I love Windows.

[theotherhiveking]

Originally Posted by Pizdzius

has to learn a bit of programming

No, you have to learn some one line comands to do most stuff as root. And those needed to fix common problems are already put in blogs, so all you need is to copy paste, if your system differs enough for that to not to work then that means you knew enough to change it, and know enough to fix it.

My programming skills are lacking at best (just a general idea about how stuff works) and i have been using linux since i was 14 or 15, when linux was less streamlined and i knew even less.

And I do realise it's easier, faster etc etc but I noticed every Linux user is making others use it too. Like a crusade or something, not always aggressive, but they ALWAYS try to convince others. I never met anyone who wouldn't ;p kinda like with religion ;p me myself, hate that approach. I was interested in Linux when I was oh so tired of win98. Then I met people using Linux, everywhere they were the same, very very very transgressing.

Some are just like jehova witness, usually the fanboys, they are like the script kiddies for windows, but not evil, just annoying as hell because they are different or hax0rs and using linux is cool or whatever.

See it this way, this is all real and did not read it on the internet, happened to me.

What the guy says: (My computer has some silly problem)| theres a virus coming out every 3 seconds | its really slow | the computer hangs after boot | it doesnt boot (without any kind of proper info shown) | x program crashes at startup (no way to get proper info either) | i forgot my admin password (why everyone runs win as admin anyway?, i know you dont, you told me) | how do i pirate the antivirus? | how do i pirate this thing i need to keep windows from slowing even more? | where do i download drivers for one of the thousands of pieces out in the market?

What i understand: I suffer from thousand of pointless problems and i waste a lot of time fixing random stuff.

What i say: Use a proper OS.


What they say: I dont know how to do that | its too hard for me | whats that | i aint a programmer | but its free? lol, what a shit | yeah but windows is free (almost everyone at my class believed this, except me and one or two more, I lol'd so hard that the teacher started laughing too) and finally the only legit one | i use it only to chat and play games.

What i understand: the computer is a tool but im not going to fucking learn to use it, you do know, so you waste your time dealing with problems of my decision.

What i say: Format | i dont know | bring it to the pc store. | haha, so? ( forgot my admin password) | go google it. | uninstall minesweeper.


I propose switching to linux only to people coming to me with problems heavily related to windows,

I dont mind telling them how to use some software or how do something in excel or that the files in the usb dont work because she only copied the direct links.

I already told them about the fix, if you dont want to do the proper thing, then dont want me to spend 2 o more hours doing a shitty fix for you. Its like all the windows users come to me to pester me with their unfixable and utterly ridiculous (virus removed my music documents, real one too) problems, maybe i should wear a t-shirt that reads 'im not fixing your pc'.

*I dont even mention linux then. That would be like offering a handgun to a costumer who just wants a car, windows is awesome at that, keep using it in that case.

[Syd_Vicious]

Here are some diff recommendations based on you keeping Windows:

Option 1: Re-partition
1. When reinstalling windows, create a system partition and a games partition
2. Install all software to the games partition. Keep music, documents and video on this partition as well (the ones you cant stand to lose).
3. Only create backups of the windows partition (decreases overall backup size) on external media of your choice regularly and only backup the games partition when you make updates

You can do all of this without upgrading or paying anything out of pocket, the only thing that you do have to do is hit the "customize" or "advanced option" on all programs you want to install on the games partition rather than your C partition. If you just click install or easy mode, the install programs default to C in almost all cases. Keeping a backup of the windows only partition will keep the backup size small and manageable (as long as you do not overload your user file with crap).

Option 2: Get an external hard drive or install another internal hard drive.

Option 2 is basically the hardware method of option 1, but includes out of pocket cost.

Option 3: Use third party backup software

Third party backup software can do different things depending on company, software and how much your willing to pay. I usually recommend a program called Acronis for Windows users since it will do incremental backups to a safe partition away from the main windows partition.

All methods have ups and downs, you just need to minimize the ones caused by using a soft OS.

[ArcticWolf]

Originally Posted by Pizdzius

What if, like in my brother's recent situation, hard drive just fries because of electricity overcharge (power supply malfunction) and there's no way you can recover from the recovery partition? Backup is awesome for everything. Not only CD's, I also use Flash drives, portable hard drives, DVD's (HA HA), old hard drives and even laptop for keeping my stuff safe :P

But it's just me, I like to be safe ;p

That's what you should always do, but Matt apparently didn't. That's why I recommended him to buy an external drive. :P

Originally Posted by Pizdzius

Any user that has Linux installed, no matter what the version, has to learn a bit of programming. That's magic for me, I have a totally absent mind, I can barely add 2+2, and I suppose from how I know Matt, that he's an artist too, and it would be hard for him to get the language in a usable way.

Not anymore, you can get away even not knowing a single bash command. Developers have come great lengths to avoid users being intimidated by the prompt, and I absolutely love that: they're finally targeting users' needs (programmers like me can do our own tools, we should focus on the ones who can't).

Originally Posted by Pizdzius

And I do realise it's easier, faster etc etc but I noticed every Linux user is making others use it too. Like a crusade or something, not always aggressive, but they ALWAYS try to convince others. I never met anyone who wouldn't ;p kinda like with religion ;p me myself, hate that approach. I was interested in Linux when I was oh so tired of win98. Then I met people using Linux, everywhere they were the same, very very very transgressing.

I hope Matt managed to get everything running again and maybe perhaps he's found the reason of this.

That's because we find it nice, and we think you might like it. So why not give it a try? It's like when you go to the cinema and watch a good movie, you will recommend it. If I was rude to you or Matt (or anyone else), I'm sorry, I just wanted to help the best way I could. :P


PS: Back on topic, I suggested a Live-CD or a clean install because it's like this: boot, copy, reinstall.

[Znurre]

Originally Posted by theotherhiveking

maybe i should wear a t-shirt that reads 'im not fixing your pc'.

Not to brag too much, but I do have a t-shirt saying "No, I will not fix your windows"

[Torg_Snowflake]

Guys I stayed quiet for a while. But you have thrown this off topic a little...

sush, sush you all. *Waves Windows Me CD*

Don't make me install this!

[Hamster_of_sorrow]

Originally Posted by Torg_Snowflake

Guys I stayed quiet for a while. But you have thrown this off topic a little...

sush, sush you all. *Waves Windows Me CD*

Don't make me install this!

NOOOO DONT DO IT!!! you have so much to live for.....

[Mattdoesrock]

I do have an external HDD, but to me, backing everything up was always like... Ah I'll get round it it eventually.

Guess I learnt my lesson huh?

[Torg_Snowflake]

Originally Posted by Mattdoesrock

I do have an external HDD, but to me, backing everything up was always like... Ah I'll get round it it eventually.

Guess I learnt my lesson huh?

Are you trying the slave disk then?

[theotherhiveking]

Originally Posted by Znurre

Not to brag too much, but I do have a t-shirt saying "No, I will not fix your windows"

I owe you another 2 points of karma, for a total of 4.

[power-digital14]

good, windows xp is very good