Windows XP system repair - sounds great and is, at least until it asks for a ‘password’ in a DOS - like screen. “What’s odd about that?” I hear you ask. Well, nothing, except that even if your computer has no password and you simply hit return to skip it, system restore will go no further. It’s the same if you have a password and enter it. Another of Microsoft’s “little oversights” then ...

“Keyboard error - press any key to continue”. Haha! - if the damned thing isn’t connected, you can press all the keys you like!

Time remaining dialog box: “7 days 2 hours and 17 minutes” ( Windows 2000 ). Great to know.

‘Time zone: United States’. Now when setting up your computer, why would you want to set the region to Ireland but get U.S. time? Automation anyone? Intuitive software?

“13 minutes remaining” - the countdown tends to stick there, for hours, weeks, days ... while installing Windows XP Home. Nice to know it’s only a 13 minute wait though!

USB: The much promoted ( well, in the mid ‘90’s at least ) ‘Plug and Play’ devices. Apart from the fact that it wasn’t always that simple, we’ve ‘progressed’ over the years to the cumbersome ‘Safely remove device’ routine. Arrgh! SO 1980’s!

“ To lose one setup disk is unfortunate. To lose two is downright careless”

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