So, I get the new computer unboxed, put the stand on, pull the old monitor and computer out, vacuum most of the dust bunnies from that area, all nice and clean, set up the new computer, plug it in and start it up. The monitor keeps going black. Huh? What the hell? I finally unplugged it from where it was plugged in (to a battery back up system) and used a heavy duty extension cord for a plug in across the room. No more problems. Okay, we'll have to find a more convenient outlet to run this thing.
Then there was the installation of the mouse and keyboard. No place was it mentioned that it was a unifying receiver, one that took information from both the mouse and keyboard. I kept looking for the dongle for the keyboard, but there wasn't an additional one, it was with the mouse dongle. So, very few cables on his side of the desk now.
Cortana kind of surprised me. When she started talking, I about jumped out of my skin. But I must say, the speakers on this system aren't half bad.
For some reason, the DVD drive won't open, it opened earlier but won't now. Not really a problem at this point, I have a bunch of portable DVD drives that I got when I used to make the Disney movies after the meets. I can just plug one into a back USB port and leave it. If anything else goes wrong, then we'll address it. We have a four year warranty on it (Costco concierge automatically doubles the standard warranty and I don't know if it's a seasonal thing, but then doubled the warranty that they usually have, so four years).
I installed Paint Shop Pro X7 from a DVD, that I got back in 2002. Guess what? When it checked for an update, it updated to a version that came out in 2014! Checking, I also purchased the newer upgraded version for cheap in 2016, so....it's not like I'm getting something for nothing. Anyway, I think it will be a lot easier for Brian to manage his photos now. The application is a lot more user friendly. He doesn't edit much, just resizes.
I went into his email and sent some test mails to myself, with attachments (that's why the photos are important; he wants the potential customer to see what they'd be getting, how well they're made....and also, he told me later, when they go someplace cheaper and compare what they got with what he makes, they'll understand why his cost more). It kept trying to pull the photos from onedrive, what the hell is onedrive? I check on it, nope, don't need access to his photos from everywhere in the world, I can do that with my NAS. It would only serve to confuse him.
Fortunately, on this system, it can be uninstalled and it is.
I don't know if I mentioned it here, but I had a problem with his old computer, which is destined for a new home, a long way from here. When I plugged an external hard drive in to back up the info on that computer to transfer to the new computer, the blue thing in the front USB i/o port broke. And neither port would work and there was a strong probability of shorting out the computer. I spent a week looking for a replacement part.
First place I bought it from was a scammer. Supposedly was sent out on the 20th of last month, I should have had it Saturday, the 22nd. Nope. I contacted them Monday. "Oh, the post office damaged it, we're getting a replacement tomorrow, I'll send new shipping info". I waited until Thursday and nothing. I contacted them, they blew me off. I put in a dispute with my bank. Then I found another place, with shipping it was almost a hundred bucks, but I wanted that part. I ordered it, then got a notice from them that they cancelled the order, the part was on backorder, didn't know when it would be in.
I went over to the Meh forums, I know people there work with computers and posed my question. Where to find this part. And someone found it on eBay. I checked it out and it was only $28, so I went for it. Supposedly brand new. Of course, I was a little nervous about it, it said it was for a different computer than mine and looking at the specs for that computer, this part would never work in my system. And the number was different. I paid with PayPal so knew I'd have some recourse if it was wrong.
It got here Saturday. It was right! And the number was right! I took the old computer back to Brian's shop this morning, blew all of the dust and stuff out with his compressor, came back in and the old part came out smoothly and the new part went in smoothly. I put the front and side back on, took that and the old monitor into the kitchen, plugged them in and we have working USB 3.0 ports on the front! I felt so geeky!
So, I've been going from the kitchen to the office, from the office to the kitchen, looking for files I need for the new system. I'm getting a lot of walking in. lol
Of course, all of this takes time and Brian is antsy. He asked what I wanted for lunch, tuna sammies, I said. He made them, and came back into the office, I tell him "okay, I've got your pictures on the computer, but I don't have it set up for you to access them via your email, so you can't work with them yet."
Him: Oh, but I can do quotes?
Me: Yeah, you can do quotes. But you can't add pictures. (There's a little eye rolling on my side of the room.)
Him: No pictures yet?
Me: What did I tell you?
Him: The pictures weren't ready yet.
He went back out to work on hydraulics.
So, I have a few things left to do, but I don't think I need to install some of the old programs he had. I think using the new Microsoft Edge browser should work nicely. For pop ups and ads (but if it doesn't, I'll install an add blocker). I have to put the security software on it still and maybe Roboform (the old version), but if I can get away with not, just tell him his passwords, the browser software should save them as he goes along.
So, that's what I've been doing this morning. When Brian asked me if I'd done my computer yet, I just looked at him. Really? Are you kidding? "Well, you're just so fast at this." Yeah, nice save, buddy.
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