Laptop

Snowwy I don't know where to start with how wrong what you just said is. Unless by bios setting you mean changing the boot order so that your flash drive or Dvd drive is first.

Anyways I have had warrenty work done when I switched an OS from windows 7 to server 2008 R2 and they gave me no grief about it. If I had been calling in to complain that it was running slow I could completely understand them saying that it was an unsupported issue due to me running an unsupported OS.

Also not all warranties are 1 year. My two Asus laptops had 2 years though both have expired now.

 

it's a lot more complicated then installing a different os. that would be no big deal.

the motherboard settings are all changed. and the hard drive is completely empty of windows 8.

when i mean this laptop is in no way shape or form stock. it means just that. TAMPERED. has absolutely nothing to do with boot order. the board had to o be reconfigured to accept windows 7 and the hard drive had to be completely knocked out to get windows 7 to even think about installing.

manufactures usually only warranty their items with defects when it's in stock form. not tampered with.

take your cell phone. root it, or jailbreak it. and see how far you get with warranty.

all my laptops i've ever owned since 1995 have only come with 1 year warranties. i've only bought one warranty. and i got the blame for the charger melting the laptop case. never again. it's more convenient to buy another cheap laptop then it is to be without for 2 months or longer waiting for repairs. only to find out you have to pay anyways. and it's usually more expensive then what you initially paid for the item.

operating system goes funky. wipe and reinstall. fixed.
hard drive crashes. cheap and easy to replace.
memory goes bad. somewhat cheap and easy to replace.
screen breaks. motherboard fries. whatever. throw in trash and buy another.

fixing my own laptop. is nothing but a thing for me. so, in all reality. i could care less bout the warranty. but it be nice to maintain. just in case i need it repaired just so i can sell it. becuase i'll more then likely have already bought a replacement.

 

Windows 9 is almost here ... The Next Web

 

So, I read this thread with a lot of head shaking and a few giggles about some of the misinformation.

I've been building and repairing PC's since the 80s when we had 10 mhz 8088 processors and cassette drives. I've ripped viruses off of computers put there by many different sources, from porn, to email to kids websites. So, without bashing anyone, here are a few things that you should know about laptop's and internet security, some have been mentioned, but they are important.

Laptops... heat is your number one enemy. Cramming all those parts into a small case generates a lot of heat. Ventilation is key. Know where your laptop pulls air in as well as pushes out. Keep these free from obstruction at all times. A cooling pad is great for keeping these free and also moving air through.

SSD's are great, but know that they are subject to failure over extended use. Backup your data through the cloud or an external drive. My current laptop boots from cold start in under 15 seconds. Laptops are more susceptible to damage than desktops due to their nature. If you have a dog or cat in your truck, realize that your pets fur is likely getting sucked into the vents. If you aren't comfortable with removing the access panels, have your laptop professionally cleaned yearly.

Internet security... the best protection is education. Be very aware of the links you click on and programs you install. Never, ever, open an email from an unknown source. If you get an email from a friend that seems unusual for that friend, don't click any link inside. Contact your friend to ensure they sent it. Even if you are installing a trusted program, read ALL the windows. Many will try to install other programs that you don't need or want. Search toolbars being a large part of those. They usually also come with ad tracking software piggy backed.

As far as craigslist and Facebook being sites to avoid, that's just a repair tech being lazy and not wanting to take the time to explain the real threat, so just using a broad stroke. Yes, they are targeted by hackers, because they have a huge user base. Again, watch what you click on. Don't follow hidden links. Same rules apply as the email. If you stopped using every site that had virus potential, you might as well get a set of encyclopedias and a book of stamps, because your computer just became a deck of cards. Be very wary of "free" programs or downloads. Always use trusted sites like CNET, or manufacturer sites.

Never, ever, let someone you don't know personally and trust exclusively, take remote control of your computer. Remember that the companies that promise to speed up your computer, or remove viruses, make money every time you have a problem. So while they may give the illusion that they did a great job initially, you can bet in a few months, the problems will return and you'll be calling them back.

I could keep going but this is long enough and most of you quit reading awhile ago lol.

 

You can set windows 8.1 to boot to your desktop. ..

 

Or use an addon to bring the start menu back. I've been using start8 since windows 8 release. My friend uses classic shell because he likes free.

 

or just get rid of the dumb operating system and go back to 7

 

Yes u can but it's no longer relevant. it went by by

 

Good posts Tex, pretty much my sentiments

 

this man knows though I preferred Last and still have about 15 pcs running since orginal install