Ray's new PC

Welcome to the RV Forum, David!

every Dell I've had came with ALL the required CDs - OS, drivers, any purchased software

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I believe Dell is moving toward placing the installation of the OS along with default installed software on a hidden partition on your hard drive.  Purchased software or drivers/software for purchased accessories such as sound card came separate with mine.

If I need to return my system to factory default, there is a keystroke combination (which I cannot recall at the moment) that reinstalls from the hidden partition, overwriting the entire existing installation as well as data and settings.

My desktop bought three years ago, came with all installation disks, but the laptop bought two years ago came as I descibed.

Ron said:

Having used Norton products in the past and briefly using McAfee for a brief period of time before dumping it and not so long ago finally dumping Norton I very strongly recommend AGAINST either.  I now use AVG free and Ad aware.  When I removed Norton my laptop performance improved tremendously.

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I totally agree. I used to love Norton products but they have become enormous resource hogs. I never had good luck in that respect with McAfee - they were always resource hogs.

I now use AVG combined with Windows Defender and two other backup anti-spyware programs (only Defender runs in real time).

I used to like the ZoneAlarm firewall but recent versions of that have become balky and are now approaching Norton - clunky and awkward and eating up resources like Lays chips.

After doing some research and testing, I'm now just using the built in Windows firewall (XP version for now). That was woefully inadequate in it's infant versions but actually now tests well, and I understand the Vista version has some additional improvements over the XP version.

Sure glad I had an opportunity to learn about Dell products before I got stuck with one.

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Ron,

My experience with the two Dell's I have has been very good.  I know a few people who have them and from what I hear they have been mostly satisfied.  I wonder of those made for commercial use don't stand up to the hard usage....how long ago was your bad experience Ron?    They've upgraded from the ones where the pilot light kept blowing out! ;D

Ron said:

That may have been in the past but from what I understand all you get now is a recover disk.

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No. I don't think so. But perhaps it's different in Canada - different legislation and all.

Steve said:

Welcome to the RV Forum, David!

I believe Dell is moving toward placing the installation of the OS along with default installed software on a hidden partition on your hard drive.  Purchased software or drivers/software for purchased accessories such as sound card came separate with mine.

If I need to return my system to factory default, there is a keystroke combination (which I cannot recall at the moment) that reinstalls from the hidden partition, overwriting the entire existing installation as well as data and settings.

My desktop bought three years ago, came with all installation disks, but the laptop bought two years ago came as I descibed.

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Oh? I could have sworn Dell.ca mentioned full installation CDs. Fid you buy your latest in Canada or the US, Steve?

Steve said:

I believe Dell is moving toward placing the installation of the OS along with default installed software on a hidden partition on your hard drive.

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Steve, do you know if it allows you to create installation disks? My luck with HD crashes would mean I'd need the disk to reinstall the OS on a new or reformatted HD.

I bought both systems in the U.S. so perhaps there's a difference. 

My luck with HD crashes would mean I'd need the disk to reinstall the OS on a new or reformatted HD.

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And my experience with a HD crash this spring makes me wonder the same thing.  There's no info on how to do that..I'll see what I can find out.

Maybe someone else knows the answer.

Actually the Dells were basically off the shelf computers.  One of the biggest problems was the proprietary drivers which cause lots of problems.  The locally purchased clone type computers proved to be more reliable.  I have helped several folks with their Dell computers and just was never impressed favorably.  I have two Gateway computers that have been very reliable.  However, when shopping for a computer with another member it became apparent that Gateway had quit including a OS disk.  IMHO Gateway sure went down hill to when they moved out of South Dakota.

If I were going to buy a laptop today the only one I would consider would be the Chembook.  I have seen Jerry's and Ardra's as well as the Woods Chembooks and they are a fine computer.  Also the OS disk is included and you can get XP if you prefer over the MM Vista.

Wow how stupid would that be the recovery data in a hidden partition on the HD that just went South.  I don't think I want anything to do with that one.  I wonder if the hidden partition would be included in a normal backup to another drive.

Gateway being purchased by Acer of Taiwan.

Shayne said:

Gateway being purchased by Acer of Taiwan.

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Like I said they seem to be going down hill every since they left South Dakota.

I know that HPs have gone to the hidden-partition method of system restoration, but they also give you a limited time period in which you can make your own system-restoration DVD.  They only let you do that once, however.

KodiakRV said:

I know that HPs have gone to the hidden-partition method of system restoration, but they also give you a limited time period in which you can make your own system-restoration DVD.  They only let you do that once, however.

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That is one of the most stupid things I have heard about in the last couple months.  Almost as dumb as installing an idiot light to let you know your engine is about to spit its insides all over the road instead of fixing the manufacturing defect.

I sure won't be buying an HP or a Dell.  Guess it will be Chembook for me maybe within a couple weeks or so.

Well, it?s been almost a month since I got this thing. Haven?t gotten to useful use, yet.  Have played some improved games. I like spider, with its new victory celebration.  ;D

The BlackJack won?t install. Incompatibility problem. So, I can?t use that as a modem ? yet. Samsung doesn?t have a Vista-compliant driver on its website ? at least that I can find.

Doesn?t matter, much, as I planned to use my Palm Pilot with this machine, and while the desktop program loaded, I can?t get it to sinc with either my hand-held nor the phone. Can?t actually get it to do anything, at all.  ???

Haven?t gotten around to trying to load my Street Atlas, yet. That is no doubt going to be a problem, as it was already a problem on my XP machine. May not be doable, as I have no hair left to tear out. It?s already gone!  :

Appreciate all the advice, so far, but I did buy McAfee Total Protection. Paid $79 for it, with a $35 and a $45 rebate, so it was ?free.? (If I remember to send in for the rebate.) I just don?t know enough to handle my own security, on-line. 

It stalled on installation, the first three times.  The fourth time, it went! Hallaluya!  It worked, that time, because I followed the directions.  First three times, I tried installing from the disc. Hello! I bought the disc! I paid for it! I didn?t shoplift it! 

The directions say it won?t install from the disc.  : You put the disc in, and click the link. It installs from a download! Piece o? cake! Can someone tell me what the disc is for?  :  ???

Also, got Microsoft Office. If I ever get the phone to cooperate, I need Outlook and Excell. Got a good price. Bought the bare bones  Home and Student, which doesn?t have outlook, but was on sale for $129. Then bought Outlook on sale for $109. Saved more than half. Wasn?t planning on getting that, yet, but grabbed it at the sale price.

Guess it will be Chembook for me maybe within a couple weeks or so.

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So, Ron, did you get your new Chembook, yet?

Ray D  ;D

Before you attempt to install Street Atlas on Vista, go to the DeLorme forums and search for Vista in the Street Atlas board and read the messages.  It will install but there are some tricks to make it work the first time and save you some frustration.

Microsoft extends sale of XP!  :

Where was that idea, a month ago? 

They say they are not getting complaints!  : Did they move, change their E-Mail address, Sudden hearing loss?  ???  ???  ???

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21028201/

Ray D 

The computer manufacturers demanded that they be allowed to offer XP on new computers because of customer demand.  MS had no real choice but to comply.  However, it's called a "downgrade" which many will argue with

Ned said:

The computer manufacturers demanded that they be allowed to offer XP on new computers because of customer demand.  MS had no real choice but to comply.  However, it's called a "downgrade" which many will argue with

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From most of the reports I have heard VISTA is the downgrade.

OK, so I am saddled with Vista and non-compliant hardware and software. My new machine has a 200GB hard drive. Should I partition it and buy and install XP?

I have more hard drive than I will ever use. That has been the case, forever. I don't keep large files. No audio files - no video files and I keep my photos on removeable media.

Yeah, I know - sounds like "I'll never load my RV that heavy." I have never neared the limit on hard drive availability on any of my computers. My current, four year old and delapidated XP machine has an 80 gig HD, and I have 24 gig on it. MUch of that is clutter that I have collected and can't seem to clear out.

Does having two partitions make sense? One with Vista - since I do have it - and one with XP that I can actually use?

Cost of a new OS system? Gotta be less than all the stuff, hardware and software, I lose, if I can't get it compliant with Vista!

Gotta be pitfalls, here. What are they?

Ray D.  ;D

Ray, if you do decide to fall back to XP, be sure that all of the hardware has XP drivers available.  This can be a problem especially with notebook computers that have all the peripheral hardware built in to the mother board.  The new machines that have been made just for Vista may not have XP drivers for some of those devices.