bit lower) so I'm okay for now.

I did just order a new monitor for myself and husband. And a new gaming chair for me. Because my poor one tilts when it's not supposed to, and the hydraulic doesn't stay up anymore.

Almost forgot to mention that I'm again able to watch online videos at 1080p without issue. I now suspect yesterday morning's issue was tied in with MS prepping me for the Win10 major update. Though why I was able to DL a new Nvidia driver at normal speed during that time plays against that.

Also, Nviida custom Desktop Color Settings now remain selected (as they should) rather than periodically reset to "other applications control color settings".

Well poot! Spoke too soon. Nvidia Control Panel custom color settings still sneakily revert to 'other applications control color settings'. Or do they? It's bewildering. If I switch bank and forth between Nvidia and 'other applications', no noticeable change in screen color/brightness/contrast occurs. Is the setting config in use actually Nvidia or 'other applications'?

After research yesterday I found a 'solution' to this behavior. It doesn't work. Not for me at any rate.

Well that stinks.

I have no solution, only sympathy.

And bird, I can't watch video at that low a resolution, it's so grainy.... even my blind self can see it. Not sure why your internet would have trouble with buffering either unless you got a bandwidth hog in the house. I'm on crappy DSL still(fiber installed but don't have modem yet) and don't have buffering problems *scratches head*

No solutions, only sympathy.

Our modem comes tomorrow. I gotta pick it up, them try to set it up.

480p isn't grainy to me. I can go 1080 sometimes but it increases the risk of constant buffering. I have ADSL with the lowest speed of 2MB/s. Good and cheap enough for me. My eyes don't require sharper videos.

Our DSL was 15 down. 2 down isn't really great for YouTube

Fiber router came today... we've got 300 down now.

2MB/s down works very nice for me

:/

New monitors today. Mine's set up. Husband's is not. His desk is... a sty, and it needs cleaned before I can put it on there.

And he doesn't want to do it.

Heh.

My computer feels zoom now.

A little history. Some time ago, maybe 2018, NLT early 2019, I was notified that AT&T was installing Fiber Optic cable in my area/town. I checked pricing online at that. Didn't care for AT&T's fiber internet pricing, so filed the notice away and have thought nothing of it since.

Fast-forward to yesterday. I received an email notice from AT&T. They are discontinuing my current internet service and removing its cabling (throughout the area) early 2021. I must either convert to AT&T fiber by Jan 5 2021, move to a different provider, or do without internet / home phone (which using internet cabling). Gah!

My current internet is super slow by modern standards, it's true. But its download speed and data limit cap allow me to watch YouTube vids at 1080p hours a day every day of the month without issue. That's what matters. Yeah, upload speed is the absolute pits, but I can live with it.

I called AT&T last night to get a feel for what's available to me in fiber, and what it'll set me back. It didn't go well. (I wasn't in the best of moods, which didn't help.) The gentleman I spoke with quoted me a $60US monthly fee for one year, increasing to $80 monthly after that. (Phone service remains unchanged.) As I currently pay roughly $35 monthly for internet, this was a hard pill to swallow. Asked if there are cheaper options available, he wouldn't budge. Not only that, but he kept trying to sell me a fiber television plan, over and over and over again, after me telling him in no uncertain terms that I detest commercial television with passion and want no part of it. I eventually told him I needed to think it over and do a bit more research before committing, then ended the conversation.

Research shows that there are indeed cheaper internet packages available, lowest being $45 monthly first year, $10 monthly hardware fee included. I call again. Get a lady this time. Things went better. Not only did she acknowledge the lower cost package (Internet 100) but offered me a deal for $39.99 monthly Internet 300, price good for 999 months! (A promo.) As there is only one other internet provider here, whose packages are on the high side, I took the plunge. In theory, the technician will be here tomorrow morning to make the switchover.

I just hope pricing is on the up and up! They tried to screw me over (with internet speed, not pricing) when I received the service I now have. I raised enough of a stink to get that corrected in my favor. Don't know that I'm up to that anymore. Hopefully there'll be nothing to complain about.

Oh dear. They outright discontinued your service? Were you on DSL? Because that just runs on the phone lines... why they'd discontinue that is beyond me. People still use land lines!

That said, we just got rid of our DSL in favor of fiber. They were installing it anyway in the area so we took that plunge. Couldn't be happier. No more overnight game downloads! No bandwidth issues between two PCs streaming stuff. Woo.

New internet/phone service installed. Downloads increased from 6.xxxMbps to 300+Mbps. Uploads increased from 0.68xMbps to 300+Mbps. Overall rating at a test-site I use went from D- (D download, F upload) to A+. Seems like a bit of an improvement, though I won't notice it in practice except when DLing big files and uploading (anything). Well, I can now watch YouTube at 1440p, maybe 4k. As my monitor is 1080p there's little incentive to do so. I now have 'unlimited' data. Whether it's truly unlimited, or 'unlimited with restrictions', as many plans are, remains to be seen. Pricing remains to be seen too. If it's what was promised I'll pay very little more than I did before the switch. <crosses fingers>

We actually are paying less than we did for our DSL...

300 down, 100 up I think.

The email I got from AT&T is a big confusing. Here are its two important paragraphs:

"We are retiring the network equipment that currently provides your AT&T Internet service on January 5, 2021, and need to upgrade your service to our 100% fiber network. Fiber allows us to provide you more services, faster internet speed, and greater reliability.

Since you subscribe to AT&T Phone service, you will also need to transfer to fiber to continue to make 911 emergency calls after we retire our equipment."

This seems to indicate that basic phone service will continue, but with limited functionality. After fiber installation, I'm more confused than ever. My phones still connect to the old wall jacks, which are wired to AT&T's conventional junction box behind the house. Even the phone in my computer room, which at least plugs into my AT&T gateway before reaching a conventional wall phone jack. The Gateway itself now connects to the new AT&T fiber junction box on the side of the house abutting my 'computer room'.

I wasn't paying close attention to the installer while he worked, so didn't notice all this until he'd left. I called AT&T and asked about it. They assure me all's well now. I'll take their word for it and hope for the best, as that's all I can do.

I hope AT&T doesn't upload my first call attempt to YouTube. I got an A.I. rep and couldn't figure out how to get it to transfer me to 'real' person. Fool that I am, not only didn't I hang up immediately and try again, but let my emotions get the better of me and ended up spewing out profanities before eventually snapping out of it and hanging up. Not a pretty sight. My second call didn't go well either, due to technical issues on AT&T's end, followed a bit later by disconnect. Third time was the charm. The female rep was pleasant and helpful. We ended up having a nice casual chat after business was taken care of. I don't fully understand her explanation of why all's well (I hope) with my phone connections, but then there are a great many things nowadays that overpower my poor decrepit brain.

No, that letter sounds to me like they're discontinuing phone service. Can't use 911? The crap kinda garbo is that? I can pick up any American cell phone and hit 911 and have it work, but unless you upgrade you can't? Without service, I might add. They hand out used cell phones at the old women's shelter near my old place in CA. Don't need working service to ring emergency.

Currently have my backup puter at a tuneup. More RAM is done and he's now looking at a graphics card.

I'm honestly surprised they can find parts for older computers. Most of them get thrown out now.

It's Windows 7, not Windows 3.1

It's still not a new computer. Anything more than a few years old can be hard to find parts for. Computer tech ages quickly and not very well.

True, true.

Disapointing, really. The old stuff's still useful imo. For some people. I know people that use XP machines because they have software that won't run on anything newer.

I'm trying really hard not to use uncensored language here. I'm [censored] livid with my computer right now. Ever since yesterday, I have been blue-screening like crazy, and so far it has only happened with Elder Scrolls Online. This has coincided with me traveling to Virginia to visit extended family. Just this morning? I blue-screened 8 f---ing times! I don't know what the hell is going on but I'm really f---ing pissed off.

I don't know if this is a continuation of previous blue-screen troubles, which have happened very occasionally since I was really having an issue with them. It seemed next to impossible to pinpoint the problem. What it is now is beyond me. Memory issue? But if that was the case, why is it only being this [censored] now? I don't see how my uncle's Internet connection could do this, but that was another thought of mine.

And I just did work earlier morning. No problems. So, *throws hands in the air exasperatedly*.

Is it a laptop or a desktop?

Whatever the case, here is an article on Blue Screens, their causes, and trouble shooting.

Well that sucks.

Without knowing what error one gets though I can't even remotely fathom a "why".

Windows hasn't really blue screened since XP either so there's def something up.

I used to have a t-shirt with a blue screen error on it. Blue shirt. Was great. Side note.

XP did that? Millennium is notorious for it but I didn't know XP did it, and I've had that OS.

XP was the last OS I've ever gotten a true blue screen stop error on.

Everything since hasn't been too bad.

Then again, I also skipped Me and 8.

So once again the Firefox entensions available to get the old youtube layout has stopped working. God I hate that this keeps happening!!

Maybe firefox is updating but the extension isn't?

Automatic Firefox update is turned off. Now I have to wait a few weeks before the old layout extensions (one of them anyway) works again. I never figure out why it stopped working and I never figure out why it starts working again. Fun.

Decided to 'update' my secondary PC to Win10 2004. The process took ages. Having given myself what I thought to be ample time, the PC didn't reach 'reboot to install' stage until 30min past my normal supper time. The reboot-install took another forever...eventually saying it ran into an issue. The PC rebooted on its own. More time passed. Windows desktop was at last reached. I checked update status. Windows had completely backed out of the 2004 update. I might as well not have bothered.

UPDATE: Got a new laptop on the way. Mine is coming up close to 4 years old anyway, so I suppose it is time to get a new one. Not that it is all that uncommon to have ones that get older, but it's best to get a new one anyway. Besides, there are a couple of games I have that don't or likely won't run that well on my current one. Plus I don't have to screw around anymore trying to figure out what is wrong with this one and possibly get my files wiped because of incompetence even though I made it clear I wanted my stuff backed up (THANKS AGAIN FOR THAT EARLIER THIS YEAR, GEEK SQUAD). I think I have most or all of it backed up on my own external hard drive, but I can't figure out how to get the info off of it.