Windows 7 - Day 2 - Load the Operating System

We closed play yesterday with the 'old' computer completely backed up and ready for Windows 7 to be loaded. All the forums and Microsoft agree that the best way to proceed is to do a clean install. That means to wipe the old version of Windows from C: drive and install Windows 7 in its place. It is possible to upgrade XP and Vista to Windows 7 but the experience of the beta testers and those running RC1 seems to be that doing this leads to problems with hardware drivers and incompatible programs.

Before C: is wiped make sure you know which version of Windows (32 or 64 bit) you are running. You can find that out by right clicking on the (My) Computer Icon on the desktop and going to properties.

I chose to wipe and do a clean install so let's begin there.
There are two ways to wipe C: drive;

1. Use a third party partition manager like Partition Magic and do a full format of the drive which should get rid of all traces of your previous windows installation and any nasties lurking amongst the files.
2. You can use the drive format utility in the Windows install but be aware that this is a quick format that only wipes the file allocation table (FAT) not the files themselves.

I used the Partition Magic Rescue Disk Set as I wanted to make sure I was working with a clean HDD.

The next stage is to put the Windows DVD in the drive making sure you are using the right one as all the retail versions of Windows 7 come with both 32 and 64 bit versions. Restart the computer and if the BIOS are properly set you should see Windows files starting to load.
Now comes the setup for the install;

1. The first screen sets your location, language and keyboard. Select UK English and windows will assume you are in the UK and using a UK keyboard.
2. In the next window click on Install Now
3. Accept the licence for the software after reading it
4. Next select Custom install not upgrade
5. In the next window select drive 0. This is/was C: drive before you formatted it
   a. If you chose not to format the drive before beginning this process, now is the time to do it by clicking on Drive 0 and on format below the drive window. it only takes a few seconds and then you can click on next.
   b. One word of warning here. If you are upgrading from XP your C: drive may be quite small as XP has a very small footprint compared to Vista. Windows 7 needs 26 Gb of free space just for the operating system. You also need room to install programs like Office. I would suggest that the smallest drive you can safely install Windows 7 on is 80 Gb.
   c. If you are installing on to a laptop make sure you don't inadvertently delete or format the space on the HDD where your recovery files are located. You should have copied them to a recovery CD/DVD before beginning any work on your laptops HDDs.
6. The next window is where the files for the new operating system are copied to the HDD, unpacked and installed. Nothing much will happen while this is going on so go and make yourself a sandwich and a pot of coffee.
7. Your computer will restart several times while the installation is in progress and you will be asked for a name for your account, a name for the computer and a password. Write these down because if you forget them you will have to go back to square one and start again.

If the previous 7 steps have completed successfully you now have a brand new clean installation of Windows 7.

The next job must be to install an Antivirus program before you do anything else to your computer. Miss out this step at your peril, it takes only a very few minutes for an unprotected computer connected to the internet to be infected.

You can now begin to set your computer up for internet, email, add accounts for other users on family machines and generally get the computer ready to have the programs installed. You will find my guide for doing this at

I have got a new computer.

You can download this blog as a PDF here

Update to Windows 7 - Day 1 - Preparation

The key to a successful update of any computer is meticulous preparation. There is no other way to ensure you get all of your data transferred to the 'New' computer and that all your desktop icons, email, favourite programs, internet shortcuts and those tweaks that make your present machine individual to you.
So how do you plan your upgrade? This is how I do it :-

1. Go to Start > All Programs and make a list of all the programs/applications at present on your computer
2. When you have made the list go through it and cross off any program you haven't used in the past six months - odds are you don't need it and won't miss it.
3. Decide where you are going to back up your present computer to. This can be..
   a. A separate HDD in your present computer (Not a partition on the same HDD)
   b. A large memory stick (At least 4 Gb preferably larger)
   c. An External HDD
   d. Several CDs or DVDs (not the best solution as too much can go wrong in the file copying process)
   e. Do not try to do this with Floppy disks (you would need hundreds) or Zip drives which are not supported in Windows 7
4. In Windows find your Desktop folder and copy it to your backup folder(s)
   a. In XP you will find it at C:\Documents and Settings\%your Account%\Desktop
   b. In Vista the folder is in C:\users\%your account%\Desktop
5. Next find the Favourites folder and copy that to the backup You will find the Favourites folder in the same place you found desktop
6. Find the links folder and copy that to the backupYou will find the Links folder in the same place you found desktopNB - you may not find one in XP it depends on the version of Internet Explorer you are using.
7. Now find the Documents folder (My Documents in XP) and copy it to the backup
8. You may have a Downloads folder - if you do copy that to the backup
9. If you save or edit videos find the Videos folder and copy it to the backup
10. Likewise if you have any saved pictures on your HDD find the folder that contains them and copy it to the backup
11. If you have downloaded any music you will find the files in the music folder - copy it to the backup
12. In Vista you may find a Contacts folder in %your Account% folder - copy that to the backup
13. If you use Outlook you now need to start to back it up. First find the Outlook folder that contains the pst files.
    a. In Vista they are in C:\Users\%your Account%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook
    b. In XP they are found in C:\Documents and Settings\%your account%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook
14. Copy all the files in the folder to a new folder called Outlook in your backup folder
15. Make sure you have written copies of the settings for ALL your email accounts. You need for each one the following :-
    a. The email address
    b. The username
    c. The password
    d. The pop3 server address
    e. The smtp server address
16. Now back up any message rules you use
    a. Go to Tools > Rules and Alerts (Outlook 2007) > Options > Export Rules and save them to a rules folder you have made in the outlook folder in your backup
17. There are several commercial solutions to backup Outlook email accounts but there is not one recommended by Microsoft. The only other way to do it is by copying part of the registry and then copying that into your 'new' computer registry. If you don't know what you are doing this method is fraught with problems so I am not going to detail it.
18. Last but by no means least, search your C: drive for any data that you may have saved there and copy it to your backup. These can be anything from photos, MS Word files, Spreadsheets, in fact anything you have made/produced yourself. Check carefully because once you have formatted your drive ready to install Windows 7, anything you have missed is gone forever.

Right you are now ready to start the process of installing Windows 7. My copy of Windows 7 Professional has just arrived so I had better start doing what I have told you to do.

You can download this blog as a pdf here

Windows 7

Windows 7 is released to the general public on Thursday 22nd October. I have been asked many times if it is any good?, Should I update?, Should I wait for SP1?, Do I need it?, etc, etc.
To try to answer some of these questions I have written a web page all about Windows 7 that I hope will answer most if not all of these questions. To do it I have trawled the web to find relevant articles, forums and blogs that all throw light on what Windows 7 is and, more importantly, what it is not. The forums give you a cross section of the questions people are asking about Windows 7 and some of the answers. The blogs are by the team who built Windows 7 and some of the people involved in its testing.

You can find the Windows 7 page here omega-cottage.com

Octreotide

I am now one week into the trial of Octreotide and to date I have no symptoms of dumping[1]. I do have a new side effect though. The amount of food I can eat at one sitting is now much smaller than it was before the injections began. This is a return to how my stomach was immediately after the op. This may be a good thing as I have grown a bay window. If I can only eat very small portions I may just lose weight and some inches off my waist line.

I also have a new blood meter. My old one was showing signs of age so I rang up to buy a new one. I was told I didn't need to buy a new one, I could have one free plus I could have the download cable to connect it to my computer and the software to record and analyse my daily blood results. Well I have never been one to say no to a free gadget so I now have an internet connected blood meter - whatever will the boffins come up with next?

[1] Dumping is when, after eating, your pulse races, you sweat profusely, you feel faint or dizzy, your blood sugar rises and you are sometimes sick.

Octreotide and a new lease of life

The first test with Octreotide was a complete flop - I was given 50 mg as a subcutaneous injection half an hour before breakfast and it made no difference at all, I still broke out in sweats, my BP went up and my heart rate increased. It was then suggested that we double the dose to 100mg and have the injection 1 hr before eating.

SUCCESS !!!!

For the first time in several years I was able to eat a full meal with no symptoms at all. We repeated the test at the next three meals each time giving me an injection an hour before eating. Each time I ate the meals with no distressing symptoms at all.

So I am now home again with a bucket full of syringes a fridge full of Octreotide and very sore fingers from all the BM tests. The plan is that over the next few weeks I will continue the injections at home and see if the improvement is sustained. If it is I will be reviewed in clinic and a long tern regime for these injections will be worked out.

Octreotide has two unfortunate side effects. the first is that it gives you very smelly wind. Even the cats were complaining last night. I am told this eases off in time as your body gets used to the drug. The second side effect is more serious as octreotide interferes with the action of diabetic medication like Metformin. My blood sugars have gone from their usual 7 to 8 (too high I know) to between 10 to 17. Short term I have been told to double the Metformin and check my bloods three times a day (Oh my sore fingers) Long term I have been referred to the diabtologists at LGI to see if I need additional medication or even need to move on to insulin injections.

Well that's it, I am home and maybe, just maybe, I can get back to being able to eat in public again and share a meal with friends and family. If that is so, it means I will get back some of what I had lost through dumping all this time. my only regret is that it has taken so long for the medics to try to help me.

Dumping - maybe but maybe not

I am still in hospital and I am writing this blog from my hospital bed on my laptop.
When the Drs suggested I came into hospital I was quietly pleased that someone was going to have a look at the unpleasant symptoms I get whenever I eat.
In short what happens after the first few mouthful is :-

• I start to sweat heavily
• My pulse rate jumps to about 150 bpm
• My blood pressure rises
• I feel dizzy
• I am sometimes sick

In the past these symptoms have been described as Dumping Syndrome and various Doctors and Surgeons have told me they could do nothing about it. Three weeks ago I was referred to a Gastroenterologist at Jimmy’s here in Leeds. In the past most medics have pooh poohed my description of the symptoms I get when I eat so I thought it wouldn’t hurt anything to show them.
The appointment was a 9am so instead of having my breakfast at home I took it with me and ate it just before going in to see the Dr. She took one look at the state I was in and decided I needed to come into hospital for tests to try to work out what was going on.

I think I will draw a veil over the false starts and none availability of beds but eventually I found myself on the gastroenterology ward discussing what happens to me when I eat.
The first test I was given is called a Glucose challenge test which is the standard test for diagnosing diabetes. It involves fasting for 16hrs then drinking a sugary drink. To see what happens a blood sample is taken every 30 minutes for three hrs and your BP, pulse, rate and oxygen levels are also checked.

I didn’t react as they thought I would because I don’t react to sugar in any form other than to start passing sugar in my urine. However it did confirm I am diabetic (This has never been tested for before).

After a lot of head scratching and tooth sucking the Drs decided to devise a test to see what happens when I eat toast. The test has been dubbed the toast challenge test and involves another 16hr fast and then being given 3 slices of buttered toast and a cup of coffee. This time I did react, I was wet through with sweat (I needed to change my pyjamas), My BP went through the roof, my heart rate was just short of 200bpm and I felt really ill. The bloods they took during this test charted the rise in my blood sugar to 17.1 (normal is less than 7) and confirmed that I am a full diabetic but didn’t explain why I react the way I do when I eat.

When the results of the bloods came back from the lab they gave a picture of a rising blood sugar for the first 30 mins after eating and then over the next two hours a slow drop back towards normal. This is NOT dumping syndrome as what would have happened if it was is that my blood sugar should have gone up over a 2 hr period and then suddenly drop to 3 or less accompanied by tremors on the limbs.

As I have reacted to every meal I have been given in hospital so far the Medical team are very aware there is something wrong but are stumped to explain just what. The next step in the investigation is to repeat the toast challenge but this time to give me an injection of Octreotide during the test.

I am apprehensive about this test because looking this drug up on the internet, it is widely used to ease the symptoms of Dumping by increasing the output of insulin and other gastric enzymes. However as my symptoms are the opposite of those shown by classical dumping it isn’t clear what effect Octreotide will have on me. Oh well if anything goes wrong Jackie will be here with me to alert the staff and I couldn’t be in a better place.

Watch this space to see if the test showed up anything interesting.

Just in time

I took retirement a few weeks ago and it has become apparent I accidently did the right thing just in time. Since then I went to a clinic at Jimmy's and within five days found myself in Hospital getting ready to have all sorts of tests because the gastroenterologists have decided that the dumping
that makes eating such a pain (especially in public) is actually something to worry about.

I have had one 28 hr period having blood tests but I was let out to go on holiday as I couldn't afford to cancel a prepaid holiday and we both needed the break quite badly. However once the holiday is over, I will be going back into hospital this time to stay there while they do some exhaustive tests to find out if the symptoms I get every time I eat is dumping or out of control diabetes.

The other thing the hospital is worried about is that my shirt size has gone from medium at Christmas to xxl now but I haven't put any weight on, in fact I am about 5 kgms lighter.

Just before I left hospital to go on holiday one of the nurses told me with unholy glee that next week I will have to have a 24hr period of 15 minute blood tests. Not much chance of getting any sleep with that going on. I am also having a barium meal on Tuesday so judging by previous experience I should be bunged up solid by Thursday. I don't know what other fun packed plans they have for me but they tell me that if they start any form of treatment after the tests they want me to stay in until they have had a chance to evaluate how effective the treatment is.

If I hadn't cleared all but one of my previous commitments I don't think I could cope at the moment. I have one last web site to complete and then I can have a break and concentrate in dealing with whatever the hospital thinks is wrong.

Our Holiday has been a great success. The Hotel is wonderful (Wrea Head Country House Hotel, Scalby, near Scarborough - 01723 371 190). It is a country house and is full of antiques and old word decor. However the services are right up to date (TV in the bathroom and a power shower). The food is excellent with a different menu every night. The staff are eager to please and nothing is too much trouble. The grounds are full of wild life and there are paths leading to spots where you
can sit enjoying the sight and sounds of the working farm next door.

Talking of farms we were told about a new bird garden and animal park on Scarborough Road just outside Filey. It is a family enterprise and has a lot more than just birds. The owner told us that some of the animals they look after were rescues. We met two donkeys that are the gentlest we have ever seen. When they arrived they were in a terrible state but to look at them now, without the photographic evidence, you wouldn't believe it. They so delicately and gently took the food from our hands and then followed us as we looked round the rest of the pens. The owner and her family have worked very hard to build this garden and they have made it a welcoming and delightful way to spend sometime learning about domestic animals and how to care for them. We spent a happy couple of hours wandering around the various pens and can thoroughly reccomend stopping off for a look round and a snack in the cafe afterwards.

Scarborough has changed a lot since we last visted some years ago. Where ever you go you can see signs of refurbishment and rebuilding. A good example of this is the Corner Cafe area which is now a block of flats with shops underneath. We were thrilled to find that one of the Cafes is owned by the family that used to run the fruit stall next to the corner cafe and they have started selling the
waffles that were so famous at this place. Yes I did make a pig of myself and loved every mouthful.

That's all for this blog,

Bob

Winding up

It is with a heavy heart I am writing this week to tell you that I have become the latest victim of the financial downturn that has hit this country. As I told you in my last post, Milo our chocolate lab has got a problem with his eye. The vet's bills from that have added up to just short of £1,000. That wouldn't have been a problem if Sainsbury's Pet Insurance had paid out on time as they have in the past. This time they have been messing about asking for Milo's full medical history although they have known him as long as we have had him, sending the claim forms back for more information that they had already been given and acting as though we were making a fraudulent claim. This has caused both us and our vet some serious heartache because we (and our vet) don't see our pets as financial liabilities which is why we have insurance on them. However at a time like this the pet's needs come first and we argue with the insurance company later.

I always try to carry a float so that if something like this goes wrong I can pay the bills as they come in and chase insurance companies later but this time my float has been eroded by one of our other pets having a huge abscess on her jaw at the same time - more vet's bills. Again normally the float covers all these things but recently I have been having cash flow problems with customers being very slow to pay their invoices so I have been borrowing from Peter to pay Paul so to speak.

The crunch came when we had to cancel our holiday because I needed the money to pay the vet. Some of our slowest payers were on holiday having a good time and sending me email requests and instructions for more work together with photos of themselves enjoying their break. This was the straw that broke the camel's back because when I started working with computers my wife had said that she didn't mind what I did as long as my activities didn't effect the bills being paid and our family life wasn't curtailed by them. Having to cancel the holiday we both badly need was seen as my activities doing just that.

Omega Cottage will close for new business on 1st September. I will miss the work and the friends I have made in the years I have been trying to help folk to get the best out of their computers. It is going to be a wrench stripping down and selling off the infrastructure I have enjoyed so much building here in my study but there is no point keeping more than a single computer as I will not need the servers and Macs I have now to do the bit of web surfing and maintenance on my personal web site.

Thanks to all of you who have been customers and friends down through the years, I will miss you.