ItsGeekToMe.co

Q: I am not very computer literate and the only thing I have ever used is Windows XP. I am intimidated by the computer and am wondering what when it becomes necessary I should get that is computer friendly? Any guidance would be appreciated.

– Ocie B.
Niceville, Florida

A: Just when I thought I had put the issue of Windows XP transition to bed, here comes another question well-deserving of an answer.  It’s easy to forget that if someone has spent their entire time on PCs exclusively on one OS that they won’t have a clue of what to expect from others.  Well I’d be happy to offer some guidance.

First of all, think back to when you first started using Windows, and realize you didn’t always know what you know now.  Whether it be the concept of multiple programs running simultaneously in frames called “windows”, or controlling what part of a page you see by using a scroll bar, or even acknowledging information by clicking an “OK” button, there was a time in your computing journey when all of this was new. But you learned it, and I dare say, you got comfortable with it, whether you consider yourself computer literate or not.  No matter what you switch to, that will happen again, so try not to let the computer intimidate you too much.

As for where to go from XP, from a usability standpoint, the OS hasn’t really changed that radically.  All the on-screen elements you’re already familiar with are still there, though there appearance may have changed a little.  In Win 7 the “Start” menu became an unlabeled round ball, and the pop-ups and slide-outs were replaced with folders.  Navigating and searching using Explorer changed somewhat.  The appearance changed again in Windows 8.  In fact, when Win 8 first came out, many people were shocked and dismayed to find the start menu completely gone.  It’s back in Win 8.1.  You’ll also have to get used to not having a built-in e-mail client (although Windows Live Mail is a free service).  There are more differences among the operating systems than I could possibly cover even if I devoted all my space for several columns to it.  You can find a lot of information online by simply Googling “difference between WinXP and Win7” and so on.  I hope this has given you something to think about.  One last bit of advice:  don’t be shy about heading down to one of the big box stores and getting some hands-on time on one of their demo machines.  Spend some time trying to do some of the things you commonly do, and ask a staff member if you can’t figure it out for yourself.

Q: I have Norton Internet Security on my HP Desktop computer running Windows 7.  The problem is, I can’t get it to do ANYTHING anymore…..not even uninstall!  No matter what I click on I get: “C:\Program Files (x86)Norton Internet Security\Engine64\20.2.1.22\uistub.exe unspecified error” When I go into the Program files and try to delete it there I get:  “Action can’t be completed because the folder or a file is open in another program. Close folder and try again.”   I have no idea what program or file is open as I think all are closed.  I want to COMPLETELY remove this off my computer.  Any ideas??

– Wayne B.
Odessa, Texas

A: First of all, it is never a good idea to try and manually delete portions of a program that won’t uninstall.  You’re just asking for problems such as boot failures when the system tries running something that isn’t there, or at the very least, pop-up dialogs complaining that the system can’t find files it needs.

In the case of Norton, they make a nice little tool for removing their stubborn products from your machine.  There are actually two of them.  One is for removing and re-installing the product, which you will find at tinyurl.com/nbbjjjz and one is for simply removing it, which you will find at tinyurl.com/kfky8oa.  Depending on which path you’d like to take, go to the appropriate link and read and follow the instructions.  Good luck!