Ramblings, ideas, problems, and solutions

Category: Operating systems

  • Resolving "NTLDR missing" and "Non-system disk or disk error" error messages

    I thought that this solution was common knowledge all around, but it seems not to be, so here’s how. First off, the problem. When you boot your computer, an error message pops up, saying one out of two: NTLDR is missing   Press any key to restart Non-system disk or disk error   Replace and…

  • Windows Vista SP1 – First impressions

    So, I finally bought a new computer. It’s a pretty smooth bit of kit if I might say so. It’s a HTPC, with a 3GHz CPU and 4GB RAM. It also runs Windows Vista Ultimate, and is my first real day-to-day encounter with said OS.   The computer arrived at my place a little more…

  • Renaming your wireless network connection

    Being one to muck about quite a bit with my computers, my wireless network connection is now called “Wireless Network Connection 5”, like so:     Annoying though it may be, it is, however, really easy to remedy. Here’s how:   Right-click the Wireless Network Connection, and select “Rename” Call it whatever you’d like, and…

  • Disabling the “New programs installed” alert

    I have a habit of trying out a lot of different software, most of which need to be installed. Windows XP has a practical function, which is also at times very, very annoying. It highlights recently installed software. Let me show you what it’s all about. When I open the start-menu, I have this thing…

  • Windows XP Service Pack 3 – a quick overview

    Windows XP is Microsoft’s longest living operating system to date. Released in October 2001, it succeeded the total failure that was Windows Millennium Edition, and has, in turn, been succeeded by Windows Vista. Service Pack 3 is, as implied by the name, the third major upgrade package – Service Pack – released for Windows XP.…

  • How to change the default Save As or Open location – TweakUI

    In my last post, I showed you how to use the GPEdit app to change the default Save As/Open locations. There’s another way to do this, using that great little tool called TweakUI. If you haven’t gotten it already, download and install it before reading on. Here’s how to make the tweak: Open TweakUI Navigate…

  • How to change the default Save As or Open location – GPEdit

    I’ve been annoyed that I’ve not been able to change the default Save As/Open locations, as well as changing the 5 options I get on the Places Bar. Here’s what it looks like default: Now, there are two ways of changing this, this first one uses the GPEdit or Group Policy Editor app which you…

  • Apt-get FTW or: How I learned to stop worrying and learned to love Ubuntu

    I love technology and fiddling with computers and gadgets dearly, and so, one of my long-term goals have been to has an operational computer running Linux, with which I can do most, if not all, of what I am able to do with my Windows computers. Like most IT-professionals who has been working in the business…

  • Deactivating Automatic Reboot after Windows Update

    Have you ever returned to your computer only to find it having restarted, and all of your data gone? For a myriad of reasons, I keep my computers running continuously for a long time at a time. This makes this insistence on a reboot not only annoying, but in its extremes, it can actually make…