Spyder

I didn't know that. Our leccy tends to clunk out sometimes at lunch time when we have hot water, cooker etc on. I keep meaning to get the power upped but never seem to get round to it.

[quote user="Quillan"][quote user="Spyder"]Sorted. I also disabled virus checker and firewall but not sure if that is required. [/quote] According MS yes it is. [/quote] Really? Are you saying you switch off Windows firewall and Defender every time you do an update? I thought the whole point of automatic updates was that the software does it without any input from the user.

I'm not sure I get the link you are making between a VPN and the pop-up ads but if, as you say you are using Firefox (the best browser IMO) then try Adblock Plus https://adblockplus.org/en/ and Privacy Badger https://www.eff.org/privacybadger . I use both those and never get ads. For the VPN I use Media Hint https://mediahint.com/ (to watch iPlayer etc). Make sure you block pop-ups in the "options" content tab of Firefox

If you are going to make one Mac it was my idea and I want the Blue Peter badge, OK.

[quote user="AnOther"][quote user="Quillan"]I think your find it says so in the manual.[/quote]If it does it's unnecessary nonsense. I may be wrong here but from my experience with a number of Sky boxes (I currently run 4 and have half a dozen spares) without a card they seem to default to the region in which they were first used and registered. [/quote] I agree, there is no logical reason why the box should be switched off when plugging in the card. My 3 boxes also revert to the region they were registered when the card is removed.

No, sorry, should have been more specific. Why switch off before replacing the card? We have three Sky units in different parts of our house and have swapped cards many times between them in the last two or three years without any ill effects. Just wondered why you advised switching off. Not a trick question just interested.

[quote user="Quillan"]So basically put the card back in (with the unit switched off at the back or unplugged).[/quote] Why?

Wow, really, another to add to my collection!

Bet you could make one of them easily.

Sorted. Anyone that has the same problem download wsusoffline from the above link, let it do it's business and save the iso file. I just used Winmount to make it runable. Run the exe file in the saved iso and it checkes all updates and installs them. No more nasty messages. I also disabled virus checker and firewall but not sure if thet is required. It seems there was a problem with updates 2871690, 2964736 and 3000061, the last one cropped up a couple of times. All those files were black listed and removed from the microsoft updates.

I'm using Windows 8 Pro which was purchased as TechNet ISO and therefore cannot be updated to 8.1 (unless you fork out a considerable sum!), which is probably the problem, as you suggest. KB2919442 was one of the few files installed properly. At the moment I'm trying WSUS Offline Update to create an ISO file of all the updates

Windows 8 as per the title.

How many do you want I've got about 90 of them? As I said I'm not exactly beginner, been at it for a few years but this one seems to have a lot of people searching for answers. Microsoft has several help pages devoted to the problem, none of which are of any help, and the tech forum(s) are full of it. Have a search in Google for "failure configuring windows updates reverting changes" to get an idea of the scale of the problem.

I had an "incident" in the UK when an idiot slammed his brakes on in front of me. Our bumpers kissed at about 5 km/h, no damage whatsoever. Two years later he is claiming whiplash injury. Wish I had had a camera fitted! So thinking of installing one of these seeing as they are so cheap now: http://www.amazon.co.uk/2-7-inch-140-degree-Recorder-Supports-G-sensor/dp/B00MVNEOYC/ref=sr_1_23?ie=UTF8&qid=1416250360&sr=8-23&keywords=car+Cameras#customerReviews Edit - I like the look of that one because it has a pic of my car on its screen

Well I'm not exactly a beginner but this one has got me going! I have tried most of the suggestions on the net without success, even to the point of re-installing windows 8 (works for the first 10 updates then failed). Might give Microsnot a ring and see if they can help.

I have had problems installing updates from Microsoft. The updates download OK but will not install and the 'puter hangs for ages "reverting". Anyone else had this problem? Masses of stuff on Google about it but I have been unable to resolve and tried everything I can think of.

[quote user="nomoss"]Thank you Spyder and AnOther.Incidentally, the *610* setting now has to be made in the number of rings rather than in seconds..................[/quote] Thank goodness for that, took me ages to get the number of rings right. What idiot thought up the idea of doing it in seconds I wonder?

If it's the same as mine these are the instructions:  To deactivate the voicemail service, dial 3 1 0 3, select option 2 “Customise your message”, then option 4 “Voicemail settings”, and option 2 “Deactivate the voicemail service”. To reactivate the voicemail service, dial 3 1 0 3. After the message “Voicemail is not set up to receive any more calls from your callers”, press the button #. The service is reactivated. To set the time before voicemail answers your calls, pick up the   phone and dial * 6 1 0 *, followed by two numbers representing the required time in seconds, and then #. For example, enter 3 0 # if you want to wait 30 seconds (equal to around six rings) before the call is forwarded to your voicemail Edit: obviously the above will be in French but it should give you the idea.

I have always had Canon printers that take the five or six cartridges because the copy ink is so good and so cheap. I was seduced by the price of an Epson and regretted it as soon as I printed the first page! Noisy and expensive to run and it would not take any paper over about 120gm. I have recently binned it and bought a Canon WiFi Pixma MG6450 as I also wanted to print via WiFi (phone & iPad). What a difference, superb quality and cheap cartridges from Amazon or where PaulT recommends. You can buy one here http://www.clubic.com/shopping-814904-3-canon-pixma-mg6450-noir.html but I got mine from Géant on special offer.

What sort of price are you looking at for the panels? Have you got a link to where you are going to buy them? I was under the impression they were still pretty expensive.

For those not receiving their CSPension on time: Moneybox on Radio 4 had a piece (short but sweet) on the problems we are having. You can listen here - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04n23wg It's short and starts at 21.50 minutes into the programme but at least a mention.

I've just been looking at our buildings/content insurance which has gone up to 840€ this year so if yours is for building + content then it's cheap as far as I'm concerned. You say it includes outbuildings so I assume it's for buildings + content. Sorry can't help with the wording but surely sums insured should be written into your contract?

[quote user="BIG MAC"]I would bypass the cylinder for the oil system and just use an electric ballon on heures creuse We get enough hot water for a family of 7 from ours ...showers rather than baths though. save the oil for space heat and super insulate.[/quote] Yes we have fitted an isolator tap and just assumed using electric water heating on HC was cheaper than using oil but had not experimented. I think we would probably have to do records of a whole winter season to get any meaningful result. I agree with the "super insulate" and have done that.

We have oil fired central heating. The boiler has a built in hot water tank to supply the needs of the house. We also have the usual electric water heater. In the summer we use the electric water heating as we shut the central heating down completely. What I am wondering now is should I continue to use the electric water heating even though the CH is on. In other words which method is cheapest bearing in mind the oil boiler heats up a tank of water even though we obviously don't use it if we plump for electric. Reading AnOthers recent post re cost of electric water heating it may well beat the cost of oil. The other thing is related. At night we turn the thermostat right down but the CH still fires up to keep the tank of water at 60C. Does anyone know if it would be cheaper to turn off the power to the CH boiler then turn it back on in the morning? That would mean the tank of water would have to be reheated again but it may be cheaper than having the boiler fire up a couple of times during the night. Informed comments would be appreciated

http://www.experienceproject.com/stories/Am-A-Quote-Junkie/1702687 I prefer "The only exercise I take is walking behind the coffins of friends who took exercise." Peter Barnes playwright - and I thought he was a footballer!