For all you tech gurus out there... is there any reason why I can't continue to use Windows 8?

  • 21 September 2016
  • 9 replies
  • 38 views

Userlevel 6
As detailed in the Perils of Gr8auntteffie in another post, I was recently sandbagged by an 'improvement' of Outlook that has left me trying to find my flagged email folder where all my client art files and pertinent informtation had been placed for ease of reference and use...  Anyway, that's another tale of woe, but this inquiry is woe-adjacent.
 
I kept getting the notcies about how the Windows 8.1 upgrade was available for free ( tried it, crashed my laptop and that was enough of a tech adventure for me!) and then came the free upgrade to Windows 10 which recently 'expired' at the gratis point.
 
Because of that, I am sure that is why my Internet Explorer has begun to just perpetually load a page when you try to navigate from my MSN homepage, but never ACTUALLY load anything and then it freezes up and I have to restart my computer.  And, because IE wasn't behaving properly, I added Firefox on my laptop which has been working beautifully ( with the exception of being able to copy and paste images that I use to create custom client presentation papers, but again, that's another tale of adjacent woe ) and I am really quite pleased with how it is performing thus far.
 
But, my big question is do I have to upgrade to Windows 8.1 or 10 if I am comfortable with what I have and I am able to make use of my Webroot product to keep me safe?
 
Honestly, I don't do alot of venturing on the internet and the research I do is for my business visiting venor websites to get current info and images ( which I can't copy and paste anymore... 😞 ) and I check emails, do some online shopping, but that's it...
 
So, do I absolutely have to upgrade my current OS on my laptop that has Windows 8 on it to be safe and secure on line or can i continue at this comfort level and leave this laptop alone?  One crash during an attempt to upgrade to 8.1 was more than enough excitement for me, believe me!
 
Thank you again in advance for all your knowledge and input!:D

9 replies

Hi gr8auntteffie,
 
You do not have to upgrade to 10 if you don't want. I like Windows 7 and have kept it on my main desktop, while updating my laptop and a couple  other desktops to Windows 10 - which I am warming up to. But Windows 8 is no longer supported, so you do need to go to 8.1., which returns the Start button to the Taskbar. Not sure why it crashed your computer, though. I updated my son's PC from 8 to 8.1 (and now 10) without issue.
 
Just know that support for Windows 8.1 will end in 2023, sooner than 10. Personally, I hope by then there is an alternative to Windows altogether, but we shall see.
 
As far as your browser, you are safer using Firefox or Chrome over Internet Explorer, but if you really love IE you can try resetting it to default, which may fix your issues. (I can provide directions if you wish) but, personally I would use Firefox or Chrome. And you CAN copy and paste photos using Firefox, Simply right-click on the photo you want to copy and click "Copy Image", then paste where you like. You can save the image as well.
 
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Hope this info helps,
BD
 
Afetr re-reading your post, I have made a few edits ?. Sorry about that. 🙂
Userlevel 6
?  Thanks for the input!  I guess I'll have to bite the bullet and my nails to the quick and try upgrading to 8.1 again and hope that it doesn't freeze up and crash again.
 
As for the copy instructions, thank you for them, but that's what I've been doing and it isn't capturing the image so that I can paste it where I want it to go.  Have been having to make do in Word vs. my Broderbund Print Shop product that allows me to save in pdf format.
 
Thank you for giving me the instructions, though, because it helps me to confirm that I am doing the right thing, it's just that something else is getting in my way...
 
 
Hi gr8auntteffie,
 
Have you tried saving the photo first? I know this creates an extra step, but just thought I'd mention it. Or try dragging the photo from FF to BPS? I don't have any trouble with copy/paste using FF, but perhaps it has something to do with Broderbund Print Shop?
 
You can reset Internet Explorer settings to what they were when Internet Explorer was first installed on your PC. This can be useful for troubleshooting problems that may be caused by settings changed after installation. Note that resetting Internet Explorer isn't reversible, and all previous settings are lost after reset.
 
  1. Close all Internet Explorer windows. Select the Tools button, and then select Internet options.
  2. Select the Advanced tab, and then select Reset.
  3. In the Reset Internet Explorer Settings dialog box, select Reset.
  4. When Internet Explorer finishes applying default settings, select Close, and then select OK. Restart your PC to apply changes.
Hope this info helps, :)
BD
Userlevel 6
?Thanks for your suggestions!  I think you're right, I think my Print Shop product is just a little hinky when it comes to the FF because I can copy and paste images into my Word documents but I cannot save them there and then copy from Word into the Print Shop or do a straight deal.  I will try to save the images and see if it lets to do a little fancy footwork sidestep to work for me.
 
I am honestly not married to the idea of using IE.  In fact, the less bells, whistles and other sundry options that can gum up the works and cause problems, the better I like ANYTHING, computer or otherwise.  I find that I like the Mozilla Firefox quite well and the installation of it was a breeze, as easy as when I downloaded and installed my Webroot product.  No time at all and it works instantly, although I will say that having had FF for a couple of months now, I still don't have the hang of how to use the different kinds of windows for browsing incognito vs. being all out in the open.  I guess I'll have to get adventurous and try to figure it out.
 
In the mean time, thank you again for all of your helpful information and suggestions, I have copied them into my homemade handbook of quick reference and fixes!
 
And, I'll try doing the 8.1 upgrade so that I can get the necessary updates for my security stuff with MSN so it won't leave me vulnerable to any computer cooties!  😛
Userlevel 6
Hey, everybody!  I just wanted to let you know that thanks to all of your help and encouragement, I did, in fact, manage to get through the Windows 8.1 upgrade on my laptop! 
 
Yay!:D
 
Yes, I know, it shouldn't sound like such a milestone event and to you folks who know your tech stuff, you're probably getting a giggle out of my being such a rube, BUT, I feel incredibly accomplished and I hope that you will allow me a moment to crow about my accomplishment and also post a new question.
 
First, after the 4 hours it took to download and install the upgrade, I had noticed that my Intel RST system didn't want to launch, so I waited until it seemed like all of the necessary processing had been done and then I did a restart, thinking that that might be all that was needed to get the Intel to start up like it always has in the past and, voila!  It DID!
 
One hurdle down!
 
Then, I went in to make sure everything else was working right and found that my Officejet all in one printer wasn't communicating with my laptop and it had changed the default to something wireless, so, feeling bold, I went online and did some sleuthing and I found the information at HP so that I could update my system to allow me to configure my printer and set the all in one as the default once more....  So proud of myself!!! 
 
But, and here is where the questions start...
 
First, while on my search, I came across a product called DriverAssist which scans the system to find out what is out of date and is supposed to facilitate locating and then updating those systems.  I loaded it onto my computer and now it runs a scan every time I turn on to remind me that I have 20 ancient programs that need to be updated...  Webroot did not toggle it as a problem file/program or a threat, which I guess is a good thing, but does anyone know how this works and if these updates it finds are no cost or do they charge you for each one of them?  Since my F drive ( CD/DVD tray ) doesn't work anymore I figure it might be a software issue since the tray opens and closes and it will trigger the system to spin the disk but the program that plays my DVDs says there is no disc in the F drive, so I guess that means something's not connecting.
 
So, for my question, is this a program that I should keep and utilize or should I get rid of it?  AND, when I right clicked on the program icon on my desktop it shows a feature that Webroot will scrub it from my computer, which I think means that it will uninstall, then clean up after it to make sure that there is nothing left to pose a problem to my system.  Is that right?
 
Also, something completely different in nature, I added a program to my computer called The Print Shop 3.0 when I bought the laptop I currently use because I needed a bunch of fancy fonts for the presentation flyers and brochures that I create for my clients and the small number of fonts that came with the Word program weren't going to be diverse enough, so I got the Print Shop product, which I had had before in a much older version on my old tower system. 
 
Since the upgrade to 8.1, I cannot get the program to open up, AT ALL.  I have posted a note on the Broderbund/Encore forum for some help because their support site doesn't allow you to find a way to actually talk to a live person. 
 
My question about this is if there some way that I can get into the program to see if anything came 'unhooked' during the upgrade or is this something that would require some kind of update/patch or such thing as that?
 
But, again, thank you all for all of your input and help on this and also the topic on how to save my files onto a thumb drive and set a restore point in case this upgrade didn't turn out as it had in the past...  You all are the best! :D:heart:
 
 
 
 
Hi gr8auntteffie,
 
Glad to hear the update went well.
 
As far as DriverAssist. We here in the Community don't recommend third-party driver apps like this one. Often they are bundled with PUAs and don't provide anything that you can't do yourself, more securely, for free. Often times these programs will claim to find many problems and then offer to remove/update said problems if you buy their product. Often what they find is erroneous. We always recommend getting driver updates either through Windows update or from the program's author or manufacturer's website directly. But unless you are experiencing performance issues or other problems with random shut downs or some sort of conflict then it's better to not even mess with your drivers. If you open the Control Panel and select the Device Manager you will see all devices listed there. If you see any exclamation marks then this could indicate a problem that may need a driver update. But a good saying to remember is "If it's not broken, then don't try to fix it." I would uninstall this program, and any other programs that may have installed (piggy-backed) with it, using Windows usual Programs and Features in the Conrol Panel.
 
As far as Print Shop I found some good information here.
 
It seems others had the same problem as you and were able to fix this with an update. The info I provided tells you how to determine which version of Print Shop you're using and how to update it, if that's what is needed.
 
Hope this info helps. Please let us know if you're still having trouble and we will be glad to help you out.
 
Have a good day,
BD
 
 
Userlevel 6
? Thank you so much for the link and the information.  Right now the real issue that I have that I would like to try to fix myself if I can is that my E drive, my CD R-W drive, isn't working and that was a problem I had PRIOR to the upgrade to 8.1.  I know that it spins but then the program I have to watch movies thru my laptop ( which came with the computer ) says that there isn't a disc in that E drive.  That makes me think that I simply missed some crucial update for the driver.
 
Is this something that I might be able to find an update for if I go to the HP website and start plugging in questions and hope that I find what I need like I did to get my All in One printer to update to the 8.1 and be able to set it as my default printer?
 
And, if I use the Webroot removal and scrub option that appears when I right click on the DriveAssist icon, will it take care of removing the program from my computer or do I have to uninstall it?
 
See what an awful can of worms I am?  Sorry to be such a dork! :$
 
And thank you again for your kind help!
Hi gr8auntteffie,
 
Is this something that I might be able to find an update for if I go to the HP website and start plugging in questions and hope that I find what I need like I did to get my All in One printer to update to the 8.1 and be able to set it as my default printer?
 
Yes. If you go the HP website (if that's what brand your laptop is) and enter your model, it should list the drivers for your model. They also have an automated program that will check your system for you.
 
If you open your Device Manager and look for CD/DVD Drives you can check there for issues (exclamation point) and update the driver there.
 
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Click on your CD/DVD drive and select the Driver tab. Then click Update Driver.
You need to be connected to the Internet for it to look for new driver.
 
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There could be a problem with the CD/DVD drive itself, as well.
 
 
"And, if I use the Webroot removal and scrub option that appears when I right click on the DriveAssist icon, will it take care of removing the program from my computer or do I have to uninstall it?"
 
No. I would just uninstall it normally through Control Panel/Programs.

 
 
Hope this info helps,
BD
 
Userlevel 6
?   Thank you for the information!  I went in and started to do that checklist of things and now I need to see if it did any good.   I had already been considering getting a separate dvd r/w drive thanks to the advice I got here in the forums so I think this is just the cosmos telling me to make choice on which model to get and then just use it!
 
And thank you for that link for The Print Shop.  Apparently I have the standard version and the patch won't help me, which it told me after downloading and attempting to fix itself.
 
Again, thank you so much for all your patience and help. I'm sure it must be painful for you folks in the tech know to see someone as thick as I am when it comes to these things!!!!
 
 

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