I hate it when your comp settings change and you can't change it back

[Asher]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
The solution is to use common sense.

For example, fix the goddamn taskbar at the bottom of the screen so it can't be moved. That saves users lots of headaches with no loss in utility.

It also helps to reduce the number of useless features so they don't confuse users.

No, it'd cause more headaches for people wondering why they can't resize toolbars in the taskbar, why they can't move it around (they'd assume the feature was removed), etc.

You're trading one problem for another. A very foolish way of solving the problem.

I'm talking about his complaint about documentation anyway.

[Tingkai]

I'll add a new complaint about MS. I just received an email with a bunch of attachment. When I downloaded an attachment a "dialogue" box came up that asked, after the download was complete, do you want to open this file. There was also a checkbox asking whether I wanted this dialogue box to appear. I clicked the box to say no. But once I did that there was no way for me to change the setting so that the dialogue box will reappear.

The problem could be avoided by asking the question on the previous dialogue box, but then that box has a checkbox asking: "always ask before opening this type of file." The only problem is that there is no way to check this box to say yes or no.

Got to love MS logic.

[ixnay]

Originally posted by Asher

No, it'd cause more headaches for people wondering why they can't resize toolbars in the taskbar, why they can't move it around (they'd assume the feature was removed), etc.

When I went home at xmas and used our new computer with XP, the locked taskbar was default, and it took me a little while to figure it out. All it took was a right-click and unchecking an option, though.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Asher
No, it'd cause more headaches for people wondering why they can't resize toolbars in the taskbar, why they can't move it around (they'd assume the feature was removed), etc.

Resizing toolbars isn't the same thing as flopping the taskbar all over the screen.

Originally posted by Asher
You're trading one problem for another. A very foolish way of solving the problem.

So they can't move the taskbar. Good riddance. Where's the problem?

Originally posted by Asher
I'm talking about his complaint about documentation anyway.

Documentation is there to find out how to do certain things.

If you eliminate these things, there is no need for documentation.

Finding out what the most common problems and have a sort of FAQ available can only help.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Tingkai
The problem could be avoided by asking the question on the previous dialogue box, but then that box has a checkbox asking: "always ask before opening this type of file." The only problem is that there is no way to check this box to say yes or no.

Got to love MS logic.

I have no idea what you're saying here.

You want the "previous dialog box" to ask if you always want to open a current file or save the current file? Doesn't that defeat the purpose?

And when the box is checked, it means "yes", when it's not checked, it means "no"...

Did you ever try right-clicking on the file to open or save it, rather than double clicking?

[Asher]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
Resizing toolbars isn't the same thing as flopping the taskbar all over the screen.

It sure is.
You can lock the toolbar as in don't allow changes to it (resizing, moving, etc), or you can unlock the toolbar.

Are you saying the best way to solve this problem is to complicate it further by adding in flags for MOVEABLE and RESIZABLE rather than just LOCKED?

So they can't move the taskbar. Good riddance. Where's the problem?

Some people enjoy moving the taskbar.
Honestly, UR, have you been smoking a lot lately?

Documentation is there to find out how to do certain things.

If you eliminate these things, there is no need for documentation.

Finding out what the most common problems and have a sort of FAQ available can only help.

So your solution to making Windows better for the consumer is to have it do nothing.

[Alexander's Horse]

Originally posted by ixnay37


When I went home at xmas and used our new computer with XP, the locked taskbar was default, and it took me a little while to figure it out. All it took was a right-click and unchecking an option, though.

Its probably like that because of all the problems users have had with precisely the thing I'm alluding to. I rest my case

[Grrr]

AH next time ring Grrr!! home computer services. It would only cost you $8 to fix that problem .

[Asher]

Your case is flawed, because either way people have trouble with it (ixnay had trouble with it being locked at first too).

You can't keep everyone happy, you have to assume that if people are screwing around with things they should know how to fix it.

MS is assuming here that if you click and drag your taskbar to the side, you will know enough that to get it back you click and drag it back. Or even more basically, how you always move things around in Windows is to left click and drag on it.

It's not an issue unless you're having a brain lapse or are genuinely retarded and/or a civil servant for the Australian government.

[Alexander's Horse]

Hey Asher, I think you should change your signature to "Microsoft's B*tch".

[Asher]

Oh get a clue.

Just because you feel really stupid now doesn't mean you should take it out on others.

I'm saying what should be common sense and you and UR are all up in arms because you feel stupid and want to blame someone else for it, and UR wants to mindlessly bash MS until he shoots his load all over his stuffed penguin.

[Tingkai]

Originally posted by Asher

I have no idea what you're saying here.

You want the "previous dialog box" to ask if you always want to open a current file or save the current file? Doesn't that defeat the purpose?

And when the box is checked, it means "yes", when it's not checked, it means "no"...

Did you ever try right-clicking on the file to open or save it, rather than double clicking?

The question on the second box is: do you want to open the file that you just saved. But after I changed the setting so that this box would not appear, there was no way for me to get the dialogue box to reappear.

And this shot shows that a dialogue box asks me a question, but does not give me the option of answering the question. So what's the point of the question: "Always ask before opening this type of file."

[Alexander's Horse]

Did you know if you hold down the left mouse on the task bar and flick it around the monitor really fast in a circle you get this cool visual effect?

Where does the manual mention that? Huh? Huh?

These are the kinds of things your average user wants to know

[Asher]

Tingkai: That's quite odd. What are the circumstances?

It looks like you're downloading from a hotmail account or something.

I've never had that problem on any of my accounts, it looks to be a bug (there's no good reason at all for that checkbox to be shaded out).

[Asher]

Tingkai: It looks like you're saving the URL to your disk or opening the URL, and then it's asking to download the actual file via HTTP (so it uses IE's controls for Open from this location, Save to disk).