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Microsoft Sucks!!! O/T, Long, Rant!

1K views 25 replies 23 participants last post by  bob 
#1 ·
I know, I know . . . "Get a Mac" . . . /forums/images/icons/crazy.gif

Anyway, all I wanted to do this morning was install Word 2002 to replace Word 97 on my home computer to solve compatability issues between my computer at work (Word 2002) and my home office computer (Word 97). Easy enough . . . bring the Word 2002 CD home and install it. Right???? Wrong!!!!!!/forums/images/icons/mad.gif

Computer locked up during the first install, re-boot, try again. Finally get it to install, but when I ran the program for the first time, it won't open any documents because "macros was disabled". Go search "help" to find out how to enable macros, nothing there. Close program, and get a "visual basic" error. Computer locks up. Re-boot, open Word 2002 again, prompts me to go online and "activate" the program at the MS website. OK . . . go online . . . "program has already been activated on another computer, call customer service". AAARRGGHH!!! Yeah!! It was activated on my computer at work!!! /forums/images/icons/mad.gif.

Okay, this sucks, so I decide to "uninstall" Word 2002. I uninstall it, re-boot, and (this is when my problems really start) . . . the uninstall program screwed up the system registry so bad, Windows won't even start!!!!!!! /forums/images/icons/mad.gif. I've never seen so many error messages in my life!!! "illegal operations . . . can't find half a dozen files . . . won't even recognize other hardware"!!!! on and on!!!!!

Finally had to boot to Dos prompt (trying to remember Dos command from years ago), run "scanreg/fix", and finally Windows is back, but only in "safe mode"!!/forums/images/icons/mad.gif. After tweaking a few settings, I finally get a clean boot, but now my network connection settings are shot, so no internet for me!!/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif

I could go on and on, but to make a long story short, I'm finally back online (apparently, my "backup, modem based Compuserve program" restored my LAN network settings for my cable modem /forums/images/icons/crazy.gif, got lucky on that one), I've just gotten a clean boot, and everything works, but not until after 4 hours of frustration and creative keyboarding!! Word 2002 is still there (it didn't ever "uninstall"), and, luckily, I opted to not delete Word 97 during the install process, so now I'm back to where I started, but . . .

Word 2002 is still on my computer, waiting like a time bomb to screw me up again. I'm afraid to even try to uninstall it again, for fear of having another 4-hour repair session . . . but I'll fix that!!!

I'm going to delete the whole folder!!!!!!!!!!/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif . . . Take THAT, Bill Gates!!! BuaH Ha Ha Ha!!!!!

Thanks for listening!

Rick
 
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#3 ·
Your post made me go in and kiss my wife skwar on da mout! She's a Unix admin. & keeps ming going! Try Windows '98 or newer with Netscape... I HATE Explorer. Mine locks up all the time. Feel free to vent, it's a lot cheaper than throwing it at someone!
 
#4 ·
You can go into your preferences at work and set your saves to be compatible with Office 97. Or you can do it on the fly when you do the save by choosing to save in that format.
 
#5 ·
I have Windows 2000 Pro at home and it's by far the best M$ OS. Notice that I did throw "M$" in there. Windows 95/98 sucks. I couldn't burn a cd and do anything else at the same time because it would lock up. I had 256M of ram, too. Win2k can multi-task and it can handle more than 256M of ram. I also use Office 2000 just to be free of M$ control. I don't trust the new XP platforms. Win2k is also great in the workplace because I can lock my users down. I like being a computer nazi.
 
#6 ·
*shakes head*

My Web server at home here is running Win98... been running flawless for a good 3-4 weeks... on 24 hours a day, handling all traffic to my server....

Never have problems... Go to work... all are running Win2k Pro... no problems... I do some heavy stuff too... just takes it... *shrugs*

Don't know what to tell ya...Other than it's not a good idea to install those new programs on multiple computers anymore due to Microsofts new registration protocals... (in which you basically have to call in to get it registered..)
 
#7 ·
Welcome to my world. I'm a Novell tech that learned on Novell 2x, DOS, & Win 3.1. My life was easy then, a couple dozen clients to visit every few weeks for minor maintenance and services. Then comes Windows 95 & Office 97. Now it is fighting Windows servers and workstations with Win 95, 98, ME, 2000, XP, Office 97, 2000, & 2002. I can only handle a couple clients which I see weekly (sometimes daily) thanks to Mr. Gates.

Don't get me wrong, I still make good money and have steady work, but it sure is a pain fixing this kind of bu!! Sh!t.

Your best bet at this point is to backup your system and start with a fresh install of Windows and the Office version of your choice. Of course the copy of Office you have is only licensed for a single user and has already been activated at work, so you'll need to buy another copy. For good prices on Microsuck products try here
 
#8 ·
I have XP on my laptop and it's worked great so far!
 
#9 ·
"Get A Mac" is probably not bad advice. Windows is just a means of allowing the PC to look like a Mac in operation. I've run Windows 3.1, 95 and 98 over the past ten years. Prior to that I was a MacIntosh user. Every time I add new software or hardware I can be sure that I'll be debugging all the incompatibilities for weeks. One of my PC's actually had major collapse due to my adding an HP scanner. On the other hand in my Mac days you could add any hardware or software by simply hooking up the hardware or plugging the software into the external floppy drive and dragging the icon onto the desk top.

Back in the "old days" crap like the various releases of Windows would have been considered beta site software at best. This stuff is too frail for large scale use. Clearly, though, a whole cottage industry has grown up around trying to remedy the vagaries of Widows. Mr. Gates has sure improved the state of the world.
 
#11 ·
I am RIGHT with you. I received Windows 2000 and Windows XP FREE (connections). I tried them both, and I am now back on Windows 98. I NEVER have problems, aside from crashes (power goes out, I kick the box on accident) that wipe out my registry... but not due to the computer messing up... I usually am the one that botches it.
 
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#12 ·
I won't say it . Because you already did i your opening line.
I am Up to my eyeballs in microsoft products at work.It is amazing to me how much under developed, under thought, buggy crap most of Microsofts products are when they release it. You know if anybody else would release programs as buggy as Microsoft does, They would be out of businesss in a wee. That's my 2¢.

Don
I love my MAC.
 
#13 ·
My Mac can run windows! Every time Carol (SWMBO) uses the windows program, she can't wait to get back to the Mac side. Just a note of sympathy for ya.
Stan
 
#14 ·
I know, I know . . . "Get a Mac" . . .
Bite your tongue! hehehe
Yea once you install it on one computer it won't install on any other computers....MS's attempt to stop software pirating. I dunno, I've never had many major probs with MS products and am very happy with everything I have, though the more frequent IE crashes are getting to me.
 
#15 ·
I feel your pain. Just to isolate one annoying issue - My company has a massive MSFT license and then MSFT subcontracts out to service us. Because of this, we get 'pre-packed' software with some funky 3rd party launch system. Needless to say, Office pro 2k didn't work right (missing dll files, wrong entries in the registry, etc.) Even good old Excel - where I spend 80% of my workday - didn't work right until I called MSFT, spent $35 of my own money for tech support, and got the installation corrected. I have NO confidence to try to install at home - you're a brave man.

What else... printers not installing right (Plug and Play in 98 is a joke), Windows rejecting Norton Anti-virus after about 8 months, oh, and I haven't even gotten to NT4.

Once I feel comfortable that I can use my Excel files on a Mac, I'm THERE!!!
 
#17 ·
I have Windows ME on my laptop with no issues. It has networked with everyplace I have had to network and has run every peripheral I have hooked up to it. I have used up some very unusual applications on it with no problems.

The desktop has Windows 95 and hangs, blue screen, disk drive falls asleep and will not wake up..... etc 98 was worse. I went back to 95.

It doesn't have to be this way!
 
#21 ·
I'm running WXP on a Dell 4300 with a 1.4 gig processor and 512 RAM.

Never a problem. Solid as a rock.

When I first started up the computer and did a total virus scan there were over 45,000 files. MS recommends 1.5 gig of hard drive space to install WXP. In an OS that large you might expect a bug or two. None in mine.

Hope things even out for you. Being off-line sucks!
 
#22 ·
Sounds vaguely familiar. At work, we run Win2000 (Boeing Load) exclusively, which means we get a nearly complete copy of Win2000 and "extra" security features from Boeing. Like auto stripping of out-going attachments, or a requirement to have a network adminstrator load non-std Boeing software (my PDA sync software was a battle to get on the work PC).

At home, I'm typing from a Win98 (1st Edition!) 333MHz PII clone with 192MB ram. The MS sound feature has been gone for about two years now (we use RealPlayer to adjust/mute sound); other than that the PC is solid. As is usual for an older PC, rebooting is necessary as residual memory is used while multi-tasking.

My sons PC is a 600MHz PIII Dell, with Win ME installed. No problems whatsoever. My other sons PC is a leftover dinsoaur 150 MHz PI clone with 32 MB ram; it barely starts and hangs up often - it was purchased for $100.

MS products do what we need them to do, although I'm considering a Mac replacement. One thing truly like are large screens - I'm used to a 21" screen at work - just right for 7pt font on a 8.5 x 11 sheet in landscape mode.
 
#23 ·
http://www.rporter.ca/macsuck.gif
I don't know where you people get these ideas that Macs are so great. I am running 3 different computers with Windows and they all work great. At school we run Macs and there was a problem at least once or twice a week.
Almost always the problem is a result of something you did wrong, not the computer.
 
#24 ·
Honestly, I feel for all of you with these Microsoft / Computer problems. I also feel kinda bad for laughing.
If anyone would rather do cool things using computer technology than troubleshooting, then I'd be happy to help with some advice and direction on purchasing or using Macs. If you would rather do things like digital video editing, like the pros, creating web pages, digital photography and publising, etc etc, let me know. I work for Apple and hear these horror stories from Windows users daily. I work in education for Apple, and won't benefit from your purchase, but very much enjoy helping people do great stuff.
I have no interest in bashing Windows users and don't care to debate which is better, but if you are interested in seeing what Mac users are so loyal about, I'd be happy to help.

here's my email address: gibson.d@apple.com
and an interesting URL: http://www.apple.com/switch

sincerely,

Drew Gibson
Apple Computer, Inc.
K-12 Account Executive, NV and AZ
 
#25 ·
It appears to me that the problem emanates from an attempt to install the single purchased, licensed software on more than one computer,

Please don't think that I'm defending MS as a company here as I see many of their other practices as devious, deceitful and crippling to the user community. This however is one area where I understand what they are doing. If they didn't protect their software somehow, they couldn't stay on business ultimately.

Just my 2 cents and a warning to others who may attempt this, software vendors have cracked down on this. I think you would find that if you bought a new copy of Word 2002 as an upgrade, it would work OK (for the most part).
 
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