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Words of wisdom, anyone, please?
Jul. 28th, 2008 10:41 amYesterday I set up a new computer for my mother, because the old one had passed the point of practical repair - at least in a short time. Now the problems begin...
At present she has a mouse rather than the trackball she used to have, because the trackball won't work with the new machine - it is not USB. There were always problems with using the trackball - of moving the cursor at the same time as clicking, and occasionally moving icons to who-knew-where. Wit the mouse, this problem is writ large, and now she has managed to rearrange the computer so much that it is no longer possible to talk her through doing the things seh wants to do, no matter how I try.
I will need to go there this evening, (1.5 hours drive each way - I'll be tired) put everything back in the right place, and install a USB trackball, with the gain turned way down. That should reduce the problem, but can anyone think of a way to reduce it still further.
For example, does windows have a means I have not yet found to lock shortcut icons in place so that they cannot be moved (I put links to the programs she uses on the quick launch area of the task bar, because double clicking worsens the general problems).
Or, does anyone know of a way to restore everything to a preset position in a way that someone who has been making things into a muddle might be able to manage? Or has anyone any other suggestions about how to make it last a bit longer before it is, from her point of view, broken?
At present she has a mouse rather than the trackball she used to have, because the trackball won't work with the new machine - it is not USB. There were always problems with using the trackball - of moving the cursor at the same time as clicking, and occasionally moving icons to who-knew-where. Wit the mouse, this problem is writ large, and now she has managed to rearrange the computer so much that it is no longer possible to talk her through doing the things seh wants to do, no matter how I try.
I will need to go there this evening, (1.5 hours drive each way - I'll be tired) put everything back in the right place, and install a USB trackball, with the gain turned way down. That should reduce the problem, but can anyone think of a way to reduce it still further.
For example, does windows have a means I have not yet found to lock shortcut icons in place so that they cannot be moved (I put links to the programs she uses on the quick launch area of the task bar, because double clicking worsens the general problems).
Or, does anyone know of a way to restore everything to a preset position in a way that someone who has been making things into a muddle might be able to manage? Or has anyone any other suggestions about how to make it last a bit longer before it is, from her point of view, broken?
