Archive through November 09, 2002
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TV ClubHouse: Archives: Computer Problem - I need advice/help (ARCHIVE): Archive through November 09, 2002

Jed245

Thursday, November 07, 2002 - 04:14 am EditMoveDeleteIP
hello Gadzooks. :o)

Well yes it is possible for a virus to cause your hard drive to become corrupt. They are rare,but, they are out there. :o( And as for free sofware hmmm... you might try looking for free firewalls. Then again for a little bit of money you can get a router. Which basically is a hardware solution for that problem. It stops any incomming traffic unless your computer asked for it.

However, most hackers work off of trust from you. OR from a scam.

The net is fairly safe if you don't go shouting out your credit card/banking info. :o)

Hope that helped a little.
Jed :o)

Hillbilly

Thursday, November 07, 2002 - 04:22 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Gadzooks...Black Ice has a freeware firewall program called ZoneAlarm. They have a freeware version and a package you can purchase. The freeware doesn't have all the bells and whistles but it beats not having anything. When you can afford it, I would get Norton Internet Security (approx. $70 but I got a $30 rebate for having a previous version of McAfee)

http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/home.jsp

Hillbilly

Thursday, November 07, 2002 - 04:26 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Oops....ZoneAlarm is not provided by Black Ice (that's another firewall program). I don't think Black Ice has a freeware version though.

I've used ZoneAlarm before but not Black Ice. Maybe someone else could give you some info on Black Ice.

Draheid

Thursday, November 07, 2002 - 06:20 am EditMoveDeleteIP
A couple of things regarding firewalls. First, if you're computer is fairly new, then you are likely running Windows/XP which has a built-in firewall. It's not as stout as a seperate program, but it does afford some security and protection to your network connection.

I personally use Zonealarm Pro (the for-purchase version) and I am completely satisfied with it. (I also have a router but I do a lot of things on the net that could potentially leave my computer vulnerable.) The free version of ZoneAlarm is also very adept at protecting your computer, it just doesn't include some of the nicer 'advanced' features that the $40 Pro version does. It offers the same level of security, though, so the price and protection are right!

I highly recommend viewing the website operated by Steve Gibson of Gibson Research, GRC.COM where you can run the ShieldsUP! program to see just how vulnerable you might be in your current configuration.

Steve Gibson also offers some advice and oppinions on Black Ice (doesn't care for it) and ZoneAlarm (loves it, recommends it highly!) as well as other tips and information about internet security issues.

Finally, there are other firewall programs available, however, I am not familiar with them. Packages such as McAfee & Norton (Symantec) offer retail internet security packages. I've also heard of 'Tiny Personal Firewall'. I'm sure there are others available, you need only search for them on the web.

Hope this is helpful. Good luck!

Sia

Thursday, November 07, 2002 - 09:11 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
I used to run POW! pop-up killer and loved it, but my new p.c. utilizes Norton Internet Security and has a built-in pop-up killer--which I have been unable to successfully utilize. How do I use the ad trashcan? I can click and drag a pop-up toward the trashcan window, but can't make the ad window overlay the trashcan window in order to "throw it away." What am I doing wrong? Thanks a bunch!

Draheid

Thursday, November 07, 2002 - 10:26 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Sia: I'm sorry to say but you've hit on a subject I know little about. I do not use Norton Internet Security so I am unfamiliar with it's operation. I will be happy to research it tomorrow and see if I can find a viable answer to your question. Meanwhile, I suspect I'll find that you will have already gotten your answer from someone else who does use it and is familiar with it by the time I get online in the morning.

Wargod

Thursday, November 07, 2002 - 10:32 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
<wargod faints!>

Juju2bigdog

Thursday, November 07, 2002 - 11:03 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
faints on top of wargod!

jujusideways

Alegria

Friday, November 08, 2002 - 02:08 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Juju! stop squishing wargod!! please don't WORRY about this temporary gap in draheid's knowlege base I'm sure it's been plugged by now.

<straightens Draheid's crown & heads off to do dishes>

Hillbilly

Friday, November 08, 2002 - 05:12 am EditMoveDeleteIP
How very odd, Sia! The Norton Internet Security ad trashcan works like a champ for me. It has virtually eliminated 90% of pop-ups and when new ads show up, I just add them to the list.

Draheid

Friday, November 08, 2002 - 07:19 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Hillbilly: Is there some sort of 'trick' (special procedure) to adding popups to the NIS trashcan? It seems this is where Sia is having trouble. I don't have this product so I'm not familiar with it. The tutorials on Norton's website only describe how to enable it, not how to actually use or customize it.

Thanks for the support folks.

Halfunit

Friday, November 08, 2002 - 09:50 am EditMoveDeleteIP
dog_help

Hillbilly

Friday, November 08, 2002 - 09:54 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Nope...I just drag the ad over to the trash can and it gobbles them right up. Close the popup and I never get that ad again.

Sia maybe you should try uninstalling and reinstalling the software. It has an 'easy as pie' setup wizard that walks you through the initialization phase.

Draheid

Friday, November 08, 2002 - 10:04 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I just thought of something, Sia. Sorry it didn't hit me before. I know that when I setup my new computer, it came with Windows/XP pre-installed. When I started installing the Norton Systemworks package, there were several issues with compatibility between the version I had and Win/XP. You might want to check with the Norton Website to see if there are issues of compatibility and/or upgrades to your version of the software. This *could* be the answer.

Hope this helps.

Jed245

Friday, November 08, 2002 - 01:06 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Sia I don't think that is the problem for two reasons. When there is a conflict it would have given you several annoying messages about norton being incompatible with xp. Secondly I have XP preinstalled on my pc and the version of norton I used did not have any problems. I think HB is right and you need to reinstall. Are you sure that ad blocking is enabled.

Jed

Twiggyish

Friday, November 08, 2002 - 02:21 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Dra, I use ZoneAlarm, too. ZoneAlarm has a few problems with blocking applications, even when enabled, but I do like the program.

Jmm

Friday, November 08, 2002 - 05:35 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
Well, I just got home, count me in for fainting. I thought he knew it all.

Mosessupposes

Friday, November 08, 2002 - 11:48 pm EditMoveDeleteIP
This post is addressed to Sia:

Hi I read a post of yours requesting help playing a Video CD that your stepdaughter recorded for you.

There are many compression formats for computer video that Microsoft and many entertainment companies do not support nor condone. For these reasons codecs to play these formats are not provided with the computer.

Anyway...to simplify the whole thing there is a very popular download available that contains just about every video codec that exists. You just download it and it installs itself...no computer knowledge is required. After installation you should be able to view your stepdaughter's video.

It is called the Nimo Codec Pack...it is very popular and there are many "mirror" download sites available on the website below:

http://www.btinternet.com/~nimosiro/

One other thing...Apples Quick Time Player (which plays files ending in .mov) is not included with the Microsoft Operating System. It is used to play Quick Time Movies.

I would thus suggest you also download the Quick Time Player.

This way all of your bases will be covered.

Just a few samples of video formats now available:

DivX
Avi
Mpeg (Mpg)
Mov
DVD
VCD
SVCD
WMV

I have noticed from reading some of your posts that you are very security leery about clicking links and downloading things on the Internet...therefore I suggest you check this out with Draheid or Hillbilly and take their advice before proceeding.

Hillbilly

Saturday, November 09, 2002 - 05:40 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Moses...I usually download a file in 'save' mode and then if I'm concerned, I will use my Norton Antivirus software to do a full scan of the file.

<make sure you're virus definitions are up to date>

Grannyg

Saturday, November 09, 2002 - 07:31 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I just bought a new HP 950 psc. No problem. But when I tried to put the old HP 750 psc on the computer with Windows ME it wouldn't work. I've tried everything. Been to HP site downloaded the file for Windows ME. Installed. Uninstalled. Installed and uninstalled. Keeps asking for .dll's that I do not have. Nor or they on my computer any where or on the CD that came with the printer. The only thing I can come up with is the USB cable I have is a 2.0. I found somewhere that maybe I need a 1.1. Is it possible that the USB could be the problem even though when I try to add a printer the program keeps asking for all these files I do not have? Is this clear as mud???????

Car54

Saturday, November 09, 2002 - 07:43 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Can you go up to the website and download the drivers and files from there? We have done that several times at work.

Draheid

Saturday, November 09, 2002 - 07:45 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Grannyg: Are you using any other USB devices on your Windows/ME machine? Do you know that your USB ports are configured and working with /ME??

Check in the Device Manager (a tab on the Computer Properties page - you can get there by right-clickin on My Computer then left-click on properties) to see if the USB ports are installed and the drivers are working. If not, you might need to go back to the Windows/ME installation CD and install the USB before the ports will work.

According to the site USB.org, cables properly made for USB 1.1 *should* be compatible with 2.0 therefore, I would have to presume that 2.0 cables would be backwards compatible as well.

Please let me know what you find.

Grannyg

Saturday, November 09, 2002 - 08:05 am EditMoveDeleteIP
I first had the 950 hooked up to the Windows ME (my computer) computer and tried to hook up the 750 to the Windows XP computer (hubby's). The 950 printer worked fine on Windows ME but the 750 wouldn't work on XP. So I thought no problem I'll just switch printers since my ME computer is older than the XP computer. The 950 hooked up just fine on XP. But nothing but problems with trying to hook up the 750 printer on both computers. I even tried the original disk that came with the printer and that didn't work and neither did the file I downloaded from HP for Windows ME. We use the 2.0 USB cables at school with Windows 98 and haven't had a problem with them not working. So now I wondering if there are some files I am missing somewhere since it keeps asking for all these .dll's that I can't find. I even used search to find files on the computer and disk that came with printer but search couldn't find the files either. And when I tell it to skip the files it comes back and says printer couldn't be installed because these files couldn't be found. SOOOOOOOOO that's what makes me think it's not the cable but the program. I'm thinking I am just gonna go buy a 1.1 cable and see if that works. But if that doesn't then I am back to the program. Thanks Dra, for helping me out. Anything you think that can help, I would appreciate knowing.

Grannyg

Saturday, November 09, 2002 - 08:11 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Dra, on the HP site I downloaded the drivers for USB for Windows ME and installed them. Do you think that maybe I should get my original ME disk and install over the new ones I down loaded?

Draheid

Saturday, November 09, 2002 - 08:37 am EditMoveDeleteIP
Grannyg: Since you say the 950 works on both computers, that would indicate the USB ports are functioning correctly. You might, for peace of mind, try swapping cables on a working combination to be sure your cables are working. As I said earlier, the cables should be completely compatible. Especially a 2.0 cable on a 1.1 system.

I had a TON of trouble installing an HP 'All-in-one' on a new Compaq computer with Win/XP preinstalled. Finally got Compaq to confirm that they had a bad load of XP on the machine and I ended up having to 'Restore' the computer from their recovery routine. This wouldn't explain the problems in ME, so I'm not sure what to say about that.

You could try deleting the USB ports via the Device Manager and then reinstall using your original ME CD to see if that will clear up the problem. However, since the 950 works, I don't understand why the 750 won't.

As I recall, there is a specific procedure you need to follow to connect and use the HP all-in-one machines with XP. If you haven't already seen this information, look over the HP Installation Instructions Page for the PSC-700 series (including the 750). Specifically, it states that you should install the software BEFORE you connect the machine to the computer.

Again, let me know what you find.