Uninstall

[Walker]

Thanks Hornus, thanks Technical,

There's no worries about me moving away from Avast. I'm like you guys... a devotee.

As for Microsoft, this is the first time I've tried paying for one of their support incidents and I knew it was gonna be a waste of time before I started.   .

It costs about 54 UK pounds (inc tax) for one incident and once they take your credit card details (over the phone), they put you in a queue for a technician. 40 minutes of listening to Frank Sinatra belting out 'I did it my way' and I gave up. Called them back and they said...'Oh but some people hang on for one and a half HOURS... we're busy with the Blaster virus, don't you know'   . I'm close to saying... you should'nt have lousy software that's open to so many attacks.

At the moment, it's not really viable for me to hang on the phone (calling Ireland from Spain) for over an hour, So I don't know if I will ever get anywhere with that option.

Oh how I love Microsoft  

[Lisandro]

As for Microsoft, this is the first time I've tried paying for one of their support incidents and I knew it was gonna be a waste of time before I started.   .
Oh how I love Microsoft  

We´re with you   Microsoft? What is this?  
Maybe you should lost your time and start again OS, applications...  :'(

[Walker]

Maybe you should lost your time and start again OS, applications...  :'(

Yep Technical, without exageration I must have done that 50 times already  :'(

I'm running again now without many of the devices and drivers loaded... and it has been OK for a couple of days. The problem is, eventually I will need the other devices and drivers.

*However*, if I let Windows choose them, this is where I think the problems will start again. With a fresh OS install (as I am now), Windows does not identify the device that are fitted/installed... ie they all come up as 'unknown devices'. So what I really need is the mainboard and system manufacturer to tell me what is actually fitted in this PC... which they aren't doing!.

As an example, the PC manufacturer told me that it had SIS chipsets... I opened it up and lo and behold... there sits Intel chipsets!!!.

My thinking is, Windows is finding incorrect device drivers which are causing the crashes. OK... it could be suggested that I download the drivers direct from the device manufacturers websites, but there are two problems here. 1, I need the PC manufacturer/mainboard maker to tell me *exactly* what devices I have. 2, some of the devices are *supposedly* the PC manufacturers own components (TV/Radio/modem combo card) which seems to have their own proprietry drivers.

It's all a bit of a saga,   but I'll get there eventually  

[Lisandro]

It could be suggested that I download the drivers direct from the device manufacturers websites, but there are two problems here. 1, I need the PC manufacturer/mainboard maker to tell me *exactly* what devices I have. 2, some of the devices are *supposedly* the PC manufacturers own components (TV/Radio/modem combo card) which seems to have their own proprietry drivers.

If you don´t have the manufactur CD (motherboard, etc.), you´re in trouble deep. Unless, you try to install a earlier Windows (e.g., Win 98) and then "update" to XP. I think XP will recognize better your system and you will have the change to use Windows Update.

If you have localized troubles (non-recongnition), please, disable the device and try to use less resources of your system for a while (I mean, without a net card or sound card...)

I can just pray for you  :'(

[Vlk]

Hehe 59 UK pounds, you could buy a new motherboard instead - it would definitely be better spent money.

Anyway, so you bought the box by parts?


It reminds me of my last year's saga 'Me and my brand new Compaq notebook'. The notebook is quite OK (I'm typing on it right now , but it was a real pain to get it working (mostly "thanks to" the absolutely unbelievable "quality" of ATI graphics drivers)...

[Walker]

Hehe 59 UK pounds, you could buy a new motherboard instead - it would definitely be better spent money.

Anyway, so you bought the box by parts?


It reminds me of my last year's saga 'Me and my brand new Compaq notebook'. The notebook is quite OK (I'm typing on it right now , but it was a real pain to get it working (mostly "thanks to" the absolutely unbelievable "quality" of ATI graphics drivers)...

Hi Vlk,

Now come on, I only said 54 UK pounds... don't make MS look unreasonable <gough-splutter>

And NO, this is not a box of parts (although it might be soon   ) it's a 1,500 euro off the shelf job  :'( :'(

Up to now, I've always had Compaq desktops and laptops... really nice machines (usually). In fact I'm still running and old presario and when I bought this new machine I thought I'd put it back to original config (Windows 95 etc<don't laugh>   ) ... guess what, the old 333 P2 with 95 runs faster than the new 3.06 P4 with XP .... go figure, are we really progressing!!!

Since Compaq went HP, I've tried the alternatives... this 'thing' (Medion) and Fujitsu-Siemens laptop.

Basically I'm convinced it's the software writers that are to blame for all the problems  

All except the Avast crew, of course  

[Lisandro]

In a laptop... Windows 95 runs faster... Ok, I agree.
But in a P4, connected to Internet, I suggest XP...

All except the Avast crew, of course  

Yeah!  

[Walker]

In a laptop... Windows 95 runs faster... Ok, I agree.
But in a P4, connected to Internet, I suggest XP...

Yeh Technical, but I'm comparing desktop against desktop. Of course the CPU/'systems' get faster and the newer the operating system the more resourses and functions we get and naturally I agree, if we take any one function (the Internet) the we have faster bus and port speeds. But you could also say for normal everyday use... ie simple WP for example, we have probably lost performance, not gained.

Every OS that MS brings out, says as it is loading... "the fastest yet"... not true. The more the hardware and firmware makers give us, the more the software grows and bogs us down again. Crikey, I'm getting old technical, but I still have old MSDOS and UNIX programs that will blister XP.

The trouble is, we all like the latest resourses and functions that newer OS's provide us with an the software writers get lazy and bloat things out with 'easy option' coding.... not the Avast team of course  

[Lisandro]

The trouble is, we all like the latest resourses and functions that newer OS's provide us with an the software writers get lazy and bloat things out with 'easy option' coding.... not the Avast team of course  

Yeah, I agree with you...  

[Walker]

A couple of people asked me to report how I got on with paying for Microsoft support.

This might come as a total shock... but they couldn't fix it. They gave up and said I can have my 54 pounds back... did I laugh   :'(

Must have cost me another 54 pounds hanging on the phone listening to music!  

Good old Microsoft.

Still all is not lost, the PC manufacturers are sending me a new machine AND their gonna re-imburse the cost of sending the old one back. Top marks Medion/Microstar  

The bad news is... I'll be re-installing everything again soon and will be able to ask all the same old question of Vlk... that'll cheer him up  

Only joking Vlk  

[Walker]

Yeah, I agree with you...  

Did you get that Tech?  

[Vlk]

Oh Walker help yourself and go ahead. Is there a bigger joy in life than loading a crash dump into the debugger?

[Walker]

Vlk, I would'nt have minded if they had tried anything sensible  

You know what these software people are like... blame it on the hardware... and you know what these hardware people are like... blame it on the software.... and you know what these AV programmers are like.... blame it on.... mint leaves  

[Vlk]

Poor man :'( Everyone's mean to you?? :'(

[Lisandro]

The bad news is... I'll be re-installing everything again soon ...

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