Sunday 22 November 2015

Converting to Windows 10




It’s been a difficult week as I struggle to convert from Windows 7 to Windows 10.

Living in Spain we rely on our computers to access UK television and have a desktop, laptop and media centre all inter connected.   We have a “computer man” locally who sorts out any problems we may have, as anything more than typing and loading photographs is well beyond me.

I had hoped to get one computer upgraded, whilst relying on the other two.   However this was not to be.   The first was returned, but proved to have errors which I don’t really understand.    The second was returned and later discovered to have different, but just as annoying, problems.   Meanwhile the third had been removed to upgrade to Windows 10.

You would think a “computer man” would be easy to contact.   But email, skype calls, landline and mobile phone messages were all ignored.   In consequence I have been without any computer for most of the week.   Its only when this type of thing happens that you realise how much you depend on it.

I had foolishly anticipated that a simple upgrade from Windows 7 to Windows 10 would be simple and straight forward.   How wrong could I be?

At present I have one of the three working well.   One has gone wrong again (for the second time) and the third is being upgraded.   Each upgrade seems to take about ten days.

Like all of my friends, and I suspect all computer users of a “certain age”, I hate change.   I have no idea why Windows ever had to upgrade from XP.  I understood how to use it and it could do everything I needed.

My particular problem with Windows 10 is that I cannot seem to be able to resize photographs.   That sounds like a small problem, but in fact is causing me a lot of trouble.   I have four current blogs, one of which I update each day.   This one only requires one photographs for each blog, but others can have up to twenty on a single blog.   When they are resized they seem to load without any trouble.  But full size the blog keeps rejecting them.

I have spent hours on Windows Forum, and even communicating with Windows direct.   Everyone is very helpful, but no one seems to have a solution to the problem.  

So hours and hours of frustration.

But I guess with what is going on around the world my problems really are pretty insignificant.   Perhaps so, but that does not stop them from being annoying!

6 comments:

  1. I have just moved over from Windows Vista to Windows 10, and I am still getting used to it. Take it from me, it takes some time to get it set up to suit your needs, but it is miles better than Windows 8.

    I also resize my photos before uploading them to my blog, and there is a Windows program that allows me to do this. When I select a photo that I want to resize, I right click once on it and select 'Open with ...' and choose Microsoft Office Picture Manager. (I am assuming that you are using MS Office; if not, then this may not be available for you to use.)

    Serif PhotoPlus is a good alternative and much cheaper than Photoshop.

    Good luck,

    Bob

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  2. Hi Bob

    I couldn't get on with Windows 8 at all.

    With Windows 7 I used to do as you describe to resize

    But with Windows 10 when I right click I am no longer given the option of Microsoft Office Picture Manager. Instead I am offered Photos, which is completely different. It has more options, but does not include resize.

    Can you still get Microsoft Office Picture Manager with Windows 10?

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  3. Paul,

    Windows 8 was terrible, and I am glad that they replaced it when they did.

    I think that is comes with MS Office rather than Windows 10 per se.

    I downloaded the version of MS Office that I had on my previous computer (MS Office 2007 [the license allowed this by the way]) and Microsoft Office Picture Manager came up as an option when I right clicked on photos.

    As I said, if you can get hold of a copy of Serif PhotoPlus (there is a free simple version available here = Free Download) you can actually stipulate the pixel width and height of an image.

    All the best,

    Bob

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  4. For photo re-size I use an old copy of Paint Shop Pro, but if Windows 10 still has the Microsoft Paint program/application, re-size is also available in that...

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  5. Hi Steve

    I have never used Microsoft Paint, but will do if I can not sort anything else out

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  6. Hi Bob

    I have downloaded Serif PhotoPlus, but can not run the programme. I have tried three times, and had the same error each time. I have asked for advice on their forum, but the replies are too complicated for me to understand.

    For me this is the big disadvantage of using computers. They are fine whilst everything is going well, but a nightmare when they go wrong. When all is working well they are so easy to use. But once there is an error there never seems to be an easy way to put it right. I guess its a basic lack of knowledge about how the whole thing works.

    Its similar with cars. When I was young most owners could repair most faults. Now you have to take it to the garage, where they plug in a computer and replace a whole sections. Gone are the days when you could just replace a bulb for a few pence. Now you have to replace the whole light section which costs an arm and a leg. Thats progress I guess?

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