Off Topic - Question for ye olde computer geeks

Andr�s · #1 July 29th, 2002, 11:49 PM

The scroll locks works in ms Excel

Suicide Junkie · #2 July 30th, 2002, 12:11 AM

Quote:

why I just can't simply Shut my computer off by using the power button whenever I want too.

Hold the button for about 5 seconds, and it will turn off.

DirectorTsaarx · #3 July 30th, 2002, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Suicide Junkie:

quote:
why I just can't simply Shut my computer off by using the power button whenever I want too.

Hold the button for about 5 seconds, and it will turn off.

Of course, if you do that, Windows will complain that it wasn't properly shut down and will want to do a disk check the next time you power up. And any program you had open when you powered off is at risk for having some important initialization file get completely trashed in the process. Assuming that simply powering off the computer & powering it back on doesn't destroy the Windows Registry, of course...

In all fairness, Solaris/Unix/Linux don't react well to sudden losses of power (or forced reboots) either. Makes me long for the days of the old TRS-80, where you just had to be careful not to have a floppy disk in the drive at startup or risk losing the floppy; or the Apple II; or any computer running DOS...

capnq · #4 July 30th, 2002, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Makes me long for the days of the old TRS-80...; or the Apple II; or any computer running DOS...

Or an Amiga!

I still occasionally play old games on my not-dead-yet Amiga 500.

Baron Grazic · #5 July 31st, 2002, 06:36 AM

Some BIOS's allow you to change it so that when you hit the "power button" it does shut down Windows correctly.

Help support a starving Computer Techo and play with the BIOS today. :-)

Amiga 500 - now those were the days. Anyone remember a game called 'Fate Gates of Dawn' or something similar. Always loved that RPG, but never found any mention on the web about it.

-Edit-
Oops - Just did another search and found a few references to "Fate Gates of Dawn". Now if only I can find it available for the PC.

[ July 31, 2002, 05:41: Message edited by: Baron Grazic ]

dogscoff · #6 July 31st, 2002, 02:14 PM

Baron G: Ah, yes... the Amiga. You should be able to download an Amiga emulator without too much trouble - Amiga forever I tihnk it's called. Pretty sure it's freeware, but I could be wrong.

Alternatively, you could buy my 9-bay tower-mounted A1200. One of these days I'm gonna have to get rid of it=-(

Gryphin · #7 August 1st, 2002, 12:22 AM

Atrocities,
In terms of, "why" you can't turn the system off by just pushing the power button:
I believe it was built into the ATX standard to save people from themselves. Many a system was accidentaly turned off by a careless knees or hand. The default is 10 seconds.
I could be wrong about the ATX standard part thought that is the first I remember seeing it.
Now, if they could buid an auto correct feature into the keyboard, that would be nice.