Need help with Windows.

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jayars35
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Need help with Windows.

Post by jayars35 »

For Father's Day, we got my dad a new computer to replace his one that was several years old. The new one uses Windows 8 and is so different from the Windows version he is used to that he is having great difficulty using the machine. Plus Windows 8 seems unable to work with his old HP1012 printer. Is there another operating system more like older versions of Windows that he may find easier to use? Could we replace Windows 8 with an earlier version of Windows, but still get the benefit of the new machine's greater RAM and hard driver capacity? He is 84 and has no experience with ipads etc.

Thanks for any help you can give.

jayars
Last edited by jayars35 on Sat Jun 22, 2013 6:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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harrychan
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Re: Need hlep with Windows.

Post by harrychan »

Quick googler yielded this and it's free -> http://www.classicshell.net/
This is not legal or certified financial advice but you know that already.
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kwan2
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Re: Need help with Windows.

Post by kwan2 »

I believe you have to go buy Win7 on CD and I see no reason why you could not install it, don't worry about whatever Win8 does better.

If you've never installed an OS before, you'd have a small learning curve I guess

course, win8 is supposed to be iphone-ish , and therefore more simple, go figure, touchscrenn "apps" blah blah

you could also run knoppix off a cd too i imagine
“The history of Paris teaches us that beauty is a by-product of danger, that liberty is at best a consequence of neglect, that wisdom is entwined with decay."
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dm200
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Re: Need help with Windows.

Post by dm200 »

jayars35 wrote:For Father's Day, we got my dad a new computer to replace his one that was several years old. The new one uses Windows 8 and is so different from the Windows version he is used to that he is having great difficulty using the machine. Plus Windows 8 seems unable to work with his old HP1012 printer. Is there another operating system more like older versions of Windows that he may find easier to use? Could we replace Windows 8 with an earlier version of Windows, but still get the benefit of the new machine's greater RAM and hard driver capacity? He is 84 and has no experience with ipads etc.

Thanks for any help you can give.

jayars
Try searching for some advice on a driver for that printer and Windows 8, such as this http://www.forumswindows8.com/drivers/2455-2.htm

I got Windows 7 64 bit on a new PC several months ago. I found a driver for two old printers (one an HP Laser jet and one an OKIDATA 320 Turbo), but 1 or two odd things happened to each printer. Through an internet search, I was able to find some VERY obscure settings in Windows 7 that solved both issues. I was very happy to be able to continue using those old printers (that meet 100% of my needs).

Look also for ways of configuring Windows 8 to look more like older Windows versions.
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CABob
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Re: Need help with Windows.

Post by CABob »

I understand that there will be a Windows 8.1 "fix" due out this year which will bring Win 8 back to be more like one is use to seeing. I am overdue for a computer replacement and was waiting for Win 8 to be released and now that I hear about it I'm not sure that is what I want.
Bob
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fatlittlepig
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Re: Need help with Windows.

Post by fatlittlepig »

[Snarky comment removed by admin LadyGeek]
jayars35 wrote:For Father's Day, we got my dad a new computer to replace his one that was several years old. The new one uses Windows 8 and is so different from the Windows version he is used to that he is having great difficulty using the machine. Plus Windows 8 seems unable to work with his old HP1012 printer. Is there another operating system more like older versions of Windows that he may find easier to use? Could we replace Windows 8 with an earlier version of Windows, but still get the benefit of the new machine's greater RAM and hard driver capacity? He is 84 and has no experience with ipads etc.

Thanks for any help you can give.

jayars
fatlittlepig
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daytona084
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Re: Need help with Windows.

Post by daytona084 »

kwan2 wrote:I believe you have to go buy Win7 on CD and I see no reason why you could not install it, don't worry about whatever Win8 does better.
It is my understanding that a license for Windows 8 gives you a license to run the previous version(s) of Windows. You should not have to pay for a license to run Windows 7.
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LadyGeek
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Re: Need help with Windows.

Post by LadyGeek »

The "fix" in Windows 8.1 for the Metro Interface (what you see now) is to add a way to boot straight into the desktop.

Release is expected sometime later this year (formal announcement expected June 26). It's discussed everywhere: windows 8.1 boot to desktop - Google Search

I don't have Windows 8, but this is what I've found. I have no reason to upgrade, Win 7 (and Linux) work fine.
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rfburns
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Re: Need help with Windows.

Post by rfburns »

My computer is several years old from a fresh install of Win 7. What OS is your dad used to?
I would install the OS he familiar with on the new machine. Since the old computer is alive, migrating should be easy enough.
mur44
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Re: Need help with Windows.

Post by mur44 »

I bought a laptop recently and I used the following FREE Start Menu software to
bring back the start menu:

http://download.cnet.com/1770-20_4-0.ht ... e%2CMobile

The start menu button should make it easy for your father to use the new computer.
rokidtoo
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Re: Need help with Windows.

Post by rokidtoo »

Here's a link that discusses how to install an HP 1012 on a Windows 8 machine. I can't vouch for the link. However, it may be of use to you.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/windows ... s-8-a.html
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Steelersfan
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Re: Need help with Windows.

Post by Steelersfan »

The upcoming upgrade to Windows 8.1 will probably fix his discomfort with Windows 8 but not the issue with the printer. Downgrading to Windows 7 may or may not resolve that either.

You'll have to find and install a fix for that printer or get a new printer supported by Windows 8. Any new printer should work fine. Printers for personal use are really cheap.
Oilburner
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Re: Need help with Windows.

Post by Oilburner »

My 77 year old mother is going through the same Windows 8 frustrations on a new laptop she bought two months ago. I am no help, so my wife bought her a Windows 8 book and had it shipped to her.

Windows 7 is like the previous Windows versions. 8 is vastly different. I have read that Microsoft has received so much negative feedback about Windows 8 that towards the end of the year they plan to offer a fix that basically brings back some (most?) of the Windows 7 features and will offer it for free/minimal money to those who bought Windows 8.

Windows 8 was developed to be compatible with tablet PCs and other mobile devices many of us "older" folks will probably never own.
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fatlittlepig
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Re: Need help with Windows.

Post by fatlittlepig »

[Rude comment removed by admin LadyGeek]
fatlittlepig
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SHL
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Re: Need help with Windows.

Post by SHL »

Macs are cute, but most people prefer real computers.
Stephen
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Re: Need help with Windows.

Post by cheapedy »

Might I suggest a FREE option to solve your dilemma. LINUX , the pc operating system made by nerds for people.... not for profit. The most popular version out now is also the most user friendly, called Linux Mint. It is quite simple to use and understand. You can even make it appear almost identical to Windows XP. Most older hardware is detected, so your printer shan't be a problem.
It should suit you fine for basic web browsing, online video, email. It also comes with an office suite included. Viruses and malware are made for Windows Pc's, so no worries there. I've installed it on several family member's pc's and laptops. All have been ressurected to excellent working order after being left for dead. My little niece uses her old Pentium 3 laptop w/linux for her online games, so if she can understand it, so can you.

Best part is that you can try it out before installing it. Just go to the website. Find the right version for your pc. Download it. Burn it to a dvd. then try it on the P.C. The Live CD lets you see if your hardware works before actually installing it.
ayitey
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Re: Need help with Windows.

Post by ayitey »

My father-in-law has been enjoying his Surface tablet device, which runs Windows 8. He found this video to be helpful, because it speaks in a fairly slow manner, and patiently runs through all the new features of Windows 8, and shows that most of what is in Windows 7 is still available in Windows 8.

Hopefully other people, including folks who are not techies, will find this useful.

The Missing Windows 8 Instructional Video - Who moved my Windows 8 Cheese?
http://youtu.be/5BSmmSU-UZU
ayitey
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Re: Need help with Windows.

Post by ayitey »

To answer the OP's specific question, I found this short (4 minute) video on YouTube which purports to demonstrate how to install the driver for this specific HP Printer (1012) on both Windows 7 and Windows 8.

To be specific, the gentleman who created this YouTube video says: "I have tested this procedure on a Windows 8 desktop and the above steps work. If you have a Windows 8 desktop and want to install your 1012 onto your computer, these steps will work."

Here's a link. Good luck.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6D0vmKQsHoY
Valuethinker
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Re: Need help with Windows.

Post by Valuethinker »

SHL wrote:Macs are cute, but most people prefer real computers.
Speaks a man who has never used a Mac?

Where did that one come from? I assume you are just trolling?

Both Macs and Windows machines use Intel processors. So they are both 'real computers' on the hardware side.

On the software side Mac OS 10 is based on Unix.

Unix is far more a 'real operating system' than Windows.
Better security. Better multi-tasking. More flexible. Etc.

I am a lifetime user of Windows (and DOS before that) and Windows 7 is a fairly robust and useable OS. Windows 8 is a tablet/ phone OS that they have stretched over all hardware, and it sucks as a desktop/ business OS, big time. You will see corporate clients (like all of mine) avoid switching to Windows 8 worse than they avoided switching from Windows XP. No corporate can afford the time to retrain 10s of thousands of users on a completely new User Interface.
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Re: Need help with Windows.

Post by Valuethinker »

jayars35 wrote:For Father's Day, we got my dad a new computer to replace his one that was several years old. The new one uses Windows 8 and is so different from the Windows version he is used to that he is having great difficulty using the machine. Plus Windows 8 seems unable to work with his old HP1012 printer. Is there another operating system more like older versions of Windows that he may find easier to use? Could we replace Windows 8 with an earlier version of Windows, but still get the benefit of the new machine's greater RAM and hard driver capacity? He is 84 and has no experience with ipads etc.

Thanks for any help you can give.

jayars
As per other comments

- next release of Windows 8 is supposed to bring back things like the Start Button

- you can potentially downgrade to Windows 7, not sure if all Win8 machines were sold with that option

- I have similar issues with my printer (upgrading Win XP to Win 7-- lost the double sided printing functionality, HP2015dn) so you may have to get a new printer-- they are quite cheap
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frugaltype
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Re: Need help with Windows.

Post by frugaltype »

This is why I buy used laptops on ebay, since I can get them running Windows XP SP2. (SP3 is incompatible with my printers.)

It's fortunate that your Dad still has his old computer working.
ieee488
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Re: Need help with Windows.

Post by ieee488 »

frugaltype wrote:This is why I buy used laptops on ebay, since I can get them running Windows XP SP2. (SP3 is incompatible with my printers.)

It's fortunate that your Dad still has his old computer working.
What will you do when Microsoft stops supporting XP in April 2014?

This is my dilemna now.

I have an "older" Dell laptop that has license for Vista which seems slow to me even with 2GB of RAM.
My mom defintely wants Windows because she has an external device that is only compatible with Windows.
That device that does work with Linux.
Dell Optiplex 3020 (Win7 Pro), Dell Precision M6300 (Ubuntu Linux 12.04), Dell Precision M6300 (Win7 Pro), Dell Latitude D531 (Vista)
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entyrii
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Re: Need help with Windows.

Post by entyrii »

cheapedy wrote:Might I suggest a FREE option to solve your dilemma. LINUX , the pc operating system made by nerds for people.... not for profit. The most popular version out now is also the most user friendly, called Linux Mint. It is quite simple to use and understand. You can even make it appear almost identical to Windows XP. Most older hardware is detected, so your printer shan't be a problem.
It should suit you fine for basic web browsing, online video, email. It also comes with an office suite included. Viruses and malware are made for Windows Pc's, so no worries there. I've installed it on several family member's pc's and laptops. All have been ressurected to excellent working order after being left for dead. My little niece uses her old Pentium 3 laptop w/linux for her online games, so if she can understand it, so can you.

Best part is that you can try it out before installing it. Just go to the website. Find the right version for your pc. Download it. Burn it to a dvd. then try it on the P.C. The Live CD lets you see if your hardware works before actually installing it.
This. I was thinking the exact same thing. When upgrade time comes for my folks, they will be getting Linux Mint since it is free, extremely secure, designed explicitly to be user/Linux-newbie friendly, and almost as popular as Ubuntu, but with a more Windows-y interface so it has a vast library of compatible software, while still being very familiar to someone coming from a Windows background. I would recommend Mint 15 with the Cinnamon desktop for a modern Windows 7 feel, or Mint 13 LTS (long-term support edition) with the XFCE desktop for a more classic XP feel. Mint comes with all the software your Dad is likely to need (browser, office suite, email client, etc) pre-installed for free and it is virtually immune to viruses, so his PC will never slow down, even after years of use.

Linux Mint 15: http://www.linuxmint.com/download.php
Linux Mint 13 LTS: http://www.linuxmint.com/release.php?id=18

Obviously, I'm a fan of FOSS (free and open source software) if you can't tell. Another thing to keep in mind as others have mentioned is that you can just have your Dad stick it out since Win8.1 should be out by the end of the year. From what I understand, it will be a free upgrade and it should add back the start button and all that jazz, so those fixes might be sufficient to have him feeling comfortable again.
"The more they overthink the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain." | -Montgomery Scott
Bitzer
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Re: Need help with Windows.

Post by Bitzer »

For $5, I purchased Start8 from stardock.com. It gives me the start menu in the lower left hand corner of the screen and I never have to look at the Windows 8 tiles. Works great!
Default User BR
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Re: Need help with Windows.

Post by Default User BR »

ieee488 wrote:What will you do when Microsoft stops supporting XP in April 2014?
Well, your computer doesn't stop working when that happens. I ran Win 98 for a long time after Microsoft stopped support. What really did it for me was when application makers stopped. I couldn't run Firefox later than 2.X, most streaming media needed higher Flash versions, many PDFs wouldn't open or view correctly, that sort of thing.


Brian
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Re: Need help with Windows.

Post by mlipps »

As a short term fix, I've found the most helpful tip on Windows 8 is: if you press the Windows key and get back to those stupid tiles, then start typing the name of the program you want, it will search for the program.
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frugaltype
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Re: Need help with Windows.

Post by frugaltype »

ieee488 wrote:
frugaltype wrote:This is why I buy used laptops on ebay, since I can get them running Windows XP SP2. (SP3 is incompatible with my printers.)

It's fortunate that your Dad still has his old computer working.
What will you do when Microsoft stops supporting XP in April 2014?
Nothing. Microsoft support is worth nothing as far as I can tell. It's not like they respond to questions or anything.
ieee488
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Re: Need help with Windows.

Post by ieee488 »

frugaltype wrote:
ieee488 wrote:
frugaltype wrote:This is why I buy used laptops on ebay, since I can get them running Windows XP SP2. (SP3 is incompatible with my printers.)

It's fortunate that your Dad still has his old computer working.
What will you do when Microsoft stops supporting XP in April 2014?
Nothing. Microsoft support is worth nothing as far as I can tell. It's not like they respond to questions or anything.
I meant the security updates.
Dell Optiplex 3020 (Win7 Pro), Dell Precision M6300 (Ubuntu Linux 12.04), Dell Precision M6300 (Win7 Pro), Dell Latitude D531 (Vista)
ieee488
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Re: Need help with Windows.

Post by ieee488 »

Default User BR wrote:
ieee488 wrote:What will you do when Microsoft stops supporting XP in April 2014?
Well, your computer doesn't stop working when that happens. I ran Win 98 for a long time after Microsoft stopped support. What really did it for me was when application makers stopped. I couldn't run Firefox later than 2.X, most streaming media needed higher Flash versions, many PDFs wouldn't open or view correctly, that sort of thing.
Brian
You weren't concerned about not getting security updates for the OS?
Dell Optiplex 3020 (Win7 Pro), Dell Precision M6300 (Ubuntu Linux 12.04), Dell Precision M6300 (Win7 Pro), Dell Latitude D531 (Vista)
gabbar
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Re: Need help with Windows.

Post by gabbar »

If you bought a new Windows 8 laptop, it probably came with some sort of touch interface. If that's the case, I would give Windows 8 a shot before downgrading to Windows 7. At least use it for a few weeks.

The folks who are touting XP unfortunately should at least upgrade to Windows 7 - come on, XP came out 13 years ago during the Y2K era. A lot of things have changed since then in the technology world and many of them have changed for the better.

About the printer, it should have a Windows 8 driver. Check the manufacturer's website.

Also, I would highly recommend against installing anything on your laptop simply to get the start button back. Like one of the other users said, hit the windows key and start typing to get to your program.

I am fairly tech savvy and didn't like some of the changes in Windows 8 initially. As time goes on, I am very happy with Windows 8. Of course, you can switch to Mac which is an equally powerful ecosystem. But there will be a steeper learning curve on that side of the fence.
Default User BR
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Re: Need help with Windows.

Post by Default User BR »

ieee488 wrote:You weren't concerned about not getting security updates for the OS?
Nah. The firewall and such was much more important than MS. Besides, I think the hackers had moved on and weren't supporting 98 either.


Brian
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frugaltype
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Re: Need help with Windows.

Post by frugaltype »

gabbar wrote: The folks who are touting XP unfortunately should at least upgrade to Windows 7 - come on, XP came out 13 years ago during the Y2K era. A lot of things have changed since then in the technology world and many of them have changed for the better.
Like what, for someone like me who uses a laptop for writing and reading documents, email, and web browsing.

I'm pretty sure HP is not going to gen up a new driver for my old printers.
BOW
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Re: Need help with Windows.

Post by BOW »

I got a new laptop last December with Windows 8. After just a few days I installed the free ClassicShell and life was good again. The "modern/metro/tiles" interface is a joke. Even with my i7 processor and 8mb of ram it seemed to take forever to launch anything. I only go to the "new" interface by accident. I too was studying my options but there doesn't seem to be anything negative when operating in desktop mode and ClassicShell recreates the start button. The instant wakeup from sleep mode is worth it alone.
BTW, I came upon this fine site after opening a "3 fund" account at Vanguard a couple of months ago and finally registered to reply to this post.
mur44
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Re: Need help with Windows.

Post by mur44 »

Has anyone downloaded Windows 8.1 Beta version from
Microsoft:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/wind ... w-download

What are your experiences?
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Epsilon Delta
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Re: Need help with Windows.

Post by Epsilon Delta »

entyrii wrote: This. I was thinking the exact same thing. When upgrade time comes for my folks, they will be getting Linux Mint since it is free, extremely secure, designed explicitly to be user/Linux-newbie friendly, and almost as popular as Ubuntu, but with a more Windows-y interface so it has a vast library of compatible software, while still being very familiar to someone coming from a Windows background.
Be warned:
When people don't like something about Windows they live with it.
When people don't like something about an Apple they claim it's a feature.
When people don't like something about Linux they run scream after the person who introduced them.
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JupiterJones
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Re: Need help with Windows.

Post by JupiterJones »

Epsilon Delta wrote: When people don't like something about Linux they run scream after the person who introduced them.
Or they track down the source code, change the thing they don't like, and recompile. 8-)
"Stay on target! Stay on target!"
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