Help for the digitally challenged please

[Peckris]

1 hour ago, Rob said:

OK, thanks. I still can't see what they get out of it though. 12 months at a reduced price is reduced income in my eyes. Any projected figures 12 months down the line are immaterial, as in February they said they weren't going to increase prices - yeh, right. Probably worth staying put in case they only have contracts at double the going rate in a year's time. My steam powered phone is more than adequate for my needs.

It's simply an exercise in tying you to them for a guaranteed 12 months. "12 times a lower price" is still considerably more than if you were to change supplier next month. They're simply buying your loyalty and guaranteeing a fixed income.

It's the same principle as building societies offering a higher interest rate for a longer term bond : they can afford to pay out more knowing they have your money for a longer period. Whether or not you personally would ever have considered changing supplier or moving your money isn't a fact that accountants take into consideration.

[Rob]

Suppliers could go a long way to retaining customers by not taking the p**s. Not for the first time I had a call from EE today. Despite my protestation that they must have the wrong number, the only practical step I was able to take was a promise that I would consider any proposal that reduced my monthly outgoings. Upon quoting the sum paid per month, his response was to put the phone down.   Mission accomplished. None of them seem capable of realising that I don't aspire to spend as much as possible for a service I don't need and won't use.

 

[Rob]

A strange thing happened a couple of days ago. I uploaded a 1935 Maundy 4d to the website on Monday, and within minutes I had a message asking to inform them when a 1935 Maundy 4d became available. Now clearly this is a bot of some form as a genuine person would need an IQ of 50 to leave such a message having seen the desired coin. At the time it was the first coin on the 'Recently Listed' page. My question is, what sort of thing would that bot be looking for? What would be at risk if I responded? If not malicious, the reason for sending such a message with a link is difficult to comprehend. Thoughts anyone? Thanks.

[1949threepence]

It sounds like you've got some form of spyware on your device. 

[Peter]

Rob

What anti virus are you running?

I run the free AVG and often take up their upgrade on 60 day free trails.

In your position it maybe worth upgrading,it is cheap as chips....I'm just tight.

[Rob]

I'm not convinced it's spyware because it is a one off event, and I have uploaded a few items since without getting the same message, nor did I have it happen before. I regularly get people trying to break into the website, or at least that's what I assume when the same fictitious person has 11 abandoned shopping carts with the same items every time. I get a lot of messages in the inbox that are clearly phishing, but the address is freely available via the internet.

[Mr T]

On 11/22/2018 at 11:01 AM, Rob said:

A strange thing happened a couple of days ago. I uploaded a 1935 Maundy 4d to the website on Monday, and within minutes I had a message asking to inform them when a 1935 Maundy 4d became available. Now clearly this is a bot of some form as a genuine person would need an IQ of 50 to leave such a message having seen the desired coin. At the time it was the first coin on the 'Recently Listed' page. My question is, what sort of thing would that bot be looking for? What would be at risk if I responded? If not malicious, the reason for sending such a message with a link is difficult to comprehend. Thoughts anyone? Thanks.

Do the sender name and email look suspicious? If they do I wouldn't reply, otherwise you've got nothing to lose.

[Rob]

Does anybody know of a replacement program for 'My Computer' in Windows 10 that I can get to download now that facility no longer exists? I'm trying to access a CD, but didn't realise that you can no longer see your drives.

Serves me right for  up downgrading.

 

[Nick]

11 minutes ago, Rob said:

Does anybody know of a replacement program for 'My Computer' in Windows 10 that I can get to download now that facility no longer exists? I'm trying to access a CD, but didn't realise that you can no longer see your drives.

Serves me right for  up downgrading.

 

Press the Windows key + e to give you an explorer window, then make sure 'This PC' is expanded, all your drives will be listed below.  Alternatively, just put a cd into the drive and a window should appear (or you will be given a choice of what happens next).

Edited February 23, 2019 by Nick

[Sword]

I too lost the use of my dvd drive on my old laptop after an upgrade. My current laptop doesn't have a dvd drive. 

[Rob]

1 minute ago, Nick said:

Press the Windows key + e to give you an explorer window, then make sure 'This PC' is expanded, all your drives will be listed below.

Thanks.

So 'This PC' has replaced 'My Computer'? Why bother unless to deliberately obfuscate?

[Peter]

Lovely verb Rob.

I really need to make more use of it in my working life.

[Nick]

1 hour ago, Rob said:

So 'This PC' has replaced 'My Computer'? Why bother unless to deliberately obfuscate?

Yes.  Software engineers have to justify their existence somehow.

[1949threepence]

1 hour ago, Sword said:

I too lost the use of my dvd drive on my old laptop after an upgrade. My current laptop doesn't have a dvd drive. 

That's truly irritating. 

I also agree with Rob on this business of incessantly re-naming things for the sake of it. Trying to master computers is a tough enough business for the ordinary bog standard user (ie: the overwhelming majority) as it is, without further confusing the issue. 

I also dislike Windows 10, which we use at work. I'll stick with Windows 7 until it no longer received upgrades.  

[Peckris 2]

1 hour ago, 1949threepence said:

That's truly irritating. 

I also agree with Rob on this business of incessantly re-naming things for the sake of it. Trying to master computers is a tough enough business for the ordinary bog standard user (ie: the overwhelming majority) as it is, without further confusing the issue. 

I also dislike Windows 10, which we use at work. I'll stick with Windows 7 until it no longer received upgrades.  

The Apple habit of issuing a new OS every damn year is also horrendously irritating. I'm still using the ancient Mavericks (2013) which is only a little older than Windows 10!

And don't get me started on the lack of optical drives. Wot, we don't watch movies any more??? 

[1949threepence]

1 minute ago, Peckris 2 said:

The Apple habit of issuing a new OS every damn year is also horrendously irritating. I'm still using the ancient Mavericks (2013) which is only a little older than Windows 10!

And don't get me started on the lack of optical drives. Wot, we don't watch movies any more??? 

Agreed. There's no point as they're not actually improving the system. If anything, some of the OS "upgrades" are actually inferior to the product they replace. Moreover, you're left to guess what is what. For example, when I first got Windows 7 as a replacement to XP, it took me several weeks to find out why the "prtScn" key no longer worked to get a screenshot. It had been replaced by "snipping tool", in accessories. The user is treated as though s/he has psychic powers. Also, everybody instantly knows that snipping tool means screenshot, rather than something used for cropping pics. It's so blindingly obvious isn't it  

My mobile products are all android, and I deliberately avoided downloading and installing their new sub systems, such as nougat etc, as from "lollipop" onwards, many users were complaining that the upgrade completely "bricked" their devices - "bricked" being a term for wrecked, in case you haven't already encountered it.  

    

[Peckris 2]

Yeah - I downloaded iOS 11 for my iPad before realising that with iOS 11 you can no longer switch off "2 Factor Authorisation", something I find a PITA as despite "trusting" my browser I can't login to iCloud on my desktop without first entering a 6-digit code sent to my iPad. Sigh.

[Rob]

Help. My Adblocker icon has disappeared with Firefox claiming it doesn't allow it to be used. This has unleashed a whole world of crap that I didn't know existed and now I do know, wished it didn't. Surely they realise that people visit sites for the purpose of visiting useful content and that nobody in their right mind searches for adverts? Does anyone have a safe workaround for this? Any advert free equivalent available? Ta.

PS. Suggestion for Admin. Even this site suffers to the extent that Amazon have managed to put something at the bottom of this page.

That ought to be stopped too.

 

[Mr T]

I thought I read FIrefox blocked (or was intending to block) some plugins that met certain criteria (how they're built) - perhaps the plugin just needs to be updated?

[Paddy]

I am sure you don't really want to switch browsers but I use Chrome with Adaware, which is free and works fine. If you are using something other than Adaware you might try that with Firefox.

[1949threepence]

1 hour ago, Paddy said:

I am sure you don't really want to switch browsers but I use Chrome with Adaware, which is free and works fine. If you are using something other than Adaware you might try that with Firefox.

I'd agree with that. I use Chrome and ad blocker quite compatibly.

 

[Chingford]

I use AdGuard with both Chrome and IE successfully.

AdGuard is freeware and functional but you can buy a lifelong licence for about £30 for full access.

[Nick]

13 hours ago, Rob said:

Help. My Adblocker icon has disappeared with Firefox claiming it doesn't allow it to be used.

Mozilla has cocked up.  All extensions are disabled (including virus protection).

A temporary fix is to open Firefox, go to options, then privacy & security and tick "Allow Firefox to install and run studies".

More details here.

[Rob]

Thanks chaps. Looks like I am not the only person having issues.

[Peckris 2]

Does Malwarebytes create software for PCs too, as well as Macs? If so, that  might be worth getting.

Firefox have been warning of extensions that won't run on their browser for ages now, which is one reason I won't use FF. I do however use Chrome on occasion, and really think I should stop, given how nosy and intrusive Google are.