If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[Excalibur]

An adage that certain companies might do well to follow at times.
Right, as detailed elsewhere, I've got a new Windows 7 desktop. The old one is Vista, and I have grown to love and understand Windows Mail. My laptop is Windows 7, but I've never ( knowingly ) used it for email, so I've never used Windows Live Mail. Here's the tricky bit. Can I either configure Live Mail to be almost exactly like Mail, or can I even somehow run Mail instead? Initial Googling has baffled me, and that's even before I've tried to configure any account settings. :daft:


As you may guess, there may be other questions along similar lines, until/unless I admit defeat and run two base units together, because I haven't been able to set the new one up to my satisfaction. Progress? Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr:mad:
Thanks folks

[deltic]

An adage that certain companies might do well to follow at times.
Right, as detailed elsewhere, I've got a new Windows 7 desktop. The old one is Vista, and I have grown to love and understand Windows Mail. My laptop is Windows 7, but I've never ( knowingly ) used it for email, so I've never used Windows Live Mail. Here's the tricky bit. Can I either configure Live Mail to be almost exactly like Mail, or can I even somehow run Mail instead? Initial Googling has baffled me, and that's even before I've tried to configure any account settings. :daft:


As you may guess, there may be other questions along similar lines, until/unless I admit defeat and run two base units together, because I haven't been able to set the new one up to my satisfaction. Progress? Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr:mad:
Thanks folks

Did it not just work straight out of the box then?:):):):sofa:

[Excalibur]

Did it not just work straight out of the box then?:):):):sofa:

Watch it son, any mention of waterproof overcoats, and I'm heading off to look for the "ban" button. :Naughty::D:D

Come on mate, I thought connecting it to the internet via my Livebox all on my own was pretty impressive.

And the next question, even though we've not solved the first one yet:
Two computers, one printer. Should be a doddle to share them, eh? Well no. I'm guessing that since I'm controlling them both with a KVM switch, when I select the new one, I'm effectively disconnecting the old one ( attached physically to the printer ). Aren't I? Is there an easy solution, or am I going to have to hot swap the printer USB cable each time?

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Buy a wireless printer or set up a network and share the printer on the network.

[Excalibur]

Buy a wireless printer or set up a network and share the printer on the network.
Well yes, a solution which had occurred to me. Sadly, I recently purchased a new printer without that facility. Hey ho.

Allegedly, it should be possible with what I have, but as I said, I fear the KVM switch is preventing that. Ah well.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

And setting up a network?

[Excalibur]

And setting up a network?

I sort of tried that. It was complicated. And as I said before, I think that when I select the new computer with the KVM switch, it may be disconnecting the old one from the network. Since the old one has the printer on, that's a problem.

I may have another go sometime. Thanks anyway.

[ukpartydj]

Can I either configure Live Mail to be almost exactly like Mail, or can I even somehow run Mail instead?

I'm not sure you can, microsoft are phasing out there old programs - windows mesh has merged with skydrive, hotmail - Live mail / outlook.
I use windows live mail as it's great for seeing emails from multiple accounts and generally easy to use, I would suggest learning to love this email program as it's a very good one in my opinion.

[Excalibur]

I think Spotify has upgraded its version, it does that from time to time, usually with no ill effects. This time however, it's gone from a normal, easily readable background to some trendy, virtually illegible black one! :mad: Anybody know how to change it back? Please? Pretty please?

[Excalibur]

Current sat nav is terminally ill. ( Or it will be, when I throw it out of the window on the way home, after I've passed breaking point :mad::mad: )
It keeps leaving the navigation display, cos I reckon it thinks I'm trying to change, when I'm not.
So, I inspected the current equivalent. Oh dear. They've " improved " it. Words fail me. It took me months to acclimatise to this one when I changed last time, and Idon't envisage it being as rapid this time. Grrrr.

Similarly, after a customer ripped the cables out of my trusty German powerbar, destroying one of the circuit boards, I bought a new one, safe in the knowledge that they'd be identical. Alas, no. I suspected this due to the way some programmes ran, and my suspicions were confirmed when it turned out the new ones have seven pins per can, and the old one has four. Hence why sourcing the board for the old one is proving tiresome.

I suppose my next trial will be when I get a Windows 10 machine. I can't wait. :(

[Nakatomi]

I dunno what it is about wireless printers, but every blinking time I try to print something wirelessly I end up reaching for a USB cable. And then, as if by magic, the print starts. It must see the cable & think I'm going to throttle it by that point.

In making something 'simple' to operate (in my case) my Epson inkjet has made the process of fault-finding completely opaque. Not to mention annoying with all its nagging about non-genuine cartridges & updates.

With regard to your email Peter, why not try a different mail client like Thunderbird? Sure it's not the best email program ever made but I find it a darn sight better than anything Microsoft have ever churned out. I use webmail (gmail for personal stuff & webmail for my web domain email) & a phone client for all my email duties now & don't have any issues with it.

[CRAZY K]

Current sat nav is terminally ill. ( Or it will be, when I throw it out of the window on the way home, after I've passed breaking point :mad::mad: )
It keeps leaving the navigation display, cos I reckon it thinks I'm trying to change, when I'm not.
So, I inspected the current equivalent. Oh dear. They've " improved " it. Words fail me. It took me months to acclimatise to this one when I changed last time, and Idon't envisage it being as rapid this time. Grrrr.

Similarly, after a customer ripped the cables out of my trusty German powerbar, destroying one of the circuit boards, I bought a new one, safe in the knowledge that they'd be identical. Alas, no. I suspected this due to the way some programmes ran, and my suspicions were confirmed when it turned out the new ones have seven pins per can, and the old one has four. Hence why sourcing the board for the old one is proving tiresome.

I suppose my next trial will be when I get a Windows 10 machine. I can't wait. :(

Peter, some advice, don't bother with Windows 10.

I very much doubt it can do anything FOR YOUR REQUIREMENTS that 7 does already.

My old TOSH laptop is swinging along beautifully for everything on windows 7-internet, word processing etc.

Got a new Laptop with Windows 8 and upgraded to 10.

Very disappointed.

The Microsoft effort to try and amalgamate all your email boxes together is rubbish--they obviously tried to copy Apples I pad menu for emails which is fantastic--well it is compared to windows 10.

Re sat nav--mine lost its brain so I took it back to Halfords under warranty and they tried to tell me a factory reset would fix it. Yeah every few weeks nip into Halfords --:daft

If it's on the way to a gig --which it was--it's not funny, even if you can map read.

After a bit of ARGUING they agreed to give me a new one, as I said --ITS GOING TO GO WRONG AGAIN.

I use GARMIN SAT NAVS which seem reasonable so far, apart from above, the oldest one in the family about 8 years or more is still going strong--even if doesn't recognise everything these days as not updated.

ALAN

[ukpartydj]

Had an issue with windows 10 and my audio interface ... well more an issue with Edirol who make the UA25.
Spent a good hour sorting it all out by editing some code in some file! Not Microsoft's problem Edirol have just abandoned supporting it.

[Excalibur]

I've calmed down below simmer now, and should soon be quite relaxed.

Once upon a time, I had a Business account, and a Personal account, both accessed in the same way on the same web page. I entered different details for each account, and logged in without any hitches at all for years.
HSBC decided that businesses needed extra security, so moved me across to the Business system, sending me a " Welcome " pack. This set in motion a chain of events, firstly they removed my previous access, forcing me to set up the new one. Partly my fault, as I put it off too long, after all, why change? :o:o

This pack expired, so I was sent a new one, with all new codes to activate the :Censored::Censored::Censored::Censored: thing. The inevitable error code came up, so I rang helpdesk. " Our end is fine, so we don't know what's wrong. I'll email the boffins department, who will be at work tomorrow, and we'll ring to let you know. "

Correct, no phone call. I ring again, am offered a new welcome pack which will add another 7-10 days delay. She rings the boffins, who aren't any help, they'll look at it and get back to me tomorrow. I try to convey my displeasure to the young lady, who eventually hangs up.

You're already ahead of me, aren't you? No call, I ring again, and get a very helpful young lady. By this time, I'm losing the will to live, so have mellowed a little. After a loooooong time on hold, she sends out another activation code by text, which takes time to arrive, so I say goodbye. The text arrives in ten minutes, so I ring helpdesk again, to be walked through the process for the umpteenth time, and voila, success!! :D:D:D

Pancakes and :beer1: time now, I feel.

[Imagine]

Funny enough I've just changed from Natwest to HSBC, and I'm finding they're a breath of fresh air and nothing more than helpful.
Maybe that's because I'm a new customer - it just WORKS for me :)

[mattydj50]

Funny enough I've just changed from Natwest to HSBC, and I'm finding they're a breath of fresh air and nothing more than helpful.
Maybe that's because I'm a new customer - it just WORKS for me :)

I went the other way some years ago because NatWest were being a complete pain in the posterior.

Tried to set up my step daughter's HMRC self assessment account, that was a similar experience where they sent out four activation codes, none of which worked, because, once another code was sent, the previous one was barred. She started panicking with the threat of 31 January deadline and £100 fine, so I eventually I got through on their helpline and a very helpful gent extended the 31 January deadline for her by 14 days to allow for all of the codes to expire and one fresh, clean code to arrive. Which it did. And it worked.

Of course, with HMRC, you don't have the luxury of taking your business elsewhere (apart from the Cayman Islands or Atlantis perhaps).

[Excalibur]

And today's award goes to Microshaft. :mad:
I was running a high grade Nokia phone, and when it came to upgrade time, I got its successor. Happy days. :D

Except the old one which worked flawlessly with the hands free functions on the radio was Windows 8, and the new one 10. Long story short, it won't work acceptably using Cortana, It's virtually impossible to disable Cortana on the new phone, I can't roll it back to 8, cos it never ran 8, and even if I somehow manage to hack it to euthanase the wretched woman, I'm told the next automatic update is likely to resurrect her. :bang:

Least worst answer? Subject to testing it with Jeanette's Galaxy, buy a £50 Android pay as you go phone, and live with it for eighteen months, until upgrade time rolls round. Progress, eh? :(

[Imagine]

Say what you like about the fruity variety of phone....they do (sometimes annoyingly) have a habit of doing what they're supposed to do :sofa:

[Nakatomi]

Say what you like about the fruity variety of phone....they do (sometimes annoyingly) have a habit of doing what they're supposed to do :sofa:

Yup that's probably true, even when it's something you don't want them to do :rofl:

I dunno what my next 'smart' phone is gonna be exactly, but I know that whatever it is, it'll let me be its master & remove all the junk I don't want or need that wastes space

[yourdj]

Say what you like about the fruity variety of phone....they do (sometimes annoyingly) have a habit of doing what they're supposed to do :sofa:

Never had any issues with mine, its amazing. I don't use it as a phone very often but for banking, telling the time and getting me places its spot on. I might upgrade to a 6+ soon as the sh prices must be good. Thats the trick with Apple, buy the stuff when all the 'must av dat' muppets get bored and the next model comes out. Very impressed with Samsung though. Especially the camera. :)

[Excalibur]

I don't use it as a phone very often

:doh:

A lot like the folk who go to Tesco in their whacking great 4 wheel drives, eh Toby. Used for everything except what it's actually designed for. Give me strength. :(

[Imagine]

:doh:

A lot like the folk who go to Tesco in their whacking great 4 wheel drives, eh Toby. Used for everything except what it's actually designed for. Give me strength. :(

Eeeee....and I used to love this when I owned one.

18291

For the younger viewers - you didn't even have text messaging in those days (and it's not THAT long ago).

My first phone?

18292

Didn't even show the number of the incoming call. It just said **CALL**. A battery lasted half a day (some things don't change :o )...it actually came with a charging cradle and spare battery. And yes....you had to whip the aerial up to actually talk on the thing.

[Excalibur]

Aw Wayne, I'm misting up here. :cry: I fondly remember the excitement I felt the day I got a call and the display showed a number!! :eek:

Can't find a number for my first phone, but it did indeed come with a cradle, a dinky battery which lasted an hour or two, and a huge one which doubled the weight of the phone. :D

Anyway, I have news of my phone problems and the solution. Despite scouring the internet, Google, Youtube, phone shops, phone providers and Uncle Tom Cobleigh and all, it became apparent that there was no way of getting my super de luxe all singing, all dancing Windows10 to work satisfactorily with my handsfree. :(:(:(

So, what to change? The radio in the van cost over £200, a lot of effort and a favour to purchase and fit, so I was loath to look at another radio. I didn't want a Iphone ( nor was I sure it would play nicely anyway ) so Android it was. After three shops, a lot of questions and an agonising choice between £100 of highly rated kit and £50 of stuff I wasn't sure of, cost won.

I came home with a Pixi. No, not a small person with a pointy hat, but a phone with a nice big screen. As long as it lasts eighteen months, that's all I ask, cos then I can upgrade to a Sony or Samsung.

But does it work in the van, I hear you cry? Suffice to say that by the time I left the car park I could call or text contacts in my phone simply by talking to the radio. Success! :D:D:D

[yourdj]

eh Toby.

I own a Zafira and Insignia estate?

The Zafira in many ways takes up less room and is easier to manage as its not as long. :)
Its also easier to get out of so you don't have to open the door as much.

Any how i have 2 kids now so can park in the mother and children bays :p

[Excalibur]

I own a Zafira and Insignia estate?

:whoosh:
Toby, you :muppet:
Allegory. I was comparing Range Rover drivers who don't ever use them off road to you having a phone and not making phone calls, thus completely avoiding using them for their intended purpose.


Any how i have 2 kids now so can park in the mother and children bays :p
No you can't. You're a Dad, and thus barred on grounds of gender. :p ( Although looking at the graphics on the bays, if you were wearing a frock................................... :D

[mattydj50]

Eeeee....and I used to love this when I owned one.

18291

For the younger viewers - you didn't even have text messaging in those days (and it's not THAT long ago).

My first phone?

18292

Didn't even show the number of the incoming call. It just said **CALL**. A battery lasted half a day (some things don't change :o )...it actually came with a charging cradle and spare battery. And yes....you had to whip the aerial up to actually talk on the thing.

Here's mine....

18293


Ring 16 for Dial-a-disc.

[Excalibur]

And today's award goes unsurprisingly once again to Microshaft. :mad: Good news: I've got a new PC, and I've got email working. :eek::banana:

Bad news: With Live mail, I could move emails between Home and Disco folders, and archive them in designated folders.

Can I do it with the W10 edition? No :Censored: way. :mad::mad::mad::mad:

[ukpartydj]

And today's award goes unsurprisingly once again to Microshaft. :mad: Good news: I've got a new PC, and I've got email working. :eek::banana:

Bad news: With Live mail, I could move emails between Home and Disco folders, and archive them in designated folders.

Can I do it with the W10 edition? No :Censored: way. :mad::mad::mad::mad:

I, also an ex live mail user had to rethink my mail choice when I upgraded my PC. I think the whole live suite was left behind a few years ago which is a bit of a shame.
I'm using Gmail mostly now... costs £3 a month for a business account but the spam filtering is excellent! I use Thunderbird for my other 4 emails accounts which has a similar feel to live mail.

[yourdj]

:doh:

A lot like the folk who go to Tesco in their whacking great 4 wheel drives, eh Toby. Used for everything except what it's actually designed for. Give me strength. :(

As this thread has re popped up - my current family car. Yes I am one of them now. :)
Its not a 4x4 but is rare people carrier 4 wheel drive. Still got the Zafira for me (sold the insignia today).
Long Whell base, its a bit of a beast, but thanks to four wheel drive and parking sensors, is not too bad in reality.

I have 2 kids now (yes i know!) and the back has tons of room for 2 boys!

18457

[DazzyD]

And today's award goes unsurprisingly once again to Microshaft. :mad: Good news: I've got a new PC, and I've got email working. :eek::banana:

Bad news: With Live mail, I could move emails between Home and Disco folders, and archive them in designated folders.

Can I do it with the W10 edition? No :Censored: way. :mad::mad::mad::mad:

Win10 comes with Windows Mail and, despite your post, you can create folders and move mail between them. To do this, simply click on "More" at the bottom of the left hand menu (under the Folders section). At the top of the new screen, it will say "All Folders" followed by "+". Click the "+" and it will allow you to create a new folder of your choice. Then, go to the email you want to move, right-click it and select "Move". You can then choose your new folder and this will move your email across.

I'm thinking I've missed something here as the solution is really quite simple and I would have thought you'd have sussed it out, Peter. Maybe I've misunderstood and you're trying to do something different, I'm not sure. Anyway, for a better, more feature-packed email client, you could always just download the free Thunderbird. It's the best email client that I've used for years now.

[yourdj]

Win10 comes with Windows Mail and, despite your post, you can create folders and move mail between them. To do this, simply click on "More" at the bottom of the left hand menu (under the Folders section). At the top of the new screen, it will say "All Folders" followed by "+". Click the "+" and it will allow you to create a new folder of your choice. Then, go to the email you want to move, right-click it and select "Move". You can then choose your new folder and this will move your email across.

I'm thinking I've missed something here as the solution is really quite simple and I would have thought you'd have sussed it out, Peter. Maybe I've misunderstood and you're trying to do something different, I'm not sure. Anyway, for a better, more feature-packed email client, you could always just download the free Thunderbird. It's the best email client that I've used for years now.

I still use outlook and its fab. Along with Word, good programs always have been.

[ppentertainments]

I'm using Gmail mostly now... costs £3 a month for a business account but the spam filtering is excellent!
I use Gmail (Gsuite) for all my emails now - 4 accounts costing £3.60 each a month. Best money I have ever spent as you get an unbelievable amount of software with it too, which you can automate using tools like Zapier.

My admin time has been cut right down due to this and also means I can access from any computer or device with ease. Took a bit of building confidence having everything in the cloud and relying on automation, but wish I had done it years ago now.

Only snag is the inability to draft an email to send at a later date, boomerang does allow this but only 10 emails a month and to pay works out quite pricey especially for 4 accounts.

[yourdj]

I use Gmail (Gsuite) for all my emails now - 4 accounts costing £3.60 each a month.

I run my emails thought that i think? Its a Google app of some sort anyway. :)

[Excalibur]

.

I'm thinking I've missed something here as the solution is really quite simple and I would have thought you'd have sussed it out, Peter.

Whatever you're drinking, I want some! You're way off, Ah say you're way off, Son. :daft: With Live Mail on 7 I could create archive folders to put stuff in, and best trick of all was when replying to a NaD enquiry. When I sent a reply from the tablet, it wouldn't show as sent on the Home PC. Once it had appeared in the inbox of the Home email address, I simply moved it across into Sent in the Disco. Simples. With Windows 10, everything is ring fenced, and there's no way I can move an email from Disco to Home. I can move them from inbox to sent, or draft, but only in the same address. Grrrrrr! :mad::mad:

[Imagine]

Whatever you're drinking, I want some! You're way off, Ah say you're way off, Son. :daft: With Live Mail on 7 I could create archive folders to put stuff in, and best trick of all was when replying to a NaD enquiry. When I sent a reply from the tablet, it wouldn't show as sent on the Home PC. Once it had appeared in the inbox of the Home email address, I simply moved it across into Sent in the Disco. Simples. With Windows 10, everything is ring fenced, and there's no way I can move an email from Disco to Home. I can move them from inbox to sent, or draft, but only in the same address. Grrrrrr! :mad::mad:

Outlook on a Mac, four different accounts connected to various fruity flavoured devices via IMAP - able to move emails between folders and accounts, and even see them on all different devices :)

[rth_discos]

Office 365 for me.

The best email system there is.

[DJWilson]

Thunderbird all day long!

[Imagine]

With all of these suggestions flying around, I can sense either myself or Marc J will be getting a phonecall at some point later today ;)

[Daryll]

Office 365 for me.

The best email system there is.

Totally agree

Daryll

[Nakatomi]

Thunderbird all day long!

God no. I'm currently using that on my laptop. As emails come in I sort them into monthly folders & most of the time it fails to find emails I search for. Absolutely rubbish! Very very frustrating that it won't search subfolders by default.

[DJWilson]

God no. I'm currently using that on my laptop. As emails come in I sort them into monthly folders & most of the time it fails to find emails I search for. Absolutely rubbish! Very very frustrating that it won't search subfolders by default.

Click on your [email protected] above Inbox. Under Advanced Features - 'Search messages' (subfolders pre-ticked) select filters for search. Subject, body, sender etc.

[Nakatomi]

Click on your [email protected] above Inbox. Under Advanced Features - 'Search messages' (subfolders pre-ticked) select filters for search. Subject, body, sender etc.
Yep been there done that. It has an amazing ability to miss emails in plain sight. I don't know how or why but it just does. It's so frustrating I'm considering PAYING for an email client!

[ppentertainments]

I'm considering PAYING for an email client!
I used a company in Darlo, wasn't cheap @£36ish a month, but after a year they shown me everything I needed to know, had everything setup and running like clockwork, then downgraded my package to the £3.60 a month g-suite which is all I need now.

It really opened my eyes as to how much you can do with email (and in particular g-suite). Not cheap but probably saved me 000's of hours and failures trying to work things out - many options I didn't even know existed.

[rth_discos]

I'm considering PAYING for an email client!

Office 365 (the full version) comes with Outlook (and the rest of the Office Suite - Word, PowerPoint etc), which is an incredibly powerful piece of software.

Alongside that, you also have the power powerful online version of Outlook for when you're on the move, and of course, the mobile app.

Everything just works.

Last night I wanted to catch up on loads of emails, but didn't want to be sending them at 10pm at night. So just clicked 'delay delivery' and all the emails were sent between 9am and 10am this morning. Just one of the many useful tools the software has.

I also use a piece of software called Sane Box https://www.sanebox.com/ which does an excellent job of keeping my inbox full of people I want to hear from, and the less important stuff in a 'later' folder.

[Imagine]

I also use a piece of software called Sane Box https://www.sanebox.com/ which does an excellent job of keeping my inbox full of people I want to hear from, and the less important stuff in a 'later' folder.

'Ow much????!!!??? (and I can hear dear Peter from a couple of hundred miles away!)

I've got four email addresses...believe me...it's cheaper, easier and less hassle just to train Outlook and SpamAssassin as to what's important!

[Marc J]

I always steer clients towards G-Suite rather than O365, when it's just email.

O365 does have the edge if they're also wanting the software (MS Office). I think the G approach of "everything online all the time" is a step too far for some people to grasp sometimes...but once you get used to it it's very easy. And G's spam filtering is really good.

It's when you try to mix the two (G Suite email and MS Outlook) that things get really interesting! But it can be done....with a little re-training of the way you work.

[rth_discos]

I always steer clients towards G-Suite rather than O365, when it's just email.

O365 does have the edge if they're also wanting the software (MS Office).

Only £3.80+vat per month for Office 365 email only (accessed via a web browser), and you can use an existing copy of Outlook if you already own it.

I guess it's a personal thing - I've never got on with Gmail. I found I was missing emails and forgetting to reply and action emails, when I never have that issue on Outlook.

[ukpartydj]

'Ow much????!!!??? (and I can hear dear Peter from a couple of hundred miles away!)

I've got four email addresses...believe me...it's cheaper, easier and less hassle just to train Outlook and SpamAssassin as to what's important!

I tried using spam assassin, it worked but after a few months was blocking some genuine enquiries still. Tried g-suite and it's never blocked a genuine email and given me less than a handful of spam emails after months of use.

I was getting in the region of 60 spam emails a day so well worth it for me. What is annoying is that it doesn't mark when you've replied to their email! So I need to mark It as unread if I plan to reply at a later time!

[Excalibur]

Well when two of my favourite suppliers decide to part company, I'm :mad::mad:

As many of you know, I'm a Micro$haft man, through and through. I had a major wobble when they upgraded Windows Phones to W10, cos that blasted Cortana woman wouldn't let me text and drive. Been doing it for years with older Nokias/Lumias. :( I'm currently on an Android, but that's awful.

Just to rub salt into the wound, just in case I ever get enough spare funds to buy a W8 that's new old stock, to avoid trying an iPhone, Whatsapp have decided to withdraw support for all windows phones!! :eek::bang:

What is it with people taking things that work perfectly, and " improving" them to the point that they're useless :daft:

[Marc J]

Peter, do yourself a favour and get a Pixel 3a or Pixel 3a XL, both currently £50 off at £349 & £419 respectively: https://store.google.com/gb/config/pixel_3a

Proper Android, great phones for the price.

[Excalibur]

Peter, do yourself a favour and get a Pixel 3a or Pixel 3a XL, both currently £50 off at £349 & £419 respectively: https://store.google.com/gb/config/pixel_3a

Proper Android, great phones for the price.

All I need is an app/program which allows me to send and receive texts over an Android phone in a car. The old Nokia/Lumia phones could do this natively, without further help, that's what rankles. No matter how may apps I try which are guaranteed to work thus, they just don't. Android Auto manages to ring people of its own accord at three in the morning, as I drive home.

[rth_discos]

Google assistant does this


You don't need android auto running to use Google assistant

[Marc J]

All I need is an app/program which allows me to send and receive texts over an Android phone in a car.

Android Auto has done this for some time, for incoming messages from SMS, RCS or WhatsApp. It'll read them out to you, and ask if you want to reply (dictate), or give you the option of a one-touch automated "I'm currently driving" reply.


Android Auto manages to ring people of its own accord at three in the morning, as I drive home.
Sausage fingers? :eek: Is your phone docked in the vehicle?

[Excalibur]

Google assistant does this


You don't need android auto running to use Google assistant
No it :Censored: well won't


Android Auto has done this for some time, for incoming messages from SMS, RCS or WhatsApp. It'll read them out to you, and ask if you want to reply (dictate), or give you the option of a one-touch automated "I'm currently driving" reply.
I refer my colleague to the previous reply.



Sausage fingers? :eek: Is your phone docked in the vehicle?
Because Auto keeps the phone live, the merest touch of anything can ring people. :mad:

[Marc J]

I refer my colleague to the previous reply.
Something's not right. Pure Android (Pixel phones) works a treat, you'll have some manufacturer garbage on your phone that's interfering with the way things should work :p


Because Auto keeps the phone live, the merest touch of anything can ring people. :mad:
Which is why it should be docked. I have a metal plate between my phone and it's case (the case has an indent for this), and a magnetic mount in the car. Works a treat :)

[rth_discos]

Because Auto keeps the phone live, the merest touch of anything can ring people. :mad:

Touch?

It's all hands free - you just talk to it.

'OK Google - send a WhatsApp message to Pete - it all works fine'

[Excalibur]

Touch?

It's all hands free - you just talk to it.

'OK Google - send a WhatsApp message to Pete - it all works fine'

Mayhap. Problem is, the bugger keeps schtum when one comes in, and doesn't let me know. :mad:

[rth_discos]

Mayhap. Problem is, the bugger keeps schtum when one comes in, and doesn't let me know. :mad:

I'm somewhat confused now. What's that got to do with touching it and it phoning people?

My phone has a little LED light in the top corner that lights up when I have a notification (different colour for different notifications).

[Excalibur]

I'm somewhat confused now. What's that got to do with touching it and it phoning people?

My phone has a little LED light in the top corner that lights up when I have a notification (different colour for different notifications).

Let's go back to the Good Old Days of pre W10 Nokia phones. I drive my van, and somebody texts me. Radio asks if I want to read it, I say yes, hear it and may reply. Years ago, a colleague and mate were travelling down one motorway, while I was on another, heading to the same place. His passenger was texting me, and receiving virtually instant responses, which baffled and worried them, as they couldn't work out how I could safely drive and text!

Forward to W10/Android, and in the same scenario, I don't hear a thing,( or possibly I get a notification, but can't reply ) but when I stop and look at my phone, I've got a message, which I only see when I wake the phone up.

Progress? Not in my book. In answer to Marc's point about things interfering, I've tried apps to make this work, and probably one of them is now fouling things up even more, I'll admit.

[rth_discos]

Forward to W10/Android, and in the same scenario, I don't hear a thing,( or possibly I get a notification, but can't reply ) but when I stop and look at my phone, I've got a message, which I only see when I wake the phone up.

Gotcha

I have my phone on a mount on the screen.

My phone is my Sat Nav, so if I'm following Google Maps home, then I see notifications on screen easily. Google Maps is my preferred option - even for routes I already know as the live traffic updates route me the quickest way to the venue, avoiding any traffic incidents or road closures (helped me avoid an M3 closure I wasn't aware of one night).

Additionally, if I'm not using the Sat Nav, my phone lights up the moment I get a text (screen comes on and shows I have a message). I can then ask Google to read the message to me.

I don't think there's any option for it to override the radio to announce a message - and I think the majority of people wouldn't want that - hence why it doesn't do that (although I can see it would be a useful feature to at least have as an option to turn on).

Hope the above helps - if you don't use Google Maps for your route home, then I highly recommend it, even when you know the route home.

[Marc J]

Gotcha

I have my phone on a mount on the screen.

My phone is my Sat Nav, so if I'm following Google Maps home, then I see notifications on screen easily. Google Maps is my preferred option - even for routes I already know as the live traffic updates route me the quickest way to the venue, avoiding any traffic incidents or road closures (helped me avoid an M3 closure I wasn't aware of one night).

Additionally, if I'm not using the Sat Nav, my phone lights up the moment I get a text (screen comes on and shows I have a message). I can then ask Google to read the message to me.

I don't think there's any option for it to override the radio to announce a message - and I think the majority of people wouldn't want that - hence why it doesn't do that (although I can see it would be a useful feature to at least have as an option to turn on).

Hope the above helps - if you don't use Google Maps for your route home, then I highly recommend it, even when you know the route home.

I do exactly the same :)

I'm not sure Android Auto can kick in over your radio with announcements. If I want to hear stuff over the car audio ('15 Ford Focus) I have to select the phone's Bluetooth as the input. So I'd have to have the radio / music playing from the phone...so I just switch to this if I need to hear anything from the phone.

https://www.pcworld.com/article/3263912/how-to-set-up-android-auto-in-any-car.html ;)

[Excalibur]

Gotcha

I have my phone on a mount on the screen.

My phone is my Sat Nav, so if I'm following Google Maps home, then I see notifications on screen easily. Google Maps is my preferred option - even for routes I already know as the live traffic updates route me the quickest way to the venue, avoiding any traffic incidents or road closures (helped me avoid an M3 closure I wasn't aware of one night).
A valid point, and my wife now follows the same procedure. She finds the phone easier than a sat nav. On occasion, I have done so, but I'm still a traditionalist ( Luddite? ) who has grown accustomed to a sat nav.


Additionally, if I'm not using the Sat Nav, my phone lights up the moment I get a text (screen comes on and shows I have a message). I can then ask Google to read the message to me.
Blimey, seems a lot like hard work! Like I said, in the Good Old Days, it was automatic. :D


I don't think there's any option for it to override the radio to announce a message - and I think the majority of people wouldn't want that - hence why it doesn't do that (although I can see it would be a useful feature to at least have as an option to turn on).
I for one would need that.


Hope the above helps - if you don't use Google Maps for your route home, then I highly recommend it, even when you know the route home.
Indeed. My New Years Day ride home was not the expected one, due to a big smash on the M180. I had been lucky to find out about it by chance from a colleague. The idea of live updates is attractive, although sat navs can also do this. Sadly this requires parting with extra wonga, so the phone scores highly here. :D

[Marc J]

Indeed. My New Years Day ride home was not the expected one, due to a big smash on the M180. I had been lucky to find out about it by chance from a colleague. The idea of live updates is attractive, although sat navs can also do this. Sadly this requires parting with extra wonga, so the phone scores highly here. :D

Google Maps live update is awesome, and (usually) very accurate. Not so great on recent road closures, though. My wife always asks me why I blindly follow Google rather than her directions, my answer is always "they have more satellites than you" :)

[rth_discos]

Indeed. My New Years Day ride home was not the expected one, due to a big smash on the M180. I had been lucky to find out about it by chance from a colleague. The idea of live updates is attractive, although sat navs can also do this. Sadly this requires parting with extra wonga, so the phone scores highly here. :D

I don't think any sat nav quite matches what Google have achieved. Tom Tom do have a live traffic service, but Google to me is unsurpassed in accuracy of live traffic - including queues. It accurately predicts my live arrival time as I set off, and is rarely wrong!

To me, it renders Sat Navs defunct in the same way that the phone has rendered the home video camera, portable mp3 player and portable camera defunct too!

[Excalibur]

I do exactly the same :)

I'm not sure Android Auto can kick in over your radio with announcements. If I want to hear stuff over the car audio ('15 Ford Focus) I have to select the phone's Bluetooth as the input. So I'd have to have the radio / music playing from the phone...so I just switch to this if I need to hear anything from the phone.

https://www.pcworld.com/article/3263912/how-to-set-up-android-auto-in-any-car.html ;)

That's abysmal! :D Can your phone play music from a full size USB stick? For probably the last seven or eight years, I've driven around listening to my eclectic choice of music from an USB stick plugged into the radio, and if a phone call or message came in it would override that, and allow me to respond instantly. Sheer perfection. Since the modern technological advances and upgrades, I can no longer do this. You really think that's progress? :daft:


I don't think any sat nav quite matches what Google have achieved. Tom Tom do have a live traffic service, but Google to me is unsurpassed in accuracy of live traffic - including queues. It accurately predicts my live arrival time as I set off, and is rarely wrong!

To me, it renders Sat Navs defunct in the same way that the phone has rendered the home video camera, portable mp3 player and portable camera defunct too!

Gavin, it is hard to dispute that statement. I take that on board completely, but the sat nav permanently plugged in on the van dashboard has been with me a looooong time, and it's hard to say goodbye. Also, should anything occur on the phone, the sat nav keeps running, so no loss oof instructions.

[Marc J]

That's abysmal! :D Can your phone play music from a full size USB stick? For probably the last seven or eight years, I've driven around listening to my eclectic choice of music from an USB stick plugged into the radio, and if a phone call or message came in it would override that, and allow me to respond instantly. Sheer perfection. Since the modern technological advances and upgrades, I can no longer do this. You really think that's progress? :daft:
I must agree, it's the one thing that annoys me about my setup. I think I have an adaptor somewhere which lets me plug a full sized USB anything in to my phone, and could probably play stuff that way, but then it wouldn't be charging as it uses the same port.

I have a Deezer account and streaming to that, going through the car's audio, works OK but I just don't like using the data when the radio is there. You can download playlists, though, and then they'll play from the phone without any data usage, and I've been know to do this. I think, using Google Play Music, I can also play anything that's stored on the phone (currently around 11Gb).

[Excalibur]

You want to update the PC?
Well if you must, OK. Just don't alter too much. :Naughty:

And definitely don't kill Microsoft Office suite, you total and absolute :muppet: :mad::mad::mad:

Well, the latest update euthanased Office totally. I got the impression that to reinstall it, I'd have to uninstall it first, which I didn't fancy. I found a " Quick Repair " facility, which was a breach of the trades descriptions act, cos it didn't fix the fault.

All the accepted and authorised methods I tried failed, and it was only pure luck that a fellow sufferer had posted that " run as administrator " cured his problem. Cured mine, too. :bang: