Skylarking

I don’t have any complaints with Windows 7 whatsoever. Really I don’t, but I have read about some people experiencing a problem accessing the G1′s SD card with Windows 7.

Okay, I experienced this problem too, but, luckily, I knew how to fix it.

What happened? I was connecting my T-Mobile G1 Smartphone to my computer to backup the memory chip in the phone. For your information, the G1 was the first phone to use Google’s Android Operating System for smartphones. Today’s leading Android based phones are Verizon’s Droid, Google’s Nexus One, and T-Mobile’s new Samsung Vibrant.

But, as they say, I digress.

HTC Dream (T-Mobile G1)

Shortly after upgrading to Windows 7, I attached my G1 to my PC via the docking station, and then I “mounted” the SD card in the G1 by selecting “Mount” option from the G1′s notification panel.

Now, for those who don’t have a G1, you “mount the SD card” — sounds ‘dirty’, I know — so you can transfer files to and from the SD or memory card in the phone to your computer.

But, now, with Windows 7, one time I attached my G1 via its USB cable (or docking station) I saw a notification on my computer’s desktop that Windows was “installing a driver” for the “HTC Dream”. (For your information, HTC is the company that makes the G1 for Google and T-Mobile. Dream is HTC’s model name for the G1).

I had never seen this happen before, but I thought it was cool because I was thrilled that Windows 7 was capable of recognizing so many devices when they were attached to the computer.

My thrill was short lived.

Once I mounted the card, and I double clicked the “Computer” icon on the desktop, I expected to see an icon, as I had in the past, that represented the SD card in my phone.

The icon wasn’t there.

I unmounted the card, remounted it, and, again, no icon for the card visible after double-clicking the Computer icon.

Uh oh!

This meant I wouldn’t be able to get my files the old fashioned way. Instead, I would have to remove the card from the phone and insert it into the memory card reader on my desktop computer. That would work, but I would prefer being able to just access he chip by attaching the phone to the computer as I always had.

The Fix. Here’s the solution for anyone who has experienced this problem, too.

1. Right-click the Computer icon.
2. Click Properties.
3. Click Device Manager.
4. Locate “HTC Dream” on the list. You may need to double click a few items on the list to reveal the HTC Dream listing. I think I found it under “Other Devices”.
5. Double-click HTC Dream.
6. Click the Driver tab.
7. Click Update Driver.
8. Select “Mass Storage Driver”.
9. Click OK to close out the dialog boxes.

Now when I connect my T-Mobile G1 via its USB cable or dock, and then mount the SD card, I am able to access the G1′s memory chip and transfer my files without a hitch.

I read this question online recently:

I am upgrading from Windows Vista to Windows 7. How do I back up my Yahoo! emails and do I need to do it?

If you have a free Yahoo! email account then there is no need to back up your emails because the emails are stored on Yahoo!’s servers and not your computer.

If you have a paid Yahoo! email account, called Yahoo! Mail Plus, which costs $19.99 per year, then it is possible that you could be downloading email messages to your computer with a program such as Outlook, Outlook Express, Windows Mail, Eudora, or some other program or email client.

Western Digital My Passport Essential 320GB USB 2.0 Portable Hard Drive – Midnight Black

Generally, when you are upgrading from Windows Vista to Windows 7 there is no need to erase your hard drive. When the hard drive is erased it is usually referred to as a “clean install”. While it’s always good idea to do a backup before an upgrade, it isn’t necessary. When upgrading from XP to Windows 7 the hard drive must be erased, so this is a case where it would be a good idea to have a backup of some sort.

Still, if you want to take the precaution of doing a backup, go to a computer store and get yourself an external USB drive such as a MyPassport from Western Digital and use the Windows Easy Transfer wizard to copy important files to the external drive. For more info on Windows Easy Transfer go here: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-vista/features/easy-transfer.aspx

For more info on upgrading from Vista to Windows 7 go here: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/help/upgrading-from-windows-vista-to-windows-7

Thanks to everyone who contacted me yesterday by email and on the Skylarking Facebook page to wish me well amid all my respiratory problems and woes. It only takes 4 or 5 kind words to really lift the spirits. Thanks everyone!

One of the things I had been doing when I was able to breathe and function was building a new computer for a friend with a tight budget. They were actually a business client, but I like to call them friends, too. That’s just what I do.

So they had a tight budget of around $400, and I wanted to see to it that they got quality parts that weren’t going to give them any problems. I also wanted to get them setup with Windows 7 as an operating system. They had a Sony DVD burner in their old Windows XP computer, so I was able to transfer that to the new system. So I am not counting the cost of that DVD burner in the price of this system. I also reused their old monitor, but they could get a new flat panel for about $90 — 100.

As for the rest of the parts, I managed to spend about $60 on each component:

• ASUS P5KPL-AM Motherboard: This is the base of the system. Everything attaches to the motherboard (mainboard). Asus makes a lot of fine computer components, and they also make the Asus Eee PC netbook I often talk about.
• Intel Pentium Dual Core E5200 Processor: This processor operates on the motherboard’s low end, but I let my friend know they could always get a better processor in a year or two when they had another $120 or so to spend. After their old Windows XP machine, the current processor is plenty fast for them.
• Crucial Ballistix, 2 GB RAM: Again, they could spend more money here later to double or even quadruple their total memory. Using the 64 bit version of Windows 7 allows them to add up to 8GB of RAM.
• Hitachi Deskstar 500 GB SATA Hard Drive
• PowerSpec TX366 mATX Case with power supply: $35
• Windows 7 Professional, 64 Bit Edition (OEM): $90. OEM means “Original Equipment Manufacturer”, which means it is meant to be installed by a computer builder. It also means if they have trouble with Windows, I am supposed to help them, and not Microsoft. Another $30 or $40 might have got them a standard retail copy, but I stand behind the parts I’ve added to this machine. I don’t anticipate them having any problems.

I am a little short on time this morning, so I’ll be back later or tomorrow to talk a little bit more about this system, the parts, etc. Have a great day!