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Archive through November 16, 2004

The TVClubHouse: General Discussions ARCHIVES: 2004 Nov. - 2005 Jan.: All Things Technical: The Help Desk (ARCHIVES): Computer Problems? Ask Here (ARCHIVES): Archive through November 16, 2004 users admin

Author Message
Jan
Member

08-01-2000

Saturday, November 13, 2004 - 12:27 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Have a great trip, Juju :-):-)

ETA:Hey maybe you and hubby would like to take a little trip to Northern Ontario and have a looksee at my computer :-) I have a spare room

Starshine40
Member

07-30-2002

Saturday, November 13, 2004 - 7:29 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Jan, I hadn't read about all the problems you have but have you tried running "degrag" to clean up the space on your computer? It might help. It should be listed under "system tools".

Juju2bigdog
Member

10-27-2000

Saturday, November 13, 2004 - 8:41 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
And Jan has an anti-virus and has updated it, right? And has run Ad-Aware and Spybot?

Okay, bye. I am out of here. Really.

Jan
Member

08-01-2000

Sunday, November 14, 2004 - 8:17 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
yes, thanks to all of you but I have defragged..in fact every time I do it just says I don't really need it but I run it anyway. I have an updated Norton 2004, I use adaware and spybot bnoth...but I keep swearing that something is taking over my computer when I see the cpu usage line way up and no reason for it.

Oh well. I have lived with it for a long time and I guess there is nothing I can really do :-(

Vee
Member

02-23-2004

Sunday, November 14, 2004 - 8:38 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Hi, Jan, gee your problems sound a lot like mine.

It all started with an error message from Norton about some kind of a worm...Klez and Elkern, but when the scan was done there was no evidence of it. I have Ad-Aware and SpyBot, but despite repeated runnings of those scans in safe mode, nothing helps. The ongoing problem now is repeated error messages...both Kernel32.DLL and MSHTML.DLL and both from nearly the same location, which I understand may mean troubles with the RAM. I have plenty of memory and no error messages saying otherwise.

Also learned that perhaps I could delete the WIN386.SWP file in C drive , but the message there is that it is too large to delete. When I try in safe mode, it says that it is protected and cannot be deleted.

I've added some lines to the CONFIG.SYS file, also in C drive, to no avail.

Anyway, guess that I am about sunk...can't stay online very long...less than a minute...just long enough to copy and paste a message in from Notepad.

Following Juju's advice, I'm going to try to update Ad-aware, etc., other than that any words of wisdom for me? Thanks!

Jan
Member

08-01-2000

Sunday, November 14, 2004 - 10:30 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Vee, best of luck. I know you are not asking for my words of wisdom as I have none on this topic but I sure hope all the great techies at this site can help you :-):-)

Jan
Member

08-01-2000

Sunday, November 14, 2004 - 10:31 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I just noticed that I have a java console icon in my sys tray. I don't remember it being there yesterday. I can't get rid of it. Do I need it?

Draheid
Moderator

09-09-2001

Sunday, November 14, 2004 - 7:03 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Vee: The 'WIN386.SWP' file is your virtual memory - most installations have this file controlled by Windows and therefore it cannot (and should not) be deleted by any other method. You can change your virtual memory settings to disable this and the file will go away. I often do this just before defragmenting a drive so the swap file can be recreated as a contiguous file.

The first suggestion I have is to download a program called 'Stinger.exe' from McAfee. This program is especially designed to clean up 45 specific worm/virus problems and may help get you back to being able to completely clean your system with the other programs. You can read more and download stinger from http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/

You don't indicate what version of Windows you are running. If you have Windows/ME or /XP then one suspect to consider would be the system restore function. Often these type of viruses can get into the restore area where no program is allowed to do anything with hit. If that's the case, the only way to resolve this is to disable system restore, reboot into safe mode, then run deep scan of all the programs you have to clean your system. I recommend running each program repeatedly until they report the system is completely clean. Then run them each again to be sure. I use AdAware, Spybot, & Norton Antivirus on my computer. Be sure you have the most current updated files for each program before you start running them too.


Jan: The java icon usually only appears after you have visited a site that has a java application running. Once you close Netscape, the icon should disappear shortly.

Vee
Member

02-23-2004

Sunday, November 14, 2004 - 9:27 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Thanks, Dra, a couple of questions... Oh, first things first, I am running Windows 98, dial-up. I run the same three programs you mentioned...not sure if Ad-Aware and SpyBot are current. Will get busy on that.

"You can change your virtual memory settings to disable this and the file will go away. I often do this just before defragmenting a drive so the swap file can be recreated as a contiguous file."

I understand defragging, but I don't understand "virtual memory settings." How would I do that? That is, if it's not too difficult to explain to a computer idiot such as I. Thanks!

BTW, I switched over to Netscape for a bit here and so far so good.


Draheid
Moderator

09-09-2001

Sunday, November 14, 2004 - 10:05 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Vee: Sounds very suspiciously like your browser has been 'hijacked' by something that AdAware or SpyBot should be able to remove for you - but you will most likely need to be sure you have updated definition files for both for them to be effective.

If you are at all uncomfortable messing with the more advanced settings of your computer, please do not attempt the following process. It is not difficult and relatively safe procedure, however it does have potential side effects if you are not careful.

Virtual Memory is used to hold programs that are currently open but not being actively used, sort of an extension to your system memory using space on your hard drive. To make any changes, open the Control Panel and double-click on 'System Properties' then click on the 'Performance' tab in the dialog that opens. Next click on 'Virtual Memory' to display the controls. You need to first check 'Let me specify my own virtual memory settings' and then an option appears to disable virtual memory. Do this and let the computer restart. Run Defrag on your computer and let that finish.

Once defrag has finished, you need to open 'Control Panel' again and double click on 'System Properties'. Click on 'Performance' and 'Virtual Memory'. Uncheck the 'Disable' option then set the maximum to a value of 2 times the amount of system memory you have (ie. if you have 256MB, set this to 512MB) then set the minimum to the exact same number. Click 'Ok' to apply and 'Ok' to exit. Your computer will need to restart again.

This will re-enable the Virtual memory with a fixed size and let your computer operate a little more efficiently. Specifically, this stops Windows from having to manage the file, resizing it whenever the need for virtual memory changes, etc. This also reduces the wear and tear on your hard drive because Windows is no longer manipulating the swap file size for you.

Hope this helps. If you have any questions at all, please ask and I'll be happy to answer or explain.

Vee
Member

02-23-2004

Sunday, November 14, 2004 - 10:50 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Okay, one further question before I do this...and oh boy am I ever going to do this! Since installing Norton SystemWorks, I can no longer use my computer's defrag program because it says it has been overrun by another program...I'm assuming that program is Norton. Anyway, I do all my defragging through Norton and I'm wondering if it is okay to do that as per usual...

Edited to add: I did get all updates for Ad-aware and SpyBot so I am all set with that...going to rescan with the new downloads now to see if anything shows up.

Draheid
Moderator

09-09-2001

Sunday, November 14, 2004 - 11:59 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Vee: I recommend using Norton Speed Disk instead of the Windows defrag program. SD is much faster and more efficient in optimizing the hard drive for you. You should have no problem running that instead of Defrag in the above instructions.

Good luck. Please let me know how things perform after you've finished all this.

Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Monday, November 15, 2004 - 6:19 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Dra, I use McAfee, but have always had problems with scan disk/defrag. Can I use Norton Speed Disk for that?
my os is ME


Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Monday, November 15, 2004 - 6:27 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Also, is it safe to download updates from Spyware Blaster now? There was a conflict a while back.

Juju2bigdog
Member

10-27-2000

Monday, November 15, 2004 - 7:56 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I always turn off everything in the icon tray before defragging. Icon tray is that little place at bottom right of your screen. Right click on each icon and choose Exit. It might pop up a warning. You can ignore the warning because you will be turning them all back on after you restart after the defrag.

Uhhhhhhhhh ... do your defrag at a time when you are not connected to the internet.

I also turn off my screensaver before defrag. To do this, right click on your desktop and choose Properties, then find Screensaver and in the dropdown selector box, choose None. Then after you defrag, of course, you have to go back same way and select your screensaver again.

After you defrag, restart your computer.

Vee
Member

02-23-2004

Monday, November 15, 2004 - 9:53 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Hi, it's taken a while to get back...system defragged all night long...when I got up this morning, it was only at 33% and just finished a short while ago. (I defrag in safe mode with all icons in the tray closed, but I had never shut off the screensaver...didn't have a clue how to do it until Juju's post this morning.)

As mentioned, I did get the upgrades for both Ad-aware and SpyBot. When I ran those scans they both came up with lots of problems including two possible browser hijackings. Despite that, I still was not able to run in IE without getting a bunch more error messages.

After finishing the steps you gave me, Dra, in the Control Panel, I have been able to use IE and so far no problem. The maximum number is now set to 512MB, before it was set on 53180. The minimum number is set on 512MB, before it was set on 0.

Now I have a question about Memory, System Properties, and Drive information. Memory says that I have 256MB with 74% utilized; the pie chart says there is 2018MB of free memory and 103MB of used space. System properties says there is 48% free space. The Drive information says that there is 57.24GB on the Hard Drive: 51.67GB free and 5.56GB used. Am I still in okay shape or do I need more of anything?

Thank you, thank you, thank you, for all your help, Dra! Jan, I'll take moral support, too, hope your system is doing better. Juju, I wrote down all your information as well and will do it from now on! It's great to have this kind of support and I do not know what I would have done without it...truly!

Oh, one last question: We have dial-up for $19.99 a month with Prodigy...They offer a dsl package for $26.95...Does that sound reasonable and would it be recommended? Thanks again!

Bob2112
Member

06-12-2002

Monday, November 15, 2004 - 10:57 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Since you are only using 5.56GB of a 57.24GB, there is something very wrong with the defrag taking all night. In fact, fragmentation would be minimal and probable not much of an issue with 90% of the drive unused.

256MB should be fine with Windows 98 and a fixed 512MB for swap space ('Virtual Memory') should have your system running pretty good. It would be interesting to see how fast a defrag would run now that everything should be better tuned. With less than 6GB of files that are already defragged, it should not take much more than an hour or 2. I would think even faster, but certainly not over night.

Is the dsl package price $26.95 total or is that in addition to the $19.99 you are already paying? If it is only $7 more a month, it is more than reasonable and would be highly recommended. At $47 a month, it is not too bad for a broadband connection (depending on actual download speeds and customer service), but then it becomes a cost vs. value issue for you.



Skootz
Member

07-23-2003

Monday, November 15, 2004 - 4:53 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I have yahoo launch radio all set to use but I when I try and launch it, I get error 14

I am running zone alarm firewall but have no idea on how to fix it so it will play

this is the information that yahoo gives on fixing your firewall to make it work

Firewall configuration
Within your firewall you will need ports 80 (HTTP) or 1755 (UDP, TCP) opened and free of filters. You will also need to allow calls to the '63.250.215.*' range of IP addresses, and the below URL domains:

*.yahoo.com
*.yimg.com
*.akamai.net

Certain firewalls, such as Norton Internet Security also contain ad removal features that may be enabled. You will need to disable or configure these to permit streams from LAUNCHcast.


any help and step by step guidance would be greatly appreciated.

thanks

Vee
Member

02-23-2004

Monday, November 15, 2004 - 9:11 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Sorry to leap frog over you, Skootz, wish that I could help you!

Thanks, Bob, I ran the defrag again after finishing all of my assignment given by Draheid. It only took 40 minutes! I was very excited. Still am having a world of trouble with IE, though, and I don't know what that's all about. I'll just keep scanning with Ad-aware and SpyBot and using Netscape in the meantime.

Draheid
Moderator

09-09-2001

Monday, November 15, 2004 - 9:37 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Skootz: I've just checked the free version of ZoneAlarm versus the 'Pro' (paid) version. The configuration you are trying to setup may not be possible with the free version because the ability to setup 'rules' is not available.

You might be able to work around this by adding the address ranges indicated to a 'trusted' zone and allow complete access, regardless of the ports or data types (UDP, TCP).

If you would like to try this, double-click on the 'ZA' icon to open the control panel. Then click on 'Firewall' on the left, and 'Zones' on the tab at the top. Then click on 'Add - IP Range'. Select 'Trusted' then enter 63.250.215.0 and 63.250.215.255 in the address fields. Finally type in a description you will recognize later.

Next, click on 'Add - Host/Site' and again select 'Trusted' and enter 'yahoo.com' and a description. Finally click on 'Lookup' to have ZA complete the IP information for you. Then click 'Ok' to save this setting. Repeat for yimg.com & akamai.net and that should cover what you have described.

Perhaps before going to this trouble, you might want to temporarily disable ZoneAlarm just to be sure it works on your computer anyway.

Hope this helps.

Vee
Member

02-23-2004

Tuesday, November 16, 2004 - 8:35 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Using IE this morning with minimal (3 so far) error messages; although, the registers all point to one location, which is making me nervous. I am keeping a very good record of the error messages so I can share with the computer guy, if it should come to that.

BTW, no dsl for me with Prodigy since it is not offered in my area.

Skootz
Member

07-23-2003

Tuesday, November 16, 2004 - 8:53 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Thanks Dra..I tried running it without the zone alarm and it wouldn't work then either, I tried changing some of the settings in WMP as they suggested, but it still not working. I think I will just leave it for now as I will probably end up changing something I should be changing :-)

Crossfire
Member

08-07-2001

Tuesday, November 16, 2004 - 9:45 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Skootz: I've got the same problem here. It worked for a few weeks when my ISP partnered with Yahoo!, then suddenly, it stopped working for no obvious reason to me. Seems to be quite widespread, searching for an answer turns up more people with problems than suggestions.

The only thing I've not done yet is upgrade to media player 10, I hear that helps for some people, I've also read where doing so fixed it for a few weeks, then the problem came back.

I'm planning on formatting my drive, and starting clean (not on account of this), and I imagine that will solve it, but for how long is what I wonder. Anyway, outside of that, you have my sympthy, and that one tiny suggestion. Lets hope they make some changes as to my mind, something is quite obviously broken that is byond the average users ability to fix.


AVG Users: I was reading an article yesterday, apparently they have released a new version (7) for the freeloaders, and will be dropping support for version 6 in December. To me, that means they will not be providing updated definition files after then pretty much forcing everyone to upgrade.

Juju2bigdog
Member

10-27-2000

Tuesday, November 16, 2004 - 10:03 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I have the new AVG. I like it. It has a new feature to the update that you can select. You select a time and then check off: "or next time I connect to the internet after that." So if you are an on and offline user such as myself, you don't miss your updates just because you are not online at the appointed hour.

Vee
Member

02-23-2004

Tuesday, November 16, 2004 - 7:55 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Dra, help! You know those settings you told me to place in the Control Panel regarding Virtual Memory? This computer (Windows 98; dial-up) will not hold the settings. They revert back almost immediately and the computer is giving all the same invalid page fault messages. Is there anything I can do about keeping the new settings? Thanks!