Lenovo, in my opinion, makes one of the best computers out there right now. If you are looking for a computer, at the basic level of computing (check email, internet surfing,YouTube, Facebook, office suite, etc.), then you will not go wrong with the Lenovo C260 19.5-Inch All-in-One Desktop. This computer is currently a #1 Best Seller at Amazon and is currently carrying good customer reviews.
Features:
19.5” HD+ display (1600 x 900)
Space-saving all-in-one design
Front-facing stereo speakers
Integrated DVD RW
USB AccuType keyboard
720p HD webcam
Windows 8.1 with Bing
Lenovo Rescue System – a simple and quick way to backup and restore your data
Lenovo Assistant
Space-saving Design
The 19.5″ display takes surprisingly little space on your desk, counter, or entertainment center. The unit itself is less than 2” deep, with clutter-free cable management. Everything tucks away neatly when nobody’s using the C260, even though those times will probably be rare.
Full Multimedia Experience
Integrated graphics support, an integrated DVD reader/writer, stereo speakers, and HDMI output offer crisp visuals and immersive sound for a fuller, more satisfying home entertainment experience.
AccuType Wireless Keyboard
Featuring a modern look and feel, the acclaimed AccuType keyboard has island-style, ergonomic keys that allow a more fluid, spacious, comfortable, and accurate typing experience than standard keyboard designs.
USB 3.0 SuperSpeed
Up to 10 times faster than previous USB technologies, the USB 3.0 SuperSpeed enables you to move data quickly between your PC and other devices.
Ample Storage and Memory
With 500GB of HDD storage, you won’t have to worry about where to put all your data, videos, music, or photos.
I happened, by chance, to come across this Windows 8.1 Quick Reference Cardby Custom Guide Interactive (that your can download or print) that is buried at the University of Incarnate Word (whatever that is).
This “must have” guide will be of great assistance to you in navigating and learning about Windows 8.1… The card actually consists of 2 pages of Windows 8.1 training tips. Get it before it disappears!
I recently purchased a new Windows 8 Box (see this article) and decided I wanted to make a bootable cloned drive. Being old school I went to work using the cloning software I had on hand and I immediately noticed something different in the drive partitions. The free software I was using was not getting the job done; and the drive, after the cloning process, did not boot. My tech instinct told me I was missing out on something and went to work researching terms I was seeing, such as GPT and UEFI.
I had been out of the field for nearly 7 years, have kept up with things (more as a hobby), but was not real familiar with the new GPT and UEFI terms that I was seeing. I had heard of the terms, but really did not pay any attention to them. Besides I always was a more of a software guy than a hardware guy (so it really did not hit high on my priority list, until now).
I soon discovered that all Windows 8 machines nowadays support the new GPT and UEFI ; AND, that it is real important to know what GPT and UEFI are when you get into the hardware side of a Windows 8 based computer.
In real simple terms GPT is the new replacement for MBR – Master Boot Record and UEFI is the new replacement for the BIOS – Basic Input/Output System.
To define GPT and UEFI in more complex terms (and to get a full understanding), I went to Wikipedia for a definition and found two really good articles that will bring this all together.
GUID Partition Table (GPT) is a standard for the layout of the partition table on a physical hard disk, using globally unique identifiers (GUID). Although it forms a part of the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) standard (Unified EFI Forum proposed replacement for the PC BIOS)… source: wikipedia:GUID Partition Table
If you read this article “UEFI boot: how does that actually work, then?” you will see where the author adamantly is telling us UEFI and BIOS are two completely different beasts. This article in my opinion really nails down all of this stuff to the point where I found a lot of what I had been reading was off base due to people using the terminology incorrectly.
You do not have a ‘UEFI BIOS’. No-one has a ‘UEFI BIOS’. Please don’t ever say ‘UEFI BIOS’. BIOS is not a generic term for all PC firmware, it is a particular type of PC firmware. Your computer has a firmware. If it’s an IBM PC compatible computer, it’s almost certainly either a BIOS or a UEFI firmware… source: AdamW on Linux and more
Getting back to my original problem of cloning my Windows 8 hard drive, I now knew I needed to find cloning software that supported GPT and UEFI. This is where I found Macrium Reflect (FREE Edition), which supported the cloning process for GPT and UEFI based systems. Macrium Reflect is a free disaster recovery solution for your home computer that primarily specializes in making drive images.
Also, during my research, I came across this instructional video “How to Clone Windows 8” , where the person in the video will clearly walk you through the cloning process using the FREE Edition of Macrium Reflect…
When it comes to cloning Windows 8 or 8.1 you need to use the right software for the job, whats even better you don’t have to pay. Here is a free option that lets you clone Windows 8 or 8.1 with ease. The program is called Macruim Reflect, it supports the new GPT and UEFI BIOS that all windows 8 machines come with now days.
In the end, once I educated myself about GPT and UEFI, had the right software, and watched how to do it; I walked away with a successfully cloned (and bootable) hard drive. Due to my real life experience working through this, I decided to help others out in the event they start pulling their hair out, like I did…
To demonstrate my recent frustrations with Windows 8 (8.1) in setting up a new PC, I went on the hunt for a wallpaper background that shows how I feel right now about Windows in general. All in all, I finally got my PC setup the way I wanted, but I did experience a hurdle or two that pushed me over the edge.
To get this wallpaper (which I added to my collection), click on the image below (or CLICK HERE). You will be taken to the site where the wallpaper is located. Right click on the image to save it to your computer.
I cannot stress enough, from a computer security standpoint, the importance of the Windows Updates. Microsoft goes to great lengths to keep our PC’s safe; HOWEVER, this past week I had an experience on a brand new PC that I had customized to my liking where I believe a Windows Update caused me a lot of grief. I experienced similar symptoms, as reported at 404 Tech Support, where they made determination that a specific update on machines with the Avast Anti-Virus installed caused the following symptoms to occur:
Restarting or shutting down would never complete
Uninstalling a program would hang
Certain startup programs would never launch
Opening computer properties (Right-click on This PC, select Properties) would never open
In my case, I experienced the exact same symptoms; HOWEVER, was not the same cause(s). I did not (initially) install the update as indicated in the 404 Tech Support article and do not have Avast installed. My problem started out when I booted my Windows 81. box and was greeted with a message indicating that Windows was installing new features and telling me to wait. Of course I am scratching my head going, “What new features??? I didn’t install or ask for any new features”. Needless to say, the computer hung on that screen (and message) and did not move forward. I ended up booting into the Windows reset, refresh and restore options. I attempted a restore and that did not work properly, as well. I performed a reboot again, and the PC did start to the desktop; however, that is when I experienced the symptoms as reflected above. After a second start of the computer, the computer started to run properly (for whatever reason). I immediately ran a scan for malware and checked all areas (startup, processes, services, etc…) to make sure I was not hit with something.
The only thing that I could come up with was when I went to do the Windows restore, the restore point was showing that Windows updates KB2920189 and KB3011780 had been installed. Update KB3011780 was showing in the Windows Updates history that it had been cancelled at one point, but also showed on the same date it did install successfully. It is my thinking that this update may have caused the issues I was experiencing.
After getting things back in order and the computer running properly. I manually downloaded the update as reflected in the article 404 Tech Support had problems with (which showed as an optional update on my PC) and the update installed with no issue on my PC. Note: By the way, that optional update (KB8000850) is a large core Windows update.
Needless to say, after reading the article at 404 Tech Support and my own experience with a potential Windows Update that went wild, I now have my computer configured to “Check for updates but let me choose whether to download or install them…”.
I do not recommend this setting, but from a troubleshooting standpoint, I am going this route for now. There have been too many Windows 8 (8.1) updates that have caused problems and this will put me in control to monitor the updates more closely and to educate myself more about Windows Updates.
If anyone else experienced a Windows Update issue, please feel free to share your experience and comment below…
You may have noticed here on the blog I do not write too much about Windows 8 Apps. In my opinion the Windows App Store selection is nothing compared to the Google or Apple platforms; however, there is on occasion I will find a Windows App that will impress me as being useful. One of those apps being CPlus for Craigslist.
If you are a Craigslist junky I believe you will like this app. It will definitely making searching Craigslist, across multiple locations, easier than visiting the Craigslist site itself. I typically use this app to look for things on Craigslist; not to post anything. Therefore the posting component, that is built into this app I cannot vouch for
Add multiple cities and switch the search results easily with a single click.
Save searches and favorite listings
Save your search with the filter setting and favorite listings. They will be displayed on the main page.
Map view
Show all the postings on the map – especially useful when you are looking for apartments or houses.
In-app Posting
Post your ads inside our app and you may add multiple Craigslist accounts. (This feature is for Windows 8 Pro version only. The free version can post up to 10 times)
Account Management
Manage your Craigslist account. Edit or repost your existing posts. Show your previous posts.
If you are a Windows 8 user, teach yourself to to use the Quick Access Menu (also known as the “Win + X menu” where you hold down the “Windows Key” on the keyboard and hit the “X” key on the keyboard).
To get to the Quick Access menu using the mouse, right mouse-click the “Start Button” at the bottom-left corner of any screen (including the Start screen or the Desktop) and the menu will pop up. If you don’t see the “Start Button”, move your mouse to the lower-left corner, and the “Start Button” will appear.
The reason you should train yourself to use this menu is that this menu was designed by Microsoft to give you a specific (hidden) location to quickly access the most commonly used and advanced options on your computer, no matter what screen you are working from (for example: you can do things like shut down and sign out, get to Control Panel, Task Manager, File Explorer, or open a Command Prompt window).
Few people know about this menu; and, the few that do know this menu is there, forget to use it. In a nutshell the “Quick Access Menu” gets you to the nuts and bolts of the Windows 8 operating system.
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