Bath Tec School

Something new!!

10/14/2009 8:28:16 AM
Good morning everybody
 
For no other reason than I have a new computer I have started a new thread!! I am chuffed tio pieces with the new laptop and cannot believe how things have changed since I bought the last one 9 years ago. Anybody know how to use a webcam?
 
I have just returned to Spain after a week in the UK. We have not changed our minds about Spain!!!
 
I remember Dines, how about Bob Guillou (I think!) and Paul and Bev Dyke.  Hope Bill and Anth have not dug themselves in a big hole and cannot get out! I envy Stuart in China after our visit there 2 years ago, fascinating. Part of the reason for going back to England was to get our visas for our planned trip to India early next year. Anybody got ant tips or advice, I'm told it's the only country in the world that you can be killed by a tiger or a salad!!
 
Must go now as the dishwasher as died and my beautiful wife wants a new one, new one it is then!!! Oh, congratulatios Rich to one and all regarding the new addition, hope all is continuing to go well. Sounds like it could cost you dear!
 
The sun is shining, the mosquitoes are biting but isn' life wonderful? Enjoy the new thread.
 
Cheers
 
Steve

Comments

- 10/14/2009 3:16:08 PM
Hi Steve ,glad to hear you have finally upgraded, all you have to do now is learn how to use it, it must be a bit of a shock to advance your hardware and software to 2009 in one jump from 2000.
I think I remember Dines, was,nt he a bit of a bully, I remember wacking somebody on the nose( I think it was Dines) three times when they started to have a go at me, then running like the clappers when he got up ( my old man told me, hit them first and if they don,t go down hit them again, if they get up from that run like hell) any one else remember that or am going senile.
We are having some great weather this week, Bill and I are making the best of it with our investigation of Midford and the surrounding area and no we are not in a hole yet Steve but I must admit to slipping up and sliding down an embankment on my backside, no damage though.
Hope your wife manages to find the right dishwasher, my wife found ours nearly forty years ago and its still working with the aid of a new mop and cloth every now and then.
Why is it you can joke about mosquitoes, we always find them a pain, spend a fortune on creams ,sprays, night burners and still end up with bites, they never seem to bother the Spanish, is it something they eat or drink?
Must go, got to pick the wife up soon
- 10/14/2009 5:43:51 PM
Hi Steve, Anth and all,
Just got up, spent afternoon in bed (fully clothed) .. absolutely cream crackered !! .. as for Tony .. sliding down a 1 in 1 slope .. I thougth I`d have to go down after him and carry? him home. Luckily another !goat track" was found and he got back up to the 214ft asl level, (complete with all his bits) but puffing a bit. I must admit this walking is doing wonders for the legs, and it`s good to visit my old shooting grounds again (loads of Pheasants).
 
Steve, I take it you had an older version of Windows (not XP?) .. ,my new lappy is an Acer Travelmate, with Vista o.s. and SD socket, Firewire, Wireless, Bluetooth, USBs` all over the place etc. It`s the model without the camera, I would advise putting a bit of tape over the camera if I were you until you get used to it all, some "online" applications such as "Flash Player" can switch it on without you knowing it. Bit dodgy if you are showing bits that shouldn`t normally be seen.
 
I use Windows 2000 Pro on this box, Vista Business on the Lappy. I`m gradually coming round to it, I bought it for "her indoors" originally, but I seem to have "hogged the lime light " with it so far.
 
I reckon it`s somthing about the food (and drink) found in Espana that stops the "Mozzies" from attacking the locals. Got to have a meal now, catch you all soon...
- 10/14/2009 8:23:11 PM
Hi All.
Glad that you and Anth still having fun down Midford way, Bill. Sorry to hear about Anth's tumble though, but pleased that there was no permanent harm done, except to his dignity. I guess that you are both getting down to the real basics of transport in Somerset, but it's the only way!
Funnily enough Bill I use a laptop nearly all the time now. Can't use the desk top for internet use as no Wi Fi! Running Windows 2000 pro on the laptop. Been fighting shy of Vista as there were so many bad reports when it first came out, and I've a suspicion that much of my software is not compatible anyway, mind you I've got some wierd stuff on here. Other than the fact that this machine is very slow and could do witrh a lot more memory in all depts it serves the purpose well. S'pose I should invest in something better really, but loathe to leave 2000 pro. I use Publisher quite a lot to publish the club newsletter and feel it would be a bit of a drag trying to get used to a new operating system.
I keep wondering how Stu's getting on in China, I'll bet they are parking all over the place in N Devon now. When the cat is away and all that!
Don't like the sound of the dishwasher problem Steve, I replaced ours only a week or two ago, damned expensive exercise. The old one was less than a year old and still under guarentee, but No1 son took it apart and traced the fault before I had chance to check it out. Of course invalidated warranty. Printed circuit board blitzed. Could have bought replacement for sixty quid but after investigating on the internet found out it was a common board used in various appliances including washing machines and it was programmable, obviously programed to suit the application, so without the software the board would have been useless. Decided in the long run probably cheaper to go out and buy a new machine. One to be wary of though. 
India, never graced the shores myself, but know a goodly number that have and the verdict is fairly unanimous, don't drink anything that is not alcohol or has been thoroughly boiled and don't eat anything that has not been thoroughly cooked. Other than that a wonderful country I'm told, especially as the Himalaya and Darjeeling are still running their delightful little class B tanks, or so I believe.
Check out www.dhrs.org
Got to go now, guys.
John.
- 10/16/2009 4:41:34 PM
Hi all you computer experts
 
I am having a lot of fun with my new computer which by the way Bill is an Acer (Aspire 5536). Please don't tell me it's a bad un!!! Because I am keen to do things right with this new computer I am going to ask for some advice. What boxes should I be ticking in "Disc Cleanup"? It is something I have often wondered about but did not worry to much with the old machine. I have been working my way through the new software today as it has been wet and fairly miserable here but skies are brightening as I write.
 
Cheers
 
Steve
- 10/16/2009 6:39:03 PM
Hi Steve ,I must admit that I use a piece of software to clean my discs and the registary as they tend to make a backup so that if anything goes wrong I go back to where I was prior to cleanup, before that I used to tick all the boxes except the bottom three which I believe are locked anyway, its very hard to do anything wrong on Vista anyway and it makes its own backup every so often so that you can go to system restore and choose a date when your PC was OK.
When you are happy with your system and software it dos,nt hurt to go into system restore and create an additional backup of your own, its a great operating system and the best way to check out your camera is to start Windows Live Messenger, click on tools at the top of the messenger screen and choose audio and video setup, the rest is easy on screen display, have fun.
- 10/17/2009 4:57:22 PM
Hello Guys,
Anth has answered all about the disk cleanup tools, so no need to proceed further there. I too have an Acer (one of the best laptop makes to buy. The reasons (a) reliability (proven), (b) you get  a better recovery system than Windows itself can provide. If you have the standard Vista software pack loaded then in the top roght part of the screen (next to clock & calender) you`ll find the Acer managemnet tools, in there you`ll find a utility to create a DVD install set if your hard disk ever fails. Mine has a disk set which allows me to install XP instead of Vista if I want to. These disks however will not reinstall Vista. You will have no disks for Vista software, it`s all pre-loaded on you hard drive. This is how to create the software disk set.
 
Step 1. Switch off "automatic updates", go for the "notify me first" option. Only install critical updates (must be done in date order), try and avoid "internet explorer" updates if all is working o.k. (Some will kill your Web browser all together) 
 
Step 2. Do a full backup to dvd drive. (not drive "d" which is a seperate part of you hard disk, but the "e" drive DVD/RW drive) The set takes up to 5 dvd disks (usually) to record everything. Do this now if you are happy with how you`ve organised your preferences etc. Keep this set and mark it "default". (System usually verifies the disks to make sure they can be read again in the future).
 
Step 3. Repeat the process again but this time to your "d" drive, it`s called a "snapshot image". This will enable you to recover your computer to how it was (regardless of what Windows does to it.). Windows restore is very selective about what it restores. Has been since ME, XP versions.
 
Step 4. Sit back and relax, you have now got a bullet prooof system. (1) scenario , you hard drive fails, you have to replace it with a different make or size - no problem. Unlike Windows restore it will restore to any size primary partition. (2) if you are "zapped" by any software, or if it goes "pear shape" on you, "snapshot" restore is both fast and fool proof.
One word of advice though, only do a "snap shot" if it all works ok and has been scanned with a good Antivirus program first.
 
I personally was sceptical about Vista, I am gradually becoming impressed, but is works slower than expected. But hey, I`m retired !!!. Hope this helps anyone thinking of buying a laptop (or P.C.) purchase - go Acer..
  
- 11/1/2009 9:51:41 PM

Hi Steve, Don't know about Acer's, the only ones I'm familiar with have got leaves that are currently changing colour. As for India a friend of ours who has been a couple of times loves the place even though he has suffered from severe Delhi Belly, his advice is to take sandwiches, or failing that seek the help of a local doctor, ( real one, not witch ), as they seem able to perscribe a suitable remedy, Tigers are a much safer bet than the food. China was great, by the time we got to the far west there weren't many caucasian faces in evidence at all, it turned into quite an adventure.

Stu

- 11/3/2009 1:00:37 AM
Hi all.
I'm a bit slow I know, but it's just clicked. Earlier on Steve mentioned Paul and Bev Dyke, did they live in Corsham, perchance, 'cos there was at least one Dyke that went to our school, about three years below me, probably started 58ish. His people were jewellers in Corsham High Street. Funnily enough, next door to their shop was a paper shop run by the Barber family, they had a son, Steve, that used to travel on the bus with us but I can't for the life of me remember if he attended BT. Anyhow, along the other end of town was another newsagents Barnetts, they had a daughter, June, and suffice to say Steve and June were 'an item' but we never knew if either sets of parents knew! Steve Barber was a bit older than the Dyke kids. Ring any bells?
By the way Chris keep up the good work, still smiling, riots indeed....... good job there is someone out there taking our minds off muddy puddles!
Oh! dont be offended Anth, I've noticed that you have posted some more photos, but have not had chance to view them properly yet will save that pleasure for later. Getting late now as just got back from club committee meeting.
Part 2.
Just been back on the site and viewed the photos, Anth, they are priceless! Nice to see some of Fussells locks before they started digging them out. By the way thanks for the comment upon the fifth form photo, there's not much I can add to my original caption.
Most of the photos I have these days are related to vintage transport in some way but occasionally I come across one worthy of posting here.
Bi to all.
Sticky.
- 11/4/2009 6:53:08 PM
Hi John, I must say that there were a few lads in my year (including myself) that were shall we say a bit big for their years,Doug Gray for one and we got picked for the second row and lock in rugby so I suppose you lads a few years above us didn,t seem as big to us big uns as to some of the others little short lads, thats why when I looked at your photo some of the faces appeared to be familier without knowing any names.
The photos of the D&S canal were taken the other day and I included the shots of the lines to show that they and the sleepers are still in place, in fact looking on Google earth you can make out lines all the way from the split, (which is still used to get stone from Whatley quarry to the main line) , to nearly into Radstock but sadly unless some of the saplings are cut down soon they will end up causing havoc to the sleepers.
The pictures of the locks, believe it or not are after they have been dug out and left for some years to let nature take its toll, follow this link  http://rtjhomepages.users.btopenworld.com/dscanal.html  and click on the link "excavations complete" to see the picture of the locks as they were when dug out, seems stange that after digging them out they were just left to collapse, it may have been better to fill them back in or better still repair them and form some sort of drainage, anyway it seems now that the locks that they excavated were not the ones that they show an Ordinance Survey detail of so a bit more investigating to do.
- 11/4/2009 11:28:23 PM
Hi Anth and all.
Your comments on the photo were very interesting, but certainly explains why you recognised some of the faces but didn't know the names. Incidentally, one of the reasons that I can not name everyone is that they were not all kids that I came up through the school with. It was rather odd that if you started in say, 1P then all the kids in that class stayed together as 2P, 3P, etc, but when the fifth form came around the pupils were all jumbled up again ie. some kids from P and some from Y may join to form a new class, Call it 5P (modified if you like) but I guess you've got the picture. I don't know if this was unique to our year or if it happened every year. I imagine it may hve been related to the mock CGE results although this is only a guess. This reshuffle meant that some of the lads in the photo I had only known for about nine months thus making it more difficult to remember their names.
Makes you wonder doesn't it? All that track rotting away when there are preservation groups elsewhere slaving away trying to reinstall tracks where they have been lifted and in some cases the infrastructure destroyed.
Regarding Fussells locks, I naurally assumed that having excavated them they would have been at least partly restored for the benefit of future generations, not just left to decompose yet further. So sad. Interesting these not being in the position shown on the OS, as you say further investigation required. 
Bi for now.
Sticky.
- 11/5/2009 3:01:41 PM
Hi Steve , how are you getting on with the new laptop, and more importantly Vista, don,t forget to backup, so many people I know screw up their PCs and end up loosing pictures and music, an external drive is the quickest and safest and you can use it to transfer between PCs, don,t forget there is an online storage with the site and you can lock the folder to make it private, MSN do reduce the size of photo files but not MP3s
- 11/5/2009 5:39:21 PM
Never a truer word Tony, got back from holiday, switched on computer which noticed it had a number of essential updates to load took a big gulp of air and promptly crashed, took me most of the weekend to recover but thank goodness for external drives. Speaking of Windows Vista, while it's good I do find it a bit too much, it wants to do everything for you, which meand constant flags appearing asking if you're really sure you want to do a particular thing, now I know Mr.Gates thinks we're all stupid, but most of us have been using PC's for a few years now, I have been told that "7" is a much better system so will be updating as soon as pos.
 
Changing the subject I've just found a load of my old school reports will scan and publish asap. had a laugh or two, apparently I was apt to play the fool in class in 1Q, actually I wasn't playing being a fool came naturally (still does), I seem to have collected a "D" for Maths consistantly throughout my school career and was, allegedly, uncoordinated at PE, nothing changed there then.
 
Got my new uniform Monday, look like a member of a repressive military regime, so that's OK, my neighbour's have taken to calling me Genghis and then falling about laughing, can't think why.
 
Stu
- 11/5/2009 6:09:03 PM
Stu if you mean user control you can turn that off.
Can,t wait to see some of your reports