Katharine wrote: ↑22 Jan 2024, 23:19
I have all my books on an old spreadsheet, and I have a feeling that one of these days it will end up being obsolete. As far as I know, I can't save it to a newer version, so it will be a case of typing up all the info one of these days to make sure I don't lose it.
What spreadsheet program are you using, Katharine and what is the file extension at the end of the spreadsheet name that follows the full stop?
It's an Excel spreadsheet - but no idea what version. I can't see anything in the name other than what I've called it.
Katharine, when you open Excel and look for your file to open in either the 'recent' or 'pinned' workbooks, the file extension is the three or four letters after the full stop at the end of the filename. It could be any of those shown in the list in the image below, but most likely to be either .xls or .xlsx and if it's the latter that is the most recent file extension in use in Excel. If it's the first one (.xls), then that is an earlier version but will still work with the latest versions of Excel so you shouldn't have a problem. Incidentally, sometimes the file extensions don't show up when you look at the files in the folders where you have saved them on the computer as this depends on what your settings are - to either show them or hide them.
"You can't change history as that won't change the future"
I like Virtualbox, it's great for running old programmes and versions. I installed it on my mac so that it would run windows XP (only version of windows I ever liked and got to grips with) for an old programme. It worked great initially then went so slow and laggy I had multiple mouse arrows on the screen! I think my 16 year old mac couldn't cope with it. It's really annoying the way computers, phones and such get updated so often with previous versions made obsolete or useless, not everyone can or wants to buy new every three years or so, especially if it was working fine until that point.
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I'm just an old fashioned girl with an old fashioned mind
Not sophisticated, I'm the sweet and simple kind
I want an old fashioned house, with an old fashioned fence
And A̶n̶ ̶o̶l̶d̶ ̶f̶a̶s̶h̶i̶o̶n̶e̶d̶ ̶m̶i̶l̶l̶i̶o̶n̶a̶i̶r̶e̶
I liked Windows XP best too. Windows Vista made me switch to Linux which I became very fond of - I found Vista so horrible! We tried installing XP on my new laptop back then and the installation didn't work. I only found out later that I would have had to install some drivers before installing XP.
After that I just never needed to switch back to Windows on my private computers though I have Windows 7 (I think) on my laptop and use it very rarely if I really need Windows for something.
At work it's Windows 10. I can live with that. It's certainly an improvement over Windows Vista.
I haven’t even understood any of these latest posts. It’s all beyond me.
I don’t even enter the Caption competition in case I win and have no idea how to post a new picture.
Well I've just gone into the document again, and it doesn't come up with anything after the document title. However, as I clicked on it to open it, it informed me it is an 'XLS' File'.
As the document opens, it shows a panel which says Excel Microsoft 2000. Sometimes if I haven't opened the document for a while, it comes up with a box which says I have to accept some terms (or some other wording), and I have to click that to continue, it then brings up another option box saying do I want to register my use, but I can click 'No' and carry on.
It's this last option that makes me concerned that one of these days it will say it is incompatible.
Barnard wrote: ↑24 Jan 2024, 08:07
I haven’t even understood any of these latest posts. It’s all beyond me.
I don’t even enter the Caption competition in case I win and have no idea how to post a new picture.
If you click on the link below, you'll find instructions for posting pictures for the Caption Competition. Let us know if anything needs clarifying!
Barnard wrote: ↑24 Jan 2024, 08:07
I haven’t even understood any of these latest posts. It’s all beyond me.
I don’t even enter the Caption competition in case I win and have no idea how to post a new picture.
I'm of an age (45) that should understand all the computer jargon, but must admit any detailed talk like the above gets me lost as well. I understand the basics of how to work one, and can roughly work out what's being discussed, but most of the detailed terminology has me out of my depth and clinging by my fingernails to keep up with it all!
Katharine wrote: ↑24 Jan 2024, 10:04
It's this last option that makes me concerned that one of these days it will say it is incompatible.
Even if Microsoft makes that happen at some time in the future you should always be able to open and use your file in an alternative free and open source software like LibreOffice or OpenOffice. I assume that in your spreadsheet with books you have mostly text and maybe some numbers but no calculations (with the latter there might be problems when using another program). You can also use one of these programs to save your spreadsheet as the newer xlsx-file that Microsoft Excel now uses.
I get the lists with students that have registered for an exam as xls-files and I always open and use them in Libreoffice.
Hannah wrote: ↑24 Jan 2024, 00:22
I liked Windows XP best too. Windows Vista made me switch to Linux which I became very fond of - I found Vista so horrible! We tried installing XP on my new laptop back then and the installation didn't work. I only found out later that I would have had to install some drivers before installing XP.
After that I just never needed to switch back to Windows on my private computers though I have Windows 7 (I think) on my laptop and use it very rarely if I really need Windows for something.
At work it's Windows 10. I can live with that. It's certainly an improvement over Windows Vista.
Windows Vista totally wrecked my brand new £600 laptop. I bought this laptop with XP on it and it was told by the shop I would be able to get an upgrade disk to put Vista on it (the laptop was on a reduced price due to having 'old xp' on it) and was encouraged to do so. I had to send away to the Netherlands for the disk and when it arrived and I put it in the computer went haywire. It kept loading and reloading, getting to 49% then crashed repeatedly before giving up completely. It never fired up again. The company who supplied the disk didn't want to know and neither did the shop so with no alternative it went in the bin. I'd only had it for three weeks! The disk was a genuine Microsoft one with security seals and such and the laptop was working absolutely perfectly before it's vista upgrade. I wish I'd never been talked into installing it.
Society Member
I'm just an old fashioned girl with an old fashioned mind
Not sophisticated, I'm the sweet and simple kind
I want an old fashioned house, with an old fashioned fence
And A̶n̶ ̶o̶l̶d̶ ̶f̶a̶s̶h̶i̶o̶n̶e̶d̶ ̶m̶i̶l̶l̶i̶o̶n̶a̶i̶r̶e̶
IceMaiden, why didn't you get the shop you bought the laptop from to do the upgrade, rather than obtain a disk from the Netherlands? That way they would have had to accept respnsibility. Maybe the disc was coded in 'double-dutch'
"You can't change history as that won't change the future"
The shop wouldn't upgrade it, they were adamant I had to get a disk myself and assured me it was easy enough to do. I had nobody to ask for advice, didn't have the internet then and wouldn't have understood what to do if I had. I was skeptical about getting a disk from the Netherlands too but apparently that was where they were being sent from at the time. As it was a genuine Microsoft product I had no reason to doubt it would work but it just rendered the whole laptop unusable. It had to be the disk as it was working without an issue before that. Presumably either the vista system had some bug in it or the laptop couldn't handle it. The only thing I know for sure it that it was a very expensive experience and scrapping a brand new computer really stung.
Society Member
I'm just an old fashioned girl with an old fashioned mind
Not sophisticated, I'm the sweet and simple kind
I want an old fashioned house, with an old fashioned fence
And A̶n̶ ̶o̶l̶d̶ ̶f̶a̶s̶h̶i̶o̶n̶e̶d̶ ̶m̶i̶l̶l̶i̶o̶n̶a̶i̶r̶e̶
That happens to me quite often both in this and other forums (and I don't have a setting that deletes cookies at the end of a session). I don't know why.
I've noticed that as well — that I have to sign in far more often than usual lately. I initially put it down to the fact that I recently got a new smartphone and I thought it might be confusing the system somehow, but looks like it's not just me...
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It was a nuisance. An adventure was one thing - but an adventure without anything to eat was quite another thing. That wouldn't do at all. (The Valley of Adventure)
