Showing posts with label Windows updates. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Windows updates. Show all posts

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Here's how I start each morning

I'm sure it comes as no surprise to anyone that the first thing I do in the morning, after making coffee, is to come to the computer. Even on weekends I'm out of bed long before Cliff is, so there's nothing pressing I have to do, once I'm awake. Besides, we all need something to do as we drink our coffee and get ourselves awake. Right?

I've always turned my computer off at night; so when I'm out of bed, I turn it on. Then I'm off to the bathroom and to the kitchen to make coffee. By the time I've done that, the old Dell is booted up and ready to surf. Or at least that's how it used to be.

These days, not so much. Oh, the thing turns on just fine, but when I sit down at the keyboard I find it isn't connected to the Internet. Every. Single. Morning.

My next move after this happens is to open up Cliff's laptop, which is never turned off until it's moving as slow as molasses because it's used all it's resources (don't get me started), and see if it connects. Nine times out of ten, it does, so I know the problem is with my computer and not my router or DSL.

So I turn off my desktop, get on my knees (not a pleasant thing for a person with faulty knees), reach under my desk, and unplug the tower. I go surf for awhile on the laptop, come back in here and plug my computer in, wait for it to boot up, and then, usually, it connects just fine.

I tried leaving it on all night; no dice. Next morning it wouldn't connect to the Internet until I unplugged it, waited, and plugged it back in.

Last night after I turned the dadgummed thing off, I decided to unplug it then, rather than wait until morning. It took it awhile this morning, but it did finally connect without my turning it back off and unplugging it.

I feel I'm getting closer and closer to that Mac Mini. I've been checking to make sure my external hard drive has all my good stuff on it... pictures and songs and such.

By the way, Cliff says "Mac Mini" sounds like something you'd buy at McDonald's.

I'm tired of Windows updates that refuse to update but constantly sit on my task bar nagging at me. I'm sick of seeing my anti-virus find new unwanted programs and viruses at least once a week. The glowing reports in my comment section from happy Mac owners are succeeding in swaying me to the other side.

Meanwhile, I have a cow staring at my front door; I put her baby up last night so I could get some milk, and she's bound to start bawling at me soon. She isn't worried about the calf, but she knows sweet feed is waiting when I let her in the barn.

Just like clockwork, Bonnie is getting very vocal. Have a good day!

Thursday, March 05, 2009

Success. Finally.

I've been fighting with my computer again. I noticed for the past week that every time I sign off at the end of the day, I get a message saying windows updates are being installed. That would be a wonderful thing, but it's EVERY SINGLE TIME I turn off my computer. Windows doesn't update that often.

I realized yesterday that my computer is constantly growling, all day long. You know, like my stomach growls when I'm hungry. And while it was growling, it was moving slower than usual. In otherwords, it was trying and failing to install updates.

So today I went to the Windows Update website and clicked to update. It did fine for awhile, showing the green progress bar installing parts one and two. When it was time for three, though, the green progress bar froze.

I uninstalled Avast antivirus; the tech who worked on this computer prefers it to AVG, but AVG is what I know. And who knows, maybe Avast was part of the problem. I also got rid of Spybot Search and Destroy, at least for now. It had a little lock thing showing on my taskbar, and I wonder if it has been blocking my installation of the updates. Welcome back, AVG.

Ah HA! While I've been typing this, I've had Windows Updates going. I do believe it's going to take, this time.

Yes! I'm updated!