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Archive through January 24, 2004

The TVClubHouse: Archives: 2004 January - Arpil: Computer Problems? Ask here... (ARCHIVES): Archive through January 24, 2004 users admin

Author Message
Draheid

Thursday, January 22, 2004 - 7:35 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Herckle: Restarting is a good place to start. I can't think of anything causing the screen text to change size from cleaning a keyboard.

Let me know if this helps.

Jan

Thursday, January 22, 2004 - 7:59 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Hi Guys

Since I cannot get my D: DVD/CD tray to open anymore and doubt I can afford to get it fixed (I have no car to take it anywhere and am mechanically incompetent anyway), can I just start using the E: CD tray as though it is the only one I have? I put my greeting card CD in and it opened automatically so I am assuming it will work OK that way.

As far as I can see, the only thing I will lose by not fixing the D: tray is the ability to play DVD's (which I never do) and to burn CD's (which I rarely do as I always have buffer problems).

Will not fixing D: and only using E: create any problems for me at all?

Cindori

Thursday, January 22, 2004 - 8:08 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Herc,

If you go to the View menu in Internet Explorer and then to text size you can change it back.

Draheid

Thursday, January 22, 2004 - 8:33 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Jan: You shouldn't have any problems running any CD from the E: drive. The only foreseeable complication might be if you have installed software from CDs in the D: drive before and find you need to make changes. The system will probably balk about not being able to find the install disk in the D: drive but should allow you to redirect it to the E: drive.

The only other possible side effect is that CDs probably will not automatically run from the E: drive, you should otherwise be fine. Again, simply instructing Windows to run the program from the E: drive will take care of that too.

Hope this helps.

Jan

Thursday, January 22, 2004 - 9:28 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Thanks Dra. That's what I will do then

Have a happy day

Costacat

Thursday, January 22, 2004 - 10:25 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Can't Jan use the old DOS subst command to redirect drive D to drive E?

Draheid

Thursday, January 22, 2004 - 10:52 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
There are many programs written lately which will not adhere to the proper usage of the subst command. However, the computer can be reconfigured to change the drive letters on each drive. Move drive D: to F: first, then move drive E: to drive D: and that should solve an potential problems completely.

Jan The exact process to make this kind of change is dependent on which version of Windows you are running. If you would like to make this change, please remind me of which version you have installed, I would be happy to post detailed instructions.

Please let me know.

Herckleperckle

Thursday, January 22, 2004 - 3:28 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Drah, resetting did it. Thanks for confirming.

Cindori, thank you for offering your help!! I use Earthlink to connect to the net. Might have been able to do that (tried!), but I couldn't get it to work. (Clicking on the View button for view size changes had no effect on the copy in the window for TV Clubhouse. But I may have been doing this wrong.)



Herckleperckle

Thursday, January 22, 2004 - 3:30 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Gosh, I just read thru this whole thread. You (Dra and Bob, in particular) guys are wonderful! What a terrific resource you are! Never really paid attention to all that goes on in here. Wowser. I am so impressed!!

Jan

Thursday, January 22, 2004 - 4:24 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Thanks Dra and Costa.I have Windows 98. Before I do that though, I was in Staples today buying coloured Ink and ran into another customer whom I do not know but who happens to be a computer tech.

I was talking to him about various inks etc when he mentioned his job. I mentioned my cd tray and that I did not have the expertise to change it myself.
He says that CD burners are really cheap now to buy and install.He offered to do it for me at a charge of $25 per hour for labour (ie that's about $19 US dollars an hour).

I should mention that he wasn't pushing this on me..I was pushing it on him:)

He said he would buy the product, bring it with him, install it and charge me for the part and the hourly rate.(he figured it would take less than an hour)

Is that a fair charge? I realize it is my decision but I would welcome your advise?

ETA: Herckle is right BTW. You guys are all a godsend :):)

Draheid

Thursday, January 22, 2004 - 4:53 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Jan: The labor rate is very good for this type of work. I am also very confident that the changing of a CD drive should not take more then a few minutes, 15-30 at the most. The only 'trick' might be in making sure the correct software and drivers are installed for the drive to work correctly for you. If you are comfortable with this person doing the work for you then you should go ahead and hire him for the job.

If you would prefer to tackle it yourself, it is honestly not difficult at all and I would be happy to help you through the process. Just let me know.

Hope that helps.

Tabbyking

Thursday, January 22, 2004 - 4:57 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
i would like to second that emotion, herck! until i had need to come here i just by-passed this thread! but, wow, when i had a question, what knowledgeable folks we had here and so willing and prompt with their help.
i hardly ever have to 'google' anymore:) i just tvch a lot. someone knows something about most everything. isn't it great!
thanks to all the people who offer their help!

Jan

Thursday, January 22, 2004 - 5:02 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    


Thanks so much Draheid and Costa and all you guys.

I will give him a call Draheid. When I tackle something mechanical , I am all thumbs. I think I would feel better if he did it and I watched.but thank you so much for the offer.

Bob2112

Thursday, January 22, 2004 - 5:31 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Jan: Since you already have a CD-RW (burner) as your E: drive, you may want to consider getting a DVD-ROM instead of either a CD-RW (burner) or CD-ROM (read only). It should be cheaper than than the CD-RW you mentioned and only a little more than a CD-ROM. It will be your new D: drive and you can use it to watch a DVD on your computer and access any extra computer features there might be on the DVD. The DVD-ROM will also read your CDs just fine, so you will be set for both CDs and DVDs. Installation should be the same for either type of drive.

Jan

Friday, January 23, 2004 - 8:46 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Thanks for mentioning that, Bob. Actually, while I keep calling it a CD tray, it is a DVD-ROM now. But I don't think I mentioned that to Steve so I am glad you mentioned it. I will make sure he replaces it with a DVD. :)

Daydreamer

Saturday, January 24, 2004 - 7:04 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Dra - my trial version of Zone Alarm has expired. I think you said you have the free version on your computer. It looks like the free version is just a firewall and doesn't stop pop ups. Since you're the pro around here, do you think it's worth the $39.95 to install the full version of Zone Alarm or should I install the free firewall and just do a free pop up blocker?
I don't know the first thing about cookies or caches so all that other stuff that comes with the full version of Zone Alarm means nothing to me since I don't even know what it is. Thanks!

Texannie

Saturday, January 24, 2004 - 7:35 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Day, I use the Google task bar with pop up stoppers. It's free and doesn't ad spyware. I used to use Pop Up Stopper by panicware, which is free also, but I think Google blocks better.

Juju2bigdog

Saturday, January 24, 2004 - 9:21 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Daydreamer, the free Zone Alarm is probably all an unsophisticated user like you and me needs.

Herckleperckle

Saturday, January 24, 2004 - 9:35 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Just another to let you know I truly appreciate all you do, day in and day out!
Thank you!



Daydreamer

Saturday, January 24, 2004 - 9:41 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Texannie - how do you install the Google task bar with pop up stoppers? Thanks!

Texannie

Saturday, January 24, 2004 - 9:47 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
http://toolbar.google.com/

Jan

Saturday, January 24, 2004 - 10:47 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Day, you need to be using Internet Explorer to use the Google Toolbar . I don't think it works with Netscape if you happen to be a Netscape user like me. (but then Netscape 7.1 has a popup blocker built in :))

Landi

Saturday, January 24, 2004 - 12:31 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
texannie, i love the google toolbar also!! it's caught (according to the blocker) 406 popups!

Juju2bigdog

Saturday, January 24, 2004 - 1:51 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I just got back from spending most of the morning at my next door neighbor's house. He got infected with something wihle we were gone to CA. I burned a CD with ZoneAlarm firewall, Ad-Aware, and my 34 day old copy of Trojan Hunter that Bob told me about. We installed and ran all of those. Trojan Hunter found FIVE trojan viruses and about twenty other suspect files. Ad-Aware found 376 spyware files. LOL.

I also checked his computer and found he is running Windows XP with 128 MB RAM, and we went to crucial.com and found out what type of RAM he needs, and he is going to get some more. Thanks for all the help, my little imaginary internet buddies.

Bob2112

Saturday, January 24, 2004 - 2:23 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I imagine you are welcome.