This is needed advice. I actually forgot about removing my antivirus (with all going on in RL lately); so first:

Thank you for the reminder that I need to get another antivirus on here; going with no antivirus since November could very well be why my laptop is dragging badly lately on opening pictures or watching vids!

Second: Thank you so much for taking the time to get me those links; I have used AVG Free in the past and it wasn't bad; though I think I removed it for using too many resources - can't remember now why I stopped using it, but you are right that it is better than nothing.

And I'll get my son to run that Malwarebytes; he usually runs it for me about once per 90 days or so (between semesters); but he missed me this last break.

Thank you both for your help!

I used AVG free some years ago but switched to Avast free. The only thing I dislike about Avast is that it pesters you to upgrade to the paid version. I can put up with that for what it does offer, and how few resources it eats.

Maybe I'll have another look at Avast. I ditched it a few years ago because it started nagging me every 10 minutes or so. Then it started asking me to answer a survey question. Now I wouldn't have minded that once, even though it was deeply inane (something like: 'We are introducing secure browsing. Are you excited about this?' Yeah right.), but it never managed to register my answer (guess what that was), so it would come up with the same request on and off all day. Was like living with a deeply insecure small child.

I am using Avast, and it used to nag me like that too. But it stopped. I cannot remember what I did. I think it was when I bought a new hard drive recently and reinstalled Windows (7 of course), on it. The version of Avast I have now looks different than the one I had before. It is clearly made to look better on a phone, with less colors, simple blocky shapes, and so on. Like the bad old days of Windows 3.1. It says it is version 11.1.2245. So maybe if you delete Avast, then download it brand new from their site, you will get a version that doesn't nag as much.

Oops, slight embarrassment. Just realised the one I meant was Avanti (Avanti, Avast, AVG, a lot of imagination in the naming...). This used to be highly recommended a while back (over AVG) but now seems to have mostly died off, probably for the reasons I've given. Likely they put some pointy-headed person from the sales dept in charge of development. So, sorry, Avast...



It's all going that way. And it's exactly why I'm not going beyond Windows 7. Not going back to a toy operating system. (Well, to be fair, Win10's 'kernel' is likely pretty sound, whereas 3.1 hardly had anything at all under the bonnet. I just don't want big clunky crayon drawings all over my desktop...)

Well, Avast Free does pester you too. My Win XP box still has the old version of Avast, and it still pops up with "Buy the Full Version!" at least once every time I use that computer.

It's just a search for a little bit of extra pocket money. Paid-for versions have little extra to offer the consumer market. Worse, people forget to renew and are often unaware that they have no protection (AVG, I think, defaults back to the free service, at least). However, the firms (and I don't begrudge them this at all, keeps them going) likely make their main income from organisations. Sysadmins have to fret about servers, which the free versions do not cover, and network updates. When you have to constantly download security updates for a cluster of 50 workstations (with the usual slovenly users...) you can find all those licences worth every penny.

So I really wish they'd back off a bit on home users...

I have an issue that I had once before and it´s regarding the quote function both at Bethsoft and Nexus forums.


I recently upgraded to IE 11 and in this process something happened and when I click on quote now I only come to the reply box, with no quote. I fixed this last time by ticking the following boxes:


use SSL 2.0
Use SSL 3.0
Use TSL 1.0
Use TSL 1.1
Use TSL 1.2


But these are all ticked now and it still doesn´t work. Anyone have any idea? And please refrain from asking why I took IE. I just did, ok?

Er...why are you using IE? (JUST KIDDING!) I don't know, but I'll bet SubRosa or Ghastley does, both are flat out geniuses at these thingls.

What I can tell you is that those settings are related to https (i.e. the use of encrypted transmission) and this site uses http (unencrypted) so they have no effect here.

You probably want to tun SSL 2.0 and SSL 3.0 OFF, as they're obsolete and insecure methods, but that's nothing to do with the quote issue.

I can't get quoting to work in IE11 either, but it's probably a case of the php script seeing IE11 as not a version it knows about, so it fails "safe". There's probably a "look like older release" setting* somewhere that will bypass the problem. The issue is not in your browser, but the way the script sees the incoming request. The header will have a bunch of info about what browser it's coming from, and the script will take a different path sometimes for a different browser.

*Found it: For IE 11, add chorrol.com to the "compatibility view" list, and it will work.

Edit: To add further confusion: I'm using IE 11 at home, and this site works. When I use it at work, it fails until I enable Compatibility View. However, I suspect that work uses a proxy outbound, which may affect things.

When I add Bethsoft to the compatibility view, then I can quote. But the page gets otherwise messed up and I can no longer access my content etc because the window sort of disappears. Well, guess I can go back and forth when I need to quote. Too bad though the shortcut is now gone.

Thanks, ghastley!


And just to clarify, I´ve never had a problem quoting here at chorrol

I'm happily running Windows 7. Windows has politely asked several times if I would like to upgrade for free to Windows 10. Their latest reminder said the offer to do so for free expires the end of this month.

Anybody using Windows 10 and, if so, are you happy with it? For those staying with 7, I'd be happy to hear your thoughts and reasoning as well.

Thanks for any input.

I got a laptop as a service anniversary award from work, and it came with Window 8. I've upgraded(?) that to 10, as I didn't much like 8 or 8.1. 10 is better than 8, but not much. The mobile style does not suit desktops, no matter how much they play with it, and they've taken away so many UI things that helped, such as contrast between adjacent areas that react differently to mouse-clicks. E.g. many buttons have no outline, menu bars blend with the window below them. A lot of web sites have the same problem of being designed for mobile users only, so it's perhaps not surprising that MS can't recruit people who understand the difference.


My main machine is staying on Windows 7 Pro (64-bit), and the Windows 10 laptop has Classic Shell installed, to make it look as much like Win 7 as possible.

Bah humbug! and get off my virtual lawn!

I've been using Win 10 for a little while now. It's good, but took a little getting used to. As ghastley said, it has a mobile style which just feels a little odd and makes navigation more complicated than it needs to be.

I only upgraded to 10 because my xbox and phone both use Win10 resources too so it's easier for them to all connect, and the controller support on Win10 is invaluable for the rare occasions when I actually play PC games. Upcoming cross-platform gaming between Xbox LIVE and Win10 was also a factor in my choice to upgrade.

Of course it was also free, which helped a great deal.

When something is free; buyer beware


I wouldn´t touch Win 10 with any kind of pole, even if someone else was holding the pole in question. Too much spyware sending info back to Microsoft about which pages I visit, for how long and how frequent. Don´t like that stuff. Also, if you have a webcam I think it can be remotely turned on as well, but don´t quote me on that.

Even a guy who has worked with Microsoft and praises Win 10 for its features has big issues with the spyware implemented and how hard it is to turn it off. If you want his opinion, go check out Barnacules on youtube.


Can´t tell you what to do here, Acadian. If you want it then go get it. I´ll stay away for as long as possible though, and then it´s off to Linux

I too am holding off, on my current primary computer, as long as possible. All I've read about Win10 shows it to be more intrusive than I prefer. Funny thing is, I wouldn't mind experimenting with it on my secondary computer, which I no longer use for gaming, or much else. (I let my brother putz around the internet on it when he visits. Otherwise it is rarely switched on.) But...that machine runs Vista, which doesn't qualify for the free update. Go figure. Also, if and when I assemble my next computer I might bite the bullet and install Win10 on it, since I can fine tune the OS to my heart's content before installing games and other 'useful' software. The only unquestionable positive benefit I see with Win10 is its ability to run games in DX12 mode if they are so programmed. (ARK is, or will be, coded for DX12 with a supposed 20% performance improvement.)

By all means, if you want to update, and know you run no 'mission critical' software or hardware that is incompatible, go for it. Lots of folks seem to like it, or at least be able to tolerate it.

One consideration: I believe the update to 10 can be backed out if you don't like it.

Here's a bit of Win 10 news to cheer your day.

It never fails. Whenever something is free there is always an agenda behind it. I can bet my head they will charge the average consumer monthly at some stage.



*starts flirting with Linux*

I'm telling Bestie!

I'm using Windows 10 and to me it feels just like using Windows 7.

Nice to see you, KC! That's encouraging since I'm happily using 7 at the moment.

Thanks all for the thoughts.

Puter's going in to the shop where it was built for routine maintenance in a week or so. I'll talk to them and maybe upgrade then while it is still free. I'm also going to talk to them about more memory just in case I want to install ESO and still have plenty of room.

WOO HOO !!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT !!!!!!

You likely know this, but just in case... Sounds like you are thinking to play ESO at some point and want to make sure your computer has enough storage space to house the installed game? If so, yous should be checking for available free space on your hard drive(s), SSD(s) and/or so on. Computer memory (ram) is a different animal entirely. When a program is launched it loads from wherever its stored (HD/SSD/etc.) into ram. It runs in ram, occasionally accessing the storage device to load new data and/or make hard saves.

This is not to say that you won't benefit from more ram. You might or might not, depending on how much you have already and the programs you want to run. But...it sounds like what you are concerned about is adequate storage.

ESO probably takes some whopping memory too, though. Here is the pre-release Zenimax page on it:


http://elderscrollsonline.info/system-requirements





Here is the requirements I found on the "can you run it?" site:


Minimum requirements:

CPU: Dual Core 2.0 GHz or equivalent processor
CPU Speed: Info
RAM: 2 GB
OS: Windows XP 32-bit
Video Card: DirectX 9.0 compliant video card with 512MB of RAM (NVIDIA GeForce 8800 / ATI Radeon 2600 or better)
Sound Card: Yes
Free Disk Space: 60 GB



Recommended Requirements:


CPU: Quad Core 2.3GHz or equivalent processor
CPU Speed: Info
RAM: 4 GB
OS: Windows 7 64-bit or Windows 8 64-bit
Video Card: DirectX 11 compliant video card with 2GB of RAM (NVIDIA GeForce 560 Ti / ATI Radeon HD 6950 or better)
Sound Card: Yes
Free Disk Space: 60 GB

Thanks, Decrepit. You are right, of course, and wise to offer the advice given my limited tech smarts. Happily, I was indeed talking about adding more storage memory to the hard drives rather than ram. I looked at how much available room I had on my main drive and the free space is barely enough to install ESO. I'd like to have quite a bit more than the minimum required so I don't have to worry about adding stuff. Thanks!

Edit: Thanks also, mALX. You were adding your helpful info as I was posting.

Acadian is preparing Puter to play ESO??


What has the world come to!??

Hey, if you can play Fallout, why can't I play ESO? Still in the thinkin' about it process though.

I still want you back to Oblivion


But of course I´m jesting, I hope you´ll have fun with it I guess you´re planning to port Buffy and Superian over if plans get real?

*mALX faints dead away on hearing Mirocu played Fallout*




"NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! What's this world coming to?"

Well I was going to ask "should I upgrade to Windows 10?" but I see there's already discussion about it. I'm still not sure if I should or not. The IT guy we have at my job (he fixes all our computers if we need him) is vehemently against 10. I'm still torn. I particularly get worried when they say "you MUST upgrade or else...."

Anyways, my other question: is there a way to "optimize" Internet Explorer? My main home computer used to work flawlessly at entering various websites, even slow-loading sites like Photobucket used to get loaded up within 15-20 seconds or so. It's always been fast, until a week ago. All the sudden, most websites are now really slow-loading (except old technology sites like here at Chorrol). This includes Bethesda's forums, which have always loaded up quickly. Now Beths' forums take ages to load with Internet Explorer, if they load up at all.

I've gotten around this by finally installing Firefox at home. Firefox works flawlessly. But I actually prefer IE over the Fox since IE is simpler to use; I don't need the Fox's additional options. My comp seems to want me to upgrade IE, but if I try to upgrade Internet Exploder it'll ask me to also upgrade to Windows 10. So if anybody knows a way to make IE work faster again, I'd appreciate that.

And I should add that I already into IE"s Tools menu and did a few things. I can't remember what they were though, 'cause I'm on my work computer now. Dang. I shoulda asked this question at home so I can say more exactly what I tried.

This sounds suspiciously like a campaign slogan. You aren't thinking to run for public office are you?


I've no advice to offer on IE. I've never liked it. Haven't used it in a great many years, except to access the official Minecraft forums for a brief period when, for whatever reason, Firefox all of a sudden wouldn't let me edit my Autocracy of Decrepia screenshot thread. Normally when things begin to slow down I suspect installation of resource hogging background programs, but that should affect more than just IE I would think. What does Task Manager tell you about CPU and memory usage?

There we go, now we're on to something.

Task Manager on. Only thing I noticed is if I try to open Beth's forums, and the page actually loads, I am noticing Disk 0 (C,D) maxes out at 100%, or close to it. But then usage will fall dramatically to near-nothing. Meanwhile, the Beth page is loaded up, but I won't be able to interact with it at all. There will just be a spinning circle on the tab next to Bethesda Forums. But I won't be able to click on my mail, won't be able to click on any links, won't even be able to go backwards a page.

If the page doesn't load, now Disk 0 (C,D) will be showing no activity. 0%, or close to 0%. So yeah, I'm thinking it's something in the C hard drive specifically. Maybe Norton is messing things up.

I fixed it.

All I had to do was right-click on my C hard-drive and then cast a spell called "Disk Cleanup". Clicked on a bunch of options: Temporary Internet Files, Debug Dump Files, Offline Webpages... I don't know what the hell I just did, but it worked. I'll have to save Disk Cleanup into my spell book.

Glad it turned out to be nothing more than an overstuffed drive. That's normally about the simplest computer problem to fix there is.

Doing that should be regular maintenance at least monthly. I do mine weekly:


* Clear out any internet cookies; history; etc.

* Delete any .tmp files.

* Clean all of the above you just said

* Defrag


* And search for bad sectors; repair them I do on my standard hard drive about once per month; I don't do it on my SSD drive.

Excellent advice, mALX, I should do this monthly too. I feel so stupid too, because we (well, not me, but this guy at work) regularly defrag and do dick cleanups on our work computers; it never even occurred to me to do this at home. Everything has worked so flawless up til a week ago, I guess.

And thanks to Decrepit, for nudging me in the right direction. If I hadn't seen the weird activity going on with the Task Manager I'd probably be at Best Buy by now, standing in line saying "help me, help me!"

BOLD: Wow, what kind of place do you work at? BWAAAHAAA !!!!!!!

I highly recommended everyone moves to Linux instead of Windows or Mac. Currently using Fedora 24 with XFCE4 on a Virtual Machine and it's brilliant.

Also does anyone know how to root an android and change the OS?

Can't say for certain, but you'll probably be able to find out here

ty!

Hit a bump in the road when trying to play Colin McRae Rally 2005 on my new XP. Installed and verified just fine but before the game launches I get an error saying "GraphicsSS_SetupRender Adapter has no modes!"


A quick search suggested that maybe the graphics card needs to be replaced, or there´s an issue with the Hz. Can anyone here chime in and provide any more information? Yeah, I´m looking at you, SubRosa and ghastley

In general, if it's a graphics issue, run dxdiag and see what that says. That will tell you if it's the card or the game that's at fault. It should require DirectX 9, but I don't remember what XP has by default.

My guess would be either a driver or Direct X issue. See what version of Direct X you have, and compare it to what the game says it needs. And look for a more recent version of the video card drivers.

I just left Puter at my computer guy´s home. He´ll replace the current card with Geforce 6200 or if it was 6800, I already forgot but I think it´s the latter.

Not the most powerful card out there even ten years ago but I do suspect the game will work with that. It´s supported by the game and what I saw on the webz the most likely problem is related to the card. I´ll see where this takes me and go from there.


Thanks for the tips, btw. I´ll check the DirectX specs later if it still won´t work.

The 6800 should play Oblivion at medium grapics, it is what my old PC had. Might not handle the Fallout 3 or New Vegas games though.


EDIT: Excuse me, my old PC had 8600; not 6800. So ... best be sure they know what kind of games you play!

For now I´m just trying to get Colin McRae Rally to work. I might also get a few other stuff on it later but I´m not planning to play Oblivion or Fallout on this machine.

It should play Chips!

All day today I haven't been able to open up any threads on Chorrol. I kept getting an error message saying some file was missing and to contact the administrators.

Well, it is still doing it ON GOOGLE CHROME. But at Acadian's suggestion I tried using Internet Explorer or Firefox.

Firefox would not open, it said there was some odd error and to repair something.

Internet Explorer is opening the pages just fine! So it is probably not this site having issues, but either Google Chrome or my PC.

Can someone tell me which, what is causing this?

So.


*hrrm*


Maybe some people will get off my back about using IE now?



I thought not