What Windows problem have you been never able to resolve?

[Broni]

This may be interesting discussion. I need some feedback.

Just for starters...

- open Windows Explorer maximized (it may apply to some other programs) - after using all possible tricks, it never worked for me 100%, regardless of Windows version (Vista seems to  be better, then others); I use AutoSizer now to keep me sane
- retain folders view - I like "Details" view; works for a while, then, one day, for no reason, it's all messed up; needs to be reset
- time synchronization - from time to time, won't work

I'm pretty sure, there are plenty of others.

[computeruler]

ya the time syncronization is one for me too

[quaxo]

I had a weird problem with Windows Media Player 9 for a while. Every time I used the media player key on my keyboard (Ideazon Zboard), WMP9 would open "maximized", but the window itself wasn't. The window would be sized smaller than the screen, but locked into place like maximized windows are. I would have to minimize it and maximize it again, then it would be right. But the other issue I had with it was that WMP9 would start up with the "always on top of other windows" option activated. If I went into options, the box wouldn't be checked, so I would have to check it to activate it, apply the settings, uncheck it and apply again so it would stop hiding everything behind it. These problems wouldn't occur if I just went into the start menu and opened WMP, but what's the point of having hot keys if you can't use them?

My final solution: WMP11. It wasn't until I installed it that I stopped having this issue. I don't like it much though.

- retain folders view - I like "Details" view; works for a while, then, one day, for no reason, it's all messed up; needs to be reset

This drives me nuts too, especially with external drives. It never seems to remember the view I set on my Trek Papier USB thumb drive or my Maxtor Basic 80GB external I use with my laptop.

[!~*:.Pink Floyd.:*~!]

I figured out how to make internet explorer safer




ANSWER: download firefox

[Broni]

It happened on Windows 98 with Netscape.
Whenever I was typing something in Netscape, or Netscape mail, and I accidentally hit left CTRL key, the keyboard started to type different letters, than actually pressed.
Tried different keyboard, reinstalled Netscape, at some point, for some other reason, Windows got reinstalled....same problem.
I drove me to a point, when I physically removed left CTRL key.
Right CTRL key was never affected.

[!~*:.Pink Floyd.:*~!]

I figured out why windows 95 goes to BSOD so much.



Answer: Run over 3 programs at once and find out.
that really did make me mad as a kid.

[homer]

- retain folders view - I like "Details" view; works for a while, then, one day, for no reason, it's all messed up; needs to be reset

seconded. drives me up the wall. one day my files will be organized alphabetically top to bottom, the next day, alphabetically left to right. ARGGGH!!!!

[Broni]

Vista's Windows Explorer has this feature: "Size all columns to fit".
There is no way for it to stay that way.

[michaewlewis]

to retain folder views, customize the view the way you like it and then go to Tools then Folder Options. Click the View tab and then Apply to all folders.

if a program doesn't like to open maximized, there is a workaround. make a batch file with this line in it:
start /max iexplore.exe

[Broni]

to retain folder views, customize the view the way you like it and then go to Tools then Folder Options. Click the View tab and then Apply to all folders.

This by-the-book solution never worked for me. I mean, it works for a while, but some day it's gone, and I have to start all over.
Besides...
I like to have some windows, like Control Panel, Add\Remove, etc., listed in "icons" view, and most of the others in "details" view. Sooner, or later, one type of view will be screwed.

if a program doesn't like to open maximized, there is a workaround. make a batch file with this line in it:
start /max iexplore.exe

My point is, the given program's features should work without any workarounds. It's not like Windows Explorer was introduced yesterday. Then, I could understand, it has some bugs.

[michaewlewis]

Try using windows powertools to increase the number of folders remembered.

I've only run into problems with IE opening maximized after I open a page that modifies the window size. If we could get developers to stop resizing our windows, maybe that would fix it. (Since MS probably won't fix it)

[Broni]

I have another one.
My LCD monitor, 9 months old.
5-6 months ago, this started.
Some day, I start my computer, Windows desktop comes up, and then it goes to black screen for 3 sec, back to desktop for 3 sec, back to black for 3 sec, and so on.
Turning monitor off, and on resolves issue.
It won't happen again after restarting computer, it won't happen again for days.
In a span of last 6 months, it happened to me, maybe 3-4 times, always once at a time.
I see no pattern.
Connections checked, tried different DVI cable.
It's hard to try something else, since it happens so rarely.

[Broni]

Try using windows powertools

I'm not aware of PowerTools for Vista.

[Soviet_Genius]

I have a media card reader, with 4 slots for different kinds of cards. Even when there is nothing in them they show up as removable disk F, G, H, and I in windows explorer. Also, the card reader makes the safely remove hardware thing take up my precious tray space all the time, but I can't use it to safely remove anyway because the only way for the card reader to start working again is by rebooting.

[Broni]

Soviet Genius
I assume, you understand, that in this thread we don't expect to fix anything, we're just posting weird, unsolved problems?

[!~*:.Pink Floyd.:*~!]

I never really understanded why there was a apple advertise on my Background when I bought my PC

[SaintSatinStain]

ya the time syncronization is one for me too

Check to see if some local security policy, or network policy if in a domain, or program is blocking udp.  Time synch is done with  udp..

[BC_Programmer]

Well, I did resolve it- but it stood as a hurdle for over 4 years.

Not strictly a windows problem, but rather a problem getting at a windows feature. I could NOT, for the life of me, figure out how to show the right-click context menu in my program. I did manage to get it "sort of" working, but after the first-click showing the menu, the second one would GPF.

After over ten or twelve re-writes of the code, I managed to actually get some robust code working that can show the right-click menu for any file. It has been successfully integrated into my Object based File handling library, BCFile.


More Aside from Explorer Fiobles previously described, of course-

Probably more annoying to me, is getting older games working. For example- Need for Speed 2 SE, High Stakes, etc. Oh wait- I solved those too. darn it! Let's see- unresolved... unresolved

Darn it! Can't think of anymore right now, but I know I have many...

Oh well. I know! I'll mindlessly ramble at the one poster whose been completely ignored!

I figured out how to make internet explorer safer




ANSWER: download firefox

*clap* congratulations, you successfully made a comment that made no sense. What your saying is analogous to saying,

"I figured out how to make my hand stop hurting!"

"How's that?"

"Oh, it was easy! I just cut my whole arm off!"

Using firefox is on the whole Safer, but firefox never lends it's additional security to Internet Explorer, and so doesn't, in any way, make IE any safer. If somebody were to install Firefox and continue to run IE, would that make IE safer? NO.

I figured out why windows 95 goes to BSOD so much.



Answer: Run over 3 programs at once and find out.
that really did make me mad as a kid.

Again... this is about unsolved issues, second off, we're talking about machines actually capable of having the issue non-existent. Running windows 95 on a 4MB 386 notwithstanding. I've used windows 95, my friend, and it was much more robust then it is made out to be. In fact- more so then windows 98, since they integrated IE into 98, but not necessarily all versions of 95.

[SaintSatinStain]

I figured out how to have a quick responsive system on an ancient computer with low RAM.

I have an XP Pro, AMD Athlon, 1.2 GHz,  768 MB RAM, and it boots fast. I reinstall OS each year and have learned how to install, especially when there are service packs involved. The method requires that you have a router, your program setups on external hard drive or disk, disks for SP2 and SP3 (I got SP2 free from Microsoft and made my own SP3 dvd disk), and you are careful. Do the install; do not install any programs, including security.  Install ERUNT.  Upgrade to SP2 without installing any programs, and do same with SP3.  During this you are protected by router and native firewall. Install your firewall (remember to turn off native Windows firewall.).  Install your anti virus.  Programs ask you to exit from any programs that you have running; you should make a copy of the registry with ERUNT before each install or a System Restore point. Install just the programs that you actually need, especially avoid the so-called shortcut programs. Example are programs to access settings that you can use the native controls to set or adjust. If a program has a 'portable' version, one without an installer, use it. Many of the programs at Microsoft's Sysinternals do not have installers. There are some good programs there. SIW is a good inventory  program for your system without an installer. The best antirootkits IceSword, GMER, and Rootkit Unhooker, one of the best antispyware on demand scanners, ewido antispyware microscanner, does not have an installer. One antirootkit, one antispyware, and one anti Trojan on demand scanner is all that's needed. Many programs try to or do install to start with Windows. The only ones that need to do this are the firewall and anti virus, perhaps encryption like PGP. Don't install too many extra font, pretty icons to replace the native ones, or eye candy. Turn off all native eye candy except for (see image). You may see other suggestions about which ones to keep by Googling. Turn off system sounds. Do you really need to hear music when the system boots up or shuts down? If you create permanent files store them on disks or external hard drive. You don't need to load them.  There are tweaks to speed up boot, but they are beyond newbie or intermediate suggestions.  Others here will have other suggestions, or differences with mine, to speed up boot. Listen to them and decide.

Each year I use fewer programs, less duplication and crossover, and fewer visual effects.  I almost forgot, keep only the pictures  that you really use often in My Pictures folder; they are loaded each time the system starts up. The pictures in the My Pictures folder are also used as wallpaper.You may wish to remove some of the jpegs in C:\WINDOWS\Web\Wallpaper. I only have nine there. Some I removed for aesthetic reasons.

I don't believe that any of the above are dangerous tweaks, if they may be called that. I have a quick responsive system because of the above on an -in computer terms- ancient system.

[Bones92]

The only windows problem I was never able to resolve was one day my built-in mics of my laptop stopped working as soon as I plugged in a different mic into the mic in jack (i had never done it before up to this point.)

Windows did something that disabled my built in mics.

Go figure.

[BC_Programmer]

I figured out how to have a quick responsive system on an ancient computer with low RAM.

I have an XP Pro, AMD Athlon, 1.2 GHz,  768 MB RAM, and it boots fast.

errr- that isn't ancient- older, maybe. Refer to the XP minimum and recommended requirements. That far surpasses the recommended minimum speed of a 233Mhz Pentium 2 or equivalent.

If that's ancient- what was my old XP machine? (which booted in just over a minute, BTW)

AMD K6-2 350 Mhz
512MB RAM
2GB HD +8GB second HD (both fat32 for speed)
XP SP2
ATI Radeon 7000VE
Creative Sound blaster PCI


My trick was disabling many of my services, and no Antivirus, for example.


Ahh, which reminds me of a problem I never was able to solve-


With that old computer- the Radeon 7000 Failed terribly, yellow screens after 3d mode screwed up, etc.

So I bought and attempted to installed the graphics card I'm currently using in this computer- a BFG GeForce FX 5500.

BSOD. regardless- any 3d mode. BSOD. tried everything.

Same thing happened with every card I tried AIW 9000, Geforce FX 6600. etc...