Feeling kind of dumb

Hello TE, I am feeling kind of dumb this afternoon. It has been some time since I worked on a Windows XP box. We have removed almost all of them from our environment and I am working to remove one of the last 2 right now.

So I am feeling like a moron because I couldn't find Add/Remove programs. I was looking for Programs and Features and I was quite frustrated with myself that I couldn't find it. I did eventually remember that it was called Add/Remove programs back in the XP days.

Anyone else ever have any complete brain freezes on things like this?

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chopsticks

haha yes, it happened to me initially. :>

Anonymouse

I've been having it every day lately since I went from Windows laptop to Apple laptop at work. I keep trying to windows key + L to lock it.

ally_uk

Don't beat yourself up dude, we are only human I have done a few balls ups in my time

it's all good all part of the learning experience

I am lucky in that respect as I still run XP on one of my old IBM laptops mainly to play old games hehe

Jasiono

I know the feeling!
It means you are too smart for older systems. Your brain is where it should be to be a successful IT person, in the NOW.

ScrawnyRonnie

I still do a Start Menu search of "add or remove" to get to Programs and Features in Win 7

Kai123

I remember going to a professors desktop, sitting down to troubleshoot a network issue...and spending about 15 minutes trying to find the power button. Then a student shown me how to clear the key table.

scaredoftests

Where is that darned cupholder?

Mitechniq

Oh I had a moment like that yesterday. I made a link (mount CIFS) from a Linux Server to an external drive physically connected to a Windows Domain Controller. My syntax for the link was correct but every time I listed the folders content, it gave me nothing. I thought it was a Windows problem with permissions or firewall settings, nonetheless an hour later I navigated to the folder on the DC and realized I simply hadn't added anything to the drive...

alias454

I had a similar one just today. I was trying to list out SElinux security contexts for a filesystem. ls -z ls -z ls -z I know it's z grumble grumble. I walked away and then it hits me how dumb I am, it's ls -Z

A quick and easy way into add remove programs is start -> run -> type in appwiz.cpl.
Some others - List of Control Panel Command Line Commands
I am also a big fan of keyboard shortcuts - Keyboard Shortcuts for Microsoft Products

Regards,

rockstar81

I had a complete freeze after spending most of day doing powershell commands then logged into a Cisco switch and completely froze for a few mins - my mind kept wanting to use Get-xyz commands

TR4V1STY

surprised that no one has mentioned this:

appwiz.cpl

it works on any windows box i've worked on. XP, vista, server2003+, 7, 8.

i use this shortcut EVERYDAY.

EDIT: to be clear, you type appwiz.cpl in the run dialog box(WIN+R). Or in the search box. then press enter. easy...

N2IT

So does this mean you want me to endorse you for XP on LinkedIn?

xnx

TR4V1STY wrote: »

surprised that no one has mentioned this:

appwiz.cpl

it works on any windows box i've worked on. XP, vista, server2003+, 7, 8.

i use this shortcut EVERYDAY.

EDIT: to be clear, you type appwiz.cpl in the run dialog box(WIN+R). Or in the search box. then press enter. easy...

You beat me to it!

Most of these shortcuts are the same between the 'recent' version of windows.

My most commonly used one is ncpa.cpl for the Network Adapters

alias454

TR4V1STY wrote: »

surprised that no one has mentioned this:

appwiz.cpl

it works on any windows box i've worked on. XP, vista, server2003+, 7, 8.

i use this shortcut EVERYDAY.

I did in post #11

Mr.Network

I have been using appwiz.cpl over the years, and many of these commands http://ss64.com/nt/run.html

the_Grinch

Ah I wouldn't sweat it. One time I was helping a Doctor out with adding a monitor driver for a brand new monitor the company had purchased for it. He was going to use it for xrays and the like thus it had to display vertically. Another tech had tried to get it to work, but wasn't having any luck. I spent an hour with him installing and uninstalling the driver, but the thing would not work. Finally, he had to go back to work and said he'd call back. A few hours later he calls back and says he got it working. I was floored! I said "How'd you do it?" He said, I restarted after you installed it and it worked. whomp whomp

Shdwmage

the_Grinch wrote: »

I said "How'd you do it?" He said, I restarted after you installed it and it worked. whomp whomp

Ctrl + alt + left, right, up, or down on many computers will rotate it.

Mr.Network

Mr.Network wrote: »

I have been using appwiz.cpl over the years, and many of these commands Start | Run Commands for Windows 7 | Windows CMD | SS64.com

helped me especially when I was once working as a contractor for a Italian company with Chinese workers, and ofcourse windows os was in Chinese

Zartanasaurus

I've always used appwiz.cpl from the search box, which prevents me from feeling dumb in this instance I guess.

But yeah, logging into an XP/2003 box definitely causes me to pause before doing simple tasks at times.