General Computer Thread

[Ar-Pharazon]

I have the last physical Adobe CS6 Suite, and have been using Photoshop for years, so editing isn't something I need.

I liked the simple, basic Windows Photo Viewer that would pop open whenever I double clicked on any image, would scroll in either direction but would also limit itself to pre-selected pics.

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[Gingerbread Demon]

Ah HP......

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[Owain Taggart]

So my Windows 10 changed how it handles photos recently. It changed from the original Win10 photo viewer to this new version without asking. It refuses to rotate between pre-selected images, has the gallery at the bottom, closes with the ESC key. A total pile of garbage.

As part of a stealth update too, I'm guessing. They often do this now. I've been using the windows photo editor for a few years now because it's there, quick and convenient. The last update threw me for a loop as it had completely reorganized everything. On top of that, in the adjustment features, they removed sharpness and clarity, like wtf? Those are basic features available in every photo editor, and I'd been using those. For a job I'm doing, I require quickly resizing pictures and making thumbnails, and being that the source of these pictures come from different cameras, they sometimes need adjustments such as sharpening.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

As part of a stealth update too, I'm guessing. They often do this now. I've been using the windows photo editor for a few years now because it's there, quick and convenient. The last update threw me for a loop as it had completely reorganized everything. On top of that, in the adjustment features, they removed sharpness and clarity, like wtf? Those are basic features available in every photo editor, and I'd been using those. For a job I'm doing, I require quickly resizing pictures and making thumbnails, and being that the source of these pictures come from different cameras, they sometimes need adjustments such as sharpening.

That's why programs like Irfanview are so cool.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

Linux Mint Debian Edition 6 was officially released today, though the ISO was pushed out to the servers starting Monday. I've been running the Beta since the 11th, which had a problem with the installer (it got hung up in the shutdown from the live session), but otherwise it's been flawless. I'd written some bash scripts to set up my wifi and VPN, remove apps and fonts I didn't want, install the apps I did want, wire the home directories to a shared partition, etc., and while I intended to import my Cinnamon settings from 21.2, I recreated my preferred layout by hand. (Screenshot on Twitter.) I haven't reinstalled everything yet, like Wine, but otherwise it's the Mint I've been using for the last four-plus years, just Debian-powered.

There are a few minor differences from Mint 21.2 -- one of the Cinnamon applets I use there isn't available for LMDE, but I found a better substitute; GNOME Terminal doesn't have the transparency option, because Ubuntu patches their version of it to enable it -- but nothing crucial for me. Memory footprint is a little heavier at idle, but the system feels a tad sprightlier.

I'm still going to do a clean reinstall of my 21.2 partition when 21.3 comes out at the end of the year. Do stuff to it, mess it up.

So my Windows 10 changed how it handles photos recently. It changed from the original Win10 photo viewer to this new version without asking. It refuses to rotate between pre-selected images, has the gallery at the bottom, closes with the ESC key. A total pile of garbage.

Yup. I [REDACTED] hate it. I thought I was spared it at work, but that update was pushed out in the last two or three days and I had to deal with it at work today. The floating filmstrip bar is the worst; there's gotta be a way to permanently disable the damn thing. (I haven't delved too deeply. Don't want to wake the Balrog...)

 

[Owain Taggart]

That's why programs like Irfanview are so cool.

Yeah, I used to use Irfanview several years ago. I forget exactly why I stopped. I think it's because the default photo viewer/editor became a better overall tool over time and felt I didn't need to use it, but I may go back to using it. But there was a time Windows didn't really have a good lightweight editor and Irfanview was like magic in comparison.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

I remember using things like PhotoImpact to make animated gif files feels like a zillion years ago now.

Mozilla Thunderbird just updated and OMG it's all changed. No big "get mail" button instead a little icon, and a huge "new mail" button to compose instead. Don't like this.

Version 115.3.0

 

[Allyn Gibson]

The floating filmstrip bar is the worst; there's gotta be a way to permanently disable the damn thing. (I haven't delved too deeply. Don't want to wake the Balrog...)

Actually, disabling the filmstrip was easier than I thought. Click the three dots top center, a menu opens, go down to Settings, and there's a Filmstrip option under Personalization. You can also change the theme. Word.

Making those changes when I work to the office today...

 

[John Clark]

I remember using things like PhotoImpact to make animated gif files feels like a zillion years ago now.

Mozilla Thunderbird just updated and OMG it's all changed. No big "get mail" button instead a little icon, and a huge "new mail" button to compose instead. Don't like this.

Version 115.3.0

I think I've had that one for a couple of weeks (or at least, the last update had some GUI updates)/ Don't like it much, but I'm getting used to it.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

I think I've had that one for a couple of weeks (or at least, the last update had some GUI updates)/ Don't like it much, but I'm getting used to it.

I've gotten to grips with the new Thunderbird layout and it's cool now.

I know nobody pays attention to POST screens but for the first time I noticed this.

My keyboard shows as 2 keyboards but if I plug in the other mechanical one without the number pad it shows as 1 keyboard. Why do PCs do this?

 

[Santaman]

^^ To annoy you, what else?

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

^^ To annoy you, what else?

I thought it was to do with N Key Rollover or such

 

[Amaris]

My main computer died today, I'm on my mini PC backup.

I started it up this morning, and it just sat there, doing nothing except quietly humming. I visually inspected the RAM, the motherboard, everything, and there's no reason for it to be doing any of this. A month ago it stopped soft rebooting. I couldn't find any reason why. The past week "sleep" stopped working, despite my trying several troubleshooting methods, and still couldn't find why, and then this morning I got nothing!

My primary suspect is either the video card or the motherboard, so I've ordered a cheap workstation AMD graphics card to test if it's that. If it is, then I have to send the new video card back. If it isn't, then it's probably the motherboard, but then it could also be the power supply. I miss my PC tools.

So here I am on my little AcePC mini, with 4 GB of RAM, and a 1.9Ghz Intel Atom processor. I have Linux Mint running on it so at least it's pretty sprightly, but oh, my big girl! I have to fix her!

 

[Santaman]

Hmm.. I lean towards mainboard or PSU, you can always take out and re-seat the RAM and see if that does something..

 

[Amaris]

Hmm.. I lean towards mainboard or PSU, you can always take out and re-seat the RAM and see if that does something..

Yep. I traced it back to a power surge. Took out the GPU, CPU, the motherboard, and the power supply itself. We had some storms last night. I have shop grade surge protectors and it seems like only the computer was affected. Everything else weathered things fine. The cheap GPU is already on its way, so at least I'll have that, the CPU should still be covered under my warranty, since I bought it not more than a few months ago, but I will have to replace the power supply, motherboard and probably the RAM. :/

 

[Santaman]

That sucks.. Glad that at least the CPU is covered by warranty, sorry to hear your machine kicked the can this way..

 

[Amaris]

That sucks.. Glad that at least the CPU is covered by warranty, sorry to hear your machine kicked the can this way..

It was just so out of the blue on the power surge. These surge protectors are rated for a lot of current. Granted, they're a few years old so it may be time to replace them, but the TV, the XBox, and the internet connection were all fine, but the PC gets the juice.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

Yeah that's a sad way for a PC to die. Usually it's just the PSU and everything else is relatively safe

 

[Amaris]

Yeah that's a sad way for a PC to die. Usually it's just the PSU and everything else is relatively safe

It's my fault. I bought a budget PSU, and while I really couldn't spend the money at the time, and it was a good deal, it really is one of those things you don't skimp on. I think I paid $40 for a 900 watt, and while it promised all of these great protection features, you never really know until something happens, and in this case something happened. It didn't protect anything. :/

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

Also I don't know how beneficial this is but as a general rule I get a new PSU every 3 to 4 years, which means it's about due end of this year.