I'm not having trouble since Ctrl-Alt-Delete does the trick--three keys and one click is all I need. But when you're used to clicking Start->shut down is faster than hotzone -> settings -> shut down.

You could get Start8 from Stardock. It basically makes Win8 work like Win7 by default. It's $5 so it's not a big financial hit to add it.

I downloaded Classic Shell, but until I've convinced my sister to run it, I'm keeping my system as close to hers for support purposes, unfortunately.

Couldn't they just have reskinned stuff? Why add extra screens inbetween things? Why in dog's name does my PC need a lock screen that appears after I wake it up? Moving the mouse is equivalent to touching my touchscreen, dammit! I just feel like there's extra heavy lifting between me and the control panel, me and the desktop, and I still am not sure if I can get a list of all the apps loaded without restoring a start button. I can't get the default Windows firewall etc, to run, and I'm hoping that's because something else is running.

Also, the version of Seagate backup I have crashes on 8, and Windows Backup has disappeared from the control panel of my W8 version, so that's going to take more research. Hopefully Seagate has updates.

I'm recording some videos on my Canon PowerShot for laboratory introductions that I'll then post online for my students. Is Handbrake what I want to get for (really, really) amateur video tweaking (like rotating, cutting pieces out, or splicing pieces together)? I seem to remember Handbrake comes up frequently as a free video app that does lots of stuff.

This troubleshooting should be valid, yeah?

If I send email to yahoo from my domain using the same SMTP server from two different client IPs (Time Warner and T Mobile) and three different email addresses in two completely separate domains and it bounces back with the error "Our system has detected an unusual amount of unsolicited email originating from your address" they're not talking about me they're talking about the SMTP server they're going through, right, which isn't under my control? Unfortunately I don't think I can send from the original address through any other SMTP servers.

eta: My firewalls and virus checks are solid--it doesn't seem to be me abusing said SMTP servers...

Which SMTP server is the bounce coming from, the SMTP server you’re routing through, or the destination SMTP server? Do you authenticate with your SMTP server?

Yahoo is bouncing anything from my SMTP server, to which I do authenticate.

Oh, laptop-wise, I did nigh EVERYTHING. PRAM, OS X reinstalls (2), deleting caches and DS-stores, and yadda yadda. First time I've used phone support, and they seemed kinda disappointed that there was only one thing left to do--

The hardware test. Extended fails 1m51s in (let sit 3 hours), the unextended froze 7 seconds (let that sit for 40 minutes) into the memory test. What that has to do with my symptoms I got no clue, but if my hard drive can be not the problem, that's great.

I have a Genius Bar appointment for Friday, since I can't drive tomorrow.

My last good backup was 2 weeks ago. I can copy my data from the network, so if the drive gets nuked it's not the worst. I just...I don't want to test the backup. Testing Seagate Black Armor backup wasn't fun, but at least there was no duress and I now have a Windows 8 happy version running weekly.

Can't get iTunes to wipe everything off my iPod ironically. I backed it up to iTunes, and want to replace everything with that library, but it seems to be trying to copy it side by side. Which doesn't fit...

Should I be worried that the battery in my Harmony remote looks a little...puffy? The plastic doohickey that goes over the battery wasn't laying flat, and when I took it off to adjust it, I realized it's because the battery is no longer flat.

Since it's lithium-ion rechargeable, I'm wondering if it's about to explode and catch fire or something.

That is not something you want to fuck around with, Jess.

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