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Computer help

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Tinpot said:
Yes. I see that there are lots of possibilities. The concern for me is what does it mean for our quality of life? I have read that the processing centres use huge amounts of energy. How will we deal with the unsupported computers going to waste? Are computers being used for beneficial purposes?
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Tinpot, we have them in all aspects of our lives and it is up to us to use them beneficially. Because of my background, I'm particularly interested in the social and digital humanities. This very forum enables us to exchange information which we couldn't do so easily meeting once a month in a pub and showing each other old photo prints. And some of us live a very long way from Bham!

As for unwanted computers, there are schemes to wipe the hard disks and reuse them in less intensive tasks. Some computer companies will give you a discount for returning your old model, or if it isn't working take the broken machine for free. The valuable materials are reused. Derek
 
One emerging project that will interest people here is The National Burial Grounds Survey. https://www.churchofengland.org/resources/churchcare/churchcare-news/national-burial-grounds-survey
This will map visible gravestones and potentially link to information about the deceased. It was interrupted by COVID and so far there are two pilot sites. But imagine what the volunteers at Key Hill might do when the scheme comes to them.
https://kirkburton.burialgrounds.co.uk/mapmanagement/#/

Burial Ground Management System Map Management

shelley.burialgrounds.co.uk shelley.burialgrounds.co.uk
 
Richard Dye said:
Tinpot, unfortunately it's not really just the computer, maybe in our sphere. In the world that I retired from HMI's are mission critical, Human Machine Interface (which is a computer). When I started in industry working on factory automation, there were many things we could not do because the computer controls were not available. Today control engineers are amongst the highest paid and sought globally. The average car for example has 11 or 14 computers on board. When your say computers, its more than that thing that sits on you table or desk, that it's the tip of the iceberg.
This past week I had a heart monitor put in about half the size of a pencil and 1" long, the battery lasts about 10 years, and its output is measured wirelessly by a computer globally that will alert my cardiologist if my heart gets a little silly.
So yes, I would say they are being used for beneficial purposes.
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I am glad you are able to have such a monitor to keep your ticker going! Strangely as I write this electronic message this morning I have just heard the whistle sound of a passing steam engine returning from a rally! I used to weave. Even on a Jacquard machine. Then I designed for textile machinery running on 8 track paper tapes. Gradually the textile industry was computerised and automated. Lots of good things came from that. A simple example would be reducing waste using computerised systems to plan cutting fabrics for garment construction. At the end of the day skills were easily transferred to other countries and our textile industry collapsed. Benefit or disadvantage?
 
Stokkie said:
One emerging project that will interest people here is The National Burial Grounds Survey. https://www.churchofengland.org/resources/churchcare/churchcare-news/national-burial-grounds-survey
This will map visible gravestones and potentially link to information about the deceased. It was interrupted by COVID and so far there are two pilot sites. But imagine what the volunteers at Key Hill might do when the scheme comes to them.
https://kirkburton.burialgrounds.co.uk/mapmanagement/#/

Burial Ground Management System Map Management

shelley.burialgrounds.co.uk shelley.burialgrounds.co.uk
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I know both places Stokkie. Both in Huddersfield where I worked in Textiles until I was made redundant. Tinpot
 
Tinpot said:
I know both places Stokkie. Both in Huddersfield where I worked in Textiles until I was made redundant. Tinpot
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Sorry about your redundancy, Tinpot. Potentially the mapping could contain more information than the simple Find a Grave sites. Stokkie
 
I'm using a laptop at the moment because the blasted desktop won't boot up, spent hours trying to fix it but it just won't have it. Asked the guy in the local computer shop, he said "Bring it in, there'll be an £85 service charge whether we fix it or not" \it was working fine on Sunday wouldn't boot up on Monday
 
You need to make a USB boot drive on your laptop then try and boot your PC with it (if you don't have one you can pick one up from Argos or bigger supermarkets). £5 on a USB drive is better than £85 and in reality its the first thing the shop would try. Git it a go and report back

 
Eric Gibson said:
I'm using a laptop at the moment because the blasted desktop won't boot up, spent hours trying to fix it but it just won't have it. Asked the guy in the local computer shop, he said "Bring it in, there'll be an £85 service charge whether we fix it or not" \it was working fine on Sunday wouldn't boot up on Monday
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Had similar event with my laptop. But our local shop, TechOut "fixed it" absolutely for free. OK he was honest enough to admit that all he had done was switch it on and it had worked and even more important it has kept working, but he could have given me any tale when I went back to collect it.
 
richardinwales said:
You need to make a USB boot drive on your laptop then try and boot your PC with it (if you don't have one you can pick one up from Argos or bigger supermarkets). £5 on a USB drive is better than £85 and in reality its the first thing the shop would try. Git it a go and report back

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Tried that and many other tips before I went to the shop Richard, all without success, still dabbling with it.
 
Stokkie said:
Tinpot, we have them in all aspects of our lives and it is up to us to use them beneficially. Because of my background, I'm particularly interested in the social and digital humanities. This very forum enables us to exchange information which we couldn't do so easily meeting once a month in a pub and showing each other old photo prints. And some of us live a very long way from Bham!

As for unwanted computers, there are schemes to wipe the hard disks and reuse them in less intensive tasks. Some computer companies will give you a discount for returning your old model, or if it isn't working take the broken machine for free. The valuable materials are reused. Derek
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Great point on the reuse of computers, when I bought a new one last year, they gave me $156.00 for my old one. I was very pleasantly surprised and thankful.
 
devonjim said:
Had similar event with my laptop. But our local shop, TechOut "fixed it" absolutely for free. OK he was honest enough to admit that all he had done was switch it on and it had worked and even more important it has kept working, but he could have given me any tale when I went back to collect it.
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That is one of the downsides of these things Eric, we are at the mercy of some of these places!
 
Eric Gibson said:
Sorted, a different SSD and a fresh download of Windows has it fixed, after a lot of time and infinite patience., just got to get some of the tat that comes with windows off and salvage stuff from the old hard drive.
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Great news, would like to know what i can safely do without on W10, but am afraid of removing anything i shouldn't.

Anyone with a list feel free to PM me, would be much appreciated.
 
richardinwales said:
You need to make a USB boot drive on your laptop then try and boot your PC with it (if you don't have one you can pick one up from Argos or bigger supermarkets). £5 on a USB drive is better than £85 and in reality its the first thing the shop would try. Git it a go and report back

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That is very good information! Very simply described...........
 
izzy eckerslike said:
I just bought a new PC with Win 11 and spent ages trying to get rid of stuff, Microsoft even tried to stop me downloading Google Chrome and forcing me to have Microsoft edge but I won in the end but they still keep trying.
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Unfortunately, Izzy, they are all the same. MS try's to control everything they touch including LinkedIn. Apple & Google do the same thing and its just going to get worse.
 
Astoness said:
mike as you know my new chromebook does not have windows..this was my choice as i do not need it..what i have works perfectly well for my needs

lyn
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Seconded. Just bought Julie a new chromebook, (from UK, French keyboard conflicts badly with muscle memory). The last one met its expiry date, this one is good to 2030. She is ambicomputerate, she also has an iPad, horses for courses.
Andrew.
 
Had a problem with laptop last week. Could get videos up, picture came on but no sound. Tried all sots but no luck and took it to local shop. He worked on it for 1/2 hour whilst I was there but couldn't find the problem, so left it with him. When I picked it up he said it was a problem with the Registry. Asked him how much I owed and he said nothing That is what I call service
 
carolina said:
My laptop keeps closing down and immediately reopens (Windows 11) Chrome. .Any ideas. Please?
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Hi Carolina. I haven't come across this one before!! Usual cause for an unplanned shutdown is overheating but it wouldn't normally restart by itself. However worth checking there is no dust in the fan outlet. If your battery is removable shut down the laptop, disconnect the power lead (if connected), remove the battery and then press the power button for a couple of seconds. Then put it together again and see if that has made any difference.
 
i frequently copy my programs onto a back up usb drive and download a new copy of win 10 some of the updates and rubbish they download with there upgrades loses some of my drivers.
i have 2 pc so while one is reinstaling a fresh copy i can use the other pc wish you could still get xtree gold to del unwanted tat

i asked them once why they do it and they said "becouse we can" grrrrrrrrrrrr
 
mw0njm. said:
i frequently copy my programs onto a back up usb drive and download a new copy of win 10 some of the updates and rubbish they download with there upgrades loses some of my drivers.
i have 2 pc so while one is reinstaling a fresh copy i can use the other pc wish you could still get xtree gold to del unwanted tat

i asked them once why they do it and they said "becouse we can" grrrrrrrrrrrr
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There is SO much of because we can going on! Unfortunately it has become a way of life for the big techs etc. MS, Google, Apple etc, I use Outlook on my computer with 11, MS seem# to update weekly and for the life of me I can’t see why!
 
Richard Dye said:
There is SO much of because we can going on! Unfortunately it has become a way of life for the big techs etc. MS, Google, Apple etc, I use Outlook on my computer with 11, MS seem# to update weekly and for the life of me I can’t see why!
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i hve put the update setting for midnight , waste of time they still update when i am watching a movie. grrrrrrrrrrrr
that flippin HP is a pest too
 
mw0njm. said:
i hve put the update setting for midnight , waste of time they still update when i am watching a movie. grrrrrrrrrrrr
that flippin HP is a pest too
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Totally agree with HP! I have a printer and conference monitor with them. No instructions came with the monitor, they told me to Google it because they don’t know or don’t care either!
 
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