I know there are  problems but no clue how to resolve it Col.

El Loro is your best bet and Rog has a brother who could help, that's his line of work .

Nice to see you .

I pm'd Rog for you .

Oh Cologne I feel your pain - I got Windows 8 in November and I still struggle. The Only useful hint that I can give you (if the set up is the same) is - when you switch on and you have that horrible screen with all the boxes on it - click on the small cog in the blue box - it takes you to a more 'traditional' desk top. 

Other than that I really haven't much advice - it's a bit of trial and error. If you need something specific I'll see if I can help but I'm a complete divvy on the techie front.

Good luck

IF you can't seem to do anything with it . . .

It might be that you need to switch it on

Always happy to help

Call again soon  xxx

Sorry Col, I don't know anything about Windows 8, I just wanted to say welcome back.

You could buy a reference book such as Windows 8.1 for Dummies:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=...ies+Wind%2Caps%2C252

Don't be put off the title as the Dummies series of books are very useful.

go here and download and install the Classic shell. http://www.classicshell.net/

It means you can set the desktop back to something you are more familiar with.

Yep, Olly that was done for me when I had my new lappy with Windows 8 on. However, I also had Linux installed so hardly every use Windows 8

Btw El, I bought Windows 8 Dummies. It was a waste of money, not for content but cause as I said above, I hardly ever use it

Awww Col   I feel your pain - Windows 8 and 8.1 are terribly hard to get used to.

The layout makes it hard to find things. You know the taskbar? [strip at the bottom] If you drag icons from the desktop down there for things you frequently use, that helps. 

Swishing the cursor down to the bottom right brings up a mini menu - hard to get used to but you will get the hang of it, trust me.

I've pm'd you if you want to ask anything ?

No one likes a know-it-all  

This is about the best easy to read W8 User manual I could find. States the basics without being too confusing.   

http://www.techradar.com/news/...-and-secrets-1028220

Poor Col  If its any consolation, here's me using W8 for the first time:

*slap*

You were saying? 

Felt kinda good 

You posted that for me a while ago. Coward as I am I was a bit scared of downloading it. I am persevering - I don't believe that I'm using W8 in the way it was intended but I'm getting there -discovering new stuff all the time.

I notice Col hasn't been back - I hope she hasn't dropped into the abyss

 I knew it 

Thanks for the replies. I flaked last night and fell asleep, but I will address myself to it today.

What? You'll post yourself?

Hope you've got it sorted now Cologne  

I'm taking baby steps (ie it's going to take me weeks)

You will conquer it Col 

There was no way I wanted win 8  with my new pooter, but I bit the bullet and....although I think they've made it a bit harder to work with, it's not as bad as peeps make out once you get used to it. You Tube is your friend  

When  I closed it down, it decided to give me loads of updates (about 1 hr), then undid it all again because they failed; another hr. now nothing works.

nooooooooooo

go to windows updates-trouble shooting

I've downloaded FF and things are moving in the right direction, I just don't know my way around FF.

I've been (and will again), but tbh, it seems like gobbledeguke (sp) to me and if they don't ask for my e mail, I don't even expect an answer.

I know how you feel Cologne. When I had my new lappy I had the guy I brought it off do all the setting up and installing all the updates. He has looked after my computers for 6 or 7 years. I am hopeless at techy stuff

is it cos your laptop is trying to update from windows 8 to windows 8.1?

go to reg and enter the windows key then update

Maybe, it's not communicating with me.

Now you're talking Greek to me. What reg and what key please. Thank you.

you have to validate the windows before you can update
maybe thats it?

when you got laptop-if it was new-did you have info?

if you did either look at the info you got with it or put the disk in that came with it-cos it sounds like you havent registered your laptop-im not an expert but if you register it-it should work

 look under the laptop were the sticker is there should be a key

will do.