Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with win

Getting new Win 7 Laptop this weekend for Home Theatre PC setup. Advice?

jcmilton — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:46:07 -0800

Best setup for a Win 7 laptop as HTPC? Currently we have a simple setup of an HDTV and a DVD player. No cable or antennae and frankly we're not interested in getting (and paying for) cable. But we do like watching Hulu/Netflix on the computer and since Win7 is coming out this week I thought we'd get a laptop with HTMI output so we can watch stuff on the "big screen."

Any suggestions for setting up a laptop to maximize our enjoyment and ease-of-use for using a Win7 laptop as a HTPC? I've heard that the Win7 Media Center is pretty good, but I've never used any version of Windows Media Center so I don't know what's possible.

Also, if you have suggestions for specific makes/models that would be great. Budget is around $700. But please no suggestions for a Netbook. For other reasons I need a 17+ inch screen laptop.

What’s “Peanut Butter Cups” in French?

hydrophonic — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 08:00:52 -0800

How would I write “Peanut Butter Cups” in French? Help me win the Bake Off at work! It’s the candy bar challenge, where the challenge is to use candy as an ingredient or inspiration. I made my own version of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups last night, using ganache. I want to prepare my title card in French. I figure a little marketing can’t hurt.

Why don't the fastest times win?

bluefly — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 13:15:10 -0800

Why don't competitors in marathons start the race all in one pack? Why are there different start times for elite runners? Why don't they decide the winner just on time alone? So, I was reading about the Nike Women's marathon and the Chicago marathon last year where the people who ran the fastest times didn't technically win because they weren't in the elite pack (I think they were given some sort of consolation prize/designation). The argument being that they were running essentially a different race since they didn't start with the leaders who couldn't judge how far ahead/behind they were and adjust their strategies accordingly. I get this. But why have two different start times anyway?

Like the Nerd crossed with Charlie Brooker.

By The Grace of God — Sat, 10 May 2008 14:59:09 -0800

What's the name of that guy who does videos of game reviews; whose visuals are made entirely of stick cartoons, and who is hilariously funny? He has done a series of these, and generally pans the shit out of everything, like the Angry Video Game Nerd but slightly funnier and snarkier. I think but am not sure that he is from the UK.

My other half has suggested that he has never seen these, but I clearly recall him dying in a fit of mirth when he saw one once..

Security of Remote Desktop

canoehead — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 13:35:22 -0800

Am I secure from hacking if I open the router port for remote desktop to our win 2003 server? I will have a good password and limit logon attempts.

Windows 2000 goes into CMOS/BIOS set up at start

vers — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 08:22:51 -0800

One of my PCs running Windows 2000 Professional has been a stable workhorse for several years. However, beginning a few days ago, it has not been booting properly - it heads to the CMOS/BIOS set up menu after the memory test rather than log in. It's not making any BIOS error beeps - only the one happy successful POST beep. No recent hardware or peripheral changes; the only software added in the last week was Kapersky's online virus scan (which I have since removed). Oddly, the only thing that gets me into the normal boot and log in is doing a Ctrl+Alt+Del just before drive detection. I have Googled and searched on Microsoft over the past few days and have not found any useful information, and I honestly don't have a clue whether this is an OS, hardware or other problem. Perhaps a kind soul here can hope me?

Win XP started changing background and screen saver

KRS — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 10:29:45 -0800

I prefer no background, and my wife wants a panda-movie screensaver. After the latest set of patches, Win XP (SP-2) suddenly started changing them, putting a new random one up on each reboot. I've repeatedly gone into Control Panel | Display and reset them, being careful to click Apply each time, but they don't stick. I assume it takes a registry hack. Can anyone help?

You win You lose

gearspring — Sun, 30 Apr 2006 09:36:06 -0800

Do contest winners lose money because of taxes? If I enter a contest and win $100,000 in non refundable travel will I end up having to pay the taxes (US) from my savings? Can I refuse the prize and save my money? I didn't win anything, but reading the contest rules started scaring me away from even playing. What do people with no savings do in that situation? This whole system just seems wrong.

What added a command to MS Office?

blue_wardrobe — Fri, 21 Oct 2005 13:00:14 -0800

Suddenly, "Sign out of Microsoft Passport network" has appeared in the file menu of all my Microsoft Office 2003 applications. At least, I don't remember it from before. When did it appear, and what put it there? If I click it, it logs me out of Microsoft Passport (natch), and then isn't on the menu anymore. Interestingly, it doesn't log me out of MSN Messenger. I don't remember this function being there before, and I pretty much have a photographic memory for software menus, etc. Hmmm.

how do wifi and docking stations work?

alball — Tue, 19 Apr 2005 08:48:37 -0800

Is my laptop (win xp) using the wifi or ethernet cable connection when I plug it back into the docking station after having worked wirelessly? Is it smart enough to use the fastest connection? Should I disable the wireless connection when working in the dock?

Win Fabulous Prizes!

ontic — Fri, 17 Dec 2004 18:59:15 -0800

Has anyone here ever won either the grand prize or a major prize from one of those "instant win" games on cereal boxes, candy bars, fast food promotions, or soda cans? Has anyone ever known someone who has won or known someone who knows someone? [More inside] I'm interested mostly in the big prizes, notably cars, trips, or more than $1,000US in cash, not free Big Macs or cans of soda. Of course, the deeper question is whether these prizes really do go out to real people.

For every contest, there used to be a list of winners one could send away for. Has anyone here ever sent away for it or know any write up about someone who did and tracked the people down?

I need an Australian wine glass vendor who carries this model and will ship to Brisbane

ashbury — Tue, 07 Dec 2004 10:20:38 -0800

Australia shopping filter: I'm looking for wine glasses that look like these for a friend who lives in Australia. They are an Xmas gift, so I would like to find an Australian vendor who would ship it to Brisbane. My google-fu and yahoo-fu are failing me. Anybody have any ideas?

Is there a way for the computer/a program to search for multiple duplicate files on a computer?

agregoli — Thu, 22 Jul 2004 19:50:36 -0800

Is there a way for the computer/a program to search for multiple duplicate files on a computer?

I also remember a program that used a pie chart to show you what is taking up the most space on the computer? What files and folders?

Help!