Computers suck.

[turf3]

So a question for the hive mind here:

Windows 10 or 11, can't keep track. Using Microsoft Edge through duckduckgo to access the internet.

For YEARS I had a stripe across the top of the screen - third one from the top - with the first eight or so bookmarks. About three weeks ago it disappeared. Now it's back! Did I push an unknown button somehow, or what?

To be clear, first stripe is tabs - for example right now there are two - Off Topic BG and Gmail. Second stripe has "Back", "refresh", "home" symbols, then a long entry window to type in urls, then the star for bookmarks and a couple other things. Third stripe, that was gone the last three weeks and today has magically reappeared, has the listings of the first 10 bookmarks.

Anyone?

I mean, self-healing machinery, OK; I can understand that I might have accidentally pushed a "button" whose ramifications were secret; but for "Third Stripe from the Top" to disappear and then REAPPEAR? I'm used to functionality I've grown used to, disappearing - I can just imagine the 20 somethings in their programming conferences saying "hey, let's disappear this function - I'm gonna bet 40 complaints a day - anyone want to go in on the pool?" but to have something reappear is so rare as to be noteworthy.

 

[The Golden Boy]

I don't have a windows machine in front of me- but you may wish to search something like "Microsoft edge show favorites bar."

You can hide/show bars with key commands- which is probably what happened- the cat may have walked across the keyboard accidentally hitting something like "cntrl + fn + L + umlaut + ampersand" which happens to be the secret command that hides the favorites bar.

Mac has a distinction between "favorites" and "bookmarks."


So I just did a search and got:

"How to use the shortcut

1. Press: the Ctrl key, the Shift key, and the B key simultaneously.
   
   
2. • The Favorites bar will appear if it was hidden.
     
   • Pressing the same shortcut again will hide the Favorites bar. "

 

[Sean150]

I have that happen all the time on my work computer and haven’t figured out what triggers it, except that reopening the browser seems to fix it. Hasn’t been a big enough problem to track down.

 

[-Asdfgh-]

So a question for the hive mind here:

Windows 10 or 11, can't keep track. Using Microsoft Edge through duckduckgo to access the internet.

For YEARS I had a stripe across the top of the screen - third one from the top - with the first eight or so bookmarks. About three weeks ago it disappeared. Now it's back! Did I push an unknown button somehow, or what?

To be clear, first stripe is tabs - for example right now there are two - Off Topic BG and Gmail. Second stripe has "Back", "refresh", "home" symbols, then a long entry window to type in urls, then the star for bookmarks and a couple other things. Third stripe, that was gone the last three weeks and today has magically reappeared, has the listings of the first 10 bookmarks.

Anyone?

I mean, self-healing machinery, OK; I can understand that I might have accidentally pushed a "button" whose ramifications were secret; but for "Third Stripe from the Top" to disappear and then REAPPEAR? I'm used to functionality I've grown used to, disappearing - I can just imagine the 20 somethings in their programming conferences saying "hey, let's disappear this function - I'm gonna bet 40 complaints a day - anyone want to go in on the pool?" but to have something reappear is so rare as to be noteworthy.

My portable audio interface now doesn't work on Windows 11. Works great on Linux... But I have many Windows-based plugins and the Native Instruments installer doesn't work on Linux. Aaaargh.

 

[bwildt]

My portable audio interface now doesn't work on Windows 11

My Focusrite Scarlet 2i4 2nd gen started having problems after updating to Win 11. Worked just great with Win 10. I started getting audio echos or dropouts sometimes when opening a file or website with sound. It would straighten up after about 5 seconds. My assumption was a buffering issue. Reinstalled the Focusrite recommended drivers. Messed with USB port hibernation settings. Nothing helped. Worked just great when plugged into a Linux computer. I ended up giving in and buying another interface. An Arturia Minifuse 2, which is working well.

In my research, I ran across a number of posts of people complaining that Win 11 and USB ports had trouble getting along. Great. One the most important I/O ports on the computer and Microsoft screws it up.

The ONLY reason I have a Microsoft computer is a requirement for building and sharing PowerPoint files with others using a feature that does not work in any of the MS Office alternatives (including the online Powerpoint).

 

[JC BASS 91]

Yup...computers suck...and because they suck, they have kept my bills paid for over 31 years.

 

[CryingBass]

And they are all adding "enhancements" for AI, and breaking everything else. Grin and Bear it

 

[MJ5150]

My portable audio interface now doesn't work on Windows 11. Works great on Linux... But I have many Windows-based plugins and the Native Instruments installer doesn't work on Linux. Aaaargh.

Have you tried disabling Core Isolation in Windows 11?
That has solved some interface issues for our clients who use dental imaging devices that stopped working following an upgrade from 10 to 11.

-Mike

 

[-Asdfgh-]

Have you tried disabling Core Isolation in Windows 11?
That has solved some interface issues for our clients who use dental imaging devices that stopped working following an upgrade from 10 to 11.

-Mike

No. I'll give it a go tomorrow! Thanks for the tip.

To be fair, it'll probably end up attached to a laptop, and they all have Linux on (I've collected a few...).

 

[Major Seven]

No. I'll give it a go tomorrow! Thanks for the tip.

To be fair, it'll probably end up attached to a laptop, and they all have Linux on (I've collected a few...).

I was about to say, its not your computer, its MS

 

[-Asdfgh-]

My Focusrite Scarlet 2i4 2nd gen started having problems after updating to Win 11. Worked just great with Win 10. I started getting audio echos or dropouts sometimes when opening a file or website with sound. It would straighten up after about 5 seconds. My assumption was a buffering issue. Reinstalled the Focusrite recommended drivers. Messed with USB port hibernation settings. Nothing helped. Worked just great when plugged into a Linux computer. I ended up giving in and buying another interface. An Arturia Minifuse 2, which is working well.

In my research, I ran across a number of posts of people complaining that Win 11 and USB ports had trouble getting along. Great. One the most important I/O ports on the computer and Microsoft screws it up.

The ONLY reason I have a Microsoft computer is a requirement for building and sharing PowerPoint files with others using a feature that does not work in any of the MS Office alternatives (including the online Powerpoint).

My old TASCAM US-2000 works flawlessly on Win 11. It was a purchasing error as I should have got the 1604 in case I needed Linux compatibility

 

[-Asdfgh-]

I was about to say, its not your computer, its MS

Or Zoom.

 

[Mojo34]

My Edirol UA-5 from 2002 worked fine up until my new Windows 11 computer. In technical terms, the operating system actually prevents the driver from loading, and I'm not sure I want to do that Disable Core Isolation thing for it to work, sounds "dangerous". I see that "Microsoft are bringing native ASIO support, audio-optimized USB drivers to Windows 11 in late 2025" in a Cakewalk forum, maybe I'll stick it out. OR, get something new and cool! But which one, for a USB connection, 2 inputs, and casual home recording use?

 

[-Asdfgh-]

My Edirol UA-5 from 2002 worked fine up until my new Windows 11 computer. In technical terms, the operating system actually prevents the driver from loading, and I'm not sure I want to do that Disable Core Isolation thing for it to work, sounds "dangerous". I see that "Microsoft are bringing native ASIO support, audio-optimized USB drivers to Windows 11 in late 2025" in a Cakewalk forum, maybe I'll stick it out. OR, get something new and cool! But which one, for a USB connection, 2 inputs, and casual home recording use?

It's already late 2025!

 

[SteveCS]

So a question for the hive mind here:

Windows 10 or 11, can't keep track. Using Microsoft Edge through duckduckgo to access the internet.

For YEARS I had a stripe across the top of the screen - third one from the top - with the first eight or so bookmarks. About three weeks ago it disappeared. Now it's back! Did I push an unknown button somehow, or what?

To be clear, first stripe is tabs - for example right now there are two - Off Topic BG and Gmail. Second stripe has "Back", "refresh", "home" symbols, then a long entry window to type in urls, then the star for bookmarks and a couple other things. Third stripe, that was gone the last three weeks and today has magically reappeared, has the listings of the first 10 bookmarks.

Anyone?

I mean, self-healing machinery, OK; I can understand that I might have accidentally pushed a "button" whose ramifications were secret; but for "Third Stripe from the Top" to disappear and then REAPPEAR? I'm used to functionality I've grown used to, disappearing - I can just imagine the 20 somethings in their programming conferences saying "hey, let's disappear this function - I'm gonna bet 40 complaints a day - anyone want to go in on the pool?" but to have something reappear is so rare as to be noteworthy.

I hear you, man!

Please don't get me started on the modern approaches to software development. My professional life revolves around safety-critical and high integity software, mainly airborne but also marine. Airborne safety-critical software is very highly regulated, marine less so. Many of the young graduate developers we see just want to 'be Agile', become a Scrum Master' (whatever the f**k that is*), use JIRA and configure third-party components. They come from university with no concept of high integrity development, of 'safe' or deterministic design and behaviour, of formal change control, through-life configuration status accounting, traceability, 'coverage', boundary condiions, robustness testing, certification, tool qualification or a whole host of other software engineering principles. It is painful, but through additional training and supervision we cope.

But consumer-grade software has become the wild west, and we are starting to the results through undocumented 'features', unpredictable or changing behaviour, inconsistent or non-compliant GUI design and implementations, partially-implemented functions, a constant barrage of 'hot-fixes' and so on. Comsumer software has become more complex internally whilst becoming less functional and less trustworthy. It forces you into ways of working and thinking that are not always logical or rational. Updates often deliver novelty features that you never use whilst burying the ones you need. Constantly changing menu or icon/control layout for no good reason is no better than a virus. The psychological effects on users is significant - loss of control, frustration, loss of personal autonomy, exasperation.

As for Windows 11, there are all sorts of MS tie-ins and dependencies, coupled with the insidious deployment of AI and pressure to use cloud-based storage, all of which threaten privacy, security, reliability, trust and your ability to control/manage your own computer, I think they will find themselves back in the anti-trust courts in very short order. The problem is they just pay the fine and carry on.

* A colleague of mine had some 'Scrum Masters' in a meet and greet session just a month or so back. When asked what a Scrum Master was and what it involved, they couldn't actually say!!

Check this out:

 

[Bassdirty]

So a question for the hive mind here:

Windows 10 or 11, can't keep track. Using Microsoft Edge through duckduckgo to access the internet.

For YEARS I had a stripe across the top of the screen - third one from the top - with the first eight or so bookmarks. About three weeks ago it disappeared. Now it's back! Did I push an unknown button somehow, or what?

To be clear, first stripe is tabs - for example right now there are two - Off Topic BG and Gmail. Second stripe has "Back", "refresh", "home" symbols, then a long entry window to type in urls, then the star for bookmarks and a couple other things. Third stripe, that was gone the last three weeks and today has magically reappeared, has the listings of the first 10 bookmarks.

Anyone?

I mean, self-healing machinery, OK; I can understand that I might have accidentally pushed a "button" whose ramifications were secret; but for "Third Stripe from the Top" to disappear and then REAPPEAR? I'm used to functionality I've grown used to, disappearing - I can just imagine the 20 somethings in their programming conferences saying "hey, let's disappear this function - I'm gonna bet 40 complaints a day - anyone want to go in on the pool?" but to have something reappear is so rare as to be noteworthy.

Windows 11? Pfft.
I use Windows 95. Not gonna risk wrecking my Compaq (386) with some silly "upgrade" that probably isn't any better, just fancy new colors and whatnot.

 

[brianrost]

Most of it isn't the computer, it’s poorly written software.

As a retired EE who worked for both Intel and AMD as well as a few networking companies, I’m appalled at how bad a lot of software is. I had to write lots of code myself over the years and I have no patience for this at all.

 

[turf3]

Well, for sure it's the software that's the problem. But since the computer is essentially worthless without the software, the two are an inseparable assembly in practice.

My theory is that there is only a fairly constant fraction of people who are cut out by nature to design things. Attention to detail, ability to foresee unplanned consequences, ability to focus on the actual requirements for a product, patience with the inevitable test-fail-fix-retest cycle, and many other personal characteristics are typical of people who are good at designing things. Whether the "things" be cross-country power transmission lines, automobile transmissions, jet airliners, or computer software, the basic principles of how to design things, and the requirements of their designers are similar.

Now if we go back to 1950, there were all kinds of things that had to be designed - printing presses, locomotives, highway bridges, bicycle tires, etc. My theory is that in those days, pretty much everyone who was capable to design things, was employed, designing things.

Once the 1970s and 1980s hit, a whole new category of things that needed to be designed opened up: computer software. Of course software comes in several flavors - consumer-grade, professional use, and embedded software for critical systems, with high reliability required. BUT THE NUMBER OF GOOD DESIGNERS IN THE POPULATION DID NOT MAGICALLY INCREASE. So today, with far more "things" requiring designing (the locomotives, highway bridges, airliners, medical devices, etc., are still out there needing to be designed), a large number of people who just AREN'T VERY GOOD AT DESIGNING THINGS are now designing things.

Well, a design fault in an airliner, or a highway bridge, or a medical device, causes people to die. The companies that make those things (as well as mission- and safety-critical software) work hard to make sure their designers come from the people who are really good at designing things. And what that means is that the consumer grade software companies have to select their designers from the knuckleheads that are left over.

Very many of the exasperating mis-designed characteristics of modern consumer grade software bear, to the experienced eye, all the hallmarks of being designed by people who JUST AREN'T VERY GOOD AT THEIR JOBS. Constant changes in UI; the fact that every single update introduces new bugs into functions that worked fine before; constant churn in features; constantly increasing complexity in the keystrokes and actions to accomplish simple tasks; these all look very much like product designs coming from people who have little perspective on how to design things, how to guard against unforeseen problems, and how to resist the "oooh shiny new" executive plan-du-jour syndrome.

 

[turf3]

I mean, look at the UI of a violin. It hasn't changed in something like 500 years. That of a flute, 180 years. Even the electric bass, the fundamental UI has been pretty constant since the early 1950s (four (or five, or rarely six) strings, horizontally held, plucked near one end, fretted on the other, pickups under the strings, knobs mounted on the body). Compare that to any consumer grade software, where the inevitable lament of every user with each "upgrade" is "Where the hell did they put XXX?" or "Why do I now have to use five mouse clicks to do what I used to do in one?"

 

[MJ5150]

Upgrades are at times done due to user demand, surveys, and feature requests. If there was demand or requests to change the violin or flute UI, it would have happened. People like them the way they are, so no changes.
Almost every time Microsoft updates Teams I find a new feature or UI adjustment that I am not fond of. Shortly after, one of my co-workers will be telling me how much they like the new Teams design, at that moment I remember it's a give and take.
However, take for example the computer mouse. You can still buy a mouse that looks and functions almost exactly the same as the mouse you used on Windows 95. It works the way it was designed from day one and so you can still buy one, and then there are all kinds of other options for those who want something else.

-Mike