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Thread: More computer issues, browsers

  1. #16
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    Yes, Flash is toast...that was announced by Adobe a LONG time ago, but many site owners have persisted with its use even now. It's terribly insecure, too.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  2. #17
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    Seems like it might be time to consider straight-up hardware issues, like a failing power supply or thermal problems.
    Yoga class makes me feel like a total stud, mostly because I'm about as flexible as a 2x4.
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  3. #18
    Benchmark testing, it asses all hardware tests, shows the SSD underperforming but I believe that's because the motherboard isn't 3.0 capable-? My ram performance is poor but testing says 'within average'... the 875w power supply seems fine, Speccy shows all temps will into green, CPU average temps are 45c and 52c, the graphics card almost always shows 64c.

    I'm seriously considering changing out the computer for something a bit newer, but it MUST be Win7 capable as a MAX, nothing that was ever designed for 8 or 10. And prefer a dell, never had a catastrophic breakdown with any of my 4 dells...

    Suggestions? (like, is an Optiplex 9020 i7-4770 any good? looks good on paper )
    ========================================
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  4. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Becker View Post
    Yes, Flash is toast...that was announced by Adobe a LONG time ago, but many site owners have persisted with its use even now. It's terribly insecure, too.
    It was auto-uninstalled on the last system that (I had forgotten) it was on last week by Adobe's auto-update tool.

    I think it's probably hardware, then again the OS is now obsolete as well.
    ~mike

    happy in my mud hut

  5. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kev Williams View Post
    Benchmark testing, it asses all hardware tests, shows the SSD underperforming but I believe that's because the motherboard isn't 3.0 capable-? My ram performance is poor but testing says 'within average'... the 875w power supply seems fine, Speccy shows all temps will into green, CPU average temps are 45c and 52c, the graphics card almost always shows 64c.

    I'm seriously considering changing out the computer for something a bit newer, but it MUST be Win7 capable as a MAX, nothing that was ever designed for 8 or 10. And prefer a dell, never had a catastrophic breakdown with any of my 4 dells...

    Suggestions? (like, is an Optiplex 9020 i7-4770 any good? looks good on paper )
    If you need XP/7 compatibility I wonder if your best bet would be a roll-your-own build. I don't think you can buy a new board with traditional BIOS, they're all UEFI with compatibility module mimicking traditional BIOS. Maybe ASUS/MSI/Asrock/Gigabyte have more compatible UEFI BIOSes. Their market is a little different from Dell/HP/Lenovo etc. If I get time I may try installing XP or 7 on my current desktop, it's a couple months old MSI AMD Ryzen board. My other thought would be running a virtual machine, I don't know if VMs and your hardware would cooperate or not.
    Last edited by Curt Harms; 11-16-2020 at 8:11 AM.

  6. #21
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    There are many good suggestions here, but one thing that you may want to consider is wiping the unsupported install of Windows 7 that you are using and doing a clean install of windows 10.
    Grant
    Ottawa ON

  7. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by Grant Wilkinson View Post
    There are many good suggestions here, but one thing that you may want to consider is wiping the unsupported install of Windows 7 that you are using and doing a clean install of windows 10.
    The OP is using legacy offboard gear that's controlled by his computer and needs Win7 and earlier for that reason. It it were "just a PC", I'd absolutely agree with you.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  8. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Becker View Post
    The OP is using legacy offboard gear that's controlled by his computer and needs Win7 and earlier for that reason. It it were "just a PC", I'd absolutely agree with you.
    If that's the case, I would highly recommend disconnecting it from the Internet and only using it as an appliance.
    ~mike

    happy in my mud hut

  9. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by mike stenson View Post
    If that's the case, I would highly recommend disconnecting it from the Internet and only using it as an appliance.
    Double edged sword with that. Isolation is certainly more secure, but impedes keeping things current and moving files around. In an ideal world, the outboard gear would be able to work with newer control systems, but that's unfortunately not the case with a lot of legacy products being used in businesses out there because the software never has been or can't be updated to run under newer OS. All is well until the computer fails and replacement hardware is hard to find that can use the older OS and software. Replacing the outboard gear with something current so everything can work with Win10 also gets to that ideal world, but... $$$$. This is the conundrum that a lot of folks who are involved in engraving, laser work, etc., face because they got in earlier and have older solutions that work well while technology marches on quickly.

    And just to level set, from my personal point of view, I try to keep everything absolutely current even if it costs money. But that's me and not something everyone else can do.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  10. #25
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    You don't have to air gap it. If you're using this machine as an appliance, why bother watching videos? Why install insecure software?

    Just reduce the risk.
    ~mike

    happy in my mud hut

  11. #26
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    I'm trying to remember Kev's setup, but I think this machine may control some things directly and control other things via remote desktop. But this is his primary computer for the business. I'm sure he has a reason for what he does.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  12. #27
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    Well, ok. But this is now sounding way too much like work. Good luck!
    ~mike

    happy in my mud hut

  13. #28
    LOL at the moment... and good memory, Jim!

    I'll try a short version:

    I require a computer with ME or older (using 98) to run 2 versions of long-gone Casmate, one a 1991 DOS version, the other a 1993 a Win 3.0 version. These programs to this day have the best and fastest black 'n white image scanning programs I've ever found. They have LPT port mounted dongles, that communicate with DOS, that are necessary to operate. LPT ports are dead to these dongles on non-DOS machines...

    in my signature is noted 11 rotary engravers. Only 2 of them are connectable by USB. My NEWEST machine is ~14 years old. Oldest is 39 years old. ALL of them function normally. The software to run them is compatible with win8, but not 10. Converter cables have proven unreliable at best.

    Of my 7 lasers, only the 4 Chinese lasers are win10 capable, none of the other 3 are unless I buy new Gravograph software, thou$and$ of dollar$... So, since I can't afford to replace a dozen perfectly good reliable machines just to 'keep up with technology' in order to keep Bill Gates happy, I'm happy making do with HIS perfectly good older Windows...

    I HAVE one win10 in this house, a Win8 original HP Pavilion 15 notebook PC that was given to me after a complete reformat and win10 home installed, done by Geek Squad. Only program loaded was Malwarebytes. I only use it to run TurboTax. TT and Foxit Reader are the only other programs installed, and I've disabled the AMW... This computer is bar none thee slowest computer I own. I just fired it up. Took 1 minute for the screen to show up, another 2-1/2 minutes before I could actually USE it. I waited 2 more minutes so it could clear its throat, then double clicked the Foxit icon-- 41 seconds later the program popped.. I'm typing this post on my office computer at the moment, a Dell Optiplex 760 win7 pro 32, with QB and firefox running. BTW, I can't even put win8 on this office computer because it's not compatible with the 2005 QB that I run, which I REFUSE to upgrade and pay monthly for. Anyway, I'm going to start Foxit on THIS computer: well, the stopwatch was no good, it INSTANTLY appeared.

    I seriously don't get some of the computer issues I have, it baffles me. This laptop should NOT be this slow, but it is...

    ---back to the Dell Optiplex 9020 I mentioned above-- online store called Discount Computers sells refurbished computers, WITH a 1 year parts & labor warranty. The 9020 was a $1300 unit, refurb is $400 shipped free, 250gig HD, 4gigs ram (needs more, but I have more) and Win7 Pro 64 installed.. They have an extensive list of computers, this seems to be the 'best' Dell they have available. It's several years newer than my T5400, which btw came with Vista originally. I'm thinking best option is another computer rather than fixing the 5400...

    I'd love to hear suggestions for other brands/models?
    Last edited by Kev Williams; 11-16-2020 at 11:50 AM.
    ========================================
    ELEVEN - rotary cutter tool machines
    FOUR - CO2 lasers
    THREE- make that FOUR now - fiber lasers
    ONE - vinyl cutter
    CASmate, Corel, Gravostyle


  14. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Becker View Post
    The OP is using legacy offboard gear that's controlled by his computer and needs Win7 and earlier for that reason. It it were "just a PC", I'd absolutely agree with you.
    I get that, but no way in heck would I be comfortable with a Windows 7 PC being used to browse the internet for general content much longer, particularly with other potentially obsolete stuff connected.

    Given the OP's described history (of recent massive update), I'd be concerned that the thing is already part of somebody's botnet, and that's the reason for the problems, in fact.

  15. #30
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    There are a lot of folks caught in the "legacy trap" of needing computers to run old programs.

    Finding providers of the materials for support of older systems can be difficult.

    One of the things that bugged me when working for a public transit agency was all the contract bids had a "proven in use over five years" clause. A lot of systems were supplied with obsolete peripheral components.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

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