What a fight!

[Makuser]

After spending an entire week of converting from my old video/graphics crippled Win 7 laptop to a new Win 11 laptop I think that I have all of the changes and bugs worked out. The new computer came with only a one page start up manual is quite different from past versions (even including Win 10). Almost no software comes with it as Windows and Microsoft programs have split apart. I had to learn all new stuff and they don't us the old drop down menus much as they now use goofy symbols. Also, it was a fight to download the Firefox browser so I could sync lots of saved data. Here is the old laptop screen with downsized program windows to make it functional at all, even with recurring page jiggling, multiple screen layers at the bottom and bright white line across the top:

Here is the new laptop screen as I think that I finally achieved the bug fixing this morning (I hope):

I hope to return to a more active status on the forum again now as I have really missed being on here regularly. I am exhausted, had much eyestrain, and little energy left so now I feel like I fit this cartoon:

[Butterfly Maiden]

You were missed on the Forum Marshall.

I hope you have managed to sort everything out to your liking.

Changing over to a new computer can be a nightmare.

[helicon]

I also got a Windows 11 powered HP Laptop recently. The features included by MS are strange for the most part. If you are used to finding your files the old way that is now difficult. Plus the tabloid-oriented news feed is irritating. Downloading other browsers is also a problem (outside Edge). Glad that you are back Marshall.

[messier 111]

Hello Marshall,
Happy to see you again .
funny coincidence, this morning I put a quote # 1617 that will make you ... laugh hopefully, lol

[Ylem]

Glad to see you got it worked out, I no longer have the patience to fight with computers lol.

[John Donne]

I FEEL you Marshall !
There is only one thing I dislike more than fighting a computer...No...I think I am mistaken...there is nothing else.
I am glad you got it sorted...but a new system is sort of like moving into a new house...you are still unpacking a year later...
It is more fun to read your adventure than to be your adventure.

Peace Brother !

[Gordon]

I have so many computers that 'fighting' happens on a regular basis. I don't mind it though as I use is as a 'challenge' to flex my brain..... (or what ever is left of it).

[SkyHiker]

Nothing like encountering the dreaded "Hi!" screen: hours of waiting and many reboots. Congratulations on your laptop, I have to say Windows 10 and 11 work fine for me. You'll get used to it.

[Bigzmey]

I hear you Marshall! After getting used to that Win 10 and Win 11 are OK. I swear though that the main Microsoft goal is to get all of us carpenter syndrome. What used to take one click, now takes 4-5 in new MS Office.

[GCoyote]

I have a love-hate relationship with Micro$oft. I'm just too lazy to learn Linux so I love learning new ways to force Windows (n) to do what I want.
I'm a regular follower of sites like https://askleo.com/ that help you get useful work out of your PC while pretty much ignoring what the marketing department Micro$oft thinks you should be doing.

[Juno16]

Bravo Marshall!
You got it going!

I almost upgraded to Windows 11 on my desktop recently. I enabled TPM in my bios , but pulled back just before the upgrade after reading about the increase in privacy sharing in Windows 11. I’ll just wait a bit longer.

The bigger issue is my imaging laptop (windows 10). It’s about 9 years old and still working great (it doesn’t get used much with my weather!).
Like Gordon @Gordon said, I like challenges, especially with pc software. Great brain exercise.
I will upgrade the desktop sometime soon to Windows 11 only to get ready for setting up a mini pc for imaging.

Like Gcoyote @GCoyote , I toyed with the Linux option, but I grew up on dos and windows and even though it offers a nice gain in Pixinsight processing speed, the view isn’t worth the climb to me.

Good to see you back Marshall!

[gregl]

I recall a Dilbert cartoon where they were sitting around the conference table and one of the characters says, "We need to change the user interface." Another says, "Why would we want to do that?" The first replies, "Because we can."

[pakarinen]

Seems like every new release of Windows is goofier than the previous one, but it's the 900 gorilla so whatcha gonna do?

[Makuser]

Hi all. Thanks for all of the comments (and humor) about my fight setting up the new computer. When I first opened Windows 11 the only two icons were recycle bin and Edge. Also, you can get the Microsoft programs for a one time payment (which doesn't include everything) or an annual subscription, so doing neither was not an option. Using the pin number that I got from Best Buy I got the MS programs downloaded (with more accounts and passwords to write down). I imported and installed my start page into Edge (eliminates all the news feed links on opening) and then used it (and fought) to download Firefox (to which I also installed my start page). Here is the old Win 7 opening screen (a bit blurry using a hand held camera as I guess Windows does not allow a screen shot of the opening page):

It was difficult to find all of the shortcut icons everywhere and put them up. But my goal was to make our new computer as similar to our old one that we have used for 13 years as a comfort and convenience priority. Here is the new Win 11 opening screen:

I downloaded our printer driver for Win 11 and also Adobe. Some of the icons are different and even some of the names are different. But, I think that I have everything worked now and I just figured out how to turn off the Synaptics touch pad when external mouse is detected (on the Win 7 you just tapped twice on the top left corner of the pad and a red led would light up and a message box would appear for a few seconds). The only easy project was selecting the dark high contrast opening screen background with our grandson's picture in the center. Moving from Win 7 to Win 11 is a big jump with much new stuff to learn. Sometimes it seems like you can't do what you want to do but what someone else wants you to do. But, when you need a new computer what else can you do.

[Bigzmey]

Well done Marshall!

[Makuser]

Thanks Andrey. I remember on my Birthday thread I mentioned about getting the new computer and you commented about updating computers and iPhones are a pain. We didn't get the new computer for another week as we had other obligations. But, ironically on April 29th my old iPhone SE would not take a charge or even come up at all. So off to the store we went. My wife got a new iPhone 13 and I got a new iPhone 12mini. The sales technician was most helpful and he changed Sheri's iCloud password on her old phone and then installed it on the new phone. With my old phone dead we couldn't do this and he told us that the password has to start with a capital letter. This was his only misinformation. I started setting my new phone manually and then later found the paper with the old passwords and then typed mine in on the new phone. Of course iCloud put back all of my previous data so I had to reconstruct it (contacts, weather, etc.) all over again as well as learn all of the new phone's features and operation. So I had this new phone fight about a week and half before the new computer fight. It seems that all I do around here lately is fix things (lesson: nothing lasts forever). But it appears that everything looks to be OK now.

[Bigzmey]

Thanks Andrey. I remember on my Birthday thread I mentioned about getting the new computer and you commented about updating computers and iPhones are a pain. We didn't get the new computer for another week as we had other obligations. But, ironically on April 29th my old iPhone SE would not take a charge or even come up at all. So off to the store we went. My wife got a new iPhone 13 and I got a new iPhone 12mini. The sales technician was most helpful and he changed Sheri's iCloud password on her old phone and then installed it on the new phone. With my old phone dead we couldn't do this and he told us that the password has to start with a capital letter. This was his only misinformation. I started setting my new phone manually and then later found the paper with the old passwords and then typed mine in on the new phone. Of course iCloud put back all of my previous data so I had to reconstruct it (contacts, weather, etc.) all over again as well as learn all of the new phone's features and operation. So I had this new phone fight about a week and half before the new computer fight. It seems that all I do around here lately is fix things (lesson: nothing lasts forever). But it appears that everything looks to be OK now.

Congrats Marshall, with all new gadgets set you should be good for awhile.

[pakarinen]

I guess I've been lucky - my last two laptops were provided by my employers. Never had to mess with subscription this and yadda yadda. Makes me dread buying a new one for myself and I spent a good portion of my life as a software engineer.

My last iPhone upgrade was such a farkin' mess that I told the tech to just give me a blank one and I'd reenter everything myself. Took a couple of days, but I think I'm about back to where I was prior to the upgrade. Now I save everything to Google Drive.

[Gordon]

Computers and such can be a real hassle. Even though it appears they are trying to make it simple, it's not. For two days I fought with my KVM switch, (which allows you to use 4 computers with one keyboard, mouse, and monitor). For some reason I wasn't able to use my wireless mouse any longer, then suddenly I couldn't use anything. I futzed with it for 4 or 5 hours and finally ordered a new KVM switch. I spent 3 hours tearing apart my computer desk, cleaning, and reinstalling everything, during that operation I installed the new KVM switch and noticed that one of the old cables look a bit different than the new one, (rounded edges rather than squared-off edge). So I replace it with a new one and bingo everything started working. So all that is due to a bad cable.
So much for software problems.

[gregl]

Computers and such can be a real hassle
.....

And if one is honest about it, they are not the solution to all problems. I have CAD software but it's often faster and easier to draw out the part with a pencil. I once volunteered to be a precinct captain for an election, contacting registered voters in my precinct. Keeping records of the contacts was easiest by using 3x5 file cards. And when I was an academic department chair and had to plan the schedule for all the professors and their classes, and fit them into the assigned rooms at the right times while meeting all the institutional requirements, I used a 3x8-foot piece of wrapping paper gridded off and spread out on a counter, with sticky notes moved around as needed until everything fit.