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So, June 10 or so I bought Acronis True Image with the intent of creating a full backup of my system before M$ decides to force Windows 10 down my gullet without permission. To no avail I tried repeatedly to make it work, and despite the excellent assistance from their tech support staff, nothing we did would generate a backup that would run 100% to completion. I kid you not, these guys actually spend many hours poking around my system, making and unmaking settings changes to try to make the product work. They definitely earn their paycheck, if one counts hours spent and not results accomplished.
In desperation, I bought a new SSD and installed it, then tried the Acronis tool to clone my HDD on the SSD - no joy. So I removed the HDD and did a fresh install of Windows 7 Pro on the SSD. That was July 2, and I've spent all that time trying to get Windows 10 to install. I finally got the upgrade to install by running it from a DVD burned from an iso download, with a working system about 3 PM today. That, despite having Microsoft tech support inside my machine poking around and checking stuff. None of what they tried solved the problem, so I plowed ahead with the DVD I made as a last resort. Tech Support lied to me, though, when I asked if the Mail program could import Outlook data from another drive. Nope - it can't be done. So all of my emails and contacts are gone forever. I hoped that Gmail would let me import the contacts, at least, but I can find no way to do so.
Happily, a friend had a copy of Office with 3 licenses, and only using one, so she let me install a copy and use one of her licenses. That gave me the ability to import from the old .pst file on the old drive, and I have most of my emails and all of my contact info restored. I noticed in the imported data, though, that a lot of contacts have been disappeared, and I'm wondering if they might be stashed somewhere in the old Archive.pst file? Does anyone know?
I'm guessing it will take me several weeks to re-install some of the apps I've lost in the process, and many will never be recovered, since I don't have the license keys available - I'm a lousy file clerk. Oh well, at least my system isn't totally crippled. Thanks a bunch, Microsoft, for your usual performance and quality.
On the bright side, I now have a 750 GB SSD to boot from - very quick - and 2x 2TB plus 1x 1.5TB HDDs to use for other things. I haven't yet tried to start up the USB external drives. Who knows what joys tomorrow may bring?
Will Rogers never met me.
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Stuff Mail - it's a pile of rubbish.
Install Live Mail from the Windows Essentials pack[^] - it can import messages from Outlook (and it works a damn site better than Mail does).
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
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I've got no interest in anything "Live" from Microsoft. I'm quite sure that they manage their Cloud activities as competently as they do product development.
Will Rogers never met me.
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I know what you mean!
But in practice it's not even slightly cloud based - it's really the older Outlook Express tarted up to look "new-for-2012" and removed from Windows so you have to use Mail.
It's damn good.
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
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Thanks for the info, Griff. I'll look at it, though I do have things running rather well with the Outlook 2010 version I borrowed. I'm seriously thinking of moving to a Linux-based system, though, just to cut the cord with Microsoft. They've been a huge disappointment since Windows 95, in terms of quality and support. Maybe it's just time to go another way...
Will Rogers never met me.
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Microsoft helps pay for my mortgage, 2 cars, etc. They have been doing this for me for over 15 years now, I think. So, although I can relate to an extent, with your frustration for Microsoft, I can't kick them to the curb so easily.
Edit: I don't work for Microsoft, but I make a living with their stack.
modified 8-Jul-16 9:17am.
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I have been making a living using Microsoft stack for over 20 years, but that doesn't mean I have to waste my time dealing with their crap at home. I have been using Linux at home since 2006 and smile every time I install updates and it doesn't take more than 3 minutes and doesn't require a reboot and it updates ALL my software, not just the software from one company.
I let the company I work for pay for the time MS software wastes and enjoy my own time.
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I don't seem to have as many issues with Microsoft products as others seem to have. I have problems and frustrations, just not as much as others. Not enough for me to invest the time/$ to go elsewhere, even for personal use.
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Hi Roger,
My empathies for the "software hell" you are traveling through.
Based on OriginalGriff's recommendation, I started using the free AOMEI backup/restore, and upgraded to the paid version when it was on special. Works flawlessly. However, I have yet to tackle the upgrade to the ten-beast.
cheers, Bill
«There is a spectrum, from "clearly desirable behaviour," to "possibly dodgy behavior that still makes some sense," to "clearly undesirable behavior." We try to make the latter into warnings or, better, errors. But stuff that is in the middle category you don’t want to restrict unless there is a clear way to work around it.» Eric Lippert, May 14, 2008
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I bought the full version recommended by Griff, as I think it is an excellent tool. When the CD arrives, I'll use it to transfer whatever files I can recover, but I fear that a decade of purchased and free software is now lost. Oddly enough, I still have the disks to install VC++ 1.6, as I throw away nothing. But I'll miss AutoCAD and ESRI ARCInfo, both of which cost more than my net worth. Maybe I can get by with Turbo Pascal 5.5, since I still have the original floppy disks. 
Will Rogers never met me.
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You know you are not forced to use Windows 10. I still have a box with Windows 7 on it.
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Hi Roger,
I think Scott Hanselman may have had you in mind when he wrote this recent blog post: [^].
consolations, Bill
«There is a spectrum, from "clearly desirable behaviour," to "possibly dodgy behavior that still makes some sense," to "clearly undesirable behavior." We try to make the latter into warnings or, better, errors. But stuff that is in the middle category you don’t want to restrict unless there is a clear way to work around it.» Eric Lippert, May 14, 2008
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If you can get your contacts exported into CSV format, you can import that into your Google contacts. I did so (somewhat) recently when I switched ROMs on my phone. You have to switch to the old contacts layout (the feature is absent in the new one,) and you'll have to fiddle with the column names (they aren't super intuitive, and do not match what they use for export...) but, with a little time and patience it is workable.
If you're interested and can't figure it out, ask, and I'll see if I can find where I went to do it again; memory is a bit rusty on it at the moment.
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Thank you, Kyle. I'll check it out, and if I need help, I'll be in touch! 
Will Rogers never met me.
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I just got an e-mail from a moron and/or recruiter - Oracle Developer - £0.00 pa
Salaries are just way too high these days 
veni bibi saltavi
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I thought being a moron was an essential skill of being a successful recruiter.
Every day, thousands of innocent plants are killed by vegetarians.
Help end the violence EAT BACON
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Maybe they've just familiar with your previous work? 
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He looking for someone who loves developing and does it not for the money. 
Wise strategy...
Press F1 for help or google it.
Greetings from Germany
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I got an email from a recruiter that said I was a perfect fit for, and I kid you not, a Dentist Receptionist.
Even with random word matches on my CV I still can't figure out how I got on the distribution list!
"Benjamin is nobody's friend. If Benjamin were an ice cream flavor, he'd be pralines and dick." ~ Garth Algar
"If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur." ~ Paul Neal "Red" Adair
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Bloody idiots, any fewl knos it is Dental Receptionist
veni bibi saltavi
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Picky picky picky!
"Benjamin is nobody's friend. If Benjamin were an ice cream flavor, he'd be pralines and dick." ~ Garth Algar
"If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur." ~ Paul Neal "Red" Adair
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Well using computers to search for patient records / coding complex solutions to store and find said patient records. It's all the same right?
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I got phoned by an agency that specialised in technical positions. The job she wanted me for was a Motor Mechanic. I told her I didn't know anything about cars. She said but your CV says you're an Engineer but you don't know anything about Engines? She then scoffed at me.
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Baahaaa!
"Benjamin is nobody's friend. If Benjamin were an ice cream flavor, he'd be pralines and dick." ~ Garth Algar
"If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur." ~ Paul Neal "Red" Adair
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