New PC with Obstacles

Hello, my dears,

my creative life is a bit slowed down right now because I have to deal with technical upgrades. I’ll let you share in it a little—maybe this is something you’re dealing with too.

Since I was very attached to my old Windows 7, I took great care of my PC so it wouldn’t break. In the meantime, everyone around me got a PC with a newer Windows version. So I knew that, compared with my old Windows 7, I didn’t like Windows 10 or 11.

But despite all my intensive care, my computer kept getting slower and slower because its processor increasingly could no longer handle the amount of data. When I recently wanted to print a 38-page PDF file, it took hours. So I decided that the time had come: a new PC was needed!

No sooner said than done. After getting advice from my tech-savvy son, I now have a fast PC. He moved all the data from the old PC to the new one for me. So far, so good. All the data is there. 

BUT since today I’ve had to struggle with the new Windows 11. Maybe it’s really great with all its new features. But I found, and still find, the old Windows much clearer. So I’m doing a lot of searching and setting things up.

What has cost me hours of my life now, though, was the problem with the Caps Lock key (the so-called Caps Lock key, which lets you type capital letters continuously). Since I write a lot of blog posts, I use uppercase and lowercase constantly. In the past, that was no problem at all. But under Windows 11, my former Shift key, the one you press when you want to capitalize a letter, has suddenly become the “Caps Lock key.” When you press it, you type ONLY capital letters. For me, someone who has been able to type on a keyboard almost in my sleep for decades, that’s impossible. It just didn’t work!

I wondered, how do all the other people who write on a PC do it? My husband said, well then you’ll just have to get used to it. It’s the same on his laptop, but with his one-finger hunt-and-peck system, it doesn’t bother him. Whenever I’ve written something on his laptop, I’ve always been annoyed by the chaos with uppercase and lowercase. But since it isn’t my device, I didn’t have to deal with it.

So the urgently needed Shift key I’ve used for decades is located underneath the Caps Lock key. But when you’ve been touch-typing for so long, you can’t just relearn that—especially since the new Shift key is much too low. You would not only have to stretch your left little finger farther, but bend your whole hand down to the lower left. Impossible for me.

That’s why I searched the internet high and low. The problem is known. Fortunately, someone with a lot of expertise in this area explained exactly how to reprogram the Caps Lock key into a Shift key. After I followed the steps one by one, typing on the PC works like it used to. I’m happy! 

All of you out there who also write a lot, haven’t you run into this problem too, and/or have you all reprogrammed your key? 

Now I can finally type the way I’m used to again. You only realize what you had once you no longer have it. Luckily there was a solution here. 

Please feel free to write about what obstacles you’ve run into with your new PC. Then everyone who is struggling with the same thing right now won’t feel so alone.

Best wishes, Ina

I’m a tech novice. A total PC novice. It’s a nightmare. That’s why I’m glad I have a truly amazing savior by my side—someone I can always call when something breaks (though it’s usually not a defect, but just a mistake on my part…). And whenever I need a new device, I have it delivered from there and set up right away. He knows very well what I can and can’t do, what I need and don’t need, and it always works out perfectly.
I’m still running Windows 10, but I (well, he) will probably have to get around to upgrading to 11 at some point. My PC has also gotten slower; I don’t even remember how old it is—it’s been quite a few years, probably 8 or 9. So it might be time for a new one again.

I’ve had Windows 11 on my PC for about 4 or 5 weeks, but I only use it when I’m embroidering, since my laptop runs Linux and can’t handle embroidery files.
My “day-to-day work” ;-) runs only on the laptop—first of all, it saves electricity, and I’ve gotten used to switching back and forth between the two devices.
@ Veronika, I just had to laugh out loud when I read your *blonde post*. :-))))))
I’m lucky that my husband took a course to become a PC technician—when something goes wrong, I just yell, “It’s not working, come over here!” :-). I’ve picked up a thing or two over time, but I still can’t do everything :-)—though it doesn’t bother me in the least. He once asked, “What are you going to do if I can’t help you anymore or I’m not around?” I said, “Then I’ll wait until my grandson gets off work and give him a call.” ;:-))) My husband just shakes his head and says dryly, “Yeah, I wouldn’t put it past you.” :-)

Best regards, Inge

Thank you both so much for your comments. I think we’ve all been there. Everyone who uses the internet has a computer in some form—whether it’s a desktop, a laptop, or a cell phone. And every device has tons of settings you can tinker with. If a checkbox is marked incorrectly somewhere, it can quickly lead to problems. So when it comes to risky changes, I always take a photo with my phone first, so I can undo the setting if necessary. Everyone has their own strategy.

Best regards, Ina
 

Now that’s a clever idea!

Dear Ina,
I absolutely have to buy a new PC, but I’m really nervous about it.
It’s nice to hear from you that it’s doable.
People are creatures of habit, after all, and new things always make us a little anxious.
I’ll let you know how things go after I buy a new PC.
Best regards, Petra

Dear Petra, don’t worry!
I’m really enjoying just how fast my new PC is. I wouldn’t have gotten to experience this if I hadn’t decided to get the new machine. Yes, people are creatures of habit. But the new system also has its advantages.

Once the device is here, we automatically start figuring it out because we want to use it. So we work our way through everything we need, step by step. That’s how it’s done. And there’s plenty of help online. If one source doesn’t explain it well, the next one surely will.

Best regards, Ina

For me, the most tedious part of getting a new computer is setting up all the programs you need.
I’ve never had problems with the Caps Lock key or anything like that, and I don’t quite understand how that can happen. Unlike laptops, “full-fledged” PCs always have an external keyboard, and you can usually reuse the one from your old PC. If that doesn’t work—for example, because your old keyboard has a PS/2 connector but the new computer only has USB ports—you can use a small adapter. 
You should never let your children, grandchildren, nephews, or other so-called “PC experts” pick something out for you or push something on you without consulting you first; instead, take a look at what’s been suggested and check whether it’s right for you. Of course, it’s even better if you know a little bit about computers and can put your own system together. It’s no harder than choosing a stove, so even a woman should be able to manage it.
I would never buy a laptop without additional accessories (e.g., a docking station). I much prefer working on a large screen (or even better, two screens) rather than on a laptop’s tiny display. You can also connect a full-size keyboard to a docking station. And you can try out keyboards at a specialty store to see which one works best for you. I hate wobbly, noisy keyboards. Mine has 110 very flat, silent keys, works via Bluetooth, and would also be compatible with an Apple computer if I ever decided to buy one. 

I’ll have to remember (take a picture of) this clever idea from Ina, too.

When I have problems with the PC, I have my husband by my side to help me. I’m very grateful for that.
Ina, regarding the keyboard, I don’t have any problems with the Shift key on mine. There are different kinds of keyboards, after all. Mine has up and down arrow keys (wide keys next to the ...y-x-c-v-b... row). It works wonderfully. And I’m also a “touch-typing” secretary.
Before, I had the Norwegian keyboard. You get used to it. I’m running Windows 11.

How about we start a thread with pictures of our keyboards?

Very best wishes, Andrea

There’s a little tool called Kapslockgoodbye. You can use it to remap the key. I’ve reprogrammed it to turn the sound on and off—very handy.

Thank you very much for your comments. 
@kruemel-monster
Not everyone has the technical understanding for the finer points of a new PC. I’ve been working on a computer for decades. I started during my apprenticeship with a mechanical typewriter. Later there were electric typewriters, then came the first personal computers, PC1715s, which only had neon-green text on the screen. Then came the fall of the Wall, and with it new technology. In the beginning there were computers where written documents were saved on floppy disks. After floppy disks came hard-drive storage. Today we’re at clouds and AI programs. If you don’t keep up with the new developments, you can quickly fall behind in terms of knowledge. In that respect, I can understand the concerns of some users who have to adjust to something new. And not everyone has someone to ask. 

I’ve now run into this problem with the Caps Lock key three times, and always with Windows 11. Either that’s the reason, or it’s my keyboard. Never mind, I’ve fixed it now. 

@Bastelfan
Dear Andrea, when I read your comment, I tend to think that there are keyboards with different key assignments. I even connected two older keyboards, but it still didn’t work. Only thanks to reprogramming the Caps Lock key in question was I able to write normally again. So take good care of your keyboard!

@Bini-Katz
A good tip ... for everyone who may read this here later. With that, you can assign all kinds of functions to this particular key. Mine has already found its purpose.

Best regards, Ina

Hello,
I completely understand. I also had to get a new PC, and of course that darn Windows 11 was on it. Windows 10 ran great all those years. From the very beginning—first with DOS, then Windows 7, and so on—everything was fine. BUT Windows 11 is a nightmare. 
I hope you were able to uninstall McAfee. 
I should have bought an iMac instead. 
Unfortunately, I can’t return the PC :-(

Thank you for your wonderful website and products—they’re truly one-of-a-kind.

Best regards
Karen
 

Dear Karen, thank you for your (first) post here on the forum.
Many will nod in agreement. I, too, still often struggle with the new features. After every automatic update, you have to pay attention to what’s been happening in the background. Every click (agree, decline, skip...) has consequences. These days, it’s no longer enough to just sit down at the computer and assume everything is fine. All those background connections—which you have to agree to or not—and the data exchange worry me. Every program (whether it ends up on my computer by choice or is forced onto it via an update) and every checkbox that’s checked or unchecked has consequences. I often can’t even assess what those are. I think you have to deal with technical stuff a lot more than you used to.

But there’s no getting around it—if we want to take advantage of the internet, we have to deal with it.
  By the way, I didn’t have McAfee on it. Maybe the retailer installed it? My brother bought a PC with Windows 11 preinstalled, and it had Norton on it. That was annoying, too, because it was unwanted and couldn’t be removed. I guess everyone struggles more or less with the pitfalls of new technology.

Best regards, Ina

You can also uninstall Norton, just like McAfee or other unwanted programs. If it doesn’t work the “normal” way (Settings -> Apps), I just type the words “uninstall Norton,” for example, into my go-to search engine and get plenty of tips on how to proceed. 
I wasn’t born a genius, but I’m not afraid to look up information. Using a search engine is NOT harmful to a PC. Working with outdated programs and operating systems, on the other hand, can be harmful.