Tuesday, May 22, 2012

OOBE and Desktop Support


I'm doing something we call "Desktop Support" this week.

It isn't strictly speaking, Desktop Support since I am working with some 5 year old laptops, but the discipline is the same.

When Kevin came back from Key West, he brought back two computers that needed some help from someone who I do some occasional work for. A friend and in this case a client. He gets these machines about every six months and when I go down there, I set them right. I don't mind helping him out since we've known each other for quite a while.

It was easier this way since he's due to come up here - or I'm due to go down there soon. I could use a week off my quirky little island, and Key West is a fascinating place, although it's losing a lot of that wonderful Conch flavor since the locals are being edged out and it's changing into a combination "1% and day tripper" compound.

The first computer wouldn't see the internet. I fixed that in five minutes - the little switch that controls Wifi was turned off. After I updated antivirus to Microsoft Security Essentials, and all the software, it's been set aside. Got to do all this sitting in my comfy chair while watching the TV.

The second one was the trial. It may or may not have a bad hard drive on it. Starting the machine took about a half hour and then it would go "zombie" on me. Meaning it would forget it was a computer and just not do much other than run the clock and make the mouse move very slowly. I was able to grab the personal items from it and put them on the other laptop so the decision was made to completely reload this beast.

See that is where the Desktop Support comes in. It's a 17 inch monster that will level your tables and hold down papers in a hurricane.

It also needed me to start it on its way for that reload.

5:30AM I was up, clicking on the button saying "Next" to load Windows Vista onto the hard drive before going out for the dog walk.

Yes, Windows Vista. Every Tech Guy's least favorite current operating system.

Oddly it seems to be taking to that machine fairly well. The load took about the same time as it took me to walk Lettie, feed both her and myself, then sit down with the coffee to click through some buttons.

The problem is that I had the "Oobe Experience".

I'm not used to home computers. I have never actually gone to a store and bought a computer retail. I've always gotten computers meant for the "corporate" market which means the extra software that was installed was a minimum.

This is an HP and apparently HP is well known for putting "crapware" on their computers.

Or at least they did when I started with this HP a year ago.

When you load a computer with a "retail" or "OEM" copy of windows, you get just the operating system. Period.

When you get a computer from the store meant for the home market you get all sorts of icons on the desktop that the manufacturer was paid to put there by the website or software company.

When that computer gets to me, I remove them all. No questions, they're gone.

Why? Well all that crapware takes up space and slows you down.

When I started the computer the first time this morning, I didn't expect it to even work, after all I suspect that the hard drive is failing. It took me about 30 minutes to come up to a desktop since all those pieces of software were coming up, demanding attention, begging for my contact information, and generally being a nuisance.

I'll be removing all of that later. Toolbars on browsers first, since we all seem to live with browsers and the operating system is more of a background thing. I'll be getting rid of Norton, Ebay, HP Games, MSN, Sling Box, Microsoft Office Trial, and a few others.

After all, it's Vista. If you want to speed up a Vista computer, here's a hint - remove it and install Windows XP or Windows 7 depending on how comfortable you are with either. I'd say Windows 7 since I've grown to like it but I know of a few folks who still have XP and don't want to change.

If it becomes mine, it's getting LinuxCentOS or Ubuntu are excellent choices, and I could use a proper Linux Server here.

One more "helpful hint". When you are installing new software, always, I mean ALWAYS, take the "expert" or "Advanced" or "Custom" install. You will find out that you have the choice to not have the "Ask Toolbar" or the "Yahoo Toolbar" or the "Google Toolbar" added to your browser. They just slow you down and spy on what ever you are doing anyway - you simply do NOT need them.

Now why the video of the little lamb?

 It's cute. Enjoy.

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