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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Ask Arlee: Can You Help With a Computer Problem?

Logo used from the start of the Chrome project...
Logo used from the start of the Chrome project until March 2011 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
        For my first official entry of my Ask Arlee series (this title seemed to get a good reaction so I'll stick with it), I'm going to field a question from our poetess/blogger friend Yvonne Lewis from Poetry From the Heart.   In fact Yvonne's questions will warrant a two part answer.   Next week I'll continue with some things that are making me as insecure as Yvonne is about Google Chrome.  This week I'll address some more general possible solutions to computer problems.

       After a couple of poetic laments on her blog about some of her recent problems with Chrome and the internet in general, Yvonne came to me with the following e-mails:

Hi Lee, I read Jacks blog post and joined as a follower, plus left a message to you.   I logged off last night and all was well.today, however your blog for the ambassadors has gone plus a few posts I put on.  I have been told it is Chrome by various pc repairmen I have had look at my pc.  IE doesn't take blogger anymore so can't change to that search engine.  All was well until Google changed over earlier. I hope to have things up and running for A to Z as I have it already done. Enjoy your week-end. Yvonne.
Hi Lee after a horrendous weekend with chrome I was about to call it a day,they kept putting a warning sign stating my profile could not be opened and I would lose some things on my blog, however I decided to look again today and all seems ok except for 2 things. One I lost all my followers, Sorry for trouble caused. Take care. Yvonne.


My Reply To Yvonne's Concerns:

         First of all, Yvonne, no trouble.  Glad to be of help.  And you are helping me provide content for my blog.   By the way, I got Yvonne's permission to use her questions for this and next week's posts.

        Interesting that you should be having these problems with your PC and Chrome. I have been having very similar issues. I have not only spent hours in the past couple of weeks trying to fix them, but this past Monday and Tuesday I was nearly totally down both those days.

         Computer problems can be very frustrating for those who are not equipped with the proper knowledge of how to fix them.   That probably includes a good many of us.   If we're not trained to do computer stuff, it can be scary to try to start delving into our computers.   

           Paying someone to fix problems can be very expensive and even that doesn't always solve the problem.   You can shell out a big hourly fee if you can afford to and that's often the least time-consuming remedy.   My late step-father poured hundreds into his computers and often ended up with the same problems or new ones.   More than once his solution was to just buy a new computer, which solved the old problems until new ones came up for the replacement machine.   It was frustrating for him I know, but living a couple thousand miles away I wasn't much help to him.  Not that I would have been that much help had I been there.

          In lieu of paying someone to fix our problems, it's always nice if we can find a friend or family member to help.   Then, if we don't have that option, it's up to us to fix the problem.  That can be scary and may not always provide the fix we need, but before throwing money to the wind we may want to at least do some of our own research and try a few things.             

          I haven't been using Internet Explorer for blogging lately, but I think you may just have an issue with settings. When I  just looked to see my blog on IE , everything looked normal and so did some other blogs I checked.   On yours only the background of your blog comes up.   You must have something set wrong somewhere, but I'm not sure what it is.  Maybe a reader has a suggestion.

          I know it can be very intimidating to attempt to make these fixes yourself, but I'm finding that a lot of it is pretty easy to do once you've figured out how to do it. I for one can't afford to be taking my computer to get repaired when something happens so I go the do it yourself route as much as I can.  And I'm not talking about grabbing the tool box and dismantling the machine.  Just stuff you can do by carefully searching and clicking.

Here are some ideas that you might want to try to become better educated on the computer:

  • Check Google or other search engines to find answers to your problems. Enter what your problem might be such as "Computer running slow" or "My blog has disappeared" or whatever your problem may be. You might also try wording the problem such as "I can't find my blog in Internet Explorer" or "Blog doesn't look right on Chrome". You'll probably find some answers to nearly everything you put in. You will want to look at a few solutions since some just want you to buy something or download something you may not want, but the answers are usually found there. Time consuming? You bet! Complicated? Sometimes.   Useful? Eventually almost always.
  • Buy a good basic book on computing like PC for Dummies or something of that nature. You'll find some excellent topics covered for the basic user. Make sure you get the most recent editions. Time, patience, and thoughtfulness may be necessary.
  • See if there is a senior center near you that offers this type of assistance at no charge. Near me there is a senior center that has classes that are free for those over 50 and has computers for the use of patrons and provides knowledgeable persons to assist when help is needed. They might be able to offer advice.
  • For those under 50, classes may be offered at the local high school, community college, or elsewhere for free or a nominal charge.  There are frequently classes offered for basic computer skills including maintenance and simple repair.   
  • In your area there might be a computer club that will allow you to connect with more experienced users who are willing to help.  You might find someone who can help, learn a few things for yourself, and even make a few new friends.
  • YouTube, Google, and many other online resources offer some great video tutorials on how to do things. 
  • If your computer is still covered by a warranty, or if you have some kind of coverage on your computer or any auxiliary equipment or software, or you think you have an internet service provider problem; contact a phone support line affiliated with whatever you suspect could be the culprit.  Be prepared to spend a couple of hours on the phone while they walk you through various procedures.  I've done this more than once and it can be very helpful in locating the source of a problem and showing you how to repair it.

      These are a few suggestions that I can offer now and there are many more if you look around.  The bottom line is that it takes time, effort, and the will to do it in order to learn computer skills.  You don't have to become an expert, but just attain enough knowledge to update, maintain, and do the minor fixes required to keep your computer running well. 

      Beyond that be prepared to pay someone else.   I hope you find someone you can trust if that's the option you choose.

    Good luck and let me know how it turns out or if you have any other questions.  Next week I'll address the issues of Google Chrome as my entry in
Alex J Cavanaugh's Insecure Writers Support Group.  Yvonne is not the only one feeling a bit frustrated about Chrome.

     Do you have any suggestions about dealing with computer problems?  Do you know any fixes to the computer problems Yvonne might be having?    If you use Chrome, have you been having problems lately?  




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39 comments:

  1. That's actually quite some good advice Lee, I definitely think that Yvonne can benefit from this, good job with the first part of this series.

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  2. OveraLL I have been pleased with my move from being PC oriented to living on an iPad. During that time I jumped from the original iPad to the model with the higher resolution and it is much nicer to read things. I stiLL use a PC for spreadsheets and artwork, but if I got a mouse I might start doing some artwork on the iPad. I also got an iPhone recently and so between the two of them, I feel blessed. I only had one major problem where my Notes stopped working, but refreshing the iPad back to factory default empty then restoring from the iCloud worked weLL.

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  3. And dump the Chrome!!! I suggested she try Firefox, which is what I use - never had an issue with my blog since the switch.
    Good tips for educating herself on how to troublshoot and work on the computer herself. I wish I was there, as I know how to work on computers and could help her.

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  4. Thanks Lee for highlighting my trials and tribulations about Google Chrome.
    I have been blogging since 2006/2007 and never experienced such frustration.I deleted my blog on Monday emailed a good friend who advised me "Not to give up", I proceeded to undelete the blog only to find it completely empty. All poems gone, all photo's gone, and of course all 53 followers. You informed me last night when you tried to follow my new blog a notice came up saying you were BLOCKED from my blog. I have NEVER BLOCKED anyone.As for IE I have checked settings and all seems to be ok.I will go out and by a book as I live alone and have no-one to help unless Keith my brother happens to visit.
    Thanks Lee , much appreciated.
    Yvonne.

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  5. Dealing with computers is always challenging, at least for me. I use Chrome too but I have not had any problem so far, except maybe that sometimes my comments do not appear and I have to post them twice.

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  6. Hi Lee and Yvonne .. I use Chrome - though I see Alex advises against it - and don't seem to have a problem. Also it seems you have good advice here ... the book I personally would find difficult to work through ...

    Yvonne - have you tried the WRVS or Old Age Concern .. they often have computer troubleshooting places - it's a thought ...

    Cheers Hilary

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  7. This is interesting. I've used Chrome for a couple years, been blogging (on Blogger) for about 2 1/2, and never had any problems at all. I know some people have things against Google in general, but I for one love how streamlined everything is and how my blog, email (one of two emails, anyway) and web browser are all connected. I've been very impressed with Chrome's performance and ease of use. I'll keep my eyes out for any problems, however. At my college all the public computers use Chrome, and I've never experienced a problem there (except difficulty signing out if I log into Chrome itself, not Blogger or my email).

    (I might add--I have a VERY old computer, 6+ years, and although I've had problems with my computer itself, Chrome has always worked fine!)

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  8. I agee, dump Chrome. More users, that I know, have trouble with it than don't.

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  9. I have trouble with Chrome each time I boot up. Once up and running, then it's OK. Great advice.

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  10. I am going to second the suggestion made by Alex Cavanaugh. I had plenty o' problems when I was using Google Chrome-- *Snap!*

    But when I'd finally had it up to HERE(!), and switched to Mozilla Firefox, all of my problems went away.

    ~ D-FensDogg
    'Loyal American Underground'

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  11. I stopped using Firefox years ago when it started slowing my system down. I've been using Chrome ever since with no issues (yet!).

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  12. Yeamie --Personally I wish I could just hire a full time tech support department to deal with my computer. It's too time consuming to mess with it.

    esb -- My 83 year old mother got an I-pad for Christmas and she loves it. she never was able to understand the PC, but she's catching on to her I-pad. She can also use it while sitting on the couch watching TV--a big plus for her.

    Alex -- I wish you were here to help me with my computer. There is so much conflicting info out there. When I first installed Chrome on my system it seemed like I had a supercomputer it was so fast. Even now some times it works extremely well while others it bogs down. Several years ago I installed Firefox on one of my office computers and had lots of problems. So I don't know--there might be other issues as well.

    Yvonne -- You've definitely been having some peculiar issues. Hope we can find a solution for you.

    Al -- I don't think the comment issue is a Chrome problem, but maybe more of a Blogger issue. I've been a huge advocate of Chrome until recently when my problems with it started. Then again, maybe some of my past computer problems were Chrome related and I was just not making the connection.

    Hilary -- Books are okay, but actual interaction with someone who knows is best. In my area I've seen a number of groups and resource centers that offer help. There are people out there who love to assist with this sort of thing. Hopefully though they know what they are talking about.

    Jaimie -- I have the same situation. My computer is getting old by computer standards, but it still works pretty well. And I do like the features of Chrome a great deal. I think I may be having some other issues within my system that cause a less than optimal performance from Chrome. I think it might be like the Mac vs PC debate. There are avid defenders on both sides who have had different experiences.

    Teresa -- What is your browser preference? We may need to get a vote on the best.

    Lee

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  13. What a timely question and post! I've been dealing with computer problems lately. I've been going the do-it-yourself route the last couple of days and it can get frustrating at times. I'm going to share this post and all the great tips/suggestions with my husband.



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  14. Em-- Okay, now I'm going to be lacking in proper terminology, but I did read something about this recently that had to do with certain links or something that slow down the start up. If I could remember more of what I read and apply it, I would definitely be better off.

    StMc -- I'm wondering if in your case it might be a political issue. I'm sure you don't like Google for reasons of some of their policies. Firefox is kind of renegade platform isn't it. And my question would be, Firefox is working okay now, but will it continue to do so? I wonder if it's better to uninstall and then reinstall some of these things to make sure we have the cleanest most updated versions. Let me think on this Firefox thing. Right now I'm using Chrome on my wife's computer and it's working amazingly fast with nothing slowing it down.

    Mark -- And this goes back to what I just said in my comment to Stephen. Go figure. Maybe there are other issues concerning what's in our individual computers and all. Programs clashing and stepping on each other. I've been uninstalling certain programs on my computer to see if it helps mine work better. Sometimes it helps, other times not. One more vote for Chrome, against Firefox.

    Susanne-- Maybe we'll need to start an Insecure Computer Users Support Group. Putting human heads together is better than butting heads with our computers.

    Lee

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  15. I picked up Chrome on an accidental install (attached to something else) and had all kinds of problems with it. I used to stick with IE for my browser until I ran into issues trying to upload photos to Blogger. Firefox runs slower but at least I don't have the photo upload problem.

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  16. I echo the other commenters who said dump Chrome, forget IE and stick with Firefox.

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  17. Hi Arlee,
    This is really good that you resumed the Ask Arlee Page.
    I am sure this will be a guide to many who visit these pages
    especially at the time of A to Z blog challenge blog rush!
    I am really sorry to note about the pathetic situation about Younna
    I think the lost pages and the followers she can recover. Any ways
    some experts will come here to help her out.

    I use chrome at home and firefox at office both works well at both places
    but if i use it other way round at both places it gives trouble. this is still
    a mystery to me.

    Many used to say Firefox is more user friendly, Anyways
    i am not an expert to give a certificate to both.
    let the readers come out with their experiences and doubts and hope some
    experts to turn out here to answer the questions
    Thanks Arlee for the initiative in this.

    Phil @ Philipscom

    And @

    My Bio-blog

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  18. Hi Everyone,

    Just spent a good 20 minutes reading the article and everyone's comments.

    Let me start by saying that - for those who are not in the know - Chrome, Firefox and IE (Internet Explorer) are all web browsers. In the main they all perform the same function - to display web pages.

    I have been designing and programming for the web for a number of years now and I would agree that while all of the web browsers are all supposed to do the same job... they don't.

    In my experience in this day and age, whichever browser you choose is entirely up to your preference. Some are microseconds faster than others, but this speed is negated when you are using something that you are not familiar with. Unfortunately, it is up to designers to attempt (often in vain) to make a website appear the same in each browser.

    As a heads up, Internet Explorer has been the bane of designers' lives for years. This frustration is aimed particularly at Internet Explorer version 6 which is now horrendously out of date and is very insecure. As a result, Google - and therefore Blogger - stop supporting it. Undoubtedly if you attempt to use Blogger on Internet Explorer 6, Google will attempt to stop you. If you have Internet Explorer 6, upgrade now (go to Help > About to see which version you have).

    In respect to Yvonne's initial problem that removing & restoring her blog caused all of her posts to disappear, I would suggest that it is nothing to do with Chrome, Firefox or Internet Explorer. If you imagine that only what you see on a website is handled by the browser, then anything else is handled by the provider (in this case, Blogger). As a result, once you hit that 'Remove Blog' button (or, equally, the 'Restore Blog' button), this is all handled by Blogger. The 'successfully removed/successfully restored' messages that you then see are handled by the browser. I hope that makes some sense!!

    Taking all this into account, I would suggest that as part of the 'Remove Blog' procedure, Blogger deletes all posts and unlinks all followers. I believe photos are handled by another Google product - Picasa - but once you remove the blog, the album associated with the blog disappears, thus deleting the pictures.

    If Blogger has deleted all of the posts/pictures/followers, then the only thing that it would have saved is your website name (the bit before .blogspot.com - e.g. Lee's is tossingitout.blogspot.com). As such, when you restore the blog, only your website name is retained.

    I would be curious to know if your design and layout is the same, or if parts of that are missing or broken too? My guess is that, based on the above, most (if not all) of it will have gone down the plughole too.

    Here is a useful link to Google's Help on the issue: How to Delete your Blog. There is a section on there about restoring your blog which says that "you can restore your deleted blog for 90 days after you’ve deleted it". Whether this helps or not, I don't know!

    I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news. If anyone has any other suggestions then I would be interested to know!

    wizzardSS - Empire's 5-star 500

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  19. Good idea, Lee, to have a forum for discussing our "technical" issues. All of us have them from time to time.

    Currently, my title on my blog is filled in with a goldish brown color, however, when I click on a title post, it goes back to the original white that it's supposed to be. All I can do is laugh, as I've tried to fix it.

    And fixing things is intimidating. I never want to lose my blog; but I forked up the bucks to print it in a books (Blog to Print). One more year to go and I'll have it all safely bound in memoryland.

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  20. LD-- I always hear bad things about IE, but when I do use it I usually don't have too many problems. Firefox, eh?

    Karen -- If we take this discussion to Google there are many sites with the avid Chrome defenders. Maybe I should look on Bing or another site and see more debates.

    Phil - Ah, and the mystery deepens. I find it to be the same that certain computers use certain browsers better than others. It probably has something to do with other things downloaded on the computers perhaps? Maybe it's just a weird computer plot against humans.

    Lee

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  21. Anita -- I think I've seen that click issue you're talking about. Then the other day I was visiting someone and their computer showed blog pages looking differently than they look on mine. Must have been something with his settings. Computers can be such a mystery to those who are not part of the inner circle of knowledge, but I learn more as time goes on and I listen to more tips from others.

    Lee

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  22. I would like to thank Lee and all who have taken the trouble to write and offer their support and ideas.Writing poetry is a way of life for me since losing my mother and husband 2 months apart 14 years ago.....7 of those years writing a blog which up until recently have had little or no trouble. To sit and look at my blog and see just "1 follower" (Me) is soul destroying. I love the friendliness of the friendships over the Internet.Living alone can be so lonely especially in this cold weather, I now have to decide whether to soldier on with a blog that has been ruined. I bought a book and had a word at the pc shop and was told that if one delete a blog they usually have 90 days grace, not for everything to be empty overnight,
    Once again Thank you all.
    Yvonne.

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  23. Lee, I emailed you regarding my comment. No idea why it was deleted!

    Ed - wizzardSS

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  24. After my p/c came back from the shop, I decided to use Chrome instead of Firefox. No problems yet. Had multiple problems on Firefox.

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  25. Hi Everyone,

    Just spent a good 20 minutes reading the article and everyone's comments.

    Let me start by saying that - for those who are not in the know - Chrome, Firefox and IE (Internet Explorer) are all web browsers. In the main they all perform the same function - to display web pages.

    I have been designing and programming for the web for a number of years now and I would agree that while all of the web browsers are all supposed to do the same job... they don't.

    In my experience in this day and age, whichever browser you choose is entirely up to your preference. Some are microseconds faster than others, but this speed is negated when you are using something that you are not familiar with. Unfortunately, it is up to designers to attempt (often in vain) to make a website appear the same in each browser.

    As a heads up, Internet Explorer has been the bane of designers' lives for years. This frustration is aimed particularly at Internet Explorer version 6 which is now horrendously out of date and is very insecure. As a result, Google - and therefore Blogger - stop supporting it. Undoubtedly if you attempt to use Blogger on Internet Explorer 6, Google will attempt to stop you. If you have Internet Explorer 6, upgrade now (go to Help > About to see which version you have).

    In respect to Yvonne's initial problem that removing & restoring her blog caused all of her posts to disappear, I would suggest that it is nothing to do with Chrome, Firefox or Internet Explorer. If you imagine that only what you see on a website is handled by the browser, then anything else is handled by the provider (in this case, Blogger). As a result, once you hit that 'Remove Blog' button (or, equally, the 'Restore Blog' button), this is all handled by Blogger. The 'successfully removed/successfully restored' messages that you then see are handled by the browser. I hope that makes some sense!!

    Taking all this into account, I would suggest that as part of the 'Remove Blog' procedure, Blogger deletes all posts and unlinks all followers. I believe photos are handled by another Google product - Picasa - but once you remove the blog, the album associated with the blog disappears, thus deleting the pictures.

    If Blogger has deleted all of the posts/pictures/followers, then the only thing that it would have saved is your website name (the bit before .blogspot.com - e.g. Lee's is tossingitout.blogspot.com). As such, when you restore the blog, only your website name is retained.

    I would be curious to know if your design and layout is the same, or if parts of that are missing or broken too? My guess is that, based on the above, most (if not all) of it will have gone down the plughole too.

    Here is a useful link to Google's Help on the issue: How to Delete your Blog. There is a section on there about restoring your blog which says that "you can restore your deleted blog for 90 days after you’ve deleted it". Whether this helps or not, I don't know!

    I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news. If anyone has any other suggestions then I would be interested to know!

    wizzardSS - Empire's 5-star 500

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  26. Those are all great suggestions Lee! I'm married to a techie kind of guy but some things even stump him, and he's been telling me never to use Chrome, but he likes Firefox. I have a tendency to use whatever I'm used to (IE) and I keep meaning to switch.

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  27. Thanks for the great tips Lee! I'll have to refer back the next time I have a problem. Looking forward to part II.
    Hope Yvonne's computer is running smoothly!

    Julie

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  28. Here's a very informative comment that was left by Ed (see wizzardSS comment above) that ironically I have had to copy and paste onto a new comment since somehow Ed's original comment was deleted. Fortunately I still had it in email notifications. Please read:

    wizzardSS has left a new comment on your post "Ask Arlee: Can You Help With a Computer Problem?":

    Hi Everyone,

    Just spent a good 20 minutes reading the article and everyone's comments.

    Let me start by saying that - for those who are not in the know - Chrome, Firefox and IE (Internet Explorer) are all web browsers. In the main they all perform the same function - to display web pages.

    I have been designing and programming for the web for a number of years now and I would agree that while all of the web browsers are all supposed to do the same job... they don't.

    In my experience in this day and age, whichever browser you choose is entirely up to your preference. Some are microseconds faster than others, but this speed is negated when you are using something that you are not familiar with. Unfortunately, it is up to designers to attempt (often in vain) to make a website appear the same in each browser.

    As a heads up, Internet Explorer has been the bane of designers' lives for years. This frustration is aimed particularly at Internet Explorer version 6 which is now horrendously out of date and is very insecure. As a result, Google - and therefore Blogger - stop supporting it. Undoubtedly if you attempt to use Blogger on Internet Explorer 6, Google will attempt to stop you. If you have Internet Explorer 6, upgrade now (go to Help > About to see which version you have).

    In respect to Yvonne's initial problem that removing & restoring her blog caused all of her posts to disappear, I would suggest that it is nothing to do with Chrome, Firefox or Internet Explorer. If you imagine that only what you see on a website is handled by the browser, then anything else is handled by the provider (in this case, Blogger). As a result, once you hit that 'Remove Blog' button (or, equally, the 'Restore Blog' button), this is all handled by Blogger. The 'successfully removed/successfully restored' messages that you then see are handled by the browser. I hope that makes some sense!!

    Taking all this into account, I would suggest that as part of the 'Remove Blog' procedure, Blogger deletes all posts and unlinks all followers. I believe photos are handled by another Google product - Picasa - but once you remove the blog, the album associated with the blog disappears, thus deleting the pictures.

    If Blogger has deleted all of the posts/pictures/followers, then the only thing that it would have saved is your website name (the bit before .blogspot.com - e.g. Lee's is tossingitout.blogspot.com). As such, when you restore the blog, only your website name is retained.

    I would be curious to know if your design and layout is the same, or if parts of that are missing or broken too? My guess is that, based on the above, most (if not all) of it will have gone down the plughole too.

    Here is a useful link to Google's Help on the issue: How to Delete your Blog. There is a section on there about restoring your blog which says that "you can restore your deleted blog for 90 days after you’ve deleted it". Whether this helps or not, I don't know!

    I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news. If anyone has any other suggestions then I would be interested to know!

    wizzardSS - Empire's 5-star 500



    Posted by wizzardSS to Tossing It Out at February 27, 2013 at 12:49 PM

    ReplyDelete
  29. Yvonne -- Read wizzardSS's comment below. I think he's saying the same thing about retrieving your deleted content. I know how frustrated you are. Just hang in there and don't give up! We have to show the computers we are smarter than they are and they cannot conquer us.

    Susan -- Very interesting! It's all such a puzzle, but surely the solution is somewhere.

    Tyrean -- It's like those people who insist Apple is the best computer format. I guess it's a matter of what you are most used to and what hasn't given you grief. For me, all browsers have had times of working good and bad, but my over all best experiences so far have been with Chrome. It's far from perfect though. You sound like my wife--she always goes to IE and won't use anything else. It's what she's familiar with.

    Julie -- I'm very happy about all the feedback, but I'm not sure I'm any further along than I was before I wrote this blog bit. I do hope Yvonne gets her computer issue solved. I hope I do too.

    Ed -- Great info. Unfortunately in the cutting and pasting process all of your links vanished, but the gist of the information is still there for anyone who wants to can research on their own.

    Lee


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  30. ARLEE BOID ~
    >> . . . I'm wondering if in your case it might be a political issue. I'm sure you don't like Google for reasons of some of their policies.

    You're right, I don't like Google. But not everything is political, and I was willing to use Google Chrome anyway, since IE was no longer useable.

    Google Chrome seemed fast, but I was having issues with it IMMEDIATELY. For one thing, having the system crash and getting that *SNAP!* message CONSTANTLY when trying to view videos.

    I uninstalled GC and tried Firefox and have had no real problems like that since then.

    I think a lot of it has to do with what sort of computer one has, how old it is, etc. Some browsers just seem to be more compatible with certain machines, and MY machine definitely prefers Firefox to GC for whatever reason(s).

    >> . . . And my question would be, Firefox is working okay now, but will it continue to do so?

    Not being psychic, I couldn't say. Time will tell. All I know is that Google Chrome stunk for me, IMMEDIATELY; but Firefox has worked well and saved me all the aggravation I was experiencing previously. So, for as long as it works, I will be grateful for Firefox.

    Incidentally, Blogger seems to have developed a new bug. WizardSS had his comment mysteriously disappear from your blog. I left a comment on your Sunday blog last Sunday, and when I went back to see if you'd responded to it, my comment was also missing without a trace.

    I also had a comment that I left on Jenny's 'MISSED PERIODS' blog mysteriously disappear too.

    We need to find a good detective to solve 'The Case Of The Disappearing Comments'.

    ~ D-FensDogg
    'Loyal American Underground'

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  31. Solid advice Lee! Do you secretly work in IT? The only other thing I can suggest is logging into the computer as another user. Over time, user profiles get messed up and may cause browser issues, too. If this is the case, create a new user account on the computer.

    I flip back and forth between Firefox, Safari, and IE. Haven't really played with Chrome too much.

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  32. "...not everything is political."

    Oh yeah? Since when?

    I'm thinking that Chrome is not the culprit in my case but something on my computer that conflicts with Chrome. And like you say it could be related to individual computers.

    As far as the disappearing comments I think it's usually a Blogger glitch. I've noticed that it happens most often on specific blogs and usually where the comment box is embedded.

    Ed's comment appeared in my email, but in comments it showed as having been deleted by the author. I think Ed probably just hit the wrong button. I've done that before.

    I guess I'm not quite ready to abandon Chrome yet. It's still a hung jury.

    Lee

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  33. Buck - Believe me, I barely know what I'm doing most of the time when it comes to the computer. I may try the other user suggestion sometime, but hope I don't get in the situation where I have to.

    Lee

    ReplyDelete
  34. I looked up her blog in my IE and everything is just fine. I use IE8 and 9 (depending on the machine I am on) with no issues whatsoever when it comes to seeing any blog.

    I have Chrome installed but do not use it very often. It is there simply for the rare time a site I am on damn near requires you have it for the site to be useful.

    Good tips though for the limits in all of us when it comes to computers.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Lee,

    Again, sound advice that I missed from my previous comment.

    I too would recommend that people have more than one browser on their computer. I use Firefox 99% of the time for the sole reason that my bookmarks and passwords are stored there. I also have Chrome for times when things don't look quite right and I feel curious if it's a website design fault or a browser issue. I also have Opera (another, less well known browser).

    It's good to be on the safe side.

    Re me deleting the comment or a Google conspiracy, I work in IT and am very competent with computers so it's unlikely that I would have pressed the delete button. That said, I was in a rush to leave work last night so it's possible. I'm not one for conspiracy theories, especially over one 'minor' issue.

    wizzardSS

    ReplyDelete
  36. I knew there was a reason I didn't jump into Chrome. So glad you had some help for Yvonne on this one . . .Yvonne and a lot of others I'm sure.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Chuck -- I was using IE today and yesterday (don't often go there) and it looks like they've made some improvements.

    Donna -- Thanks for stopping.

    C.Lee -- It seems like even the "experts" aren't in full agreement about computer issues. You find all sorts of opinions on Google.

    Lee

    ReplyDelete
  38. Hi Lee. Just started following this blog of yours and also interested in this Chrome related issue your other readers and you have been experiencing.

    I have a small netbook that I do all my blogging on and have been running Chrome exclusively on it since I took it out of the packaging and did the download for it. I haven't had any issues with it at all and I have been using it for around a year and a half. It's also on my smartphone too and it's better than the stock mobile browser on there.

    In my experience the old fashioned solution of take it off (leaving the browsing history) then re-installing might be a hassle, but generally heals most ills.
    Cheers,

    W.

    ReplyDelete

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Lee