Archive through October 24, 2002
TV ClubHouse: Archives: Computer Problem - I need advice/help (ARCHIVE):
Archive through October 24, 2002
Gadzooks | Tuesday, October 22, 2002 - 12:47 am     Hi....I'm stumped and frustrated....here goes: Last Friday I clicked on my computer and as soon as my Windows Millenium Screen popped up my computer went into a coma....it was slow as a snail...it took forever to open up my icons and get connected to my internet server....the day before everything was normal...anyways, I ended up doing a system restore a couple of times and that didn't do anything....then I re-installed Windows and did a maintenance wizard. Things seem to be back ....maybe still a little slower than before....I have plenty of memory and pentium III.....so what could have gone wrong? Now my major problem is that I connect to the net and if my cursor is idle for over 5 minutes it automatically disconnects and I have to keep connecting. Does anyone know how I can fix this? Is there something I need to click on or off? This clubhouse is full of the smartest people around, so I'm hopeful P.S. Last week I downloaded incredimail....and after that I had all these problems....watch out...I think there's a virus imbedded in that software. |
Sia | Tuesday, October 22, 2002 - 04:01 am     Have you run your virus-checking program lately, Gadzooks? Did you run it after you installed Incredimail? Also, you can go to http://www.housecall.antivirus.com and run a check of your system for free to see if you have any viruses in your computer. You can scan without registering. I'm not computer-literate, so that's about the limit of my ability to assist you; sorry I don't know more. (http://housecall.trendmicro.com/ is the web-address in my browser after I type in housecall.antivirus.com ) |
Hillbilly | Tuesday, October 22, 2002 - 04:09 am     You might have a hardware problem. Maybe your hard drive is getting ready to go. A coworker experienced this same thing recently....system slowed down to a crawl. He kept trying all kinds of things and finally called tech support. They ran a hardware analysis and discovered a bad hard disk. Popped in a new hard disk and the system is back up and running. |
Jo_5329 | Tuesday, October 22, 2002 - 04:13 am     I have incredimail and I have NEVER had a problem with it slowing down my system. Also, I'm still using Win98 - and have heard nothing but bad things about Win ME. I highly doubt it has a virus embedded in the software, as I know numerous people that have that program with no problems. Could be a program/Operating System problem. Anyway - when was the last time you did a scan disc or defrag? How often do you clean out your recycle bin, cookies, windows temp files, etc? I have Norton Utilities that has a program that fixes windows problems and also cleans up the Hard Drive. It's a handy program that you can set to help clean up your computer. This is not to say that you do NOT have a virus, it's a good idea if you spend a lot of time on the internet to run a virus scan weekly, and keep the protection on at all times. Hope this heads you in the right direction. Jo |
Grannyg | Tuesday, October 22, 2002 - 04:13 am     I have had Incredimail on my computer for a couple of weeks now and I haven't had any problems with it or my computer. I'm with Sia run a check for viruses. Most of the time a virus comes as an attachment to an email. You might want to try and run Disk Defrag to line everything back up again instead of having gaps in your programs. Scan disk can usually fix problems with Windows. I use a program called Diskeeper. Fragmented programs can make them run slow. |
Mack | Tuesday, October 22, 2002 - 04:40 am     ME is a horrid memory manager. My wife had incredible problems with her PIII and she was running 384 MB of RAM. Finally got her to upgrade to XP Pro and the problems went away. I'm running a P4 with 768 MB of RAM and dumped ME because it won't work, at least not well, with over 512 MB of RAM. It's not that I'm a big XP fan, had my own share of problems until SP1 and upgrading my BIOS. Now it's stable I'd have to save it is better than ME. |
Silksmoke | Tuesday, October 22, 2002 - 07:01 am     I have had incredimail for about a year now, and have never had a problem with it. Norton Internet Security system with Anti-Virus (that constantly scans the computer), and the Norton Utilities (that picks up problems in the system and automatically fixes them)are excellent programs. Try what Jo and Grannyg suggested regarding defrag, clearing the recycle bin, history, and using the disc cleanup program in windows to clear temporary files. I have Windows 98, but have heard of problems with Windows ME. Having no computer savvy I wish I could be of more help. |
Draheid | Tuesday, October 22, 2002 - 08:07 am     A possible problem may be disk fragmentation. As you run your system, the files created through browsing (cache) and just general use create a considerable amount of fragmented files that can only be resolved by running a defragmenting program. You should be able to find this program in the b{Start} - Programs - Accessories - System Tools - Disk Defragmenter. If you have not run this program before (or even recently), depending on the size of your hard drive, it will probably take a very long time to complete the process. You may even be prompted to run scandisk prior to defrag to correct any problems with the files system. Scandisk is in the same folder as Disk Defragmeneter. The second tip that I recommend, AFTER you have defragmented, is to force the system to use a fixed swap file (Virtual Memory) size. To do this, you have to go into Start - Settings - Control Panel - System to open the System Properties. Click on the Performance tab then click on the Virtual Memory button. You will see a caution warning. In the dialog, select the option to Let me specify my own virtual memory settings. Then set the Minimum & Maximum settings to double your system memory amount (ie. if you have 256MB, set both to 512) and then click OK. You will be prompted to confirm, click Yes and your computer will have to be restarted for the changes to take effect. Performing the 2nd operation will reduce the amount of 'thrashing' that windows does when it needs virtual memory and thus reduce the amount of fragmentation on your hard drive. I have implemented this system on virtually every Win95/98/ME computer I have ever owned or managed both at work and at home with no ill effect. However, if you are uncomfortable with doing this type of thing, I would suggest you discuss it with a computer technician you are comfortable with. |
Tester | Wednesday, October 23, 2002 - 07:03 am     Gadzooks, I use Windows XP Pro, but had the same problem. It turned out that I had downloaded a "free" program that tracks (spys) on your browsing habits in additional to its stated function. It reports what it find to third parties. Some of these programs are Kaazaa, Audio Satellite, Comet Cursor and Gator. There are others. There is a site that will check a program name to see if it is a spy program. It also provides a program that will remove the "spyware" It might be worthwhile to check your system for this. \click here for the spychecker Check the home page of this site to see if a particular program is spyware |
Jo_5329 | Wednesday, October 23, 2002 - 09:34 am     Tester, the best thing I ever did was get a program similiar to the one you mention and cleaned up all 3 of our computers with it. Now I run it about once a month on 2 of the computers that are used mostly for internet fun. It's dangerous out there folks -- let's be careful! Actually, I'm glad someone started this folder --- would be a great way for us to all learn from each other . Jo --- |
Draheid | Wednesday, October 23, 2002 - 09:50 am     Tester & Jo_5329 (and anyone else interested): My advice to you, if you don't already have such a program, is to download and install the FREE firewall software called ZoneAlarm from Zonelabs.com , on your computers. (Click here to download ZoneAlarm directly from CNet Downloads) This program is very easy to use, it is very highly rated, and it is free. One of the best things about it is that it will notify you immediately if any program has not been authorized by you to access the internet from your computer. Initially, everything want you do on the net will need to be authorized the first time, however, it should be relatively unobtrusive after that. Unless a program that isn't supposed to have access tries to do so. There are other firewall programs available, most of them cost money to register though. Another excellent site to visit for information on privacy and security is Steve Gibsons site at GRC.COM where you will find another spychecker type program and you can run the 'ShieldsUp!' program to see just how potentially vulnerable your computer is. |
Tester | Wednesday, October 23, 2002 - 10:18 am     Thanks Dreheid! Good to know about this "stuff" Sometimes you never know until you have been bitten. It is better to be defensive. |
Jo_5329 | Wednesday, October 23, 2002 - 12:36 pm     It took me about 1 week of chatting in Yahoo! Chat rooms {don't do it if anyone hasn't yet, if you want to chat, go to MSN .. but that's another long story uh Silks? ::: giggle :::} to figure out I needed a firewall. I got Zone Alarm at first then got Hacktrace and dumped Zone Alarm. But folks, Dreheid has a valid point here. Get a firewall - a free one or one in Norton, or whatever ... and I would HIGHLY recommend the GRC.COM site myself. Reading the story about the attacks on his site took me days, but was a learning experience that validated to me the cost of a firewall. Jo --- |
Juju2bigdog | Wednesday, October 23, 2002 - 01:28 pm     Jo, that is why you should only chat in #tvclubchat. |
Halfunit | Wednesday, October 23, 2002 - 02:39 pm     I don't have WinME, so I may have to defer to Draheid on the specs... After all of the virus checking, defragging, and surface scanning, etc., is there a simple place in ME to check system resources? For instance, I am running Win98. If I right click once on My Computer, select Properties, and click on the Performance tab, it will let me know how much of my systems resources are being utilized. (Mine right now is at 71%. On a fresh re-boot, it's at 86%.) This is not a fix, but a start. If it's below 60% on a fresh re-boot, you are running too many applications in the background. As for your auto-disconnect, are you using a modem? If so, find your dial-up network folder. (With Win98, it's Start/Programs/Accessories/Communications/ Dial-Up Networking.) Once there, right click once on the connection you are using and select Properties. At the bottom, it will list the modem you are using and offers a Configure button. Click on it. Click on the Connection tab, and at the bottom there is an option to disconnect if idle for a certain amount of time. If that box is checked, uncheck it. That's about all the help I can offer. Good luck. |
Draheid | Wednesday, October 23, 2002 - 02:48 pm     I thought I'd bring everyone a little perspective here!
Great Forecasts by Experts...that were dead wrong. "With progress we may someday build a computer that weighs less than 15 tons." -- Popular Mechanics, 1949 "I think the maximum world market is maybe 5 computers." -- Chairman of IBM, 1953 "There is no reason we can foresee anyone would ever want a computer in their home." -- Chairman of Digital Equipment, 1973 "This telephone has too many shortcomings to ever be a serious means of business communication." -- Chairman of Western Union, 1896 "We don't like your sound, and guitar music is on the way out." -- Decca Records - rejecting the Beatles, 1962 "Airplanes are interesting toys, but they will never have military value." -- Marshal Ferdenand Foch, 1914 "You haven't got thru college yet; we don't need you or your crazy idea." -- Hewlett Packards answer to the future inventors of the personal computer. "No one will ever need more than 640K of memory on their PC." -- Bill Gates, Microsoft, 1981 Better to strengthen your back then lighten your burden. -- Native American Saying So the next time you're warned "but THEY SAY IN..." remember, sometimes "THEY" are totally clueless too. |
Draheid | Wednesday, October 23, 2002 - 02:57 pm     Now, back to the questions at hand. To find the report of resources in Windows/ME, right-click on My Computer then left click on Properties to view System Properties. Click on Performance tab to view current status of your system. There will also be a message at the bottom of that list indicating whether or not your system is configured for optimal performance. There should also be a Resource Meter program located in Start - Programs - Accessories - System Tools which will launch and place an icon in your task tray (at the right end of your tool bar) which looks like a bargraph. Double-click on it to bring up a bargraph view of your system resources as well. If this program is not installed, you can install it by going into Add/Remove Programs and selecting Windows Setup then under System Tools place a check by the System Resource Meter and click Ok - Ok to install. Note: This will probably require your original Windows/ME installation CD. Hope this helps. |
Halfunit | Wednesday, October 23, 2002 - 03:01 pm     Halfunit bows to Draheid |
Gadzooks | Wednesday, October 23, 2002 - 10:36 pm     Wow, I can't tell you how you guys are great and very helpful with all the tips. Sia...I followed your suggestion about running housecall.antivirus.com and guess what ....it turns out I have 2 infected files js exception.gen and js noclose.e....now I need to figure out how to get rid of these. I don't have an anti-virus program right now....I used to have Mcafee, but it expired. Does anyone know of any good free anti-virus programs that I can download? Anyways, I followed the defrag advice...I had to put my computer into the safe mode for the defrag to complete it's entire cycle. Can you believe it took over 6 hours to defrag. Yikes!!! Also, I erased all my .tmp and .chk files and temp internet files. I notice that my internet connection doesn't disconnect anymore. So that's been fixed. Also, once I'm connected to my internet server my files open very quickly. However, I still find that my start up is way too slow. It takes at least 3 minutes for all of my icons to come up on my screen. What could that be? Do you think it's due to my infected files? O.K. ...so now I'm off to check for spyware...crossing my fingers. |
Draheid | Wednesday, October 23, 2002 - 10:41 pm     Gadzooks: You can download a 15-day free trial copy of Norton Antivirus from their website. They require you to fill out a form with (I believe) a valid e-mail address. Once it's completed, you can download it immediately and install it. Direct Link to Trialware Download |
Cjr | Wednesday, October 23, 2002 - 11:19 pm     I have Windows ME also and had to uninstall incredimail for the same reasons as Gadzooks. My son installed KaZaa a few weeks ago and 3 days ago AOL stopped all of our passwords because someone stole one and was using it for some type of advertising. I ran a free virus scan and it came up with several backdoor files. I think I have them all deleted but after reading this thread I will uninstall Kazaa. What exactly is "spyware"? I don't get why people would want my password and screen name if AOL just cancels it if it is being misused. What am I missing here? (Plenty I'm sure) |
Sia | Thursday, October 24, 2002 - 06:14 am     As Draheid suggested, ZoneAlarm is an excellent free firewall program. I used it on my old computer and really liked it. I was quite shocked to see how many attempts there were by remote systems trying to connect to my computer via port-scans, etc. I currently have Norton Internet Security on my new p.c. and really like that, too. If this machine hadn't come with NIS, I would be running ZoneAlarm again. Draheid, I block every address from which a Trojan horse or BackdoorSubSeven attack is launched, individually in some cases, and I add the whole block if the offender's ISP is located in a third-world country. Am I overreacting? Thanks in advance. |
Sia | Thursday, October 24, 2002 - 06:18 am     Gadzooks, when you went to housecall.antivirus.com, did you get prompted to let the program delete those files for you? When I had a virus and a kak-worm in my old p.c., I let the remote program zap the files away for me. Once I had let it delete the irreparable files (because it WILL fix those files that can be fixed), I was kind of stuck, though, because I didn't research diligently in order to locate the now-missing files. Many of the files I lost were *.exe files and I couldn't run some of my programs after that. Draheid, please advise Gadzooks about this, okay? Thanks a bunch!! |
Sia | Thursday, October 24, 2002 - 06:23 am     Cjr, I would definitely delete Kazaa. My interpretation of the term "spyware" is that it's a hidden file or files embedded where it's virtually undetectable by the user which transmits info to a remote location regarding your web-browsing habits. The intent of spyware is to report what you're looking at so that banner-ads can be tailored to more closely fit your "profile." Example, if you're someone who tends to click on articles about diets, you'll get ads for diet products; if you click on vacation destinations, you'll get airline ads, etc. If you frequent book web-sites, you'll get offers for discounts at web-booksellers, etc. |
Sia | Thursday, October 24, 2002 - 06:41 am     Cjr, this is the first thing I found on spyware on doing a search: Spyware is Internet jargon for Advertising Supported software (Adware). It is a way for shareware authors to make money from a product, other than by selling it to the users. There are several large media companies that offer them to place banner ads in their products in exchange for a portion of the revenue from banner sales. This way, you don't have to pay for the software and the developers are still getting paid. If you find the banners annoying, there is usually an option to remove them, by paying the regular licensing fee. spyware In general, spyware is any technology that aids in gathering information about a person or organization without their knowledge. On the Internet, spyware is programming that is put in someone's computer to secretly gather information about the user and relay it to advertisers or other interested parties. Spyware can get in a computer as a software virus or as the result of installing a new program. Data collecting programs that are installed with the user's knowledge are not, properly speaking, spyware, if the user fully understands what data is being collected and with whom it is being shared. The cookie is a well-known mechanism for storing information about an Internet user on their own computer. However, the existence of cookies and their use is generally not concealed from users, who can also disallow access to cookie information. Nevertheless, to the extent that a Web site stores information about you in a cookie that you don't know about, the cookie mechanism could be considered a form of spyware. DoubleClick, a leading banner ad serving company, changed its plans to combine cookie information with database information from other sources to target ad campaigns directly to individuals without their permission. DoubleClick's current policy is not to collect "personally-identifiable" information about a user without their explicit permission or "opt-in." Aureate Media, which distributes free software on the Web in exchange for the right to gather user information, is another company that has been criticized for not plainly indicating what data it gathers and for making it difficult to remove its programming. Spyware is part of an overall public concern about privacy on the Internet. adware Adware is any software application in which advertising banners are displayed while the program is running. The authors of these applications include additional code that delivers the ads, which can be viewed through pop-up windows or through a bar that appears on a computer screen. The justification for adware is that it helps recover programming development cost and helps to hold down the cost for the user. Adware has been criticized for occasionally including code that tracks a user's personal information and passes it on to third parties, without the user's authorization or knowledge. This practice has been dubbed spyware and has prompted an outcry from computer security and privacy advocates, including the Electronic Privacy Information Center. Noted privacy software expert Steve Gibson of Gibson Research explains: "Spyware is any software (that) employs a user's Internet connection in the background (the so-called 'backchannel') without their knowledge or explicit permission. Silent background use of an Internet 'backchannel' connection must be preceded by a complete and truthful disclosure of proposed backchannel usage, followed by the receipt of explicit, informed consent for such use. Any software communicating across the Internet absent of these elements is guilty of information theft and is properly and rightfully termed: Spyware." A number of software applications, including Ad-Aware and OptOut (by Gibson's company), are available as freeware to help computer users search for and remove suspected spyware programs. |
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