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Forum Index : Microcontroller and PC projects : Nothing imune from Windows
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| MikeO Senior Member  Joined: 11/09/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 275 |
Whilst waiting for my flight in Auckland International Airport yesterday I was amused at the Windows effect on the Gate information Display.   Mike Codenquilts |
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Gizmo Admin Group  Joined: 05/06/2004 Location: AustraliaPosts: 5119 |
At least it wasn't a blue screen of death. The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now. JAQ |
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| BrianP Senior Member Joined: 30/03/2017 Location: AustraliaPosts: 292 |
B#*%$y Kiwis - trying to run Windows on the cheap  |
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| robert.rozee Guru  Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 2442 |
don't worry - after you ignore the message for 30 days the air traffic control system will go into 'limited functionality' mode, where only one plane (carrying 16 passengers or less) can be tracked at a time. cheers, rob :-) |
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| WhiteWizzard Guru Joined: 05/04/2013 Location: United KingdomPosts: 2944 |
Departure Screens went down at Gatwick yesterday so they tried reverting to 'White-Boards' to inform customers about critical information!! |
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Azure Guru Joined: 09/11/2017 Location: AustraliaPosts: 446 |
Maybe they are using the same system as NZ as their time has run out  |
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| Volhout Guru Joined: 05/03/2018 Location: NetherlandsPosts: 5089 |
Just be glad it did not go into a forced update. Mine took 3 hours last time (non SSD). Volhout PicomiteVGA PETSCII ROBOTS |
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MicroBlocks Guru Joined: 12/05/2012 Location: ThailandPosts: 2209 |
I always wonder about those 'forced updates' Never seen them in any windows version.Windows 10 homse is the exception i know. Just upgrade to pro if it bothers you. The ones working in the airport maintaining those pc's should be fired directly. Microblocks. Build with logic. |
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| Boppa Guru Joined: 08/11/2016 Location: AustraliaPosts: 814 |
Our local IGA had a 'windows moment', apparently all the cash registers talk through a single win10 machine (that also runs the advertising tv's behind the cash registers), it came up with a screen that it needed to reboot- which promptly shut down all the registers- frantic button pushings by the manager put it into a reboot, but we could all see the 'windows is installing updates' and knew it was dicey- ten minutes later, the manager asked for cash only customers and was doing it on handheld calculators with inbuilt printers, anyone without cash was allowed to use the cash register system in the bottlo next door, they apparently made some sort of agreement to settle all the invoices later on (the only atm was in the IGA and wasnt working either) sighs the joys of technology lol |
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| JohnS Guru Joined: 18/11/2011 Location: United KingdomPosts: 4044 |
They were probably fired months ago (or left)! Happens fairly often over here - management haven't bothered to find out who or what matters and then POW! they find out too late. "management" isn't what those overpaid muppets are fit for, but hey. John |
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Grogster Admin Group Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9610 |
I would have thought displays like that would be on Linux - none of those updates and down-time issues at all then. A very basic Linux distro(such as Puppy) would probably do it with ease. @ Boppa - Having all cash-registers run through a single Windows 10 machine is a very bad idea. If they absolutely HAVE to use W10 cos of some hardware limitation, then they need a 2nd redundant W10 machine you can switch to to keep the registers working. One service machine, one backup. You might need to manually check for updates on the backup, so it does not go down with updates at the same time. Better yet, use Linux for this kind of stuff. Windows ten would be a nightmare for this kind of retail environment, as down-time is a big deal in retail.  Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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Quazee137 Guru Joined: 07/08/2016 Location: United StatesPosts: 593 |
I have helped shops that needed windows because of custom software that will not run on W10. What was done was to put a Linux server between them and the Internet. All orders, orders status and email post to the server. Then the server scans them and creates log files if ok passes them to the W7 and XP for processing. And sends the out going email. The W7 systems are in office and the XP's tasked with running the milling machines. I have been using Linux from the time you build the system from a set of floppies. 1st disk main tool set. disk 2-3 the source to build Linux. The other 7 had the source for the programs or now days the APP's. Took a few tries to get it all working. Been worth it. Today Linux its sooooo much easier to get/install/use. Linux is like the car lot. The basics are there but you can pick what feels like YOU. |
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| Boppa Guru Joined: 08/11/2016 Location: AustraliaPosts: 814 |
Grogster, I suspect (from what was visible during all this), is that the w10 machine is running some sort of 'master' server style accounting package that holds all the sales databases and reference tables for bar code scanners, prices etc that the cash registers access (ie for item on sale, enter on the master package and all registers instantly know the new price when they access the management package, all the 'ad monitors' behind each cash register seemed to be cloned off the main monitor in the w10 box as we could all what what the manager was doing on them (definitely NOT the system to go looking at porn on your lunch break LOL) the ads seemed to simply be some sort of repeating pictures (maybe something as simple as a folder of jpegs on the screensaver???) Quazee137, I know, I still maintain a industrial system (my mum worked there for probably 20 years as the entire office staff) that has quite a few machines of varying vintages CNC mills, lathes etc etc that run on XP, 98se and even a couple on MS DOS, which simply cant be upgraded to new OS's without major rebuilds, so I set them up on an internal network that is buffered from the outside by a linux server style system that handles emails as they all require loading of their CNC programming from customers emails, but obviously cant be let loose directly on the internet anymore I am hoping the network hubs last as they are a very old combination hub with both old coax bnc as well as modern rj style ports on them as some of the machines inbuilt network cards are still coax!!! (I have 2 spares still in their boxes that will hopefully last long enough to survive the life expectancy of the machinery!) I would dread the price/doing of upgrading the internal motherboards of these machines, assuming it could even be done economically- the motherboards arent in a separate box but actually built into the machines housings, with inbuilt (mostly monochrome) screens and old touchpad style custom keyboards, most with 3.5" floppies, but a couple with old 5 1/4" floppies Replacement of the machinery ist really an option as they are big industrial machine (some cost close to a half million dollars each, back in the late 80's/early 90's, even the newer ones are hundreds of thousands of dollars each) and as long as the actual machine itself is still capable of functioning accurately, then the software side of things will have to be kept running by hook or by crook....  Newer lcd and 3.5" floppy, rj network card  Older CRT tube monitor, 5 1/4" floppy, bnc network connection There are about a half dozen of these machines (the biggest is the size of my loungeroom!!!) and replacing them simply isnt on the cards |
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| Volhout Guru Joined: 05/03/2018 Location: NetherlandsPosts: 5089 |
My son in law is given the task to look at the CNC machinery in his (wooden furniture mfgr) company, as he has some experience in IT (even worked at a help desk for some years). He told me the nerve pulling stories, where a machine still running windows 95, he could not even make a copy of the harddrive anymore, just in case it crashes. Upgrading systems to newer windows versions not possible (NT3.51) anymore. It would have been if they had upgraded gradually (NT4.0 -> XP). Maybe adding some RAM. It is so sad to see that the machines got their mechanical maintenance, but that software maintenance was not performed. And now it is ..... too late.? If a machine starts to become unreliable, you will have to replace. Volhout It sounds a bit silly, but the ones that run MSDOS are actually the least problem. These can be maintained better that the early windows versions. PicomiteVGA PETSCII ROBOTS |
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| Grogster Admin Group Joined: 31/12/2012 Location: New ZealandPosts: 9610 |
Probably cos DOS-based systems are not 'Aware' of the Internet or any modern kind of networking. That makes them pretty bullet-proof.  Smoke makes things work. When the smoke gets out, it stops! |
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| Boppa Guru Joined: 08/11/2016 Location: AustraliaPosts: 814 |
Biggest problem is that many of these machines literally have no upgrade path, they arent designed as 'consumer electronics' they are industrial machinery, and the computer is there to do one job- drive the machine. Often the motherboards are custom made proprietary boards or industrial grade computers that dont have finiky breakable part like memory slots- these things are soldered in... because the things they are attached to vibrate... Industrial computing is a whole different ball game to consumer computing (I know, I spent quite a few years doing it, our computers were custom pcb's originally built inhouse, inside custom aluminium hulls that were literally bulletproof- not to mention airtight!) Add the software had to meet VERY stringent requirements and testing, we were on XP and CE when win8 was released, one program was started on Vista certification, and by the time it had been tested and passed every testing regime required- Vista had been replaced! |
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