Computer questions you'd be embarrassed to ask any where else!

muffler

Quick question from me which someone might help with.

Whats the best way to do a google search i.e. what details to insert and should a plus sign or apostrophes or inverted commas etc be used?

For example if I was looking to find a John Smith (probably millions of them), who lived in Dublin in the 80's (probably hundreds at this stage) and who worked for the then ESB what should I enter in the search box and what way should I enter it to get the best results?

Should I just put in John Smith, Dublin, ESB or should I put in John Smith +Dublin "ESB" ?

CSSE09

Can just put it in like John Smith Dublin Esb, although for finding someone I'd suggest using pipl.com very simple to filter results by age/location. Obviously depends if they have social media accounts and what their privacy settings are but worth having a go.

Blowfish

Use quotes around the name to force it to search for them as an exact phrase, rather than it searching for all results containing John and then also all results containing Smith. i.e. use the following:

"John Smith" Dublin ESB

muffler

Cheers folks for the replies.

Just as another example if I was looking for details of a house that was advertised for sale maybe 5 years ago in Boyle, Roscommon would I just enter this

"House for sale Boyle Roscommon 2009"

or perhaps this

"Boyle, Roscommon" house for sale 2009

Just trying to figure out the best way to get exact results with the least amount of searching and resultant page displays

Rucking_Fetard

20 Tips To Use Google Search Efficiently

https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/136861

muffler

Thats perfect, ta

martinn123

Right Folks, here's my issue, any help appreciated

I use a particular programme, to design Conservatories etc, I can print off the results, to show clients.

Anyway its quite old, but still very useful, and it stores all my work for the past few years

The Licence to use it, works by way of a ''Dongle'' which plugs into my very old Tower Computer, via a ''Parallel Port'' looks like a Scart Connection, you know the one with lots of pins etc.

The Tower Computer is dying, and I have managed to get a laptop, and I need to transfer all the files over.

As ''Parallel Port'' connections are a thing of the past, I cannot connect the ''Dongle'' and as such the programme will not work, ( I have the Disk containing the programme)

I contacted the Programme makers and they will give me a ''New Dongle'' for the Sum of 200.00 which will plug into my new laptop.

Any suggestions........please.

bonzodog2

Maybe one of these or similar? http://www.ebay.ie/itm/USB-TO-DB25-FEMALE-PARALLEL-CONVERTER-ADAPTER-CABLE-/230616175561?pt=US_Parallel_Serial_PS_2_Cables_Adapters&hash=item35b1cb93c9

BrensBenz

martinn123 wrote: »

Right Folks, here's my issue, any help appreciated

I use a particular programme, to design Conservatories etc, I can print off the results, to show clients.

Anyway its quite old, but still very useful, and it stores all my work for the past few years

The Licence to use it, works by way of a ''Dongle'' which plugs into my very old Tower Computer, via a ''Parallel Port'' looks like a Scart Connection, you know the one with lots of pins etc.

The Tower Computer is dying, and I have managed to get a laptop, and I need to transfer all the files over.

As ''Parallel Port'' connections are a thing of the past, I cannot connect the ''Dongle'' and as such the programme will not work, ( I have the Disk containing the programme)

I contacted the Programme makers and they will give me a ''New Dongle'' for the Sum of 200.00 which will plug into my new laptop.

Any suggestions........please.

Bonzo's device looks like a solution!

Sorry, I can't help with the specifics of your problem but I had a similar issue last year. I don't have the time or patience to figure out a route through (usually) intentional non-compatibility between machines, software, components, etc. so, when buying a new laptop, I went to the small, local guy again, instead of the chain shops and explained exactly what I wanted transferred to the new machine.

He fitted the required, obsolete port as part of the deal. Of course, he was more expensive than the megastores BUT he got it right. Since then, he has fixed a couple of routine issues (free) and has given clear (and free) advice over the phone. Compare that to the endless one-size-fits-nobody, "it's your fault", "yeah but...."; "contact the manufacturer", "can't do nutt'n coz Anto isn't here today", "can't do nutt'n without the QJPLSYENH number", quibbling you get from the chainstores!

bonzodog2

Or this http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Printer-Parallel-Port-to-Express-Card-34mm-Adapter-Converter-/170915775788?pt=US_Parallel_Serial_PS_2_Cables_Adapters&hash=item27cb5fc52c if you have that slot on the laptop or http://www.ebay.ie/itm/32bit-PCMCIA-Parallel-Printer-Adapter-Card-Multi-I-O-/221005017784?pt=UK_Computing_Other_Computing_Networking&hash=item3374ecf2b8 if its older

Red Hare

Martinn, - if the old computer is connected to the internet could you upload the files to the cloud - using something like Google Drive or Dropbox - then down load the files onto your new laptop.

martinn123

Red Hare wrote: »

Martinn, - if the old computer is connected to the internet could you upload the files to the cloud - using something like Google Drive or Dropbox - then down load the files onto your new laptop.

Thanks for the suggestions, looks like one of bonzodog's links to what I need, will take a trip to Maplins or similar, this weekend ( pity Peat's are gone, you could talk to those guy's in plain English )

Red Hare, thanks, it's not the files I am worried about, it's getting the programme to work on the laptop.

Thanks all

bonzodog2

You might get a PC of similar spec to your old one for very little on adverts/donedeal/freecycle

Jellybaby1

I am not sure if this is a problem with my computer or not. I can't log out from Boards, and I can't access my messages now so I can't remember all the advice OG gave me. I did clear my cache, I did switch off and on again. On a different computer I am logged off Boards. This computer is still logged onto Boards. Much as I luv Boards, I'd like to be free to leave now and again. I am using Firefox and Windows 8.1. Any more suggestions would be welcome.

Rucking_Fetard

what does it say when you click log out?

Did ya delete cookies?

Jellybaby1

There is no 'log out' appearing beside my username. I have 'My Forums' but the arrow doesn't make them appear, neither does the arrow beside my Username make any information appear, I probably mean, no drop-down menus appearing. Didn't delete cookies yet and I can't remember how, pray tell?

Eeden

There's a thread about this at the moment in Site Development:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057289289

They're working on it and it's been fixed for some, although not for others.

Jellybaby1

Many thanks, will have a look at that.

Jellybaby1

Looks like the gremlins have been seen off. Everything looks like it is working ok now. Thank you to whatever fairy godmother or godfather was working on this.

Jellybaby1

Eeden wrote: »

There's a thread about this at the moment in Site Development:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057289289

They're working on it and it's been fixed for some, although not for others.

Its gone again for me. That thread above has been closed probably because it had been mended, but its all broke for me again.

looksee

There is a new thread started about it Jb, http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showt...p?t=2057309899

cobham

I have google earth as an icon on my desktop so use it as handy but I find it very frustrating that the streetnames are a mixture of Irish and English :mad:
I have the same problem with a satnav.... So I looked about and found Googlemaps and no problem there and it has a streetview option also. So what is the difference between them if any? I just want it as a map to find places, work out route, parking etc nothing fancy which maybe is what googlearth offers?

Ken.

cobham wrote: »

I have google earth as an icon on my desktop so use it as handy but I find it very frustrating that the streetnames are a mixture of Irish and English :mad:
I have the same problem with a satnav.... So I looked about and found Googlemaps and no problem there and it has a streetview option also. So what is the difference between them if any? I just want it as a map to find places, work out route, parking etc nothing fancy which maybe is what googlearth offers?

Google earth= Satellite shots from space.
Google maps= Car driving around with what looks like speakers on top of it taking high res 3d photos. On Google maps you'll notice sometimes things moving.
For example if you were to look at my house from one angle my car is not outside but from another it is. The day they drove past they stopped for the evening just outside. Next morning they started where they left off and the car is there.

Google earth is basically a series of photos taken from space and put together like a jigsaw to make a map.

cobham

Thanks Ken. But both seem to have a 'streetview' feature (same?) and satellite option also. It is just the naming of the roads in Irish that is so frustrating and same on my TomTom sat nav on their maps and also on the list of streetnames thrown up when trying to locate somewhere by typing in the address. Why should google have this preference for Irish placenames in one of their products? Dont they have workforce based here? dont they see how unhelpful it is not to use the predominant language of a place?

Be nice if I could tick a box somewhere to select a language preference so many other options available but this one is so basic surely?

I will dump googlearth and replace with googlemaps.

Ken.

The Irish language name place thing is a big bug bear for people. Nothing you can do about it. And yes they both overlap each other.

CUCINA

Well, I haven't posted on Boards for quite a while and about an hour ago, I thought I had posted my query, then it disappeared somewhere in the ether!

Anyway, here goes again...

My wife has a Kindle reader, and up to recently, I was able to download free books for her (crime/mystery) via Amazon "whispernet". But surprise, surprise, that avenue has now been cut off.

So my question is, does anyone know of another site I can use to access free books?

I am not particularly technically-minded. I had previously asked on the "Tech" forum on Boards, but I got lost in Jargon land.

Any help much appriciated, cheers.

Ken.

My brother uses this site for his girlfriends kindle to get free books. http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Free_Kindle_Books

cml387

CUCINA wrote: »

Well, I haven't posted on Boards for quite a while and about an hour ago, I thought I had posted my query, then it disappeared somewhere in the ether!

Anyway, here goes again...

My wife has a Kindle reader, and up to recently, I was able to download free books for her (crime/mystery) via Amazon "whispernet". But surprise, surprise, that avenue has now been cut off.

So my question is, does anyone know of another site I can use to access free books?

I am not particularly technically-minded. I had previously asked on the "Tech" forum on Boards, but I got lost in Jargon land.

Any help much appriciated, cheers.

Any free books on Amazon would probably be the same ones as are available free on Gutenberg as Ken has mentioned above.
I have even seen Amazon charging a nominal fee (99 cents) for a book that would be available free on Gutenberg.
Free books are still available on Amazon by the way.Click on Kindle books, best sellers, free.

shuffle65

How do you attach photos?

Triboro

When searching for something on Boards, is there any way of refining the search to a particular category instead of having to search entire Boards? Thanks