Kajper's Info Corner

Look, this isn't about being paranoid or anything. It’s just basic logic: how am I supposed to swap out a faulty Product X if neither I nor my supplier actually have one in stock? Sure, I can cut you a check and give you your money back, but that doesn't actually fix the mess you're in. Plus, let's be real—that doesn't exactly help my reputation in the long run, does it? And I can't just toss you Product Y as a substitute because:

A) it’s totally wiped out—nonexistent on the market right now
B) it's a downgrade—the specs just don't hold up compared to what you bought
C) it's an upgrade—it's a better, pricier model, so you'd have to pony up the difference

So, where does that leave us? It’s not like I can just sit here and repair that SSD for you... I have to replace it, but I'm stuck without any inventory to work with.

Jason Harris5 said:That exact same one—the one that's supposedly "fixed." Or do you honestly believe importers just sent all that junk back to the manufacturers and got perfect replacements in return? And that’s why the wholesale cost for Kingston dropped by such a massive chunk?

Look, I don't have any inside intel on that—I'm not out here grinding in hardware sales or anything. I'm asking because, about three years ago, I picked up a desktop rig and an SSD (Mushkin Callisto deluxe) with a SandForce controller, and it was smooth sailing—zero issues. Since then, I've gone through at least five or six more Mushkin's SSDs (both Callisto and Chronos models) and, again, absolutely nothing went wrong. Is Mushkin actually the only brand not peddling total garbage?

Or maybe... you just got lucky? I honestly don't know. It’s like hitting a jackpot on a slot machine in Vegas—sometimes the stars align, and sometimes they don't. My advice? Just hang tight until that first unit actually makes its way back to the service center. Once you hear how the warranty claim shakes out, give me a shout and let me know how it went.

Still having major issues with my PC. Basically, it just won't work. First, I was troubleshooting via remote support, then I had to lug the whole thing in because it died, then it seemed fine, then back to remote calls because they sent it back without fixing the connection... and now... it’s like I need to plug it in and...
It seems to run for a bit on day one, but I can't open any files, the Recycle Bin is acting crazy—I drag it to the bottom right corner and it just snaps back to the top right—and when I try to access my external hard drive plugged into the front port, it just spins and spins until the screen goes gray and freezes up.
I have no clue if it's the hardware or some bad OS installation...
A friend installed Windows (32-bit) for me, and the guys at the repair shop were baffled why I'm running 32-bit instead of 64-bit. I actually wanted to add another 4GB of RAM, but they told me there's no point doing that on a 32-bit system.

Now all I get is a black screen filled with messages telling me to press X, F, or Tab... but nothing happens. Honestly, I'm starting to lose my mind here...

Man, if you've got friends like these... honestly, why even bother with enemies? 😉

Rachel Jones8 said:I'm still having issues with my computer. Basically, it just won't work. First, I was using it via a wired connection, then I took it in for repair because it wasn't working—it seemed fine after that—then back to the wire because they returned it without the wireless setup working... and now... it's like it's freezing up and...
On the first day, it seemed to function somewhat, but it wouldn't open any documents or even the Recycle Bin; if I move an icon to the bottom right corner, it just snaps back to the top right a moment later. When I try to access my external hard drive plugged into the front port, it just keeps loading indefinitely until the screen turns gray and nothing happens...
I have no clue what happened to it... whether it's the hardware or the OS installation...
A friend installed Windows (32-bit) for me, and the technicians at the shop were baffled why I’m running 32-bit when I really need 64-bit... I actually wanted to add another 4GB of RAM, but they told me there's no point doing that with a 32-bit system.

Now, all I get is a black screen filled with error messages, and pressing keys like X, F, or Tab does absolutely nothing. Honestly, I'm starting to feel pretty frustrated about this...

If it isn't functioning, take it back under warranty. There is no excuse for it being unable to open documents. Do you even have the necessary software installed (like Word, a PDF reader, etc.)? It might just be a software issue...

Jason Harris5 said:with friends like these... who needs enemies... 😉

Nah, he's not some shady guy or anything. He's legit. He ran his own IT business and does great work for everyone... he even fixed my laptop without any issues
He's just messing with me.
Here's the deal... it was working fine the day before yesterday, but then things got weird. I'd try to open a document and nothing happens... I walk away from the PC... then a minute later, boom, there it is...
Yesterday was a total bust... I'd get prompts telling me what to click, but nothing would react.
Now that I've plugged the cord back in, it's working again. Who knows what tomorrow brings.
I actually stretched out this cable (which I didn't even have, had to go grab one) and now... I'm checking in... but I still can't get this Gigaset USB adapter 108 to cooperate.
I really need to clear these wires because they're sprawled all over my room... it's a total tripping hazard right now.

Timothy Kim60 said:If it's broken, just return it. There's no reason it shouldn't be opening files. Do you even have the right programs installed (like Word or a PDF reader)? Might be that...

They're there, they're there... it just wasn't responding... now it is... though I'm running into issues since most of my stuff is in OpenOffice or LibreOffice (some won't load properly... haven't had much time to dig into it yet)... so I'll probably have to tinker with that too.
Ugh...😢 ah, never mind, I'll just sleep on it and hopefully tomorrow is better. It'll probably turn out okay, I'm just being impatient.
What do you guys think about that 32-bit thing? I hadn't really thought about it, or even known the difference (did a little reading today)... a buddy told me 32-bit is better because some stuff won't run on 64-bit (my main focus is gaming/hardcore stuff)... I know the drivers for the printer and scanner are fine. He says since I'm not doing video work, I don't need 64. And I trust him, I'm sure I don't need it... but if that prevents me from upgrading my RAM to 2x4GB (to get dual channel)... then maybe 64-bit is the way to go after all... 🤷
The guys at the repair shop said 64-bit should be totally fine for this setup and shouldn't cause problems.
Now I just need to untangle these wires...👋 fingers crossed everything works normally tomorrow. 🙂

Rachel Jones8 said:It’s there, it’s just... it wasn't responding properly. Now it wants to work, but I'm running into issues because most of my stuff is in OpenOffice and LibreOffice (and some won't even load, though I haven't had time to dig deep into it yet)... so I'll have to find a workaround for that too.

I honestly don't follow you at all. What do you mean by "it wasn't responding"? Is it failing to boot, freezing up, running slow, or are you just missing the right software?

Now that I've plugged the cables back in, it's working. Who knows what tomorrow will bring.

Which cables are you talking about?

Basically, if it's a hardware issue (like it refuses to turn on), then just return it for a refund. If it's a software issue, you're probably just missing drivers or specific programs.

As for the architecture, 64-bit should run perfectly fine; I can't think of any modern software that wouldn't work. That would have to be something ancient. Using 32-bit is totally fine too—it shouldn't affect performance at all. Your PC should run normally regardless. It certainly isn't causing trouble just because of that. The only real difference is that it won't recognize more than about 3GB of RAM.

So where did you end up buying your computer?

And why on earth would you use 32-bit Windows?

Okay, the difference isn't huge, but you can't even use all 4GB—you're stuck at 3.25.

The guy at Best Buy gave you decent advice, though; there's zero point putting more RAM in a 32-bit system.

If it's a hardware issue, take it back, but honestly, it looks like that tech didn't do a great job.

I totally agree—if she’s acting like such an expert when it comes to building PCs, why didn't she give you any advice on putting your rig together in the first place? 😛

It looks like your "expert" took the easy way out: I’m running 32-bit, so I’ll be dealing with driver headaches for a while... and honestly, it makes zero sense for a rig like this. The GPU is already eating up part of my RAM, and since the system can't even access all of it, we're basically losing almost a quarter of the available memory... total fail.

I don't get what you mean about the wires: are you saying the wireless stick isn't installed right, so you're stuck using an Ethernet cable for internet?
It feels to me like all your issues are strictly software-related, and your hardware is actually innocent here. One clean, fresh install of everything should fix it. It’ll take a bit longer if you want to do it right and avoid ending up with a massive mess of errors in the Control Panel.
The part about your documents is a little cryptic: are you saying you can't open files in Word, even though they were originally made in OpenOffice or LibreOffice?
If that's the case, don't be surprised. I'm constantly juggling between old OpenOffice files and newer Microsoft Word stuff myself. No matter what people say, there's more incompatibility than compatibility. Plus, OpenOffice handles those "sketchy" files better than Word, which often refuses to open OO documents because of formatting errors. Just whatever you do, don't open them in Word and save them—you'll just end up making a complete mess of the formatting.
Your best bet is to keep the original program, like OO or LO, installed alongside Word. Use those for the older files, because otherwise, the formatting will get totally trashed, even if you try saving them as .doc or .xls...
As for everything else: that external hard drive acting up at the front, etc.—it's either poorly installed motherboard/USB drivers, or your front port isn't pushing enough juice to the drive. Try plugging it into the back, or use a USB 3.0 port.

And seriously, quit writing in riddles! Just be clear: tell me when I do X with Y program or Z device, I get this specific error, or this wire is used for this purpose...

That dual-channel thing has nothing to do with these issues. The truth is, using Win32 for more than 3 GB of RAM makes no sense in any setup. You can solve that right now by reinstalling Windows and switching to 64-bit (so you can actually use what you've got), or you can wait until you upgrade your RAM—though that's not certain yet, and you might mess up the system before then and need a reinstall anyway.
See, at this rate, maybe we should just call the neighbor's kid over to make us some pancakes...

Timothy Kim60 said:I don't get you at all. What do you mean by "it didn't react"? Like, is it refusing to boot up, is it freezing, is it just running slow, or are you missing some software?

Look, I know I probably made that sound a little confusing...
It booted up on Saturday. But then I try to open a new document and nothing happens... I just give up, sit on the couch for a bit, and eventually, the document finally opens. Or I try to empty the Trash? Nope. I try to move files to the bin, and they just jump right back where they were. What gives?
It booted up on Sunday, but wouldn't load Windows. It just sat there stuck on the ASRock logo with those random instructions in the bottom right corner—you know, press X to boot, hit F6 for something else, just a few lines of options. But honestly? None of it worked. No response at all.

What wires are you even talking about?

Monitor, mouse, keyboard cables—I just unplugged them all from my old PC and moved them over to the new one... and then everything finally kicked in. But now I’m stuck seeing this exact same image on the screen right when it boots up. Any ideas?

So, is it a hardware issue—like, if it won't even power up, you just return it—or is it software? You know, maybe some missing drivers or programs or something?

Maybe it’s just me? 😁
No clue, it’s working now. Just don't have wireless up since I haven't figured out how to set that part yet.

Would a 64-bit system run normally? I can't think of any software that wouldn't work. That would have to be some prehistoric junk. Honestly, 32-bit should be totally fine; it shouldn't make a difference. Your PC should run perfectly well on 32-bit, so it’s definitely not causing your issues. The only real difference is that I can't recognize more than 3 or so GB.

Yeah, I get it... I was thinking about tossing in another 4GB just to get that dual-channel boost, but if that doesn't work, what's even the point? Honestly, I should've just gone with a 2x2 setup from the start. Too late now, though, right?
Would an old keyboard, mouse, and monitor still work fine on a 64-bit system?
How much of a headache is that really? Say I finally grab an SSD one day and install Windows 64-bit on it... does that mean I have to reinstall every single program from scratch? Right?

Robert Rodriguez2 said:What’s even the point of running 32-bit Windows anymore?

Dunno. Maybe there just aren't any others out there?
He mentioned they can pick up some speed on 64-bit. If it covers what I need, then 32-bit should be fine, right?

Yeah, the difference is slim, but you can't actually use all 4GB—only about 3.25.

The guys at Best Buy gave you solid advice, though; there's really no point in bumping up the RAM on a 32-bit system.

Gotcha.

If it's a hardware issue, return it. But honestly? It looks like that guy didn't do his job particularly well.

It's working now... so he's not technically to blame. He mentioned I might not have plugged the keyboard in right. I don't think I messed that up, but hey, who knows? Could be...

Larry Ortiz5 said:Totally agree. If he's such an expert on PCs, why didn't you ask him for advice when you were building it?😛

Paa... just for other reasons.
Plus... since you guys are all hanging out here, I figured we could all brainstorm together to find the best fix.
I knew I'd grill him later, so I let him off the hook for now.
Besides, software seems more like his thing.
So... yeah. That's basically why.

So, where are you keeping those files: on your internal hard drive, or an external one? Give me the lowdown, because if it’s an issue with the USB, we might be looking at something else...
Forget about 1x4, 2x2, or 2x4 setups for now—that's old news. This gear should work exactly as you have it right now, period. You aren't going to fix these headaches overnight just by upgrading, unless there's actually a legit fault with your RAM...

Your keyboard, mouse, and monitor should plug in and play without a hitch, unless they're some fancy high-end versions that need specific drivers. Even then, the basic stuff would still work—you might just lose some extra media keys or whatever... As for the age of the tech, things would have to be ancient for the plugs not to fit. And honestly, plugging things in isn't rocket science: it’s built for dummies. Color matches color, shape matches shape; you check the pins, look at the ports, line up the connector, and push it in all the way—no force required...

Gigaset USB adapter 108
Instructions
You can find the drivers here

Michael Jackson10 said:Where are those files sitting right now: on your local drive or an external one? Give me some specifics, because it might be a USB issue...

Everything's fine with my files now. No clue what was going on before.
I had tried opening a new document—meaning they were on the local drive—and they'd either take forever to load or just wouldn't open at all. Even the junk files were acting up. Now, everything is working perfectly.
And those files on the external hard drive? Same story... it would start to open and then just freeze up on me.
But yeah, it's all good now.
I still haven't gotten my wireless set up and I need someone to make two partitions for me... hasn't happened yet, even though I asked (forgot who...🤷 )

fadedorca66 said:Just grab the profile folder:

http://www.wikihow.com/Back-Up-Email...la-Thunderbird

Since you're plugging those old hard drives back in anyway, you can just dig it up on the new PC and copy it right over.

I managed to get into my accounts and some old emails popped up, but I'm missing my address book. What actually happens if I copy that "profile" folder into the exact same spot? Do I need to delete the one that's already there?
Does it matter if the username isn't the same as before?

Just wanted to let you know everything's sorted now. It's working... I've got my wireless internet back up and running.
Just jumping in on this one since I totally missed it... even though the issues aren't really a thing anymore.

Michael Jackson10 said:Man, I have no idea what you're getting at with the wiring situation. Are you saying the wireless adapter isn't set up right, so you're just plugging in an Ethernet cable to get online?

That thing I mentioned about the wires? It wasn't an internet issue at all. I was talking about the cables for the keyboard, mouse, and monitor.
I hooked everything up—minus the internet—just to test the rig out. Wanted to see if I could at least get it running offline. It worked, but yeah, it had those same issues.
So, I switched back to my old rig last night just to get some internet access and do some typing... you know how it goes.
Day two with the new rig and Windows wouldn't even boot up...
And that's the deal with the wiring.
Regarding the internet, I actually brought the cable over later and hooked everything up myself... but now it's been unplugged.

It feels like you think everything is just a software issue and the hardware is somehow innocent. Honestly? One clean, proper reinstall should fix it all. It takes a little longer if you actually want things done right and don't end up staring at a bunch of error icons in the Control Panel.

Not sure what was causing the glitch, but everything’s running smooth now. All good?

You're being a bit cryptic about these files. I can't get them to open in Microsoft Word—did you make them in OpenOffice or LibreOffice?

Am I really that hard to understand? 😕
I mean... honestly, people here just don't get me, but is it really that big of a deal?🙈
So I tried opening a Word doc on my new computer this past Saturday... but man, it was a struggle. It took like a full minute just to load. Any idea why that would happen? No clue.
It’s opening just fine now.
Regarding those old files, I just finished moving them over. Opened a few to test the waters... and they work fine. We'll see if any of them give me trouble down the road, right?
If this doesn't work... I guess I can just redownload OpenOffice and LibreOffice and try saving them in a different format. Any better ideas?

Honestly, I'm not surprised. I find myself constantly juggling old OpenOffice files and newer Microsoft Word docs myself. No matter how you look at it, there’s more incompatibility than actual compatibility between them. Plus, OpenOffice handles those "sketchy" files way better than Word does—Word usually just refuses to even open an OO document because of formatting errors. Just whatever you do, don't open a messy file in Word and hit save, or you'll really mess things up.

So... I should probably brace myself for some trouble. 🙄
Why make it simple when you can just make it complicated?🙂

Aside from Microsoft Word, you really should grab the original software like OpenOffice or LibreOffice to handle those older files. If you don't, the formatting gets totally trashed, even if they were saved as .doc or .xls...

That’s what I was thinking. I’ll just see how it plays out first...

As for everything else—if that external hard drive isn't behaving, it's either a bad driver install for your motherboard or USB, or that front port just isn't pushing enough juice. Try plugging it into the back, maybe a USB 3.0 port.

It's all working now.

And man, quit with the riddles! Just be straight up: when I do this with this specific program or device, I get this error, using this cable, for this purpose...

My bad, didn't mean to make things confusing.

The dual-channel stuff doesn't have anything to do with these issues. Honestly, there's no point using Win32 with more than 3 GB of RAM in any setup. You could fix that right now by reinstalling Windows with the 64-bit version to actually use what you've got, or just wait until you upgrade your RAM—though if you mess with it now, you might end up needing a full reinstall anyway.
You know, maybe that kid next door could come over and whip up some pancakes real quick...

I'm leaving it as is for now... at least until I break something. 😉
If nothing else works... I finally realized how much junk was in here. Might as well clear the clutter and start fresh.
My connection is slow, plus a crappy router and an old USB adapter... nothing revolutionary going on there.
But man... the best part? This PC is dead silent. When I first turned it on, I actually thought it wasn't running. 😍

Rachel Jones8 said:Am I really that hard to understand? 😕
I mean... honestly, I feel like people around here just don't get me. Is it really that big of a deal?🙈
So, I tried opening a Microsoft Word document on my new PC... or well, I *tried* to. It was a total struggle! It took like a full minute just to actually open. This was back on Saturday, too. Honestly? I have zero clue why it acted like that.
It’s working fine now. Just opens right up!
So, about those old files—I just finished moving them all over. I opened a few just to test the waters, and they seem to be working fine! Will I run into any hiccups with the rest? Who knows, I guess we'll find out as I go...
If this thing just won't cooperate... I guess I can always just redownload OpenOffice and LibreOffice, right? Then I can just save everything in a different format.

So... should I be bracing myself for some trouble? 🙄
Why make things easy when you can just make them complicated?🙂

Seriously, you're totally tripping... You still haven't actually told us what you used to make these documents. Was it Microsoft Word, OpenOffice, or LibreOffice? You just keep dropping hints like "Open" or "Libre," but it's all guesswork at this point. Did you build them from scratch using some heavy-duty setup, or did you just whip them up whenever you felt like it?
Look, I'm telling you, for basic stuff, that "compatibility" should actually work fine. We're talking about simple text files here—nothing fancy, no crazy tables, and definitely none of those weird formats specific to OpenOffice. If it's just plain text, why should it be an issue?

And honestly, when you're dealing with spreadsheets, the compatibility issues get even worse. It’s especially brutal with those complex workbooks designed by some corporate department—you know, those fancy forms with built-in validation controls? Everything basically falls apart when you try to move them between OpenOffice and Excel. Between the different scripting languages used for the macros, the mismatched functions, and even just basic stuff like date formats, it’s a total nightmare. Why does it have to be this difficult?
Just to clear things up, when I mentioned "tables" earlier, I wasn't talking about anything else—I was specifically referring to how you format text within a document. It’s a different ballgame with Excel files because, well, everything in there is essentially a table. You shouldn't run into any trouble with basic spreadsheets, but if you're trying to run pivot tables or those more complex analytical tools on older versions of OpenOffice, you're probably going to hit a wall.
On the other hand, I’ve noticed that Microsoft Word still lacks some basic features that were built right into OpenOffice from day one. I'm talking about things like cell spacing, not to mention those totally illogical menu layouts and those just plain stupid ribbons... but hey, that's a whole different conversation.

I'll just leave things exactly as they are for now... at least until I go and mess it all up. 😉
Well, if nothing else... I just realized how much junk was actually cluttering this place up. Honestly, it’s not even that big of a deal to just clear everything out and start fresh with a clean slate. Ready for a redo?
My connection is acting up again—it's just a crappy router and an old-school USB adapter (standard b), so honestly, nothing revolutionary happened here.
But honestly... the best part? This thing is dead silent. When I first hit the power button, I actually thought it hadn't even turned on! 😍

It really comes down to a difference in philosophy, doesn't it? Personally, I’m all about going 100% on everything—whether it's a specific technique or a service—as long as that warranty is active. If something breaks, let them deal with the headache on their dime! Plus, isn't it way easier to just wipe everything and reinstall the OS while things are still fresh? Once you get settled in and start feeling "at home," you begin making those little compromises. You know the drill: "I won't fix this now because I finally got everything organized exactly how I like it..." Habit is a killer, right? It traps you fast... and honestly, that’s exactly how all that digital junk starts piling up.

Man, what a sluggish connection. From what I can tell, that Gigaset USB adapter 108 is just running on the b/g standard, so we're looking at a theoretical max of 54 Mbit/s—yeah, 🙂? Plus, any router you've got plugged in should be hitting similar speeds, right? Honestly, even that is way overkill compared to the average home connection these days. Most people are probably pulling maybe 4 Mbps of actual usable speed anyway. Check your Windows wireless connection settings to see what kind of speed you're actually getting. Does it jump around a lot? Even 18 Mb/s should feel pretty smooth. If it's not hitting that, either there's too much interference between the router and the adapter, or you should run a speedtest just to make sure your ISP isn't lowballing you on the line itself...

Regarding Thunderbird, the best way to handle it is to copy the entire profile folder—just the contents!—from the old PC to the new one. The profile name matters here, so don't just overwrite the new profile folder with the old one entirely. What you want to do is copy the stuff *inside* the old profile folder and paste it over the stuff *inside* the new profile folder. Leave the actual folder name alone. Basically, don't replace the new folder with the old one; just swap the contents so you keep the new profile's name intact...

Here you go, check this out:
Restore

under the heading: Restoring to a different location

Michael Jackson10 said:Seriously, you're totally tripping... You still haven't actually said what you used to make these docs. Was it Microsoft Word, OpenOffice, or LibreOffice? You just mention "Open" or "Libre" and leave it at that. So, what's the deal? Did you build them from scratch or just pull them out of thin air?
Look, in theory, that "compatibility" should work just fine on simpler files. We're talking basic text documents without a bunch of crazy tables or weird formatting specific to OpenOffice. Right?

Used to run OpenOffice and LibreOffice on my old rig. Now I've got Word.
Why though? Was it just a bad call? I honestly don't know. I used to have Microsoft Word, but ever since I reinstalled Windows—I can't even remember how many years ago—it just disappeared. Now I'm just trying to get it back.
If I end up hating it or it just won't run right, it’s no big deal. I can always just reinstall LibreOffice or OpenOffice.
So, I've been running into this weird thing lately. For some reason, after I open maybe ten documents or so, everything just hits a wall. Even if I've already closed the first ten, it just won't let me open anything else. It just stops working. Anyone else dealt with this?

It really comes down to how you approach things. Personally, I’m all about going 100% on everything—whether it's a new gadget or a service—as long as the warranty is active. If it breaks? Let them deal with the headache at their expense. Plus, it's way easier to just wipe everything and start fresh while the setup is still new. Once you get too settled, you start making excuses like, "I don't want to mess with this now, I finally got my workspace organized just right..." Habit is a trap, isn't it? That's exactly how you end up with a mountain of digital junk.

I wouldn't mind going 100% with all of it... but I can't exactly expect the guys at Best Buy to start messing around with my OS. If I actually told them exactly what to do and how to install everything, maybe I could hold them to finishing the whole job properly. Right?
So, here's the deal... I tried bugging a friend about it, but we aren't exactly besties. He's always in such a rush, too. He did the bare minimum to get by, but now? I just can't get him to sit down and redo everything from scratch.
That's all I've got for now. He finally set up my C and D drives and got the Wi-Fi working... honestly, I better just stop bugging him. It is what it is.

What kind of slow connection is this? Looks like that Gigaset USB adapter is stuck on the b/g standard, which means it tops out at 54 Mbit/s... in theory, anyway. 🙂 It’s called 108 for a reason, right? That whole "Super G" standard was always pretty sketchy. Plus, any router you've got should be hitting similar speeds—or at least, that's how it works, isn't it? We're talking way beyond what the average home connection even needs, since most people are barely pulling 4 Mbps of actual throughput. Take a look at your wireless connection settings and see what speed it's actually pulling. Is it jumping around a lot? Honestly, once you hit 18 Mbps, you should be golden. If you aren't, you're either dealing with massive interference between the router and your adapter, or maybe just run a speed test to make sure your ISP isn't screwing you over on the line itself.

I don't know... that's just what he said.
Man, this connection is crawling... way slower than it should be.

When it comes to Thunderbird, the best way is to just grab everything inside the old profile folder and move it over to the new computer. Just a heads up—the profile name actually matters. You don't want to just overwrite the entire new folder with the old one. Instead, copy the stuff *inside* the old folder and paste it right into the new one. That way, you keep the new profile's name intact while getting all your data back. Makes sense, right?

I didn't quite have the guts to do it myself... though I definitely thought about it! Luckily, a friend stepped in and handled it for me.

Rachel Jones8 said:On my old PC, I used OpenOffice and LibreOffice. Now I've got Word.
Why? Was it a dumb move? Honestly, I have no clue. I actually had Word before, but after a Windows reinstall... what was it, years ago? They wiped everything, so I just wanted them back.
If I end up hating it or if it starts acting up, it's easy enough to just reinstall LibreOffice or OpenOffice again.
I've had this weird thing happen where, after I open maybe ten documents... it just stops opening any more. Even though those first ten are already closed. It just refuses.

Look, for basic home use, any of them are more than good enough. Most people barely even touch 20% of what these programs can actually do! But since everyone seems so wary of OpenOffice, LibreOffice, or open-source stuff in general—mostly because that's just how they were trained in school, at work, or within the government, and Microsoft lobbies way too hard to let anything else stand a chance—maybe you're better off sticking with Word. Everyone has it, and honestly, it's always a headache when you're trying to mess with some newer Microsoft file format. You'll figure it out as you go; if everything works fine, don't go cluttering up your system for no reason.
That issue where it won't open more than 10 docs, was that happening with Word or OO?
I still use an ancient version of OO, specifically Calc, mostly because it's what I know. I love being able to pull it up from the system tray, and I use it like a sort of heavy-duty business calculator. Sure, it occasionally glitches out when I'm opening and closing things constantly—probably just bad memory management leaving leftovers behind—but I'm used to it. Everything I keep open is pretty much temporary anyway, and it always offers to restore my documents perfectly if I need it.
To be honest, I actually prefer it over Excel 2010, even though that one is solid, legal, and clean. I'm just old school. I can't stand all those Microsoft tweaks they make just for the sake of looks or changing things up. I've memorized the OO formula syntax by heart, so switching messes with my head. I do a lot of stuff purely out of habit, visually, without thinking. Once I've learned "Menu, fifth one on the right, fourth one down," that's it for me. Not even counting the shortcuts! Plus, having OO in American English helps; having everything in a different language really throws me off when I stop to think about it.

Michael Jackson10 said:Look, for just basic home stuff, any of them will do just fine. Most people barely even scratch the surface of what these programs can actually do anyway. But since everyone is so picky about OpenOffice or LibreOffice—mostly because they've been conditioned by school, work, and how heavily Microsoft lobbies the government to stay dominant—you might be better off sticking with Word. Everyone uses it, and honestly, you'll just run into headaches trying to open newer Microsoft formats otherwise. Just see how it goes; if everything works, don't go collecting software for no reason.

I mean, they're plenty for me—honestly, I’ve gotten pretty used to them by now. It just caused a few headaches when I tried sending important stuff out and people couldn't actually open the files. Probably just my own fault for saving things the wrong way, right?

Is this thing refusing to open more than ten files because of Microsoft Word or is it just OpenOffice acting up?

Forget Word—I’m just using OpenOffice and LibreOffice on my old PC. Haven't really had the chance to hammer through a bunch of docs back-to-back yet, you know?
It doesn't happen every single time, but it’s definitely a recurring thing. Usually, a quick restart fixes it and it opens right back up.

I actually like this more than Excel 2010. It’s solid, clean, and legitimate, but I guess I'm just old school. I can't stand when Microsoft makes those pointless changes just for the sake of looking different. I’ve already memorized the syntax from using OpenOffice, so now everything else just feels off. I do most things by muscle memory—you know, visual habits where you don't even think about it. Once I've mastered "Menu, fifth one on the right, fourth one down," that's it. Trying to use shortcuts just messes with my head, especially when OpenOffice is set to something other than English. Honestly, if I really stop to think about it, I'd prefer any program as long as it's in English.

Things are gonna be a little messy for a bit... at least until I get used to Microsoft Word again. I had it back in the Windows XP days, but now everything feels like a total whirlwind. There's just so much stuff moved around... I'll have to figure out where everything went.
Slowly but surely... it'll happen. Or maybe not, and I'll just head back to OpenOffice and LibreOffice. 😁