Geek stuff, computer misc

[Irulan]

1. Has anyone any experience comments on the newish Microsoft Security Essentials? It's getting good reviews. I have been using AVG for years, but the new version (2011) caused some serious froze-the-whole-system problems so I finally got it uninstalled and am back to AVG 9. Please don't suggest Norton: I believe it's a resource hog and I won't use it.

2. Does anyone know if it's possible to run both OFFICE 2003 and 2010 at the same time? We haven't upgraded yet. Well, we did but the function of 2003 in Excel is such that it changed how all our engineering charts display and it was a disaster, so we had to change back**. (many engineering companies had this problem) We've been using a document converter for the .docx files, but it's getting to the point where other than the excel issue, we should really upgrade. But, we'd like to be able to keep Excel as 2003.


**note on the excel upgrade. All the colors and tools for making charts were changed so that all the graphs and what not ( years and years worth) displayed different and/or inaccurately from the original input. The previous options were eliminated. MS told us Excel had been "improved" and there was no way to get the old tools back. We would have had to manualy re-do thousands of files to fix them to appear correctly, so we just reverted to 2003 and have stayed there.

ideas anyone?

[Cataboo]

I have office 2003 & 2010 installed on my mini - the only problem is sometimes when you're opening a document from a directory or whatever, it opens in the wrong version (and if I went into the control panel and changed the file extension linkages, I could fix that) - I just generally open the version of word or excel I want to be in, and then just open the documents through that.

[tulip]

I used AVG for a long time without any issues, but when I had my computer repaired (non-virus thing), the computer guy put Avast on. He says he runs it on all his computers and recommends it to his customers. He says its the best out there. It's also free.

I have newer Excel but often have to "save down" to share documents with clients who have 2007. I've experienced no problems doing that.

YMMV.

[hebe]

I run Microsoft Security Essentials and have had no problems with it at all, most of the time I don't even notice it's there.

[Catrin]

AVG has been a solid product for a very long time, but they really sc***ed up everyone with a 64-bit machine this past week with an update. Thankfully I changed to Avast about a year ago. I was getting ready to go back to AVG but after this week I will not do that as I have a 64-bit machine.

There isn't any problem with running multiple versions of Office on a Windows machine, can't speak for Macs. Just be aware that if you decide to uninstall one of them then it might cause issues with the other - or not - I've seen both outcomes. Many of the people I know at work have both versions of Excel for the very same reason you mention.

[Irulan]

AVG has been a solid product for a very long time, but they really sc***ed up everyone with a 64-bit machine this past week with an update. Thankfully I changed to Avast about a year ago. I was getting ready to go back to AVG but after this week I will not do that as I have a 64-bit machine.

There isn't any problem with running multiple versions of Office on a Windows machine, can't speak for Macs. Just be aware that if you decide to uninstall one of them then it might cause issues with the other - or not - I've seen both outcomes. Many of the people I know at work have both versions of Excel for the very same reason you mention.

Thanks Catrin. Maybe I'll just ask the geek child ( my elec. eng/comp sci kid) to help us set that up when he comes home for xmas.

[OakLeaf]

Catrin, what's the issue with the new version of AVG? I'm pretty sure my Windows "partition" running under Parallels is 64-bit, since the host computer is? I downloaded it whenever they released it and haven't had any trouble yet, but I basically use Windows only for SportTracks and nothing else.

[Catrin]

Catrin, what's the issue with the new version of AVG? I'm pretty sure my Windows "partition" running under Parallels is 64-bit, since the host computer is? I downloaded it whenever they released it and haven't had any trouble yet, but I basically use Windows only for SportTracks and nothing else.

You lucked out since you don't have a Windows 7 machine, you can find more information here, and here.

Basically they released an update for AVG that made Windows totally unusable on a Windows 7 64-bit machine. I know 6-7 people personally this happened to and heard of others. They had no choice but to reformat their hard-drive and to reinstall everything as the fix suggested by AVG did not work for them. AVG did remove that update version and took care of it, but the damage was already done.

Everyone makes mistakes, but after THAT size of a mistake I won't be risking their product again - sadly. I like the interface much better than Avast...

[Irulan]

Before I installed the update I did some googling on it and it appeared there was an issue that may or may not have been resolved, so I knew I was taking a chance when I installed it. I didn't have a full crash thank you but there were definitely problems.

How do I tell if my machine is 64 bit or not? It's a custom build that the geek child did for me a few years ago.

[Catrin]

Before I installed the update I did some googling on it and it appeared there was an issue that may or may not have been resolved, so I knew I was taking a chance when I installed it. I didn't have a full crash thank you but there were definitely problems.

How do I tell if my machine is 64 bit or not? It's a custom build that the geek child did for me a few years ago.

They haven't been common for all that long - but if you go to your start menu/control panel/system it will tell you if you have a 64-bit operating system or a 32. Also apparently Windows 7 was more susceptible than others - and I doubt that problem update was out there all that long before this was discovered and dealt with.

[Becky]

Sheesh....makes me glad that I've been dragging my feet on installing my Vista-to-7 upgrade!! I am running AVG 2011....

That's scary stuff!

[Catrin]

Windows 7 is great, I like it much better than Vista. AVG should have checked their installation on 64-bit machines more thoroughly. At one time they were not very common, but more and more PC manufacturers are selling a larger percentage of 64-bit operating systems and some ONLY sell 64-bit....

I suspect that AVG will not make that mistake again as this will hurt their reputation for at least a time.

[smilingcat]

Thanks Catrin. Maybe I'll just ask the geek child ( my elec. eng/comp sci kid) to help us set that up when he comes home for xmas.

Could you ask your Geek demi-god son on how to fix my mistake.

My partner's laptop PC has only 40G drive and we upped it to 160G. XP was pre-installed on the 40G so I had to create an XP install disk with service pack 2 (SP2) off the pre installed XP on the 40G, which I did. The disk is burned as a ISO disk, which you must if the disk is to become an install disk.

I loaded XP onto the 160G, typed in the appropriate product key code and it more or less installed. I also managed to get rid of all the junk it comes with, things like IE, AOL,...And we upped the RAM to 1.5G from mere 250K

Spend some extra time to load up the LAN driver, Modem not that we need it, fixed up the video, PCI driver etc. Loaded up with Firefox, Photoshop element, Quicktime, iTune, Acrobat Reader, open office, Flash...

Two things are still not working right.

No sound. Hardware is still there. SigmaTel drivers are there but it can't see the hardware. Control panel says huh? to sound. I may have to uninstall and do a fresh install. This normally fixes things.

The second one is something I've never seen before. sometimes, the message appears in Russian? but most of the time its in American English. As an example, I go into the control panel and click on the system, most options are in English, system, settings, but hardware option is in Russian. This is just bizarre. Regional language is set to American English.

Will your son have any clue?

As for AVG, I prefer running Linux for just this reason. I can import and export pdf files, word docs, excel, powerpoint, from open office and its a FREEBIE!!! What more do you want?? Open office allows me to create pdf files too. Oh I also run Adobe photoshop elements, Quicktime, and I tune on my Linux box.

I love my penguin!! Such a cutie!! My partner refused to budge from XP, windows 98, dos 3.3.

[Irulan]

They haven't been common for all that long - but if you go to your start menu/control panel/system it will tell you if you have a 64-bit operating system or a 32. Also apparently Windows 7 was more susceptible than others - and I doubt that problem update was out there all that long before this was discovered and dealt with.

Athalon 64x2 Dual.... is that it?
Still running XP w/no issues

[Irulan]

Will your son have any clue?

Smilingcat, I have to beg my son to help and he'll only do it after I've done this...