Workshop Computer

[Optimistic Paranoid]

So, I just bought a 2012 Ford F250.  Went out on ebay to look for a factory service manual for it.  Found a cd disc for $9.95 which had it, along with all the factory wiring diagrams.  It came yesterday, needed to be installed, and then required itself to be left in the cd drive.  Turns out it's a bootleg copy of the discs Ford provides to their dealers.  When I went to run it, it gave me a message that it is expired, and refused to run.  Well, the guy that sold it enclosed a paper that said, No Problem, set the date on your computer back to January 2010, and you'll be able to run this disc forever.  He was right, it worked just fine with the date set back. 

But some websites, including this one, were behaving funny with the date turned back.

I have an old, but perfectly functioning, Dell laptop running XP.  I think I'm going to set that up as a truck/workshop computer.  Set the date back and leave the disc in the cd drive.  Maybe keep my maintenance log on it, too, backed up to a flashdrive.  Find someplace in the truck to leave it permanently.

Can anyone here suggest any other programs I might want to put on a dedicated workshop computer?

Regards
John

 

[LeeRevell]

No reason to leave the disk in the PC.  Just need it there to read the manual.  Set the date back to current.  When you need the manual, THEN set the date, insert the disk and use it.  When done, pull it out and reset the date.  Simple.

Or you could get a legal up to date copy......

For a dedicated shop computer, you could find any youtube videos of repair and assembly/disassembly procedures for stuff on your truck, and save them on it.

 

[MikeRuth]

I run an old Dell laptop for MSview from Morningstar to monitor and or make changes to my Charge controller.

Indeed if you back date a PC then websites will not display properly as they see the security certificates as being the incorrect date match.

This is a common call I get when someones CMOS battery has gotten to low or died, then the PC doesn't hold the time and date correctly.

Mike R

 

[TMG51]

CDs are a horrible way to store information. They degrade, are subject to damage or loss... optical media is dead.

If I were you I would use software to capture the image off the disk and then mount that to a virtual drive. I believe you should be able to do this with a free download of Nero 6, but that will depend on your computer comfortability. The end result of this is that you could throw the disk in the trash, and have the manual on your computer forever, and copy it to as many computers as you like. You'd still have to fiddle with the date though unless that security is otherwise cracked.

 

[highdesertranger]

I would get my money back from the bootlegger and buy a legit one. highdesertranger

 

[ccbreder]

Yep. they will surly refund your money.

 

[dhawktx]

I have a Windows XP lappy that I use with several legacy programs. I don't ever connect it to the Internet so unless I have a USB stick get a virus it's 'safe' from the Bad Peoples, including Microsoft!

 

[compassrose]

I have a Windows XP lappy that I use with several legacy programs. I don't ever connect it to the Internet so unless I have a USB stick get a virus it's 'safe' from the Bad Peoples, including Microsoft!

I have an old Dell laptop that is going to get XP put on it. It does not have a disc drive. So I have to put the program on a USB. I just want it to run my old Printmaster Platinum program (all on CD's but I can load it all onto the computer and not use the CD's) and a freeware graphics program. Plus hook it up to the printer. The laptop used to have XP on it but something got corrupted and I put Win2000 on it. I need to get XP again. Probably Arrgggghhhh!