TALON vs. ECHO (Computer Issues)

[Arioch]

Just wanted to post a heads-up on what's going on with my computer(s).

The short version: I bought a new computer to replace my dying old one, but the old one is dying faster than I could transfer everything to the new one, so there will be a short delay in Outsider work until I can get this sorted out.

My old computer ("TALON") still has pretty decent performance (due to some upgrades) despite being nearly 10 years old, but it has been increasingly suffering from instability and some functions just not working anymore (such as the wireless networking, which you may have heard my complaining about before). I thought I would be clever this time around and get a new computer before the old one failed completely, and the new computer ("ECHO") is up and running (I am using it to write this) despite finding that I already hate Windows 11. Unfortunately, one of the systems on TALON that was not functioning well is the USB subsystem, and in moving files off that computer I seem to have stressed it to the point of gibbering madness. I can still turn the computer on and boot it up, but not a whole lot else without it freezing. I'm pretty sure the data is still fine, but unless I can figure something out (which I will continue to work at over the rest of the weekend), I may have to remove the drive and get the data off another way, which will probably have to wait until Monday.

I got most of my documents off, but the largest chunk of data is of course my artwork, and I only got part of that, and not including the Outsider files.

I'm also not very happy with the way my primary monitor is working on the new computer, as the HDMI-connected video is washed-out and muddy compared to the DVI from the old one, but I digress...

I'll post updates as I have them.

[spacewhale]

Can always pop on a Linux livecd and `rsync -rav` the files over to your new box if you want to handle it pretty forensically (esp if the problem is more software than hardware). Otherwise I'd just get a SATA dock or caddy and just dump the contents over en masse. What'd you get for your new computer? No displayport?

[Arioch]

Can always pop on a Linux livecd and `rsync -rav` the files over to your new box if you want to handle it pretty forensically (esp if the problem is more software than hardware). Otherwise I'd just get a SATA dock or caddy and just dump the contents over en masse. What'd you get for your new computer? No displayport?

ECHO is a Dell XPS 8950. It has a dual SSD & HDD, so I may be able to just crack it open and plug TALON's SSD in... but I don't have the moral fortitude to try that at this moment. Murphy has not been kind over the last 48 hours, and there are still many safer tasks that I need to accomplish.

ECHO has DisplayPort and HDMI outputs, but the primary monitor only has VGA, DVI and HDMI. I've already ordered a DVI to DisplayPort cable, we'll see how that goes.

[spacewhale]

Madman, sounds like you could just get a newer monitor (just making note of VGA) from this decade as well, though I figure DP + DVI should be fine, if a bit long in the tooth.

Wish I could toss you one of my junk drawer sata -> usb3 docks, something like this https://www.microcenter.com/product/432 ... toreID=045, it'd solve the whole trepedition around just yanking all the old drives out.

[Arioch]

I'm going to want to keep using this monitor even if I get a newer one. I'm currently using a three-monitor setup.

I have a local backup, which I can use in a worst-case scenario, but it's not set up to be restored to a different machine, so that would be a huge pain. But I can cherry-pick individual files, so I may do that if this drags out for more than a few days.

[spacewhale]

Yeah, now you've got the wacky Big-Little design with the 12th gen Intel procs. Windows is probably better at actually scheduling the 'efficiency cores' for use. Presumably will be a better gaming PC too, just in time for HW3.

[Bamax]

I also hate windows.... but some programs... many are designed to run on windows.

I prefer Linux based opersting systems, such as Ubuntu.


Ubuntu is open source and free and even can even allow for direct downloads via the command line (provided you know what code to input).

Wine is an emulator that allows the ability run some windows programs... but not all will work.


Given your art heavy, I dunno if Wine could emulate the programs from windows, but chances are Ubuntu has a variant copy of just about everything running on windows.

[Arioch]

I don't hate Windows. I've been a Windows user since 2.x. I just don't like what I'm seeing in Windows 11 specifically.

Unfortunately, when you're buying a new PC, you often don't have a choice.

[QuakeIV]

I don't tend to recommend recommend linux for an art person.

If your computer is dying as badly as it sounds like it is, you might want to remove the drives sooner rather than later even if it still seems more or less fine. If the USB is failing you probably have chips on the motherboard itself failing.

If the computer is 10 years old you probably dont have encrypted drives, so you can try using something like this: https://www.amazon.com/UGREEN-Cable-Ada ... B00MYU0EAU (ugreen is decent chinesium-grade electronics, which is pretty much all you can find for something extremely simplistic like a SATA adapter).

Its worth noting with a newly bought windows 11 computer you probably have mandatory drive encryption (windows is cooperating with TPM manufacturers to give them an easier time selling hardware), so you most likely will never be able to repeat the drive-removal maneuver again if you stick with windows.

You might consider a mac, or forcibly downgrading with a windows 10 or earlier installer (just get a cheap OEM disk off ebay, ex: https://www.ebay.com/itm/325515659433). If you dont want to do that I would at least strongly suggest some kind of automatically syncing cloud backup like dropbox or something. Its been a while, maybe someone else can suggest a better cloud backup, but you really should at least have that if you decide to stick it out with windows 11.

[icekatze]

hi hi

I wonder if there is some way to adjust the computer's or the monitor's color settings to help with the washed out look? I often find that new devices have overly light, blue heavy color profiles because that apparently looks good on store displays. But I suppose if it's really washed out, it's probably something else.

[spacewhale]

I wonder if there is some way to adjust the computer's or the monitor's color settings to help with the washed out look?

Color profiling? Something like the Spyder X with DisplayCAL

[Arioch]

Forgetting for a moment that I've already bought the new computer, neither Linux nor Mac was ever an option. Aside from the fact that it would mean throwing away 90% of my software, I was a software engineer before I was an "art person," and I have experience with both. I wouldn't recommend Linux to anyone who isn't a Linux programmer (or who doesn't think that struggling to get a device driver to work is a relaxing way to spend an evening), and Mac, well... let's not even go there.

Its worth noting with a newly bought windows 11 computer you probably have mandatory drive encryption (windows is cooperating with TPM manufacturers to give them an easier time selling hardware), so you most likely will never be able to repeat the drive-removal maneuver again if you stick with windows.

Drive encryption is an option and it's off by default.

Its been a while, maybe someone else can suggest a better cloud backup, but you really should at least have that if you decide to stick it out with windows 11.

I have ~200GB of data and a dodgy internet connection. Cloud backup is not a good fit.

I wonder if there is some way to adjust the computer's or the monitor's color settings to help with the washed out look? I often find that new devices have overly light, blue heavy color profiles because that apparently looks good on store displays. But I suppose if it's really washed out, it's probably something else.

There's only so much you can do with brightness/contrast settings. There are also other issues, like the monitor losing and then regaining sync when switching to full screen mode. I think the problem is something specific to HDMI; I've had similar problems on different monitors before. One cheap older 1080p monitor I was using as a secondary had worse problems: it was washed out but worse, and the viewing area was actually clipped off beyond the bezel, so there were hidden pixels around the perimeter... and the screen size adjustment controls were disabled. I don't know how that's even possible with a digital standard, even assuming really sloppy implementation on the part of the monitor manufacturer, but I'm not going to spend my cpu cycles on it. It's a temporary problem; I'll have the DP-DVI cable tomorrow, and even if that doesn't help, this monitor will eventually be a secondary monitor. The main thing I use secondary monitors for is to display reference/example images while I'm drawing on the main monitor, so it's not the end of the world if the contrast and color is off.

[Arioch]

I have the old drive out.

Let's observe a moment of silence for TALON. You served us well.

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[spacewhale]

LED keycaps?

[QuakeIV]

Well to be honest this probably isn't particularly helpful but you kindof annoyed me so:

Forgetting for a moment that I've already bought the new computer

Given the story so far it sounds like a recent purchase, dunno if you have heard of returns or not. Its not really an asinine assumption that you would buy a newly purchased computer to replace a dying old one.

I wouldn't recommend Linux to anyone who isn't a Linux programmer (or who doesn't think that struggling to get a device driver to work is a relaxing way to spend an evening).

I've been doing embedded software for about five years now (ie up to the present), the vast majority of our work computers are linux, all my home computers are linux, and this is old information. You can still accidentally screw up your computer pretty easily if you do the wrong thing, but basically stuff just works now if you use one of the easier options, like Ubuntu (which I still have on my main computer, although I've been tending towards regular Debian).

Drive encryption is an option and it's off by default.

In fairness it appears I misheard, it seems to be more like you will have a key tied to your microsoft account, and its only on by default for people logging in via microsoft accounts (mandatory on 11 home, 11 pro allows 'local accounts') and its possible to disable. At some point there seemed to be a big push to force drive encryption but I guess they backed off a bit.

[CNW]

I find it mildly surprising that someone who lives off producing fairly storage intensive data (in your case art) doesn't have some sort of NAS setup.

I splurged on one a couple of years back and it's a game changer, between the storage safety and the convenience of access from any of my computers.

And yeah, I dread the moment any of them craps out and I have to put up with Win11.

[SVlad]

What a strange coincidence - a couple of weeks ago, my main HDD also began to die (perhaps due to the fact that when I relocated, I slipped on ice and fell exactly when I was carrying the computer case). So I've already passed the way of migrating windows data from dying hardware.
There are two tips that helped me a lot and probably helps to save you some time too.
Linux SystemRescue live USB helps alot. Load it on Usb flash drive, launch, startx, GParted, and simply copy paste the whole drive from old device to new one.
WindowsImageBackup (if you had one) is just a vhdx drive image files, that can be mounted even from Windows Disk Management, then you can browse the image and copy any files from here. Just don't mount in read only.

[Demarquis]

Not relevant to Arioch's problem anymore, but I can second how easy Linux is to use these days. I bought a new laptop with Windows 10 pre-installed, and I regret it every day. I could switch over, but I'm too lazy, and I'm thinking of buying yet another laptop anyway.

[Arioch]

The DP-DVI cable did rectify the video problem, as was hoped.

I find it mildly surprising that someone who lives off producing fairly storage intensive data (in your case art) doesn't have some sort of NAS setup.

Since I only have one computer, an NAS is just an unnecessarily expensive backup drive. Which as I said, I have.

It turns out that the backup software I was using makes it fairly difficult to restore to a different computer, but that's an issue that's not obvious until you actually try to do it.

[Arioch]

I have the TALON SSD hooked up to the new computer and I'm in the process of transferring files.

It does appear that there are some problems with the drive itself, so it's going somewhat slowly... but it looks like I can get what I need, and fill any holes manually with files from the backup drive.