Computer problems and/or advice-2015 to 2017

[David Nicholson]

Within the last couple of days I seem to have lost the ability to, for example, copy a web address and then paste it in a Forum message. I thought at first that this might be a Google Chrome issue but I have the same problem with IE. Can anyone help please?

[Graeme]

Firefox

[Gene Mirro]

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Lilium/info

It works for me in Chrome.

[Alan_b]

I always highlight then Use Ctrl+C to copy and Ctrl+V to paste.  Have you tried it that way (I mean hold down the Ctrl key then press the indicated letter).

[Graeme]

I always highlight then Use Ctrl+C to copy and Ctrl+V to paste.  Have you tried it that way (I mean hold down the Ctrl key then press the indicated letter).

20 things you should use everyday http://windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/windows7/20-pc-shortcuts

[David Nicholson]

Well, just as my problem mysteriously arrived it has now, equally mysteriously, departed and things appear to be normal including being able to copy and paste from the drop down menu. I Googled the problem and it seems to be rife and has(is) causing much angst. I got bored with all the reading but it looked as though it was a Google thing and probably to do with Googles ability to protect its ability to earn insane revenues. (and then not pay the relative amount of tax ). Thanks for your help Alan.

[Graeme]

it was a Google thing and probably to do with Googles ability to protect its ability to earn insane revenues. (and then not pay the relative amount of tax ).

and that's why it is firefox all the way - because if google does manage to corner most of the browser market its restrictive practices will then get worse - I only ever use chrome with a chromecast because they have actually left the source code open on the chromecast and you can add all your own code to make it do some weird and wonderful things

[David Nicholson]

Since I have no idea what a chromecast is Graeme (and I suspect I don't need to know!) I'll leave the "weird and wonderful things" to you. I think it it's always the same, you are quite likely to find a share of anti-Firefox posts on the various Forums, indeed I did try once but didn't take to it, I don't like Safari on my Ipad, and I tried Opera for one day and hated it so I don't have much choice.

[jomowi]

Since being widowed I have got by with the computer and limited knowledge I inherited.  This with a little help from my son, - a PC man whose time I cannot impose on for prolonged problems.

I have now hit a brick wall.  The lap top works fine, but the antivirus package has expired and there is no longer any replacement available for the Mac OS X 10.5.8 it runs on.  The machine it too old to support anything more recent than ‘Snow Leopard’ for which antivirus software is available. This is on order and my son will install it.

I anticipate that my problems won’t end there, because when Brian upgraded from OS X 9 to OS X 10 he had no end of problems with printer, scanner etc not then working.  He was very computer literate but had to seek help.  He knew the right questions to ask, and understood and acted on the replies he got back.

My other alternative is to upgrade to a new computer, but that won’t solve my lack of ability to set it up.  Will the Apple Store do this for me and swap the contents of the current one onto the new one?  Even so, there are bound to be teething problems or worse that I cannot get round.

Any advice would be welcomed but keep it simple please for this dummy!  I could go to Apple for advice, but they will only be interested in selling me a new computer, and the current one does all I want and more.  Details of what I currently have copied below:

Hardware Overview:

  Model Name:   MacBook
  Model Identifier:   MacBook4,1
  Processor Name:   Intel Core 2 Duo
  Processor Speed:   2.1 GHz
  Number Of Processors:   1
  Total Number Of Cores:   2
  L2 Cache:   3 MB
  Memory:   1 GB
  Bus Speed:   800 MHz
  Boot ROM Version:   MB41.00C1.B00
  SMC Version (system):   1.31f0
  Hardware UUID:   621293B2-72B0-55BD-84EF-7160058115AA
  Sudden Motion Sensor:
  State:   Enabled

[johnw]

Maureen  - In the same boat although we have OS10.6.8,  We cannot advance beyond Snow Leopard as we would lose the function of our loaded Office 2004. Your son might want to check if you would be similarly affected. Worse Microsoft has not issued an Office for Mac update as promised in 2014 or 2015 so we cannot get a new computer and won't as long as this big one keeps chgging along.

The Apple Store folks here are very helpful and not intent on sales. They know their stuff.

AlanB might help with a few words.

john

[jomowi]

Thank you John - any advice helps me to decide which route to go down.  Does this mean you operate without antivirus protection?  Some say you don't need it for a Mac, others say you do. I wouldn't do banking without it for instance, but then I don't bank on-line anyway.

[johnw]

Maureen  - No we don't have an anti-virus programme. That's not to say there have not been all sorts of attempts to infiltrate here, one needs to be on one's toes with any unusual links  that come in via suspicious emails.

By the way when doing private banking, using Paypal or credit cards or using your passwords always click "Safari" then "Private Browsing", that way your cache or history will show none of your key strokes or sites visited to infiltrators. Once you close Safari it defaults to regular browsing histories or simply go back and click Safari and unclick PBrowsing. If you have not done so in the past or forget to once I'm not sure if simply clearing the cache will give you a completely clean slate or not.  Hopefully a techy out there will confirm this.

The latest is routers have been bugged in China giving all banking info & passwords via keystrokes to individuals half way round the world! Anti-virus is by-passed completely.   

If we can we'll hang on to this computer until the screen konks out  If it weren't that I have years of info in Word, Excel & PowerPoint I'd rid myslef of the MS Office programme and be done with it.

john

[Alan_b]

These days you only catch computer 'viruses' from the Internet and their purpose is to extract money from you by one means or another.  Apple computers are not very prone to viruses because they were never intended to run the wide range of software that PCs do.  Every so often a virus does comes along and after a while Apple release a 'patch' to fix it.  But 'Snow Leopard', which is OS version 10.6, is no longer being patched so if you have this you are in rather the same position as a PC user with Windows XP.  I'm afraid that whole the computer industry depends on selling you much the same thing over and over again by making older hardware and software obsolete.

Even with the best security software you can still be tricked on the internet.  Perhaps you get an email purporting to be from your bank with a link that takes you to a web site which is a close copy of the one used by your bank where you are invited to hand over your credentials.  If you are naive then it is easy to be caught out and this type of scam works on all computers.  There is a telephone version also.

It's hard to know what to recommend.  My job is working on computers and most of my work involves house calls.  If you can find somebody like this in your area then they may be able to help although you pay a premium price for Apple computers and sometimes that follows on to having to pay a premium price to get them serviced.  I'm sure the Apple Store would be helpful if you wanted to buy a new machine but I think they might wash their hands of an old one that you wanted to keep.   

[jomowi]

Thank you again, John, and you too Alan.  Any experience shared to add to my meagre knowledge is useful and I am passing these messages on to my son so he can help me decide where to go from here.  It looks increasingly like I shall stay with the status quo - I shall have to weigh up the pros and cons, one of the latter being that when this computer gives up the ghost, I shall be even more geriatric and therefore less capable of making major changes than I am now.

 

[latestart]

When my OH (85 years young) was faced with a similar problem and as he is not very computer orientated, my son gave him a new computer which he uses alongside the older model, which has a programme he uses daily that is not compatible with the new one. He also gave us ipads which we have yet to get to grips with. I suggest that you invest in something more modern so that you are not totally incapable of communicating with the youngsters. Keep your old technology going so that you have an escape mechanism in place when the new box drives you to distraction.