Windows 10 and magically hidden files.

[Spork Schivago]

Re: Windows 10 and magically hidden files.

I wanted to add the link I provided has you doing stuff through the terminal. Because you already have some experience with the terminal and the instructions appear to be pretty basic, I figured that was okay. There's more than likely a way to do this in Synaptic, I just didn't look too hard. Let me know if these instructions help play your various Microsoft media files.

[Spork Schivago]

Re: Windows 10 and magically hidden files.

So I down loaded Ubuntu 16.04 LTS iso stored it on a newly formatted Fat 32 UBS Flash drive. The next step is to down load a program called Rufus. Then just follow the step on Ubuntu site. They explain how to get Rufus to format Ubuntu 16.04 LTS Then after that is done it is simply a matter of moving the UBS HD to number one boot. And the Ubuntu desktop appears with the Windows on it's desktop. The excel programs are converted to Ubuntu program excel. By going to computer, ones personal user file and then to what ever widows excel program one has. All that is OK. The problem I have is installing Wine to be able to run Window Game programs and the Music player on Ubuntu can not just convert ones Windows music files over to the music program they offer. Without being able to do that it causes me to question whether I will use Ubuntu. I sent 5 hours trying to do this. Using the Terminal. I even downloaded Wine 1.8 but was still unable to run these programs. I tried purging restrictions, etc. I tried updating. I tried I think downloading plug-in. I tried a lot of things.

Hello Keeney123,

Thanks for letting us know what distro you chose. You shouldn't have to do much through the actual terminal unless you want to. The stuff you're doing can all be done via the graphical user interface. I'm assuming you're probably running Gnome 3. In the graphical user interface (the desktop), you can click in the upper left I think and just type something like

synaptic

.

I believe that's the graphical package manager for Ubuntu. It's been a very long time since I've ran Ubuntu though so things might have changed. You should also be able to just click in the upper left corner and then type Package Manager and it should show you some icons, one should be Synaptic. Click that and you can search for various programs that are on the Ubuntu repositories.

If a program isn't in the repository, you can always install it manually, but if a new version comes out, your package manager won't be able to update that program automatically for you. There are some more advanced scenarios where people might have a private repository and you could add that but I think we'll burn that bridge if we ever get there.

Wine cannot run all Windows programs but it seems to do a good job. You might want to consider finding Linux alternatives and checking them out and maybe using Wine as a last resort though. For example, in Windows, you might have the Microsoft Office suite that comes with Word and Excel, etc. In Linux, you don't have that. You have suites like LibreOffice. It's an open source equivalent and through reverse engineering and some work, the developers were able to figure out the various Microsoft document formats, like the Excel file format, so you can open Microsoft Excel documents in Linux without using any Microsoft programs. You've kind of discovered that already from what you've been typing.

Now, there are some file formats that Microsoft own that they just don't want other people using. Sometimes, developers are not allowed to reverse engineer file formats. I think this is the case with some of the various Microsoft audio and video files. WMVs where one format for instance. Even if the Linux community knew how to write free software that would play WMV files, legally, they weren't allowed to. This now has changed. Microsoft released their "leash" on the codec. Linux is all about open source but some formats, they don't fall under the proper license or something and distro's like Ubuntu might not be able to provide this software by default.

I'm including a link that was written for Ubuntu users. It talks about how to install VLC (which is probably already installed on your Ubuntu system) and it talks about how to play certain "restricted" file formats in Ubuntu. Perhaps this could help you a bit?

http://www.wikihow.com/Play-Wmv-Files-in-Ubuntu

[keeney123]

Re: Windows 10 and magically hidden files.

So I down loaded Ubuntu 16.04 LTS iso stored it on a newly formatted Fat 32 UBS Flash drive. The next step is to down load a program called Rufus. Then just follow the step on Ubuntu site. They explain how to get Rufus to format Ubuntu 16.04 LTS Then after that is done it is simply a matter of moving the UBS HD to number one boot. And the Ubuntu desktop appears with the Windows on it's desktop. The excel programs are converted to Ubuntu program excel. By going to computer, ones personal user file and then to what ever widows excel program one has. All that is OK. The problem I have is installing Wine to be able to run Window Game programs and the Music player on Ubuntu can not just convert ones Windows music files over to the music program they offer. Without being able to do that it causes me to question whether I will use Ubuntu. I sent 5 hours trying to do this. Using the Terminal. I even downloaded Wine 1.8 but was still unable to run these programs. I tried purging restrictions, etc. I tried updating. I tried I think downloading plug-in. I tried a lot of things.

[Spork Schivago]

Re: Windows 10 and magically hidden files.

So I am writing from the Linux desktop. They have improved this a lot in the 4 years since I last tried it. It is running side by side with the Windows 7 64 bit. It can open my excel programs. The games are not able to open. I think I will see if I can find similar games.

How are you running Linux Keeney123? Is it from a live disc? If so, do you know what distribution (ie, Ubuntu for instance?) If memory serves me correctly, most distro's don't come with WINE installed by default. You can use your distro's package manager to download and install it. That might get some of your games (perhaps solitaire for instance?) working in Linux.

Personally, I don't really like emulating Windows software in Linux. I prefer to find open source equivalents, like Stj is talking about. Anyway, welcome aboard!

[stj]

Re: Windows 10 and magically hidden files.

name the games and i'll dig up some links for you.

[keeney123]

Re: Windows 10 and magically hidden files.

So I am writing from the Linux desktop. They have improved this a lot in the 4 years since I last tried it. It is running side by side with the Windows 7 64 bit. It can open my excel programs. The games are not able to open. I think I will see if I can find similar games.

[keeney123]

Re: Windows 10 and magically hidden files.

Thanks Guys I will look into it.

[stj]

Re: Windows 10 and magically hidden files.

just look here
http://distrowatch.com/

[Spork Schivago]

Re: Windows 10 and magically hidden files.

Keeney123,

There's these things called Live Discs that you might want to check out. Keep in mind, there are many distributions (or flavours) of Linux. They're all a little different. That's a good thing. If you don't like one, you can try another one. They all differ in different ways. A lot of people I know personally, in real life, seemed to like Ubuntu when they first switched. There's a live disc for that. You don't actually have to install anything. You download the live disc ISO and burn the ISO to disc using a program like ImgBurn or something. Then you put the disc in your DVD drive and make sure your system is setup to boot off the DVD drive first. If everything went as planned, you'll turn on the PC and see something that isn't Windows...

If you want, you can install it. Some distro's are smart enough to detect Windows I think but I'm not certain on this. I haven't done a dual install in a very long time. To go back to Windows, simply restart the PC, remove the disc from the drive and you go back into Windows.

If you don't like Ubuntu, you could see what else is out there. Just do a search for Linux Live Distro or something. If you decide you want to give it a shot, I bet there'd be a lot of people here willing to help you if you get stuck. I'd be one of them.

[stj]

Re: Windows 10 and magically hidden files.

you can supply a computer with Linux as long as it does not include non-GNU/GPL stuff like the nvidia driver /flashplayer without permission and as long as none of the cost is for the o.s.

dell was offering a few, but remember that M$ will take vengence on any company doing such things.
it's not good to go against a company founded by a satanist with an obsession with bio-weapons and death.

[ChaosLegionnaire]

Re: Windows 10 and magically hidden files.

Perhaps they sell new machines with Linux?

i dont think they can sell machines bundled with linux as it might violate the gnu license terms. how do u know they didnt charge "extra" for the "free" os? just buy a computer with or without an os (ask for a discount) and just wipe the hard drive and install linux. yay! u now got a spyware-free computer!

[stj]

Re: Windows 10 and magically hidden files.

it can run side-by-side, but i dont recommend it unless your using 2 harddrives.

[keeney123]

Re: Windows 10 and magically hidden files.

I think I will keep what I have. When this machine dies then I will try with a new machine. Perhaps they sell new machines with Linux? I disabled the secure boot when I tried to load the Linux 4 years ago it did not matter. And Linux can not run side by side with Window 7? As if I could then I would load if on this machine then load the wine and transfer my data.Then I could try it out and then if I liked it more I would then keep it and get rid of Windows. The problem with changing is that there is never a smooth transition and there is always problems that come up that need to be resolved. I just don't want to play around with it as this computer I am working with I have no problem with. It took me some time to get to this point. If these manufacturers can not present me with a machine that I don't have to troubleshoot to transfer my information and run smoothly then I just will not buy another computer. Life is to short to have to be troubled with something one buys new.

[stj]

Re: Windows 10 and magically hidden files.

firstly, your initial booting problem was probably "secureboot" in the bios - an M$ abomination.

as for running windows apps - you just install a program called "wine".
you wont need most of those programs though - linux has better versions.

the only thing that wont run is the antivirus stuff.
it embeds itself in the io.s. and wine wont allow such behavour for security reasons.
Linux has no need for them anyway.

if you want to scan files for viruses there are programs though.
inc stuff from big company's like sophos.

now as for information stored - back that up.
because a Linux install will format the drive usually.

[keeney123]

Re: Windows 10 and magically hidden files.

i dont know where you get your info, you dont need to be a programmer to run Linux, it's simpler than windows now.

what "original" games are you refering to btw?
because they have been totally bastardized in the newer windows versions!

4 years ago I tried to download Linux on my Windows 8. I tried to run it beside Windows 8. The first two times I could not even get it to run even thou Window 8 said you could run other operating systems aside of Windows 8. When I finally got the program to come up it was asking me to add so much information into it just to make it do simple things. I want to maintain my programs from Microsoft except the OS. Can your program do that. I like the word, excel, MS Games, Bitdefender, Photo Gallery. I have information stored in these programs. What will happen to those?

[stj]

Re: Windows 10 and magically hidden files.

well it all exists for Linux - and no nag/bitch/add stuff inserted - unlike win8.
so you dont have to pay to disable it - unlike win10!

[Spork Schivago]

Re: Windows 10 and magically hidden files.

i dont know where you get your info, you dont need to be a programmer to run Linux, it's simpler than windows now.

what "original" games are you refering to btw?
because they have been totally bastardized in the newer windows versions!

I think the distro has a lot to do with it. I introduced an older friend of mine to Linux. He downloaded Ubuntu and liked it. He even went through and installed it on his local machine, instead of using it as a live disc. Then he asked what I use. I said one of the distro's I'm running is called OpenSUSE. The other is called Gentoo. He ended up downloading OpenSUSE and gave it a shot. He said he couldn't figure it out.

I think most distro's come with the GNU C compiler and maybe even the GNU C++ compiler, by default. But I think that's mainly because of the open source nature of Linux. The source code is available for just about any program, but you're absolutely right. You don't have to be a coder to use Linux. Heck, as Paul (my older friend) showed, you don't even have to know how PCs work or how to repair them to use it. I installed Slackware when I was in 8th grade.

I think for the games, maybe Keeney123 is referring to Solitaire, Spider Solitaire, Minesweeper, Hearts, stuff like that. That's just my guess.

[stj]

Re: Windows 10 and magically hidden files.

i dont know where you get your info, you dont need to be a programmer to run Linux, it's simpler than windows now.

what "original" games are you refering to btw?
because they have been totally bastardized in the newer windows versions!

[keeney123]

Re: Windows 10 and magically hidden files.

I did not throw the machine out because they finally allow me to defer getting the 8.1 for another time. I am not a programmer and do not want to be a programmer so that is why I do not have Linux. "All I wanted was to have the Microsoft Original Games, Excel, Word, a simple photo editor, a good anti-virus/malware that is capable of cleaning the register without me having to control how everything is done and of course a moderately fast machine." The only time I have gotten into fixing these machines is either when I am transferring to another machine and something screws up or when some poor person has totally screwed up their machine and can not afford to get it fixed. I feel that a person who knows nothing about a computer except how to go out on the internet, have a email account, how to use Word should be allow to screw up their computer and have to take it to a tech and pay $230 to get it repair when the machine cost $350. I think that a company providing a OS should provide different level of the same OS. So say if you have no knowledge of how a computer runs then one would get a very protected OS that locks out the user from entering into something that will get them in trouble. This could be a bargain basement program. Even with this program I believe it should be allowed to transfer to another machine in case the first breaks down. Then the same OS could have less secure features for people like me who knows how a computer operates but does not want to program the machine to do something other than what it was intended to do but has the ability to control programs if they so choose to do so. This would be a mid level pricing. And lastly the final OS would allow the person to program and change things at will with on restrictions. This would be for you programmers out their that see a better way of doing something. All of the different versions of the same program should have the basic features build into them that I originally wanted in parentheses. Seems to me is that the programmers in Microsoft have run out of ideas for a better system and as a result they are trying to protect their income by making features that were free, cost and allowing the system to screw up and then charging to help one fix the problem which they put into the program. Anyway that is my thought on the subject.

[Spork Schivago]

Re: Windows 10 and magically hidden files.

i dont see much point removing the GUI from a security standpoint - i was talking about removing the entire shit down to the last file.

That makes more sense.