Thought so. Hoped there would be a simpler way.

Cheers.

Yeah I would buy a cheap amp, hook that to your PC via a 3.5 to RCA jack (or whatever way the speakers are connected but it's usually through RCAs) and it should work. I used to blast my PC music through my amp till it died, bought another, it died, so I said **** it and just used a pair of speakers with a subwoofer connected directly to the PC.

Note: if there's a line-out on your computer use that rather than the headphone socket, as the latter tends to give less volume.

Logged off before I saw this yesterday. Cheers TH

How much are we talking for a cheap amp?

I'll probably post pics of the jacks and connecty thingies.

Maybe something like this? Though you do of course have to buy speakers, or, if you have ones already, make sure they connect up.

https://www.ebay.ie/itm/Skytronic-St...cAAOSw6GJaGNNP

Is it hard to make a guest log in for your WiFi?

Interesting....

https://www.ebay.ie/itm/Steepletone-...gAAOSwvqlZeidB

This is something like what I have now though (no amp required, and very good sound)

https://www.ebay.ie/itm/2-1-HIFI-HOM...YAAOSw241YY7Xp

Or maybe these

https://www.ebay.ie/itm/70W-RMS-HOME...4AAOSwnDxUfwX3

TBH mate, if there's a Richer Sounds near you, go in there. They'll be best able to advise you and probably give you a good deal too. I used to deal with them a lot and I really trust them to know what they're talking about.

Connecting something like that Sony MHC model you posted would require some type of AUX input available, which it has (unless you have model #MHC-EC69i) according to the manual. The second page towards the left under "Using optional audio components" has all the info you need.

https://docs.sony.com/release//MHCEC99I_EN.pdf

If you're just looking to connect the speakers, then yes an amp with a couple audio inputs would do.

Cheers for the responses guys, will look into it all.

In Windows 10 when I'm alt-tabbing to get back to Explorer from another app is there a way to just switch to Explorer with all the open windows visible instead of having to select each window separately to bring them forward?

Explorer?

As in Internet Explorer?

Why the fuck are you using that shit in 2018?

As in Windows explorer. File explorer? Basically saving changes in one app then switching back to Explorer so I can copy the saved file from one folder to another. I'd like to switch to Explorer with source and destination folders both visible so I can copy the file over.

Have you tried "restore down" by the red x in the corner?

As in switching the window between maximised and windowed? Not really helpful as I am on a laptop with minimal screen real estate. Experimenting with multiple desktops which might work ok, apart from the desktop shortcuts always opening things in the first one instead of the current one.

Basically I am switching between three apps, editing a javascript in WordPad, copying it over to Illustrator's presets folder in File Explorer and then testing it in Illustrator. I have two windows open in File Explorer, documents and program files folders because it won't let me save changes directly in the applications folder, my document window in WordPad and multiple documents in Illustrator. When I finish an edit in WordPad and zoom that window Illustrator is the previous app I was in so then I need to switch from that to File Explorer. Anyway hopefully the multiple desktops thing is workable. Haven't used that before in Windows but I'm used to it from Linux so I'll see how it goes.

Create a Shortcut to the folder you'd like to go to, then right click on the shortcut and in the Properties tab fill in a Shortcut key, like Ctrl + Alt + M. You'll have to physically press those keys to set it within the Shortcut key property.

I've been having so much trouble with my iTunes lately that I'm thinking of switching to a whole different music player. Is this the thread where I can get tips on that, or is there a better one somewhere else on Music Banter?

Media Monkey is very highly rated I believe.

Thanks for the tip, Trollheart. I did some research over the weekend about different alternatives to iTunes, and Media Monkey did seem like the best one. One of the articles that was the most helpful in getting a basic idea of the different options was this one:

https://www.1and1.co.uk/digitalguide...-alternatives/

Media Monkey looks pretty good in that lineup but there's something to be said for the other options too. Hopefully that link will help other people in case there's anyone else out there who's fed up with iTunes

Just get spotify.

That's another option, but I feel a little better supporting musicians by buying their stuff as much as I can (though obviously that's difficult financially for a lot of people)

Then you should probably use Bandcamp.

Being that I still lug around my IPod Classic wherever I go, I'll be a long term user until someone comes up with a baddass device that lets me have a Pono experience with Media Monkey. :)

Artists get royalties when you play their music.. you alone might make up a small portion of that, but you're still supporting them. They choose to put their music on there after all. Seems like a win win to me unless you have some incredibly obscure taste.

If you really want to support an artist, get a Spotify account and play their music all day. This way you can give them streaming money while you go out and buy their merch or see them perform. Better yet you can try to make a bot that skips after 31 seconds (that's when the song registers), maybe alternating so that Spotify doesn't catch onto the fact that you're not actually at home listening to music to support your favourite artists, you're out buying their **** and seeing what else in their back catalog you don't have etceteretera.

Basically what I'm trying to say is streaming is cool but buying is better.

Those are all good points/tips -- thanks all. I'll try to keep up some kind of a streaming and buying combo strategy :)

At a certain point the whole obsession with supporting the artist can be pretentious as **** cause you're just trying to get pats on the back for having the absolute most integrity of all the music fans. I think you're just about crossing that line.

It's more about wanting your favourite artists to have money to be able to make more dope **** that you love.

I guess you must have missed the "At a certain point" bit.

I don't see your point.

Sometimes people like to point out that they support artists so people within earshot will give them kudos. How's that complicated?

Do you consider donations given to charity for self-congratulatory purposes to be less valid?

I consider that person to be a twat. I'm not gonna argue a point I'm not making.

What's the best recommended free virus scanner that people are using these days? I don't want to have to pay for a monthly subscription, so I figured I'd ask here. It's been a while since I've had to switch around. I was using Avast, but my computer bluescreened during the recent Avast update, and Avast seems to have lost my long-standing subscription from the Free Home Edition that I'd carried over. I logged into my account and it's not available there either. So, what's the recommended free virus scanner that people are using these days?

AVG Free is good, so is (believe it or not) MSE (MicroScum Security Essentials).

AVG got spammy as hell the last few years. A day didn't go by without it telling me to upgrade to premium, and in really annoying ways.
Switched to Avast since then, but looks like it's not an option

I've used the free version of MalwareBytes in conjunction with AutoRuns.exe and ProcessExplorer.exe for years with no problems, and just let Windows Defender do it's thing. Minimal bloat and no subscription.

MalwareBytes only does spyware though, doesn't it? I use both the ones I mentioned, in conjunction with MWB and Hitman Pro. Works for me.

No, it does quite a bit more. Even the free version will detect and quarantine trojans and worms. Most antivirus 'bloatware' isn't needed if you know how to use what I mentioned. Windows defender works just fine, but isn't fool proof for people who aren't intuitive about threats and when to act on them. That's when I run ProcessExplorer and Autoruns to kill the process of the immediate threats, then eliminate any recursive startup processes. I use Malwarebytes to detect and quarantine, then run a Boot Time Scan as a final 'polish'. I've been doing this for over a decade with 100% success with my own PC's and about 99% with coworkers and friends. Once in a great while I'll come across someone's PC that has been infected for too long and the infection is too deep.

Edit: I should mention that I disable Malwarebytes until needed.

MSE is basically Windows Defender now. You must be on an older PC. Like I said, AVG and even Avast! (Grindy) is bloatware that isn't needed, but hey, as long as you're protected and having your system resources hogged up doesn't bother you, then no harm no foul.

Okay. This is news to me. While we're on the subject, do you get the annoying "new update available" screen constantly from MWB? I keep getting it, downloaded, installed and it STILL keeps hinting at me. If you know how to disable/sort that I'd be in your debt.
Yeah I'm on Windows 7, so I still have MSE. You reckon AVG bloats out the resources? I could do with a little more speed for sure. If I disable it, then MSE and MWB are adequate protection?

I disable MWB all together until needed and then update the virus database before a scan.

You only need to have MSE (in your case) running. Anything else is just just overkill and will battle for system resources. Also, make sure you're up to date on your security patches, since a lot of that legacy stuff is susceptible to viruses with the old architecture.

I've never totally trusted the MSE, or Windows Defender, which is why I use it as well as MWB, but not at the same time. The Windows stuff is good, but if one doesn't catch something the other more than likely will. It's just a system with safe catches that has worked through the years.