Hi, CD. Yes, I've certainly managed to upset the two computers concerned.
In the case of the W7 machine, it's quite possible that it's taken umbrage at some update I removed last year when all the snooping began. I might have ditched something that helped with the update process, unlikely though that seems. In any case, I've installed the latest update readiness thingie from MS, among other things.
It's probably six months or more since either machine was last used, and the sheer mass of stuff might cause problems. I've tried downloading just a couple of updates at a time (and even single updates) on the W7 machine when it actually condescends to find available updates, but it just hangs indefinitely at "downloading updates." Bizarrely, the update history shows a couple of successful updates over the last couple of days, and it has shown updates being installed on shut-down. These aren't necessarily ones I've actually ticked and told it to look for, though. (All this despite showing 0 KB o% complete on the download progress display.)
I've found a reasonably up to date Update Agent for Vista and installed that - now to give it another fourteen hours or whatever to see whether it finds anything, then try again. It might be worth trying a few at a time - we'll see.
The W7 machine came from one of those MS refurbisher types - how they get away without providing reinstallation media, goodness knows... I could probably find the Vista machine's Toshiba reinstallation discs somewhere, but 'tis a bit of a performance.
It would also be interesting to try to resolve the problems, as neither machine is exactly heavily used or urgently needed. They're both giving it another go overnight following a "clean boot."
Is it like a Morris Minor where you can fix most things with a screwdriver and a pair of pliars compared to a "modern" car where you open the bonnet, see all the wires and pipes and shut the bonnet quickly when to remember that there's sensors everywhere and you need to plug a computer in to diagnose a fault?
Hard to say. Linux seems to go wrong even more rarely than a Morris Minor and when it does, one can usually find the information and wherewithal necessary for a repair fairly easily. Worst comes to worst, reinstallation is quick and easy.
I find Linux also has a cleaner, sleeker feel to it, and it always seems nippier and smoother.
Relating to my own motoring experience, I can't help thinking that Windows offers Morris Minor performance with the reliability of a Renault 18 (bet noone remembers those - delightful when it worked) and the maintenance challenges of a Citroen DS21, with none of the class.
Ironically, it doesn't seem possible to plug a computer into it to analyse and fix it, either.
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