I'm back, after the computer meltdown, with a Windows 7 factory reset !!!

[Jack Valentino]

HAHAHAHAHA, pretty bad, yeah? I bought this pc in 2009... but it works again now, by God, "like new"!

I had another in-between, but it died... Been using this for a year,
but it had never been reset since I bought it--- startups and shutdowns were impossibly long
(five minutes or more to start it up, and apparently I finally damaged the software too much
from shutting it down by unplugging it--- guess they were right about that!)

So it became unusable--- would not open links,
opening everything by opening a "save to disk" option.... even files and folders,
so I had to give up and do that 'factory reset'...

Of course, now it can't be updated and is missing that big Windows 7 "service pack 1" update,
so many things cannot be used, particularly most virus software--- can't even use Windows Defender...

However, now it starts up and shuts down--- like LIGHTNING! hahaha

I already had plans to replace this with a refurbished Windows 11 machine,
but now I mean to procrastinate and keep using it for a while!

(I no longer frequent certain internet "bad neighborhoods" where you were most likely to pick up viruses... so I'[m not so worried about that now.)

On the bright side--- some of my old games which had stopped working, now work again!

The other problem was my DU login credentials were no longer saved,
and I had a little trouble getting back in here--- but resolved now.

Glad to be back! I did read a little anyway in the past month, but less than I would have normally...


Trump is a fucking MADMAN, but his act is growing thin with the masses---
and the price of a bag of Doritos is STILL too high !!!!
(something I have recently developed a craving for, and have indulged--
probably because I had talked about them too much!!!)

I had previously sometimes bought "generic" from Kroger,
but there is nothing like "the real thing"! and there are now many new flavors,
of which I had not been previously aware....

At the Dollar General which I can see from the porch of my house,
(and which has been my only food source for months since my car is broke down),
they are selling two bags for $7, which is not too horrible.

My favorite is "flaming hot"-- I like to eat them with DG chimichangas in particular!


Thanks for indulging my rant, if you got this far!

[LoisB]

1. Welcome back. Go easy on the Doritos.

[Jack Valentino]

2. yeah, i know, pretty high in "sodium"---

but I can't help myself at the moment lol

[LoisB]

3. Pay no attention to me...as I sit here with an open bag of Lay's potato chips. LOL!

[Jack Valentino]

4. No, your advice was correct, I have been trying to limit my sodium intake,

as I believe I had untreated high blood pressure, but hard to limit if we consume too many processed foods....

I have two more bags of Doritos here bought tonight, but haven't opened them yet, lol.


On the good side, I have eliminated all table salt from my diet,
and now use potassium--- which also has seemed to eliminate
the horrible leg cramps from which I used to regularly suffer,
usually being awakened screaming by them while in bed...

I think my Doritos craving may be close to having run its course...
hadn't had any in many years

[dweller]

5. Windows 7 ... is that the network version ? 🤔

Someone here on DU once sent me a service pack upgrade disc when I had crashed … maybe I still have it ?

✌🏻

[Jack Valentino]

6. No, just the regular home version

I have adjusted to this for the moment, nothing much I want that I can't run now....

[dweller]

7. Ok

I still have the discs probably if you need them , let me know and I can plow through that pile to see


✌🏻

[Otto_Harper]

8. Something else to keep in mind

Is that you can easily keep any of dozens of versions of LINUX on a bootable thumbdrive,and then nothing will stop you, not even a complete corruption of WINDOZE.

I run exclusively Linux and it runs nicely on everything here, including a 2009 laptop.

I am happy to point you in the right direction, if you wish.

[hunter]

13. My last conversion of a Windows machine to Linux "just worked."

This hasn't always been the case.

I never recommend anyone do this if they only have one computer.

Personally, I won't use Microsoft or Apple products unless someone is paying me.

The last version of Windows I used regularly on my personal computers was 98SE.

[Otto_Harper]

17. Perhaps I was not clear in my post,you don't need a conversion

You can just plug the thumb drive in and boot directly from it. Your Windoze stays on the main drive, unaffected. If you want to remain with Windoze, just shut down and pull the thumb drive. Your machine is ready to run,just as it was before.

[Jack Valentino]

19. Hey, I might like to give that a try.... as you stated further down

that it can be run from an outboard drive. I have two outboard HDs where I could store it.

I have never run anything but Windows--- would the linux be able to run the programs that are already on my harddrive,
running from a boot as you describe?

[Otto_Harper]

21. In many cases, Linux can be used to run Windoze programs, but...

the way you do it is by running them with the help of an additional installed emulator called WINE. In the LINUX ecosphere there are many LINUX native programs that are equal to, or better, than the Windoze ones, and usually free, and operate with compatible files so you can go back and forth between the two environments readily.

[AZJonnie]

9. ProductKeys.com is legit and sells Windows 10 digital licenses for under $10

W10 still gets security updates until October, and I was running it on a machine I built in 2009 from time W10 came out until 2021 iirc. W10 doesn't have HW reqs that are different from W7, unlike W11. Just sayin', you have a fresh install anyway, if it were me, I'd grab a cheap W10 copy, scorch the earth again, then you can put off W11 for a lot longer

Note: I have absolutely no connection to that outfit other than I have bought keys from them on occasion.

[Jack Valentino]

10. Thanks, I'll consider that!!!

uh, where could I get that ?

[AZJonnie]

11. My headline there tells you where to buy the digital license ;)

You would also want to download the installation media, which you can still obtain from Microsoft. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10 . Just need a USB stick, I think 16MB minimum. Follow the instructions to create the media, use it to install, then use the key you get from ProductKeys, they'll email it to you.

[justaprogressive]

12. Window 7 Service pack 1 is still available to download...

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/update-to-windows-7-sp1-for-performance-improvements-f6469085-6dc4-59ef-3102-8d515e67651a


Screw Win10 on borderline hardware!

[Jack Valentino]

18. "The site can't be reached", the link says.

Thanks for trying....

I did try to find this update on the internet, with the same sort of luck.

[justaprogressive]

20. Sorry should have checked firsr... This link works

https://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/Search.aspx?q=KB976932

[AllaN01Bear]

14. i was on this diet. that diet . the other diet. one day my health care worker looked at me and asked "what does that

leave you to eat? i mentioned that to all my heath care providers and they agreed . i am n ow off all dietary restrictions .

[AllaN01Bear]

15. welcome back.

[AllaN01Bear]

16. every so often i have had to use the turn off switch for a hard turn off.

[Oopsie Daisy]

22. I loved Vista and 7. Recently my son and husband set-up a Linux Mint system for me.

There's a small learning curve, but it allows me to do everything I was previously doing.