[Essexboy]

Yes the upgrade to 8.1 is worthwhile. However there are a few things that must be noted:

Some programmes will not survive the upgrade and will have to be re-installed
Window will provide you with a list of these programmes and links to enable you to re-download them

Are you now using Classic shell to give you the start button and menu back

As an aside are you using the AOL browser rather than IE ?

There is a step by step guide here on how the upgrade is performed http://www.techrepub...-windows-store/

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Okay, I will go check out and see which programs will not survive the upgrade. It sounds like it might be necessary to have a lot of time available which is something I don't have right now. No, I haven't downloaded the Classic shell, as yet, as I'm too concerned about not being able to get to certain websites. As a disabled senior citizen, it is actually imperative that I get to the website for the nuwavepic.com item so that I can place an order. Where I live I do not have a kitchen and truly need the item. However, for the freebies I want, it has to be ordered online and not through their 800# and they make no exceptions as I've tried. I'm concerned that I use to be able to visit the sites and now I cannot, as it doesn't make sense. The same holds true for the weekly ads. Living on a very small fixed income causes me to follow the sales. I cannot follow that which I am unaware of. Yes, I usually use AOL as my main browser. I use IE and the others when I need to be looking at various sites simultaneoulsy for comparisons or references. I've been with AOL since they were CVC and I am a loyalist !!! LOL However, AOL launches via IE.

[sweetsuzee]

Okay, I will go check out and see which programs will not survive the upgrade. It sounds like it might be necessary to have a lot of time available which is something I don't have right now. No, I haven't downloaded the Classic shell, as yet, as I'm too concerned about not being able to get to certain websites. As a disabled senior citizen, it is actually imperative that I get to the website for the nuwavepic.com item so that I can place an order. Where I live I do not have a kitchen and truly need the item. However, for the freebies I want, it has to be ordered online and not through their 800# and they make no exceptions as I've tried. I'm concerned that I use to be able to visit the sites and now I cannot, as it doesn't make sense. The same holds true for the weekly ads. Living on a very small fixed income causes me to follow the sales. I cannot follow that which I am unaware of. Yes, I usually use AOL as my main browser. I use IE and the others when I need to be looking at various sites simultaneoulsy for comparisons or references. I've been with AOL since they were CVC and I am a loyalist !!! LOL However, AOL launches via IE.

[Essexboy]

You can use FF and Chrome to visit the sites until this is resolved

The actual time to install may take as much as 30 minutes, my system updated in 15

[sweetsuzee]

I'm confused. You mention using FF and Chrome to visit the sites until this is resolved. I have the exact same results on FF and Chrome as I do in IE and AOL so what difference does it make? I'm not following your logic. Also, and this is probably the dumbest question you've read in a long time, but I want to make certain I make no mistakes in upgrading to 8.1 The website for upgrading insists that a backup of the system be made to DVD's. My laptop does not have a floppy disc drive although I do have an external disc drive that I can plug in. However, I have a Monster Digital Solid State External Drive. Can't I backup to the Monster?

[Essexboy]

My apologies I thought that the other browsers worked OK

Yes back up to the monster

[sweetsuzee]

No problem. No, the sites I cannot maneuver do not work on any browser. However, I have to laugh and I am quite positive that there is a very powerful hijacker on this computer because no matter where I go I am constantly seeing an ad inseerted for the nuwavepic cooking equipment which is the actual site I cannot launch successfully. That cracks me up in that even when clicking on the links to the ad, the same thing happens, i.e., the page starts to launch and then goes blank. I had originally thought it had something to do with CONDUIT or something to do with a "container" but since we removed them, it is still happening. Also, another thing driving me crazy now. You had me uninstall Norton as I kept AVG. Now, about every 10 minutes, I'm getting a Norton pop-up wanting me to backup my entire hard drive. I never once received such a message when Norton was installed. Go figure !!!

[Essexboy]

That will be Norton back up .. it will be in control panel > programmes feature and will be either Norton or Symantec backup (they use both names )
So you can remove it from there.

Windows 8.1 has a programme called file history which can create an image of your system on the monster drive that you have. This is a total copy of your hard drive, so if anything goes wrong you can replace it in minutes
[attachment=67820:Capture.JPG]

http://winsupersite....em-image-backup

[sweetsuzee]

An update - It wound up that the Conduit search garbage which had hijacked my system had not be removed. Today the search was defaulting in IE, FF and chrome. Regardless of how many times I changed the default at Internet Options, it kept creeping back in. I turned to the net looking for a solution for that one particular problem and there were many sites offering help. I successfully manually removed the Conduit search from the computer entirely and that is no longer a problem. I also conducted a Windows Repair (all in one) aka Tweaking.com and ran through all of the steps and am still in the same boat. There are certain websites and then some that I simply cannot work or get to. I just don't understand it. Today, for instance, I received a Black Friday ad from Ikea. It had moving pages and it worked just fine. Videos work just fine. It doesn't make any sense that the "weekly ad" section of Walgreens.com does not work nor that I cannot even get into the ad page at www.nuwavepic.com, a site I sorely need to get to. If you have any other suggestions or brainstorms, please do not hesitate to let me know. Thanks, Sue

[Essexboy]

OK lets try a tool that I have used a while back that has now been updated

Go to Petrichorpost and download Complete Internet Repair
Use the highlighted button to get it
[attachment=67849:Capture1.JPG]

Once on the desktop unzip the folder :
Double click the file
Select extract all to desktop
Open that folder
Run CIntRep and the following will appear
[attachment=67850:Capture.JPG]

Select all elements as shown and press Go
On completion reboot and try the various browsers again

[sweetsuzee]

Before doing that, what do you think about this? I was looking around the net for answers and tripped across the following - Fix 1: Check your Windows HOSTS file - Make sure there’s no entry in the hosts file that maps the website’s address to localhost or an incorrect IP address like 127.0.0.1 – it is a possibility if you have imported some third-party hosts file.

cmd /k notepad c:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc\hosts

So, I did just that and lo and behold when the HOSTS NOTEPAD popped up it said [127.0.0.1 localhost]. Now mind you, there wasn't really an offer of what to do should this happen so I truly am at a loss. Does this mean anything to you? I found this at - http://www.labnol.or...-websites/2116/ Needless to say, I still cannot access the site.

[Essexboy]

I reset the Host file to default earlier so that should not be a problem. The internet repair programme will flush the DNS and reset IE to defaults plus a few other net related items

[Essexboy]

Due to lack of feedback, this topic has been closed.

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