any computer genuises out there - help with cheapie mini netbook

**Momto5RN** · 10-15-2010, 11:27 AM

will first ask question - if you want you can read the back story below it that will possibly answer any questions but you may not need to lol

i have a mini netbook 7" with windows CE 6 on it - some things were changed on it in an attempt to get it to work better - now it doesn't at all as far as connecting even at home .

is there a way i can put it back to original settings - i have looked on the puter itself without any luck - used the help feature on the computer etc . tried googling without much luck

wondering if i connect it to my desktop if i can go online and download the CE 6 onto it again and reset it ?

now if interested back story >>>

when i first decided to purchase a mini netbook for my work ( so when i am away i can access email etc) i wanted to go the most frugal way
i got a cheapie mini netbook for 99$ that had wifi and ran on windows CE 6

i researched it saw some negatives and positives but for what i wanted it for it seemed like a good deal . ( wasn't playing music on it etc )

well after a while it became apparent it wasn't a great idea or deal .

while i could connect at home i was unable to connect at motels etc even though my kids ipod touches were okay connection something in the software was too old i guess. people at motels were no help.
so i ended up using their touches to check email . but it wasn't easy to do .

also my email for my work you end up with like 5 open windows to get to the email - it doesn't just switch to next window it opens a new one - so it would freeze alot .

i tried deleting things on the mini i didn't need to free up space etc with no luck and when last trying to get it to hook up when were in in OC i changed settings that now i cant even get it to connect here at home .

ended up giving up buying a dell 10" mini for under 200$ from their refurb area and using an extra 20% off coupon code and figured the 99$ on the old one was just a loss. lesson learned - cheaper isn't always better and to stop feeling guilty about buying myself something to make life simpler so that i buy the cheapest thing .

now with holidays coming up i was thinking if i could get it to where it was - i know one feature was watching you tube and my 9 yo watches old cartoons on there alot and since the kids old desk top ( my old one which is like an 8 yo dell) is on the way out and i don't plan to buy a new one ( the older 3 have laptops and the 14 yo is getting her dads old laptop for Christmas)\
I thought maybe i would regift it to him for Christmas so he has some thing to watch cartoons on once the old one dies and when someone else is on mine .

**Dixie** · 10-15-2010, 01:09 PM

Sorry, I have no advice, but I bought a $99 netbook about a month ago and returned it. I couldn't access my email, or play youtube. I could go to message boards just fine, but that's about all that worked.
If it worked like it's supposed to, I would like to get one for my granddaughter.

**Libby** · 10-15-2010, 01:19 PM

Um...what do you mean by 'connecting' - accessing the interwebz?

On the bottom right hand side where your supposedly supposed to rest your palms while typing - the right of the touch pad...is there a lil slide thingy? I slide it to the right once (it slides back to original position) and then the wifi is turned on. Slide it to the right (and it slides back to original position) and it turns off. There's a pic of a satellite there and a blinky green light. If its flashing...wifi is on....no blinky = wifi off. Do you think you could've hit it by accident? It may or may not be in the same spot on your netbook so look around all edges.

You may or may not have to reconfigure the wifi setting on your netbook as well.

**MomToTwoBoys** · 10-15-2010, 04:14 PM

If you want to restore the factory settings, you can try to do what's called a System Restore. I'm not familiar with CE 6, but I do know that most PCs will do what's called a System Restore backup. That means that during the week, your computer will backup your system configuration at that particular time.

If it doesn't give you the option to do a System Restore (which would be found in the Accessories/System Tools folder if you click on the Windows button), I'd check out other options.

**Momto5RN** · 10-15-2010, 05:52 PM

it has no system restore on it that i can find - i know how to do that . i even did a help search for system restore on the system itself and nothing .
there is no little sliding button to turn wi fi on and off .

if it wasnt for the fact that the first month i had it i could use it, although slowly, at home i probably would have returned it too but by the time we were away and i realized more of its issues ... it was too late.

by connecting i mean connecting to wi fi so i can get on internet - facebook - you tube etc

**Lucas** · 10-15-2010, 05:52 PM

it sounds like you may be missing some drivers. Aside from that a way to speed things up is to turn off a lot of special effects in the display settings.

**Momto5RN** · 10-15-2010, 06:25 PM

well this thing has no special effects that i know of
-i dont think it has the memory to dao anything much but get you online and opem 1-2 windows
when i say its a cheapie i mean a no frills cheapie - it has no cd rom - very little memory- no pragrams but a few accessories like notepad and calculator and the ability to get you online ...sometimes i will just play with some more - set it aside a few months ago i was so frustrated - maybe i will figure it out picking it up again with fresh eyes.

**Momto5RN** · 10-15-2010, 06:28 PM

this is basically what it is if its any help to anyone .

NEW 7" Mini Netbook Laptop Notebook WIFI Windows 2GB HD

**xtena** · 10-15-2010, 07:43 PM

Does the keyboard have any function keys? On my little netbook (mine was pricier and runs Vista, really a slick little mini PC) you can turn the wireless off and on via alt+ one of the function keys. I panicked the first time I fatfingered the wrong keys and it quit connecting, took me a couple of hours to figure out what I'd done.

**Momto5RN** · 10-15-2010, 09:15 PM

i know how to turn the wireless on and off ....thats not what is preventing it from connecting

-really i swear its not me being dumb lol i may be blonde but i am actually rather compter savvy until this little whacky thing came along ;0

( i have taken apart and even fixed a few of my old puters added menory and replaced cd roms - swapped out fans etc etc myself ) i am the " faux IT" at my weekend job for the field staff i supervise that have issues because theres no on call IT so i get called alot and i actually trouble shoot alot of their problems .

somehow trying to get it to work when i was down the shore i think i deleted something i need - while deleting things i felt i didnt need in an atttempt to free up some space so if i can figure how to get it back to regular settings all will be solved but its not a regular windows type program .

i need to restore it to factory settings somehow but it doesnt have a restore function like regular computers do . .

it didnt come with any software has no cd rom in it either etc