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Callunna
Revolving Grey Blob
3044 Posts
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 Posted -
17/12/2010
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10:26
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Over the years I've not done so bad when it comes to working with computers, and most times I can eventually fix things up when it all goes pear-shaped.
Yesterday my Mac went not just pear-shaped but a complete fruit pudding with meringue and custard. Over the past few weeks it had been getting slower and slower until it said: "You know what? I can't be bothered anymore. I quit." And it did.
Fortunately there's a thing called Time Machine which regularly backs up the OS and all files to an external drive, so I wasn't too nonplussed.
Unfortunately my Mac refused even to start up. Missing its core thingies or something.
No probs - just re-install the OS from the original discs. Almost there - the discs were a bit out of date but I could easily update the version from the internet.
Went to restore all my settings, files, programmes, etc from Time Machine. Unfortunately my finely tuned and slimmed down original system had bloated by about 20GB when reinstalled - and my drive didn't have enough space on it to complete the job.
Grrr.
My backup drive (1TB capacity) is also getting full so it looks like I'm going to have to buy another to dump my data into, then give it all a good clean out.
On top of that, once you start messing with reinstallations, I find much of my work software needs reactivating from the software companies - it's going to take me absolutely ages to get back to where I was a few, happy and organised days ago.
I hate computers.
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pluggy
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Posted - 05/09/2011 : 15:41
With webmail, the mail stays entirely on your ISP's server and they are resposible for backing it up.
I've several copies of Ubuntu, besides intalling it on computers, its the worlds handiest tool for fixing many Windows issues (believe it or not).
I'll sell you a copy for a nominal fee or even come round and give you a demo for a slightly less nominal fee......
Need computer work ?
"http://www.stsr.co.uk" 
Pluggy's Household Monitor  |
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 06/09/2011 : 06:26
Just for once I have enough experience to give an opinion.... In my Windows days I got so much trouble with mail that I went to Thunderbird and have been there ever since.
Heather, all I can tell you is that I bit the bullet, went cold turkey onto Ubuntu and after a fortnight I was perfectly comfortable. Pluggy put me on the 64bit version once they had solved the flash problem (or summat!) and all I can say is that computing is now a different country. I am in charge, the progs run like lightning and I haven't had a single problem. A lot of my improvements are due to having a very fast machine with 8g of RAM being used but Plugs tells me that even an old machine gets a quantum increase in speed and reliability. I didn't try to do the changeover myself, I paid Plugs to do it and that's what I'd recommend. He'll tell you which version I am on. Janet, who knows about these things, was very impressed and went back and told the people in her software firm that her old dad was streets ahead of them!
So, ring Plugs, give him a small fistful of dollars and then enjoy freedom from Msoft. I promise you will never regret it.
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 26/09/2011 : 06:39
Keep an eye on speeds all you Orange users whose service was 'improved' last month from 15mb to about 3mb. If Orange are to be believed the BT upgrade in Barlick is imminent. Susan tells me it is already in effect in Earby.
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
pluggy
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Posted - 26/09/2011 : 07:06
I signed up for 8 and I've never had above that. I'm getting it ridiculously cheap so I'm staying put. Its currently running at just under 7 which is par for the course, it has times when its much slower.
Need computer work ?
"http://www.stsr.co.uk"
Pluggy's Household Monitor |
Big Kev
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Posted - 26/09/2011 : 09:10
quote:
Stanley wrote:
Keep an eye on speeds all you Orange users whose service was 'improved' last month from 15mb to about 3mb. If Orange are to be believed the BT upgrade in Barlick is imminent. Susan tells me it is already in effect in Earby.
Word is anytime between October 1st and October 31st (2011). The fluctuations in speed I've been getting might be an indication that something is happening, either that or the mice are nibbling on the cables somewhere.
Has anyone else experience intermittent issues? I've run broadband speedtests and had 7000kbps one minute and then 30kbps the next (download).
Big Kev
It doesn't matter who you vote for, you always end up with the government. |
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 27/09/2011 : 06:08
Kev, I haven't bothered to investigate in depth but yes, there have been unusual fluctuations over the last few weeks, especially in speed of the Thinderbird account. Not let it worry me, I took the optimistic view that it might be due to work on the improvements. A few years ago BT had the town roads marked up for fibre installation but it coincided with the Balfour Beatty refurb of the water mains so I suppose it lost its place in the queue. Infinity on the cards?
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 27/09/2011 : 06:11
Just checked speed. 5.38 down amd .4 up. Par for the course on a good day since the Orange 'improvement'.
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
pluggy
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Posted - 28/09/2011 : 08:19
My Orange is a big fat zero this morning, Router refuses to connect and if you quiz it, it says the PPP server is down. Connections are correct and since Stanley hasn't posted this morning, I suspect his is down as well......
This is my mobile connection I use in my business.
Bah
Need computer work ?
"http://www.stsr.co.uk"
Pluggy's Household Monitor |
pluggy
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Posted - 28/09/2011 : 09:47
Just had a call from Stanley, as I suspected, his Orange broadband is off as well., He's consoling himself in his shed.
Need computer work ?
"http://www.stsr.co.uk"
Pluggy's Household Monitor |
tripps
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Posted - 28/09/2011 : 10:25
Perhaps you could pop down, and offer your professional services? I'm having withdrawal symptoms already......
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pluggy
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Posted - 28/09/2011 : 10:38
Short of whinging at Orange or rigging up my mobile broadband for him, there isn't much I can do...........
Need computer work ?
"http://www.stsr.co.uk"
Pluggy's Household Monitor |
pluggy
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Posted - 28/09/2011 : 12:33
I decided to call Orange since it doessn't cost anytthing from an Orange contract phone.
After the usual preamble involving router lights with a thick Indian accent, I get the message theres a 'Known issue' and 'please be waiting 24 hours and it should be connect again:'.
So I know just as much as before I called them. 
Need computer work ?
"http://www.stsr.co.uk"
Pluggy's Household Monitor |
Big Kev
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Posted - 28/09/2011 : 13:45
It's back on. I had the "DNS server unreachable" first thing. I hope it's a sign that the exchange upgrade is in progress. Probably not...
Big Kev
It doesn't matter who you vote for, you always end up with the government. |
pluggy
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Posted - 28/09/2011 : 19:28
Mine seems a tad faster (7.13 vs 6.9 ish down) and the ping has improved. I got the impression it was just a local area issue, so it could be they had the exchange in bits this morning..........
Need computer work ?
"http://www.stsr.co.uk"
Pluggy's Household Monitor |
Stanley
Local Historian & Old Fart
36804 Posts
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Posted - 29/09/2011 : 10:08
I am back.... I was talking to a nice young man called Sanjez on Planet Zog this morning (would you believe the Indian Call centre doesn't open till 7am?) and he was a lot better than the bloke I talked to yesterday who gave me the same guff that Pluggy got. He took me through the router connect to verify that the problem was the PPP server and when I asked he said it wasn't a local problem but national. One of the main servers had started refusing passwords from some clients, this perhaps explains why not everyone was affected.
Whoever Sanjez is, he has some strange power because as he was telling me about the special measures that Orange had in place the connection fired up of its own violation! I'd told him about the separate speed issue and he said that they had instructions to pass on certain issues to senior management and as I had been with them so long and had 36hours down he was sending the speed issue upstairs. I don't think he was spinning me a line, if so he's the best liar I have ever come across! So you never know, a bit of extra pressure?
Stanley Challenger Graham
Barlick View
stanley at barnoldswick.freeserve.co.uk |
Computers: the agony and the ecstasy
