I did Google, and I Binged, heck I even Yahooed, and I searched this forum, also tried searching and posting on the Windows 'community' forum.
So far no-one can tell me why software that works on XP, on a website that works on XP, doesn't work with Windows 7.
I recently had a MBR go screwy, yet again. This time an Acronis mirror-image restore didn't work. The HDD still works, was able to access it via a second drive already fitted just in case. That's my big issue with XP, as my work isn't of the nature I can just take a few days off fiddling around with the computer. Most times I've been able to fix it, twice I've had to buy a new PC as an emergency fix (I'm a highly paid freelance writer, in that I have tight deadlines and important projects, but not so highly paid I enjoy constantly buying hard drives or even complete computers).
When I got the all-too familar problem again recently I said screw it, I'm either changing to Mac, Windows 7 or Linux.
So I'm not a lover of XP, just very familiar with it and productive, when it's working.
Of the choices I figured Win7, as it would be most familiar and I have a lot of software for Windows.
I've I'd known however the number of problems, the amount of headscratching and the learning curve required, I'd have gone for a Mac.
Why not?
Like most people I stick with Windows because I'm familiar with it - and have often poked gentle fun at Apple fanboys.
But really, why not?
If I'm going to find myself lost and poking around trying to figure out how to do things with a pretty interface, why not a Mac?
Now it turns out I'm not entitled to technical support, because my Windows 7 came preinstalled. Oh, my bad, I thought I'd like, you know, purchased it? I certainly had the "cost me money bit".
So here I am, scratching around on forums, asking a stupid question - why doesn't an HTML website work on Windows 7?
There's no logical answer because it SHOULD work - it just doesn't.
I can't blame IE8, was using that with XP. I can't blame DAP, that works even on this computer on most sites. I can't blame Rapidshare, because that works with the Opera browser.
But using Windows 7 it freezes the browser and clicking anything makes a 'ding' noise.
I can't even figure out how to search a folder, there's no 'search' on the right-click menu. There's nothing on the top of the window, I can 'organise', include in some library (?) "share with" or burn. Last night (I was up until 6.20AM with this thing) I couldn't unzip something. Turned out I was in the "wrong" window or something. Finally got an unzip option, unzipped - and had no idea where it went.
Yes, I found it in the end, after plenty of clicking around. Apparantly the only search option is to search the entire computer. Right now on a new install that seems speedy but I have no faith in it remaining that way.
Bottom line, I've been using computers, including XP, for a very long time. With this thing I feel like some old grand-dad who doesn't know how to use a computer.
"This is a mouse. You can move the little pointer thingy... See if you can figure out the rest?"
Repeatedly I find myself losing some open window somewhere and just closing everything down and starting again, as I just can't be bothered with this floaty menu thing that just shows thumbnails. When you've got a number of Word docs open they all look the freakin' same on that.
Yeah, maybe in a year's time I'll be like some of the posters here, claiming its great when you get used to it. In the meantime I have a multi-thousand dollar project due in 2 weeks that I haven't even started, due to XP dying, faffing around with it, buying a new PC - and now bogged down again, trying to figure out how to use it.
Had to email the guy and explain I didn't know how to download the project file from Rapidshare, because I'm some kind of numpty who doesn't know how to use his new computer!!
Nor apparantly, do any of you lot, so thanks for you time but now I need to unplug everything from this PC, set up my old PC again (which is a year old but runs faster) so I can get on with some work.
Maybe next weekend I'll have time to figure out a new operating system, right now I have things to do. Before any snarky "Well you had time to type this" stuff, yeah, needed to get it off my chest - and I'm a fast typer. This took a lot less time than it took figuring out how to change my mouse settings in Win7, FFS.
In the meantime, if anyone DOES know how to download from Rapidshare without switching browsers, lemme know?
Thanks.