Can anyone help please? Major problems..

Lizbetty

The man who built my computer installed a version of XP which is giving me a major headache, as it's not validated. We got it in 2004, and it's been fine up until now.

I went to PC World to buy Kapersky Internet Security Suite, and the chap there persuaded me to buy Microsoft Live One instead, as he said the Kapersky one would be too complicated for me, he said it was for him, even though he's a techie.

Which is fine. But I've installed it, and it says the protection we have is only fair, as it wants me to update to Internet Explorer 7. When I try, it says the version of Windows we have needs to be validated, which is how I've discovered it's duff. I can't contact the man who built the pc as I don't know where he is, tbh it was very cheaply done.

I hear that Vista is crap, as so was wondering about buying XP as my husband has his own business now and we use the PC a lot, so we need to make sure everything is safe. I've had a look though and I have no idea what version of XP is ok, what to look for, whether it's ok to buy it on Ebay, how much to expect to pay, etc.

I'm at the end of my tether as I just don't know what to do next. Can anyone help please?
Lucy

tankard_2

Lucyeff wrote: »

... We got it in 2004, and it's been fine up until now.

Lucy, If I were you I would invest in a new pc. Try to get something with XP (not vista). Personally I like the Dell machines - I've had several over time.

Not the answer you wanted I am sure, but I think it's the favourite way forward.

Browntoa

£52 from

http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/ProductInfo.asp?WebProductID=487053

or there is a number to call to validate your version of windows, it should be in the pop up that tells you its a hooky copy

tankard_2

Lucyeff wrote: »

... We got it in 2004:eek:, and it's been fine up until now.

Lucy, If I were you I would invest in a new pc. Try to get something with XP (not vista). Personally I like the Dell machines - I've had several over time.

Not the answer you wanted I am sure, but I think it's the favourite way forward.

Lizbetty

tankard wrote: »

Lucy, If I were you I would invest in a new pc. Try to get something with XP (not vista). Personally I like the Dell machines - I've had several over time.

Not the answer you wanted I am sure, but I think it's the favourite way forward.

I wish we could afford to get a new PC, but with my husband just starting his business and with 2 kids...unless our numbers come up we'll have to stick with the cheapest way forward, I'm afraid.

Thanks for the link to the XP software Browntoa, the pop up which comes up from microsoft says we can validate our software for £95+, can't remember the exact price but it looks like it'll be much cheaper to buy it from Scan Computers!

Nothing seems to be straightforward for us lot...:o

Lucy

Lizbetty

Another daft question, but how would be uninstall the old XP and install the new one? Would be lose Word, Publisher, etc and all of our documents?

The chap who built our pc put these on for us, we don't have Office on a disc so I'm guessing this might cause some problems too...(although we have Office, he didn't install Excel for some reason, which leads me to think it's probably a duff copy he's put on for us). The only things I'm worried about are my husband's work documents and the photos of our kids (which I keep meaning to sort out - someone suggested we get a USB hard drive for these to make sure they're safe..more £ we haven't got at the mo, though..!)

Thanks

Luce

inmypocketnottheirs

Lucyeff wrote: »

Another daft question, but how would be uninstall the old XP and install the new one? Would be lose Word, Publisher, etc and all of our documents?

The chap who built our pc put these on for us, we don't have Office on a disc so I'm guessing this might cause some problems too...(although we have Office, he didn't install Excel for some reason, which leads me to think it's probably a duff copy he's put on for us). The only things I'm worried about are my husband's work documents and the photos of our kids (which I keep meaning to sort out - someone suggested we get a USB hard drive for these to make sure they're safe..more £ we haven't got at the mo, though..!)

Thanks


Luce

Save all your docs on cd/dvd/memory stick.

Use an OS equivalent to MS Office, try https://www.openoffice.org. You will get all the functionality of MS Office, without lining Mr Gates' pockets.

HTH

scheming_gypsy

Lucyeff wrote: »

I went to PC World to buy Kapersky Internet Security Suite, and the chap there persuaded me to buy Microsoft Live One instead, as he said the Kapersky one would be too complicated for me, he said it was for him, even though he's a techie.

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: he's a salesman. If he was a techie he wouldn't be flogging anti virus software at PC World.

I hear that Vista is crap,

Vista isn't crap but as your PC is 3 years old you may be one of the people who think it's crap. I've got Vista on a new laptop and have no problem with it. People say Vista is crap because their stuff won't install, which is down to the hardware manufacturers not producing drivers.
As your machine is 3 years old there's a big possibility that some of your hardware will have been superceeded (sp) so you may struggle to find drivers for them.

You won't need to buy a new copy of XP but you can pay Microsoft a fee to give you a validation code that'll make it legal... pretty sure that's the case cos my mum had the same problem at work.

Donnie

Lucyeff

Pressing the Windows button(Four wavy squares close to the bottom left hand corner of your keyboard) and the Pause Break button(top right hand corner) simultaneously, will bring up information on your version of Windows XP as well as memory installed.

Lizbetty

Thanks, I've found our reg no from that advice Donnie, and I've also found the name of the chap who built it for us and emailed him for some advice.

It couldn't've come at a worse time as the new business has gone quiet with the school holidays and we're brassic!!!

I'm kicking myself now for not buying the Kapersky suite I set out to get in the first place. Bloody salesmen. I suppose if it wasn't now, the fact it's not a kosher copy of Windows would probably cause other problems at some point, anyway, possibly.

I'm thinking now about a new PC because of the cost with validating it and also because we don't have Excel, but I have no idea how much this might cost, it'd have to be a credit card job. I had a problem a few days back when I opened an attachment I shouldn't've done, that'll teach me - it's all kicked off since then, lol!

Thanks for your advice folks. I wish I were as clever as you lot when it comes to all this technical stuff, it'd save us a bloomin fortune!!!

Luce

theallpowerful

Lucyeff wrote: »

I'm thinking now about a new PC because of the cost with validating it and also because we don't have Excel, but I have no idea how much this might cost,

Just to reiterate a previous post, don't go to the expense of buying MS Office for Excel - Open office is FANTASTIC, and does exactly the same thing in exactly the same way for free! http://www.openoffice.org/ to download it and try it out!

Rather than messing around with internet explorer 7, you could always download firefox as a web browser! Again, it's free and in my humble opinion does a significantly better job than Internet Explorer 7! Download it here: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/ I've been using it for a while now and I'd NEVER go back to MS IE... download the two progs, try them out, and then decide whether you really need to go the expense of a new computer!

Your version of XP will still work (although you might get an annoying message from time to time)

Good luck!