Windows easier to use...

[Russell Hanneken]

Are we supposed to trust a page that states, amongst others, "Microsoft
absolutely respects the privacy of its customers"?

You mean you think there's a good chance Microsoft might be lying when they
say you can activate Windows XP by phone?

Regards,

Russell Hanneken
(e-mail address removed)

 

[Keith Thompson]

news:[email protected]... [...]
I think I have a better solution:

In Windows 2000:

1. Select Start->Settings->Control Panel.
2. Double-click on "Folder Options."
3. Select the "View" tab.
4. Uncheck "Hide file extensions for known file types."

In Windows XP:

1. Select Start->Control Panel.
2. Select "Appearance and Themes."
3. Select "Folder Options."
4. Select the "View" tab.
5. Uncheck "Hide file extensions for known file types."

Definitely an irritating default setting. I've known several students who
have experienced exactly the same problem Kelsey did.

It's not just irritating, it's dangerous.

Suppose someone sends you a file (perhaps an e-mail attachment) named
"foo.txt". Thinking that's it's just a plain text file that can't
possibly cause any harm, you open it. That's when you discover that
the file name is really "foo.txt.exe", but Windows decided you didn't
really need to see the ".exe".

The first thing I do with any Windows system is to change that setting
and a few others.
</off-topic>

 

[Kelsey Bjarnason]

Is it the newsreader or is it you? ;-)

Oh, prolly me. Thing is, this newsreader has the habit of leaving the
last article you read displayed even after you switch newsgroups; the net
result is that if you don't double-check, you can get fairly readily
confused as to which group you're in. Sigh.

 

[Dan Pop]

Oh, prolly me. Thing is, this newsreader has the habit of leaving the
last article you read displayed even after you switch newsgroups; the net
result is that if you don't double-check, you can get fairly readily
confused as to which group you're in. Sigh.

Maybe you should consider switching to one which is easier to use

Dan

 

[Richard Bos]

You mean you think there's a good chance Microsoft might be lying when they
say you can activate Windows XP by phone?

Not all of us are in the USA, or can easily and affordably call a number
there. Not all of use who can call M$ locally want to register a version
from their own country. Yes, given their history, I expect M$ to get
this wrong. I'm not saying they _do_ - just that I'd want to watch it in
action before putting my money on it.

Richard

 

[Kevin Easton]

This scenario assumes a completely idiot user, who ignores the icons
associated with files. If you double click on an icon that means
"executable file" you get exactly what you're supposed to get. And if
you double click on an icon whose meaning you don't understand, you get
exactly what you deserve.

The icon associated with an executable file is loaded from the file, if
it specifies one. Nothing stops it storing the little blue note pad as
its icon.

- Kevin.

 

[Dan Pop]

The icon associated with an executable file is loaded from the file, if
it specifies one. Nothing stops it storing the little blue note pad as
its icon.

Yes, but that's a different scenario than the one described above.
And having the .exe extension visible is not likely to make any difference
to the average Windows user: if it looks like a notepad document, it
*must* be a notepad document ;-) The danger is simply created by
not requiring a special action for executing a file (binary or script),
as opposed to merely opening it, which could invoke a hex viewer for
binaries and a plain text viewer for scripts.

The deadliest feature of Windows, however, is the automatic execution
of a program when a new CD-ROM is loaded. This program can silently do as
much harm as it wants, without the user being aware that anything at all
is happening on his computer.

Dan

 

[Russell Hanneken]

Not all of us are in the USA, or can easily and affordably call a number
there.

You may not have to:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307890#6

"Follow the steps that are displayed in the Activate Windows by phone dialog
box, and then click Next.Please note: the number will be displayed at this
point and will differ based on the location you select."

Not all of use who can call M$ locally want to register a version
from their own country. Yes, given their history, I expect M$ to get
this wrong. I'm not saying they _do_ - just that I'd want to watch it in
action before putting my money on it.

Okay, fair enough.

 

[Mark McIntyre]

[/QUOTE]
(stuff about MS product activation, its pros and cons etc)

Er guys, whats your C question?

I mean, WPA may or may not be a good or bad thing, but I'm not
entirely sure that the thread is very topical...

 

[Mark McIntyre]

Oh, prolly me. Thing is, this newsreader has the habit of leaving the
last article you read displayed even after you switch newsgroups; the net
result is that if you don't double-check, you can get fairly readily
confused as to which group you're in. Sigh.

must be all those cats nibbling it

 

[Dan Pop]

(stuff about MS product activation, its pros and cons etc)

Er guys, whats your C question?

I mean, WPA may or may not be a good or bad thing, but I'm not
entirely sure that the thread is very topical...

Well, this could explain why it is *explicitly* labeled as Off Topic in
the subject line...

But, of course, no one could expect the c.l.c resident idiot to figure
out what that little "[OT]" tag in the subject line means ;-)

Dan