Have you installed Windows 11 ?

[heybruce]

1 hour ago, ozimoron said:

Replace MS Office with Google docs / sheets or Open Office / Libre Office and you're good to go.

 

https://itsfoss.com/best-video-editing-software-linux/

 

https://filmora.wondershare.com/video-editor/free-linux-video-editor.html

I have documents made using MS Office going back decades, so I'm a little leery of changing.

[ozimoron]

6 minutes ago, heybruce said:

I have documents made using MS Office going back decades, so I'm a little leery of changing.

In your old computer, install Libre Office Windows version and try opening some of those documents. Libre Office has a slightly different UI but I believe there is a compatibility mode to emulate the MS Office UI. Don't let LO make itself the default app for those document extensions. (doc, docx, etc). Uninstalling it later will fix any slip ups there.

 

https://www.libreoffice.org/download/download-libreoffice/

Edited June 26, 2023 by ozimoron

[heybruce]

1 hour ago, ozimoron said:

I would try a new install using a win 11 pro iso which you can download. Have it totally reformat your drive. Don't forget to back up your files first. I assume the problem is not secure boot, it looks like you got past that.

 

Level 2 support is an actual tech, not just somebody reading off scripted questions. They're likely to have you install a logging (prob screen capture app) and send the results off to them. Nightmare.

 

https://www.microsoft.com/software-download/windows11

I'll keep this in mind.  After loading Windows 11 three times and re-installing programs after the third time I'm getting tired of the process.

 

Regarding the techs; I did get the impression that the ones I dealt with knew a little more about Windows than me, but not a lot.  However once I get into problem solving mode I get a bit obsessed.  I want to see what the level 2 people have to say about this.

[heybruce]

5 minutes ago, ozimoron said:

In your old computer, install Libre Office and try opening some of those documents. Libre Office has a slightly different UI but I believe there is a compatibility mode to emulate the MS Office UI. Don't let LO make itself the default app for those document extensions. (doc, docx, etc). Uninstalling it later will fix any slip ups there.

 

https://www.libreoffice.org/download/download-libreoffice/

Thanks.  I'll give it a try.

[3NUMBAS]

windows 7 n 8 plays my dvds but 11 doesnt play dvds as it dont have media centre so as to force you to pay for movies on top of everything else

[ozimoron]

1 minute ago, heybruce said:

I'll keep this in mind.  After loading Windows 11 three times and re-installing programs after the third time I'm getting tired of the process.

 

Regarding the techs; I did get the impression that the ones I dealt with knew a little more about Windows than me, but not a lot.  However once I get into problem solving mode I get a bit obsessed.  I want to see what the level 2 people have to say about this.

It's frequently recommended to never upgrade versions but do a reinstall instead with a newly partitioned and reformatted drive which the installer will do for you.

[heybruce]

On 6/26/2023 at 8:54 AM, ozimoron said:

It's frequently recommended to never upgrade versions but do a reinstall instead with a newly partitioned and reformatted drive which the installer will do for you.

Final summary:

 

I did a fourth Windows 11 load with a complete drive wipe, Windows downloaded from MS One Drive (I couldn't get the computer to load from a USB), and without syncing with my MS account.    The rampant snipping tool problem remained.

 

I finally got elevated to the highest level of MS support where the tech went into my Windows PowerShell and deleted the line of code that opened the snipping tool.  This had the effect of uninstalling the program, which the Windows uninstall program wouldn't do.  The problem went away.

 

So after nine days and many hours of tech support and four loads of Windows 11 and reloading of all the programs lost in the drive wipe and data I had backed up, I finally got Windows 11 to work.  However that is nine days I wish I could get back.

 

I know most people don't run into this kind of trouble with Windows 11, but I did and it defied attempts at resolution by myself and many MS tech support people. 

 

I will load a Linux operating system on my old computer that I was using as a backup and learn how to use it.  If I ever have an issue like that again I will abandon Windows and become a Linux users.

[bdenner]

There was one aspect in the W11 OS installed on my new HP NoteBook I did not like.

For whatever reason they removed the Menu Ribbon in Windows Explorer which was there in all previous versions. I found a fix which works perfectly and is reversable. It is in the registry so not for the faint hearted to play with.

 

Send me a PM if you want instructions.

[GypsyT]

I just jumped from Win7Pro to Win11. Was forced to when log-ins to banks etc stopped working.

 

I'm lost and slowly learning everything on my own. I'm not "computer smart".

 

Is there an easy to follow and understand site for Win11 Dummies like me?

Thanks!

 

[Pumpuynarak]

5 hours ago, GypsyT said:

I just jumped from Win7Pro to Win11. Was forced to when log-ins to banks etc stopped working.

 

I'm lost and slowly learning everything on my own. I'm not "computer smart".

 

Is there an easy to follow and understand site for Win11 Dummies like me?

Thanks!

 

I'm same same Com Dino, a mate did for me, went from W7 to W11 but he put something called Windows Shell Experience on my PC which means i've got W11 but it appears like W7, i'm a happy chappie lol

[Yellowtail]

I think it much easier to keep up if I just upgrade as they come out. Avoid the big learning curve and whatnot. 

[Negita43]

On 6/26/2023 at 8:06 AM, heybruce said:

I haven't looked into Linux since the early '90's, so I have some very basic questions that need to be answered.

 

Is it still text or does it have a GUI?

Will it run Microsoft programs such as MS Office?

How easy is it to install web browsers, video editing s/w, a VPN, security software, etc.

There is a GUI version called Zorin

I believe VINE allows you to run windows apps

Not sure about video editing but all the others are available

[LosLobo]

On 9/18/2023 at 6:15 PM, bdenner said:

There was one aspect in the W11 OS installed on my new HP NoteBook I did not like.

For whatever reason they removed the Menu Ribbon in Windows Explorer which was there in all previous versions. I found a fix which works perfectly and is reversable. It is in the registry so not for the faint hearted to play with.

 

Send me a PM if you want instructions.

You don't need to alter the registry with this simple fix.

 

 

[Mutt Daeng]

On 4/28/2023 at 5:49 PM, Mutt Daeng said:

This may be of interest to Windows 11 users who liked toolbars on the taskbar, as in Windows 10. It can also remove the Recommended Section on the Start menu, allowing more shortcuts to be added. And a lot more.

https://github.com/valinet/ExplorerPatcher/releases

 

Explorer patcher can also restore the Windows 10 ribbon in File Explorer.

Here is a complete list of all of it's features.

https://github.com/valinet/ExplorerPatcher/wiki/All-features

I like my taskbar on the RHS and I use toolbars.

 

Edited October 7, 2023 by Mutt Daeng

[JimHuaHin]

On 10/4/2023 at 7:33 AM, Pumpuynarak said:

I'm same same Com Dino, a mate did for me, went from W7 to W11 but he put something called Windows Shell Experience on my PC which means i've got W11 but it appears like W7, i'm a happy chappie lol

May I ask, please, where did you get the Windows Shell Experince from?

 

I am in the same boat - Used Windows 7 for deacdes, and love it, foced to Windows 11 with new computer.  Bought 3 Windows 11 manuals to attempt to "understand" the system.  But, not all is explained!!!

[Pumpuynarak]

20 hours ago, JimHuaHin said:

May I ask, please, where did you get the Windows Shell Experince from?

 

I am in the same boat - Used Windows 7 for deacdes, and love it, foced to Windows 11 with new computer.  Bought 3 Windows 11 manuals to attempt to "understand" the system.  But, not all is explained!!!

My mate did it for me so i'm pretty much in the dark, i'll chat with him later and ask him and repost. I would think 'Google could be your friend' 

[Pumpuynarak]

20 hours ago, JimHuaHin said:

May I ask, please, where did you get the Windows Shell Experince from?

 

I am in the same boat - Used Windows 7 for deacdes, and love it, foced to Windows 11 with new computer.  Bought 3 Windows 11 manuals to attempt to "understand" the system.  But, not all is explained!!!

 

6 minutes ago, Pumpuynarak said:

My mate did it for me so i'm pretty much in the dark, i'll chat with him later and ask him and repost. I would think 'Google could be your friend' 

Here ya go, good luck........

How to Make Windows 11 Look Like Windows 7

By Matthew Lynch

April 29, 2023

0

 

Spread the love

 

 

Some nifty tricks to make your Windows 11 interface resemble Windows 7, making your transition to the new operating system to be a smooth one. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to make Windows 11 look like Windows 7:

1. Customize your taskbar:

The taskbar is arguably one of the most noticeable differences between Windows 11 and Windows 7. Luckily, the taskbar’s design is customizable, and you can easily configure it to look like the one in Windows 7. Start by right-clicking on the taskbar and selecting “Taskbar settings.” Under the “Taskbar behaviors” tab, turn off the switch under “Use small taskbar buttons.” Then, navigate to the “Taskbar appearance” tab, and choose “Never combine” from the “Taskbar buttons” drop-down menu. Lastly, under the “Taskbar alignment” tab, select “Left” from the drop-down menu.

2. Bring back the traditional Start menu:

Another significant difference between Windows 11 and Windows 7 is the Start menu. The new design is more streamlined and minimalistic, which can be a bit disappointing for some users who prefer the traditional layout. Fortunately, you can easily get it back. Start by right-clicking on the taskbar, then select “Taskbar settings,” navigate to the “Start menu” tab, and choose “Use the Start menu from Windows 7.” You can also choose “Show app list in Start menu” to display a list of applications.

3. Hide the new search bar:

The new search bar can take up some valuable space on your screen. If you don’t use it often, you can hide it to make your Windows 11 interface look more like Windows 7. To do so, right-click on the taskbar, select “Taskbar settings,” and turn off the switch under “Search.”

4. Change your desktop background:

Windows 11 comes with some stunning new desktop wallpapers, but if you prefer the classic Windows 7 look, you can easily change your wallpaper to a Windows 7 default. You can do this by right-clicking on your desktop and selecting “Personalize.” Under “Background,” choose “Picture” and select a Windows 7 default wallpaper.

5. Change your app icons:

Windows 7 had a very distinct look, including its icons. If you want your Windows 11 interface to look like Windows 7, you can change your app icons to ones that resemble their Windows 7 versions. There are several icon packs available on the internet, which include Windows 7-themed icons.

In conclusion, while Windows 11’s new design might take some time getting used to, it’s easy to customize it to look more like its predecessor, Windows 7. Follow these simple steps, and you’ll have your Windows 11 desktop looking like Windows 7 in no time.

 

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

On 3/16/2023 at 6:13 PM, KannikaP said:

Why did you not keep Vista or W8?

Yes indeed. I despise MS for their desire to get even richer by forcing people to use a new operating system when old ones are perfectly OK. Then they put out garbage like W8.

I use different computers for different tasks, This one is W7 and fine for stuff like the forum. I use a W10 one as it has an adequate photo editing facility. Not as good as Photoshop, but good enough for basic editing.

However, I had to get my friendly computer guy to stop MS updating W10 every other day as the long waits while it updated were a pain in the ****.

[thaibeachlovers]

22 minutes ago, Pumpuynarak said:

 

Here ya go, good luck........

How to Make Windows 11 Look Like Windows 7

By Matthew Lynch

April 29, 2023

0

 

Spread the love

 

 

 

 

Some nifty tricks to make your Windows 11 interface resemble Windows 7, making your transition to the new operating system to be a smooth one. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to make Windows 11 look like Windows 7:

1. Customize your taskbar:

The taskbar is arguably one of the most noticeable differences between Windows 11 and Windows 7. Luckily, the taskbar’s design is customizable, and you can easily configure it to look like the one in Windows 7. Start by right-clicking on the taskbar and selecting “Taskbar settings.” Under the “Taskbar behaviors” tab, turn off the switch under “Use small taskbar buttons.” Then, navigate to the “Taskbar appearance” tab, and choose “Never combine” from the “Taskbar buttons” drop-down menu. Lastly, under the “Taskbar alignment” tab, select “Left” from the drop-down menu.

2. Bring back the traditional Start menu:

Another significant difference between Windows 11 and Windows 7 is the Start menu. The new design is more streamlined and minimalistic, which can be a bit disappointing for some users who prefer the traditional layout. Fortunately, you can easily get it back. Start by right-clicking on the taskbar, then select “Taskbar settings,” navigate to the “Start menu” tab, and choose “Use the Start menu from Windows 7.” You can also choose “Show app list in Start menu” to display a list of applications.

3. Hide the new search bar:

The new search bar can take up some valuable space on your screen. If you don’t use it often, you can hide it to make your Windows 11 interface look more like Windows 7. To do so, right-click on the taskbar, select “Taskbar settings,” and turn off the switch under “Search.”

4. Change your desktop background:

Windows 11 comes with some stunning new desktop wallpapers, but if you prefer the classic Windows 7 look, you can easily change your wallpaper to a Windows 7 default. You can do this by right-clicking on your desktop and selecting “Personalize.” Under “Background,” choose “Picture” and select a Windows 7 default wallpaper.

5. Change your app icons:

Windows 7 had a very distinct look, including its icons. If you want your Windows 11 interface to look like Windows 7, you can change your app icons to ones that resemble their Windows 7 versions. There are several icon packs available on the internet, which include Windows 7-themed icons.

In conclusion, while Windows 11’s new design might take some time getting used to, it’s easy to customize it to look more like its predecessor, Windows 7. Follow these simple steps, and you’ll have your Windows 11 desktop looking like Windows 7 in no time.

 

 

 

Thanks for that. I hope to never have to use W11, but does that work for W10 as well?

W7 was the best IMO.

[Pumpuynarak]

1 minute ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Thanks for that. I hope to never have to use W11, but does that work for W10 as well?

W7 was the best IMO.

I don't know if it would work for W10 as i went straight from W7 to W11 using the above info, well my mate did (com dino here).

Yes indeed, W7 was/is the dogs <deleted> AFAIAC and i believe we are not alone in that thinking.

You could always give it a try if on W10.

[thaibeachlovers]

1 minute ago, Pumpuynarak said:

I don't know if it would work for W10 as i went straight from W7 to W11 using the above info, well my mate did (com dino here).

Yes indeed, W7 was/is the dogs <deleted> AFAIAC and i believe we are not alone in that thinking.

You could always give it a try if on W10.

Thank you for the quick reply.

I'm not good enough with computers to take the chance of just trying in case I make it worse, and it's not worth paying someone to do it.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 6/27/2023 at 12:54 AM, 3NUMBAS said:

windows 7 n 8 plays my dvds but 11 doesnt play dvds as it dont have media centre so as to force you to pay for movies on top of everything else

Ah the brave new world strikes again making things worse, not better.

Luckily my W7 machine works fine with a built in disk player.

I think W10 plays disks as long as I use an external drive as the case is too slim for a disk drive.

[AhFarangJa]

I tried the upgrade to Windows 11, but did not realise at the time that there was a time limit on it. When I went to revert back to 10 it would not let me. Having said that it seems to work ok, with one annoying issue........If you close a window, then click an icon on the screen to open another program, it takes about 20 to 30 seconds before it will highlight and open. Been on the net, and many techies say it is a fault that Microsoft are not admitting to.

[freeworld]

 

News from ars techica

 

Microsoft will stop old Windows product keys from activating new Windows installs

[Pumpuynarak]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Thank you for the quick reply.

I'm not good enough with computers to take the chance of just trying in case I make it worse, and it's not worth paying someone to do it.

Thats why i'm lucky to have a mate whose very competent with IT and he only lives 10 mins away from me, ''i got a problem mate, don't worry i'll be round asap'' lol

If you live in Thailand i find getting help with IT issues is relatively cheap, think Tukcom in Pattaya ?

 

[bdenner]

On 9/18/2023 at 3:45 PM, bdenner said:

There was one aspect in the W11 OS installed on my new HP NoteBook I did not like.

For whatever reason they removed the Menu Ribbon in Windows Explorer which was there in all previous versions. I found a fix which works perfectly and is reversable. It is in the registry so not for the faint hearted to play with.

 

Send me a PM if you want instructions.

Sorry folks!

I upgraded to ver 22H2 yesterday and the As## Holes have disabled the registry fix. The video @LosLobo attached still works --- for now! But cumbersome. A number of other tweaks I had in place had also been reversed. I used an app "Winaero Tweaker" - free here https://winaero.com/winaero-tweaker/

to correct this.

[JimHuaHin]

On 10/8/2023 at 6:29 AM, Pumpuynarak said:

My mate did it for me so i'm pretty much in the dark, i'll chat with him later and ask him and repost. I would think 'Google could be your friend' 

Thank you for this reply, and your later replies.

 

When I received my new computer with Windows 11 (earlier this year?); I did do a Google search. but only found "shells" for Windows 10.

 

Again, thank you for your replies and help.

[Pumpuynarak]

Sorry don't know, com dino here.

Edited October 13, 2023 by Pumpuynarak

[Pumpuynarak]

5 minutes ago, Pumpuynarak said:

Sorry don't know, com dino here.

Well i just tried to edit my post cos i did'nt realise i'd already replied to a post. Now this ridiculous short time frame for editing stopped me from deleting the entire post and left the above.

 

Time for change Aseannow IMHO

[bdenner]

Further to the ongoing W11 22H2 File Explorer UI problem:-

After going through some 25 pages of various forum posts with many people fuming at the arrogance shown my MS by ignoring their pleas for UI options in many areas including the File Explorer Ribbon I found a solution that worked so well for me I bought a license within the 1st hour of their 100 day free trial. USD$4.99

An app called StartAllBack from https://www.startallback.com/