I’ve cancelled! The only page I was able to access the whole time was my account page. I never was able to access the word processor, the bit I need more than all the other frills. All work is meant to happen in the cloud these days … I know that … I don’t have the inner fortitude to wrestle with passwords every single time I want to use a word processor.

I’d really like the installation to happen without hang ups. I’d really like it if after I click on Install, the behemoth just installed itself without hanging itself up somewhere. I’d really like it if I didn’t have to uninstall, then go through all the steps outlined in the Troubleshooting page then reinstall and go through it all again.

All the boasting going on in the clean no-frills accompanying text isn’t having the required effect, because I can already see, that despite that they have already taken my money–which wasn’t outrageous this week–this is not going to be a smooth operation. I wonder if the reason that it’s only the third week after the end of the Financial Year, that the buy-price was a full $30AUD less than the original?

[And you know what? There is a bot following me around. Just got a suggestion for a less complex word for ‘purchase’ … fits better in the grammar, apparently … ‘buy-price’. Sounds like US slang to me. And apparently following is also too complex. Not buying that and this is WordPress, not the subject of the post.

Well, my online account works. Naturally, they start pushing more products the minute my feet hit the deck. Like, will I want a co pilot? No thanks. I’m used to flying alone, and am quite capable. And why would I want to pay an extra $33 a month for having a co-pilot?

They don’t see any devices? Well, duh. No devices, thank you. Trying to do this on a shoe string. Why would I open an Outlook account when I have had one operating since I got this computer? Another problem rearing its ugly head. Well, that’s My MS Account explored. Seems to be working. Its hiccups might iron out overnight. Wouldn’t that be something?

Next? The installation process … was encouraged to save the License agreement. Have you ever noticed how an encouragement like that is hedged by the further choices being grey-ed out and your attention narrowed to the word that must be reacted upon?

It seems to be happening. Then … per-ling-lingk … that Microsoft-specific sound of success. it says it’s done. A couple more hurdles, because not quite done yet. It has to initialize.

You should to laugh, I think at myself. A window just popped up. 2 updates available! I haven’t even opened anything yet. Update in progress is the next message. At 27 minutes that’s going to take longer than the installation process.

So the Updates are done. I click it, and it then tells me that a number of the new programs, since they were installed back in May 2024,… which they definitely weren’t … need updating. Ha ha ha! It’s like a maze. And I still don’t have anything to work with.

So finally I get a couple of aliased icons on my desktop … and here is the test … open one of my previously clamped documents and get …. taraaaahhh! Drum roll, please!

Nope! Forget the drum roll! A bit of Bosley and his crew from long ago, see those two little angles just under the Header? The clamps. My stuff is still not usable. Up in the top left it says I must ‘Activate‘ Microsoft.

Huh? Haven’t I done that already? I click on Activate just in case …

You know what? I’m calling it a day. Cheers all