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this one's to Javier at Dell
Okay, so, yeah, everything that stood to be lost was lost. *lights a candle for her painstakingly organized bookmarks and fics* However, I need neither a new computer nor a full version of Microsoft XP, as it seemed at separate times this morning. Lesson learned: By upgrade, what they really mean is reformat. Why did no one tell me that I'd be losing everything no matter how successfully the OS change went? Anyway, I now have functionality again, a spiffy firewall and a perpetually licensed version of McAffee.
Tech-savvy people, I'd love some input before I go any further about remedying anything. I installed XP with a Product Key I was led to believe was valid, when in fact it was not. Now, I have come to understand, through many conversations with many people over the course of today, that my Product Key for Windows ME is still valid for upgrading to XP.
However, at this point, I'd no longer be updating but entirely reinstalling my operating system. Will my Product Key for ME work for a complete (re)install of XP?
Or can I change my Product Key without reinstalling XP?
Or do I not even need to bother because the contents of Service Pack 2, which Windows refuses to install because of my invalid Product Key, will not make or break my newly with-the-technology existence?
And not much else of anything.
Seriously, my computer is so naked I want to buy it booties or something equally cutesy and small to keep all its empty little folders and bare little menus from catching cold. And while starting over with a truly blank slate is somewhat thrilling, there is nothing in the way of programs besides Media Player, Movie Maker, and Wordpad. That's the height of my sophistication at moment present.
How can you help, you ask?
Well, you can contribute some meat to the anorexic bones of my born-again computer by recommending your choicest programs, favorite Web sites, most beloved fics (in pop, HP, LotRips, and vintage Star Trek) but for starters, a word processor would be fab (and, you know, necessary). iTunes covers music playing and CD burning, I have PhotoShop on a CD, and the rest - WinZip, Realplayer, Mozilla, HTML-Kit, WS FTP, AIM, Ad Aware, and Thunderbird - are to the best of my knowledge freeware. Thanks in advance.
Also, on a completely unrelated note, how are you going to make a movie of Goblet of Fire without the actor who plays Percy Weasley? No, really, what?!
Tech-savvy people, I'd love some input before I go any further about remedying anything. I installed XP with a Product Key I was led to believe was valid, when in fact it was not. Now, I have come to understand, through many conversations with many people over the course of today, that my Product Key for Windows ME is still valid for upgrading to XP.
However, at this point, I'd no longer be updating but entirely reinstalling my operating system. Will my Product Key for ME work for a complete (re)install of XP?
Or can I change my Product Key without reinstalling XP?
Or do I not even need to bother because the contents of Service Pack 2, which Windows refuses to install because of my invalid Product Key, will not make or break my newly with-the-technology existence?
And not much else of anything.
Seriously, my computer is so naked I want to buy it booties or something equally cutesy and small to keep all its empty little folders and bare little menus from catching cold. And while starting over with a truly blank slate is somewhat thrilling, there is nothing in the way of programs besides Media Player, Movie Maker, and Wordpad. That's the height of my sophistication at moment present.
How can you help, you ask?
Well, you can contribute some meat to the anorexic bones of my born-again computer by recommending your choicest programs, favorite Web sites, most beloved fics (in pop, HP, LotRips, and vintage Star Trek) but for starters, a word processor would be fab (and, you know, necessary). iTunes covers music playing and CD burning, I have PhotoShop on a CD, and the rest - WinZip, Realplayer, Mozilla, HTML-Kit, WS FTP, AIM, Ad Aware, and Thunderbird - are to the best of my knowledge freeware. Thanks in advance.
Also, on a completely unrelated note, how are you going to make a movie of Goblet of Fire without the actor who plays Percy Weasley? No, really, what?!
no subject
Roughdraft, got it. The HTML editor, besides a word processor, is my most immediate need given my classes.
Hm, and most of my documents are .doc files. We'll see on that. As many and deep a flaw as Microsoft Word had, it had page breaks and spellcheck and word count and being able to modify any text inline, features I haven't really seen all together in other editors.
Eh on Firefox (using it right now). It's like a beta version of the browser I was using before, MyIE2. I'm not sure if it has anything at all to go with IE, but its functionality is excellent, as are the features. Tabbed browsing, man. When did we ever do without?
Ooh, better? Somehow, XP improved my monitor resolution, which is interesting. It also changed the quality of the colors displayed, which are now somewhat less warm. I'll look into changing that, but a good universal player that improved the look of media files is just a grade-A idea.
The Dell gent had me download a firewall and modify my Windows settings, plus whatever the university has going on already. He said any more and it would slow things down considerably, but all the same, thanks for the rec. Safety is always smart.
*hugs* Thanks so much for all your help. If I'd had my phone (left it in lab on Wednesday afternoon and didn't get it back until yesterday night) I would've said screw it to overseas charges and called you right away.
no subject
it had page breaks and spellcheck and word count and being able to modify any text inline, features I haven't really seen all together in other editors.
As far as I know Open Office has all those features. It's pretty much the same kind of thing as MS Word. As is Wordperfect 8 or 9 or whatever version it's up to now.
If I'd had my phone (left it in lab on Wednesday afternoon and didn't get it back until yesterday night) I would've said screw it to overseas charges and called you right away.
You're welcome. :) And good. Trans-atlantic phone calls aren't nearly as expensive as they used to be anyway. :)