Thread: Been given a laptop

I agree snowyskiesau!
I still have to run Windoze on my laptop for some legacy software and connectivity at other sites!
neksmerj!
As a second thought as you already have dual boot operating systems, Hard space permitting, you can always add XP as a third OS.

All's good. My son managed to get the onboard CD drive working. It was disabled in BIOS, who would do that?

After installing a new operating system, it sings along like a beauty. Stuck to the familiar Windows.

Just need to buy a new battery from you know where. Struth, battery prices vary all over the place from $8 to $60.

The really cheap ones make up for it with steep postage, like $40.

I'm happy, thanks guys.

Ken

Well done Ken & Son!

One final question, well, there could be more.

On my main computer, I have AVG free installed, the latest version. I reckon it's grown in complexity, and seems to slow everything down. Might just be my imagination.

What free antivirus software would you recommend for the laptop? If possible, something that doesn't take up a lot of room. My huge hard drive is all of 20MB, massive!

Ken

Originally Posted by neksmerj

My huge hard drive is all of 20MB, massive!

Ken

Should that be 20GB rather than MB. My first hard drive in the 80's was a 10MB, about the size and weight of a house brick, and went into a PC clone to make it effectively an XT clone. Back the 64MB RAM was the norm, 256MB was extreme.

Depending on what you intend doing, you may get by without AV or Windows updates if you just want it as a portable DVD player. Have never heard of commercial DVD's being released with a real virus, though many have copy cheating software installed. If the unit will be off the net and the only removable media it sees is is commercial movie DVD's, it shouldn't be able catch a cold.

Ahhh, I need to clean my gogs.

My laptop HD is 200MB, not 20.

Am having a small problem with Outlook Express. I followed Bigpond's web page advice on setting up an account, and plonked in my favourite password, then clicked finish.

When I click the Send/Recv button, a login dialogue box appears asking for my password. In the password panel, is a row of 8 dots. My password is 8 characters long, so I assume this is my password, and yet, it won't accept it when I click OK.

However, if I click up in the left hand corner on Create Mail, it comes up with a dialogue box asking for "To" "CC" and "Subject". I can send an email from there no worries.

What have I done wrong?

Ken

Originally Posted by neksmerj

Ahhh, I need to clean my gogs.

My laptop HD is 200MB, not 20.

Jeez that is one old laptop - 200mb - I am surprised xp even installed ! Are you sure it's not GB after either 20 or 200?

Yeh, it's one tenth my age I reckon.

Another problem, I can't use it to look at DVD's. I guess it's so old, drive D can only read CD's.

Just my luck, par for the course.

'Spose, if nothing else, I've got a back up computer.

Ken

Originally Posted by neksmerj

Yeh, it's one tenth my age I reckon.

Another problem, I can't use it to look at DVD's. I guess it's so old, drive D can only read CD's.

Just my luck, par for the course.

'Spose, if nothing else, I've got a back up computer.

Ken

It's an antique Ken, might be worth something one day. At the present time, I wouldn't go to the expense of a new battery. Don't worry about not being able to play DVDs ; they would have came out in Black and White. Nevertheless its a fun thing and same as you say, its a back up. Good luck with it.

Found your PM Ken and have found the post re Outlook Express.

Going back to the desktop saga, there was a time when you were having issues with setting up OE on your son's computer and had Bigpond tech support geared up to reset the password for your account. You decided not to proceed when you discovered that this would reset the internet connection account password as well as the email password and you would need to change the password stored in the ADSL modem.

Subsequently you have replaced the power supply in the desktop, replaced the CMOS battery a second time and reset the bios to overcome problems with the unit stating on its own.

You have continued to connect to WWF (presumably from that computer) so I assume you have internet and email access from it. If you did not have to reset passwords in the modem and email system, then Bigpond have not reset your password and the original should hold.

In the earlier posts I suggested to make sure that you had the correct domain (.com .net .com.au etc) entered into the OE login data. That still holds true. Munrobben had sent an email outlining steps to try and recover the password from the hard disk of the desktop machine. This procedure may or may not help, I don't know because you recieved the info not me. Beyond that the last option would be a Bigpond password reset (both computer mail programs and modem would need to have the appropriate passwords changed).

Re current email via laptop situation, sending email does not require a password or ID at the mail server, so an incorrect password won't affect sending mail. However to retrieve mail from the server , OE needs the account username and password to access the server mail.

If you are tied into a 200MB drive and a CD player, I can toss in a 13GB 2.5in IDE drive and a Dell internal DVD player/CD reader/writer from redundant gear if you want.

Hi Malb,

Nicely summarised, have had a few issues eh?

With respect to the laptop, it has never been connected to the internet, according to the previous owner. Therefore, there won't be any secret passwords hidden away.

When setting up OE on the laptop, I duplicated all the info that I use on my desktop. I'm not asked for a password when using the desktop, so it's got me buggered why it asks for the password when using the laptop.

I accept your offer of redundant gear, upgrading would give me something that was useful.

What do you suggest I do next?

PS, just discovered an OE password recovery program, and ran it. It came up with a password I had forgotten about. Putting the amended password into the laptop made absolutely no difference.

It still keeps asking for a bloody password.

Ken

When I mentioned the Munrobben method of password recovery, I was anticipating using it on your desktop to recover the password in OE there, rather than the laptop. Same would apply for password recovery program you have found.

The other really dumb question, are you ticking the remember password square below where you type the password when you set up the account. If not, there will not be a permanent record of the password, and OE will ask you to enter it every time the mail server requires it, ie each time it tries to download mail.

There is no indication of the recovrery program you downloaded, but I have had a hunt and downloaded a few. Most have claimed to be free, and can locate stuff, but won't give up the password till you cough up cash. This one is compact and works on my systems and does not ask for cash before it delivers results. I have scanned it as virus free with avg.

If nothing else works, download it to the desktop, install it and run it. it will provide the password which you then enter into the laptop.

Re surplus bits, PM me address and phone no and I will arrange a suitable time and drop them off for you. Can your son be prevailed upon to do the install, or should I allow time for that as well. CD to DVD should be just a case of pressing the release on the drive caddy, sliding out the CD sliding in the DVD and re-engaging the lock. Hard disk will involve small tools to open drive coverplate, remove drive,swap drives in mount and replace, Bios check to make sure that the disk is correctly ID'd, then reloading windows.Used to both operations on C610 and higher machines and anticipate the same for C600.

Hi Malb,

Your latest post came in whilst I was preparing a PM to you, so they have crossed paths. Will send another PM with my address details etc.
In the mean time, I'll try your link.

Ken

Hi Malb,

New PM sent.

I tried that link for password recovery. The program downloaded and installed ok, however when I click for the password, the program shuts down and disappears. Did you try it?

Ken