toedder: as in the motherboard... but from you've said it looks like no problems.

toedder: I have an XP. I can try it out with that computer. Can I just download ubuntu and run it or do I have to reformat first?

MadMonkey: what's a dual boot?

Artful Dodger: Dual boot is installing the 2 system along side each other> when you install Ubuntu it will ask you all the questions, as in do you want to format the disk and just have Ubuntu OR Install Ubuntu along side Windows. Once that is done, your computer will ask you when you turn it on which system you would like to run. The best thing is Ubuntu will let you access any files you have stored in Windows. Sadly Window will not do the same with Ubuntu, well i have not found a way yet lol, maybe toedder knows.

MadMonkey: Cool. So can I just download and install from the hard drive or should I put ubuntu on a disk and install that way?

Download and burn to disc is the easiest path. There does exist an installer for Windows, but it won't result in a full featured install, and will generally result in a less stable system. So just burning a CD is the "standard" way. If you have a few GB of space on your hard drive, the installer should be able to just resize your windows partition and install Ubuntu on the free space.

Re: accessing Linux file systems from Windows: there exists a Windows driver for ext2 file systems, and I think two file managers that will do the same. As far as I know, none of them have decent write support. Your best bet is to either dedicate a partition to shared data and format that in FAT (or NTFS, which will need a little tinkering, but nothing too hard), or to use external drives for sharing data between the systems. On my one system that still contains a WIndows installation, I have a FAT partition and link to them from my home folders. Of course it comes with all the disadvantages of those file systems. With FAT you have no security whatsoever. With NTFS you rely on a poorly documented file system. For instance, you won't be able to access the data on NTFS partitions after hibernating your Windows system.

Ehm, I meant to say that they DO have write support - just not for ext3, which is what you will want to be using. Ext2 is outdated.

toedder: .... or use as I have a 2nd HD? As to the tinkering, can you be a little more precise. I'm not unuse to tinkering, but I'd rather be a bit fore warned over what I might face.

toedder: ok, so far so good. Have burned the image file and tested it. Works. I need about 4.4 gigs (as per instructions on the disk) and have that and plenty. Installing alongside Windows for the moment. Then we'll see. What can possibly go wrong?

(V): The default for NTFS partitions is that they are mounted in read-only, and with root as the owner, and you will have to change that in order to seamlessly read and write to it. I was just about to start typing out a guide, but I see that of course the Ubuntu documentation has one: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/MountingWindowsPartitions - it's actually pretty easy, just that it doesn't work "out of the box". If you have trouble with that or are unsure of details, just ask here :)

And yeah, it obv doesn't matter whether you use just a separate partition or another HD alltogether.

Artful Dodger: Yeah, what could go wrong :D I'd reserve a little more space than that to account for installed applications and app data, but 8-10 GB should be plenty to start with. Of course you can start out small - you can always load the LiveCD and load parted or the GUI version gparted (parted = partition editor) to resize later as you see fit. Congratulations and enjoy your Linux! :-)

toedder: I currently have 91 gigs to play with. :)

Do I have to do something special with Ubuntu to get it to recognize the wireless system?

Usually not. On my laptop I have some Intel stuff which was supported out of the box. On my desktop I used a wireless USB adapter/stick, and Ubuntu told me that there were proprietary drivers to install. Does it not work for you?

toedder: Not yet, I'll check it again.

toedder: A friend had Ubuntu installed and I couldn't get it to work for him. Now when I install the disk (actually I chose the "try" option, the first thing I get is an error message "Analog Input Cannot display this video mode"

I can see the different pull down menus but if I chose something, nothing happens and the background flickers. It's not an old computer (within 5 years) and runs XP fine. I suppose I have to play with the bios settings or something else over my head?

Hm, that doesn't sound like BIOS. Iyam that sounds like the message is spit out by the display itself (the wording of the message, particularly "input" indicate so). I don't have a Ubuntu CD handy here, so I can't tell - is there a menu for video mode, i.e. resolution + refresh rate?

toedder: There is a menu and I tried it but nothing. Maybe I'll try the older Ubuntu and see if there's a difference.

windows 7 with windows live mail...am getting this error when trying to send an email with a pic attached..0x8ccc0003...can anybody help as to why this would happen? and how to fix it?

Bernice: when in doubt, google

So far no luck. entering 0x8ccc0003 into the search, I get a zillion hits, but all of then questions which is just a consolation since it seems you're not alone with the problem.

rabbitoid: I did google :( no answers tho :(

Bernice: No answers, but a lot of questions. Welcome to yahoo, google, or any other mail provider who's actually answering questions.

Bernice: Take a look here: http://windowslivehelp.com/thread.aspx?threadid=780d83c9-dd37-467b-a1f6-8b469fb5828e

You just need to scroll past the understandable ranting of disgusted customers and the terrible answers by Microsoft support staff - you'll find an answer from "Windows Live John Dominic U.", that apparently helped out the guys in that thread that had that problem. Cliff notes: when sending an email, WLM assumes, that you use Hotmail anyway, because that's just how MS rolls, and creates an album online. Now when you don't use Hotmail or w/e MS ****, then that step fails, and it produces the error number you get, for which apparently 90% of MS staff can't tell what it means. The solution is to send it as an attachment instead of inline - or so I guess, I mainly skimmed that thread. But following that guy's guidelines seems to help.

toedder: thank you so much :)

I was thinking about getting an ipad. Can anyone tell me if brainking works ok using an ipad?

Justaminute: It should. The iPad uses the Safari web browser by default, which works fine for BrainKing (as for almost any site without Flash). I don't know if it's a special version, like on the iPhone (?), but BrainKing has not been a problem for me to use on any mobile device that had the capacity to run a modern full featured browser. I even use it on my phone with Opera Mobile. Seeing how big the iPad's screen is, using BrainKing on it should be very enjoyable :)

toedder: Thank you

my g/f has a little Mini HP laptop pc and the other night it went nuts and wouldnt do anything...so tday it says it has NO INTERNET CONNECTION...there is NOT even any internet icon at bottom...what does she have to do to get it so it will hook up??? also when it is loading other stuff like on the desk top it freezes and brings up numerious help pop ups and locks up and she has to keep re booting it and then same thing again and again

BadBoy7: Without actually seeing what it is saying, it sounds like Malware has infected the machine.

If you cant get on the internet then you have problems, unless you can download onto a flash drive and plug that in. You need to run Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware. If that is not an option, try to take anything important off the pc and do a system restore. Personally i would take it back to factory settings and start fresh.

This is just another reason not to use Windows lol

MadMonkey: when it got a trojan worm i ran Iobit malware Fighter and it found it and i quarentined it be4 that i had Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware but after the trojan it disabled it and wont let me run that 1...it also wont let me put up my firewall or any security..it even locked up and stopped my anti virus AVAST and not it is saying there is NO internet thingy so it wont conect to the internet to be able to re download any anti virus says something about the internet being disabled

BadBoy7: Are you actually getting any Anti virus or Malware messages ?


If so and you have a flash drive and internet access anywhere, download and run Remove Fake Anti Virus.

Sadly, these problems are really hard to solve unless you actually see the screen

MadMonkey: it don't have any internet connection...my pc mechanic told me he thinks it wiped win-sock out cause there's not even any sound audio in it now

BadBoy7: Sorry abou tthe delay, my Modem blew up so not been about

Like i said, it seems pretty bad, but without seeing it (and your along way from me lol)its hard to tell. When things starting geting bad, sometimes you can create more problems by trying to fix the ones you have. My advie would be to Format it & re-instal Windows (or take it back to Factory settings if possible)

BadBoy7: These are the options I try.

Try going back to an earlier restore point. The option to restore to an earlier saved stable operating system can work .. you should find it through the control panel.

If not... You can try repair windows.. ie boot via your windows cd and attempt a repair.

I'd say try reinstalling the drivers for the laptop re the internet/ethernet, etc via another pc and reinstall them... but it sounds like it's too far gone for that.

Format and reinstall windows via your windows cd is probably the best idea.

(V): Yes and it can save a lot of hassle in the end. Start with a new clean system

MadMonkey: Had no choice the other day. Bought an HD and had to install windows. But now the drive keeps up with the rest of me beastie lol

can anybody tell me how I can save a pic for backgrounds to emails??? Im using the OE ;)

Just tried to sell me an extended warranty for 219.00. That's for one year and that's a discounted price. Usually it's over 300. Mind you I only paid 450 for the computer to begin with.

That is just a measure of the confidence the seller has in his product. He's he says that there's a 219:450 chance that his product will go bust before the period is over :)

Artful Dodger: They have a word for these extended warranties in the UK...

CON JOB.

All products are made to last years, usually in electronics at least 5-6

All products are made to last years

really?????


whatever happened to the "Disposable Society"

Bernice: It was disposed of as being not very long lived.

And yes.. really. People tend to get annoyed (well normal people) if their items tend to break just a few months after the manufacturers statuary 1 year guarantee ends. Plus the likelihood of a breakdown within this 1 year increases. Costly to the manufacturer in terms of having to replace goods within the one year, n' costly in terms of reputation regarding quality.

rabbitoid: lol, true. And I think V is right: it's a con. They don't sell those policies except for the fact that they can make lots of money on them.

Artful Dodger: you think V is right?...................W O W

Bernice: shhhhhh, not so loud!

Artful Dodger: So say all the consumer experts. N' our UK regulatory body called "Trading Standards" recon goods should last about 6 years at least. Well, that is what I was told during a telephone convo.

(V): This week my TV (only 3.5 years old) lost the ability to power on.  I didn't opt for any extended warranty; the original warranty expired a couple of years ago.  But the manufacturer--through a subcontractor, I think--is going to make the repair in my home, and free of charge.  A not-so-small miracle!

wetware: I got Microsoft to send a Windows disk free of charge to us. They made it that a certain laptop manufacturer could not issue such for reinstalling Windows if the likes of a virus overrun or hard disk failure. All I had to do was email a copy of the document I got off the manufacturer.

(V): and Amazon just sent me a new "kindle" e-reader for free. I broke mine, stepped on it. They didnt even ask me to send my device back.

diogenysos: did you buy the warranty? if you did that's why you didn't have to send it back. amazon will replace it one time. i love the kindle and i bought the warranty and i'm glad to hear that they replaced it.