The power supply seems fine.

I would look at a different case however.  Remember how important it is to make sure you have a fan blowing over the hard drives.  That model of Antec does not do that.  To give you an idea, this is the case I use in my own system:

http://www.devhardware.com/c/a/Computer-Cases/X-Dreamer-Case/

I have the older model, with 2 80mm fans in the front.  The newer ones have 4 80mm fans.  That cooling on the hard drive is very important, and will add years to the life-span of your drives.

Asus has made boards with ATI chips in the past.  We use oned one for our 939 chip almost exclusively.  And their AsRock line has one.  But you should also consider MSI.  Here is a link to their K9A Platinum, a very highly rated board:

http://www.msicomputer.com/product/p_spec.asp?model=K9A_Platinum&class=mb

Asus and Asrock have not come out with an ATI chip for the AM2 as of yet, simply because that platform is so new.  It only hit the market a month ago.  But there is an Asus Crossfire board in testing now that is claimed to be the best ever.

As I said though, I would definately hold off on a video card.  Get something more like an X300 through X500.  Do not waste money on a high-priced item like the X1900, because it will be obsolete come December, when the DirectX 10 stuff comes out.

In fact, unless you are looking at any kind of gaming. why even waste money on a video card?  Simply get a board with either NVidia or ATI graphics on-board.

As far as chipset and video card, that is not a worry.  No company is going to ruin their chances by making a chipset incompatible with the video card of another company.  Only Apple pulls games like that.  8)

And the All-In-Wonder is nice, but are you planning on useing this system for semi-pro level video editing?  If not, just get a regular video card.  The AIW series is a high-end video input-output system.  Just get the normal level card.  If you think you may want to do some light video capture with this computer, simply get a decent quality TV Capture card.

And the same thing with the sound card.  I admit that I have an Audigy card, but I do sound recording with my computer.  My computer is hooked up through a mixer board, then to a Shure microphone.  While I was pleased with the quality of my built-in sound card, there was a noticeable "buzz" when I tried to record with it.  I had a regular SB Live card until a few months ago, when I picked up a used Audigy for $25.

Built-in sound has come a long ways in the last few years.  Unless you are doing something elaborate (like high end recording, digital output, 8.1 surround speakers, etc), there is rarely a need to get anything else, unless you simply want to impress people.

You may want to realize something about how I design a system.  For one, I am a minimalist.  I avoid suggesting that people get the "best out there", unless there is really a need for it.  Then I try to design a system that will perform the tasks demanded of it, for a reasonable budget.

And that budget depends on the person and the job it is needed to do.  I have built $600 new systems for people with simple needs.  I have also built $12,000+ video editing systems for major studios, with multiple processors, redundent hard drives, and $2,000 video capture cards.

Other then the speed of the processor, it looks like you are looking at a "dream system".  And unless you really need it, I would spend the money in other areas.  ANd there is really no way to do all that for under $1,000.  The video card alone is almost half of the budget.

Drop the sound card, and downgrade the video card to something like an X550.  Oh, and a good hint:  drop most of the OEM packages.  To give an idea:  if you bought that video card, you would me missing half of the hardware and all of the software needed to make it work.  OEM is rarely a good idea, unless it is for something like Optical Drives and Hard Drives.  OEM in anything else (Processors, Motherboards, Cards) is always a mistake for an individual.  You get no software, no cables or accessories, no tech support, and a shorter warranty.

And have you checked with your local computer stores?  Do check them out.  I always encourage people to shop local, instead of from some big company that is located thousands of miles away, that could not give a damn about customer service.

^ Wow that was detailed :D  I need to get my printer to work hehehe.

My friend suggested that I get the parts off the net because the people in local shops would invariably mark up the prices, but how much I don't know.

Okay, Mr. Mushroom...let's simplify :D

Tell me how much minimum RAM I need and the speed of the processor I need to run that which I have previously described, then tell me what new parts I need to upgrade to Vista since you are insistent on its practicality in the near future.  I am not one to be impractical nor unprepared, so fire away :D

Is it true that if guys use laptops on their laps,It'll lose the sperm count from what I've heard. ???

My friend suggested that I get the parts off the net because the people in local shops would invariably mark up the prices, but how much I don't know.


Yes, there is a bit of a mark-up.  But you also get things like local tech support that is familiar with the parts you have.  And if you have problems, you can just bring it back to them for a replacement (rather then having to deal with the mess of trying to go through the channel of RMA and sending it back).  Myself, I would rather pay a few bucks for that.  And when you walk out the door, you have it in your hand.  Not having to rely on it being shipped, and ptentially being damaged (or lost) in shipping.  Or of even worse, getting the wrong part shipped to you.


Tell me how much minimum RAM I need and the speed of the processor I need to run that which I have previously described, then tell me what new parts I need to upgrade to Vista since you are insistent on its practicality in the near future.  I am not one to be impractical nor unprepared, so fire away :D


Well, the "minimum RAM" and "minimum CPU" really depends on you and your needs.  The "sweet spot" of CPU is the 3200, but feel free to go as high as you think you can afford.  If you can get a good deal on a 3800 or 4000, go for it.  This are is a lot about "personal choice".  There is no right or wrong.  But do not go hog-wild and get the highest ones out there.  With the depreciation of CPU prices, you will find yourself in the situation that within 3 months, it will be selling new for half as much.

The same goes for RAM.  I recommend at least 512 Meg as an absolute  minimum, 1 Gig is better.  Vista will have a recommended minimum of 2 Gig RAM for full features.  But there is nothing preventing you from getting just 1 Gig now, and adding another Gig at a later date.

After the 2 Gig mark, more RAM will not help much, unless you are doing high-ended tasks that would utilize that much RAM (AutoCAD, Premiere, etc).


Is it true that if guys use laptops on their laps,It'll lose the sperm count from what I've heard. ???


Yes, much in the same way that wearing tight pants will do the same thing.  It has to deal with heat.  And this is nothing knew, it has been known for years.  But this is only temporary.  The body replenishes the supply within a few days.

I made the following post recently in a forum about a game I play a lot of, Guild Wars.  In the Technical Support area, I am constantly reading of people suggesting people to get their new computers from Dell, or to order them from places like New Egg.  What follows is my response to them.

How To Shop For A Computer Store

There have been several posts here about where to buy their computer parts, or where to buy their new computer. And invariably, a lot of the people refer people to either "Big Name" dealers like Dell, or on-line retailers like New Egg.

Myself, I always refer people to their local mom & pop retailers. One reason why I do this is because that is where I work. And I honestly believe that I can build a better system then Dell, New Egg, HP, or Compaq. And I can do it for a better price.

However, I know that for every one like me, there is another one that is the opposite. This is the computer store that is run by the shady people, who simply want to foist off cheap junk, and scam the customer with overpriced items they do not want or need.

I am writing this, in the hopes of educating people what to look for when they walk into their local computer store.

1. Word of mouth references. Ask your friends and family who they have gone to and who they recommend. For most small stores, this is the bulk of their advertising. They let their service and quality speak for themselves. Also find out where they would not go and why. This can prevent you from being taken by the bad dealers.

2. Cleanliness and Organization: Now this is a small local business, not a big box like Circus City or Comp-WhoAreYou. Do not expect shiny glass and chrome surfaces and rows upon rows of new computers ready to walk out the door with. On the other hand, it should be nbeat and orderly for the most part. After all, you do not want them to loose your equipment.

3. Selection. Now do not expect a large selection, but there should be at least 3 or 4 different brands of most components available. This is expecially important for items like Motherboards, Cases, and accessories. Be cautious if they only offer 1 choice for most components. Also be cautious if their new stock is all held in a back room. It should be clearly displayed in the customer area.

4. Prices clearly marked. Be very cautious of any store that does not clearly mark it's prices. Sadly, I see this in almost half of the computer stores I go into. They often work on the "What they buyer can bear" philosophy of selling. If the customer looks rich (or naive), they charge more then they would to somebody else. Avoid such places.

5. Ask about warranties. This is especially important if you are buying a new processor. All CPU makers sell their chips in two ways: OEM and Retail Boxed. OEM chips are shipped with just the chip, no cooling fan. They also come with a 30-90 day warranty. Retail box sets however come with a factory approved CPU cooler, and a 3 year warranty. Retail may cost $20-30 more, but once you factor in the price of the CPU cooler, retail is always a better buy.

Good quality motherboards will have a warranty ranging from 1-3 years. If it is less then they, they are probably selling low-quality boards. And while the builder warranty may vary, most should offer at least 30-90 days on their labor. And ask, many will offer a full 1 year warranty for an additional charge.

6. Check the items they sell. Write down some of the manufacturers and models they sell, and do come checking. Most stores will offer a range of motherboards, from $60-150. Some of the better names in the business are Asus, MSI, AsRock, Tyan, and GigaByte. If most of their stock is in companies like Mercury, Epox, PC-Chips (also known as PC-100 and PC-Tech), avoid them. These are all low-quality manufacturers that are favored of stores that sell computers with no warranty, simply hoping to make a fast buck.

7. Avoid "Motherboard-CPU combos". If one is offered to you, look closely. One trick a lot of low-end companies do is to solder on a low-end processor to a motherboard, and overclock it. Most of these have a lifespan of around 6 months, and sell for under $100. Others sell a decent motherboard, but with an OEM chip and cheap aftermarket CPU cooler. Make sure that any combo is a seperate motherboard, with a Retail BOX CPU.

8. Check the cases. Be cautious if the cases are mostly beige boxes. The majority of these have poor cooling, and poor quality power supplies. And because the industry has moved away from these in the last several years, they can also be old stock they are trying to get away from. Make sure the case they recommend has at least a 350 watt power supply, and at least 2 fans (one blowing across where the hard drive will go). Make sure that if they build it, that all of the fans are inserted in the finished computer. I call fans "Cheap Insurance", because a $10 fan can save hundreds of dollars in premature failure.

9. Overstocking items. Look to see if they have huge stacks of new components in stock. Most computer stores work on a small profit margin, so avoid this tactic. But others often order large quantities because it is a "deal". What this means is that they will not order any replacements until the current stock is sold. This is a problem, because you often find yourself buying a "brand new" item that is already 2-4 years old (at the price it sold for 2-4 years ago). I have seen stores with "brand new" Pentium III motherboards selling for $120. And "Brand New" AMD motherboards, which took PC-133 and Duron processors for $110. Make sure you really are buying current technology, not the technology of 2 years ago if you are buying new. That same $110-120 can get you a good quality motherboard that takes either an LGA-775 or AM2 processor, with DDR2 RAM.

10. Ask questions. Feel free to ask questions about what they stock, and why. Just like anything else (cars, TVs, music), we all have our preferences. Most will prefer ATI or NVidia, AMD or Intel. And their stock will often reflect this. But beware of somebody that "bashes" the other major brands. AMD and Intel are both on par with each other (Via is a tad lower on the list, but still a good chip - if a bit overpriced for what it is). NVidia and ATI are also on par with each other for quality and performance. If they tell customers that competetors are junk, be careful.

Now here are a few tips on things to ask when you decide on where to go:

1. Complete custom or pre-built? Some stores (like where I work at) pre-build custom models. This is either done to save time (for high-volume stores), or to give a display model of what their finished products look like. Usually, there is nothing wrong with a floor-model like this, since they are rarely more then a few weeks old. But make sure it is current technology (LGA-775 or AM2). Otherwise, you are buying last-generation equipment (unless they are giving it at a good price).

2. Used computers? Some stores also sell used computers. If they do, make sure that they are Corporate models, not home models. Look for models like HP Vector, Compaq Deskpro or Evo, and Dell OptiPlex. These are Corporate models, that normally last 6+ years. Avoid Presario, Pavilion, and DImension. These normally have a lifespan of 1-3 years, and are most of the way through that by the time it makes it to used sales. And make sure that you get at least a 60-90 day warranty with a used system.

3. What to have built? Having a computer custom built can be a daunting decision for some people. If you are not sure what to get, have a friend that is more knowledgeable come along. A good "Computer Builder" will give you plenty of options, and try to stear you towards what fits your needs best. But beware: some will try to sell you the most expensive things they have. For the most part, a system to play GW should normally cost from $700-1,000. But the more you put into it, the more it will cost. If they try to tell you that you need an ATI x1950 video card, a 4 GHz processor, and 2 gigs of RAM, you might want to try to find another store.

And finally, what I consider one of the most important parts:

UPGRADE!

Remember, a custom built computer should be a continual work in progress. One of the beauties is that you can start off small, and build it up even more over time. You can start with 1 Gig RAM now, and add a second Gig (or more) when Vista comes out. You can get an X550 video card now for around $85, then get the nice fancy x1950 in about 6 months, when the price has dropped. I tell people that they should plan on spending 10-20% of the value of their computer every year for upgrades.

At that rate, a computer should never be obsolete. Because within 3-5 years, you are essientially replacing it. By spending $1000 this year, this gives you $150-200 next year for more RAM and a copy of Vista. The next year you can spend another $150-200 for new hard drive, maybe that all-in-one printer-scanner you had your eye on. The next year, your processor and motherboard will start to get outdated, so it is time to upgrade that (by 2009, we will probably be at around 5-6 GHz and DDR3 RAM).

The biggest problem I see with upgrades is that most people simply wait to long. If you wait more then 3 years, you are normally so far the technology curve that you are better off starting new then upgrading. Since 2003 we have gone from PC-133 to DDR and now DDR2. Socket A and Prescot have been replaced by LGA-775 for Intel, or 754/939, and now AM2 for AMD. AGP has been replaced by PCI Express. Even the venerable IDE has finally been replaced with SATA hard drives.

But before you pick up the phone to call Dell, Gateway or New Egg, check what the local stores have to offer. You may be amazed at the selection and quality available right in your own hometown. I live and work in a small town in SE Alabama, yet I can build a computer that will beat a new Dell XPS, for 1/2-2/3 the cost of the Dell. And the same story is true around the world. Plus I can offer something none of them can: local service. You are not stuck talking to India or Philippines of you call me for help. And you simply drive over and drop it off, you do not have to wait 2-5 days for an appointment, nor have to box up your computer and send it across the country for service.

What's the worst computer virus out there?  ???

What's the worst computer virus out there?  ???


I would classify it as "Cool Web Search".  It is a combination Virus/spyware from a group of hackers in Russia.  It is impossible to remove, and is almost impossible to block.

Most of the time it comes from visiting hacker/porn sites.  However, there have been reports of it being imbeded in some gambling sites as well.  It also often turns up imbedded in software from P-2-P files.

This is a purely monetary virus package.  It force-feeds updates to your computer, as well as spyware, and pop-ups.  It is estimated that the hackers who wrote it make as much as $1 million a year from the content it forces to your computer.  Aurora is another one on the same class that behaves similarly.

If you type something like "www.google.com" into your computer and it redirects you to another site, you more then likely have CWS or some similar virus.  About all you can do then is to backup your data and reload your computer from scratch.

I would classify it as "Cool Web Search".  It is a combination Virus/spyware from a group of hackers in Russia.  It is impossible to remove, and is almost impossible to block.

Most of the time it comes from visiting hacker/porn sites.  However, there have been reports of it being imbeded in some gambling sites as well.  It also often turns up imbedded in software from P-2-P files.

This is a purely monetary virus package.  It force-feeds updates to your computer, as well as spyware, and pop-ups.  It is estimated that the hackers who wrote it make as much as $1 million a year from the content it forces to your computer.  Aurora is another one on the same class that behaves similarly.

If you type something like "www.google.com" into your computer and it redirects you to another site, you more then likely have CWS or some similar virus.  About all you can do then is to backup your data and reload your computer from scratch.



Thanks Mushroom. ;)

What's the worst computer virus out there?  ???


Hey everyone, listen up, your attention if you please?
We wanna give you a warning, 'cuz I found out this morning
'bout a dangerous, insidious computer virus.
If you should get any mail with the subject "Stinky Cheese",
?Better?off?protecting?your chances (?taking no chances?) under no circumstances,
Should you open it, or else it will...

Translate your documents into Swahili,
Make your TV record Gigli,
Neuter your pets and give your laundry static cling!

(LOOK OUT!) It's gonna make your computer screen freeze!
(LOOK OUT!) Erase the easter eggs off your DVDs!
(LOOK OUT!) Erase your hard drive and your backups too,
And the hard drive of everyone related to you!

VIRUS ALERT! 
Delete immediately before someone gets hurt!
Forward this message on to everybody!

Soon, very soon it will make all the paint peel off your walls,
It'll make your keyboard all sticky, give your poodle a hickey,
And invest - your cash - in stock in EuroDisney,
Then it will tie up your phone making crank long-distance calls,
It'll set your clocks back an hour, and start hogging the shower
So just trash it now, or else it will...

Decide to give you a permanent wedgie,
Legally change your name to Reggie,
Even mess up the pH balance in your pool!

(LOOK OUT!) It's gonna melt your face right off your skull,
(LOOK OUT!) And make your iPod only plya Jethro Tull,
(LOOK OUT!) And tell you knock-knock joeks while you're tryin' to sleep,
(LOOK OUT!) And make you physically attracted to sheep,
(LOOK OUT!) Steal your identity and your credit cards,
(LOOK OUT!) Buy you a warehouse full of pink leotards,
(LOOK OUT!) Then cause a major rift in time and space,
And leave a bunch of Twinkie wrappers all over the place!
(That's right, it's a)
VIRUS ALERT!  Delete immediately before someone gets hurt!
Forward this message on to everybody!
VIRUS ALERT!  Delete immediately before someone gets hurt!
Forward this message on to everybody!
Warn all your friends, send this to everybody!
Tell everyone you know, tell everybody now!

If you get infected, you'll wish you had never been born,
So before it e-mails your grandmother all of your porn...

Turn off your computer and make sure it powers down,
Drop it in a 43-foot hole in the ground,
Bury it completely, rocks and boulders should be fine,
Then burn all the clothes you may have worn any time you were alive!

VIRUS ALERT!  Delete immediately before someone gets hurt!
Forward this message on to everybody!
VIRUS ALERT!  Delete immediately before someone gets hurt!
Forward this message on to everybody!
VIRUS ALERT!  Delete immediately before someone gets hurt!
Forward this message on to everybody!
Warn all your friends, send this to everybody!
Tell everyone you know, tell everybody now!
(WHAT ARE
YOU WAI
TING FOR?
JUST HURRY UP AND FORWARD THIS TO EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT YOU KNOW!
HIT!
SEND!
RIGHT!
NOW!)

- Written by some weird accordion-playing geek in 2006.    And you'll have to wait until September 29th to get it.

I have a few questions:

My latest computer is a HP a1350. I'm curious as to why the installed video card, which is rated up to 256Mb, is slower than the ATI Radeon 64Mb DDR card that was installed in my last machine (which was friggin ancient by computer standards). By all accounts, this computer is at least 3x better in every area, yet my old computer (also a HP) with that card played games much better/faster.

The ATI, which was purchased around 2000, cost 250$. Only 128Mb video cards were faster then, and cost 500$. I realise 256Mb video cards can be had as cheaply as 100$ today, but do the features of a 7 year old video card, in some cases, outweigh sheer speed of newer cards that are rated faster? Also, is it worth spending 500$+ for a 512Mb video card now? If so, do I need to upgrade my RAM past 1Gb to take full use of it?

Also, this new computer is equipped with 64 bit processors. When I bought it (Jan of this year), nothing seem rated for it. I'm wondering if some software, particularly audio applications (specifically, audio recording software), may not be fully compatible with 64 bit technology yet.

I've read your posts regarding cooling. My computer was admittedly cheap (<$800 for the tower and software), but it does have two large fans cooling it. How often should I clean them? My last computer's final blow was frying the hard drive, though it lasted a good 6 years with the two fans it had.

How does one clean the internals of the case and how often should I do it?

Also, and this is *very* important: Are their any mouses (mice) out there that can auto-fire, i.e. you hold down the left clixk button and they will fire say 1000 times a minute?

Hey everyone, listen up, your attention if you please?
We wanna give you a warning, 'cuz I found out this morning
'bout a dangerous, insidious computer virus.
If you should get any mail with the subject "Stinky Cheese",
?Better?off?protecting?your chances (?taking no chances?) under no circumstances,
Should you open it, or else it will...

Translate your documents into Swahili,
Make your TV record Gigli,
Neuter your pets and give your laundry static cling!

(LOOK OUT!) It's gonna make your computer screen freeze!
(LOOK OUT!) Erase the easter eggs off your DVDs!
(LOOK OUT!) Erase your hard drive and your backups too,
And the hard drive of everyone related to you!

VIRUS ALERT! 
Delete immediately before someone gets hurt!
Forward this message on to everybody!

Soon, very soon it will make all the paint peel off your walls,
It'll make your keyboard all sticky, give your poodle a hickey,
And invest - your cash - in stock in EuroDisney,
Then it will tie up your phone making crank long-distance calls,
It'll set your clocks back an hour, and start hogging the shower
So just trash it now, or else it will...

Decide to give you a permanent wedgie,
Legally change your name to Reggie,
Even mess up the pH balance in your pool!

(LOOK OUT!) It's gonna melt your face right off your skull,
(LOOK OUT!) And make your iPod only plya Jethro Tull,
(LOOK OUT!) And tell you knock-knock joeks while you're tryin' to sleep,
(LOOK OUT!) And make you physically attracted to sheep,
(LOOK OUT!) Steal your identity and your credit cards,
(LOOK OUT!) Buy you a warehouse full of pink leotards,
(LOOK OUT!) Then cause a major rift in time and space,
And leave a bunch of Twinkie wrappers all over the place!
(That's right, it's a)
VIRUS ALERT!  Delete immediately before someone gets hurt!
Forward this message on to everybody!
VIRUS ALERT!  Delete immediately before someone gets hurt!
Forward this message on to everybody!
Warn all your friends, send this to everybody!
Tell everyone you know, tell everybody now!

If you get infected, you'll wish you had never been born,
So before it e-mails your grandmother all of your porn...

Turn off your computer and make sure it powers down,
Drop it in a 43-foot hole in the ground,
Bury it completely, rocks and boulders should be fine,
Then burn all the clothes you may have worn any time you were alive!

VIRUS ALERT!  Delete immediately before someone gets hurt!
Forward this message on to everybody!
VIRUS ALERT!  Delete immediately before someone gets hurt!
Forward this message on to everybody!
VIRUS ALERT!  Delete immediately before someone gets hurt!
Forward this message on to everybody!
Warn all your friends, send this to everybody!
Tell everyone you know, tell everybody now!
(WHAT ARE
YOU WAI
TING FOR?
JUST HURRY UP AND FORWARD THIS TO EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT YOU KNOW!
HIT!
SEND!
RIGHT!
NOW!)

- Written by some weird accordion-playing geek in 2006.     And you'll have to wait until September 29th to get it.



Why would he do that,Foo? ::)

Why would he do that,Foo? ::)


Probably the same reason he suggested that you "Don't Download This Song" :)

My latest computer is a HP a1350. I'm curious as to why the installed video card, which is rated up to 256Mb, is slower than the ATI Radeon 64Mb DDR card that was installed in my last machine (which was friggin ancient by computer standards). By all accounts, this computer is at least 3x better in every area, yet my old computer (also a HP) with that card played games much better/faster.


This is because it is not a "dedicated video card", but instead it is an on-board video card, which shares system RAM.  That model comes with 1 GB RAM, so when it is set to run at 256 MB Video, it only has 750 MB system RAM.  And System RAM is noticeably slower then Video RAM (which currently uses DDR2 or DDR3).

In addition, the commands have to take a longer path then they would if they were on-board.  Instead of going from GPU to RAM to GUP, they now go to GPU, CPU, RAM, back to GPU.  Combine the longer instruction path with the slower RAM, and you get bad performance.

Luckily, that model has 1 PCIe slot.  If you want to improve your performance, upgrade to an ATI X series video card.  One of the best deals currently is the X1300.  You can get an X1300 with 512 MB on board for around $110.


Also, this new computer is equipped with 64 bit processors. When I bought it (Jan of this year), nothing seem rated for it. I'm wondering if some software, particularly audio applications (specifically, audio recording software), may not be fully compatible with 64 bit technology yet.

I've read your posts regarding cooling. My computer was admittedly cheap (<$800 for the tower and software), but it does have two large fans cooling it. How often should I clean them? My last computer's final blow was frying the hard drive, though it lasted a good 6 years with the two fans it had.

Also, and this is *very* important: Are their any mouses (mice) out there that can auto-fire, i.e. you hold down the left clixk button and they will fire say 1000 times a minute?


As far a "64 bit", that does not matter, since you are useing a 32 bit Operating System (XP Media Center).  The fact that the processor is 64 bit has no bearing on anything.

XP (and Vista) does come in a 64 bit version.  But other then some high-ended applications (Adobe Premiere, Adobe Audition, AutoCAD, etc), there is not much 64 bit software out yet.  The system I am working on at this moment has XP Professional 64 Bit loaded, and it is good and bad.  The system as a whole is a lot faster and more crash resistant then normal XP Pro.  However, it is hard to find software that works on it.  Roughly 70% of programs made prior to 2005 work on it.  But this is really an issue with the programmers themselves, not MicroSoft.  They released the code requirements back in 2003.  They can't help it if the companies that make software have not all decided to follow their requirements.

And your system has 2 critical problems.  For one, you do not have 2 fans in your system, you have between 0 and 1.  When counting fans, you never count the CPU fan nor the power supply fan.  You only count fans attached to the case itself.  And if I am not mistaken, your computer has a single fan out the back, with a hood that directs it down to the CPU.  That is not enough to cool it off.  And more importantly, there is nothing to cool off the hard drives.

And knowing that model, I would be surprised if it has a power supply more then 300-350 watts.  AMD recommends for that CPU a 400-450 watt power supply minimum.  The largest failure point in those is the power supply.  That dies, and takes the motherboard out with it.  At that point, repair requires a replacement of the case, motherboard, and a new copy of XP.  At most shops, that is around $400.

However, putting it in a good case now would only cost around $125.  Even less if you have a geek friend that can do basic hardware work.  And trust me when I say that it is worth it.  Odds are that your power supply is already failing, and it is only a matter of time before it destroys the motherboard.

And HP hopes that when that happens (after warranty expires of course), that you will not like being told that repair would cost $400+, so instead you will simply buy a new computer.

As far as cleaning, that depends on the environment you are in.  I recommend at least 2 times a year.

And to be honest, computers for consumers simply do not last as long as they did 5 years ago.  In the last 3-4 years they have taken steps to prevent that from happening.  Poor quality cooling and uber-cheap power supplies make sure that computers last only as long as the manufacturer wants them to.  They realized that if you build a computer that lasts 6 years, people will not buy another one until it dies.  Now they build them cheaper, with a shorter life span.  This simply ensures that they get return customers faster.

my grandpa's computer is around ten years old. it takes about fifteen minutes to start up aol, and another ten for every time you want to go somewhere (if it lets you go at all) however, the computer seems to work fine. it doesn't take too long to start up, and it still plays the games (that came with it) perfectly well. sure it freezes occasionaly, but it seems to be in great shape for its age. there's even a program on it that allows you to watch tv. and it works fine. my question is, how much longer do you think it'll last. it's an old sony viao. i hope it's good news doc.

my grandpa's computer is around ten years old. it takes about fifteen minutes to start up aol, and another ten for every time you want to go somewhere (if it lets you go at all) however, the computer seems to work fine. it doesn't take too long to start up, and it still plays the games (that came with it) perfectly well. sure it freezes occasionaly, but it seems to be in great shape for its age. there's even a program on it that allows you to watch tv. and it works fine. my question is, how much longer do you think it'll last. it's an old sony viao. i hope it's good news doc.


It's probably time for a new computer.

It's probably time for a new computer.

trust me, my grandpa would never get a new computer. he never even uses it. the only person who does ever use it is me.

A 10 year old computer?  You need to replace it.  It's giving you clues that it needs to be replaced......the freezing, the long time to start up programs.....it needs more space to run the programs, and a 10 year old hard drive won't have the amount that you need.  That's why it's taking so long.  What OS is running on the computer?

trust me, my grandpa would never get a new computer. he never even uses it. the only person who does ever use it is me.


Well then you're going to have to live with the issues, because that's what you get with an old computer like that. 10 years old is beyond ancient for a computer to be in regular use.

What are the ways that you  (or anyone) has disposed of their old computers? 

What are the ways that you  (or anyone) has disposed of their old computers? 


At work our old computers go to a charity which repairs them and then sells them on at low cost to the public or other charities

http://www.completewasters.co.uk/

At work our old computers go to a charity which repairs them and then sells them on at low cost to the public or other charities

http://www.completewasters.co.uk/


thats great..i'll look for that locally.

What are the ways that you  (or anyone) has disposed of their old computers? 


I have long been a supporter of donating old computer equipment.  Everything from monitors and desktop units to printers.

Locally, you can just take it to Salvation Army, Goodwill, your local church, or just about any non-profit organization (Boys & Girls Club, animal rescue foundation, homeless organization, Senior Citizen's Center, just about anybody).  You can even get a tax deduction.  Under current rules, the IRS allows up to $500 single donations, without a requirement for an estimated value.

I know that in LA, right before tax time I would see people buying computers for $100 from thrift stores like Salvation Army, then turning right around and donating it right back to them.  For $100, they get $500 off of their taxes.  And the charity gets to sell the same computer twice.

trust me, my grandpa would never get a new computer. he never even uses it. the only person who does ever use it is me.


Here are a few hints to try and get a little more life out of it.

For one, see if a local computer store has a faster processor for it.  We have everything in stock from Pentium I celerons to AMD K62-500, and we sell then normally for around $25.  And get more RAM, as much as the motherboard can support.  If it is 10 years old, your local computer store probably has bags of it sitting around, and would sell them for a few bucks a stick.

And if it is that old, do not install the newest version of AOL.  Look on the AOL disk, and you will find a directory for older versions of AOL.  Remove the version that is on now and go back to Version 6.  It requires much less processor power, and a lot less RAM.

Also make sure that you keep up on antivirus and spyware protection.  That can bring even the fastest computer down to a crawl.

any idea on how much longer it'll live without help? just curious. remember, it's an almost eleven year old, sony vaio computer.

My Father got a new laptop yesterday.What do you know about an IBM Thinkpad with that red dot in the middle of the laptop that's used for the mouse?

any idea on how much longer it'll live without help? just curious. remember, it's an almost eleven year old, sony vaio computer.


Well, back then computers were still built to last.  So you may well get any amount of time from it.  Although I would guess that your hard drive is probably getting ready to give up the ghost at any time now.

However, the more important question is why?  That computer has got to be so obsolete, you can probably do very little with it. 

My Father got a new laptop yesterday.What do you know about an IBM Thinkpad with that red dot in the middle of the laptop that's used for the mouse?


Actually, it's a Lenovo Thinkpad.  IBM sold their laptop division to Lenovo in early 2005, and is no longer in the laptop business.

And yes, the pointer is just like a mouse.  Just like any new pointer (trackball, touch pad), the pointer takes a little getting used to.  I actually prefer it when precision is needed, like drawing or CAD.  Because it was an IBM patented technology, most companies chose the cheaper touchpad technology, because it was cheaper to license.  Some companies (like Dell for their high-end business laptops) actually use both pointer and touchpad.

My first modern laptop was a Thinkpad 600, a whopping Pentium 90, with 64 MB RAM and a 600 MB hard drive.  Quite a decent computer actually, I used it for several years, until the backlight in the LCD died.  By that time, it was so obsolete I just sold it for parts.

However, from what I have heard the quality of the units has dropped in the last year and a half, when the units manufacturered by Lenovo became the norm.  Lenovo is a company from the PRC, and in 2004 bought the IBM desktop division.  So if anybody is trying to sell you an "IBM" computer, double check.  It is either an old unit, or really a Lenovo.  The only computers that IBM makes anymore are servers.

Well, back then computers were still built to last.  So you may well get any amount of time from it.  Although I would guess that your hard drive is probably getting ready to give up the ghost at any time now.

However, the more important question is why?  That computer has got to be so obsolete, you can probably do very little with it. 


he's got all those pre installed games on it like jezz-ball, and considering the lack of entertainment that sometimes goes on at their house, i need those games. also, they just recently (like after i wrote the original post) signed up with a new cable company called "WOW!"  although their computer can't support alot of websites, their internet is suprisingly fast. 

Mushroom, I appreciate your reply to my previous query. A belated thanks from me.

I have a new problem though. After d/l a new Firefox update (to 2.0 I believe), I apparently did something wrong, and now I have no Firefox at all. The icon is still on my desktop, but when I click it it will not load any page, nor even give an error of some sort.

I tried uninstalling and reinstalling the entire program, but it does the same thing.

I want to have FF running smooth before I go to IE7, just in case something happens with that.

What's a good password manager?

What's a good password manager?



Firefox has a good one. 

Firefox has a good one. 


What about Keypass?  ???

I have a Mac Performa that is in mothballs.  How do I make sure the hard drive is erased before getting rid of it?
And why don't people like Macs.  I have the Imac and am happy with it.  I have friends with other PCs but this is just so easy.  Sure it doesn't have the speed, and refinements are usually offered to non Mac computers first, but the way I see it how much does a person at home really need?

What about Keepass?  ???



Don't you mean KeyPass?  I don't use it.....Firefox has one already built in.  There's no need to download/buy another one.  I can't imagine not using Firefox.  It's just so damn perfect.

I have a Mac Performa that is in mothballs.  How do I make sure the hard drive is erased before getting rid of it?
And why don't people like Macs.  I have the Imac and am happy with it.  I have friends with other PCs but this is just so easy.  Sure it doesn't have the speed, and refinements are usually offered to non Mac computers first, but the way I see it how much does a person at home really need?



They need as much as they want.

They need as much as they want.


But usually buy as much as they want, and much much more than they need. 

Don't you mean KeyPass?  I don't use it.....Firefox has one already built in.  There's no need to download/buy another one.  I can't imagine not using Firefox.  It's just so damn perfect.


My father got rid of it so he went back to using Roboform instead.

But usually buy as much as they want, and much much more than they need. 



I can honestly say that anything I've ever purchased for any of my computers has been stuff I've needed/used somewhere down the line, even if I didn't use it/need it to start off with.  The way I see it....I'd rather pay a little extra to have it now, than pay it in drips and drabs along the way as I find stuff I need that I don't have. 

A lot of people that buy add-ons for their computers, especially audio/video stuff, are not people who will buy it and then never use it. 

My father got rid of it so he went back to using Roboform instead.



What web browser do you use? 

What web browser do you use? 



Microsoft Internet Explorer

Microsoft Internet Explorer



You should download Firefox.  It's a lot faster, and I've noticed it has less security problems.  That, and you have a built in password manager so you don't have to use an outside source.

You should download Firefox.  It's a lot faster, and I've noticed it has less security problems.  That, and you have a built in password manager so you don't have to use an outside source.


Ok,I'll take a look into that,thanks.

What's a good password manager?


Personally, I do not use them nor do I trust them.  To many times, they have turned out to be insecure, or fronts for spyware.  Gator started life as a "Password Manager", but it 2 years later that it was discovered that it was really a nasty spyware that was almost impossible to remove

I either enter them manually, or use the manager built into my browser.  Both IE and Firefox (andmost of their clones) have this ability.


I have a Mac Performa that is in mothballs.  How do I make sure the hard drive is erased before getting rid of it?
And why don't people like Macs.  I have the Imac and am happy with it.  I have friends with other PCs but this is just so easy.  Sure it doesn't have the speed, and refinements are usually offered to non Mac computers first, but the way I see it how much does a person at home really need?


I actually started working on Mac in 1985.  And years before that, I did some programming on the Lisa.  But over the years, my attitude has changed greatly when it comes to Apple and their products.

As the PC became easier to work with, the Mac actually became harder (at least from a techincian point of view).  And as the PC became more open and allowed more competition and outside products, the Mac actually went the other way.  As they years passed, you had less and less hardware and software available, mostly because of the requirements (and greed) of Apple.

For me, it finally came to a head in around 2000-2001, when OS 9 and the IMac came around.  Now the PC industry and Mac had both learned that combining a computer and monitor did not work.  But Apple decided to try it again.  The original IMacs were simply built cheap, with no consideration made to upgrades.  And by OS 9, it was obvious that the 100% graphic OS was to unweildy to work with any more.

That was also the time that Apple instituted a "mandatory authentication program", which required every company to pay royalties in order to carry the "Apple Logo".  This drove a lot of companies away from making hardware and software for Apple.  At the same time, the de-licensed a lot of tech schools that offered Apple certification classes.  From then on, the only way to get Apple certification was directly through Apple.  And they also stopped allowing "non-certified" stored from buying parts from them.

The Apple is not a bad product, but I feel it is grossly overpriced, and the classic example of an "Evil Corporation".  And they have a history of either screwing their "partners", or doing things like releasing millions of known bad computers, to use as a way to force an "upgrade" to a more expensive unit.  I dumped my Mac certification years ago, and do not even put it on my Resume anymore, I am so ashamed of it.

Why do servers go under high stress? ???

Why do servers go under high stress? ???



Too many people accessing it, too many search engines indexing it, outdated/outmoded servers themselves.

Personally, I do not use them nor do I trust them.  To many times, they have turned out to be insecure, or fronts for spyware.


Thanks for articulating it quickly and concisely.  "Password managers" suck.

I'll go worse than "suck".  Password managers are broken by design.

Your own machine (my machine too, and I'm more paranoid than my sysadmin, who actually balances security with usability) is more easily compromised than your bank's, your broker's, your favorite retailers', or this website's, back-end server.  Unless you think you're at risk for being the target of a sneak-and-peek warrant (legal in the US, can't vouch for other countries), trust a post-it note in your own home (not your office!) more than any browser's "remember password" feature.

So I'll lay it out.  Under no circumstances should anyone ever use a password manager.  Never a third-party password-manager.  Your browser should support it.  But...

...never one supplied with a Microsoft-supplied browser.  Nor a password manager supplied with an open source product like Firefox, and not even on a non-Microsoft platform - be it OS X, Linux, or FreeBSD. Sure, Firefox is open-source, and therefore more likely to be fixed faster, and therefore more secure than IE7...  but "remember passwords" is a fundamentally broken way of doing security, and by its very definition it's gonna be full of holes.

I'm my own sysadmin -- and I'm more paranoid than my company's sysamind when it comes to security.  I've been online in one form or another since the 80s, and have disabled every "remember" feature (be it passwords or even things less secure), and I've never regretted it.  The human mind can remember 50-100 passwords.  I've done it myself, and my mind is nothing to be proud of.

Security, like pimpin', ain't easy.  Deal with it.  A post-it note on your own machine (if you live alone) or in a safety deposit box (away from your gf/roommate/spouse) is more secure than any "password manager" codable by anyone.

So I'll lay it out.  Under no circumstances should anyone ever use a password manager.  Never a third-party password-manager.  Your browser should support it.  But...

...never one supplied with a Microsoft-supplied browser.  Nor a password manager supplied with an open source product like Firefox, and not even on a non-Microsoft platform - be it OS X, Linux, or FreeBSD. Sure, Firefox is open-source, and therefore more likely to be fixed faster, and therefore more secure than IE7...  but "remember passwords" is a fundamentally broken way of doing security, and by its very definition it's gonna be full of holes.


Actually, the one built-in to IE is pretty secure when run on Windows 2000 or XP.  This is because it is useing the password system of the OS, which is actually pretty secure.  It uses 256 bit encryption, and it can't be "hacked" from outside the computer.  This is why keyloggers are used, they operate on-top of the OS, and actually record anything you enter.  And ironically, if you are useing the built-in manager before you get infected with a keylogger, you will find that the old passwords are secure, while anything you have to type in afterwards is available to those who gave you the key logger.

However, IE under Windows 98-ME is not secure.  Since security was not a major issue back then, it uses the "plain text" model of that OS.  A hacker with a good idea of where the text files are can instruct your computer to send it to them, thereby capturing your user name and ID list.

I do not trust "third party" browsers, simply because they are open source, and a programmer with enough knowledge may find a way to exploit it.  And it gets even worse, because anybody with knowledge can hack a copy and distribute it, with a "back door" built in.  If you are going to use a thrid-party browser, make sure you download it only from the original programmer.  This nifty version of Firefox you find on the "SpeedyXYZ.Org" website may come with a special built-in feature: keylogger and ID-Password uploading.

In the end, it all goes back to security.  Use good reputible antivirus and antispyware software.  Keep all of your OS updates current.  Stay away from the "Dark Alleys" of the internet, where you are more likely to pick up spyware and virus (gambling sites, illegal porn sites, hacking sites, P-2-P sites).

I am on the internet  probably 40-80 hours a week, and am very careful.  I have not had a virus since 2003 (a mistype of a URL took me to a site that infected me with Cool Web Search).  I run at least 3 spyware scans a week (AdAware, SpyBot, and Microsoft Defender), and rarely come up with anything more dangerous then a "Tracking Cookie".

So you're saying It's never good to use a password manager at all?  ???

So you're saying It's never good to use a password manager at all?  ???


Not third-party ones.  They are simply to vulnerable.

The ones built into IE is safe, as long as your computer is secure (no virus, no spyware, and running on Win2K or newer).  I would imagine the password manager built into the OS X browser is equally secure, since it is also integrated to the OS, which has it's own security in addition to that of the browser).

In fact, one of the most (in)famous "password managers" was this nifty little program called "Gator" (it was also known as "Gain").  A lot of people used it, until they discovered that along with the password manager came all this neat and nifty spyware.  Around 1999-2001, a lot of programs had Gator included.  Trying to uninstall Gator was almost impossible, and people started to notice an increase in pop-ups and a slowdown in performance with it installed.  Then "Spyware" was finally discovered, and the first tools were made to remove it.

Myself, I just keep things simple.  I normally use one of 4 or 5 variants of a username, and one of 4 or 5 variants of password.  It rarely takes me more then 2 or 3 times to get it right.

Not third-party ones.  They are simply to vulnerable.

The ones built into IE is safe, as long as your computer is secure (no virus, no spyware, and running on Win2K or newer).  I would imagine the password manager built into the OS X browser is equally secure, since it is also integrated to the OS, which has it's own security in addition to that of the browser).

In fact, one of the most (in)famous "password managers" was this nifty little program called "Gator" (it was also known as "Gain").  A lot of people used it, until they discovered that along with the password manager came all this neat and nifty spyware.  Around 1999-2001, a lot of programs had Gator included.  Trying to uninstall Gator was almost impossible, and people started to notice an increase in pop-ups and a slowdown in performance with it installed.  Then "Spyware" was finally discovered, and the first tools were made to remove it.

Myself, I just keep things simple.  I normally use one of 4 or 5 variants of a username, and one of 4 or 5 variants of password.  It rarely takes me more then 2 or 3 times to get it right.



http://images.gator.com/gator/help/gatorguide/gatorlogin.gif

Remember The Gator E-Wallet? ::)

The ones built into IE is safe, as long as your computer is secure (no virus, no spyware, and running on Win2K or newer).  I would imagine the password manager built into the OS X browser is equally secure, since it is also integrated to the OS, which has it's own security in addition to that of the browser).

In fact, one of the most (in)famous "password managers" was this nifty little program called "Gator" (it was also known as "Gain").


Funny you should mention Gator.  Gator renamed itself "Claria" to try and dodge its bad rep, was subsequently bought out by Microsoft, and after the buyout, Claria's spyware was suddenly no longer "spyware" as far as Microsoft's spyware detector was concerned. 

I strongly agree with Mushroom when it comes to downloading third party browsers only from their known legitimate sources. 

I (just as strongly) disagree with his implication that open source is a security risk.  I can download the source code to Firefox and compile it myself.  So can hundreds of other people, most of whom are smarter than I am.  Anyone trying to put a back door into Firefox could do so, but he'd have to hide his code very cleverly, because there are plenty of Firefox developers (who are smarter than I am!) who are looking for just such a thing to happen.

Security holes can be (and are regularly) found in both open-source and closed-source products.  On the Windows platform, neither Firefox nor IE is immune.  There's neither an advantage nor a disadvantage to the open source business model here.

But back doors, on the other hand, are hard to hide in open source products, but - by definition - almost impossible to detect in closed-source products.  To date, no back door has ever been succesfully embedded and distributed in any build of Firefox distributed by the Mozilla foundation, and you pretty much have to go back to the 70s to find any back door distributed as part of any quasi-open-source operating system.  All that can be said on behalf of Microsoft - because nobody has access to their source code - is that no similar back door has been detected to date.  (It's true that there probably isn't one -- but it's not true that there pro*V*ably isn't one.)

Unless, of course, you trust Microsoft's word that Claria's software (or whatever else they choose to provide you by means of automatic updates, "genuine advantage" phone-home license verification, and whatever else Gates thinks belongs on your PC) is a legitimate use of your computing resources. 

Funny you should mention Gator.  Gator renamed itself "Claria" to try and dodge its bad rep, was subsequently bought out by Microsoft, and after the buyout, Claria's spyware was suddenly no longer "spyware" as far as Microsoft's spyware detector was concerned. 


Actually, Microsoft did not buy the company.  Claria has been seeking somebody to buy them out for over 2 years now, and so far there have been no takers.

And a lot of spyware companies have found a new trick in the last year:  Sue the antispyware companies.

Claria detection has been removed from a lot of spyware detection software, along with HotBar, Atom, and a load of others.  This is because the makers of the spyware simply have a laywer contact them saying "This is legitimate software, and we disclose everything in our EULA.  Remove us, or we will sue you for infringing our right to distribute software."

Because a lot of anti-spyware companies do not want to go through the hastle or expense of litigation, they simply quietly remove the ability to detect or remove those programs.  SpyBot and AdAware have also delisted several programs because of this reason.


I (just as strongly) disagree with his implication that open source is a security risk.  I can download the source code to Firefox and compile it myself.  So can hundreds of other people, most of whom are smarter than I am.  Anyone trying to put a back door into Firefox could do so, but he'd have to hide his code very cleverly, because there are plenty of Firefox developers (who are smarter than I am!) who are looking for just such a thing to happen.

Security holes can be (and are regularly) found in both open-source and closed-source products.  On the Windows platform, neither Firefox nor IE is immune.  There's neither an advantage nor a disadvantage to the open source business model here.


My problem is not with "open source" itself, but with those that may take advantage of the fact that the code is freely available.  I am not saying to not use Open Source programs, simply to be careful where you get it at.

And I feel safe in saying that every program has "security holes".  Programs are much more complex then they were even 10 years ago.  Where the original DOS was largely written by one man and fit onto a single sided 160k floppy, the upcomming Vista was compiled from code written by hundreds of people, and fills a DVD (around 7 GB).

With the complexity and size of modern programs, it is simply impossible to remove every flaw or accidental hole.  This is why I find it stupid when somebody finds a new hole, and starts screaming that "Product X is flawed, use our product".  Of course, they never mention that their own program has just as many flaws.

And when you then create the program to be inherantly unsecure by allowing it to connect to anonymous computers (which is exactly what the Internet is), you create the largest security hole imagineable.  It is like trying to put in a burglar alarm, when your house does not have a front door.

And not only that, the burglar alarm was designed and built by a committee, and not everybody agreed on to how to build it in the first place.  Plus the alarm has to work with every alarm designed and built by thousands of other companies over the last 8 years.

In short, the only way to truely be secure is to disconnect your computer from the Internet, and modem.  And install no software that did not ceom from the maker of the operating system.

Mushroom, Wal-Mart has this Compaq Presario (actually I think it's HP because HP bought Compaq, but whatever) for sale for $588.  It comes with a flatscreen monitor (17 inches) and seems to be fairly fast/powerful/etc.

How long after I (hypothetically) buy it before it explodes on me?  :D

My problem is not with "open source" itself, but with those that may take advantage of the fact that the code is freely available.  I am not saying to not use Open Source programs, simply to be careful where you get it at.

*snip*

In short, the only way to truely be secure is to disconnect your computer from the Internet, and modem.  And install no software that did not come from the maker of the operating system.


No argument there, nor on anything else you wrote. 

'Cept for that last bit. 

Funny:  Ya left out the bank of car batteries hooked up to inverters, and the whole thing being in a Faraday cage! 

Serious:  At the Faraday-cage level,  trust no closed-source operating system vendor whatsoever.  Trust no open source programs you didn't compile yourself.  And as Ken Thompson demonstrated 22 years ago in Reflections on Trusting Trust, don't even trust your compiler unless you wrote it, too.

If Thompson (the guy who invented C in order to help him invent UNIX) could compromise the C compiler that was used to build every subsequent copy of the C compiler distributed with subsequent generations of the UNIX system, how much do you really trust that the "firewall" that comes with Windows isn't designed not to block certain traffic destined for certain Microsoft-approved (or approved on levels higher-than-Microsoft) background processes?  How much do you trust the process viewer that ships with the OS not to hide certain processes?  Activation, phone-home, WGA and future DRM technologies shipping with XP and Vista, may have legal differences, but from a security standpoint, they are no different than any other rootkit. 

The question isn't whether you're being paranoid, it's whether you're being paranoid enough :)

How do you get rid of an icon in the System tray that cannot be removed such as The Virusbsuters Icon that blinks and looks like a Triangle with an exclamation point in it saying you have "Critical System Errors"? ???

How do you get rid of an icon in the System tray that cannot be removed such as The Virusbsuters Icon that blinks and looks like a Triangle with an exclamation point in it saying you have "Critical System Errors"? ???



Have you clicked on the blinking icon to see what happens? 

Have you clicked on the blinking icon to see what happens? 



It takes me to The Virusbusters webpage.

It takes me to The Virusbusters webpage.



After you do that, does the blinking icon go away?  Also, if it's telling you you have "critical system errors", does it tell you what they are?

How do you get rid of an icon in the System tray that cannot be removed such as The Virusbsuters Icon that blinks and looks like a Triangle with an exclamation point in it saying you have "Critical System Errors"? ???


Install Linux!

After you do that, does the blinking icon go away?  Also, if it's telling you you have "critical system errors", does it tell you what they are?


It keeps blinking telling me that you have a Trojan Horse but my Father's computer doesn't have it.It's a fake ad.

Install Linux!



I'll let my father know,Thanks Foo. ;)

Mushroom, Wal-Mart has this Compaq Presario (actually I think it's HP because HP bought Compaq, but whatever) for sale for $588.  It comes with a flatscreen monitor (17 inches) and seems to be fairly fast/powerful/etc.

How long after I (hypothetically) buy it before it explodes on me?  :D


From experience, somewhere between 9-18 months.

The "Mass market" computers are some of the worst junk imaginable.  Between poor quality power supplies (250-300 watts, with no -5 volt lead), to substandard cooling and lack of upgrade potential (most do not have AGP or PCIe slots).  They truely follow the old addage, "you get what you pay for".  To give an idea, I had 4 walk in the door on Thursday and Friday.

In every one of these 4 (1 E-Machine, 2 Compaq-HP, 1 Dell), the power supply failed, and killed the motherboard.  This means a repair bill of around $400 (new case, new motherboard, new copy of XP, labor).  In 1 of the four, I rebuilt the system with quality parts.  That machine (a 2.8 GHz) will probably be good for another 3-5 years.

The other 3 people, they acted like I was trying to rip them off.  "This machine only cost me $500-700 when I bought it" was more or less the typical response, and they all decided to leave and go buy a "new computer".  And the sad thing is, they will buy another $500 piece of junk, that dies again within a year and a half.

If you buy a cheap computer and want it to last, gut it and place the components into a good quality case.  The case should have ample cooling (at least 4 80mm or 2 120mm fans), and a good quality power supply (400 watts or more).  Just by doing this, you can make most "cheap computers" last for many years.

Oh, but you can't do that with a Dell.  Dell uses special motherboards and connectors, which can't be moved to a new case.  Gateway has started to do the same thing, by moving away from the industry standard ATX case, and moving to the BTX case.  You can still find BTX cases out there, but they are hard to find, and normally are in the $200 price range.

I'm fully aware of the suck-factor of mass produced computers.. but alas, I work to a budget.

I bought a Dell about 4 years ago and it still ticks along fine. What's equally odd about that is I'm the least security conscious individual in the world, download thousands of files, visit the wrong kinds of websites, kick the plug out of the wall when things piss me off and just generally abuse the hell out of the machine.

Is it some sort of phenomenal record that this thing has lasted as long as it has?

How do you get rid of an icon in the System tray that cannot be removed such as The Virusbsuters Icon that blinks and looks like a Triangle with an exclamation point in it saying you have "Critical System Errors"? ???


You have a spyware-trojan dropper named "Virus Busters".  It claims to be an antivirus program, but is really just another form of spyware.

And here is the bad news:  about the only way to remove it is to reformat your drive and reload your OS.  I have seen this many times, and it is why I tell people to never install anything they see from a pop-up or ad bar.  And to never install an antivirus or spyware program without checking it out.

I'm fully aware of the suck-factor of mass produced computers.. but alas, I work to a budget.

I bought a Dell about 4 years ago and it still ticks along fine. What's equally odd about that is I'm the least security conscious individual in the world, download thousands of files, visit the wrong kinds of websites, kick the plug out of the wall when things piss me off and just generally abuse the hell out of the machine.

Is it some sort of phenomenal record that this thing has lasted as long as it has?


By sticking to a buget, that is not hard.  Buy an HP-Compaq-E-Machine, and make sure it has a PCIe slot.  Then spend an extra $60-90, and get a good quality case and power supply, and move everything in the computer to the new case.  Doing this, the computer should last from 3-7 years.

And custom built does not mean expensive.  If you are comfortable doing it yourself, you can build your own computer for $600-800.  It really is not hard, and you can do it yourself in just a few hours (or find a geek frind to help you do it).

2000-2001 was really the last era of the "quality mass market computer".  Back then, most systems were 500-800 MHz, with 5600 RPM drives.  For those, a 250 watt power supply and no fans were fine for a computer.  And there were very few games that required anything more advanced then a 3-D video card.  Plus a lot still came with AGP slots.

But in the last 5 years, they basically keep building the same thing.  No fans, and low wattage power supplies.  In that time, CPUs have moved from 800 MHz to 3 GHz.  Hard drives have moved from 5600 RPM to 7200 RPM and higher.  Basic 3-D graphics is not enough, you need a higher level Radeon or GeForce card to play the majority of games anymore.

2 days ago, somebody brought in a Compaq with a Pentium 90 MHz processor (bought in 1995), and it worked just fine.  While I was waiting on him, a gal came in with a Compaq with a 64 Bit Sempron 3200 she bought last year.  This is one where the power supply failed, killing the motherboard.  Both computers had only a CPU fan, and no other cooling.  The first had a 200 watt power supply, the newer one had a 300 watt power supply.

That is what I mean when I say the quality of new computers has gone to hell.

Install Linux!


Yea, then go to the store, and try to find the isle where you find the Linux software.

Or explain to a neophyte how to compile their software.

Linux has it's place, but not with the majority of computer owners.  I talk to "normal computer owners" every day, and most have no idea how to install a wireless router, let alone how to compile their own programs.  I have probably 100+ that come in every year to update their antivirus, because they are not comfortable doing it themselves.

One thing I do give MicroSoft credit for, and that is making computers easy to use.  If anything, they are now to easy.  Take the majority of computer users to a C: prompt, and they are totally lost.  Tell them about MSCONFIG and DXDIAG, and their eyes start to glaze over.  Forget about ever explaining how important the Registry is, and how to modify it if needed.

By sticking to a buget, that is not hard.  Buy an HP-Compaq-E-Machine, and make sure it has a PCIe slot.  Then spend an extra $60-90, and get a good quality case and power supply, and move everything in the computer to the new case.  Doing this, the computer should last from 3-7 years.

And custom built does not mean expensive.  If you are comfortable doing it yourself, you can build your own computer for $600-800.  It really is not hard, and you can do it yourself in just a few hours (or find a geek frind to help you do it).

2000-2001 was really the last era of the "quality mass market computer".  Back then, most systems were 500-800 MHz, with 5600 RPM drives.  For those, a 250 watt power supply and no fans were fine for a computer.  And there were very few games that required anything more advanced then a 3-D video card.  Plus a lot still came with AGP slots.

But in the last 5 years, they basically keep building the same thing.  No fans, and low wattage power supplies.  In that time, CPUs have moved from 800 MHz to 3 GHz.  Hard drives have moved from 5600 RPM to 7200 RPM and higher.  Basic 3-D graphics is not enough, you need a higher level Radeon or GeForce card to play the majority of games anymore.

2 days ago, somebody brought in a Compaq with a Pentium 90 MHz processor (bought in 1995), and it worked just fine.  While I was waiting on him, a gal came in with a Compaq with a 64 Bit Sempron 3200 she bought last year.  This is one where the power supply failed, killing the motherboard.  Both computers had only a CPU fan, and no other cooling.  The first had a 200 watt power supply, the newer one had a 300 watt power supply.

That is what I mean when I say the quality of new computers has gone to hell.


It's all to do with cooling and power supply then eh.

It's all to do with cooling and power supply then eh.


That is the major factor when it comes to lifespan.  However, another factor is the quality of parts used.

For example, most of the cheaper computers make shortcuts when it comes to video cards.  At least 75% do not give you an AGP or PCIe slot.  This means if the graphics on-board are not good enough for your new game, your only solution is to "upgrade" to PCI (which really sucks).  They also often put on "clock locks", which prevents you from ever upgrading to a faster processor (Dell, HP, and Compaq are infamous for that).

Another thing I have noticed is the maker of the motherboard and other components.  Instead of useing a quality maker like Asus, they often go to "Grade B" manufacturers, like Biostar, Epox, and others.  In fact, both HP-Compaq and E-Machines were well known for useing hard drives made by a company called "TriGem".

Now in reality, TriGem does not make hard drives.  What they do is buy defective hard drive, and refurbish them.  They are then resold to manufacturers at a huge discount.  The manufacturers then use them in new systems.  I probably replace 50-80 of these every year, normally in less then 2 years of use.

And if you think about it, it is in their best interest to build computers that last only 1-2 years.  Or to limit the upgradeability.  After all, HP does not make any money if you upgrade or improve your computer.  They only make more money if you buy a new computer.  So if you get a computer and only then realize it needs something it does not have, it encourages you to buy another one next year.

Anmd if it dies after the warranty expires, that just means you have to buy a new computer.  They make no money if you take it into a shop like mine to repair.  And to the unknowledgealbe consumer, being told that spending $400 to repair a $600 computer sounds like a rip-off.

Companies like Dell, HP-Compaq, Gateway, E-Machines, AlienWare, and others really thrive on consumer ignorance.  They churn out either junk computers, overpriced computers, or junk overpriced computers all the time.  They rely on their name recognition, knowing that for every customer they drive away, 2 more will come to them (often driven away from another maker).

I have had customers come in with their 1 year old Compaq, and then leave swearing to never buy another one.  They then buy a Dell Dimension for $500.  They are in my shop a year later with the dead Dell, and swear they will never buy another one.  They then move to another maker, like Gateway.  They do not realize that the problem is not the manufacturers, as much as the quality of computer built.

With most of these makers, when you move into the $1,200 price range, the quality improves tremendously.  However, at that point most of the systems are badly overpriced.  I know that we can't touch the $400 computers, because wwe refuse to sell components of that poor a quality.  But the "name brands" can't touch us when it comes to the higher end units, because they are normally 30-50% more expensive for the same quality.

This is why they all love the "custom built" programs they all have.  It lets them sell $400 computers for $1,200+.

That is the major factor when it comes to lifespan.  However, another factor is the quality of parts used.

For example, most of the cheaper computers make shortcuts when it comes to video cards.  At least 75% do not give you an AGP or PCIe slot.  This means if the graphics on-board are not good enough for your new game, your only solution is to "upgrade" to PCI (which really sucks).  They also often put on "clock locks", which prevents you from ever upgrading to a faster processor (Dell, HP, and Compaq are infamous for that).

Another thing I have noticed is the maker of the motherboard and other components.  Instead of useing a quality maker like Asus, they often go to "Grade B" manufacturers, like Biostar, Epox, and others.  In fact, both HP-Compaq and E-Machines were well known for useing hard drives made by a company called "TriGem".

Now in reality, TriGem does not make hard drives.  What they do is buy defective hard drive, and refurbish them.  They are then resold to manufacturers at a huge discount.  The manufacturers then use them in new systems.  I probably replace 50-80 of these every year, normally in less then 2 years of use.

And if you think about it, it is in their best interest to build computers that last only 1-2 years.  Or to limit the upgradeability.  After all, HP does not make any money if you upgrade or improve your computer.  They only make more money if you buy a new computer.  So if you get a computer and only then realize it needs something it does not have, it encourages you to buy another one next year.

Anmd if it dies after the warranty expires, that just means you have to buy a new computer.  They make no money if you take it into a shop like mine to repair.  And to the unknowledgealbe consumer, being told that spending $400 to repair a $600 computer sounds like a rip-off.

Companies like Dell, HP-Compaq, Gateway, E-Machines, AlienWare, and others really thrive on consumer ignorance.  They churn out either junk computers, overpriced computers, or junk overpriced computers all the time.  They rely on their name recognition, knowing that for every customer they drive away, 2 more will come to them (often driven away from another maker).

I have had customers come in with their 1 year old Compaq, and then leave swearing to never buy another one.  They then buy a Dell Dimension for $500.  They are in my shop a year later with the dead Dell, and swear they will never buy another one.  They then move to another maker, like Gateway.  They do not realize that the problem is not the manufacturers, as much as the quality of computer built.

With most of these makers, when you move into the $1,200 price range, the quality improves tremendously.  However, at that point most of the systems are badly overpriced.  I know that we can't touch the $400 computers, because wwe refuse to sell components of that poor a quality.  But the "name brands" can't touch us when it comes to the higher end units, because they are normally 30-50% more expensive for the same quality.

This is why they all love the "custom built" programs they all have.  It lets them sell $400 computers for $1,200+.


Kinda like the American car industry then.  ;D

Buy all the parts from cheap ass companies, assemble them under a big happy flag of consumerism and them ream the customer 2 years later when it dies on them.

You have a spyware-trojan dropper named "Virus Busters".  It claims to be an antivirus program, but is really just another form of spyware.

And here is the bad news:  about the only way to remove it is to reformat your drive and reload your OS.  I have seen this many times, and it is why I tell people to never install anything they see from a pop-up or ad bar.  And to never install an antivirus or spyware program without checking it out.



I'll let my father know,Mushroom.He's stupid sometimes.He thinks he knows it all with stuff to put on and what not to put on computers.

Kinda like the American car industry then.  ;D

Buy all the parts from cheap ass companies, assemble them under a big happy flag of consumerism and them ream the customer 2 years later when it dies on them.


Not really.  In the 1980's, that was true.  American cars were built cheap, and the quality suffered.  Within a few years they were even farther behind Japan then they were before, and quickly got their act together.

Cars are nowadays built to last between 125,000-250,000 miles.  My 97 Dodge has around 165,000 miles, and still runs pretty good.  However, Americans drive much more then they did a generation ago.  I know that my parents had a 1968 Toyota, and it took them almost 10 years to "roll the odometer".  Nowadays, we frequently turn a car over 100,000 miles within 3-4 years (if not sooner).

The philosophical difference is that the "Major Brand" computer companies want you to treat your computer like a car.  When the Engine or Transmission dies, most people do not fix them, they buy a new car.  Myself, I treat a computer like the old "Modular Stareo Systems".  When your CD player dies, you do not buy a new stereo.  You simply buy a new CD player.  And when it does not have enough power, you simply replace the amplifier and speakers.

Computers are modular by design, but the big makers want you to treat it like a single unit.  And when a single component fails, you replace the entire thing.

I'll let my father know,Mushroom.He's stupid sometimes.He thinks he knows it all with stuff to put on and what not to put on computers.


And in passing, karma to Mushroom for answering your question both correctly and honestly.  "Install Linux" is the geek equivalent to "Dust off and nuke the site from orbit, it's the only way to be sure" as a solution to an Aliens infection.

My rule of thumb for software (especially in the closed-source world) is simple: The more promises the author of a product makes, the more likely it is that it's spyware or worse.  ("F-PROT"?  Not spyware.  "Super Mega Virus Nuker Killer Guaranteed To Make Your System More Secure And Kill All Evil Hackers Just Click Here Its Free 4U" - guaranteed spyware.)

And in passing, karma to Mushroom for answering your question both correctly and honestly.  "Install Linux" is the geek equivalent to "Dust off and nuke the site from orbit, it's the only way to be sure" as a solution to an Aliens infection.

My rule of thumb for software (especially in the closed-source world) is simple: The more promises the author of a product makes, the more likely it is that it's spyware or worse.  ("F-PROT"?  Not spyware.  "Super Mega Virus Nuker Killer Guaranteed To Make Your System More Secure And Kill All Evil Hackers Just Click Here Its Free 4U" - guaranteed spyware.)


Would that be the only way to get rid of it? ???

My rule of thumb for software (especially in the closed-source world) is simple: The more promises the author of a product makes, the more likely it is that it's spyware or worse.  ("F-PROT"?  Not spyware.  "Super Mega Virus Nuker Killer Guaranteed To Make Your System More Secure And Kill All Evil Hackers Just Click Here Its Free 4U" - guaranteed spyware.)


And sometimes, even knowledgeable people fall for the lies of the spyware makers.

My boss yesterday was told of a site that has free games for the PSP.  Singe his grandsons all have them, he thought it would be a good way to keep them busy.  So he went to the site, and downloaded the program that claimed to install the games.

What he ended up with was about 20 spyware programs, most revolving around the NEW.NEt spyware.  And naturally, he did not get the free games.  :P


And in passing, karma to Mushroom for answering your question both correctly and honestly.  "Install Linux" is the geek equivalent to "Dust off and nuke the site from orbit, it's the only way to be sure" as a solution to an Aliens infection.


Thanks.  :)

I am most definately not "Anti-Linux" (something I am frequently accused of by both my peers and on techie sites I go to).  However, I have a keen understanding of the capabilities of "normal computer users".  Almost every day, I run into something that makes me want to shake my head.  Most computer users are really ignorant, and handing them a copy of Linux would be rather like handing your grandmother the keys to a Mack 18 wheeler, and asking her to take a drive around the parking lot. 

In the last week, here are just some of the things I have heard:

A Computer called a "Modem" or a "Hard Drive" (I hear that one all the time)
Amazement when I told a customer that she could set her computer on it's side
10 minutes spent explaining to a customer how to use a "surge supressor"
Explaining to a customer why it is not worth fixing a 10 year old computer (another common occurence)
Explaining why a game like "The Sims 2" requires a good quality video card (and computer, not a 750 MHZ "used" computer)
Explaining why "Wireless Internet" (WiFi) does not allow you to get on-line everywhere
Trying to explain why the "$299 Dell" is not a good Christmas gift to a son that wants to play games
Trying to explain why putting Windows XP is not a good idea for a Pentium II-350 with 64 MB RAM
Explaining why somebody needs the $19 heatsink (rated to Athlon 3000) for an Athlon 2400, not the $13 heatsink (rated to Athlon 1800)
Why we need to know exactly what kind if memmory is in the system, or to have the system brought in in order to upgrade the RAM (the old line "that looks just like what is in it now" is just not good enough)

And yes, these are almost daily occurences.  I know how ignorant most computer buyers are.  And I shudder at the problems we would be having if even 10% tried to migrate over to Linux.  We have even had a few come in, who upgraded because their buddies told them it was the "best OS ever".  Since we do not support it, the only support we would give is pure hardware, or to wipe and reload it with the OS we sold it with.  Most are not willing to pay me $65 an hour to try and troubleshoot why their game will not work with WINE.

Would that be the only way to get rid of it? ???


Well it would be the only way to be sure :)

As Mushroom pointed out -- that solution comes with its own drawbacks:  a very steep learning curve.

Personally, I'm increasingly impressed with Macs.  Nice slick "it just works" GUI for the nontechnical user, but it's UNIX under the hood. 

Unfortunately, we've still got a few years to go (if ever) before PC gaming is free of the Windows monopoly.  Gaming is really the only thing that's still best on a Windows box.  Most releases aren't available for Mac, let alone Linux.  It's enough to turn a guy to the dark side of console gaming.  :)

How do you get rid of script errors like when a web page says "Done,But With errors on page"? ???

How do you get rid of script errors like when a web page says "Done,But With errors on page"? ???


Is it a pop-up message that says this?  Where on the page do you see it?

Is it a pop-up message that says this?  Where on the page do you see it?


No,I think Foo would know what I'm referring to.

No,I think Foo would know what I'm referring to.


I know what you're referring to, I've had them happen to me but they can be different on different computers, web sites, browsers....hence why I was asking. 

How do you get rid of script errors like when a web page says "Done,But With errors on page"? ???


It's a Javascript thing.  I look at it this way:  If the site author can't be bothered to write Javascript that won't trigger the error, I don't want to be running his Javascript in IE or Mozilla.

But then again, if it's not my bank or my broker, I don't want to be running his Javascript even if he or she is competent at coding it.

https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/722/ -- For Mozilla/Firefox, Noscript is your friend. 

It's a Javascript thing.  I look at it this way:  If the site author can't be bothered to write Javascript that won't trigger the error, I don't want to be running his Javascript in IE or Mozilla.

But then again, if it's not my bank or my broker, I don't want to be running his Javascript even if he or she is competent at coding it.

https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/722/ -- For Mozilla/Firefox, Noscript is your friend. 


Thanks Foo

Question: Hubby plays games on an older computer which operates with "Windows Pro" (whatever that is). He accidently hit a key and the bar across the bottom (which has what windows are open, etc.) moved to side. He would like to move it back to the bottom of the screen but he doesn't know what he hit to move it to side. Can anyone help?




Cat

I have a bunch of files in my pc that i can't delete, everytime i try move em to the ricycle bin it says the file can't be read.
What can i do?

Question: Hubby plays games on an older computer which operates with "Windows Pro" (whatever that is). He accidently hit a key and the bar across the bottom (which has what windows are open, etc.) moved to side. He would like to move it back to the bottom of the screen but he doesn't know what he hit to move it to side. Can anyone help?




Cat



Still waiting for an answer. ANYONE? ANYONE?  Hello? Echo...echo...echo...echo...echo



Cat

Still waiting for an answer. ANYONE? ANYONE?  Hello? Echo...echo...echo...echo...echo



Cat


Have you tried "Dragging and Dropping the Task Bar back into place?

Still waiting for an answer. ANYONE? ANYONE?  Hello? Echo...echo...echo...echo...echo



Cat






Has he tried tried right-clicking on the taskbar to see if the "Lock the Taskbar" is checked?

What do you know about wireless routers such as Linksys? ???

Question: Hubby plays games on an older computer which operates with "Windows Pro" (whatever that is). He accidently hit a key and the bar across the bottom (which has what windows are open, etc.) moved to side. He would like to move it back to the bottom of the screen but he doesn't know what he hit to move it to side. Can anyone help?


Sorry, was away for about 2 weeks because of a dispute with my ISP, and basically forgot to check in this forum when I got back on-line (thanks to the person taht sent me a message to remind me of it).

Basically, you can drag the "Task Bar" to any area of the screen you want to.  Simply left-click and hold the mouse in any unused area of the bar, and drag it where you want it to be.

When Win95 first came out, there were even some themes that made the PC look like a Macintosh, which included dragging the bar to the top of the screen.  And since I work on probably 20 computers a week, I often see them on either the right side of the screen, or on the top (for some reason nobody puts them on the left side).


What do you know about wireless routers such as Linksys? ???


I have worked with many of them, including LinkSys, USR, Intellinet, Belkin, and some others.

And basically, they are all the same.  I have never found any one to be better then the others, and for the most part, they are compatible between any brands of card and router (as long as they share a common protocol, 802.11 A, B, or G - I am not going to get into the "Pre-N", avoid those).

The trickiest thing often involves configuring them.  Depending on your ISP, you may or may not have to set up various configurations inside the router.  And thankfully, the practice of locking an internet connection to a fixed MAC address has largely fallen by the wayside.

Normally, about the most you have to configure is the User Name and Password for your account.  Although some ISPs run special scripts to prevent you from useing any router other then one they provide (for an extra charge).  My ISP does that, and I had to resort to installing a second NIC card in my computer and useing it as a "Bridge" in order to use my wireless router.  So if my computer is turned off, my wireless is disconnected.

If I can give a few pointers in configuration, it is to do the following:

1.  Change your default password.  If you leave it at default, anybody within @ 100 yards can log in and change settings, even lock you out of your own network.  Or worse yet, gain access to the computers on your network.

2.  Enable security.  A lot of people prefer WAP to keep people out of a wireless network, but I always prefer the good old-fashioned technique of MAC address filtering.  To do this, you need the MAC address of every network card on your network.  You can get the address by opening a DOS box on your computer, and entering "ipconfig /all".  You will see a line like this:

Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 02-00-54-55-4E-01

The string of numbers and letters is the MAC address of the card.  Simply locate the address for every card on your network, and enter them as allowed.  Then set your router to ignore any address that is not authorized.

WAP is not as secure as most people think.  With a few programs easily found on the internet, hackers can get around WAP in as little as 2 hours.  However, MAC is much harder to get around, since they first have to find a way to get a valid MAC address (which is next to impossible to do without physical access to the computer), then set their own to "clone" a valid address.  Most hackers will simply move along and find a network that is easier to get into.  The only successfull wireless MAC address hack I have heard about took over 1,000 hours to accomplish.

If you have another question, feel free to ask.  Since your question was rather vague, I kinda covered the questions that most people tend to ask me at work.

What about Netgear?

What about Netgear?


They are all about the same, NetGear included.  I have yet to find any major issues with any router I have ever worked with.  They are all basically the same, and do the same thing.

My father and I have basically the same Linksys system.He's hooked up to my laptop.Some occasions,His computer works(all 4 lights blink) but my laptop doesn't and when it says "Connected To Router or "Connected To Internet",I'm on so how come sometimes it doesn't read?  ???

Have you tried "Dragging and Dropping the Task Bar back into place?




Sorry, was away for about 2 weeks because of a dispute with my ISP, and basically forgot to check in this forum when I got back on-line (thanks to the person taht sent me a message to remind me of it).

Basically, you can drag the "Task Bar" to any area of the screen you want to.  Simply left-click and hold the mouse in any unused area of the bar, and drag it where you want it to be.

When Win95 first came out, there were even some themes that made the PC look like a Macintosh, which included dragging the bar to the top of the screen.  And since I work on probably 20 computers a week, I often see them on either the right side of the screen, or on the top (for some reason nobody puts them on the left side).




Yup, that worked. Thanks guys. Such a simple solution. However, I could blame it on Hubby who is not really computer inclined.  ;)



Cat

Yup, that worked. Thanks guys. Such a simple solution. However, I could blame it on Hubby who is not really computer inclined.  ;)



Cat


If you right click on this bar and click "Lock Taskbar", it will not do that anymore.

Stupidity on my part but here is the situation.

Today I reached up to get my pepsi and instead of grabbing, I dumped it on my wireless keyboard!
It hit the number pad and the arrows. I think I got most of it cleaned up, used the can of air on it too.
Of course, right now I have the old wired keyboard and wired mouse hooked up - what a pain in my butt!

So my question is, once it dries out, do you think it will still work Mushroom?
Before I disconnected it, it worked fine, except that when I hit the shift key it would type a q or a z.
I hope it will still work. I hate being confined to this wired crap.

What do you know about Zwinkys?

Today I reached up to get my pepsi and instead of grabbing, I dumped it on my wireless keyboard!
It hit the number pad and the arrows. I think I got most of it cleaned up, used the can of air on it too.
Of course, right now I have the old wired keyboard and wired mouse hooked up - what a pain in my butt!

So my question is, once it dries out, do you think it will still work Mushroom?
Before I disconnected it, it worked fine, except that when I hit the shift key it would type a q or a z.
I hope it will still work. I hate being confined to this wired crap.


Maybe.  It all depends.

If the moisture shorted out an IC, it is toast.  It can also leave sticky residue on the key switch, making those keys almost worthless.  Either way, I would expect to have to buy a new keyboard.  Because a soda will eventually cause corrosion.


What do you know about Zwinkys?


Zwinkys are made by SmileyCentral.  And SmileyCentral is a major Spyware company.

So I think they are junk, just another way to try and con people into installing spyware onto their computers.  Must like COmetCUrsor, Gator, HotBar, and every other piece of spyware out there.

Maybe.  It all depends.

If the moisture shorted out an IC, it is toast.  It can also leave sticky residue on the key switch, making those keys almost worthless.  Either way, I would expect to have to buy a new keyboard.  Because a soda will eventually cause corrosion.

Zwinkys are made by SmileyCentral.  And SmileyCentral is a major Spyware company.

So I think they are junk, just another way to try and con people into installing spyware onto their computers.  Must like COmetCUrsor, Gator, HotBar, and every other piece of spyware out there.


So Why do they want you to create your very own Zwinky? ???

So Why do they want you to create your very own Zwinky? ???


As a way to install their software on your computer.

And along with that software comes spyware.  And the company gets paid for their spyware.  SC get's most of it's revenue from either pop-up and banner ads, or by selling your e-mail address and other information (which you allow them to collect when you agree to use their program.

OK, heres a problem I've had since I got a new HP PC last year.

Its came with XP Media Center Home Edition 2005.
The problem, can't get any embedded wmp files from the internet to play, video or audio.

Whenever I come to any windows media player files to play, firefox (IE too) tell me that I need to download and install WMP to view the file, which is bizarre as I have WMP 11 already installed and works fine otherwise.

I've already looked around on the net, didn't find any mention of a similar problem on any MS site, but did find some notation by others that MCE '05 does not have the usual WMP plugins installed, and it was designed that way by Microsoft (?).

I have manage to down load FFV, and a separate program that recognizes this problem and opens up wmp when this situation arises for playback, but its a pain to have to have a separate window open just to play back a short video or song each and every time I come across a wmp file while stumbling on the internet...Has anyone heard of this happening or had any other weird problems with MCE?

Any suggestions?

I'm running an AMD 64, with 2GB of memory, so I don't think its any problem with my PC's hardware or video card...

I've got a question. Is there any way I can get a free version (or just a trial version) of Microsoft Word?

I've got a question. Is there any way I can get a free version (or just a trial version) of Microsoft Word?


You should be able to get it here for a 60 day trial.

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/eval/office/default.mspx

Why do computers get error reports?

Why do computers get error reports?



Because something goes wrong. 

Because something goes wrong. 


But the question is,I want to know why? ???

But the question is,I want to know why? ???


Bugs in the programs, or compatibility issues between different programs (certain programs can conflict with one another), driver bugs, spyware/malware. There's many things that can cause a program to stop responding.

Bugs in the programs, or compatibility issues between different programs (certain programs can conflict with one another), driver bugs, spyware/malware. There's many things that can cause a program to stop responding.



So that's why some computers freeze up sometimes.

So that's why some computers freeze up sometimes.




Computers can also freeze up if you're running too many programs and there's not enough internal memory to handle it.

Computers can also freeze up if you're running too many programs and there's not enough internal memory to handle it.



That's what happens on my laptop too

I worried about my computer, eventually overheating, and being destroyed.

Is there anyway, to cool a coomputer down?

I worried about my computer, eventually overheating, and being destroyed.

Is there anyway, to cool a coomputer down?


You could always keep it off for a while

It's not overheating at the moment, but I am more worried about it, at the summer.

Thanks for the adviice, Howard!

It's not overheating at the moment, but I am more worried about it, at the summer.

Thanks for the adviice, Howard!


Should be alright as long as you have a fan in there and give it proper ventilation.

It's not overheating at the moment, but I am more worried about it, at the summer.

Thanks for the adviice, Howard!



Oh No problem,You're Welcome.  ;)

Should be alright as long as you have a fan in there and give it proper ventilation.


Thanks, for all of the help!

I worried about my computer, eventually overheating, and being destroyed.

Is there anyway, to cool a coomputer down?


That depends, is it a laptop or desktop?

If it is a laptop, get a "cooling pad".  These are powered by the USB bus, and have from 2-4 fans that blow on the bottom of the laptop.  I use them myself, and they make a huge difference.

If it is a desktop, the best solution is to put it in a better case.  Especially if it is a "name brand" computer.  Those tend to have the worst cases I have ever seen.  Most of them would have had good cooling - in abour 1995.  With modern processors (3 GHz+) and Hard Drives (7200+ rpm) they are simply built to outlive the warranty.

However, if it is a Dell, you are outta luck.  Their motherboards are propriatary, so the cases can't be changed.  Basically you are stuck unless you want to replace the case, motherboard, and operating system.

How can computers recognize when It's Daylight Savings Time?

How can computers recognize when It's Daylight Savings Time?


They don't.  It is all in the software.

Operating systems like WIndows have it programmed in when Daylight Savings Time starts and ends.  And one of the patches that was installed in the last few months was to tell the computer that it is starting earlier this year.

So if you have updated your OS in the last few months, it adjusted itself.  If you do not update your OS, it did not ajdust.

I keep getting a little speech bubble popping up telling me I have unused icons on my desktop.  Does it matter that I have unused icons on my desktop?

I keep getting a little speech bubble popping up telling me I have unused icons on my desktop.  Does it matter that I have unused icons on my desktop?

I get that all the time, too. For the most part I could care less about unused icons.

I get that all the time, too. For the most part I could care less about unused icons.


me too.  I just wondered why the computer was bothered by them

me too.  I just wondered why the computer was bothered by them

I have no idea why. I just know that I'm not bothered by my unused icons (whatever they might be).

I keep getting a little speech bubble popping up telling me I have unused icons on my desktop.  Does it matter that I have unused icons on my desktop?


Because you told your computer that you wanted to be notified if they were not used.  ;)

In XP, right-click in an unused portion of the desktop, right-click then choose "Properties".  Choose "Desktop", then "Customize Desktop".  At the bottom will be a box marked "Run Desktop Cleanup Wizard every 60 days".  Simply check that box off, then click OK and Apply.  This will make that notice go away.

OK, heres a problem I've had since I got a new HP PC last year.

Its came with XP Media Center Home Edition 2005.
The problem, can't get any embedded wmp files from the internet to play, video or audio.

Whenever I come to any windows media player files to play, firefox (IE too) tell me that I need to download and install WMP to view the file, which is bizarre as I have WMP 11 already installed and works fine otherwise.

I've already looked around on the net, didn't find any mention of a similar problem on any MS site, but did find some notation by others that MCE '05 does not have the usual WMP plugins installed, and it was designed that way by Microsoft (?).

I have manage to down load FFV, and a separate program that recognizes this problem and opens up wmp when this situation arises for playback, but its a pain to have to have a separate window open just to play back a short video or song each and every time I come across a wmp file while stumbling on the internet...Has anyone heard of this happening or had any other weird problems with MCE?

Any suggestions?

I'm running an AMD 64, with 2GB of memory, so I don't think its any problem with my PC's hardware or video card...



Umm, a little help?
Can anyone advise?

me too.  I just wondered why the computer was bothered by them



The computer wants to know if you used them lately.

Because you told your computer that you wanted to be notified if they were not used.   ;)

In XP, right-click in an unused portion of the desktop, right-click then choose "Properties".  Choose "Desktop", then "Customize Desktop".  At the bottom will be a box marked "Run Desktop Cleanup Wizard every 60 days".  Simply check that box off, then click OK and Apply.  This will make that notice go away.


Damn University approved settings.

Why do most computers become slow?

Because you told your computer that you wanted to be notified if they were not used.   ;)

In XP, right-click in an unused portion of the desktop, right-click then choose "Properties".  Choose "Desktop", then "Customize Desktop".  At the bottom will be a box marked "Run Desktop Cleanup Wizard every 60 days".  Simply check that box off, then click OK and Apply.  This will make that notice go away.


So then, by default, the notification is turned on?

So then, by default, the notification is turned on?


it would appear so in my case at least

it would appear so in my case at least



How do I turn my notification on?  ???

How do I turn my notification on?  ???

You would probably do the reverse of what Mushroom said in his most recent reply.

You would probably do the reverse of what Mushroom said in his most recent reply.


Ok Thank You.

So then, by default, the notification is turned on?


Yes, by default it is turned on.  I turn it off on every computer I work on.  Otherwise, I normally end up getting called a few months later, with people asking where some of their icons went.  ;D


Umm, a little help?
Can anyone advise?


Your question is really hard to answer, because WMP is not a file format that I generally use.  I tend to avoid "propriatary" file formats, and stick to the ones more universally recognized (WAV, MP3, MPG, etc).

Your problem may relate to either DRM issues, or Codec issues.  Try going to MajorGeeks.Com, and download one of the Codec packs (I like the K-Lite Codec Pack myself).  This should solve the problem if it is codec related.

If it is a DRM issue, there is really nothing you can do about it.  That is because you do not have the proper authorization to view/listen to that file.

WMP is Windows Media Player and the file formats commonly associated with it are wma and wmv.  Sometimes asf as well.

Umm, a little help?
Can anyone advise?


Maybe try reinstalling/repairing it.

Is Quicktime good for audio and video?

Is Quicktime good for audio and video?


I am not a big fan of QuickTime.  In fact, I generally reccomend against it's use because it is so "propriatory".

To give you an idea, I used to use QT for some video that was going to be used on the net.  And my Adobe Audition had it built in.  However, in the last few years the software to view it has become increasingly "invasive" in how it installs.

For example, if you install Quicktime now, it wants to become your default media plkayer for everything.  It also wants to take over as your default way to buy music and videos on-line.  Not to mention that it installs itself into your start-up list, and will run every time you turn on your computer.

That is excessive and invasive.  It is the same reason I no longer reccomend the use of RealPlayer.  Anything that says "We only allow you to use us and nobody else" is wrong, and a company I avoid.  And Apple is one of the worst offenders when it comes to that kind of behavior.

Plus QT comes with some heavy DRM management, another thing I do not like.  I am not against DRM, I have used it myself.  But Apple goes to extremes, making it almost impossible to do it yourself.  That is why I stick to AVI and MPG.  Anybody can play those files, with almost any player out there.

I am not a big fan of QuickTime.  In fact, I generally reccomend against it's use because it is so "propriatory".

To give you an idea, I used to use QT for some video that was going to be used on the net.  And my Adobe Audition had it built in.  However, in the last few years the software to view it has become increasingly "invasive" in how it installs.

For example, if you install Quicktime now, it wants to become your default media plkayer for everything.  It also wants to take over as your default way to buy music and videos on-line.  Not to mention that it installs itself into your start-up list, and will run every time you turn on your computer.

That is excessive and invasive.  It is the same reason I no longer reccomend the use of RealPlayer.  Anything that says "We only allow you to use us and nobody else" is wrong, and a company I avoid.  And Apple is one of the worst offenders when it comes to that kind of behavior.

Plus QT comes with some heavy DRM management, another thing I do not like.  I am not against DRM, I have used it myself.  But Apple goes to extremes, making it almost impossible to do it yourself.  That is why I stick to AVI and MPG.  Anybody can play those files, with almost any player out there.


So Then would Realplayer or Winamp be a good default player?  ???

He just said he didn't recommend using RealPlayer.  I use iTunes to listen to everything, but that's because I have an iPod.

He just said he didn't recommend using RealPlayer.  I use iTunes to listen to everything, but that's because I have an iPod.


I use WinAmp for almost everything

So Then would Realplayer or Winamp be a good default player?  ???


Realplayer is horrible, slow, clunky, etc, and winamp cripples your cd ripping and burning speeds if you don't pay $19.95 for it. I prefer either Windows Media Player or itunes. I do like itunes, I think it's a good piece of software and never had any issues with it and you get full speed cd burning and ripping for free.

Realplayer is horrible, slow, clunky, etc, and winamp cripples your cd ripping and burning speeds if you don't pay $19.95 for it. I prefer either Windows Media Player or itunes. I do like itunes, I think it's a good piece of software and never had any issues with it and you get full speed cd burning and ripping for free.



iTunes is amazing.  I burn CDs in WMP though, because I don't have a CD burner on my laptop and that's where I have iTunes.  CD burning on WMP 11 is hella fast.

I use WinAmp for almost everything


I use WinAmp for playing MP3 files.  But that is about it.  I do "Custom Installs" for every program I install, so disable WinAmp doing anything but playing MP3.


Realplayer is horrible, slow, clunky, etc, and winamp cripples your cd ripping and burning speeds if you don't pay $19.95 for it. I prefer either Windows Media Player or itunes. I do like itunes, I think it's a good piece of software and never had any issues with it and you get full speed cd burning and ripping for free.


I agree, but I also do not rip or burn CDs with WinAmp.  I use an older version of MusicMatch to rip CDs.  For burning CDs, I use Nero.

I am not a huge fan of "All-In-One" programs.  This goes all the way back to "Enable", the first all-in-one Office Suite.  It did word processing, spreadsheets, databases, fax, and just about everything else.  The problem was that it did not do any of them very well. 

Maybe try reinstalling/repairing it.

Thanks for the reply...

Yes, tried that. Its weird, the situation is that whenever I go to a site, say Devilducky or the like, and they have an embedded file set up to play a file via windows media player, I get the message that I'm missing the plugin to play the file and need to download windows media player to play the file.

Now, just months ago, with my old PC (running MS 2000) I went to the same sites and no problems. Now with XP Media Center Edition 2005 on a new HP PC, that has windows media player 10 built in (I upgraded to WMP 11) I get these bizarre messages that I need to install windows media player (when it is already installed).

Now, from what I understand (from looking around on the net) that Media Center Edition versions of XP were made specifically without the PLUG INS for windows media player. That is, the browser and page I'm on will not recognize that I have window media player installed, (why Microsoft would purposely disable their own media player by not including the browser plug ins is beyond me), and therefore will not play back any video or music that is embedded for windows media player on a web page.

I have found a work around, Media Player Connectivity plays any format in any player and will recognize any embedded file and play it, but only by opening another window. It works fine but is annoying at times...
What I'm looking for is the window media player plug ins for XP. Shouldn't I be able to find these from a regular XP operating system boot disk? If not where would I find them?

I use WinAmp for playing MP3 files.  But that is about it.  I do "Custom Installs" for every program I install, so disable WinAmp doing anything but playing MP3.

I agree, but I also do not rip or burn CDs with WinAmp.  I use an older version of MusicMatch to rip CDs.  For burning CDs, I use Nero.

I am not a huge fan of "All-In-One" programs.  This goes all the way back to "Enable", the first all-in-one Office Suite.  It did word processing, spreadsheets, databases, fax, and just about everything else.  The problem was that it did not do any of them very well. 





What is Tara used for on Winamp? ???

Do you own a flashdrive?

My computer won't let me eject safely right now.

What can I do?

Do you own a flashdrive?

My computer won't let me eject safely right now.

What can I do?




Maybe I can help.  I have a flash drive.  What is your computer telling you when you try to pull the flash drive out of the USB port?  Is it not recognizing the flash drive?  Usually you plug it in, go to My Computer and you should see it listed, and when you pull it out it will disappear. 

Maybe I can help.  I have a flash drive.  What is your computer telling you when you try to pull the flash drive out of the USB port?  Is it not recognizing the flash drive?  Usually you plug it in, go to My Computer and you should see it listed, and when you pull it out it will disappear. 


I'll explain abit more, I was able to use the safely remove option on the computer screen(on the bottom right, the green arrow that appears after you put it in the port) the first time I did after doing some massive image saving. When I was on a second time later that afternoon and finished saving images(at one point, a warning popped up, something about being low on virtual memory and said it was updating it), I clicked on it safely remove option, then selected what I was removing. It said it couldn't be safely removed at that point and to try again later(I tried several times and even wait for a short period of time before one last attempt), I ended up having to shut my PC down before removing it. I hope that didn't damage it or corrupt any files.(I saved over 300 images, I don't want to have to do that again)

I did look up on google about it too, one site had something on that problem. But didn't have any other solution but PC shutdown before removing it.

Edit: Everything appears to be fine, though.

I'll see if I can remove it safely now.

Hmmmm, I don't know.  I've never used the "safely remove hardware" option before.  Put the flash drive back in the computer and see if it is recognized.  If it is, check if all the files you put on there are still there.  How big is the flash drive?  Maybe you tried to remove the flash drive before it was able to update the virtual memory.

Hmmmm, I don't know.  I've never used the "safely remove hardware" option before.  Put the flash drive back in the computer and see if it is recognized.  If it is, check if all the files you put on there are still there.  How big is the flash drive?  Maybe you tried to remove the flash drive before it was able to update the virtual memory.


1 gigabyte. It was working properly when last night as well, just didn't allow it to be safely removed.

The drive was recognized.

It allowed me to remove it this time and everything appears to be fine too.

A co-worker of mine said it really isn't necessary to click that option, at least when the port is in the front. The port is in the back of the black tower, so I kinda have to use that option.

At the libraries, that option is restricted though, which is why I'm using it here. At least it can be used.

I did alot of saving yesterday too, that could be why as well.(this computer is customized and has alot of data, but isn't the fastest)

I also did a virus scan, but I don't think that was the reason.

See, my USB ports are in the front, so I've never even thought to use that option.  I'm glad to see that the drive wasn't damaged and all your files are still there. 

See, my USB ports are in the front, so I've never even thought to use that option.  I'm glad to see that the drive wasn't damaged and all your files are still there. 


Most of them are from my image account, so I would have just had to saved them again.(The rest were from 3 1/2 floppies, a much smaller percentage, I can always upload them again, but floppy disks tend to have a high corruption rating, so that depends on which ones are good)

I'll also get some storage CDs when I can afford to. But I need to get those CD drives running again.(they don't pop up any options to play any music CDs I pop in)

I have other sites and images linked up in my PMs too(which I haven't saved yet), but I'll take my time to with those to make sure this doesn't happen so easily.

Realplayer is horrible, slow, clunky, etc, and winamp cripples your cd ripping and burning speeds if you don't pay $19.95 for it. I prefer either Windows Media Player or itunes. I do like itunes, I think it's a good piece of software and never had any issues with it and you get full speed cd burning and ripping for free.


The computer I have has Bearshare on it, but it's annoying.

(it's my sister's PC, they installed it in there)

Mainly because it has Zango as part of it and a search hijacker type ware is part of it, it automatically pops up the site first thing.(I don't have any interest in music download anyway)

I want to get my own PC so that I don't have to deal with it and have things I want put into it.

1 gigabyte. It was working properly when last night as well, just didn't allow it to be safely removed.


Did you have a "Windows Explorer" or any program or file active on the drive at the time?

If the drive is being accessed, you will be unable to disconnect it.  Make sure that before you try to do that, all Explorer and other programs that you may have used to access the data on the USB drive (Media Player, Photo Viewer, etc) are closed.

Did you have a "Windows Explorer" or any program or file active on the drive at the time?

If the drive is being accessed, you will be unable to disconnect it.  Make sure that before you try to do that, all Explorer and other programs that you may have used to access the data on the USB drive (Media Player, Photo Viewer, etc) are closed.


It said something about low virtual memory at one point, I can only wait so long before I stop. I tried it once, it wouldn't let it, waited alittle bit, still wouldn't, waited, still wouldn't. I didn't have any images active at the time, did the low virtual memory have anything to do with it?

The only other thing I did was a virus scan, but that was done abit before hand, plus I didn't save any images at that time(or have the drive in for that matter).....

The only thing I could do was shut down the PC.

It said something about low virtual memory at one point, I can only wait so long before I stop.


That normally means your hard drive is full (or almost full).  As a good rule of thumb, you never want your hard drive to have less then 2 GB of free space.

However, this message can also be caused by many other things.  Virus or spyware, not enough system RAM, and to many applications at once can also cause this message to appear.  If you are running XP, you should have as a minimum 256 MB of physical RAM.  If you use Vista, there should be as a minimum 512 MB of physical RAM.  And you also never want your hard drive to be so full that you have less then 10% of the total drive capacity free.

That normally means your hard drive is full (or almost full).  As a good rule of thumb, you never want your hard drive to have less then 2 GB of free space.

However, this message can also be caused by many other things.  Virus or spyware, not enough system RAM, and to many applications at once can also cause this message to appear.  If you are running XP, you should have as a minimum 256 MB of physical RAM.  If you use Vista, there should be as a minimum 512 MB of physical RAM.  And you also never want your hard drive to be so full that you have less then 10% of the total drive capacity free.


I have 300+ images on the flashdrive, varying between 20-500 kilobytes. I know I still have plenty of room on it.

The 2 gig ones are 10 dollars more than I could afford.

On the computer, the local disk has 1.36 gig free space, although I did have some images that I had to convert from bitmap to jpeg(by uploading them on photobucket), I saved them into my documents, I sent them to the recycle bin today.

Could those bitmap files have caused the problem? Since I didn't remove them yesterday.

What hard drive would be the free space your talking about?

One of them has over 30 gigs of free space(music's on it).....

The one that's needed to keep the the computer running has .98 gigs of free space......

Can anybody give me a hand with formatting a hard drive on a Dell?

My GFs computer was running very poorly so she decided that she would do a clean install. It's an old PIII with 128Mb RAM, and it was running windows 98. We decided to put windows XP on it because I had the same computer and XP ran fine on it. We had both done this on our own before so we were confident that we wouldn't have any problems.

We put the XP installation disk in the drive and reboot. We get to the install/format part and choose the option to format the drive where the Windows 98 is located. The computer does all the formatting and says that it's done and that it will reboot in order to continue with installation. When the computer starts back up again, it starts with the same setup options. We seem to be going around in circles and it isn't installing.

Anyone have any ideas?

i'm having a hell of a time with my audio setup. i bought a couple of expensive music recording program (acid music studio and sonar) and a 200-dollar audio interface that plugs into my usb port and now the computer locks up all the time. acid music hangs up all the time but now even just the windows media player hangs up whenever i try to even listen to or watch anything. whenever it happens i get these odd messages that "XPCOM: Eventreceive" and "Media Even Sink Window" have stopped responding. wtf is that? i already tried defragging, cleaning up the hard drive, reinstalling the operating system, and upgrading some of the software. i'll probably reinstall the driver software for the audio interface next but i was wondering if anybody might have any ideas what's going on here.

Holy crap, that sucks.  It almost sounds like a hardware problem although I have no idea where to start...lemme ask a friend.

Definitely go to the manufacturer's website and upgrade the drivers for the software.

Holy crap, that sucks.  It almost sounds like a hardware problem although I have no idea where to start...lemme ask a friend.
i hope not! i had to replace the cpu a few months ago. all this stuff's brand new though, the m-audio thing, so i figure it's probably okay.

i found this...

http://www.theeldergeek.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=6421

the guy's having the same problem, he seems to think it's a problem with mozilla, although it's happening now even when mozilla isn't running. but they gave me a couple of things to try at least.

We put the XP installation disk in the drive and reboot. We get to the install/format part and choose the option to format the drive where the Windows 98 is located. The computer does all the formatting and says that it's done and that it will reboot in order to continue with installation. When the computer starts back up again, it starts with the same setup options. We seem to be going around in circles and it isn't installing.

Anyone have any ideas?


First step, you need to restart the install again.  But before you do so, remove any other hard drive installed on the system.  When you start the install, make sure you delete all partitions on the hard drive.  It sounds like you either have another drive in the system, or you are trying to keep another partition on the drive.  Either of these causes XP to think you are doing a "Dual Boot" install.

Also, you really should add another 128 MB of RAM.  XP works with 128, but you really need at least 256 to run it well (especially on something as old as a P3).


i'm having a hell of a time with my audio setup. i bought a couple of expensive music recording program (acid music studio and sonar) and a 200-dollar audio interface that plugs into my usb port and now the computer locks up all the time. acid music hangs up all the time but now even just the windows media player hangs up whenever i try to even listen to or watch anything. whenever it happens i get these odd messages that "XPCOM: Eventreceive" and "Media Even Sink Window" have stopped responding. wtf is that? i already tried defragging, cleaning up the hard drive, reinstalling the operating system, and upgrading some of the software. i'll probably reinstall the driver software for the audio interface next but i was wondering if anybody might have any ideas what's going on here.


Well, the first error message is an error with Firefox (or Mozilla).  The "Media Sink" normally comes from a corrupted install of Media Player.

First off, I would remove Mozilla/Firefox, then reinstall media player.  Also check with the manufacturer to see if there are any incompatabilities with the version of Media Center you are using.

And if I had to guess, sounds like you may be having a problem with the USB device (you did not list the make or model).  As a general rule of thumb, most such USB devices tend to be of questionable quality.  They tend to be aimed at the "low end" of the industry, because the higer end equipment is normally on a Fire Wire interface.

well called, i tracked down the xpcom error to mozilla and already deinstalled it so hopefully that won't come up again. media player i suppose i'll reinstall but i don't actually need to use that for recording -- it's annoying because i didn't get this error until media player took it upon itself to upgrade itself. ::)

the interface i'm using is this

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/FastTrackPro-main.html

i've really been damned impressed with it except for this problem (it wasn't cheap!) and i'm still not convinced it's not the software. (i'm using acid music studio and these lockups seems to mostly happen when i do software events, like stop recording, most often, is when it pops up -- and i can't imagine why the interface would be locking up the system, but i could be all right.)

that's a drag about usb vs. firewire. i know the guys at the shop were all about firewire but i thought that was exclusively a mac thing?

well called, i tracked down the xpcom error to mozilla and already deinstalled it so hopefully that won't come up again. media player i suppose i'll reinstall but i don't actually need to use that for recording -- it's annoying because i didn't get this error until media player took it upon itself to upgrade itself. ::)


You are seeing one of the reasons that I tend to advise against Mozilla.  I do not say it is not a good program, but it is simply not as well tested as IE or Netscape.  And because it works "differently", this can often cause problems in less used programs.


i've really been damned impressed with it except for this problem (it wasn't cheap!) and i'm still not convinced it's not the software. (i'm using acid music studio and these lockups seems to mostly happen when i do software events, like stop recording, most often, is when it pops up -- and i can't imagine why the interface would be locking up the system, but i could be all right.)

that's a drag about usb vs. firewire. i know the guys at the shop were all about firewire but i thought that was exclusively a mac thing?


"Cheap" does not always mean the product itself is cheap.  Just that they took shortcuts in how it works.

USB has traditionally been the interface for "Amateur" audio and video.  Fire Wire has traditionally been the interface for "Pro" audio and video.  And it has always worked on both PC and Mac.  You simply hear Mac talk about it more, since they included the interface in all of their high-ended equipment for years.  But most of your high-ended PC equipment uses it as well (Audigy cards, Matrox IO cards, Canopus and Avid editors). 

By looking at what the box does, we are actually doing somewhat similar tasks.  Although I take a more definate "Old School" approach.  I actually have a DJ style mixer board hooked up to my computer, and run it through my Audigy card.  This lets me run my Sure microphone, and do some elaborate (or basic) pre-amping to my audio inputs before bringing the signal into my computer.  I then use Adobe Audition (I was a die-hard Cool Edit user before that) to edit and recompile the audio signals I recorded.

Someday I am gonna have to take another pic of my setup.  A lot of people laugh at what my computer area looks like, since it is spread out between 2 desks (1 for my 2 monitors, the other for my tape deck and mixer board) and a TV cart (for my computer and Printer), with a boom mic sitting between them.  But first I am going to have to finish getting it all configured to my new computer.  After just over 2 years, my old Athlon 64 3500 is being retired (I sold it to my friend in California for light video editing and games), and I have built myself a new Athlon 64 X2 4600. 

I can't see any of the avatars of smilies right now, is something going on with my internet service?

I can't see any of the avatars of smilies right now, is something going on with my internet service?



I don't think your internet service would cause you to not be able to see images.  Are you on Firefox?  If so, check this out: http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=288184


I had a similar issue a while ago and this helped.

I don't think your internet service would cause you to not be able to see images.  Are you on Firefox?  If so, check this out: http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?t=288184


I had a similar issue a while ago and this helped.


I'm have ATT service, I don't know if firefox is apart of it.

I'm have ATT service, I don't know if firefox is apart of it.



??


What web browser are you using?  IE, Firefox, Opera, Safari.....?  Because the problem is more than likely NOT with the service.  I have BellSouth...that has nothing to do with my web browser.

??


What web browser are you using?  IE, Firefox, Opera, Safari.....?  Because the problem is more than likely NOT with the service.  I have BellSouth...that has nothing to do with my web browser.


Well, it says AT&T Yahoo, so I think Yahoo.

Well, it says AT&T Yahoo, so I think Yahoo.



Yahoo is not a web browser, it's a website.  When you start the internet up, what icon do you double-click?  I mean, you can't browse the web without a web browser.

Yahoo is not a web browser, it's a website.  When you start the internet up, what icon do you double-click?  I mean, you can't browse the web without a web browser.


I don't have the internet icon on the main screen, I don't know why either.....

I'll have to check first.

How do you surf the internet if you don't open a browser up in which to do so?  I mean, is it Internet Explorer?  That comes standard on all Windows OS's...so that's probably it.  What OS are you running?  XP?

Well, I go into the my computer icon, or into favorites.

http://google.bearshare.com/

Is this it^^^^

That's a website.  And BearShare is a file-sharing P2P application.  Okay, so when that website pops-up, what browser is running it?  Go to "Help" and look down....on mine it says, "About Mozilla Firefox" because that's the browser I use.

Yahoo is not a web browser, it's a website.  When you start the internet up, what icon do you double-click?  I mean, you can't browse the web without a web browser.


There is a custom AT&T browser that comes with that service, however it is just a skin or front end for what actually is in fact IE.

That's a website.  And BearShare is a file-sharing P2P application.


I found the internet icon, and that's where it sent me to when I clicked on it.

It says IEXPLORE next to the icon.

THANK YOU.  So, the browser is IE.  What version?  I can look up specifically how to fix it if I know what version it is. 


Version: 6.0.2600.0000.xpclnt_qfe.021108-2107

Version: 6.0.2600.0000.xpclnt_qfe.021108-2107



According to the sites I was looking at, everyone recommended downloading Firefox and using that. 


So......http://www.mozilla.com


You shouldn't have this problem once you stop using IE.

Version: 6.0.2600.0000.xpclnt_qfe.021108-2107


You're using IE 6, definitely get away from that. At the least you want to upgrade to IE 7. Though I personally like Firefox, I think it's a faster, safer, overall better browser than IE 7 is. Also you should do the usual virus/malware scan.

You're using IE 6, definitely get away from that. At the least you want to upgrade to IE 7. Though I personally like Firefox, I think it's a faster, safer, overall better browser than IE 7 is. Also you should do the usual virus/malware scan.



I have the new IE7 and it works for somethings, like Jason's quizzes....but other than that....Firefox all the way.

I can't see any of the avatars of smilies right now, is something going on with my internet service?



everything is fine on my side.

According to the sites I was looking at, everyone recommended downloading Firefox and using that. 


So......http://www.mozilla.com


You shouldn't have this problem once you stop using IE.


Well, it could be because of what happened with the computer yesterday(the power switch was loose, everytime I was about to put my flashdrive in, it would shut off, the cord actually popped out, last night. I plugged it back in). Although I'm highly doubtful that's the case. Yesterday was when this crap happened, but when I started up today everything appeared to be fine, then it happened again.

I removed the bearshare icon(I want to uninstall that, so the stupid search hijacker doesn't activate), but that doesn't do that. Since Bearshare is free anyway, they can reinstall it after they get it back(and I have a better computer).

I want to change internet services when I can, do different ones run on different browsers, or does that matter?(I just need to know, before this, I used library services, which is why I have no knowledge on this stuff)

You're using IE 6, definitely get away from that. At the least you want to upgrade to IE 7. Though I personally like Firefox, I think it's a faster, safer, overall better browser than IE 7 is. Also you should do the usual virus/malware scan.


I've did virus scans and spyware scans before(I can't seem to get the spyware scan to work today though).....

What is malware?

I better do a disk defragment before I shut down the PC.

everything is fine on my side.


You have a better setup than me, then.

I've did virus scans and spyware scans before(I can't seem to get the spyware scan to work today though).....

What is malware?

I better do a disk defragment before I shut down the PC.


Just a general term for any bad software that installs itself without your consent, spyware is one type, worms, trojans, etc.

Just a general term for any bad software that installs itself without your consent, spyware is one type, worms, trojans, etc.


The first time I did a spyware scan, it found a trojan file.

My brother in law says does tend to be rare.

I want to change internet services when I can, do different ones run on different browsers, or does that matter?


Huh?  No.  ISP and web browser are not interlinked unless it's AOL and you're running AOL, not just on aol.com.

Huh?  No.  ISP and web browser are not interlinked unless it's AOL and you're running AOL, not just on aol.com.


Okay, thank you.

I'll be looking into this pretty quick.(it's bad enough that AT&T says my phone line can't handle the full 1.5 even after they repaired it)

The first time I did a spyware scan, it found a trojan file.

My brother in law says does tend to be rare.





Did you do a scan?

Did you do a scan?


Before I logged off earlier, I did a disk defrag and after coming back on I did a spyware scan. There was nothing there that wasn't before.

Before I logged off earlier, I did a disk defrag and after coming back on I did a spyware scan. There was nothing there that wasn't before.


So what could be the problem?

I can't see any of the avatars of smilies right now, is something going on with my internet service?


This happens to me at school. It is indeed your ISP, or web blocker, if you have one... Maybe there is an active X control you can install or something? Ask Chucky!

Recently, when I log on, the computer runs extremely slow. I do a sweep , using webroot spyware, and usually
traces and items are found.

the traces found are;

adware: hotbar/zango version 1.0.0.0 -- execution allowed at users request
hotbar cookie

The cookie I get rid of, but what is the hotbar item, where did it come from, how do I get rid of it?

I am completely computer stupid, I don't know what any of this means or even if it is the problem,
any information will help.

Recently, when I log on, the computer runs extremely slow. I do a sweep , using webroot spyware, and usually
traces and items are found.

the traces found are;

adware: hotbar/zango version 1.0.0.0 -- execution allowed at users request
hotbar cookie

The cookie I get rid of, but what is the hotbar item, where did it come from, how do I get rid of it?

I am completely computer stupid, I don't know what any of this means or even if it is the problem,
any information will help.


Maybe there are background programs running, like extra processes?

Recently, when I log on, the computer runs extremely slow. I do a sweep , using webroot spyware, and usually
traces and items are found.

the traces found are;

adware: hotbar/zango version 1.0.0.0 -- execution allowed at users request
hotbar cookie

The cookie I get rid of, but what is the hotbar item, where did it come from, how do I get rid of it?

I am completely computer stupid, I don't know what any of this means or even if it is the problem,
any information will help.


I got rid of zango's search hijacker and it came back the next time I went on.

It makes me mad.

The cookie I get rid of, but what is the hotbar item, where did it come from, how do I get rid of it?

I am completely computer stupid, I don't know what any of this means or even if it is the problem,
any information will help.


Hotbar is something that you installed.  Either by itself, or it came "bundled" inside of something else you installed.

Hotbar has been a problem for over 10 years.  It often comes bundled in software that claims to make the internet faster.  But all it does is hijack your search paramaters, and send you pop-ups and banner ads.

When it comes to anti-spyware programs, I only trust 3.  Ad-Aware, SpyBot, and Microsoft Defender.  Sadly, the majority of the others are either worthless, or are spyware themselves.  Webroot seems to be OK, but you have to pay for basically what AdAware and SpyBot do for free.

And Firefox is not nessicarily good solution either.  There are many cases where it can cause conflicts in other software.  Just look back at the earlier problem Tia had to see an example.  In reality, it is not any "safer" or "bug free" then IE is, it just gets bugs and spyware of a different kind.

Hotbar is something that you installed.  Either by itself, or it came "bundled" inside of something else you installed.

Hotbar has been a problem for over 10 years.  It often comes bundled in software that claims to make the internet faster.  But all it does is hijack your search paramaters, and send you pop-ups and banner ads.

When it comes to anti-spyware programs, I only trust 3.  Ad-Aware, SpyBot, and Microsoft Defender.  Sadly, the majority of the others are either worthless, or are spyware themselves.  Webroot seems to be OK, but you have to pay for basically what AdAware and SpyBot do for free.

And Firefox is not nessicarily good solution either.  There are many cases where it can cause conflicts in other software.  Just look back at the earlier problem Tia had to see an example.  In reality, it is not any "safer" or "bug free" then IE is, it just gets bugs and spyware of a different kind.


What should I upgrade the web browser to?

What should I upgrade the web browser to?


You always want to make sure that all of your OS upgrades are done.  For XP, that means that you are running IE 7.  Other then that, a lot of it is simply personal preference.

At least once a week, you want to run your Microsoft Update program, and download EVERYTHING, both critical and otherwise.  That is the best way (and most frequently ignored) way to keep your system running right.

You always want to make sure that all of your OS upgrades are done.  For XP, that means that you are running IE 7.  Other then that, a lot of it is simply personal preference.

At least once a week, you want to run your Microsoft Update program, and download EVERYTHING, both critical and otherwise.  That is the best way (and most frequently ignored) way to keep your system running right.


My IE is version 6 at the moment, so I'll have to do that soon(I've never updated anything on a computer, first time with one in my house. (Thus the lack of experience)

How long does a virus scan usually take?

Over 56000 files have been scanned now.

Edit: Nevermind, it stopped at over 62000.

I need some serious help!

I'll explain what the situation is.

Last night at home while on the internet, around alittle after 10 PM, I started having problems with my internet access. No matter what site I went to, it said that the "Page could not be displayed". I called up my provider today and they took me through a series of steps(the last which involved deleting cookies and temp files from my internet browser) to help fix the problem. It turned out only to be a temporary fix, as it started up the "Page could not be displayed" crap after alittle over five minutes later. Right now, I'm at a library, which is the only way I can get online.

Now today, I figured out how to uninstall some stuff that wasn't needed in the computer.(Since the this crap started last night, I know that it wouldn't cause this)

I don't know what to do about it now, calling up tech support again is useless to me now.(Because my DSL line is working properly)

My web browser is IE version 6, could that be the problem?

Or is something else wrong?

Your cable modem could be slightly unplugged, unplug it and plug it back in. I know my modem gets a lliiiiiitittttle bit out of place quite often, and that always sets it off.

Your cable modem could be slightly unplugged, unplug it and plug it back in. I know my modem gets a lliiiiiitittttle bit out of place quite often, and that always sets it off.


Mine is a DSL modem, not a cable one. Besides, that was one of the steps that the tech person had me do.

Mine is a DSL modem, not a cable one. Besides, that was one of the steps that the tech person had me do.


My dad's DSL modem had the same problem once, and even after plugging it back in, it didn't work. I pushed down on it as hard as I could for about an hour before it worked. XD

My dad's DSL modem had the same problem once, and even after plugging it back in, it didn't work. I pushed down on it as hard as I could for about an hour before it worked. XD


All the lights that are suppose to be on are on it, so the cable lines in the DSL modem are working.

The tech support guy said that they're working fine, he did a test.

All the lights that are suppose to be on are on it, so the cable lines in the DSL modem are working.

The tech support guy said that they're working fine, he did a test.


Maybe you should try to a different web browser? Maybe it just needed some time before it would work again.

Maybe you should try to a different web browser? Maybe it just needed some time before it would work again.


But it started working again right after he had me do those things. It just didn't last too long after that.

I now know how to uninstall things, but I don't think it's possible for me to install a new one unless I can go find it on the net first or if I need a disc to do it.

But it started working again right after he had me do those things. It just didn't last too long after that.

I now know how to uninstall things, but I don't think it's possible for me to install a new one unless I can go find it on the net first or if I need a disc to do it.


It could be an intermittent thing. Maybe when you get home, it'll be working again.

It could be an intermittent thing. Maybe when you get home, it'll be working again.


I'll check. But I'm not very optimistic about it working. My brother in law said he's had the problem before, where it wouldn't work for a couple of days.

I'll also ask someone at work(if he's there tommorrow) to see what he says.

BTW, I turned the power off on the modem and turned it back on.

Now it's working, but I'm not trusting it to be a fluke.

My CD drive isn't working. This will be the second one we've went through in 4 years. Last time I was still under warranty so I got a new one installed for free, but now I'll have to buy one and try to install it myself. Do you think it's something I can do myself? I don't really want to pay someone to do it if it's an easy fix.

My CD drive isn't working. This will be the second one we've went through in 4 years. Last time I was still under warranty so I got a new one installed for free, but now I'll have to buy one and try to install it myself. Do you think it's something I can do myself? I don't really want to pay someone to do it if it's an easy fix.


Even with my limited knowledge of these things, Rhonda, it should be a doddle, albeit a little 'fiddly' with fixing the cables and such (this is where you need small-ish hands!)...

This little 'walk-through' guide tells you the basics...

Even with my limited knowledge of these things, Rhonda, it should be a doddle, albeit a little 'fiddly' with fixing the cables and such (this is where you need small-ish hands!)...

This little 'walk-through' guide tells you the basics...

Wow, that doesn't look to difficult. I might try it! Thanks!  :)

My CD drive isn't working. This will be the second one we've went through in 4 years. Last time I was still under warranty so I got a new one installed for free, but now I'll have to buy one and try to install it myself. Do you think it's something I can do myself? I don't really want to pay someone to do it if it's an easy fix.


Actually, this makes me ask another question:  How old is your computer?  It may well be a problem with the computer itself, and the loss of the CD is simply a symptom.

And for the most part, computer drives (optical and hard drives) typically only have a 3-5 year life span in the first place.  And the more you use a drive, the faster it will die.  DVD players are frequently the first drive that fail, beause people use them to watch movies on.

Hard Drives today typically spin at 7,200 RPM.  Most optical drives spin at around 24,000 RPM.  So it is easy to see why they would fail if they are used heavily.  The bearings and heads simply wear out.  I am a heavy movie watcher, and I replace my DVD drive about once a year because of that.

Actually, this makes me ask another question:  How old is your computer?  It may well be a problem with the computer itself, and the loss of the CD is simply a symptom.

And for the most part, computer drives (optical and hard drives) typically only have a 3-5 year life span in the first place.  And the more you use a drive, the faster it will die.  DVD players are frequently the first drive that fail, beause people use them to watch movies on.

Hard Drives today typically spin at 7,200 RPM.  Most optical drives spin at around 24,000 RPM.  So it is easy to see why they would fail if they are used heavily.  The bearings and heads simply wear out.  I am a heavy movie watcher, and I replace my DVD drive about once a year because of that.

The computer is about 4 or 5 years old, but it was just re-formatted? (not sure if that's what you call it) in february because it had a virus I couldn't get rid of. Anyways, yes, we were using the CD drive like crazy because my daughter is in a band and she was burning a ton of their CD's to send out in promo packs.  Now, she has her own laptop so she won't be using ours. I just want to listen to CD's occasionally and burn some once in awhile.

The computer is about 4 or 5 years old, but it was just re-formatted? (not sure if that's what you call it) in february because it had a virus I couldn't get rid of. Anyways, yes, we were using the CD drive like crazy because my daughter is in a band and she was burning a ton of their CD's to send out in promo packs.  Now, she has her own laptop so she won't be using ours. I just want to listen to CD's occasionally and burn some once in awhile.


Well, if your computer is that old, you are actually running against the "end of life span" of the computer itself, not just the drive.

And burning CDs (and DVDs) is double hard on the drive.  That will wear it out even faster, because of the wear and tear of the burning head.  I had a friend who worked for a company that did mass-duplication of CDs.  He said that the average lifespan of their drives was around 2-3 weeks.

Well, if your computer is that old, you are actually running against the "end of life span" of the computer itself, not just the drive.

And burning CDs (and DVDs) is double hard on the drive.  That will wear it out even faster, because of the wear and tear of the burning head.  I had a friend who worked for a company that did mass-duplication of CDs.  He said that the average lifespan of their drives was around 2-3 weeks.

Wow! I hate to think this computer is considered old already, but I guess with the way technology changes, it was getting older as I carried it out of the store!  :D  Thanks for all your info, I appreciate it!  :)

On my flashdrive, it usually rearranges the images in order by name and number.But now it isn't doing it, beyond the ones I did the day before yesterday.

Is this something to worry about?

Edit: Nevermind, I fixed it.

Am copying a post I made on my blog in here.  In short, avoid any products made by Kensington.

*****

This is a warning to anybody who is thinging of buying a new computer mouse.  And the advice goes to somebody looking at a Keyboard, web cam, or any other periphial.

In short, avoid any product made by Kensington.  http://us.kensington.com/

I made the mistake of buying a Kensington mouse last year, and it has been a nightmare when dealing with Tech Support since the day I bought it.

Now those that know me know I tend to stay on the "cutting edge" of many computer areas.  I was an early adopter to Vista, and because I was becomming very active in Guild Wars, I thought I would spend some money on a gaming mouse.

I went to the local Circus City, and choose a mouse by Kensington.  It had 5 buttons, and allowed for the use of Macros.  This would be a huge help in playing my games, so I spent the $35 to get it.  I hooked it up to my computer, and discovered that the software did not like Vista.  The mouse worked just fine, but the extra buttons refused to work.

So I wandered to the Support area, and found no drivers for Vista.  "OK" I thought, "Vista is still in Beta, surely they will come out with drivers by the time it goes public."

Wrong.

November then December rolled along, and still no drivers.  I finally sent them an e-mail, and was told that their drivers were still in beta, and not available to the public.  Now that was puzzeling, since most companies release beta drivers so they can be tested.  So I waited a bit longer, and finally Vista shipped.  Surely there are now drivers available.  Nope.

I contcted them again, and was told they were waiting for Microsoft Certification before they release their drivers.  And no, no beta drivers were available.  Yet on the page for the mouse I bought, they proudly display a "Vista Compatibility" logo:

http://us.kensington.com/html/11186.html

So off I sent another e-mail, and was told that the support was built into Vista.  I responded back saying that while the mouse works, the programmable buttons do not.  Again I get an e-mail saying they are working on that issue.

Finally last week I got fed up of waiting, and called them on the phone.  After being passed through several people, I was finally told that there are no drivers available, and that they are not going to make any drivers.  In short, they are burying their head in the sand, and totally ignoring Vista.

I say this because it is not just their mice that are having problems.  Mice, Keyboards, Blue Tooth adapters, docking stations, nothing that needs drivers for full support has any Vista drivers.  And according to their tech support, they are not going to make any Vista drivers.  Ever.

So in short, avoid anything made by Kensington.  They may get good reviews for quality, but the corporate decision to not support Vista means that you will eventually be left with a useless item.  And their proclaiming to be "Vista Compliant" is nothing but a lie.  Spend the extra $20 for a Microsoft or Logitech mouse, because at least those companies really care about customer support.

I have been trying to install java on my computer but it won't let me do it-I get to the part where it is installing and then it says that it can't be opened. I am using Mozilla Firefox because my IE is has died (and I can't open it at all). Could it be that I can't install java because of the IE problem or it is because of something else?



Cat

Why in the past when I clicked on Live365 to listen to music,My dial-up connection came up,Why was that? ???

I have been trying to install java on my computer but it won't let me do it-I get to the part where it is installing and then it says that it can't be opened. I am using Mozilla Firefox because my IE is has died (and I can't open it at all). Could it be that I can't install java because of the IE problem or it is because of something else?


If your IE dies, more then likely your operating system is corrupted.  IE and Windows are now integrated, and anything that corrupts IE normally corrupts Windows as well.  And that can cause things like preventing programs from installing or running.

I would suggest that you back up all your data, and doing a complete reload.  This is normally the fastest and easiest way to fix such problems.  And it is something that you should do every year or so anyways.


Why in the past when I clicked on Live365 to listen to music,My dial-up connection came up,Why was that? ???


At one time, the Windows Dial-Up software and the software from most ISPs set Windows to automatically dial-up if it saw attempted internet activity.  This was routine with companies like Earthlink and AOL.  However, with always-on high-speed connections and the epidemic of virus, trojans, and spyware that is now normally turned off.  Otherwise, your computer would constantly be trying to dial out, trying to get back to whoever it was that infected it.

The setting is still there however, if you really want to turn it on.  As long as you are able to use the Windows dial-up software (IE: not useing a dialer like AOL), you can set it up in the properties.  But I would advise against it.

Yes, by default it is turned on.  I turn it off on every computer I work on.  Otherwise, I normally end up getting called a few months later, with people asking where some of their icons went.   ;D



So...you use a shared computer then?

If your IE dies, more then likely your operating system is corrupted.  IE and Windows are now integrated, and anything that corrupts IE normally corrupts Windows as well.  And that can cause things like preventing programs from installing or running.

I would suggest that you back up all your data, and doing a complete reload.  This is normally the fastest and easiest way to fix such problems.  And it is something that you should do every year or so anyways.





My brother had told me that the only way to fix the IE was to zap the entire system and start from scratch. I just hate to do that but it looks like I might have to (or get a new computer.  ;) )



Cat

So...you use a shared computer then?


No, I am a professional computer technician.  I build or repair anywhere from 60-150 computers a month.  This is a setting that most people are un-aware of, and they normally have no idea why their icons suddenly started to dissapear.  I have often started to work on a computer, and looked into the "Unused Icon" directory, only to see 4 or 5 versions of multiple icons, all created when Windows removed them.  Because of this, I turn it off to make it easier for my customers.

After all, if an icon is really un-needed, most people simply delete it themselves.  They do not need Windows to go around behind them acting as an annoying nanny.


My brother had told me that the only way to fix the IE was to zap the entire system and start from scratch. I just hate to do that but it looks like I might have to (or get a new computer.  ;) )


Well, that decision is often based on how old your current computer is.  If it is more then 2-3 years old, I would reccomend getting a new system.

In the last 2 years, we have had more changes then in the last 15 years combined.  IDE has finally moved aside, being replaced by SATA.  PCI Express video and newer chipsets allow for graphics unheard of 3 years ago.  DDR2 RAM, 64 bit and Dual Core processors are also the norm today.  My new computer is twice as powerful as the one I built 2 years ago, and 20% cheaper.  And with Vista, there is little reason to invest much money in fixing what is essentially an outdated machine.

Well, that decision is often based on how old your current computer is.  If it is more then 2-3 years old, I would reccomend getting a new system.

In the last 2 years, we have had more changes then in the last 15 years combined.  IDE has finally moved aside, being replaced by SATA.  PCI Express video and newer chipsets allow for graphics unheard of 3 years ago.  DDR2 RAM, 64 bit and Dual Core processors are also the norm today.  My new computer is twice as powerful as the one I built 2 years ago, and 20% cheaper.  And with Vista, there is little reason to invest much money in fixing what is essentially an outdated machine.



Carlos and I have a disagreement about this. The other day, I mentioned something that it may be time to upgrade the computer. When he asked me what I meant, I said to get a new one. He said a flat-out, "NO!" I didn't get into it with him then. Then yesterday, I said something about saving everything and starting from scratch and he made a comment about it being too much, etc. etc.  ::)  So, I'm trying to figure out how best to approach this issue with him. He rarely uses this computer so he doesn't understand all the problems I have had with it. I'm sure if I play my cards right, he will come around to my way of thinking.  ;) :D ;D




Cat

Carlos and I have a disagreement about this. The other day, I mentioned something that it may be time to upgrade the computer. When he asked me what I meant, I said to get a new one. He said a flat-out, "NO!" I didn't get into it with him then. Then yesterday, I said something about saving everything and starting from scratch and he made a comment about it being too much, etc. etc.  ::)  So, I'm trying to figure out how best to approach this issue with him. He rarely uses this computer so he doesn't understand all the problems I have had with it. I'm sure if I play my cards right, he will come around to my way of thinking.  ;) :D ;D


Actually, the best way to own a computer is to get a good custom built unit, and then keep it up to date.

A good custom built computer can cost between $600-1,200.  And as long as you put $100-200 into it every year, it will never be out of date.  As long as you upgrade it regularly, it will never get so out of date that you need to throw it all away and start over.

And the one thing I can't say often enough:  avoid the "Name Brand" computers.  Most of them are pure junk.  The picture at the bottom should give you an idea of what I mean.

During the month, I collect up all of the dead units that come into the store, and stack them against the back wall,  These are all units 2 years old or less, and 95% of them are there because the motherboard blew out.  During the month of May, we worked on around 45 of them.  Out of that 45, 30 of them were left in our shop.  This is actually one of our best advertisers.  Showing people how poor of a quality the Heck, Mad Cow, Bulky, and Hudson-Packard computers are shows people that the old saying is true"  You get what you pay for.

Plus I am a huge believer in "Buying Local".  I am often amazed at people that will not shop at stores like WalMart, because they claim they "put small stores out of business".  Then these same people turn around and order computers from companies like Bulky or Heck, because they like the name.  Of course, WalMart now sells Heck computers (along with Why-Machine and Hudson-Pontiac).

Actually, the best way to own a computer is to get a good custom built unit, and then keep it up to date.

A good custom built computer can cost between $600-1,200.  And as long as you put $100-200 into it every year, it will never be out of date.  As long as you upgrade it regularly, it will never get so out of date that you need to throw it all away and start over.

And the one thing I can't say often enough:  avoid the "Name Brand" computers.  Most of them are pure junk.  The picture at the bottom should give you an idea of what I mean.

During the month, I collect up all of the dead units that come into the store, and stack them against the back wall,  These are all units 2 years old or less, and 95% of them are there because the motherboard blew out.  During the month of May, we worked on around 45 of them.  Out of that 45, 30 of them were left in our shop.  This is actually one of our best advertisers.  Showing people how poor of a quality the Heck, Mad Cow, Bulky, and Hudson-Packard computers are shows people that the old saying is true"  You get what you pay for.

Plus I am a huge believer in "Buying Local".  I am often amazed at people that will not shop at stores like WalMart, because they claim they "put small stores out of business".  Then these same people turn around and order computers from companies like Bulky or Heck, because they like the name.  Of course, WalMart now sells Heck computers (along with Why-Machine and Hudson-Pontiac).





I finally convinced Carlos about getting a new one. I'm not as impressed with it as I thought I would be. It is a Dell which has Vista. Of course the computer was built in China and the support staff is in India.  ::)  Anyway, I am having more problems with it. I can't get my email. And a lot of the programs I have are for XP. So now, I have to buy all new software (games and I had a GREAT card making program that I love). But, at least we can copy DVDs.  :D ;D ;D



Cat

I finally convinced Carlos about getting a new one. I'm not as impressed with it as I thought I would be. It is a Dell which has Vista. Of course the computer was built in China and the support staff is in India.  ::)  Anyway, I am having more problems with it. I can't get my email. And a lot of the programs I have are for XP. So now, I have to buy all new software (games and I had a GREAT card making program that I love). But, at least we can copy DVDs.  :D ;D ;D


I could have told you that Cat.  If you look at that picture, you will see that over half of them are Heck Computers.

And the rest are various other makes.  Hudson-Pontiac, Bulky, Why-Machines, and Mad Cow.  One of them was a 7 month old Boney.  The one thing they all have in common is a horrible case with an even worse power supply.  These are built en-masse, with price being the most important factor.

However, most of your software should still work.  So far, the only 2 programs I have not been able to make work on Vista are Second Life and Sim City 4.  The issue with SL seems to be a driver, while Sim City is a random crash.  But everything else I have ever tried to use has installed and worked with no problems at all.  I had less problems this time then when I moved from Win 3.1 to Win 95 (or Win 98 to XP).

Although I would hate to hear how much you paid for the thing.  Heck is a major "Bait & Switch" company, and people are often gobsmacked when they find out the $300 they originally looked at now costs them $900 (or more).

Ok, another problem. I have been trying to download a program that is supposed to work with Vista. The download gets not even halfway done when it says that it is "done" and of course it doesn't open because the entire file wasn't downloaded. It has happened with many of the downloads I have done since getting this &*&^% new computer. Some manage to get all the way downloaded but many do not. I tried turning off my firewall but that doesn't seem to help the problem. Any ideas?


Cat

Hi Mr. Mushroom ..

I wonder if you can answer this one. Recently I had this trial software that I'd installed with 'Ashampoo' uninstaller. The program claims to be able to remove all traces of a program from your machine. By that, I took it to mean that it could make like you'd never even tried it out before. Somehow, mysteriously (cough cough) my systems date got adjusted. Next thing I knew, even though I supposedly had a 30 day trial, and had only used one or two days of it, it informed me my trial was over. Now, 'Ashampoo' was not able to recover the situation, nor was 'system restore'. I wonder where/ how they are able to place info that is able to tell the program that it's been previously installed. Is there any way around this? I suspect ghosting your system prior to this might be the only solution ...

Of course, this is purely a theoretical discusssion, and there's no way I'd dream about putting any such possible, despicable procedures in to practice ...  (I spend enough time dreaming as it is ) :D ;D

Of course the computer was built in China and the support staff is in India.  ::) 



Cat



















http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/3757/msemployeevj2.jpg

;D

Hi Mr. Mushroom ..

I wonder if you can answer this one. Recently I had this trial software that I'd installed with 'Ashampoo' uninstaller. The program claims to be able to remove all traces of a program from your machine. By that, I took it to mean that it could make like you'd never even tried it out before. Somehow, mysteriously (cough cough) my systems date got adjusted. Next thing I knew, even though I supposedly had a 30 day trial, and had only used one or two days of it, it informed me my trial was over. Now, 'Ashampoo' was not able to recover the situation, nor was 'system restore'. I wonder where/ how they are able to place info that is able to tell the program that it's been previously installed. Is there any way around this? I suspect ghosting your system prior to this might be the only solution ...

Of course, this is purely a theoretical discusssion, and there's no way I'd dream about putting any such possible, despicable procedures in to practice ...  (I spend enough time dreaming as it is ) :D ;D


My guess is that the program placed a "runonce" key into your registry during the install.  You would have to locate and remove the correct key in order to load the software on your computer again...or do a clean install.  Which would remove "ALL" traces of past installed program more effeciently than Ashampoo.  I wouldn't fool around with the registry though, remove an incorrect key and your system may not operate properly or at all.  Anyway, just me two cents. 

Ok, another problem. I have been trying to download a program that is supposed to work with Vista. The download gets not even halfway done when it says that it is "done" and of course it doesn't open because the entire file wasn't downloaded.


That is often a problem with either the web site you are downloading, or the program they are offering.

As a good example, recently I was installing Yahoo Widgets on a machine for a friend.  It would say it downloaded properly, but the thing would not run, I kept getting a "corrupted file" error when I tried to run it.  I must have downloaded it 10 times, always with the same result.  Finally I got the file from a thrid party (CNet), and this time it worked.  Apparently, the one being offered from Yahoo was corrupted.

Also there are still a lot of issues with drivers.  Make sure that all of your drivers are current.  Video, Audio, and chipset drivers shipped with new systems are normally old and out of date (if not Beta versions).  And let the software company know of your issue.  It may also be a problem with the program.


Recently I had this trial software that I'd installed with 'Ashampoo' uninstaller. The program claims to be able to remove all traces of a program from your machine.


Uninstallers are only effective if they are installed before the other programs.  And they are not always effective.

Personally, I do not believe in these.  Because if a program is well-written in the first place, it will come with an uninstaller that will remove itself fully in the first place.  And program that will not remove itself when requested is what I consider "Crapware".  And sadly, there is a lot of that out there.

And AShampoo is a well known maker of Crapware.  They seem to thrive on "30 day trials", that then turn into crippleware and begware.  And once you get it on, it never seems to work as promised.  And even worse, you can never remove it completele.


http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/3757/msemployeevj2.jpg


This actually reminds me of a joke I got e-mailed to me the other day.

Abu lived in New Delhi, and as a recent graduate of an English school, he decided to get himself a job offering technical support.

When Abu was given his interview, he was told "Use the words yellow, pink, and green in a sentence."

Abu thought about it for a second, and said:

"I sit in front of the phone, and it goes 'green green green'.  I pink it up and say 'Yellow, this is Abu.  How may I help you?'"

He started the next week giving technical support for Dell.

There's been an increase in pop up ads while I'm online lately.

I thought it was the IMVU live chat I installed, so I uninstalled it, but ads are still popping up(it doesn't matter what site I'm at either).

What is going on?

There's been an increase in pop up ads while I'm online lately.

I thought it was the IMVU live chat I installed, so I uninstalled it, but ads are still popping up(it doesn't matter what site I'm at either).

What is going on?


First of all, make sure that you have some good anti-spyware software installed.  The 3 I recommend are AdAware, SpyBot, and Microsoft Defender.  Install, update, and run all 3 of them.  This should cut down on things like that a lot.

First of all, make sure that you have some good anti-spyware software installed.  The 3 I recommend are AdAware, SpyBot, and Microsoft Defender.  Install, update, and run all 3 of them.  This should cut down on things like that a lot.


The computer I'm using is kinda old. Do those take up much space?

The computer I'm using is kinda old. Do those take up much space?


Not at all.  They are all fairly small.

And as an advantage, they all remove spyware.  At times, I have had them remove over 300 MB of spyware.

When creating a new large document on the a computer in Word, is it best to have it divided into separate Folders or have one large one (which will be backed up)?

When creating a new large document on the a computer in Word, is it best to have it divided into separate Folders or have one large one (which will be backed up)?


Well, that all depends on the document.

I do a fair amount of writing myself, and with me it depends on the format of what I am writing.

When I am doing something that has distinct chapters, I normally break them up into seperate files.  But when it is more "free form", I tend to just make one big file.

One advantage of multiple files is that in the event of corruption, much less of the document will be effected.

However, as far as backing it up, that really makes no difference.  And in reality, how many of us even bother to make backups?

Well, that all depends on the document.

I do a fair amount of writing myself, and with me it depends on the format of what I am writing.

When I am doing something that has distinct chapters, I normally break them up into seperate files.  But when it is more "free form", I tend to just make one big file.

One advantage of multiple files is that in the event of corruption, much less of the document will be effected.

However, as far as backing it up, that really makes no difference.  And in reality, how many of us even bother to make backups?
It will be documents in Word, with some Excel, I may end up have infomation on the two linked. I will start as one document then start to break it down.

Not at all.  They are all fairly small.

And as an advantage, they all remove spyware.  At times, I have had them remove over 300 MB of spyware.


I'll need it, because not too long later on Saturday, my computer got infected with it, badly.

The problem is it got infected before I could download any of them to do the job.

The AT&T Yahoo spyware scan is no good, I was only able to remove one file permanently, a couple of others keep coming back(I'll left my computer shut down since that happened).

A co-worker of mine is going to write some stuff on CD for me, that will hopely work. I can't download spybot or any of the others at the library.

The problem is it got infected before I could download any of them to do the job.


It sounds like you may need to reload your computer.

Some spyware are more like virus, and are impossible to remove.  Aurora and CoolWebSearch are among the worst.  And once you get these, the only way to remove them is to reload the system.

Odds are that you had spyware within minutes of getting on the Internet.  Studies have shown that the average computer without protection will get a virus within 12 hours, and spyware within 15 minutes.  And some of them (CoolWebSearch) are actually set to cause even more problems once anti-spyware software is downloaded or installed.  It even has code that recognizes the most common sources for downloading the program, and hijacks your browser to other sites that either installs more spyware, or urges you to pay for spyware software that does not work at all.

It sounds like you may need to reload your computer.

Some spyware are more like virus, and are impossible to remove.  Aurora and CoolWebSearch are among the worst.  And once you get these, the only way to remove them is to reload the system.

Odds are that you had spyware within minutes of getting on the Internet.  Studies have shown that the average computer without protection will get a virus within 12 hours, and spyware within 15 minutes.  And some of them (CoolWebSearch) are actually set to cause even more problems once anti-spyware software is downloaded or installed.  It even has code that recognizes the most common sources for downloading the program, and hijacks your browser to other sites that either installs more spyware, or urges you to pay for spyware software that does not work at all.


Problem, it's not my computer(at least because it doesn't have much stuff that I belongs to me). It's my sister's and her husbands. They sold it to me until I can get one of my own(They want to buy it back). I don't have anything on back up myself. Unless there's a way without it.

I don't know who has anything that I can replace all that stuff with.

I don't know if the music they have on it can be saved or if they have back-ups(I'll have to get to them on this). They should be able to make copies of them even with the problem I hope(since it's on the net itself).

My question is, how did they keep from getting it while they had internet? They didn't have anything that I seen to keep it clean.

All they did was do a disk clean up and defragmentation.

Does it require me to have back ups ready?


EDIT:
I knew that the antispysolutions site was a hijacker.

EDIT Again:

I'll get back to you on this again tomorrow by PMs.

Bump!

HELP!!!!

HELP!!!!



help with what?  ???

HELP!!!!


Sorry, but I was away for a few days there.

Well, unless you have copies of the programs you are probably best off either having a reload done at a reputible computer shop, or finding a geek friend to do it for you.

I know that where I work, we charge $50 for a complete wipe and reload, including installing nessicary programs like word processors, cd burning and dvd playing (if needed), and just about everything else.  And I can't imagine being charged much more then that.

If you decide to have something like this done, avoid the large chain companies.  They normally do the absolute minimum, and charge the most money.

help with what?  ???


I'm still using the library internet at the moment. Which is why I'm bumping it up.

I just put help the second time. I should check to see if my Brother in law has back ups.

Sorry, but I was away for a few days there.

Well, unless you have copies of the programs you are probably best off either having a reload done at a reputible computer shop, or finding a geek friend to do it for you.

I know that where I work, we charge $50 for a complete wipe and reload, including installing nessicary programs like word processors, cd burning and dvd playing (if needed), and just about everything else.  And I can't imagine being charged much more then that.

If you decide to have something like this done, avoid the large chain companies.  They normally do the absolute minimum, and charge the most money.


Okay, thank you. (Don't worry about it, I was mainly trying to keep the thread on the first page. Which is why I bumped a couple of times with HELP! being the second. I am getting tired of going to the library when I'm paying for it to use at home. I'm also having problems getting my modem rebate back from AT&T)

I know a couple of people can do it, but the key is getting a good chance to get it done.

This might sound abit silly...

Do the programs spybot, microsoft defender and adaware also have programs in them that prevent stuff like coolwebsearch(which is one of the worst you said) from getting through in the first place? Or does that require a different sort of protection?

I know that updates are required as well, but I don't know how often.

I have a question.Why do some web sites have "error reports"?  ???

I have a question.Why do some web sites have "error reports"?  ???
...not on the websites I look at.

Do the programs spybot, microsoft defender and adaware also have programs in them that prevent stuff like coolwebsearch(which is one of the worst you said) from getting through in the first place? Or does that require a different sort of protection?


There is really no way to protect against programs like Cool Web Search.

CWS is simply updated and changed so fast, that the prevention programs can't keep up.  The creators of that spyware update it 2-10 times a day.  And whenever you log on, the infection automatically updates itself with the newest infections.  That is why the best way to prevent it is to stay away from "questionable" web sites.


I have a question.Why do some web sites have "error reports"?  ???


Those are mostly for internal purposes.  It allows the webmaster to determine where there are problems with the code and correct it.

Just like the error messages in Windows, they are almost worthless for anybody else though.

There is really no way to protect against programs like Cool Web Search.

CWS is simply updated and changed so fast, that the prevention programs can't keep up.  The creators of that spyware update it 2-10 times a day.  And whenever you log on, the infection automatically updates itself with the newest infections.  That is why the best way to prevent it is to stay away from "questionable" web sites.



Nevermind, it wasn't coolwebsearch. It was an older one that knew I found out that something was up(I'm at home at the moment).

I don't know what sites are questionable(except for free download sites, my brother in law had bearshare before which is a site that cause that stuff to happen, I uninstalled it awhile back). I think it was on there since I had the computer.

I don't know what sites are questionable(except for free download sites, my brother in law had bearshare before which is a site that cause that stuff to happen, I uninstalled it awhile back). I think it was on there since I had the computer.


Peer-2-Peer is probably the worst place you can go.  That is the leading release point today for new viruses.  I remember a study a few years ago on Kazaa, and an estimated 45% of files on that network were infected with viruses.

As a good rule of thumb, avoid hacker, gambling, and porn sites.  Those are almost guaranteed to infect you with either a virus or spyware.

Also avoid the "Free Game" sites, unless it is sponsored by a major company like AOL, Yahoo, Microsoft, or something like that.

Never ever ever click on a pop-up.  Not only does that often give you spyware, no reputible companies advertise through that anymore.  In fact, most companies have policies in place that forbids their affiliates from useing pop-ups as advertisement.

Also avoid things that claim to make the internet faster, clean your registry, or remove spyware.  Internet accellerators and registry cleaners are all junk, and can actually mess up your computer more then it was before you installed them.  Ad-Aware, Spybot, and Microsoft Defender are all among the best spyware cleaners in the industry, and are free.  90% of the others are all garbage.  Besides, most advertise through pop-ups.  How can you trust a company that claims to remove pop-ups, if they advertise through pop-ups?

And be very careful about any site that claims to give you something for nothing.  It is one thing when Microsoft or Yahoo do it, because they do it for PR purposes, and have a large source of income through other areas.  When "FreeComputerGamesForYou.Net" or "FreeMovies.Com" tells you that you can get stuff from them for free, don't believe it.  Their income is quite often through either spyware, or by infecting your computer with something like CWS or Aurora.  Especially on the Internet, there ain't no such thing as a free lunch.

Peer-2-Peer is probably the worst place you can go.  That is the leading release point today for new viruses.  I remember a study a few years ago on Kazaa, and an estimated 45% of files on that network were infected with viruses.

As a good rule of thumb, avoid hacker, gambling, and porn sites.  Those are almost guaranteed to infect you with either a virus or spyware.

Also avoid the "Free Game" sites, unless it is sponsored by a major company like AOL, Yahoo, Microsoft, or something like that.

Never ever ever click on a pop-up.  Not only does that often give you spyware, no reputible companies advertise through that anymore.  In fact, most companies have policies in place that forbids their affiliates from useing pop-ups as advertisement.

Also avoid things that claim to make the internet faster, clean your registry, or remove spyware.  Internet accellerators and registry cleaners are all junk, and can actually mess up your computer more then it was before you installed them.  Ad-Aware, Spybot, and Microsoft Defender are all among the best spyware cleaners in the industry, and are free.  90% of the others are all garbage.  Besides, most advertise through pop-ups.  How can you trust a company that claims to remove pop-ups, if they advertise through pop-ups?

And be very careful about any site that claims to give you something for nothing.  It is one thing when Microsoft or Yahoo do it, because they do it for PR purposes, and have a large source of income through other areas.  When "FreeComputerGamesForYou.Net" or "FreeMovies.Com" tells you that you can get stuff from them for free, don't believe it.  Their income is quite often through either spyware, or by infecting your computer with something like CWS or Aurora.  Especially on the Internet, there ain't no such thing as a free lunch.


How do I dispose of a pop up when it appears? The only option I know of is to close it.

I don't go through porn sites(minus sites where you upload images on threads, although these vary from worksafe to erotic and I haven't had pop ups happen on normal terms there before the problem started to occur). As for free stuff, I don't fall for it. I also don't go to file share sites.

Have You tried Pop-Up Stopper?  ???

The person who got rid of the spyware installed (by accessing his computer) something called McAfee(I think that's what it's called). But it seems to be on the slow side, plus I think I might have made a mistake while doing the scan(which took multiple hours to get done). He said it's supposed to be faster after a couple of uses. How good do you think that one is?

I'll have to talk to him about the error I made, because I think it's allowing stuff to get through again.

Also, system 32 pops up(something that was part of the computer to begin with) at first for some reason when logging onto the computer. I know that he restored some stuff from the recycle bin(which I wish he didn't do now), which I think went into the system 32 file. Why is it popping up like that?

I know I had a heck of a time trying to get stuff done with my flashdrive yesterday(luckily nothing was damaged), so I won't be using it for awhile until after I get this other problem straightened out.

I would like to know what the libraries use to keep stuff like this under control. I could really use it.

Edit: I'm at a library right now, I'll still be using them most of the days of the week. It gets me out of the house(which is more crowded at the moment, part of the reason why) and I'm still not trusting the computer at home. I really need to get my own custom computer(preferably abit faster), with things on it that I'd prefer(make sure that I have good protection too).

Any CDs I put into it don't get read either(the guy that came over had AdAware as well as a anti-virus program one to install, but it wasn't reading, I'm wondering if that's part of the reason why they sold/pawned it to me to begin with. When I told him, my brother in law he said it read and played CDs when he had it).

I'm starting to suspect that the solution is wipe clean and reload.

There's a potentionally wanted program that couldn't be removed it said.

I'm starting to suspect that the solution is wipe clean and reload.

There's a potentionally wanted program that couldn't be removed it said.


I used to have a real problem with viruses and spyware because I loved to download.  I have had to do a fresh install many times (still do on a yearly basis, just because).  One time I lost all my photos and programs that I was too lazy to back up.  It is very tramatic for me to lose pictures so I learned from that. 

You should consider partitioning your hard drive this time around.  One partition for your system files only and the other for your important stuff.  Just for peace of mind.  If you ever need to do a re-load (and you will need to since you are running Windows.) you don't have to worry about losing valuable data since your system files will be totally separate from your other stuff.  Of course, you should always back up your important stuff. 

I used to have a real problem with viruses and spyware because I loved to download.  I have had to do a fresh install many times (still do on a yearly basis, just because).  One time I lost all my photos and programs that I was too lazy to back up.  It is very tramatic for me to lose pictures so I learned from that. 

You should consider partitioning your hard drive this time around.  One partition for your system files only and the other for your important stuff.  Just for peace of mind.  If you ever need to do a re-load (and you will need to since you are running Windows.) you don't have to worry about losing valuable data since your system files will be totally separate from your other stuff.  Of course, you should always back up your important stuff. 



I meant to say unwanted.

Since it's not my computer(it's a temporary pawn/buy from my sis and brother in law, they will want it back) I don't have any back ups and the CD drives don't seem to read.

I found out last week(had internet since mid March) that the spyware was already in the computer when I got it which was about a month before getting internet. 

I save stuff to a flashdrive, so that stuff is safe(haven't been able to use it, the last time I tried, it took too long to do it and was irritating me. So I stopped using it).

I have thought about getting rid of the internet due to the lack of back ups and financial problems(plus having problems with AT&T).

What do you mean by partitioning the hard drive? I don't have a say in doing whatever that is(since it's not my computer).

What do you mean by partitioning the hard drive? I don't have a say in doing whatever that is(since it's not my computer).


Here is a link:  http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,73826-page,1-c,systembackups/article.html

If you are planning on doing a clean install it is very easy to do.  Hardest thing is figuring out how much space you want allotted to each partition. 

Wish you luck on getting things back in order.

Here is a link:  http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,73826-page,1-c,systembackups/article.html

If you are planning on doing a clean install it is very easy to do.  Hardest thing is figuring out how much space you want allotted to each partition. 

Wish you luck on getting things back in order.


The computer doesn't feel like my own anyway(it isn't, I don't have anything that belongs to me on it), so I couldn't do whatever the partition thing is(I just wanted an answer is all, there was no need for a link, I have no use for it because of the situation with it not being my computer). I need my own computer instead, so that way I know that I have working drives and backups.


I just wish they would have told me in case I got the internet(which happened) so I could have changed my mind on the matter. They didn't tell me about any spyware already being on it(it didn't act out until mid July).

They said that everything worked when they had it, but I had to get the help of someone to be able to access the floppy disk drive(I used to store images on the 3 1/2 floppy disks before getting a flashdrive).  The CD drives won't read any disc either, I had to get a AT&T tech to help install because it wouldn't read the CD for internet installation. That's the last time I trust them on anything.


Let that be a lesson: Don't get a hand me down computer with someone else's existing programs on it. At least not with out backups and make sure they didn't sell it to you just get rid of something that has spyware that they couldn't remove on their own.

Their's had Bearshare downloaded on it(I don't download stuff on there, except for IMVU chatroom, but I removed it when I thought that it was causing pop-ups to get through, turned out that it wasn't, there was already spyware on the computer to begin with, it just didn't start to act up until mid July)

Alot of spyware can easily go through Bearshare, since that site has adware in it.

I uninstalled it shortly after getting internet at home.


EDIT:

On a side note, I looked at the site. Wouldn't spyware and crap like that be able to get into the seperated drives still?

I don't know if Mushroom will be around to answer this question but I am hoping that other computer savvy people here can help me. We have two computers-both Dells and we both do work on each computer that each of us will need on the other. The old one has a CD rom (reader) and a floppy disk drive. We also have a CD burner that we can hook up to it-but it is a PITA. The new one has a CD/DVD recorder but no floppy disk drive (which is my fault-I THOUGHT that I requested one but didn't). We did buy an external floppy disk drive-which is ok. So, we transport our work on floppy disk back and forth from one computer to the other.

This morning in the paper, there was an article about flash drives. Here is my question: Would a flash drive be better for this than floppy disks? And if so, what kind of flash drive do people recommend? (Brand? Memory? etc.)



Cat

I don't know if Mushroom will be around to answer this question but I am hoping that other computer savvy people here can help me. We have two computers-both Dells and we both do work on each computer that each of us will need on the other. The old one has a CD rom (reader) and a floppy disk drive. We also have a CD burner that we can hook up to it-but it is a PITA. The new one has a CD/DVD recorder but no floppy disk drive (which is my fault-I THOUGHT that I requested one but didn't). We did buy an external floppy disk drive-which is ok. So, we transport our work on floppy disk back and forth from one computer to the other.

This morning in the paper, there was an article about flash drives. Here is my question: Would a flash drive be better for this than floppy disks? And if so, what kind of flash drive do people recommend? (Brand? Memory? etc.)



Cat


Any of em work, floppies are long dead in 2007, I didn't even think of bothering to put one in my new computer I built.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8202045&type=product&id=1165609745683

Something like this is totally suitable.

or this 1 gb 3 pack is a pretty good deal if you want more than 1:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7847128&type=product&id=1142299122039

The new one has a CD/DVD recorder but no floppy disk drive (which is my fault-I THOUGHT that I requested one but didn't). We did buy an external floppy disk drive-which is ok. So, we transport our work on floppy disk back and forth from one computer to the other.

This morning in the paper, there was an article about flash drives. Here is my question: Would a flash drive be better for this than floppy disks? And if so, what kind of flash drive do people recommend? (Brand? Memory? etc.)


For the most part, the floppy has gone the way of the dodo bird.  Other then installing SATA drivers on first generation systems I have not used them in years.

USB drives are nice, but not a good choice for archiving files.  They do have a tendency to fail, and I have had 2 of them die in the last 3 years.

If you want to do backups for archiving, CD/DVD disks are the best choice.  But flash drives are the best choice for transfering data from one system to another.

Of course, if you have the computers hooked up in a network, you can just transfer files directly from one to the other.

For the most part, the floppy has gone the way of the dodo bird.  Other then installing SATA drivers on first generation systems I have not used them in years.

USB drives are nice, but not a good choice for archiving files.  They do have a tendency to fail, and I have had 2 of them die in the last 3 years.

If you want to do backups for archiving, CD/DVD disks are the best choice.  But flash drives are the best choice for transfering data from one system to another.

Of course, if you have the computers hooked up in a network, you can just transfer files directly from one to the other.


So since I have a flashdrive, it would be a good idea to get some CDs to transfer more images onto sometime in the near future? Just to make sure...

Mush,What's the latest virus out there that My Father And I should look out for?  ???

So since I have a flashdrive, it would be a good idea to get some CDs to transfer more images onto sometime in the near future? Just to make sure...


CD/DVDs are probably the best choice for long-term storage.  They have a shelf-life of around 20 years, which should be more then long enough to read them in the forseeable future.  Flash drives have a much shorter lifespan, 2-5 years.


Mush,What's the latest virus out there that My Father And I should look out for?  ???


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-GaRKDsz-Y

Here is the reality:  There are new virus created daily.  In an average year, over 5,000 new virus are created.  That is an average of 14 virus per day.

So the simple answer is:  Be paranoid, be very paranoid.  Make sure you have good protection installed, and update and run it regularly.  And stay away from P2P, hacker, porn, and gambling sites.  Those are still the leading sources of virus infection.

So the simple answer is:  Be paranoid, be very paranoid.  Make sure you have good protection installed, and update and run it regularly.  And stay away from P2P, hacker, porn, and gambling sites.  Those are still the leading sources of virus infection.


And if you must use Windows, remember that 99% of these exploits are Windows-based, and 90% of the exploits rely on Javascript or Active-X controls to get on your box.

Zeroth, keep your box patched. 

First, browse with Firefox, not IE.  The big blue "e" on your desktop stands for "exploit".  By not using IE, you deny the enemy the use of IE and Active X as attack vectors.

Second, use the NoScript extension for Firefox.  Enable Javascript for only those sites that you trust.  By disabling Javascript for all sites, and turning it on only for the very few sites you trust (your bank, your broker, maybe some sites at Google), you deny the enemy the ability to use Javascript as an attack vector.

Third, follow Mushroom's advice.  There's no such thing as being too paranoid when they really are out to get you.

"Only the paranoid survive."
- Andy Grove, CEO, Intel.

And if you must use Windows, remember that 99% of these exploits are Windows-based, and 90% of the exploits rely on Javascript or Active-X controls to get on your box.

Zeroth, keep your box patched. 

First, browse with Firefox, not IE.  The big blue "e" on your desktop stands for "exploit".  By not using IE, you deny the enemy the use of IE and Active X as attack vectors.

Second, use the NoScript extension for Firefox.  Enable Javascript for only those sites that you trust.  By disabling Javascript for all sites, and turning it on only for the very few sites you trust (your bank, your broker, maybe some sites at Google), you deny the enemy the ability to use Javascript as an attack vector.

Third, follow Mushroom's advice.  There's no such thing as being too paranoid when they really are out to get you.

"Only the paranoid survive."
- Andy Grove, CEO, Intel.



Thanks Foo.  ;)

For the most part, the floppy has gone the way of the dodo bird.  Other then installing SATA drivers on first generation systems I have not used them in years.

USB drives are nice, but not a good choice for archiving files.  They do have a tendency to fail, and I have had 2 of them die in the last 3 years.

If you want to do backups for archiving, CD/DVD disks are the best choice.  But flash drives are the best choice for transfering data from one system to another.

Of course, if you have the computers hooked up in a network, you can just transfer files directly from one to the other.



When I looked into flash drives, some said they weren't compatible with Vista (which this computer is using-and the other uses XP).  We did get a disk drive which seems to be working fine for what we want/need it to do.

How do you connect two computers? Ours are across the room from each other. We only have 1 phone line (jack). Is there another way to hook them up together without using a phone jack/line?



Cat

CD/DVDs are probably the best choice for long-term storage.  They have a shelf-life of around 20 years, which should be more then long enough to read them in the forseeable future.  Flash drives have a much shorter lifespan, 2-5 years.



My flashdrive is about 9-10 months old, so I'll make sure to get some CDs as soon as I can(I'll have to get some help with getting CD drives working again, the guy can do that, he got the floppy disc drive to run again).

I have another reason to switch to CD formats, my flashdrive from time to time won't let me remove it safely(saying it can't be stopped at the moment). This drives me nuts and I have it in right now. It won't let me remove it!

Plus with CDs, I can seperate different categories of images and put them on different discs. That will allow me to have a far more efficient setup for everything. Plus I don't have to worry about removing CDs safely(I think).

I think the only downside to disc formats like CDs is if they get badly scratched.

When I looked into flash drives, some said they weren't compatible with Vista (which this computer is using-and the other uses XP).  We did get a disk drive which seems to be working fine for what we want/need it to do.

How do you connect two computers? Ours are across the room from each other. We only have 1 phone line (jack). Is there another way to hook them up together without using a phone jack/line?


I have never heard of any flash drive being incompatible with Vista.  Unless it had some kind of strange propriatary security set up on it.  Every one I have ever used just plugged in and worked.

Well, the easiest way is to make a simple network.  Your computers should already have Ethernet cards installed.  If they do not, they normally cost from $5-10.  You can do it one of two ways.

The easiest way is to get a router.  You hook the computers up to it, and set one or more folders or drives to share.  You can then transfer files from one to the other.

If you are somewhat familiar with computer networking, you can simply buy a either a crossover cable or a switch.  But I do not reccomend this for novices, since you will have to manually do a lot of configurations that a router would do for you automatically.


I think the only downside to disc formats like CDs is if they get badly scratched.


That is why you want to keep your backups in a safe place, and only use them to recover lost data.  For years, my backups have all been old hard drives that I stored in the closet.  When I was clearing out my stuff to go in the Army, I combined 15 hard drives (from 20-120GB each) onto a single 500 GB hard drive.  It was simply no longer practicle to have that many hard drives simply sitting around gathering dust.

That is why you want to keep your backups in a safe place, and only use them to recover lost data.  For years, my backups have all been old hard drives that I stored in the closet.  When I was clearing out my stuff to go in the Army, I combined 15 hard drives (from 20-120GB each) onto a single 500 GB hard drive.  It was simply no longer practicle to have that many hard drives simply sitting around gathering dust.


Namely in CD cases, are normal CDs needed for image storage?

The DVD ones sound like it would only work for movies.

That is why you want to keep your backups in a safe place, and only use them to recover lost data.  For years, my backups have all been old hard drives that I stored in the closet.  When I was clearing out my stuff to go in the Army, I combined 15 hard drives (from 20-120GB each) onto a single 500 GB hard drive. 


'Mushroom' ... do you have mush room left on your hard drives ?  ???

:P :D ;D

'Mushroom' ... do you have mush room left on your hard drives ?   ???

:P :D ;D



Was that a computer question? ???

Namely in CD cases, are normal CDs needed for image storage?

The DVD ones sound like it would only work for movies.


Exactly, and not use them for anything other then recovery.  I have known a lot of people that will make backups, then delete the files from their computer.  Then they are upset because the disk (which is constantly used) goes bad, and they loose the data.

And DVD disks are useable for anything, not just movies.  They are basically just like CD disks, they just hold a lot more information (4 GB).


'Mushroom' ... do you have mush room left on your hard drives ?   ???


I think I have about 300 GB free on that computer.  But it is currently in storage, and it will not be until late this year-early next year until I can get it out.

Currently, I am useing my new laptop (I bought it last week as a present for myself).  This one is a dual core AMD Turion, with a 160 GB hard drive, 1.5 GB RAM, and a 17" screen.  It works nicely with my Celular internet connection.

Exactly, and not use them for anything other then recovery.  I have known a lot of people that will make backups, then delete the files from their computer.  Then they are upset because the disk (which is constantly used) goes bad, and they loose the data.

And DVD disks are useable for anything, not just movies.  They are basically just like CD disks, they just hold a lot more information (4 GB).



How often would the CD have to be used before it goes bad... Would this be from overly abusing it(on a daily basis)? What if I find some stuff to save from time to time(which is less often now with the flashdrive, since I have so much on it that it's a pain to keep count inventory wise).

Now you're scaring me...  :o

I have over 2700 images on the flashdrive.... which once everything is taken care of, will be separately saved on different CDs(seven of them).

So I will have to save them to the hard drive as well(which would be done from the flashdrive first)? :o

How often would the CD have to be used before it goes bad... Would this be from overly abusing it(on a daily basis)? What if I find some stuff to save from time to time(which is less often now with the flashdrive, since I have so much on it that it's a pain to keep count inventory wise).

So I will have to save them to the hard drive as well(which would be done from the flashdrive first)? :o


CDs go bad simply because of time.  Much like unused (or undeveloped film) will eventually go bad.  The estimated 5-12 year lifespan of CDs is due to the coating and foil, which eventually oxodizes and seperates.  The amount of use is not a major factor.  However, repeated use will degrade them faster because of the heat and possible scratching.

I tell people to make multiple backups.  On the hard drive, on a CD (or multiple CDs), by e-mailing it to yourself, even on paper if it is printed material.  If something is really important, you can't back it up enough.  Most big organizations use multiple layers of backups.  Most use either a Father-Son system (2 copies), or Father-Son-Grandfather system (3 copies).  Some even get real elaborate, keeping weekly, monthly, bi-annual, and annual copies of everything.  Because you really never know when that e-mail that was sent out 2 years ago can save your butt in some lawsuit.

CDs go bad simply because of time.  Much like unused (or undeveloped film) will eventually go bad.  The estimated 5-12 year lifespan of CDs is due to the coating and foil, which eventually oxodizes and seperates.  The amount of use is not a major factor.  However, repeated use will degrade them faster because of the heat and possible scratching.

I tell people to make multiple backups.  On the hard drive, on a CD (or multiple CDs), by e-mailing it to yourself, even on paper if it is printed material.  If something is really important, you can't back it up enough.  Most big organizations use multiple layers of backups.  Most use either a Father-Son system (2 copies), or Father-Son-Grandfather system (3 copies).  Some even get real elaborate, keeping weekly, monthly, bi-annual, and annual copies of everything.  Because you really never know when that e-mail that was sent out 2 years ago can save your butt in some lawsuit.


5-12? I thought you said 20 at most.

Well, I have a small portion in my image accounts(around close to 15%)... But those are images that are more or less worksafe(although some are grey area). I have an email account where I can store images on... but before I do anything like that, I'll need to know what I can put into it.(I hope that a private setup can be done so that no one but me can access and save them).

I don't think I can send 1000s of images in one email... (I'm now at 3000+)

The CD factor also depends on how many I can afford to buy. I don't want to buy too big of a pack only for them to ruin before I use them all.

Keeping the flashdrive for now is still good too.(since it's under a year in age and use. I'm going to try to resolve the disc drive problem soon)

I do want to print up alot of stuff, but need a printer.(especially since I want to print things in color)

Edit: This actually gives me an idea to use both the CD and DVD formats for storage. Seperate CDs for different types and DVD ones as master copies.

My hard drive skips,What does that mean?  ???

My hard drive skips,What does that mean?  ???


I have no idea.  That means nothing to me.

But if you mean that you hear a clicking or clattering noise, your drive is dying (or is about to totally die). 

Most hard drives now have a life span of 2-5 years.  So it is a good idea to replace them before they get that old.

I was advising a guy last week on building his new computer, and he was actually going to use his 10 year old 40 gig drive as his master drive, and his brand new 500 gig SATA as a storage drive.  Thankfully, I talked him out of that.


5-12? I thought you said 20 at most.


I probably did, but why take the risk?

I would not worry about CDs (or DVDs) dying, unless they are used a lot, or have been sitting in storage for 5+ years.  And considering how fast things change, it is not hard to predict that within 10 years, you will be converting the data to some other media.

over 10 years ago, almost everybody made backups onto floppy disks or tape.  10 years ago most people started to use ZIP and JAZZ drives.  5 years ago, CD-ROM was all the rage.  Currently, people are starting to use DVD more then anything else.

In another 5 years, who knows.  HD-DVD or BluRay may be all the rage, or even something else we have not thought of yet.  But the concept of having multiple backups will always be a sound strategy, because you are not "placing all of your eggs in one basket".

Here's a quickie:

Which port do I need to forward for Puzzle quest Challange of the Warlords?

I have no idea.  That means nothing to me.

But if you mean that you hear a clicking or clattering noise, your drive is dying (or is about to totally die). 

Most hard drives now have a life span of 2-5 years.  So it is a good idea to replace them before they get that old.

I was advising a guy last week on building his new computer, and he was actually going to use his 10 year old 40 gig drive as his master drive, and his brand new 500 gig SATA as a storage drive.  Thankfully, I talked him out of that.



actually, a hard drive's life span can be anywhere from 1 year, to I currently have a 10gb Maxtor that is a DECADE old and still rates 90% fitness on S.M.A.R.T.
that said, a clicking noise is a sure sign of trouble ahead, replace the hard drive ASAP. Best deal right now is a 500GB for about $100.



I probably did, but why take the risk?

I would not worry about CDs (or DVDs) dying, unless they are used a lot, or have been sitting in storage for 5+ years.  And considering how fast things change, it is not hard to predict that within 10 years, you will be converting the data to some other media.

over 10 years ago, almost everybody made backups onto floppy disks or tape.  10 years ago most people started to use ZIP and JAZZ drives.  5 years ago, CD-ROM was all the rage.  Currently, people are starting to use DVD more then anything else.

In another 5 years, who knows.  HD-DVD or BluRay may be all the rage, or even something else we have not thought of yet.  But the concept of having multiple backups will always be a sound strategy, because you are not "placing all of your eggs in one basket".

I just bought a new computer and am having a couple issues...  one is that my firewall is blocking me from going to LimeWire (even after following all the tips Limewire had to offer, and even temporarily turning the firewall OFF) Do you have any other suggestions??

Secondly this computer I bought was advertised as new but when I opened my media player and searched for music to add to it, I ended up with a bunch of music I had never heard of... do you think they tried to slip me a refurbished one for the price of a new one??

Okay so my mother wants a web cam so she can talk to her sister online... my mom is in AZ her sister is in Holland.  I want to buy her a good one but I know nothing about them...and I have not a lot of cash.

My mom has Windows XP, limited knowledge of technology, and even less patience....any ideas?

I know Mushroom doesn't come here too often anymore but I hope someone can answer my question.

Back in June, I got a new computer that uses Vista. It came complete with a backup drive-just in case. I thought it was a good idea-however, the main drive has 111 GB and the backup drive has only 27.2 GB. Well, you can imagine what happened-just about 6 months after buying this thing, the backup drive is FULL. It keeps telling me that I should delete programs that I don't use. But, I'm not too sure what I should delete. I'm also wondering WHY I need to delete-that is why I got a computer with 111 GB. Can anybody give me some advice as to what to do-short of taking a sledgehammer to this stupid thing.



Cat

Cat

I have a friend who LOVES VISTA....first person I met who does...anyway he is pretty computer literate. If you lived closer I'd make him come fix it for you

here is his answer to your question.  Hope it helps

It sounds like she bought a Gateway/HP/Dell that had a Restore (backup) partition.  What that means is that she has a 160 gigabyte hard drive, that was split into two sections, or partitions.  The main partition, the C drive, is where the operating system, and programs are installed, and the Restore (backup) partition, the D drive, is where Gateway/HP/Dell have put system restore information.  The purpose behind this is that if the operating system has a catastrophic failure, and no longer functions, you can use the Restore partition to literally restore the computer back to the state it was when it was originally purchased.  If your friend is saving their information to that area, they should immediately move it to the proper locations, such as My Documents, My Music, or My Pictures, etc.  That is not a "back-up" drive.  Saving information there does no good in the event of a hardware problem, such as the hard drive failing.  If your friend wants to back up her data, she needs to burn it to blank DVD's or CD's, which Vista will allow you to do with no extra software needed.  I hope this answer makes sense.  if your friend has any more questions, you can have them email me directly.

Cat

I have a friend who LOVES VISTA....first person I met who does...anyway he is pretty computer literate. If you lived closer I'd make him come fix it for you

here is his answer to your question.  Hope it helps

It sounds like she bought a Gateway/HP/Dell that had a Restore (backup) partition.  What that means is that she has a 160 gigabyte hard drive, that was split into two sections, or partitions.  The main partition, the C drive, is where the operating system, and programs are installed, and the Restore (backup) partition, the D drive, is where Gateway/HP/Dell have put system restore information.  The purpose behind this is that if the operating system has a catastrophic failure, and no longer functions, you can use the Restore partition to literally restore the computer back to the state it was when it was originally purchased.  If your friend is saving their information to that area, they should immediately move it to the proper locations, such as My Documents, My Music, or My Pictures, etc.  That is not a "back-up" drive.  Saving information there does no good in the event of a hardware problem, such as the hard drive failing.  If your friend wants to back up her data, she needs to burn it to blank DVD's or CD's, which Vista will allow you to do with no extra software needed.  I hope this answer makes sense.  if your friend has any more questions, you can have them email me directly.



Yes, it is the D drive that is full. I also have an E drive that says "Recovery" which is also smaller than the C drive (with the operating system). Can you tell your friend that I have a program that backs everything up. When I go into the drive-there are two files "Norton Backups" (the program) and VPRoRecovery.  The thing is, I don't know which files or which-what to move or where to move it.


Thanks for your help (and karma to you-that you can pass on to your friend.)


Cat

My computer is sssssssssssllllllllooooooooowwwwwww.  I bought an external hard drive for my music because that was taking up several Gigabytes of memory.  Should I upgrade my RAM?  Right now it's at 512MB.  How do I do that?  How do I know how much I can upgrade to?  What kind do I get?

My computer is sssssssssssllllllllooooooooowwwwwww.  I bought an external hard drive for my music because that was taking up several Gigabytes of memory.  Should I upgrade my RAM?  Right now it's at 512MB.  How do I do that?  How do I know how much I can upgrade to?  What kind do I get?


Since this is Mushrooms thread, I'll let him tackle that one. However ... gotta say, 512 MB ? That's really lightweight by todays standards. I would have thought most new computers ship with at least twice that  ( 1 GB). I think 1 GB is generally considered good for XP systems, but 2 GigaBytes or more is recommended for Vista ?

If you've only got 512 MB, I suspect you've got an older computer, maybe a Pentium 3 around 500 Mhz, or equivalent ?  The cost of upgrading older machines has to be weighed up against putting that money into a much more powerful more recent entry level machine ... which can often work out a relative bargain. You could be throwing good money after bad. Incidentally, memory is a dynamic thing .... like trying to remember a phone number in your head. You switch it off (the machine) you lose it .  The hard drive is not 'memory' .... it stores your programs and data like a cassette, cd, dvd does .... long term, relatively permanently.

Your computer .... I take it its slowed down since you first bought it ? Possibly due to spyware,  disk fragmentation, a bulging 'registry' (registry cleaners / re-installation of the operating system  might help (Windows ?)

Anyway, I'm going on too long. Over to you, Mushroom.

oh, boy. I'm confused LOL  i bought it in 2005, brand new, from Dell, and it was a pretty  high-end computer at the time, i guess.  is there a way to get rid of the Spyware?  i have Norton Internet Security, which I've had installed and updated every day since I bought the computer... I thought that would block the spyware but I don'tk now much about computers so I could be wrong.

It's just gotten really, really sluggish....takes about 10 minutes or more to load everything and actually be usable after turning it on... if I try to do something too quickly, and everything hasn't fully loaded, it takes FOREVER. 

oh, boy. I'm confused LOL  i bought it in 2005, brand new, from Dell, and it was a pretty  high-end computer at the time, i guess.  is there a way to get rid of the Spyware?  i have Norton Internet Security, which I've had installed and updated every day since I bought the computer... I thought that would block the spyware but I don'tk now much about computers so I could be wrong.

It's just gotten really, really sluggish....takes about 10 minutes or more to load everything and actually be usable after turning it on... if I try to do something too quickly, and everything hasn't fully loaded, it takes FOREVER. 


That's way too long ... 10 minutes. A couple of minutes .... that's just about acceptable, I'd say. Sounds like you should try running some registry cleaners. I think 'Reg Vac' is a pretty good one. Registry Mechanic is well regarded. You can probably find some good freeware ones if you search the internet ?

Installing / uninstalling  a lot of trial software can lead to problems. If you don't regularly run a defragmenter program, it leaves a lot of gaps that your hard drive jumps back and forth trying to find data / bits of programs which get placed here and there. Defragging places it in a more compacted area, minimizing the delays. If you've got XP, it should be built into your machine. Worth a try. (Start Programs menu, Control Panel, Performance and Maintenance,  .... then .... 'Rearrange items on your hard disk to make your programs run faster'. You can click on 'Analyze' to see how bad things are graphically .... or just  click on defragment to start the procedure . This could take a few minutes  to a number of hours, so best done overnight. If your hard drive is anywhere near full, the program  will have less room to swap things around .... slowing things right down.

Running the defrag program first is probably the easiest / safest route for you .... and then seeing if it makes much difference. Then start looking at other options. You probably would benefit down the road from extra memory (twice what you have)  .... if you like to have a lot of tabs / windows open at the same time !


Here's a link about defragging:  http://windows.about.com/od/troubleshooting/ss/defrag_7.htm

That's way too long ... 10 minutes. A couple of minutes .... that's just about acceptable, I'd say. Sounds like you should try running some registry cleaners. I think 'Reg Vac' is a pretty good one. Registry Mechanic is well regarded. You can probably find some good freeware ones if you search the internet ?

Installing / uninstalling  a lot of trial software can lead to problems. If you don't regularly run a defragmenter program, it leaves a lot of gaps that your hard drive jumps back and forth trying to find data / bits of programs which get placed here and there. Defragging places it in a more compacted area, minimizing the delays. If you've got XP, it should be built into your machine. Worth a try. (Start Programs menu, Control Panel, Performance and Maintenance,  .... then .... 'Rearrange items on your hard disk to make your programs run faster'. You can click on 'Analyze' to see how bad things are graphically .... or just  click on defragment to start the procedure . This could take a few minutes  to a number of hours, so best done overnight. If your hard drive is anywhere near full, the program  will have less room to swap things around .... slowing things right down.

Running the defrag program first is probably the easiest / safest route for you .... and then seeing if it makes much difference. Then start looking at other options. You probably would benefit down the road from extra memory (twice what you have)  .... if you like to have a lot of tabs / windows open at the same time !



awesome advice! thank you so much!

awesome advice! thank you so much!


I hope I don't get into trouble with Mushroom. I'm sure he knows FAR more about all this then I do. 

Check my prior post for an edit ( added link)  ... oh don't bother ... here it is again :

http://windows.about.com/od/troubleshooting/ss/defrag_7.htm

^ Explains in pics, defragging.

I hope I don't get into trouble with Mushroom. I'm sure he knows FAR more about all this then I do. 

Check my prior post for an edit ( added link)  ... oh don't bother ... here it is again :

http://windows.about.com/od/troubleshooting/ss/defrag_7.htm

^ Explains in pics, defragging.


1 other quick question that is related to this. a  few months ago I installed a program on my computer called "AOL HIQ" which allows you to download TV shows from AOL's website.  Well, I noticed my computer running much, much slower immediately after installing that program.  In fact, the more I think about it, the more I'm wondering if it's not 90% of my problem.  The thing is, I've tried to uninstall it on numerous occassions but I can't.  I go to "Control Panel", then "Add or Remove Programs" and it comes up on the list, but as soon as I click "uninstall", it freezes and I have to terminate the window.  I can unsintall other programs just fine, but not that one... is there another way to get rid of it?  I can't even figure out where on my computer it's hiding! :(

I hope I don't get into trouble with Mushroom. I'm sure he knows FAR more about all this then I do. 

Check my prior post for an edit ( added link)  ... oh don't bother ... here it is again :

http://windows.about.com/od/troubleshooting/ss/defrag_7.htm

^ Explains in pics, defragging.


yeah but you're here....mushroom hasn't been around since Dec 8th 07


for me I can't seem to get any of the usb ports to work on my laptop.

It recognizes when something is plugged in but I can never get that item to work.

I have plugged in
-an optical mouse
-a usb hub
-a numeric keypad
-usb speakers

can't get any of these items to work...


have I mentioned that I really HATE my laptop?

1 other quick question that is related to this. a  few months ago I installed a program on my computer called "AOL HIQ" which allows you to download TV shows from AOL's website.  Well, I noticed my computer running much, much slower immediately after installing that program.  In fact, the more I think about it, the more I'm wondering if it's not 90% of my problem.  The thing is, I've tried to uninstall it on numerous occassions but I can't.  I go to "Control Panel", then "Add or Remove Programs" and it comes up on the list, but as soon as I click "uninstall", it freezes and I have to terminate the window.  I can unsintall other programs just fine, but not that one... is there another way to get rid of it?  I can't even figure out where on my computer it's hiding! :(


Interesting. I don't really know much about AOL ... but think I've read before it can be a hassle. Found this link ... which may help (but use at your own risk) ....  http://antiaol.insanejournal.com/23706.html#cutid1

Don't think it specifically mentions HIQ ... but since it's under the AOL umbrella, suspect it too would be removed ?    :-\\

I hope I don't get into trouble with Mushroom. I'm sure he knows FAR more about all this then I do. 

Check my prior post for an edit ( added link)  ... oh don't bother ... here it is again :

http://windows.about.com/od/troubleshooting/ss/defrag_7.htm

^ Explains in pics, defragging.


This is a better place to ask about computers.

yeah but you're here....mushroom hasn't been around since Dec 8th 07


for me I can't seem to get any of the usb ports to work on my laptop.

It recognizes when something is plugged in but I can never get that item to work.

I have plugged in
-an optical mouse
-a usb hub
-a numeric keypad
-usb speakers

can't get any of these items to work...


have I mentioned that I really HATE my laptop?






Sorry, I'm out of my depth here.

Perhaps you can get a clue from this link : http://www.computing.net/windowsxp/wwwboard/forum/167261.html


There's all kinds of background here: http://www.usbman.com/USB_Guides.htm

Maybe best to scroll down to the link in that page called 'usb troubleshooter'  ?


http://www.usbman.com/Troubleshooter%20General.htm



Guess you could always take it past a local computer store, and see if they can give it a quick look ?

Sorry, I'm out of my depth here.

Perhaps you can get a clue from this link : http://www.computing.net/windowsxp/wwwboard/forum/167261.html


There's all kinds of background here: http://www.usbman.com/USB_Guides.htm

Maybe best to scroll down to the link in that page called 'usb troubleshooter'  ?


http://www.usbman.com/Troubleshooter%20General.htm



Guess you could always take it past a local computer store, and see if they can give it a quick look ?



Thanks I'll give the sites a look.

yeah but you're here....mushroom hasn't been around since Dec 8th 07


for me I can't seem to get any of the usb ports to work on my laptop.

It recognizes when something is plugged in but I can never get that item to work.

I have plugged in
-an optical mouse
-a usb hub
-a numeric keypad
-usb speakers

can't get any of these items to work...


have I mentioned that I really HATE my laptop?







Why do you hate your laptop?  ???

1 other quick question that is related to this. a  few months ago I installed a program on my computer called "AOL HIQ" which allows you to download TV shows from AOL's website.  Well, I noticed my computer running much, much slower immediately after installing that program.  In fact, the more I think about it, the more I'm wondering if it's not 90% of my problem.  The thing is, I've tried to uninstall it on numerous occassions but I can't.  I go to "Control Panel", then "Add or Remove Programs" and it comes up on the list, but as soon as I click "uninstall", it freezes and I have to terminate the window.  I can unsintall other programs just fine, but not that one... is there another way to get rid of it?  I can't even figure out where on my computer it's hiding! :(


Try booting windows in Safe Mode and then try uninstalling the program using the Add or Remove Programs.  Spyware would usually load  itself when your computer first boots up so it would be hard to remove normally.  While in safe mode only a few essential programs will run giving you an opportunity to get those pesky files out. 

Why do you hate your laptop?  ???


just because I have so many problems with it....its probably me but seems like too much trouble I want one that's easier to use....plus this one is really heavy.

I can't get used to the little square thing at the bottom to move the cursor...takes me ages to say anything!  I know they have a wireless mouse, too, but I can't install mine.

I can't get used to the little square thing at the bottom to move the cursor...takes me ages to say anything!  I know they have a wireless mouse, too, but I can't install mine.



I'm pretty good with the square but I kill myself when I try to play a game that requires a mouse.  and I can't get my optical mouse to work either.

I've gotta try that help site Alan suggested but I've been otherwise engaged  ;D

I'm pretty good with the square but I kill myself when I try to play a game that requires a mouse.  and I can't get my optical mouse to work either.

I've gotta try that help site Alan suggested but I've been otherwise engaged  ;D


That computer has an optical mouse.  There's a help site?  where?  here (this thread)?