My first computer was a Coleco Adam, which I bought in the early 1980s. My second computer was a TRS-80, which I bought shortly after the Coleco Adam, and used them both during pretty much the same time period. Moving the conversation back to the OP, which was about Hal's new computer. I don't use my PC often, but I did upgrade it to Windows 10. The appearance of the Win-10 screen was much different than the previous version, but pretty much all of the same things were there, I think; just in different places. I didn't find it too difficult to learn, although I much prefer Mac.
I have a HP with Windows 10. I admit I don't do anything fancy on it but it gets me online. That's all I want from it.
Our first computer was from Radio Shack... maybe a Tandy 1000?? I can't even remember now, but it was around 1983-4. I imagine that Hal might have had set up some short cuts for things on his Win 7 that have disappeared. So if he will ask what it is he wants to accomplish we might be able to help. Of course, I have a long memory so I know how it will probably end up.
I vaguely remember my first computer. I know it had a really fun app for kids in it where they went to a tree house to pick games and such. It even went from daylight to dark in the window of the tree house. I think the adult app finder was more like a library and the names of apps appeared on books. It had the whole encyclopedia on it, which I thought was amazing. That had to be almost 25 years ago.
My love affair with home computers actually began with our first Gateway PC in 1993 or so. It was delivered in one of the "cow" boxes... white with the black spots. That was the telephone modem days and "You've Got Mail!!"
I had a Tandy-1000 too. That was my third computer, I think. And I have had a bunch of Gateways. I bought one while I was in Texas. Then, when we opened an Internet cafe here in Millinocket, Gateway gave us a great deal on twelve of them. We still have six or seven of them around, and I imagine they still work.
Abacus 1.0 directly after retiring fingers and toes 3.2 then somewhere down the line I retired Windows 10 and went to Mach and Ipads.
My two Tandy computers were among the longest-lasting computers I've ever owned. As of 2000, I know, the Tandy-1000 was still in use, as I had left it with one of the ambulance companies I was involved with. Radio Shack erred in backing out of the computer market. They had a solid position.
I can go to different websites and the guy keeps talking, explaining W10 functions. Where is the window to shut off the voice? Hal
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4028598/windows-10-start-or-stop-narrator Press Windows logo key + Ctrl + Enter on your keyboard to toggle Narrator on or off.
@Beth Gallagher You ruined everything. I was gonna tell him it's just a service that comes with the lifetime of the computer. Just kidding @Hal Pollner I'm glad Beth was able to help you!!