Upgrading to Windows 7

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

OK, looking a Linux, there are three folders that contain all the programs:

1. /bin - 125 items in there.  This is the system core, equivalent to system
2. /sbin - 156 items.  This is the major guts.  Equivalent to system32
3. /usr/bin - All the applications and stuff you install.  Thousands of things go here.

There are lots of other folders at the main root named '/'.  Most of them are very special purpose.  For example the folder /mnt is where I mount up my spare hard disks that are not needed by the O/S but are used by me for storage.  Currently I have two nodes in there, and I use there as mount points when my system boots.  That means that I have manually modified the system file /etc/fstab to reflect the existance of these drives and to get them mounted by the boot processor.  Using this technique does two things for me:  1.  It gets them set up by the time I login; and 2.  It keeps the images off my desktop, because Linux mounts any hard drive it finds anyway, but if they are not mentioned in the boot table, they are just mounted on your desktop.  I hate clutter.

The libraries are kept in /lib, or /usr/lib.  We don't mix this stuff in with other things like programs.  That mish mash of stuff in Windows\\system32 is a real dog's breakfast.

Oh, and did I mention that the file system on Linux has only one root, and all the drives, however many, are included as one big tree.  There are no drive letters, only space.

[joshriddle 29]

The Win File System works almost the same way. They go by adresses. Here is an example for one going to one of my SC4 city files, from the very beggining.

My Computer\C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\My Documents\SimCity 4\Regions\Rain Port\Riverfront

All the libraries are kept under My Documents. If you go up to like C:\ then you get Program Files, Docs and Settings, Windows, stuff like that. And program files is equivilant to the /usr/bin on your Linux based machine

Anyway, you say system32 is a real dog's breakfast, well, from what I read online, the twunk_32 server is a driver, which some say it is malware, but I highly doubt that. People that don't need some sense knocked into them like that say that it reconfigures everything, screwing up the machine. First thing that came to mind was

Click on it, system shuts down, reboots itself, then once at the desktop a dialog box comes up saying the system reco vered from a serious error. Thing was the one who say it is malware had a low Web Of Trust rating.

Edit: Twunk, not thunk. Oh and look at this. The most I have touched is properties of it.

and this...

I am scared half to death to even open that file...

Anyway, got Firefox up and running again. Looks like it should, with me at least.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Well, I don't need to know any more than I know now about the device-based file system that Microshaft uses, goodness knows I've fallen over its awkwardnesses and errors often enough.  Just because I don't use that junk anymore doesn't mean I didn't put up with it for years.

Josh, a thunk is a subroutine or coroutine that always returns an address.  I haven't heard it used in earnest since I worked on compiler development in the late 1970's.  Thunks are very useful, and by now have undoutedly been objectified to make them much easier to use.  You used to have to custom tune them for the language and compiler you were working on.  A proper thunk would always give you the address you needed, whether it was from the symbol table or somewhere in the code text.

It seems to me that these twunk DLL's are exactly that.  Collections of thunks that form an object library.  Every once in a while, MS manages to hire someone who knows what they are doing.

[joshriddle 29]

Ok well found out that the thunking servers are for scanners and cameras. I bet opening it would do nothing much. Sit there doing nothing cause there is no other program to use it. But still, I don't know what it will do, so I won't even bother opening it.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Well, such servers function with a client program that does the human interface while the server does the hardware connect and such stuff.  Funny selection of names, I guess they are running out of good names for things because thunk is an inside software joke.  This term is hardly ever heard outside the professional software community.

So, how are you coming with your new box?  Have you got a final configuration?

[joshriddle 29]

We are looking at processors and motherboards right now. I am fixing to go with this rather cheap AMD, which, is a tad more powerful than the Intel we were looking at earlier, with better performance. But before we buy that we gotta find a mobo that is compatible with it.

Found out my new PATA drive won't work. Once we upgrade the chip and mobo we will have to get a SATA drive, cause PATAs won't work with them. But I sure like this new one, quiet, 7200 RPM, 320 GB storage, and doesn't make the scratching/grinding noises that other one did. We still have that old one in there and I for one am about ready to get rid of it...

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Unless they have changed their philosophy, I would always go with AMD.  They build CISC processors while Intel builds a firmware mask on top of a RISC processor.

CISC = Complete Instruction Set Computer

RISC = Reduced Instruction Set Computer

The last time I looked was at the processors IBM was using for AIX.  They were 128-bit RISC power PC's.  Faster than a skinned cat, but overlaid with the necessary personality to be a useful UNIX machine.  For example, the only arithmetic instruction a RISC machine has is add (TAD for Twos complement ADd).  Everything else is done by algorithms overlaid in the personality.  If I wanted a PDP-8, I would buy a PDP-8.  (If you put smaller wheels on your car, the engine must go faster to maintain the same speed.)

It is more expensive and more complicated to work out the logic necessary for a CISC machine.  A RISC machine only has to be programmed (and debugged, no fooling!)  with its personality overlay to look like any machine you like. 

This is not at all new.  The IBM 360/25 had a variable personality.  When I was on staff at the University of Waterloo, we had one programmed so that its native assembly language was APL.  That made for a fun machine as APL was all the rage at the time.  (For those who don't know, APL = A Programming Language.) 

There was a lot of waggishness in computer science in those days.  We had a learning system that was called CAN.  It meant Completely Arbitrary Name.  In the very early days there was a theoretical, internal programmed machine called FLAP (FLores Automatic Processor).  Its assembly language was called FLAPjac.

Of some interest, the last big machine I worked on had a 36-bit word, fetched two at a time, and a ten-bit order code with a six-bit modifier.  In the end, I guess you could say, with all the inhibit and extended code bits, it had an 18-bit order code.  Instructions could be one, two or four words long and contain from one to three addresses.  This machine, in addition to the regular, binary, 72-bit adder and registers, had a 64-decimal-digit arithmetic unit that could do both integer and floating point work, and you could do things like "C = A + B rounded; on exception interrupt" in one command.  To make matters more interesting, each operand could be offset by a pointer register, indexed, and indirect.  This machine also had hardware keys to check your security while it fetched each operand.  You would get a fault if your mask didn't match the data.  Now you know why machines like this are called MAIN FRAMES.  With this box, you didn't need mid-course corrections to Mars.

[joshriddle 29]

Originally posted by: A Nonny Moose

In the very early days there was a theoretical, internal programmed machine called FLAP (FLores Automatic Processor).  Its assembly language was called FLAPjac.quote>

FLAPjac, didn't know back then those processors related to pancakes!

But youre right. I am going to stick with an AMD. Intel has jacked up their prices higher then the performance output to be honest on those things. I could get one more powerful (AMD), that can compete with the Intel I5s, cheaper.

According to Computer Power User.com, it was a bit complicated, but you could unlock dormant cores with MSI motherboards on an Intel triple or dual core. It said that the demand, I guess, for the triple cores and dual cores with Intel went up, so they built their processors using quad cores, while locking some of them. Now I don't know what the MSI motherboards had to do with anything, but you could unlock those cores, giving you an extra processor.

To me it wasn't worth it. Cause for one you are taking a chance that you may not be able to unlock those cores, cause some people have tried and have come up unsuccessful. So you pay for something you didn't even want and for the extra bucks, (quad cores, shouldn't be that much more expensive then triple cores), you could save the hassle of trying to unlock that core unsuccessfully. Then there is always buying that MSI motherboard. To me anyone who is building a new machine outta go with a Gigabyte brand motherboard. They make the very best boards.

Speaking of boards, that is another thing that is closing in on me fast. I would have to replace the board before we get the new processor installed, the chip wouldn't handle it. Not to mention my board wouldn't handle that 3.10 GHz processor I am going after. Right now mine is 1.67.

Also another thing I am going to get is a new case. Look at this old metal box, that feels like a hollow shell when you slap on it. It sits there and it feels cold, (really, it does feel cold). It is almost like there is nothing inside.  

So yeah I really want a new case.

As you can tell I got one of the very first Windows XP machines they ever made. Had we gotten it a month sooner I would be using that old Windows 2000. Looks very ugly

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

I hope the blathering of an old computer bug has helped you select what you need.  They say that "Old programmers never die, they just get a little buggy."   Unfortunately, this buggy doesn't take you home.  Eight people go out with it, but only seven come back.  My executor has instructions to make sure I assist in global warming.

IMHO, Windows 2000 was better than XP, but was for professionals.  I had it running for a while when I was doing some contract work.  XP was Win 2K for the masses.  Still a verion of NT, as is Win7.  Nothing really new under the hood, just some shiny new bits that work better than the old garbage.  In computing, the watchword is GIGO (Garbage In, Garbage Out).

A cold case is the sign of a cool computer.  You don't want a hot case.  It means you don't have enough cooling inside.

[joshriddle 29]

I have never tried 2000. All I know is the theme doesn't look to good. But anyway, my case isn't cold, just cool. I have 2 fans in there so that outta work.

Anyway, an rather new child-like social computer game on the internetmy little brother was playing madee my computer lock up, and on my mom's computer it made the processor go like 90 to nothing. Hers stayed like at 70-80% CPU usage while he was playing, and then mine gets maxxed out and then goes poopy on me. Hers we click Internet Explorer off and the CPU is still going nuts, so we turn it off. When we turn it back on it asks to go into safe mode saying it didn't shut down properly...

So she will have to examine that and see what happened. She don't care for me messing with her computer, knowing how much and often I screw up mine.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

What kind of virus protection do you have?  I would scan both machines after that.

Josh, your little brother needs to have his own account on your machine.  You don't want him on your admin level account if he should happen to be mad at you.  Give him is own user account, surrounded with a fire wall and virus checker, no admin privileges, and make a fuss about him having his OWN ACCOUNT.  Turn on the parental controls and don't let him download anything you don't approve.  Younger siblings can be a menace, as in Dennis the ...

[joshriddle 29]

Dennis the Mennace!

My only virus protection is Windows Defender. Which even that barely blocks viruses. And really I barely let him on my computer. The only times he gets on my computer is when he is looking for toys on the internet.

Since I am running as administrator, I can set a parental control on it and then load all kinds of virus protection on there, set the internet security level to High instead of medium which it is on now, put a firewall on it, and then mark all the files and folders he shouldn't be touching read only, or better yet, hide them so you can't see them unless you enable being to see hidden files and folder, which, I won't tell him how to do.

And then we outta password mine and then not put a password on his so I can log onto his account and see what he has been up to. Also I should enable quota management on his, perhaps allow him a gig of space and give me what is left. That way he will get a message does he try and load too much of his junk on my machine, and then it won't let him.

Also I will probably hide Program Files, Windows, and all the other folders except his documents. I will hide my personal folder...

I can also hide all my programs except SimCity from him. Even that I don't want him going in and messing around with my cities I have built running them into the ground so maybe I could try hiding my region folders, so maybe the game might not read them. 

But still, even if he does get into using my computer he should use his own account. Like you said, should he get mad at me and want revenge. He may go in and delete system32.

But I hide most of that stuff so...

But anyway, I screwed it up again, I was messing around with the themes and I got it stuck in Windows 2000 theme. It is still running XP but it is in the 2000 theme. I really want to fix this.

Edit: Simple reboot fixed it!

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

"When  you have to kill a man, it does no harm to smile." Winston Spencer Churchill

Josh, you have to make your brother's account something to which he will happily take ownership.  You don't need to worry about him messing with other things if you make him an ordinary user with his own password (you can set it up so he has to change the one you set up).  As an ordinary user, he can't mess with system files or anything an admin has to be careful about.  Especially, he can't get to anyone else's files unless they give him explicit permission.  This much of the file system does work.  So make it attractive for him, set his limits and quotas, and turn him loose.  Horse on you if he does anything untowards.

This, I suppose, will be your first venture in being a real system administrator responsible for other users.  It is good practice and experience for you.  Be firm, be kind, and don't budge.  When he is old enough to mess with his own machine, that's his problem.

If you want to practice, set up your own user account.  You can set the system up so that SimCity 4, for example, is a shared game, but only an administrator can set up the Documents/SimCity 4 initial values (you copy them from the Program Files part of the game).  This will also be good experience for you.  You should not run as an administrator all the time, it is dangerous if you make a slip.

Linux positively discourages anyone from running as superuser (root).  You can have an admin account, but logging on to the root is considered only for the very knowledgeable.  I do it when I need to, which isn't very often.  I can mostly get stuff done from my ordinary account as an administrator, but to do admin things I have to type a password.  This is kind of neat because when I am running an ordinary application, I am an ordinary user, but if I need to, I can be superuser for a moment.  The power goes away very quickly.

If I had multiple users on this machine, very easy to set up with the Internet connection, I would have to activate the secure Linux section (SELinux).  This turns on  at least C1 or maybe higher security levels.  Under those circumstances you can only run stuff that matches your context as set by the security officer.  Not worth even playing with in a single user set up like mine.  You have to set up Access Control Lists (ACL's) and all that, and have to maintain them.  Maybe if I was a data centre I would do it.  You also need a much faster machine than this one because all this adds overhead.

[joshriddle 29]

Stupid Windows won't let me create another user account. It says computer administrators are permitted to create accounts. Well have ya taken a good look at this, stupid machine?

Is it that you don't trust me or something?

So I will have to activate the guest account and fiddle with that.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Just because you have the name doesn't mean you have the game.  However, if you really do have full admin privileges, try the help system.  I never had trouble creating accounts in Windows, and there is no reason you should unless your privileges have been turned off, somehow.  If that's the case, and there is no other administrator, I'd suggest an archive to an off-line medium and a rebuild of the O/S from the disks.  When you do that, make sure you are the real administrator.  And make a privileged user account for yourself too, with admin powers.  Two accounts are better than one.  The Guest account has no privileges at all.  This is what you want for your brother.

[joshriddle 29]

Hey! But I did get my programs to work on the guest account. I got Firefox working for him. Also I downloaded this addon for Firefox for me and him called Web Of Trust so that it gives you a warning when you try to access a potentially dangerous site. I got a popup from "Smiley Central!". Instead of blocking it it threw it behind the active window.

So WOT looks like this whenever you try and access a dangerous site:

[AcoGuitar000 0]

I just don't get it. Sooooo many people complain about Vista that it makes me angry. I'm trying to say that if it weren't for Vista, Windows 7 probably wouldn't have the nice Aero GUI or the other nice features that Vista had. I hadn't ever had a problem with Vista. I personally liked Vista better. If you have SP2 like I had, you would be satisfied with Vista. I don't like Windows 7's big fat dock taskbar. I want my quick launch back. I want my black and slim taskbar. I'm trying to persuade people to do a fresh start with Vista. Please don't leave any mean replies.

Anyways,

Signed: AcoGuitar000 

[joshriddle 29]

AcoGuitar, you can change the size of quick launch icons, as well as enable quick launch. You can, for all I care, more than likely give it an XP theme, (maybe). I can set XP to look like 2000 so more than likely you can make 7 look like Vista.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Well, you guys all know that I voted with my feet.  There isn't any Microsoft stuff on my machine anymore except stuff I need to run MS apps with wine.  (There is getting to be a big library because of all the lock-ins people were seduced with).  I have access to about six decors, but I like the UBUNTU basic one.  Start bar (menu) at the top with the status bar at the bottom.  Can switch by single click to one of four simultaneously running desktops.  And this on a beat-up old box I've had for at least six years.  I don't plan to upgrade my hardware anytime soon, except I may add some more USB ports.  Right now I have one spare port that I use for both an off-line HDD and my scanner.  It would be nice to configure them both permanently.

Oh yes, I have two copies of the O/S on the system.  This one for production, and the other for testing.  It is getting to be less testing and more playing these days, but switching over only takes a couple of minutes to reboot the box.

[joshriddle 29]

I like the old dock fat old taskbar (equivilant to start bar)

Anyway, got my apps working on the guest account. But I am only letting him access the ones on the desktop. I am only letting him use SimCity and Firefox, plus 3 MS apps. Here is his desktop:

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

OK, but did he pick out that wallpaper his own self?  It gives me a headache.

[joshriddle 29]

What is wrong with his wallpaper?

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Originally posted by: joshriddle

What is wrong with his wallpaper?

quote>

Nothing.  It is just not to my taste.  Here is my desktop, and you'll see I don't go for abstract patterns.

[joshriddle 29]

I see that was your old place, correct me if I am wrong? Anyway, I don't care too much for patterns either, but that one is allright to me. Lots better than the Gone Fishing one they had.

Guest account is now up and running by the way.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

When I get a chance, I'll post the desktop on the other copy of the operating system that I use for testng.  It is a lake with a pier sticking out into the water for software testers to jump off.

Did you set it up as the 'guest' account or really give him an account with his name on it?

[joshriddle 29]

Windows told me that a computer administrator account must be created before any limited accounts can be created. And I particularly didn't want an unused account on my OS when Guest works fine. So I just activated the guest account and let it go at that.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Normally the administrator account is created by the install from the disks.  It is unavoidable, so I'll bet it is there will you, nil you.

For example, on a Linux machine there is always an account named root, but the password is not given to anyone.  root is the superuser, and no one should ever go there.  In a new installation, I use the admin powers to set that password to something useful so I can, in a dire emergency, log on to the root, even from a console startup.

I would be surprised if windows doesn't have a similar back door.

[joshriddle 29]

What does the superuser do?

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

The superuser is like a 500 pound canary, he can do whatever he wants, to anything, including destroy the entire file system in one command.  This is why we don't go there except when things are very, very urgent and bad.

[joshriddle 29]

Is it possible to log on to the superuser?

Anyway, talking of my old box. I recently found some out about those Intels. First of all, their I3 and I5 series are dual cores. And second are the core-unlocker motherboards. What gets me with those is why Intel would leave a core activated yet dormant like that. And then also you are taking a chance with that core unlocker board that that core is disabled and then you got a core unlocker that you might have not wanted.

Now I haven't found out to much about the AMDs. Pretty much the most recent was that they run rather hot. Sometimes up to 80 or 90. Some of them have cooling systems. If you don't and you have a processor running at 90 degrees F without a cooling system then you had better be prepared to put 3 or 4 fans in it.

My dad has a dual core Intel. It runs at 80 F, which is rather high for an Intel. I guess fortunately he had 3 fans in there. Mine has two. I don't know how hot my AMD is running at though. It is a 1.6 Ghz Athlon XP, the one I have in there right now.

Next concern is a motherboard. Thing is that when AMD releases a new series of processors, they make them compatible with the earlier motherboards, where as Intel, you have to get the up-to-date mobo for them to work. So that makes me rather sketchy. The bus clock speeds on it need to be high enough, while the thing can still support the processor. So really a motherboard I haven't a clue what I am getting.

Other than that, also I found out that the AMD quad cores, (that I think are Phenom 2s). Intel dual cores outperform them.

So that made no sense.

So yes, I am debating over an AMD Phenom 2 and an Intel I5 still. Since the Intel dual cores outperform the AMD quad ones I guess it wouldn't matter. I may also take into consideration an AMD triple core.

Unless they change all the sudden, I am hoping to go with AMD. When I get the money I am going to go ahead and buy it so I want to have my mind made up on that stuff by next year. I think with processors it is coming down to a quad core AMD Phenom 2. They jacked up the prices on that one, like $40 bucks, but I am sure I can handle it. If not we go one step lower to a triple core Phenom. If the price is still too high wait half a year for the prices to come down.

So really my main concern after that is a mobo. After that I don't really care about a compatible hard drive. Just need a SATA with 200 GB storage, put a floppy drive in, then maybe perhaps later on maybe get a small external drive. Then after that I need at the least 6 USB ports. Lot of hardware to keep up with.