Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Isolated by the Computer - delays in answering emails, etc.

Self-isolating from the virus is one thing - but within hours of posting my last message here I found myself being isolated from my genealogy activities on the web.  I had two computers on the go - the old one which I use for all Geneological and local history activities, and a newer (but my no means new) laptop. Soon after posting the last message the home network started to fall apart and the problem was the old computer - which still works off-line - but is causing problems if it was connected to the router,  OK I can still update the website offline but I can't (at the moment) update the online copy.

In addition I found I couldn't access the email from the laptop - except that after about a week it started to misbehave and when I typed my password all I got was a blank screen ... leaving me with no working computer. A friendly computer engineer has now downloaded the hard disc and may be able to get it running intermittently - but it is unlikely to be reliable in the long term.

Clearly being self-isolated as an at risk OAP - and at the same time being denied access to a computer would be hellish - except that I could get a bit of time on my wife's computer - except that for many accounts I found I no longer knew the passwords!   However my son, whose family usually has the latest models, has kindly given my wife and iPhone and an iPad - while I have decided get myself an iMac - and am now busy learning a new system, transferring files across, etc.

For the rest of the self-isolation time (however long it proves to be for geriatrics like myself) I will be mainly working on preparing some old project records for Archive at Cambridge University - but I will also tidy up the Genealogy web site in the hope that I will later be able to update it - or at least deposit a copy of the updated version at HALS.  When I regain access to my email at www.hertfordshire-genealogy.co.uk I will reply to any relevant messages,