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Archive through December 16, 2003

The TVClubHouse: Archives: 2004 January - Arpil: Computer Problems? Ask here... (ARCHIVES): Archive through December 16, 2003 users admin

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Texannie

Thursday, December 11, 2003 - 2:35 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
OKay...ordered and on it's way!! Thanks for all ya'lls help. But don't give me anymore info cause it's too late! LOL ;)

Juju2bigdog

Thursday, December 11, 2003 - 5:17 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Yay!!!

Luvmyjrt

Thursday, December 11, 2003 - 6:24 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
OK: Doing this from home cause I'm just a bit paranoid. I like to surf the net at work and don't want them to know what I've been doing. We have the occasional "That is not an approved site" popup but not much else. I delete my cookies, files and history through Internet Tools. What else can I do? We run windows 2000. (Tee hee -- can't spend enough time here!)

Zachsmom

Thursday, December 11, 2003 - 7:38 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
you can't do anything Luv, I wrote a program for my work that captures the urls of everyones websites that they browse, so managers can see what their employees are up to (I did it for email too-YIKES) The internet is connected through a network server, deleting your cookies & History at work is only good if someone is looking at YOUR physical computer, everything is still captured on the network server.

Juju2bigdog

Thursday, December 11, 2003 - 8:46 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
----------->Luvmyjrt

Uh oh.

Not1worry

Friday, December 12, 2003 - 12:00 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
All of a sudden I am getting all kinds of pop up ads from Internet Explorer. I have AOL, so it's not like I have an IE window open. I leave AOL on and when I check the computer a few hours later, I have about 5 junk ads piled up on each other on my desktop. I can't figure out if there's some setting I need to change. I haven't added anything new to the computer. Help?

Draheid

Friday, December 12, 2003 - 12:36 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Not1worry: It sounds like you've gotten some AdWare or SpyWare installed on your computer without your knowledge. Since AOL uses components from IE, that would explain why the windows look like IE. I recommend you download, install, and run AdAware 6 to clear this type of problem from your system.

Go to Lavasoft Download Page and download the program from there.

Hope this helps.

Not1worry

Friday, December 12, 2003 - 3:18 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Thanks, Draheid! I did that, so hopefully this annoyance will end.

Not1worry

Sunday, December 14, 2003 - 8:43 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I've run the AdAware 6 program about 6 times and gotten rid of about 246 items. Still getting all these pop ups. It's driving me nuts. More help?

Draheid

Sunday, December 14, 2003 - 8:47 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Not1worry: Can you tell me a little more about the popups? Is there anything 'common' about them that you have noticed?

You may also need to try running 'Spybot Search & Destroy' which is available for download here

Juju2bigdog

Sunday, December 14, 2003 - 11:19 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Just about every night since I have been back home, one week, or maybe EVERY night, I start having internet problems about 7 p.m. and the problems continue on until I go to bed. I can connect to the internet, but I can't go anywhere. Or, maybe I can eventually, but it takes forever. One night I absolutely could not go anywhere. I get either Page Cannot be Found or the IE symbol just spins forever.

I have Windows ME and IE 6.0. ISP is Juno pay. Dial-up. Juno has its own browser but I use IE instead. However, when I am having the problem, I cannot navigate anywhere on Juno browser either.

The night it was the worst, I re-installed Juno. Did not cure it. Then I tried another ISP, Netzero free, which, I know is also Juno, but they have different dialers. I could connect momentarily but because it is free, it goes first to Netzero home page, and the browser could not open the page, so it disconnected. I have two phone lines, both acted the same way, no difference.

In the mornings and up until about 7 p.m., I have no problems whatsoever. I have come to the conclusion the problem must have something to do with the phone lines in the evening. I live in a college town. Maybe the students get on the phones at night? I dunno, tie up the internet trunk lines? Is that feasible?

Anybody got any ideas? I don't think there is a solution (well, there is, go to DSL or cable, but I am not going to do that), but I like to have explanations.

Twinkie

Sunday, December 14, 2003 - 11:41 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Juju, Juno and Netzero only have just so many dialup lines for your area. It may be that your area has a lot of folks dialing into those numbers in the evenings when the net is always the busiest. I used to work in tech support for Juno/Netzero and that's most likely the reason. If it were like that all the time I'd have you change a few things and try again. Hope that helps. BTW, if they get alot of complaints about this they will most likely add more numbers to your area.

Zachsmom

Sunday, December 14, 2003 - 11:50 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
That's a strange problem Juju. I don't know enough about phone lines to be able to say without a doubt that the cause is the phones. I would think that since Netzero and Juno are the same company, that their servers are configured the same, so it "might" be just the servers for Juno/Netzero and after 7pm is their busy time. You're able to initially connect, so once you do I don't see you getting bounced off because of heavy phone traffic in your area. You don't get bounced off the telephone because there are too many people trying to make calls, so why with internet? College students now and days are born with a cell phone implanted, so I doubt it's the traffic from them.

I did a search for free ISP in Washington State, Here is a list of free or cheap ISPs I noticed that both Juno & Netzero rated pretty poor for your area (State). You may want to see about another ISP (mFire has a high rating at only 14.95 per month}.

Hopefully someone more aware of ISP's and phone lines can help. But it just doesn't seem (to me) that it would be college students tying up phone lines, more reasonable would be the hardware and configuration of the servers hosting the ISP.

Draheid

Monday, December 15, 2003 - 12:48 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Juju: The first suggestion I have is to contact the phone company right when the problem is happening. Ask their technical department to run a test on your line at that time to see if there is anything going on.

Next thought is, any chance you could try dialing up from another location in town, away from home, at the time you're having trouble?

If you discover you're able to connect fine after 7PM from another location, I would ask the phone company to check again for interference on the line that begins at that time, asking if they can put a monitor on the line for 24 hours and see if they discover any problems.

There could be a number of external interferences that can cause your line to begin failing after that time, including such things as radio broadcasts, someone with faulty equipment causing noise on the lines, etc. that happens to begin at about that time.

Let me know what you find out and any other symptoms you discover through testing.

Juju2bigdog

Monday, December 15, 2003 - 12:56 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Dra, the phone company and I are not real big buddies about me not being able to use my computer. From time to time, I can't dial up at all, and every single time I have ever complained or even inquired about it, they very snottily tell me they do not guarantee data transmission, only voice, and since they are NOW talking to me just fine on my phone line, to go piss into the wind.

Zmom, I know, it makes no sense whatsoever. Because I DO get through to the internet. My icon of two little monitors bubbling turquoise between each other sits down there in my icon tray burbling its little heart out, but I can't navigate anywhere. It is just, well, weird. Oh, and it is now after 11 p.m., and I am navigating just fine. Just like I had DSL or something. Go figure.

Draheid

Monday, December 15, 2003 - 7:14 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Juju: I would call them from one line and tell them you're having trouble with making calls on the other line, the one you 'normally use for voice calls'. You might also explore 'data grade' service, usually about $5.00 per month extra - have that installed then cancel after the first month - often they just remove it from your bill but don't make any changes to the line.

I am still suspect about the timing. It's quite possible there is some device connected near the phone wiring that is only in use from 7PM to 11PM causing interference. I would still like to see if you have problems from another location in town at that time or not.

BTW, what is the normal connection speed you get when you dialup? Is it consistent nearly every time?

Hope this helps.

Juju2bigdog

Monday, December 15, 2003 - 10:14 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Thanks, Dra. Some food for thought there. I will start checking connection speed during those times. Haven't thought to do that. And I like the idea of paying for "data grade" service. Didn't even know you could do that. I can't think of anything that goes on here between 7 and 11 p.m. that is anything different, except maybe Bigdog down in the cave watching television. And he has been going to bed REAL early since we got back home (lingering jetlag), so the problem has been happening after he has turned off the tv in the cave.

Draheid

Monday, December 15, 2003 - 11:56 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Juju: It could be a neighbor - the interference could easily be 'ingressing' anywhere in the neighborhood, especially if your phoneline wires pass through a common junction box or something like that. It could also be a marginal piece of equipment the phone company has at the pedestal servicing your house. As far as 'data grade' service, I don't know if it's available in all areas, just something that my local offered me at one time.

Hope that helps.

Juju2bigdog

Monday, December 15, 2003 - 5:37 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Think my next door neighbor's ham radio operation could be interfering? BUT, he was in Hawaii when we got back to town, and I know I had the problem before he returned.

Draheid

Monday, December 15, 2003 - 8:15 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Juju: Actually, I was going to suggest you look into a HAM operator in the neighborhood. Depending on the type of radios they use and the antennas, it could possibly be something to look into as well. Perhaps next time you start experiencing the problem, you could contact the neighbor and ask if there is any equipment running that might cause interference. Most HAMs are more then happy to work with you on resolving problems.

I still think the data grade would be worth investigating as well. Even if only for a month. That way, not that they'll give a rodents arse about it, you could gripe to them that you KNOW the line is capable of better! lol

Let me know what you find out.

Juju2bigdog

Monday, December 15, 2003 - 8:54 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    

Quote:

Actually, I was going to suggest you look into a HAM operator in the neighborhood.




Oh great. This is the neighbor who looked after our house like he was our personal butler while we were gone.

It's not doing too bad tonight, lol.

Juju2bigdog

Monday, December 15, 2003 - 11:50 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Okay, what have I inadvertantly done now? I have never seen this before in about 8 years of using Windows operating systems. I have tvch set so that when I click on a message in New Messages, it opens in a new window. It is opening as a sort of little bitty toolbar at either the top left or or bottom right, with the three buttons on it, minimize, maximize, close. I have to hit the Maximize box to have the window open. I did not consciously change any settings.

Should I just take a shotgun to the neighbor's ham radio operation? I had heretofore been sort of blessing it because he is a talker, and when he is talking on the radio, he is not over here talking at us. Of course, the dear man is a saint. He's just a talker ...

Draheid

Tuesday, December 16, 2003 - 7:50 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Juju: That's happened to others too. Something happens with a popup window (same as opening a page in a new window) that resizes it. If the last new window that opened happened to have resized itself, when you closed explorer, that set the 'default' for new windows to the new (smaller) size. You need to open a new window, drag it to a visible area of the screen, resize (not maximize), then hold down your shift key and click on the 'X' to close the new window. This should help IE remember the size of new windows.

If that doesn't work, try the instructions described here

Hope this helps.

PS: No, shotguns are not required and a fellow ham operator should be protected by proxy anyway.

Juju2bigdog

Tuesday, December 16, 2003 - 9:25 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
It worked, Dra!!!

Thank you and Smoochies!

Edit: Oops, no it didn't work. Next window opened as the teeny tiny toolbar. Cancel the smoochies. I'll look at the other thing you suggested. LOL.

Juju2bigdog

Tuesday, December 16, 2003 - 9:37 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Okay, I see the detailed instructions say the re-sized window has to be the last one you close, so I'll wait to do it until I am done reading New Messages here.