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Archive through October 12, 2007

The TVClubHouse: General Discussions ARCHIVES: Oct. 2007 ~ Dec. 2007: All Things Technical: The Help Desk: Computer Problems? Ask Here: Archive through October 12, 2007 users admin

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Rissa
Member

03-20-2006

Monday, August 13, 2007 - 4:52 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Rissa a private message Print Post    
Microsoft Office Outlook 2003.

Bob2112
Member

06-12-2002

Monday, August 13, 2007 - 5:15 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Bob2112 a private message Print Post    
Texannie: I'm a little out of my league describing it for Windows, since I know it better for Unix and X windows, but it must be similar for XP.

explorer.exe is the part of the OS that gives you the GUI (windows, menus, etc...), while the rest of the processes run behind the scene and talk to the memory, hard drive, keyboard, etc...

When you kill explorer.exe, everything related to the GUI is probably killed. I'm guessing everything in your task list, system tray, and anything else that starts with the GUI. With all that stopped, you can use the command prompt to delete the files since they are no longer being used.

At this point, a restart of explorer.exe (by typing it into the command prompt) would keep all the background stuff that was still running and just reloads the GUI and starts everything that normally starts when you log in.

A reboot will start everything fresh, just like when you turn on the computer. In my world, Windows likes to be rebooted periodically in the best of circumstances. Reboots are often necessary after updates are applied.

After something like this, I would probably restart explorer.exe to see that he GUI comes back up. Then I would issue a shutdown with restart from the start menu.

Ack! Are you asking about the restart on the shutdown menu? That restart is what I would call a reboot. the rerunning of explorer.exe is not a reboot.

That can't possibly help, can it? Ack!


Juju2bigdog
Member

10-27-2000

Monday, August 13, 2007 - 5:16 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Juju2bigdog a private message Print Post    
Okay, here is a weird one. Yesterday I reinstalled Windows ME on an ancient (new in 2000) Gateway Solo 1150 laptop preparatory to trying to sell it.

Today, I got the wireless adapter working, thinking I would download the Windows updates and get ME current.

When I click on the IE icon, it takes me to a screen that tells me to go set up an account at gateway.net, which is similar to an ancient aol browser and is now obsolete.

Thinking I could outfox it, I just installed IE 6 that I had on a CD. After I installed it and clicked on ALL IE icons I could find, all of them took me to that screen that said go to Gateway.net.

Then I uninstalled Gateway.net, but the IE icons still take me to that screen that says use Gateway.net.

Anybody got any ideas on outfoxing it? I presume it must be a registry edit, but have no idea how to get to it to fix it.

Juju2bigdog
Member

10-27-2000

Monday, August 13, 2007 - 8:12 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Juju2bigdog a private message Print Post    
I just finished reinstalled the operating system from the recovery disks. It did not correct the problem. Very weird, since I am sure I used Internet Explorer on this laptop when I first got it with no problem. And I am pretty sure I have reinstalled the operating system at least once before over the years with no problems.

Now, this is not a browser home page hijack. It more like an icon hijack. I never get to the browser, just to this advertisement-like pop-up telling me to use gateway.net.

Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Tuesday, August 14, 2007 - 8:04 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Texannie a private message Print Post    
uh..not sure bob! LOL

Juju2bigdog
Member

10-27-2000

Thursday, August 16, 2007 - 12:31 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Juju2bigdog a private message Print Post    
Juju previously wrote:

quote:

The more I think about it, the more I think it has to be that I don't have a dialup connection established yet. The dialup connection boxes are blank, and it is trying to force me to establish an internet connection before it will let me use IE. The OS and computer predate wireless, so when I had the wireless working, it didn't recognize that as an internet connection.


Yep, that was it. I put Juno on and connected to the internet, and IE opened fine. And even when I was not connected, I can click on the IE icons, and go to Page Not Found, so it should now open when I put the wireless back on.

Yay!!!

Ktbb
Member

08-10-2003

Thursday, August 30, 2007 - 6:48 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Ktbb a private message Print Post    
My daughter who just left for college called and is having a meltdown. Her laptop has lost a lot of her stuff. For instance her itunes is still there, but empty. Her pictures gone, as is her videos and homework. While looking at some other she managed to find them but the only way she can get to them is through "my computer". The only thing I could think of was to see if she had signed on, but as admin, so its hiding all the good stuff from her. That wasn't the case. Please help, for I am lost:-)

She has a gateway laptop running windows xp

Juju2bigdog
Member

10-27-2000

Thursday, August 30, 2007 - 9:46 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Juju2bigdog a private message Print Post    
Can she try using System Restore to take her back to a time when she knows she had them all? Sometimes when you are panicking, you don't think to use that feature.

Ktbb
Member

08-10-2003

Monday, September 03, 2007 - 9:22 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Ktbb a private message Print Post    
Shes afraid of losing everything. She did eventually try it and it erased everything on her desktop. I've never seen anything like it. I told her to get everything off of there she could and totally restore it.
Thanks for you suggestion.

Jimmer
Moderator

08-30-2000

Monday, September 03, 2007 - 10:13 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Jimmer a private message Print Post    
Starting off with simple and obvious.

Does she know one of the file names or she could just search based on the extensions? Maybe too obvious, but she has done a search of her hard drive for the files in case they got moved some how.

She has looked in the recycle bin right?

Ktbb
Member

08-10-2003

Monday, September 03, 2007 - 3:48 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Ktbb a private message Print Post    
Yes it looks like they found a file on macafee that said it erased all her desktop items. She's going to get everything off of it she can, and start from scratch. Hopefully it will work. Has anyone else had problems with macafee erasing items, because it thinks it doesn't have enough room? I hope it doesn't erase anything of mine! Maybe we should go with AVG pro?

Juju2bigdog
Member

10-27-2000

Monday, September 03, 2007 - 11:09 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Juju2bigdog a private message Print Post    
The Free AVG is absolutely fine for garden variety users such as us here. I and many others here have been happily using it for years.

First thing I do when I get a new computer is uninstall anything associated with McAfee or Symantec/Norton and then install AVG.

I will pay for AVG if they ever withdraw the free edition, but the free version is just fine.

Karen
Member

09-07-2004

Monday, September 24, 2007 - 12:36 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Karen a private message Print Post    
Can anyone give some insight on a Windows Mail problem I've just encountered?

I checked my email this morning and all was as it should be. Toddled off to do some other things, burned a DVD on the computer, and now Windows Mail won't open. I get an error that says "msoe.dll could not be loaded." (FWIW, the DVD I burned was an .avi file that I created in Vegas, not a copy disc image from an already existing disc.)

I didn't install or uninstall anything, didn't do any formatting changes... just poof, suddenly it doesn't work. Any ideas? I'm expecting some client work and can't afford to not be able to access my email. A google search of this problem only brought me to news about OE 5 and 6, not Mail for Vista.

TIA!

Karen
Member

09-07-2004

Monday, September 24, 2007 - 1:02 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Karen a private message Print Post    
Humph. Never mind... it's fine now after a reboot. I just hate when things don't work the way they should. Grrrr.

Mameblanche
Member

08-24-2002

Tuesday, October 02, 2007 - 8:46 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Mameblanche a private message Print Post    
S.O.S.

VinBlanche's Windows Taskbar exploded to twice it's size tonight... it's annoying and we can't figure out how it happened, or how to get it back to normal size. Suggestions pls. Thx.

Bob2112
Member

06-12-2002

Tuesday, October 02, 2007 - 9:12 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Bob2112 a private message Print Post    
Is it twice as tall?

Right click on the task bar and make sure "Lock the Taskbar" is not checked.
Move the mouse slowly over the top of the task bar until it turns into an up-down line with 2 arrow heads. Click and hold the left mouse button and you can drag the task bar taller or shorter.

If you mean something else, then I need more info.


Mameblanche
Member

08-24-2002

Wednesday, October 03, 2007 - 4:57 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Mameblanche a private message Print Post    
Bob, thanks for the speedy reply. Yep it is twice as tall, about an inch total. I can make it bigger with the mouse and the arrow but not smaller. BUT I will definitely have a looksee at the status of the 'lock taskbar' and see if that's the problem. Dashing to work, I'll try it and report back later. Thx.

Calamity
Member

10-18-2001

Wednesday, October 10, 2007 - 11:25 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Calamity a private message Print Post    
Any advice on the best way (meaning not too complicated or expensive) to transfer old cassette tapes and LPs to CD?

Thanks in advance.

Nyheat
Member

08-09-2006

Wednesday, October 10, 2007 - 11:45 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Nyheat a private message Print Post    
Yes, I have warning about this process. Be extremely wary of buying anything that converts cassettes and LPs directly to MP3s on your computer. I blew out the audio on my computer trying to be tech savvy and I have never gotten it back!

My advice would be to leave it to the professionals and have them do it for you OR get a separate stereo that records cassette tapes and LPs onto CDs, and then convert that to MP3s. I know it's frustrating because I have many, many great cassette tapes from college that are trapped in that format because I will never, ever, make that mistake again.

Calamity
Member

10-18-2001

Wednesday, October 10, 2007 - 11:56 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Calamity a private message Print Post    
Thanks for the warning, Nyheat. So I guess my next question is...who are these professionals who can do it for me? (No one is ever gonna believe I used to be the audio expert at my college - I would hook up everyone's stereos, sound systems, and computers for them. But technology has gotten way ahead of me now, lol.)

Nyheat
Member

08-09-2006

Wednesday, October 10, 2007 - 2:50 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Nyheat a private message Print Post    
There is a electronics store around the corner that does it, lol, and some offers in the internet from people who convert from old media to new. It takes some digging, but once you find your go-to guy, I think you'll be fine.

It really is annoying, isn't it? An old roomie of mine who was really into vintage LPs actually had one of those new-fangled record players that plug right into a computer via USB cable and converts. I don't think he ever had a problem.

I rigged up a jack from a cassette player "audio out" plug to "audio in" on my 'puter. It worked fine until I messed with the controls and tried to listen to the songs as they recorded. Suddenly there was this high-pitched screeching and the audio blew out. BTW, I had been using Audacity software. Apparently plenty of techno-geeks online use it with no problem.

Sigh. We are supposed to be in control of technology, not the other was around, right?

Juju2bigdog
Member

10-27-2000

Wednesday, October 10, 2007 - 11:15 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Juju2bigdog a private message Print Post    
Calamity, my husband Bigdog is not very computer savvy, and he has done it bigtime without screwing up too badly.

Do you know who Kim Komando is? She has a radio program and a column in a lot of newspapers telling beginner bozos how to do things on computers. You can find her at www.komando.com, then search her website for the info you are seeking. I am pretty sure I have it saved somewhere on my computer, so if you don't find it on her website, e-mail me at Juju2bigdog at Yahoo and I will send you what I have.

You can also Google it and find out how to do it. Bigdog and I taught a 78 year old friend how to do it using free software we downloaded for her from the internet, so you can do it too.

Calamity
Member

10-18-2001

Thursday, October 11, 2007 - 2:16 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Calamity a private message Print Post    
Aw, sorry about your audio, Nyheat! That's a shame. I really appreciate your advice though.

Thanks for the link, Juju2bigdog. Before asking here I did do an online search on the topic but was pretty overwhelmed at all the info (sometimes conflicting, sometimes baffling) I found. Now, just because a 78 year old could master how to do this is no guarantee that I can figure it out but I'm going to look at the site you posted and see how it goes. Thanks again!

Nyheat
Member

08-09-2006

Thursday, October 11, 2007 - 4:54 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Nyheat a private message Print Post    
I'm pretty tech savvy, and followed the directions exactly as they were given, and BOOM bye bye audio. Maybe I am just the rare unlucky one. Just something to consider before taking the leap! Maybe if you have a lesser computer to experiment with first? Good luck.

Calamity
Member

10-18-2001

Friday, October 12, 2007 - 1:09 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Calamity a private message Print Post    
Thanks! :-) I'm kinda hesitant to try it now though, lol.