Suspicious behaviour, and a decline in trust

The news that Adobe was going to put the price up (actually doubling the price) of their basic Creative Cloud Photographic offering, was soon “retracted” as just a marketing A B test. That’s some test!

Then came the news that long time CC subscription holders would have to update and only be able download two of the most recent versions of the adobe apps. The reasons given escape me because I also found them a bit difficult to swallow.

Next a third strike for Adobe!  They were exposed writing to users warning them that using old version of the software (that those user paid good money to “rent” from adobe) would leave them open to a third party legal action. Again I find this unbelievable unjust. Like Adobe is happy to abandon them. What is going on at Adobe, don’t they care what their users think.

So I must admit I was feeling a bit smug that I resisted the subscription model (for purely cost reasons) Even though I still have to occasionally update my software. Many companies try to get that upgrade fee out of you often (eg yearly) I normally resist and upgrade on the second or third iteration and or when new features I would regularly use are rolled out. Generally I download the free trial versions first so I get a good idea of what I need versus could wait a little longer for.

Such an upgrade was the latest version of Corel Video Studio it performed way better with the 4K video from my new little Olympus and I like the multi cam synch capture. Suddenly I was  being annoyed by a nagging pop up messages every day (offering what seamed a reasonable discount). So I caved in and ordered the upgrade at the AUD$51 price. Even before I had finished and had only downloaded the initial setup program, another message popped up offering a slightly higher discount. Bummer, This is not clever marketing this is just annoying.

I do like the Corel Video Studio 2019 Pro by the way. It is a good upgrade.

What the heck are your heavily automated market teams up to software suppliers? Do you understand why you are loosing our trust?

A long time in recovery

This has been 5 month in recovery! Since having to do a reset after the last Windows 10 upgrade, I had been limping along not able to reinstall office of this computer and just using office on my little HP spectre, which recently suffered its second cracked screen (after no obvious cause) and is now unusable. I was thus forced to look at reinstalling office on my main computer (a HP desktop).

I spent a couple of frustrating hours trying to navigate the Microsoft on-line Support, which kept sending me to irrelevant FAQ posts. So eventually I tried the on-line chat, which took a while but quickly isolated that the Key I was trying to use was invalid. The same message I kept getting trying to do the install from disk. The culprit was an unfortunate crease in the product label that made a 6 look like a G (a times 10 magnifying glass was helpful here). So my faith in Microsoft has been somewhat installed. Probably only as far as the next unstoppable windows 10 upgrade.

FYI After the install I was asked to finish the install on-line but that just took me to a webpage advertising Office 365 and its yearly subscription. As I am retired I am avoiding anything that requires and annual subscription!

The Dreaded Day has arrived

Despite request to microsoft support and many posts on their supposed user forums, and tireless searching the net I can not find an acceptable method of restoringing my main desktop computer after its last “upgrade”. I still can not reload some software (eg Photo mechanic, I get a catastrophic error and nothing more to go on), other programs will not write to my C: drive, yet other software just won’t start. I have managed to fix the disappearing folders. they where owned by a very old hotmail address (which I can not every remember using on this new desktop) and it was just a case of creating new top level directories and copying any sudatories in the original folders back into the new folders. Tedious but problem solved so I assume this was an issue caused with Homegroups being dropped from Windows 10.

There are also many warnings (triggered by most software especially On1 photo RAW, Corel Draw and Microsoft Explorer and office programs) that indicated that Windows Defender Security Centre is blocking accesses to certain directories on Drive C:. All the message have the logical name %userprofile% in the reported directory name. So I assume that somehow this had the ownership change or be pointing to the wrong location. I have simply run out of patience to investigate further. This message coming from Defender also suggests it could be related to a virus trying some sort of unauthorized access. However all attempt to scan for viruses and malware come up clean!

My last resort is to do a full RESET to clean up everything and totally rebuild from scratch.

Which of course means, deactivating software (where required) and uninstalling it (if necessary) and a complete backup of all user data. Not to forget disconnected the attached USB extension drive, during the process. By the time I restort my software test it and recreated new recovery media I’m very certain the process (and stress) is going to take way more than one day.

But here goes, wish me luck.

More Upgrade angst

There haven’t been many blog post of late, any free computer time I have available has been spent just patching up, re-installing or watching with fingers crossed yet another update. Somewhat fortunately I think I am finally moving forward.

That was until I wanted to do a bit of work on my studio computer (more that just listen to music, or control a chromecast). I wanted to change the display (to suit an old TV, a Sony Bravia, it has nice natural colour, good resolution and a big screen). Well it might be easy if I can change the settings (and the setting tab no longer works, thanks microsoft!)

After a while I manage to get to the settings (by doing a right click on the start menu) and the settings seemed to be working. Then I got a notification about an update status, so I went and had a look. Damn its still trying to update, at least now it realize it can't, before I have to go through that frustrating upgrade loop. I wonder if it will ever realize I really don’t want to upgrade , I’d rather  just fix what I have now.

When will this madness end? 

Damn I can’t find a display setting that takes advantage of the Bravia big screen

I’m not ready for this

My nightmares are returning. Today I found 6 recommended updated waiting in my HP Support Assistant's tray (that’s a funny name for what appears to just be a notification system), Ok two of those have either stalled (as above) or been cancelled (not by me, as on left), Surely they should have been something included in yesterday’s upgrade? Evidently not.

Next I was on google chrome and looking at flickr and suddenly no internet, Looking around I found the wifi now called wifi2 (again not by me) is turned off and refused to be turned on (shades of my limp along upgraded system). Trouble shooting told me the wifi was turned off but didn’t tur it on, probably because it wouldn’t. Yet another restart and the wifi was still off but I could turn it back on again.

Then when I went to use chrome, it wanted to restore previous session, let me look at a couple of pages and then crashed. Trying to retry again took be back into the one or two pages and crash loop, Another restart and starting chrome without a restore and thing appear back to normal, but in an hour later and I have only had this computer three days. I do notice that chrome remote desktop (not installed on this PC, is now not working on my other computers, Are these problems related.

All the restarts have seen the icon in full screen mode thrown back to the right hand side and icons for the windows apps like mail disappeared. They are still tiles on the touch screen mode but the full screen photographic applications (lightroom etc) no longer have tiles! I’m running out of patience

NOT HAPPY, are you listening HP, Microsoft and/or Google

This is not what I wanted to see

Just two days into ownership of my new HP spectre and I woke up to this. A Windows Update. This sent chills down my spine. Windows 10 updates have killed two of my computers and severely hobbled another. The damn thing took its time as well.

So far I can’t see any changes but I also can;t see any damage done either. However around 10% of my available disk space just vanished. It seems I have a directory now called windows.old duplicating my current windows directory. As I have very low confidence in Microsoft updates I’m going to have to keep it around in case I need to undo the update.

Is it really necessary to update software within two days? If so what is wrong with the operating system? I’m sure those with 125 GB disks will not be happy losing 20% of their disk space so soon after purchase

Two months of distress and dissapointment

Some may be wondering why my blogging and other social net contributions have fallen away so sharply. The Answer is simple upgrade distress. Whilst I had experimenting with upgrading to windows 10 months ago (and given up) I felt brave enough back in early november to give it another go on my main office machines. I also felt it was time to upgrade to OneOne 10. Also force upon me was several updates to google photos (on my android phone). Well it did sort of work, the windows updates left many programs having to be reinstalled or registered and I’m still trying to sort out the various drivers I need to update (some have been updated but still misbehave, eg Wacom tablets) And don’t get me started about sharing printers (that at least I have resolved).

BUT WHY? I am a person that has used computers continuously since 1969 (yes that’s 46 years!) so you might expect I would find updating some software easy. I didn’t! I do appreciate windows 10 may be lighter and tighter but without good documentation (on-line user forums and FAQs are not a substitute for real information about drivers and settings) I have floundered. I wonder how many people have just given up.

OnOne’s Technical support have been helpful despite there no longer being phone or direct email support. I won’t mention microsoft or google and various hardware companies, Its time to lift your game everyone.

My real disappointment is with two applications Microsoft’s Live Writer and googles photos.

Windows Live Writer (which I use mainly for this and other blogs) seemed to work but I gave up trying to use it under Windows 10 (despite all the user advice on how to reload it under windows 10). It just never would reconnect to my blog. Looks like microsoft was just abandoning all the live essential stuff, damn

I’ve downloaded the open source version called Open Live Writer, and it seemed to work (it does have a few restrictions). The joy didn't last long, more unifortmative errors messages

The other big disappointment is google photos, its android app has disgraced itself to the point of relegation after reloading and updating itself so many times and filling up my phones available space with I know not what. The share memories option sounds good for sharing family and private events but it reality it is yet another attempt to vacuum in all your smartphone photos.