My PC didn't survive

[Dim Witte]

Yesterday I found my PC in limbo, telling me not to disconnect while update was being installed. Next time I tried to use it, I couldn't log in to the OS, and when I finally did, using a "guest" user name I luckily found, then was able to get a replacement PW after getting a code from my one remaining email program, all I could see was a black screen with a few remaining programs and a note containing titles of programs taken away.

Then I found I couldn't get back to using my "administer" account, and had to use the "guest" to finally re-create one.

Can't account for all this loss, short of the new update from Microsoft doing it. Other possibility is Microsoft Edge, which I can no longer remove and which has changed lots of features. On looking at the comments available from tech smarties, it's an open question whether to go into a complicated procedure for removing ME, then trying to ensure it won't invade again.

I did locate my removable storage device and in other ways recover most of the operating programs and essential data, including my passwords. Guess what, ME now volunteers to manage all your passwords and links, evidently including your other devices.

So here I am at the Google News Groups--Survival site amid all the Zombies and their Swamp. Probably try to see if what I have works, then decide about what to do. I do seem to have the "image" of the hard disk from 2019 on my remote hard disk.

For the sake of survival of sanity, I do recommend making a copy of your system before Microsoft steps on you.

[rbowman]

On 08/23/2021 08:19 PM, Dim Witte wrote:
> For the sake of survival of sanity, I do recommend making a copy of your system before Microsoft steps on you.

For the sake of sanity I recommend moving to Linux.

[Duque]

Ditto.

--
"Title 8, U.S.C. § 1324(a) defines several distinct offenses related to
aliens. Subsection 1324(a)(1)(i)-(v) prohibits alien smuggling, domestic
transportation of unauthorized aliens, concealing or harboring
unauthorized aliens, encouraging or inducing unauthorized aliens to
enter the United States, and engaging in a conspiracy or aiding and
abetting any of the preceding acts. Subsection 1324(a)(2) prohibits
bringing or attempting to bring unauthorized aliens to the United States
in any manner whatsoever, even at a designated port of entry. Subsection
1324(a)(3)."

Build Back Better means Destroy More Quickly.

"We have put together, I think, the most extensive and inclusive voter
fraud organization in the history of American politics." -Joe Biden

https://www.globalgulag.us

[Mighty Wannabe]

Dim Witte wrote on 8/23/2021 10:19 PM:
> Yesterday I found my PC in limbo, telling me not to disconnect while update was being installed. Next time I tried to use it, I couldn't log in to the OS, and when I finally did, using a "guest" user name I luckily found, then was able to get a replacement PW after getting a code from my one remaining email program, all I could see was a black screen with a few remaining programs and a note containing titles of programs taken away.
>
> Then I found I couldn't get back to using my "administer" account, and had to use the "guest" to finally re-create one.
>
> Can't account for all this loss, short of the new update from Microsoft doing it. Other possibility is Microsoft Edge, which I can no longer remove and which has changed lots of features. On looking at the comments available from tech smarties, it's an open question whether to go into a complicated procedure for removing ME, then trying to ensure it won't invade again.

You can forget about removing Microsoft Edge. It will come back again.
Same with Cortana. It will find its way back.

You should learn to use "portable" programs. There are "portable"
versions of many programs that don't actually install into your
computer. They are "self contained" in a folder, which can be a folder
on your "Desktop" or a USB flash drive. You can move the folder around
in the same computer, or to another computer.

Firefox portable:
https://portableapps.com/apps/internet/firefox_portable

Google Chrome portable:
https://portableapps.com/apps/internet/google_chrome_portable

Disk Cleaner portable:
https://portableapps.com/apps/utilities/disk_cleaner_portable

Wise Disk Cleaner (including defrag) portable:
https://portableapps.com/apps/utilities/wise-disk-cleaner-portable

[Mighty Wannabe]

True, if the only things you do with your computer are emails, Usenet,
and web browsing.

I live on the edge with my Windows. I love to use "free" software from
the internet. Some are "hacked" software from BitTorrent. It is safe if
you know what you are doing. It's been more than 20 years I haven't been
knocked out by computer virus.

[rbowman]

On 08/24/2021 04:30 AM, Mighty Wannabe wrote:
> rbowman wrote on 8/23/2021 10:48 PM:
>> On 08/23/2021 08:19 PM, Dim Witte wrote:
>>> For the sake of survival of sanity, I do recommend making a copy of
>>> your system before Microsoft steps on you.
>>
>> For the sake of sanity I recommend moving to Linux.
>
> True, if the only things you do with your computer are emails, Usenet,
> and web browsing.

I'm a working programmer and do a little more than that -- like full
stack SPA development. Even Microsoft has seen the light. My Windows 10
boxes at work run OpenSUSE Leap or Kali under WSL2. VSCode and .NET 5 do
well on Linux too, although the MAUI has been lagging on Linux.

No, not Hawaii:

https://devblogs.microsoft.com/xamarin/the-new-net-multi-platform-app-ui-maui/

I'm one of those people that write the software lusers use, and much of
that is done on Linux.

[Mighty Wannabe]

rbowman wrote on 8/24/2021 9:49 AM:
> On 08/24/2021 04:30 AM, Mighty Wannabe wrote:
>> rbowman wrote on 8/23/2021 10:48 PM:
>>> On 08/23/2021 08:19 PM, Dim Witte wrote:
>>>> For the sake of survival of sanity, I do recommend making a copy of
>>>> your system before Microsoft steps on you.
>>>
>>> For the sake of sanity I recommend moving to Linux.
>>
>> True, if the only things you do with your computer are emails, Usenet,
>> and web browsing.
>
> I'm a working programmer and do a little more than that

That's basically what you need to be in order to find some useful
software in a Linux box. Like most computer users, I don't want to spend
months or years to write my own program when better ones already exist
in Windows.

[Nic]

On 8/24/21 11:19 AM, Mighty Wannabe wrote:
> That's basically what you need to be in order to find some useful
> software in a Linux box. Like most computer users, I don't want to
> spend months or years to write my own program when better ones already
> exist in Windows.

Here is a list of programs that work in Linux with Wine-

https://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=application&sTitle=Browse%20Applications&sOrderBy=appName&bAscending=true

[Mighty Wannabe]

Why would I waste my time to make a beat-up old LADA work like a new BMW
when I can simply get a new BMW?

[rbowman]

Have you ever used Linux or are you regurgitating second hand shit like
everything else you spew?

[Mighty Wannabe]

I tried. In the early days I bought Red Hat Linux in a computer show
(that was before internet became widespread). As I said, I couldn't do
anything meaningful other than simple internet access.

In the later years I downloaded various versions of Linux, mainly for
curiosity. I gave up because of the same reason.

Everything I bought, if it came with a computer utility, required
Windows operating system. That's reality.

For example, many years ago I bought some voice-recorders (tiny ones
with no display screen) which came with its own utility program to
synchronize the time through the computer which has to be Windows.

Recently I bought some new voice-recorders which didn't come with
utility program to synchronize the time (because the time can be set
manually through a menu on its own display screen). I found that my old
Windows programs from previous voice-recorders can set the time on my
new voice-recorders. The manufacturer apparently doesn't even know.

[AlleyCat]

Duque wrote

> On 8/23/21 8:48 PM, rbowman wrote:
>> On 08/23/2021 08:19 PM, Dim Witte wrote:
>>> For the sake of survival of sanity, I do recommend making a copy of
>>> your system before Microsoft steps on you.
>>
>> For the sake of sanity I recommend moving to Linux.
>
> Ditto.
>

Linux is controlled by the
Jews. Don't use it.

[AlleyCat]

Duque wrote

> On 8/23/21 8:48 PM, rbowman wrote:
>> On 08/23/2021 08:19 PM, Dim Witte wrote:
>>> For the sake of survival of sanity, I do recommend making a copy of
>>> your system before Microsoft steps on you.
>>
>> For the sake of sanity I recommend moving to Linux.
>
> Ditto.
>

[Dim Witte]

Bet you could retire with BIG $$$ by writing some Linux programs or patches that would run old games like Civilization IV, which I still have. If Wine can do such things, maybe imitators in China could defy the programmers' code and put it on TOR, or something. Or, when communism takes over the Internet, all could be in the public domain?

Another "sane" recommendation might be to keep a control list of all your passwords. I have such a list I keep separate from the computer, and also have Bitwarden, which I don't fully trust, or the ME version of it, kept in the Clouds or something.

[Dim Witte]

I found a site at https://pendriveapps.com/ that also lists portable drives, like pen drives. Intriguing that one could hand a few dozen thumb drives from a vest pocket to be in command.

[Mighty Wannabe]

Almost all the programs I use are in "portable" format, including this
program I am using to post messages to you on Usenet.

I have used pendriveapps.com, but quite often I pick programs from
portableapps.com:

https://portableapps.com/apps

If the portable program I am using is satisfactory, I usually will try
not to "update" it. If I decide to update it, I would download the new
one into the same folder to "install" over the old one. To be one the
safe side, I would make 7-zip compressed archive of the folder for
safekeeping before I update so that I can always fallback if the new
update is acting strange. It happened to me once before when a new buggy
Firefox version was released by Mozilla.

I found the advantage of using "portable" program is that I use can use
multiple copies of the same program in the same computer. One good
reason to run multiple copies of the same program in the same computer
is on Usenet, each copy of the program can be set up to be a different
poster because each copy is a standalone program and doesn't know the
content of another copy.

[Mighty Wannabe]

Dim Witte wrote on 8/26/2021 3:36 AM:

Normal thumb drives are very slow.

SSD drives are very affordable these days. If you have room inside your
computer to add another internal drive, try to buy an internal SSD. You
can run your portable programs from the SSD and it will be super fast.

If you don't have room in your computer to install an internal SSD, then
buy an external SSD if you have USB 3.0 in your computer. It will be
equally fast if you use external SSD drive in a USB 3.0 port.

USB 3.0 usually has some blue colour when you look inside the port or
the connector. Look at the image here:

https://support.huddly.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/usb23.jpeg


SSD drives on Amazon.com:

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=ssd+drive

[Mighty Wannabe]

Dim Witte wrote on 8/23/2021 10:19 PM:

> Other possibility is Microsoft Edge, which I can no longer remove and which has changed lots of features. On looking at the comments available from tech smarties, it's an open question whether to go into a complicated procedure for removing ME, then trying to ensure it won't invade again.
>

I had a really smart and devious way of literally removing Cortana and
Microsoft Edge from Windows (the whole directory in Windows containing
Cortana and Microsoft Edge), but Windows can quietly re-install them
without me noticing. Now I give up and just put up.

Microsoft Edge will try to become the default program to open your PDF
files even if you specify Adobe Acrobat as the default. I found that if
I change the default to "Sumatra PDF", the default will stay as "Sumatra
PDF" to open your PDF files.

When you really want Adobe Acrobat to open your PDF after you have
changed the default to "Sumatra PDF", you can right click on the PDF in
the directory and choose Adobe Acrobat to open it.

"Sumatra PDF" can also open some eBooks too.

This is "Sumatra PDF" portable:

https://portableapps.com/apps/office/sumatra_pdf_portable

[rbowman]

On 08/26/2021 01:23 AM, Dim Witte wrote:
> On Monday, August 23, 2021 at 6:48:28 PM UTC-8, rbowman wrote:
>> On 08/23/2021 08:19 PM, Dim Witte wrote:
>>> For the sake of survival of sanity, I do recommend making a copy of your system before Microsoft steps on you.
>> For the sake of sanity I recommend moving to Linux.
> Bet you could retire with BIG $$$ by writing some Linux programs or patches that would run old games like Civilization IV, which I still have. If Wine can do such things, maybe imitators in China could defy the programmers' code and put it on TOR, or something. Or, when communism takes over the Internet, all could be in the public domain?

https://tombuntu.com/index.php/2009/03/10/civilization-iv-on-linux-with-wine-1116/

Why would people port an old version?

https://techgage.com/news/first-impressions-of-civilization-v-on-linux/

[rbowman]

Mr. Robot has several scenes of the characters booting Kali Linux from a
thumb drive to hack systems. The Kali distro has all the pen test tools
like John the Ripper, WireShark, nmap, and Metasploit.

Other distros can install the tools too, but Kali makes it easy.

[Dim Witte]

__________________________
FYI:

I did a round-up of portable apps on both https://portableapps.com/apps and https://pendriveapps.com/, as the following shows:

https://portableapps.com/apps
I. Development
xx 1. Notepad2 Portable - Simple, lightweight text editor
x 2. PortableApps.com Installer
II. Games
x 1. BigSolitairesPortable
x 2. Winboard Chess (advanced)
x 3. Mines-PerfectPortable
x 4. QuickCribbagePortable
III. Internet
x 1. Google Chrome Portable (Freeware) - fast, simple, themeable browser
x 2. Seamonkey ( Internet browser, email & newsgroup client)
x 3. µTorrent Portable (Freeware) - lightweight bittorrent client
IV. Office
x 1. Apache OpenOffice Portable - word processor, spreadsheet, presentations with Microsoft compatibility
x 2. PNotes Portable - sticky notes to go
VI. Security
x 1. Kaspersky TDSSKiller Portable (Freeware) - Rootkit remover
x 2. McAfee Stinger Portable (Freeware) - Common antivirus and 'fake alert' remover
x 3. Spybot - Search & Destroy Portable (Freeware) - Spyware detection and removal
V. Utilities
x 1. ccPortable (Freeware) - assists with running CCleaner® portably
--- 2. DTaskManager Portable (Freeware) - advanced task manager BLOCKED by Malware
x 3. FastCopy Portable - fast file copier and remover
x 4. FreeCommander Portable (Freeware) - easy-to-use windows file manager
------------------------
https://pendriveapps.com/
x BOOTICE
x LiberKey
x rcsetup153
x pci_filerecoveryCDBurner
x innounp050.rar
x sjt7z_x86
x Ventoy 1.0.50 release
x cleanafterme
x NPE

Have downloaded all those marked with an "x"; did delete something called "DTaskManager Portable (Freeware) - advanced task manager, because it was BLOCKED by Malware Bytes. Warning to me, and I'll go ahead and scan each with a virus program before downloading to a thumb drive. I have bought from Amazon a pack of ten flash drives for this, each with 30 gigs. Will see about partitioning for possible multi-apps use.

[Mighty Wannabe]

You can create a folder on your Windows 10 "Desktop" and put all your
portable programs in individual folders inside.

You can back up your portable programs into flash drives, but running
the programs directly from a flash drive is painfully slow because the
data transfer speed of a flash drive is very slow compared to a hard
drive or SSD drive.

You should run your portable programs from folders created on the
"Desktop" (easy for you to access), or a USB 3.0 external SSD (if your
computer has USB 3.0 port), or an internal SSD (if you can stick one
inside your computer).

[Dim Witte]

________

"Painfully slow," ouch. I was hoping to use them portable apps with PC, cell phone, and laptop as well (supposed to be able to use cell phone charger cable for a USB-USB connection), too. Oh well, I can always use the extra thumb drives coming from Amazon, I suppose.

[Mighty Wannabe]

The writing speed of flash drive is very slow. You will notice the slow
speed if the program is making a lot of read/write access during the
course of the program.

I use my portable programs inside a folder on my computer's "Desktop".
The Windows "Desktop" is actually a storage space inside the Windows
folder in Drive C, but visually the "Desktop" is the whole computer
screen with your background wallpaper and program icons.

I made a folder on the "Desktop", and then place all my portable
programs inside that folder with their own individual folders with
descriptive names. I also right-click on the executable file to "pin to
taskbar" so that I can start the program from the "taskbar".

So all my portable programs are actually running off my computer's Drive
C, just like the regular programs that require installation.

[AlleyCat]

Duque wrote

> On 8/23/21 8:48 PM, rbowman wrote:
>> On 08/23/2021 08:19 PM, Dim Witte wrote:
>>> For the sake of survival of sanity, I do recommend making a copy of
>>> your system before Microsoft steps on you.
>>
>> For the sake of sanity I recommend moving to Linux.
>
> Ditto.
>

[Dim Witte]

I'm happy to report that after my computer came up lame after an update, leaving me with a list of removed programs that didn't even include some key ones, and I couldn't access the OS which no longer accepted passwords, I did get a turn-around when, after days of trying to reconstruct from remote sources and downloading again, working around the Microsoft Edge infiltrations, I did the logical thing and went for the Restore option.

So without really knowing how I would fare after the "Windows Update," and accepting the last workable operating system from Restore, I opted for something better and came out surprisingly refreshed. I was looking at the very system I had before the update, and have gone from there to renewing with some insights from my experience.

I have eliminated Edge in all the obvious ways, plus went to CCleaner and opted for all the free programs found there, including the Registration Cleaner, which I mostly went whole hog and let it fix all. Was hoping to get faster operations, and it has done that.

So, hurrah, I never did have to go into replacing with whole hard disk with an image on my remote hard disk. Was trying to be conservative in my survival moves, but found that going to a Plan B was a winner.

[Mighty Wannabe]

Dim Witte wrote on 9/2/2021 11:02 PM:
> On Sunday, August 29, 2021 at 2:12:34 PM UTC-8, AlleyCat wrote:
>> Duque wrote
>>> On 8/23/21 8:48 PM, rbowman wrote:
>>>> On 08/23/2021 08:19 PM, Dim Witte wrote:
>>>>> For the sake of survival of sanity, I do recommend making a copy of
>>>>> your system before Microsoft steps on you.
>>>> For the sake of sanity I recommend moving to Linux.
>>> Ditto.
>>>
>> Linux is controlled by the
>> Jews. Don't use it.
> I'm happy to report that after my computer came up lame after an update, leaving me with a list of removed programs that didn't even include some key ones, and I couldn't access the OS which no longer accepted passwords, I did get a turn-around when, after days of trying to reconstruct from remote sources and downloading again, working around the Microsoft Edge infiltrations, I did the logical thing and went for the Restore option.
>
> So without really knowing how I would fare after the "Windows Update," and accepting the last workable operating system from Restore, I opted for something better and came out surprisingly refreshed. I was looking at the very system I had before the update, and have gone from there to renewing with some insights from my experience.
>
> I have eliminated Edge in all the obvious ways,

Edge will come back.

I thought I had uprooted and removed Edge and Cortana many times. They
managed to come back after a while.

> plus went to CCleaner and opted for all the free programs found there, including the Registration Cleaner, which I mostly went whole hog and let it fix all. Was hoping to get faster operations, and it has done that.

Don't clean the Windows "Registry" too often. It might accidentally
remove some obscure Windows settings that are actually required to be there.

> So, hurrah, I never did have to go into replacing with whole hard disk with an image on my remote hard disk. Was trying to be conservative in my survival moves, but found that going to a Plan B was a winner.

CCleaner has a portable version too:

https://portableapps.com/apps/utilities/ccportable

In CCleaner, under "Tools", under "Startup", you can disable some of the
start up programs when Windows starts.

Some of the start up programs might have been put there by some
malicious software. If you see some start up programs with suspicious
names, you can disable it to see if it affects anything. Re-enable it if
something doesn't work.

The start up program's name and the publisher can give you some clue of
what that start up program is about.

The last column is the start up program's executable file and the
location of the file in your hard drive.

There is another disk cleaning program which is quite good. You may want
to give it a try.

Wise Disk Cleaner Portable:
https://portableapps.com/apps/utilities/wise-disk-cleaner-portable

Using these disk cleaning programs frequently can remove some unwanted
malicious programs you have accidentally downloaded and running in the
background without you noticing them.

[AlleyCat]

Duque wrote

> On 8/23/21 8:48 PM, rbowman wrote:
>> On 08/23/2021 08:19 PM, Dim Witte wrote:
>>> For the sake of survival of sanity, I do recommend making a copy of
>>> your system before Microsoft steps on you.
>>
>> For the sake of sanity I recommend moving to Linux.
>
> Ditto.
>

[AlleyCat]

[AlleyCat]

[AlleyCat]

[AlleyCat]

[AlleyCat]

[AlleyCat]

[AlleyCat]

[AlleyCat]