Help me sort my laptop!

[Sea Chief]

SC, do the above. Forget my post #49 for now. It was to try and boot from the hidden restore partition on the old drive. Your new drive won't have that.

Christknows where I am now.. Im so confused. I thought I took the cd out. BUT this is odd: I put back orig HDD (new one seller said I can rtn.. now, whether he finds any windows 7 on it Ive no idea/ if so I hope he can wipe & its as was, a used 250GB HDD) and just fired it up and after a wait and another odd BIOS-type page to start off.. it gets round to windows 7 again, all afresh.

I still think there's something not right- the wait, the BIOS-type 1st screen, the time was 2 hours back (on london time zone tho) I cant seem to get a wireless set up and it seems slow & glitchy.. but I got the internet, via ethernet cable!

Weird. Im exhausted- its 2 AM.

[Sea Chief]

Just another thanks to the helpers- really appreciated (even if I may not totally succeed- Ive learnt). Even my Ma's aware of the thread, thanks you & read the replies. Including your input Steve A..

So at the mo its plugged into the ethernet cable, still it seems rather precariously set-up.

So can I rule out the HDD as being bad now? IE if its got me onto the internet and the windows OS framework seems to have configured ok (even if there's unusual start-up waiitng, the innitial odd "bios-like" page, and it seems slow)-?

[Dave H]

So can I rule out the HDD as being bad now? IE if its got me onto the internet and the windows OS framework seems to have configured ok (even if there's unusual start-up waiitng, the innitial odd "bios-like" page, and it seems slow)-?

If you haven't returned the new hard drive already don't do it just yet. The seller can easily re-format it if you do. The fact that the old one is running slow could mean it is failing but I'm not sure. Could someone else please confirm that? I've never had a hard drive failure in ten years on my old PC. It's crashed a few times but always restored fine with the CD. You have put a fresh copy of Windows 7 on the old drive so you will have to enter your wireless key to get the wifi working. Did you do that?

[Sea Chief]

If you haven't returned the new hard drive already don't do it just yet. The seller can easily re-format it if you do. The fact that the old one is running slow could mean it is failing but I'm not sure. Could someone else please confirm that? I've never had a hard drive failure in ten years on my old PC. It's crashed a few times but always restored fine with the CD. You have put a fresh copy of Windows 7 on the old drive so you will have to enter your wireless key to get the wifi working. Did you do that?

Actually I found trying to hook up a wifi (I assume that means the same as my wireless > BT hub connection? I never know what wifi means specifically) link the hardest thing of all.. my XP is simple to do. This had -nowhere- asking me to put in the wireless key (is that the same as the key on the base of the PC?). No simple clear 'add a new connection > connect' like my XP.

It seems like the OS is running, but not properly. I can do the basics, albeit slowly, but anything 'tricky' down the usual routes seems diverted into complicated, unusual avenues. I couldnt for eg download Microsoft Security Essentials (I do as a 1st up task). The bbc news site had a strange mssg at top "we dont support your old browser, we've changed" or s'thing (but my XP works fine w'out this mssg) its news pages seem in tablet mode with poor quality smaller pics.

[Dave H]

WiFi is a wireless networking standard (like a Hoover is a vacuum cleaner). Do you see the 'staircase' Network icon at the bottom right of the Windows 7 desktop? If so click on it and is should bring up a list of wireless networks that are in range. Click on the one you are signed up with (BTHub?) and a box should pop up where you enter your wireless key. The wireless key isn't the key on the base of the PC. It will be on the base of the router or somewhere in the router paperwork.

Do you use Internet Explorer browser? If so the restore DVD will have loaded an out of date version of Explorer. Update it (or use Firefox). I can get that message on BBC news if I use the out of date IE on my old PC.

[Sea Chief]

WiFi is a wireless networking standard (like a Hoover is a vacuum cleaner). Do you see the 'staircase' Network icon at the bottom right of the Windows 7 desktop? If so click on it and is should bring up a list of wireless networks that are in range. Click on the one you are signed up with (BTHub?) and a box should pop up where you enter your wireless key. The wireless key isn't the key on the base of the PC. It will be on the base of the router or somewhere in the router paperwork.

Do you use Internet Explorer browser? If so the restore DVD will have loaded an out of date version of Explorer. Update it (or use Firefox). I can get that message on BBC news if I use the out of date IE on my old PC.

Hi Dave. So is wifi just a name for a standard wireless connection such as BT hub > any normal LPC? I never hear this wifi term used with these BT hubs you see, thought it was a comp,etely different system for lordknows what.

Im used to going to that Wireless icon you refer to btm RHS, my XP and I recently connected this very toshiba LPC up to her new BT hub. No prob iirc/ 3 min simple 1.2.3 steps job (tho then I didnt even need the wireless key).

BUT you see here I find no such simple set up box clicking this same icon. Instead I get a convoluted x.y.z box steps & Im just unable to follow my nose successfully: it seems like this section of the OS is defo not set up right.

Yes I click on the IE browser icon > internet.. good idea to just go the firefox route (as my XP here is/ far better). Ok good plan, I'll do that 1st off later when I fire it up again. Id assumed as windows 7 is so much newer than my XP that it would have an up to date browser, or redo whatever version it is automiatically.

I'll have another crack later and fire it up again.. and take a snap of the innitial "Bios-like" white text on black page, if I can catch it before it promptly goes into opening windows 7.

Thanks, SC.

[elipsey]

WiFi is a wireless networking standard (like a Hoover is a vacuum cleaner).

This analogy is not correct; WIFI is not a company. It would be better to say "WiFi is a wireless networking standard like vacuum cleaner is a category of appliance". Hoover is a member of the sub-category vacuum cleaner, which is a sub-category of appliance. You're comparing a relationship between superset/subset with a relationship between superset/subset-member. These are different relationships

[Dave H]

This analogy is not correct; WIFI is not a company. It would be better to say "WiFi is a wireless networking standard like vacuum cleaner is a category of appliance". Hoover is a member of the sub-category vacuum cleaner, which is a sub-category of appliance. You're comparing a relationship between superset/subset with a relationship between superset/subset-member. These are different relationships

Oh! come on now! How is this pedantry helping Sea Chief fix his PC?

No one likes a smart Alec

[big_teee]

Wouldn't this be a good time for a PM, or Email Exchange?
And, to be clear, I'm not picking on anyone!

[elipsey]

Oh! come on now! How is this pedantry helping Sea Chief fix his PC?

No one likes a smart-arse

Sorry Dave, just yanking you.

I probably have an unhealthy preoccupation with categories and sets. It's an occupational hazard you know.

[elipsey]

Hi Dave. So is wifi just a name for a standard wireless connection such as BT hub > any normal LPC? I never hear this wifi term used with these BT hubs you see, thought it was a comp,etely different system for lordknows what.

Im used to going to that Wireless icon you refer to btm RHS, my XP and I recently connected this very toshiba LPC up to her new BT hub. No prob iirc/ 3 min simple 1.2.3 steps job (tho then I didnt even need the wireless key).

BUT you see here I find no such simple set up box clicking this same icon. Instead I get a convoluted x.y.z box steps & Im just unable to follow my nose successfully: it seems like this section of the OS is defo not set up right.

Yes I click on the IE browser icon > internet.. good idea to just go the firefox route (as my XP here is/ far better). Ok good plan, I'll do that 1st off later when I fire it up again. Id assumed as windows 7 is so much newer than my XP that it would have an up to date browser, or redo whatever version it is automiatically.

I'll have another crack later and fire it up again.. and take a snap of the innitial "Bios-like" white text on black page, if I can catch it before it promptly goes into opening windows 7.

Thanks, SC.

It seems like your Internet conenction works -- you're able to load pages in your browser, right? Your restored system might not have pulled updates for IE yet. Letting windows update run should fix that. It might take awhile to pull all the updates that have come out since Windows 7 launched. Also, the updating might explain the slowness.

[g1]

Sea Chief, I'm sorry that I underestimated your perseverance, well done!
I hope it will lead you to more optimistic outlooks in the future.

[Dave H]

Sorry Dave, just yanking you.

I probably have an unhealthy preoccupation with categories and sets. It's an occupational hazard you know.

No worries

There's never a dull moment in a Sea Chief thread.

[Sea Chief]

This analogy is not correct; WIFI is not a company. It would be better to say "WiFi is a wireless networking standard like vacuum cleaner is a category of appliance". Hoover is a member of the sub-category vacuum cleaner, which is a sub-category of appliance. You're comparing a relationship between superset/subset with a relationship between superset/subset-member. These are different relationships

Ive mulled this over and re-read and boiled it down to the bare bones & my brain says..

unadulterated arsebanditry!

now look I need to sort this damn thing out. big-tee yes pls stick with your pm's to your buddy club eh- no point you posting on here is there. thx

[Sea Chief]

Sea Chief, I'm sorry that I underestimated your perseverance, well done!
I hope it will lead you to more optimistic outlooks in the future.

Its because my Ma aint got much money you see. I hate the fact she was robbed by some local spotty herbert in the PC shop who saw her coming, turned it on/ went to Bios, noted an error code/ turned off in 5 mins flat.. & invoiced her for a 'system check: diagnosis HDD failure' for a total of £60. Total fkn thievery from a pensioner morelike.