Fellwalker

I swapped my C drive on my 4 year old Windows 7 Dell laptop for a (same size) 500GB SSD. It makes booting significantly faster, and it certainly feels faster. Cloning was easy with the software provided, I just had to buy a caddy. My 500GB D drive remains as was for data storage. UEFI will make a big difference when I next change - I'm waiting to see what happens with Windows 10, but on the bais of how well it runs even in a Virtual machine on my laptop, i will be upgrading. Everything is backed up to another PC, and some of it to cloud and/or external HDD; and photos even to DVD as well.

Galaxy tab s 8.4. A great tablet, after both versions of Nexus 7, but the 16GB of memory is seriously pathetic if you have a lot of apps, maps or games. They do a 32GB one but you cannot get it in the UK. A 32GB or more micro SD card was a must for me. First thing was to delete all of the bloat off the home screens - Samsung apps and magazines and so on. Get rid of active wallpapers, widgets and stuff that just clutters up and slows down the system. The tablet runs nice and fast. My wife has one too, but not rooted, and she has Facebook with Messenger, whcih is a memory and resource hog. I use Nova launcher, and I have rooted so I can use Titanium backup to "freeze" unwanted system apps and even to uninstall them should I wish. There are lots of threads on XDA Developers website about bloat and how to remove it, and what you can remove.

Microsoft withdrew Media Centre during the early days of Windows 8, due to licencing issues. The last date you could get it as part of windows 8 was 31 January 2013. I know becasue I was trying to update my laptop to 8, and had bought a copy. It insisted I had not removed an Intel Proset driver (supposedly incompatible) that Dell had put on, but I couldn't find any trace of it anywhere. Anyway, I ran out of time and by February, if I had installed 8, it would have been without Media Centre.

That's because it does not apply to Enterprise editions. They are being sorted out differently.

I've a 2009 l&k 2.0 dsg. Has been a great car. Avg 45mpg; best 53 on a long run on motorway. Black leather/alcantara seats. Flappy Paddles on 3 spoke steering wheel were an option. The bluetooth preparation for phones uses rSAP, so my nexus 5, and indeed any standard android phone using kitkat after 4.4.2 will not work with it. I tried a Samsung galaxy note 4 which worked using 4.4.2. Nor according to Microsoft will windows phone 8 or higher; and according to Apple, iPhones don't support it. I'm changing to a volvo XC60 later this month. The dsg oil change and belt change was expensive at 4 years.

Unfortunately the new Octavia is bigger, and has lost the place where I would put my right foot whilst using cruise control. That is a real shame, as it has been a wonderfully practical car, one of the few hatchbacks to fit golf clubs and electric trolley out of sight in the boot. I have tried to stay with Skoda, or at least VW group, but either it doesn't fit the golf gear, or it is utterly huge. The Yeti is minute in comparison.The so called Rapid Spaceback has less space in the back than the hatch. If I have to have something bigger, which means reorganising the garage, I decided to go the whole hog and move vertically upwards with an SUV. After months of looking round every showroom, attempts to get my clubs and trolley into the boots of umpteen vehicles, and test drives, I've ordered a Volvo XC60. It has been a great 10 years with Skoda but they are now mainstream, are moving upmarket, and I feel they are in danger of losing their practicality. When I emailed them after the release of the Octavia III, I merely got the comment that the designers knew what was best. I have found Briskoda to be an excellent resource, a friendly and helpful community, and hope I've been able to add back to it over the years. I wish you all well.

What is it with the Brown interior and seats? I've had two L&K Mk2 and under no circumstances would I have brown upholstery. What with that and the lack of a foot rest for the right foot to use when in cruise control, I cannot find an acceptable replacement car! It looks like I'm going to have to run my current '59 plate into the ground and hope that Skoda see sense before it finally dies.

My Nexus 5 stopped connecting to my Octy's rSAP after the Android update to 4.4.3, which is NOT COMPATIBLE with rSAP. But, the 4.4.2 version of Android has a bug which causes it to lose bluetooth connection from time to time. If you look on the rSAP app's web site, you will find lots of information but no actual solution. http://www.android-rsap.com/ Update on rSAP problems Friday, 29 August 2014 13:43 The problem of the Nexus 5 is caused by a change in the radio/baseband software. It looks like Qualcomm switches off rSAP in new radio versions for whatever reason. Maybe the phone manufacturer has to pay an extra fee for rSAP support? I don't know... I took a look at the baseband software if there is a chance to re-enable the rSAP functions, but I must confess that I don't understand anything that's happening inside. So far it only helps to flash the 4.2.2 radio software under 4.4.4. See this thread for more info.

At its service, the technician removed the trim, and replaced it; but also adjusted the hatch's striker plates so it doesn't shut easily. The jury is still out. It rattles on the way home, but hasn't done so today.

I'm on my second octavia. On both are about 3 years, the black plastic trim at the side of the back window started to rattle. Initially identified as just coming "from behind me", I persuaded my sister to sit in the back and listen, pushing anything that sounded as of it might be the problem. By pressing shadier the trim about 2/3 of the way up on the driver side of the boot, the tale stopped. So I put a little wedge of cardboard in there, and for over a month the problem was gone. Now it's back and no amount of wedges will solve it this time. The trim has a millimeter or so gap between it and the metal, and perhaps 4 mill between it and the glass. How do infix this permanently?

I'm sticking with winters for a little longer. Forget the braking, they grip better when accelerating. With summer tyres, the fronts spin and rely on the automatic whatever its fancy name is. With the winter tyres, they don't spin anything like as much. I would expect that braking performance is similar. Laast spring I changed when I could feel the sidewalls flexing round corners - still cold in the early morning but warm roads and warm air in the day.

Yes it had been on the fixed interval servicing, but as part of the final service the garage reset it to variable. There was never anything that said what they'd do for the 3 years servicing. I've not found anything in writing apart from the garage's and a thread on this forum where 4 years is recommended for the cambelt.

I am frustrated. I have booked my car in for an MOT (4 year old Octavia TDI PD DSG, 36000 miles). It is on variable servicing after 3 years of free services whcih were part of the package when I bought it, and on the face of it does not yet need a service. Is there a complete list of what should be in each service? I ask because it appears my garage is trying it on. :think: Last year, this Approved Service Garage wanted to clean and refill the Aircon, but I rejected it. This year they recommend Add a Minor Service - £129 or Add a Major Service - £249 Recommended Routine Servicing [Click Here] Brake fluid change- £59 (every 2 years once 3 years old). Air Conditioning service - £69 (every 2 years from 4 years old. Includes Air Con Refresh). Cambelt replacement - £369 (for Diesel engines) My car is on variable servicing. The Service Schedule booklet in the car (dated 11.08) doesn't refer to minor or major services, but 30 000 km is inspection, and 60 000 km includes lubricating a few things which I guess is the major one. The booklet says that every 60 000 km, I should replace the DSG oil and filter, and change the oil of the Haldex coupling. Those are not in the garage's suggestions, so are they part of the major service? Will my car's MFD tell me that this is needed, or just that a service is due? Can I see how far away the MFD thinks my next service should be done? The booklet says every 60 000 km to replace the dust and pollen filter (though this appears to have been done at 20k miles in 2011, so should not need doing now). In 2011, when the car was 2 years old, the receipt said that the brake fluid change was due next year, but the 2012 service receipt does not specify. Checking the service schedule booklet, there are big warnings saying that the brake fluid should be changed every two years, so it should have been done in 2011 when they said "not due". I've never had a garage fill in the service booklet, except for a stamp, since my first Ford Escort Mark I in 1978! So who knows? The booklet DOES NOT MENTION Air Conditioning. Last time my garage tried to say it was necessary, I rang Skoda who told me it only needed checking for coolant level, and if necessary that might have to be topped up (not replaced). According to the manual, my cambelt (toothed belt) does not need replacing until 150 000 km (93,000 miles) so it is not necessary yet. So, I'm being recommended some things that do not appear necessary, and others that appear vital are just missed off. Am I alone in wondering what on earth is going on?

Page 8 & 9 of service manual 11.08. I assume that when they say "toothed belt" they actually mean cambelt as we would know it (and as my service garage calls it) at 90 000 km, then every 30 000 km : Inspect toothed belt (only 4-cylinder petrol engines) 56,000 miles / 18,000 miles every 150 000 km: replace toothed belt (diesel engines PD) 93,000 miles every 180 000 km: replace toothed belt (2.0-ltr. petrol engines) 112,000 miles Toothed belt replaced (Diesel engines TDI CR - Common Rail) every 300 000 km: Change toothed belt-tensioning pulley (diesel engines PD) 186,000 miles Having done 35000 miles (say 56 000 km) over 4 years, my skoda approved service garage recommends replacement of the cambelt on my 2.0 TDI PD. The servicing recommendations are really dreadfully vague, with the skoda web site just saying that your retailer will advise you.

OK, having got over the facetious comments about golf, some of which are quite amusing, does anyone have a serious idea about covering the extended load space when the back seats are folded down? In theory, I still fancy a Yeti, but I need to have a way of covering that load space when it has gear in it. Whatever that gear - forget the golf! I could put a blanket over it, as my brother does with his Ford Kuga (yeuch), but that feels so makeshift. Is there a roller blind type of thing, or a hard cover that actually fits in a yeti? What do other people do if say on a touring holiday and carrying suitcases or anything that doesn't fit in the boot with seats up?