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Edited by Dynamic Dave on 05/02/2010 at 17:58
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I am considering buying a Macbook Pro. Love the build quality, the operating system and everything about it.
Through my work I receive and send a fair number of Word / Excel documents - I have looked at Word 2008 for Mac and also iWorks. Both claim compatability with Word/Excel including, in Word for Mac 2008's case, the 97-03 version of Word. However, when you read the reviews you get: 'yes it works great' to 'no it doesn't work well at all'.
I have done so many searches and the more I do, the more conflicting answers I seem to get. I understand that people will always disagree on a product's qualities, but surely there must be a general consensus as to whether this software works.
The Word documents I use are simple text only ones, but it is important that they are received as I sent them. Ditto the Excel files.
Does anyone have any experience of this particular issue?
Thanks.
Subject line filled out for you`,/i`.
Edited by Pugugly on 29/01/2010 at 22:57
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If you're sending documents ALWAYS always send them as a PDF or if you have to an RFT documents. Never ever end DOC formats. You cannot expect everybody to have Office, I don't and I won't even have windows soon as I am slowly in the process of moving my main system over to Linux.
Edited by Pugugly on 29/01/2010 at 22:59
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Why always send them as a PDF and never ever as a DOC format?
If the people I am dealing with use Word/Excel and nothing else does that change your answer?
Edited by Pugugly on 29/01/2010 at 22:59
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I have Office 08 on my MacPro works as advertised - No issues.
Edited by Pugugly on 29/01/2010 at 23:00
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I also have Office 2008 on the Mac and it works fine. Macros wouldn't but you say it's text only type documents.
Rattle has an idea about PDFs if the recipient does not need to edit them at all. If they do then PDF is a non-starter.
If PDF is a possibility then the Mac can save to a PDF file when you try to print a document.
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Not everbody uses or Microsoft products. I know a very large PLC who don't use Office. So many organisations are now using Open Office or other programs. If you save as a PDF then everybody can view it without any problems.
Even if the other person is using Word if they are not using the same version it can cause problems otherwise there would have been no reason to ask the question in the first place :).
Edited by Pugugly on 29/01/2010 at 23:00
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Rattle saying:
"otherwise there would have been no reason to ask the question in the first place :)."
But there can be an issue with users using OFfice 2003 and 2007 on Windows from a compatibility perspective.
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Open Office handles .doc and .docx files without a problem. It can also be set up to save by default in .doc (or .xls) format. The only problems are if macros are used.
The people who caused the biggest problems are those who started sending .docx files as early adopters.
In 4 years of using Openoffice in a commercial enviroment and receiving documents from all over the world (primarily the Far East) I only ever had a problem with one document!
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We have the doc/docx problem in spades, with half the users on each.
OpenOffice.org which I use at home has all the formats I need. .rtf and .pdf files are of limited or no use for exchanging documents for editing, with or without tracked changes.
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Conversely, we had a recent situation where an information supplier insisted on sending us the weekly product as Open Office based files, whereas we run Office. The files wouldn't play nicely at all with Word 2003 or 2007, and we don't have time to tweak our systems or install specials for this kind of thing. So we just metaphorically shrugged and said "get yourself a proper Office system then, or resolve it some other way".
On their refusal we just changed supplier. I think that's what one might call suicidal intransigence.
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One of the problems with Open Office is that an upgrade does not necessarily retain the default file type save options. (I am not sure that this still true - but certainly was for older versions).
I suspect that a smaller business without good IT support may fall into this trap!
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you love the build quality?
what?
What you mean is you love the looks the fit and the finish. The build quality is no better, and worse than, some other notebooks. Apple products have some of the highest failure rates in the business.
Anyway tot he basic question, I use Open office now. It works fine on most of the word docs and excel files I use.,
Edited by Altea Ego on 30/01/2010 at 09:12
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I like the aluminum body.
I like the keyboard - it doesn't flex like lots of laptops I've looked at.
So - yes I do love the build quality.
But thanks for the info on failure rates - I'll look them up.
Edited by ho chi minh on 30/01/2010 at 10:04
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"Apple products have some of the highest failure rates in the business"
Well, I've done some research on laptop failures and according to the results I've found they don't.
In fact they are near the top for reliability.
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I have a 500mB external USB hard drive for back-up of my PC.
Rather than just back-up my files, I would like to back-up the whole system, such that if my internal hard drive were to fail, then I could re-instate a new replacement hard drive from the USB back-up and the PC would be EXACTLY "as before".
Is this possible with a simple program, (one that is easy to use and operate)?
I have been told about a program called "Acronis Tru Image" which apparently offers what I'm after. Does anyone have first-hand experience with this (or similar) programs and can recommend this?
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Acronis will probably be the best software for what you want to do. An easier solutiion may just be to setup RAID mirroring though and then use the external backup drive as a third backup.
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>>.............. An easiersolutiion may just be to setup RAID mirroring though and then use the external backup drive as a third backup.
Thanks Rattle, but what is RAID mirroring?
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Precisely Nick, IMO RAID is a much more technical and complex way of achieving what you want - probably more costly too (additional disks).
I haven't used Acronis but it comes well recommended and will do what you want (so long as your PC allows you to boot from USB drives, or Acronis itself is bootable - someone who usese it will be along soon to confirm).
There is also Norton (or is it Symantec now?) Ghost which does the same king of thing.
I use Ghost just because it's what I've got, and the theory is absolutely sound. I copy my entire drive regularly, as mine changes quite a bit. I also turn off System Restore Points.
You can use the software to easily install a new larger drive too - just whack the drive in and copy your disk to it and it will take care of making sure you can access the whole drive, even though the source is smaller.
Someone on here said Windows 7 has imaging software included, if that's what you are running...
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I use Ghost
I bought Norton Ghost but when I tried to use it I found that it didn't support the particular CD/DVD drive incorporated into my computer. There was no list of compatible drives on the Ghost packaging, so I had to find out the hard way by looking in the help files after I had shelled out the money and installed the programme.
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Nick,
I use Acronis True Image, have done for some years. I have only once needed to do a file restore and once a full system restore. On both occasions it worked fine, though it was horribly slow doing the system restore. Still, it was a darned sight faster than a re-install plus recovery of user data.
It's available for a 30 day free trial on download, I'd suggest you give it a go.
JH
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>>It's available for a 30 day free trial on download, I'd suggest you give it a go.>>
If you have a Western Digital hard drive, a free version of Acronis True Image is readily available:
support.wdc.com/product/downloaddetail.asp
The Seagate/Maxtor version (DiskWizard) can be found at:
tinyurl.com/66ekjf
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What OS are you running Nick? Premium versions of Vista and all version of Win7 have disk imaging included as part of the Windows backup facility.
www.howtogeek.com/howto/4241/how-to-create-a-syste.../
Edited by SpamCan61 {P} on 30/01/2010 at 21:21
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What OS are you running Nick? Premium versions of Vista and all version of Win7 have disk imaging included as part of the Windows backup facility.
Sorry I'm a muppet, reading the link it has to be Vista Ultimate /business/enterprise not premium. d'oh.
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I have a laptop with a built-in fax modem but no fax software. I have Vista Home Premium which doesn't include any fax software. I need to send a fax! I've googled and found a lot of software but I'd welcome any particular recommendations. TIA.
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Mike,
There's an application in Skype under 'tools-extras' called 'send fax' or 'Pam fax', depending on the Skype version you have.
Used it a couple of times, it works.
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Ifithelps, many thanks. Have just installed PamFax, will see how it goes.
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See:
solarplusev.blogspot.com/2008/10/free-fax-software...l
but remember that you need to connect the modem's RJ lead to a telephone socket.
The other way, of course, is to use a fax to e-mail and vice versa service.
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Thanks also, Stuartli. I'll download & install it. Always good to have two strings to your bow! I've used their fax software on an old computer some generations ago and it was excellent - clear, simple & functional.
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Ironically Microsoft always used to offe an excellent fax program, including XP's Fax Console, but in my view Windows Messaging was the best of all; it was laid out almost exactly the same as Outlook Express, so was easy for the majority of those who installed it to use.
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Evenin' all
A friend of my wife has just bought a shiny new Win7 PC, wants to access their AOL account via this new PC and their old one. I've installed AOL9.5 on the new machine and got their account going, but I'm not familiar with the AOL setup, and Google just confirms my suspicion that they use weird file formats for the personal address book and so on.
Any thoughts gratefully received.
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I have had problems with my pc - namely ive had this rogue 'XP Antivirus' pop up a couple of times. My antivirus (AVG) didnt stop it. Can anyone recommend a good antivirus that will stop these pesky fake programs from being installed on my pc? Im only using the free AVG - does the paid for service have some kind of live scanner where it scans every link on the web?
thanks
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Try Malwarebytes you can download a free version for personal use only. I am a computer tecnician and have the tech licence version it is a very good piece of software. That should remove it but you may also want to run combofix but if you use combofix make sure you back up all your data first.
If these don't work then go to beepingcomputer.com and have a look on there.
When you have finished run hijackthis and post the results on here.
Edited by Rattle on 01/02/2010 at 14:54
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Microsoft's support team seem to like Malwarebytes too. That's as good as endorsement as any I expect.
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Do you recommend any good antivirus progs that will stop these? They are a right pain!
I dont mind buying software if i know its going to do the job.
thanks
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Good as Malwarebytes is, it's not an antivirus in the sense that I think is being asked for here.
Avast has served me well for many years, and the new version has made the good even better.
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Doubt any of the anti virus programs would have stopped this particular bit of rougueware. It is very nasty and is designed to be very hard to get rid of. On my experimental virtual machine the only tool to get rid of it was Malwarebytes.
I find Bitdefender very good at rootkits.
AVG is pretty much useless now.
At the end of the day though you can never rely on any scanner to make sure your computer is free. Some of the rootkits don't tend to get detected by any of the mainstream scanners. This is the reason i can't do virus removal onsite any more, because it requires so much scanning and then lots of manual checking in the usual folders and registery etc. Its a pig of a job because I cannot charge the full amount of time spend on removing them.
I would say a third of my income is removing the kind of virus the OP has, and most my clients have tried removing themselves first. Apart of the removal process is always finding out how the person got infected in the first place to try and prevent it from happening again.
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Rattle: couple of questions -
1. >> AVG is pretty much useless now. >>
Really?
2. >> When you have finished run hijackthis and post the results on here. >>
Does this mean that HJ/Mods are happy for hijackthis logs (can be quite long) to be posted here and help being given on this forum?
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"2. >> When you have finished run hijackthis and post the results on here. >>
Does this mean that HJ/Mods are happy for hijackthis logs (can be quite long) to be posted here and help being given on this forum?"
JBIF is right, we don't want these logs appearing here thanks. There are plenty of dedicated support forums for them. If anyone wants to take Rattle up on this, please email the Mods who will pass your email onto Rattle.
Smokie, Moderator
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I use Bullguard (paid for) - has always worked well for me - virus and spam -wise
Terryb
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Malwarebytes do a paid version which is designed to stop these infection in the first place. I have no idea how effective it is as I use the technicians version which costs around £80 a year but allows me to use it as many PCs as I want but only one at a time.
I am in the process of becoming a reseller which will allow me to sell it for £18 and its the clients for ever, it never expires. It will be interesting to see if this is sucessfu.
Spybot search and destroy can also be installed so that it asks you for permision each time the registery is changed, it is free and works quite well but is not very good at the actual spyware removal process.
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Excellent info there Rattle. There's so many tools around that do much the same thing, that it's hard to a) keep up with them and b) know which is the best for the job in hand.
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The new Avast 5 (free version) allows you to run a scan for most types of nasties at boot time before Windows or the problem stuff can load. I use this as my anti-virus in conjunction with the occasional run of Spybot Search & Destroy (also free) for good measure.
www.avast.com/free-antivirus-download
www.safer-networking.org/en/spybotsd/index.html
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janliv18:
1. I agree with Victorbox.
2. You also need to find out what you are doing to expose yourself to infection in the first place.
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Thats fine but the problem is some of these rootkits infect the windows system files, I am not sure how good Avast is at actually checking those files but a scan before windows starts to load all its services and programs is a very good idea.
After a bad virus infection it is always a good idea to run the windows system file checker too.
Victor I really wouldn't bother with Spybot any more as a scanner, it really does nothing more than give people a false sense of security. It misses lots of common rootkit and trojens but it does get rid of tracking cookies.
Another thing I forgot the mention after you have done the scan and you think you have got rid of it, make sure you delete the system restore files as a lot of virus files get stored in there. Make a new restore point after you have deleted them.
I would also set your virus scanner to always scan new media such as pen drives because some of the new infections are getting in this way.
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Rattle - see my questions for you at Mon 1 Feb 10 16:30
I am not sure how good Avast is at actually checking those files>>
I am quite sure it is actually very good.
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I will add Avast onto my play list. I actually tend to recomend Microsoft Internet Security for my mature customers because it is very easy to use and they rarely get viruses. It actually does well for detections too.
The paid versions of AVG are a lot better but I find the firewall is rather too basic. It has no preset allowed programs database so it is constantly nagging about which programs you want to let gain access, fine for you and me but no for an 85 year old who has just learnt how to use google.
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thanks rattle, what is your business called or where are you based , i might have to give you a call. I shall try what you said.
I think the infection came from my daughter using facebook - there was a link she said she clicked on, something like 'funny cat video' etc and then a few moments later the xp antivirus program was on the screen saying we had 42 viruses on the machine.
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Like crunch_time, I've used Avast! for several years and any of what prove rare virus threats are stopped in their tracks; it updates itself and reveals it has done so both verbally and visually.
I also use SUPERAntispyware and, to a lesser extent, Search and Destroy (SpyBot) with equal efficiency; SpywareBlaster has also been retained and runs in the background, needing only an occasional check for any updates. All are freeware.
Edited by Stuartli on 01/02/2010 at 16:55
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They are not actually freeware. They are free for personal use, technicians and businesses have to pay for licences. In my early days I was fairly open to what the rules meant but I have since realised it is only fair I pay the proper licence fees. The creators have this wonderful programs should share a fraction of my profit.
Even spybot is supposed to be free for personal use only.
My business is based in south Manchester, I would rather not say the name as it means anybody on here has my home address.
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ok many thanks for your help.
Edited by janliv18 on 01/02/2010 at 18:08
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I use microsoft security esentials.
and thats all.
And thats all thats needed. Its free, it works and it does not slow things down.
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I am based in Lancashire, if you work around there. if i cant fix I shall get you to have a look. Thanks again
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Having run a Yahoo webmail account since the late '90s with no major problems, I haven't really felt the urge to look any further. I'm vaguely aware of programs like Outlook and Thunderbird, though don't know what they do or even their generic name. I'd be grateful if anyone could give a PC-illiterate some basic idea of what these programs are actually for!
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Good question. I'm not sure I need to - I use IMAP with Thunderbird anyway, whereby all the mail stays on the server unless I move it to a local folder.
You can work offline (composing or reading email), and it does tell you when you have mail. You can also use it to manage multiple email accounts (which I do but don't really need to - I could just forward everything to one account.)
I'm interested to hear other views.
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It is quicker as you don't have to wait for a slow website to load and see a load of adverts. It also gives you more control on how you organise your emails.
That said web mail is catching up and I think programs like Outlook will be used less in the future although for businesses they rely on it too much. It has all sorts of calandar functions in it which works perfectly. You are working away in your office surfing Honest John while your boss thinks you're working on last months accounts and then Outlook pops up to say you should be in a meeting the other side of town in 15 minutes time.
For personal use webmail is just fine and probably more secure as its all controlled by the server so it is more difficult for viruses to infect your mail etc.
Edited by Rattle on 01/02/2010 at 22:25
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... Yahoo webmail account .... programs like Outlook and Thunderbird, .... >>
Outlook is a part of the (expensive) MS Office suite.
Outlook Express 6 came free bundled with XP.
Windows Mail replaced that in Vista. However, if you want to stick with MS products, then think about using Windows Live Mail.
see www.winsupersite.com/showcase/winvista_ff_mail.asp
" ... Microsoft has further upgraded Outlook Express/Windows Mail into a new brand new application called Windows Live Mail. It's available for free from the Web as part of the Windows Live suite (see my review). And it is vastly superior to Windows Mail, offering a true superset of the functionality found in the Windows Vista application.
You should seriously consider using Windows Live Mail instead of Windows Mail. This new application rights virtually everything that is wrong with Windows Mail. ... "
www.winsupersite.com/reviews/wlsuite.asp
download.live.com/wlmail
"... Get multiple e-mail accounts in one program – Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo!* and more. And now Windows Live Mail has a calendar, too. Mail combines the ease of use of Outlook Express, with the speed of Windows Live. ..
*Requires a Yahoo! Plus account. ... "
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Thanks for the info, I can see advantages there now...
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Mainly for Felix:
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=81752&...e
who's probably already got the email, but in case he hasn't, we7 have now launched a 'premium' service for £4.99 per month (£3.99 to 'first who sign up').
www.we7.com/#/join/
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Thanks Focus... er, shows how often I check my emails. Funnily enough I don't seem to be getting my problem with Spotify any more. Though it's nice to have a couple of alternatives, I see we7's got some bands that Spotify doesn't have.
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I've the now-unsupported Photoshop album as the place where I have all my one-line photos. Does anyone know that if I buy and intstall Elements 8 it will pick up and keep what I have, with all my photos now residing in Elements 8 ?
I know, I know, I did phone Adobe and the lady there said she didn't know and tried, unsucessfully, to route me to technical support. Let's hope I never need that .......
Thanks in anticipation
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Rory, I think you're asking if PSE8 will pick up your captions, tags etc? There is no question that it will spot your photos, you just have to point at the folder(s) they're in. May I suggest that the software you are talking about is so old that there is only one way to find out - try it. You can download a 30 day free trial of PSE8, but it is a Gigabyte. If you want an answer before you try then, not being rude, but you stand a better chance of finding someone who has done this in the Adobe forum. Indeed you may even find a Q&A that answers your question.
JH
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Tripe "www.google.co.uk" into your browser. Do not touch your mouse, or allow it to move. Press "return".
Wait for the page to display. Now move your mouse.
*Why does it *do* that?* It is quite annoying.
Edited by FotheringtonThomas on 03/02/2010 at 18:16
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what does it do? Mine does nothing.
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Same here AE. I wonder what he says is happening.
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In FFat least you don't get the 'search' etc buttons until you move the mouse,you just get the search box with a big blank underneath it. Maybe Google noticed you used the enter key rather than the mouse, so maybe you haven't got a mouse and there's no point in giving you a button to point your non existent mouse at. Then when you move your mouse it decides you have got one after all, and displays the 'search' button etc.
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I have the search buittons (IE8).
Its all working perfectly
Edited by Altea Ego on 03/02/2010 at 19:05
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You mean, it's "all white" but then the useful stuff appears after hitting Enter? Like
Web Images Videos Maps News Shopping Mail more ▼
Books
Finance
? It is a bit silly.
JH
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*Why does it *do* that?* It is quite annoying. >>
All explained here:
www.theregister.co.uk/2009/10/08/google_ultra_mini.../
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It does this with Firefox 3.6 and IE8. Additionally, using IE8 it promotes Chrome, which it doesn't do in FF.
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It does this with Firefox 3.6 and IE8. Additionally using IE8 it promotes Chrome which it doesn't do in FF. >>
Don't know about that, but the "experiment" is reported to have ended on 3 December when the new look became standard:
googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/now-you-see-it-now...l
blog.searchenginewatch.com/091203-000840
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It does this with Firefox 3.6 and IE8.
Not on my IE8
Additionally using IE8 it promotes Chrome whichit doesn't do in FF.
Not on my IE8
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It seems we don't all get served the same pages. I suppose this must be the case when they are running trials and maintaining a control group as they have been.
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>> It does this with Firefox 3.6 and IE8. >> >> Not on my IE8 >>
It doesn't happen if you have javascript/scripting/active-x turned off. Is that the case for you?
>> Additionally using IE8 it promotes Chrome which it doesn't do in FF. >> >> Not on my IE8 >>
On IE8, I get the Google Chrome ad on the top right hand side.
On Opera 10.10 and FF3.6, I do not get that.
Note: Firefox is partially funded by Google, and the funding deal is set to expire in 2011.
"The vast majority of Mozilla's revenue - 88%, or about $60 million/year; comes from its search advertising deal with Google. It's unlikely that Google would walk away from that, but now that Google has become a competitor, Mozilla isn't counting on that revenue stream being there forever."
Edited by jbif on 03/02/2010 at 20:45
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My security is set to medium high (wont download unsigned active x), pop up blocker active, and I dont get a google chrome box top right, just links to igoogle/search settings/sign in.
version 8.0.6001.18882,
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I run Safari on MacOS X 10.6.2 with all patches. Safari is Version 4.0.4 (6531.21.10).
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I've just taken delivery of a new pc.
(one of Aldi's best)
I'll be setting it up and migrating stuff from the old pc over the next few days. I notice it has Windows Live Mail installed - is this just the current equivalent of Outlook Express ?
Also, the old PC is pretty much all microsoft - Outlook2007, Office Professional, IE7, etc etc - if I wanted to replace the lot with free, none-microsoft apps, what would the team recommend ?
ta
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I've just taken delivery of a new pc. (one of Aldi's best) I notice it has Windows Live Mail installed - is this just the current equivalent of Outlook Express ?
Yes
Also the old PC is pretty much all microsoft - Outlook2007 Office Professional IE7 etc etc - if I wanted to replace the lot with free none-microsoft apps what would the team recommend ? ta
OpenOffice 3.1, unless you need support for fancy embedded macros etc.:-
download.openoffice.org/
My Medion MD8083 has recently died and I'm tempted by one of these new machines.
Oh,and Thunderbird for mail, with the Lightning plug-in for calendar,although i must admit I still find Outlook easier to get on with.
Edited by SpamCan61 {P} on 04/02/2010 at 13:32
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Or consider going into the "cloud" with Google Documents.
I prefer having my data locally, but I can see the appeal of keeping everything on a server somewhere.
In terms of usability, it was fine when I last tried it.
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if I wanted to replace the lot with free none-microsoft apps what would the team recommend ?
Have you considered going the whole hog and using a none-microsoft OS? Not for everyone, but it's an option if you don't want to play Windows-specific games and don't have a Windows-specific app you need to run.
Of course you can easily go dual-boot using Wubi, which gives you a proper dual-boot Ubuntu installation but without the need for repartitioning by using a chunk of Windows file storage as the Ubuntu file system.
wubi-installer.org/
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Have you considered going the whole hog and using a none-microsoft OS? Not for everyone
I may try that on the pc that is being retired, but SWMBO wouldn't thank me for doing that on the home system
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but SWMBO wouldn't thank me for doing that on the home system
I know the problem... :-)
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When I said I was getting a new computer but might get a Mac my better half said, it's okay I know how to use a computer so it being 'different' isn't a problem. At first she didn't know how to use it but seems to be okay with it now.
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but SWMBO wouldn't thank me for doing that on the home system
If Wubi/Ubuntu is installed, all she will see is a menu at boot-up allowing her to boot into Ubuntu if she so wishes, which defaults to Windows after a few seconds if no key is pressed. You should be able to get away with that - I did.
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Focus - I get enough grief when she can't print across the wireless network at home. It only ever happens when i'm not there, and she can never explain it other than 'it doesn't work' (and I work in IT support, so coming home is just like being at work......) so anything that makes life different is never welcome
Edited by borasport20 on 05/02/2010 at 13:25
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so anything that makes life different is never welcome
understood :)
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I recently bought a 1TB version which I only connect up to my computer when necessary. I can't find any reference in the User Manual to the recommended connection/disconnection and switching on/off sequences. Any ideas?
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Mine is powered via the mains adaptor all the time (can't reach the plug). It is already plugged into the PC most days so wakes up as the PC is turned on. If I need to unplug its USB I always do the remove device sequence... this backup hard drive is not something I would risk corrupting.
Mind you I know the kids have pulled its USB out by mistake a couple of times without problems but wouldn't want to make a habit of it.
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If I need to unplug its USB I always do the remove device sequence ...
I'm sorry to be thick (again!), but could you explain the "remove device sequence", please?
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If you want to be sure you are safely removing the USB hard drive (and it's Windows) then you want to make sure all data is written to the disk before removing. Therefore:
1. On the Task bar there should be a small icon for Safely Remove Hardware. Double click on that.
2. Select your USB hard disk drive and click on Stop.
3. Unplug/switch off the drive when it is safe to do so.
But as Smokie says, the default in Windows is to configure a USB drive for safer removal without having to do this. There is a 'performance' configuration for drives which means you should do the steps above before unplugging a drive.
If this is an Apple Mac (someone else may find this helpful), select the drive on the desktop and drag it to the Trash can. You'll notice the Trash can actually changed to an eject icon when you select a Drive or Disk Image.
Edited by rtj70 on 05/02/2010 at 09:29
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The only important thing is to logically disconnect the drive before removing it from the computer/powering it down - and even that isn't really critical but is very good practice.
For performance, Windows can cache writes and read to disks, not actually doing them ("flushing the cache") until it is less busy. This is probably measured in milliseconds on your average home computer, one reason why I say not really critical. The other is that when you connect an external drive, the default is that is does NOT cache data.
Anyhow, you should have a "Safely Remove Hardware icon to click in your task bar somewhere - click once and you will get a list (of one) of drives to choose from - click that and wait until it says you can safely remove the hardware. NB It can be useful doing it this way, as if it tells you that the disk is still in use then you know you still have something open on the disk - it may just be an Explorer window. If it says it's busy, I'd recommend that you don't remove it until either it tells you it is safe, or the computer has powered down.
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Because I have several devices/memory card readers the task bar option gives a slightly confusing long list of choices.
It's more foolproof with the way my Seagate shows up to go to My Computer from the desktop. The Freeagent drive is clearly shown next to the C drive and right clicking on it will give the option to safely remove.
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I think you will find that the "Safely Remove" icon is something of a legacy item left over from previous operating systems. In Vista for example you can safely just unplug USB items without danger, assuming that you are not actively uploading/downloading with the device. I always leave as many USB flash drives plugged in as possible so that I can use the Readyboost facility in Vista.
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If a USB drive has been changed to work in 'performance mode' then some data may not have been written. Even on XP you can unplug drives fairly safely unless you've configured it to work in performance mode and then it's worth telling the PC to stop using it first.
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No, you're wrong Geoff, it's not at all a legacy leftover. As explained above, doing a controlled Safe Remove ensures the cache is flushed to the drive before the drive disappears. The qualifier being that by default Windows does not use caching on USB drives - but that's not to say that someone hasn't turned it on!
And unless you are something of a sleuth, you can't always tell if something has something open - it isn't just when you are downloading stuff. For instance say you are resizing some images on the drive, then flip to email and forget to close the edit window before detaching the drive, there is a good chance edits will be lost, and a smaller chance that the original file is corrupted. However if you go through the correct removal process, you would get a warning that the disk is is use (and I think in Windows 7 it tells you exactly what is using it).
Edited by smokie on 05/02/2010 at 14:50
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Thanks everyone. I found the Safely Remove Hardware icon on the taskbar and was able to follow your instructions.
All I need to do now is investigate whether I can get my 8-year old computer converted from USB 1.1 to USB 2.0 to speed up the rate of transfer. Perhaps it's time I bought a new computer.
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The Safely Remove Devices icon appearls by Default (in XP at least) if a USB device is in use.
If you are using XP and have Service Pack 2 installed, the USB2.0 drivers are included. See:
usbman.com/WinME%20USB%20Guide.htm for guidance.
You should, from Device Manager>USB Controllers see the word Enhanced or similar somewhre in the list to denote USB2.0.
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>>> ... USB Controllers see the word Enhanced ... >>
Stuartli - you have joined the party a bit late! See
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=82333&...e
Edited by jbif on 05/02/2010 at 15:41
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L,
you can certainly get it upgraded to USB 2 by adding a PCI card. I posted a link to one earlier but it was the last entry before the old thread was closed.
JH
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Something like this would work if you have a spare PCI Slot in the desktop PC:
www.microdirect.co.uk/Home/Product/13553/Trust-Eas...0
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Thanks everyone. I found the Safely Remove Hardware icon on the taskbar and was able to follow your instructions. All I need to do now is investigate whether I can get my 8-year old computer converted from USB 1.1 to USB 2.0 to speed up the rate of transfer. Perhaps it's time I bought a new computer.
I did that on my daughter's 8 year old Dell 4400 using a 5 quid PCI - USB 2.0 card and 10 minutes of install. I don't know how much someone else would charge to do it, at 8 years old maybe it is time to wave bye bye. If your monitor is OK then a desktop machine can be had for around 200 quid upwards.
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But if the old PC is working okay and just lacks some USB2 ports I'd put a USB2 card in it.
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But if the old PC is working okay and just lacks some USB2 ports I'd put a USB2 card in it.
Yeah, it's like bangernomics for PCs - at what point do you stop? The PSU or mobo could go pop tomorrow, or could go on for another 3 years, who knows. I guess the biggest downside of a new PC is getting used to Vista or Win7.
FWIW Argos clearance still have some of their seemingly neverending supply of Fujitsu desktop 'refurbs' for around 200 notes:-
tinyurl.com/ylg3c8c
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But a PCI USB2 card might cost between £5 and £10 max. And ten minutes to fit it and no need to copy files to another machine.
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But a PCI USB2 card might cost between £5 and £10 max. And ten minutes to fit it and no need to copy files to another machine. >>
By the time he has got PC World to fit it for him, it may be £50 or more.
We have been over this ground in the last volume. Remember that L'escargot by his own admission is a complete computer duffer, and takes his PC to the shop for things the "helpers" on here consider easy stuff.
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All I need to do now is investigate whether I can get my 8-year old computer converted from USB 1.1 to USB 2.0 to speed up the rate of transfer.
I have a 10 year old Pentium 3 PC still running happily with Windows XP (well, with Vista Basic as well - dual boot) that has a PCI USB 2 expansion card installed in a spare PCI slot - it works fine and gives me 4 USB 2 ports. Just a few pounds and far cheaper than a new PC!
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