[Sussex] Elderly Aunts with computer problems (windows ones :-( )

[John D.]

On Mon, 2005-04-18 at 09:45 +0100, Geoffrey J. Teale wrote:
> "John D." <john at johnsemail.eclipse.co.uk> writes:
> 
> > My Aunt has an aging computer (from Evesham). She decided that she
> > wanted a DVDRW fitted - this was done by her local shop.

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> The DVD writing software may well be written in a .NET language.  The
> mscoree.dll is indeed part of .NET..

Ah, I did wonder why it seemed to concern the .NET stuff - It's making
sense now.

> > My real question, is that if I do the re-install, but prior to that, I
> > shrink the file system with partition magic and then make a seperate
> > partition for her data "a la linux" like a seperate /home, does that
> > logic still hold for windows systems, if she were to have any other
> > problems like this? (perhaps I should have just said "is there any point
> > in having a seperate data partition).
> 
> Yes this will work, you can keep that as a separate mount point "D:\"
> (or whatever) and be careful to retain it between rebuilds. 

I wonder if making the seperate "D" drive partition first and then doing
the re-install would make the necessary mount point(s)? Obviously I'd
just be telling "it" to install to the "C" drive partition, plus I
understand that windies would then detect the other hardware items
(CDROM, DVDRW, Floppy, etc) and auto allocate appropriate drive letters.

> > Oh and for info, her local computer shop seem to think that the a
> > re-install should cure the problem(s), though I suspect that there could
> > be an issue about any missing patches etc that where produced by MS over
> > the years before they stopped supporting W98 - I suppose that they might
> > have them in their archives.
> 
> Yes.  Also the computer shop may just be saying rebuild it because
> they say that whenever there's a problem.

That did occur to me. I suppose if you're in that sort of business, it's
often easier/quicker to do the rebuild than go digging round to find out
what the _actual_ problem is. Though I'm thinking that when she took it
to the shop, they must have done some checking too try to find out if
the DVDRW that they installed was faulty/OK and come up with the
missing .dll(s).

> > Also, as this main missing .dll is .Net framework related, would it
> > perhaps be better to just try and download and install the .Net stuff?
> > She uses dialup, I'm thinking that it might be less hassle to try that
> > as even though it's 20 + megs and would take a while, it'd be safer to
> > try that ??
> 
> Hmm,  if the software needs the framework it should be installing the
> dependencies of telling you to do so.
> 
> .NET applications come as assemblies that actually know what they
> depend on (in terms of .Net Libraries) - you should get sensible
> messages that tell you what's missing if anything.

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Ok, I can see that. I suppose that she may have "lost" a .dll when she's
been playing with the system! Don't know. Shes quite well versed in
being careful normally (your quote of hitting the wrong key and the PC
exploding comes to mind Geoff). I know that about the time she had the
DVDRW fitted, she also bought herself a book about Photoshop Elements
that had a time limited trial - then managed to get sold a copy of PS E
(version 3) by Jessops, even though it apparently won't install on
anything earlier than W2K/Millenium (they did a refund, even though
she'd "broken the seal" and ordered her a copy of PS E version 2, which
is the full version of the trial/book copy - which I thought was
reasonably good customer service - she is "knocking" 80 but has managed
to keep most/all of her marbles).

> Obviously I will just finish by saying - hey, isn't time your aunt
> tried Linux?

Yes, I've even done a knoppix demo, but to no avail. I got the stock
answer of having to learn how to use what she already has etc etc. plus
the usual caveat of pensioners on fixed incomes (I suspect that she just
didn't believe me that she could have easily managed linux on the
system). Plus how can linux be any good? After all, it doesn't run
Internet Explorer :-P

I've managed to get her as far as changing to Firefox and Thunderbird
though - using the persuasive arguement of security concerns, which she
relates to, I suspect that she's spent many a happy hour "curtain
twitching" for the local neighbourhood watch campaign.

regards

John D.