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  #31  
Old August 1st 13, 06:51 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-8
Ken Springer[_2_]
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Posts: 3,817
Default Help for Neighbor?

On 8/1/13 9:33 AM, Bob Henson wrote:
Warren Post wrote:

On 07/31/2013 08:39 PM, Paul wrote:
Juan Wei wrote:
ray carter has written on 7/31/2013 8:21 PM:
What I would do - would be to install Debian. YMMV


Why Debian over the others, say Ubuntu?

Because Debian might have an interface you can use.

Ubuntu has something that looks like Metro interface.

I feel a little nausea, when I see these icons on the left.


So install a different desktop environment. Unlike Windows 8, where you
have no alternative to the tile interface, Linux lets you install dozens
of different desktop environments.

On my computer at work I have Ubuntu running the Xfce desktop
environment. No problem.


Therein lies the problem with Linux too, though - there are more distros
and desktops than there are functional programs to use. All the familiar
programs that everyone wants to use only run on Windows. No video editor
(that works well), no Microsoft office, no latest games, the list is
endless.


Hi, Bob,

Up front, I may be misinterpreting your reply, and if I am, I apologize.

I just don't understand the idea that you *have* to have MS Office,
Adobe Photoshop, Corel Draw, etc. And it frustrates me to no end! LOL

Unless a program has a specific function/feature you need, there are a
myriad of programs out there that can replace any of those programs.
And many are free and cross platform.

No one *needs* a specific program. All that is needed is for the
program you are using to have the features you need/want, and to be able
to read the other guy's files. I learned this in my 8-bit days.
Nothing more, nothing less.

Look at the logical end... If it got to the point where MS Word was the
only word processor available anywhere. MS could make all kinds of
changes you don't like, bugs they never fix, etc. Now what's your option?

One thing I'm beginning to relearn from my 8-bit days, you simply have
to find and try out different programs that do a particular category of
work (i.e. word processors) until you find the one that does what you
need, and fits you.

Personal case in point. As part of my summer job (I'm retired, BTW), I
have to give an interpretive speech. I found out other coworker's
speeches gave different info, and sometimes the opposite info, than
mine, so I started researching to find out who is/was correct.

I stumbled onto a script writing program called Scrivener. The ease
with which I can keep my research notes orderly is amazing compared to
any word processor I've ever used. If you are a student, academically
oriented (meaning you want good grades), I'd recommend this program for
your research. And it will write Word files!

H E Double Hockey Sticks, even Apple's TextEdit (more or less Notepad in
Windows) will save .docx files.

I guess my point is, if I even have one (LOL), is you don't need the
high end, costly programs to do the vast majority of computer tasks out
there. So, why do people seem to think they just have to have them
instead of something else?


--
Ken

Mac OS X 10.8.4
Firefox 22.0
Thunderbird 17.0.7
LibreOffice 4.0.4.2
Ads
  #32  
Old August 1st 13, 06:57 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-8
Juan Wei
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Posts: 553
Default Help for Neighbor?

Dave has written on 8/1/2013 1:32 PM:
On Wed, 31 Jul 2013 16:56:46 -0400, Juan Wei wrote:

I just saw this on a Windows mailing list:

A neighbor had a serious senior moment yesterday and let Global Techs PC
Support have remote access to her Win 8 HP laptop for a couple of hours.



At this point, she's frightened of even turning it on.

What would you do if you were faced with this computer? Win 8 reset?
Nuke and pave? Something else?

I don't know what anti-malware she has on the machine -- whatever comes
with a new HP laptop, I presume, plus perhaps "Norton Security Suite" as
provided by her ISP.

Thanks.


I've seen this when someone asked me for help. Although the person
involved denied having done something while online, I didn't believe her.
This type of call is common, I believe they simply want some money, what
happens if you give it to them I know not. In my case they had control of
the machine and had installed software that required a password to gain
access. Although it looked like a MS dialogue, password reset software
didn't work.
You need to have someone who is fairly savvy and has self loading media
with virus detection stuff etc.
You can't do much harm by firing up the machine after completely
disconnecting from the internet. After that, depends on what you see and a
knowledgeable person will be needed to take it from there. Fortunately,
banks don't hold you responsible for unauthorized withdrawals in the US,
but you should contact them. You can put a hold on credit cards or cancel
for new ones. In my case I offloaded personal stuff using a linux puppy
self loading flash drive and restored the machine to 'as purchased' state.
Most machine don't come with restore stuff anymore and after that it's
catch 22. If people know enough to create and maintain backups they
probably won't get into this type of problem in the first place. If they
don't know enough they won't have any backup/restore media. I'm not sure
if anti malware will catch this problem.
Check these sites:
http://www.theguardian.com/technolog...crosoft-virus-
scam-continues
and this:
http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=250999

I believe you can get help from the machine's manufacturer for restore
media for nominal charge provided you can supply the original purchase
details etc. If the machine isn't too old you could also try the retailer.


What if they had installed malware in the BIOS or MBR?
  #33  
Old August 1st 13, 07:30 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-8
Gene E. Bloch[_2_]
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Posts: 7,485
Default Help for Neighbor?

On Thu, 1 Aug 2013 05:12:13 -0400, dadiOH wrote:

Why does she think that employees of what appears to be a legitimate company
which she hired did anything to compromise her computer or the data on it?


Part of the success of the scammers is that to a naive user they can
"appear to be a legitimate company".

--
Gene E. Bloch (Stumbling Bloch)
  #34  
Old August 1st 13, 07:43 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-8
Juan Wei
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Posts: 553
Default Help for Neighbor?

Bob Henson has written on 8/1/2013 2:07 PM:
Juan Wei wrote:

Bob Henson has written on 8/1/2013 11:33 AM:

Therein lies the problem with Linux too, though - there are more distros
and desktops than there are functional programs to use. All the familiar
programs that everyone wants to use only run on Windows. No video editor
(that works well), no Microsoft office, no latest games, the list is
endless.


Have you tried to get a decent Spider Solitaire for Win 8????


No - but then I don't use Windows 8. I only have a test version so I can
learn about the pitfalls. I come across Windows 8 in my volunteer work, so
I like to know my way round it - that's why I read this group. I use
Windows 7 mainly and will do so indefinitely now - it will still be around
when I'm long gone. I use, and like, Linux Mint and Debian too, but they're
very limited as to what they can do.


What are their limitations?
  #35  
Old August 1st 13, 08:06 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-8
Nil[_2_]
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Posts: 2,170
Default Help for Neighbor?

On 01 Aug 2013, Richard Rose wrote in
alt.comp.os.windows-8:

And you dont have to contend with bugs with MS cant fix that go
back Windows 3.1


Such as what?

or NSA back doors!

  #36  
Old August 1st 13, 09:04 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-8
Paul
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Posts: 18,275
Default Help for Neighbor?

ray carter wrote:
On Wed, 31 Jul 2013 20:29:54 -0400, Juan Wei wrote:

ray carter has written on 7/31/2013 8:21 PM:
What I would do - would be to install Debian. YMMV


Why Debian over the others, say Ubuntu?


I like the stability and the fact that release cycles are longer.


"release cycles" - part of that, is the availability of working repositories.

When a "release" is no longer supported, they turn off the repository.
The repository holds 15000 applications, for immediate download
(binaries) via a package manager.

It wouldn't cost anything, to leave those repositories running.
I expect there are a few users, who would like that. They mumble
about "security", but I think that's up to the users to decide.

If you didn't have a repository, you'd have to build from scratch
(assuming you could find a source snapshot from the same point in time).

I'll give an example of why this might be important.

I have a Ubuntu (7.04 or so) CD. At the time, if I installed that,
I would be able to download a working copy of TVTime application.
It takes my BT878 TV tuner card, and allows me to watch TV in
Linux. It has both working sound and video. Sound is via ALSA.

Now, roll forward to Ubuntu 11-13 range. UBuntu 7.04 repository is
turned off. If I install 7.04 today, I could not get a copy of TVTime.
I might not even have enough developer tools loaded, to bootstrap
myself. (I think I had a problem like that, while doing something
in 7.04 a couple years ago.)

If I "upgraded" to Ubuntu 13, there is a repository, but Ubuntu 13 uses
PulseAudio (an "improvement"). PulseAudio broke the sound in TVTime.
No developer wanted to fix the sound subsystem (the job probably
isn't all that difficult, if you had a basic understanding of how
to port ALSA applications to PulseAudio - I don't). Now, when I visit the
Repository of UBuntu 13, download TVTime, I get video but no sound.

Such is the nature of Linux.

The only thing that works in Linux, is the "new and shiny".

I'm not one for listening to music on the computer that much, but
a number of other PulseAudio issues, ****ed off music fans when
PulseAudio came out. Like someone's favorite player no longer
working right.

Similar "improvements" came out with a certain system bus implementation.
At one time, hardware was discovered and actually worked. It was
replaced by some other thing, that yes, it did discover hardware.
But, that new subsystem could die, leaving you with a non-working
keyboard and mouse in the middle of a session. (No, plugging in
another keyboard or mouse will not help.) Resetting your Linux box is
fine, with a journaled file system, so at least you won't be
hurting anything when your reset button is the only working
control input.

The single biggest threat to Ubuntu lovers right now, is the
plan to replace XWindows as the underlying GUI. I can imagine
the carnage in the 15000 app Repository now :-( Maybe, a TVTime
with no video or audio :-( But I bet it would still be in the
Repository.

Ubuntu is popular, which is why it comes up in conversations.
But you don't have to chase whatever Shuttleworth comes up with,
in terms of strategies. All that is needed, is an alternative
distro, with user control. Such a distro was Gentoo, but it
seems to be missing a certain polish these days, and I wouldn't
dare suggest it as an alternative to anyone. The first time
I used it, the install went fault-free (if you could follow
a well written recipe, you could do it for yourself). Everything
worked. Now, the dependency issues in the software, are a nightmare.
The beauty of Gentoo, is I can turn off PulseAudio at build
time, and have a working TVTime. That's the beauty of Gentoo.
Everything is built from source, while you watch. It might
take ten to fifteen hours of compiling, to build a working
desktop onto an empty hard drive. And your TVTime could
have ALSA if it wanted. No need to fix it.

*******

As for the "download an ISO, burn a CD", you can actually
order copies of Linux CDs (or DVDs). This would be an option
for people not on broadband. In some cases, there are shops
on the Internet that carry more than one distro.

http://shop.canonical.com/index.php?cPath=17

As an example of that, I bought a FreeBSD release a number
of years ago, and a box of CDs was shipped from a supplier,
all ready to go (I got install and source in the box). So
you don't have to struggle, to get installer media. There's
always someone out there somewhere, who'll do it for you.

Paul
  #37  
Old August 1st 13, 09:10 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-8
dadiOH[_2_]
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Posts: 1,020
Default Help for Neighbor?

"Juan Wei" wrote in message

dadiOH has written on 8/1/2013 5:12 AM:
"Juan Wei" wrote in message

I just saw this on a Windows mailing list:

A neighbor had a serious senior moment yesterday and
let Global Techs PC Support have remote access to her
Win 8 HP laptop for a couple of hours.

She realized the error of her ways, contacted her
credit card companies, banks, etc.; changed all her
passwords; called one of the major credit reporting
agencies; and so on.

Her son, who is a rocket scientist, told her that they
could have planted any number of undetectable
"devices" on her machine and that, even if she does a
Win 8 factory reset, there's no guarantee that doing
that would remove all of the devices. I assume he's
talking about "ordinary" malware so she's going to
have him call me so I can get a better idea of what
he's concerned about.

At this point, she's frightened of even turning it on.

What would you do if you were faced with this
computer? Win 8 reset? Nuke and pave? Something else?

I don't know what anti-malware she has on the machine
-- whatever comes with a new HP laptop, I presume,
plus perhaps "Norton Security Suite" as provided by
her ISP.

Thanks.


Why does she think that employees of what appears to be
a legitimate company which she hired did anything to
compromise her computer or the data on it?


I think they are a well-known scam outfit. I mean, who
calls you and offers to fix your computer because they've
seen so many error messages?


Apparently, not the one I found via Google.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

Winters getting colder? Tired of the rat race?
Taxes out of hand? Maybe just ready for a change?
Check it out... http://www.floridaloghouse.net


  #38  
Old August 1st 13, 09:25 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-8
Paul
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Posts: 18,275
Default Help for Neighbor?

Juan Wei wrote:


What if they had installed malware in the BIOS or MBR?


You can always contact tech support, and see if they'll make
an effort to send the original BIOS to you as a flasher.

Or, you could try an authorized service center.

If the BIOS chip is socketed, that gives more options
for solving the problem (get someone to ship a
replacement BIOS chip that plugs in). On modern systems,
the BIOS may be an eight pin DIP (serial EEPROM).

You could even look for a replacement motherboard on
Ebay, if you got desperate (motherboard from a smashed laptop).
As long as the BIOS chip is intact, you might be able to
move it over. It is easier if the thing is socketed,
versus soldered into place.

But I'd start with the tech support of the manufacturer
first. As they might have something they could email to you
as an attachment.

*******

The MBR isn't a problem, as you can pull the hard drive,
slave it to another computer (as a non-boot drive), and
just erase it. That's if your plan was to start from
scratch. Then, put it back into the machine.

Paul
  #39  
Old August 1st 13, 09:37 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-8
Ken Blake[_4_]
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Posts: 3,318
Default Help for Neighbor?

On Thu, 01 Aug 2013 13:23:41 -0400, Juan Wei
wrote:

Bob Henson has written on 8/1/2013 11:33 AM:

Therein lies the problem with Linux too, though - there are more distros
and desktops than there are functional programs to use. All the familiar
programs that everyone wants to use only run on Windows. No video editor
(that works well), no Microsoft office, no latest games, the list is
endless.


Have you tried to get a decent Spider Solitaire for Win 8????



If, by "decent" you mean the one that was in Windows 7, how to get it
back isn't well known, but getting back all the Windows 7 games isn't
difficult. Read he

http://www.howtogeek.com/122145/what...pai gn=200812

--
Ken Blake
  #40  
Old August 1st 13, 09:50 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-8
Chris S.[_4_]
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Posts: 141
Default Help for Neighbor?


"Bob Henson" wrote in message
...
Juan Wei wrote:

Bob Henson has written on 8/1/2013 2:07 PM:
Juan Wei wrote:

Bob Henson has written on 8/1/2013 11:33 AM:

Therein lies the problem with Linux too, though - there are more
distros
and desktops than there are functional programs to use. All the
familiar
programs that everyone wants to use only run on Windows. No video
editor
(that works well), no Microsoft office, no latest games, the list is
endless.

Have you tried to get a decent Spider Solitaire for Win 8????

No - but then I don't use Windows 8. I only have a test version so I can
learn about the pitfalls. I come across Windows 8 in my volunteer work,
so
I like to know my way round it - that's why I read this group. I use
Windows 7 mainly and will do so indefinitely now - it will still be
around
when I'm long gone. I use, and like, Linux Mint and Debian too, but
they're
very limited as to what they can do.


What are their limitations?


There are so many desktop software applications that just don't exist
under
Linux, that it is completely unusable for commercial purposes, and most
domestic. It's easier to say what it *can* do, apart from running servers
which it does, of course, exceptionally well - much of the Internet relies
on Linux. Most Linux distros are fairly stable and safe, but no more
stable
than Windows 7 - recent attempts to become modern and trendy have made it
much less stable, certainly the UIs anyway. The safety aspects are
over-rated - if it was used as much as Windows a lot of that apparent
safety would disappear as it would then become more of a target to the
crooks. With LibreOffice it can handle most office functions, but it is
not
fully Microsoft office compatible, which rules it out for many businesses
who require that. It will handle e-mail and web browsing as well as
Windows
if you use the same programs - Thunderbird, Firefox etc. The Linux e-mail
and browsing software programs are largely clunky, old-fashioned and
quirky, albeit they work.

Other than that it cannot vaguely compete with the better Windows
software.
It has one good photo manipulation program but it is so weird to use that
most don't even try to use it. I doesn't have a good video editing suite.
If you want to play modern well-known games - forget it, there aren't any.
There isn't any decent backup software. Networking is for the geek - very
tricky to set up by the average user. Connecting and synchronising a phone
is for the real expert, as is plugging in a mobile broadband dongle and
getting on line with it. Most firms use specialist software of some kind -
much of which doesn't exist at all under Linux.

What it does, it does well - it's just very limited as to software
availability and hence what it can do - like a Mac, but much, much worse.

--

Well said! And without emotion! Excellent!
+77

Chris

  #41  
Old August 1st 13, 10:01 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-8
Ken Blake[_4_]
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Posts: 3,318
Default Help for Neighbor?

On Thu, 01 Aug 2013 11:51:22 -0600, Ken Springer
wrote:

I just don't understand the idea that you *have* to have MS Office,
Adobe Photoshop, Corel Draw, etc. And it frustrates me to no end! LOL



With some exceptions, I by and large agree with you. But see below.


Unless a program has a specific function/feature you need, there are a
myriad of programs out there that can replace any of those programs.
And many are free and cross platform.



There at least two things about that statement that I don't agree
with:

1. If I have invested a substantial amount of time and trouble
learning how to use a specific program, and learning how to use a new
different one means I would now have to expend a lot of time and
trouble all over again, making a change is not at all attractive.
Photoshop is probably a good example of that.

2. If I have a history of data in some particular format and there is
no other program that can read and use it properly, I would never want
to make a change. My Quicken history is what I have in mind.

I don't know what Linux programs are available and what they can do
and what they can't do. Perhaps my examples of Photoshop and Quicken
aren't good ones, and there are Linux replacements that would satisfy
me. But they were only meant as examples of my points. They might be
poor examples, but if so, there are undoubtedly other good ones.


No one *needs* a specific program.



Generally true, but we are all different, and that doesn't apply to
everyone. Some people, for all practical purposes, do need a specific
program.


All that is needed is for the
program you are using to have the features you need/want, and to be able
to read the other guy's files.



Those are the main things that are needed, but they are not all. See
above.


Look at the logical end... If it got to the point where MS Word was the
only word processor available anywhere. MS could make all kinds of
changes you don't like, bugs they never fix, etc. Now what's your option?



I'm not at all a big fan of Microsoft Word. Instead I use WordPerfect,
and I think it's a much better program. But I also know that a good
part of my thinking WordPerfect is much better is that it's what I
know the best and am most familiar with. If I were forced to make a
change (for example, by changing operating systems), I would be a very
unhappy camper


One thing I'm beginning to relearn from my 8-bit days, you simply have
to find and try out different programs that do a particular category of
work (i.e. word processors) until you find the one that does what you
need, and fits you.



On that statement, I'm with you 100% We all have different needs and
different tastes, and what's best for one of us isn't necessarily the
best for all of us.


Mac OS X 10.8.4
Firefox 22.0
Thunderbird 17.0.7
LibreOffice 4.0.4.2



As an example of what I said in the last paragraph above, I don't use
any of those. We are completely different here. And that's fine--those
might be best for you, but they are not what's best for me. Neither of
us is right; we are just different. Here are my equivalents

Windows 8
Maxthon 3 (but I've been leaning toward SlimBrowser and may
switch over to it)
Microsoft Outlook 2013 for e-mail, Forte Agent 6.00 for a newsreader
WordPerfect X6 for a word processor, Microsoft Office 2013 for most
other Office functions

--
Ken Blake
  #42  
Old August 1st 13, 10:06 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-8
Ken Blake[_4_]
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Posts: 3,318
Default Help for Neighbor?

On Thu, 1 Aug 2013 17:32:03 +0000 (UTC), Dave
wrote:

I've seen this when someone asked me for help. Although the person
involved denied having done something while online, I didn't believe her.
This type of call is common, I believe they simply want some money,


It may be that they simply want money. Or it may be that some of them
simply want money and others want to install malware, key loggers,
etc. Or maybe they all want to install such things.

I don't know for sure what they do, but my advice to anyone who let
such a person into their computer is to do a clean Windows
reinstallation and change all your passwords. The risk of not doing it
is too great; it's playing with fire.

--
Ken Blake
  #43  
Old August 1st 13, 10:08 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-8
Chris S.[_4_]
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Posts: 141
Default Help for Neighbor?


"Gene E. Bloch" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 1 Aug 2013 05:12:13 -0400, dadiOH wrote:

Why does she think that employees of what appears to be a legitimate
company
which she hired did anything to compromise her computer or the data on
it?


Part of the success of the scammers is that to a naive user they can
"appear to be a legitimate company".

--
Gene E. Bloch (Stumbling Bloch)


dadiOh seems to fall rather squarely into that category....

Chris

  #44  
Old August 1st 13, 10:44 PM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-8
ray carter
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Posts: 140
Default Help for Neighbor?

On Thu, 01 Aug 2013 16:04:46 -0400, Paul wrote:

ray carter wrote:
On Wed, 31 Jul 2013 20:29:54 -0400, Juan Wei wrote:

ray carter has written on 7/31/2013 8:21 PM:
What I would do - would be to install Debian. YMMV


Why Debian over the others, say Ubuntu?


I like the stability and the fact that release cycles are longer.


"release cycles" - part of that, is the availability of working
repositories.

When a "release" is no longer supported, they turn off the repository.
The repository holds 15000 applications, for immediate download
(binaries) via a package manager.


With the Debian 'cycle' usually coming in at a few years, you can really
run one version for quite a long time - and the repositories are there
for quite a while after the next version is released. Similarly, with
Ubuntu (which I don't really care for) if you stick to the LTS (Long Term
Support) versions, they will likewise go for quite a while.


It wouldn't cost anything, to leave those repositories running.
I expect there are a few users, who would like that. They mumble about
"security", but I think that's up to the users to decide.

If you didn't have a repository, you'd have to build from scratch
(assuming you could find a source snapshot from the same point in time).

I'll give an example of why this might be important.

I have a Ubuntu (7.04 or so) CD. At the time, if I installed that,
I would be able to download a working copy of TVTime application.
It takes my BT878 TV tuner card, and allows me to watch TV in Linux. It
has both working sound and video. Sound is via ALSA.

Now, roll forward to Ubuntu 11-13 range. UBuntu 7.04 repository is
turned off. If I install 7.04 today, I could not get a copy of TVTime.
I might not even have enough developer tools loaded, to bootstrap
myself. (I think I had a problem like that, while doing something in
7.04 a couple years ago.)


Why would you want to install a six year old version now? A lot has
changed in terms of hardware support and abilities.


If I "upgraded" to Ubuntu 13, there is a repository, but Ubuntu 13 uses
PulseAudio (an "improvement"). PulseAudio broke the sound in TVTime.
No developer wanted to fix the sound subsystem (the job probably isn't
all that difficult, if you had a basic understanding of how to port ALSA
applications to PulseAudio - I don't). Now, when I visit the Repository
of UBuntu 13, download TVTime, I get video but no sound.

Such is the nature of Linux.

The only thing that works in Linux, is the "new and shiny".

I'm not one for listening to music on the computer that much, but a
number of other PulseAudio issues, ****ed off music fans when PulseAudio
came out. Like someone's favorite player no longer working right.

Similar "improvements" came out with a certain system bus
implementation.
At one time, hardware was discovered and actually worked. It was
replaced by some other thing, that yes, it did discover hardware.
But, that new subsystem could die, leaving you with a non-working
keyboard and mouse in the middle of a session. (No, plugging in another
keyboard or mouse will not help.) Resetting your Linux box is fine, with
a journaled file system, so at least you won't be hurting anything when
your reset button is the only working control input.

The single biggest threat to Ubuntu lovers right now, is the plan to
replace XWindows as the underlying GUI. I can imagine the carnage in the
15000 app Repository now :-( Maybe, a TVTime with no video or audio :-(
But I bet it would still be in the Repository.


I thought we were talking about Debian. Another reason I don't care for
Ubuntu is their propensity to take off on their own with regard to
desktop development.


Ubuntu is popular, which is why it comes up in conversations.
But you don't have to chase whatever Shuttleworth comes up with,
in terms of strategies. All that is needed, is an alternative distro,
with user control. Such a distro was Gentoo, but it seems to be missing
a certain polish these days, and I wouldn't dare suggest it as an
alternative to anyone. The first time I used it, the install went
fault-free (if you could follow a well written recipe, you could do it
for yourself). Everything worked. Now, the dependency issues in the
software, are a nightmare.
The beauty of Gentoo, is I can turn off PulseAudio at build time, and
have a working TVTime. That's the beauty of Gentoo.
Everything is built from source, while you watch. It might take ten to
fifteen hours of compiling, to build a working desktop onto an empty
hard drive. And your TVTime could have ALSA if it wanted. No need to fix
it.

*******

As for the "download an ISO, burn a CD", you can actually order copies
of Linux CDs (or DVDs). This would be an option for people not on
broadband. In some cases, there are shops on the Internet that carry
more than one distro.


One can also do 'net installs' on quite small media or install from a
flash drive.


http://shop.canonical.com/index.php?cPath=17

As an example of that, I bought a FreeBSD release a number of years ago,
and a box of CDs was shipped from a supplier,
all ready to go (I got install and source in the box). So you don't have
to struggle, to get installer media. There's always someone out there
somewhere, who'll do it for you.

Paul


  #45  
Old August 2nd 13, 12:38 AM posted to alt.comp.os.windows-8
Juan Wei
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 553
Default Help for Neighbor?

dadiOH has written on 8/1/2013 4:10 PM:
"Juan Wei" wrote in message

dadiOH has written on 8/1/2013 5:12 AM:
"Juan Wei" wrote in message

I just saw this on a Windows mailing list:

A neighbor had a serious senior moment yesterday and
let Global Techs PC Support have remote access to her
Win 8 HP laptop for a couple of hours.

She realized the error of her ways, contacted her
credit card companies, banks, etc.; changed all her
passwords; called one of the major credit reporting
agencies; and so on.

Her son, who is a rocket scientist, told her that they
could have planted any number of undetectable
"devices" on her machine and that, even if she does a
Win 8 factory reset, there's no guarantee that doing
that would remove all of the devices. I assume he's
talking about "ordinary" malware so she's going to
have him call me so I can get a better idea of what
he's concerned about.

At this point, she's frightened of even turning it on.

What would you do if you were faced with this
computer? Win 8 reset? Nuke and pave? Something else?

I don't know what anti-malware she has on the machine
-- whatever comes with a new HP laptop, I presume,
plus perhaps "Norton Security Suite" as provided by
her ISP.

Thanks.

Why does she think that employees of what appears to be
a legitimate company which she hired did anything to
compromise her computer or the data on it?


I think they are a well-known scam outfit. I mean, who
calls you and offers to fix your computer because they've
seen so many error messages?


Apparently, not the one I found via Google.


Global Techs PC Support has a nice website and appears to be legitimate.

But no one answers either phone.
 




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