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| Posted: Fri Sep 11th, 2009 12:11 pm |
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| Posted: Fri Sep 11th, 2009 12:12 pm |
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GaCDBFan
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GaCDBFan wrote: Born on the fourth wrote: GaCDBFan
Amen and Amen
BOTF
Also, thank you for ansewering my earlier question. I will remember to do what you said in the future, appreciate your response.
BOTF
Another thing you can do if you didn't INTEND to write a long post, but it rambled on before you knew it, is before you click "post", hold down the shift key and press the up arrow to turn all your text blue. Then hold down the "ctrl" key and press "c" for copy. This copys everything you just typed to your clipboard so that if your post messes up, you can "ctrl-v" (paste) your text right back in to a new post window in just a couple of seconds.
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| Posted: Fri Sep 11th, 2009 12:13 pm |
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| Posted: Fri Sep 11th, 2009 12:14 pm |
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GaCDBFan
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GaCDBFan wrote: Or you can use the arrow keys to move the cursor where you want it to start if you don't want to save everything..... up and down moves a line at a time, left and right move a character at a time both for moving and selecting. (edit: If you have a LOT of text to copy and you want to go REALLY fast, you can also use the "page-up" and "page-down" keys the same way.) The only difference is that holding the shift button down while moving selects everything between where the cursor starts out and where it ends. (edit: If you accidentally go a little too far, just keep hold of the shift key and back up the cursor whichever direction you need to and it will un-select whatever mistake you made too.) It also doesn't matter if you go backwards or forwards either. The computer just copies what is highlighted. It doesn't care which direction it was highlighted in. Last edited on Fri Sep 11th, 2009 12:19 pm by GaCDBFan
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| Posted: Fri Sep 11th, 2009 12:15 pm |
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GaCDBFan
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This is about keyboard shortcuts to save time and keeping you from having to move your hand to the mouse.
GaCDBFan wrote: One way to learn some keyboard shortcuts is to look at the underlined letters in the menu at the top of your program windows. (At least in Windows. I'm sure it is similar on a Mac, but I don't have one and haven't used one in years, so I can't speak for that.) Holding down either "alt" key and pressing the underlined letter opens that menu. Most of the items listed in the menu can be used the same way. In FireFox, for example, if you look in the "File" menu, the "new window" choice has the n underlined. You can type "alt-f" to open the "file" menu, then "alt-n" to open a new window. It also shows "ctrl-n" to hint at the shortcut. You can go straight to the hinted shortcuts by typing "ctrl-n" in this case, or whatever the hinted shortcut is.
Last edited on Mon Nov 16th, 2009 01:24 pm by GaCDBFan
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| Posted: Fri Sep 11th, 2009 12:34 pm |
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GaCDBFan
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This and the next one are about how to add pictures to your posts.
GaCDBFan wrote: vicki530 wrote: SusieQ_TX wrote: Its on my facebook. Can I paste pics here from Facebook? Had a ball in Austin yesterday. Drove up Friday and came back Sat. evening. 6 hours both ways. Spent the night with my son who I had not seen in about 4 months.
My laptop is giving me woe and is in the shop again. I'm looking forward to flying to D.C. on Friday for another turn and burn. Hi Suze, Hi BoS....
Susie, ask Shylo's hubbie. He knows how to do all that computer jazz
First you have to get the image location. If you are using Mozilla Firefox, it is simple. Go to where the picture is and right click it with the mouse and pick the "copy image location" menu choice.
If you are using Internet Explorer, it a little more complicated. Right click it, and select "properties" from the menu. In the window that pops up, find where it says "Address: (URL) http://www.somesite.com/picture.jpg". Point the mouse just to the left of the "http", hold down the left mouse button, and drag across until it turns color all the way to the ".jpg". (edit: some pictures may end in ".gif" instead of ".jpg") Then hold down the "ctrl" button and hit "c" to copy the image location.
Once you have the image location copied by either method, come in here, click the "reply" or "quote" button. It won't be there for "quick reply." Then click on the  , and hold the "ctrl" button down and press the "V" button for "paste" and hit enter or click "OK" and the picture will be there. It really isn't as complicated as I've made it sound, I'm just trying to be thorough about it so newbies reading this can (hopefully) follow.
Last edited on Mon Nov 16th, 2009 01:26 pm by GaCDBFan
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| Posted: Fri Sep 11th, 2009 01:01 pm |
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GaCDBFan
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The above post helps if you have a picture that is on the net somewhere, but what if you have a picture on your local computer that you'd like to post. The answer is that you have to first get them on the net, then follow the above directions.
There are several ways to do this. The easiest is to sign up for a free photo album sharing service. http://photobucket.com/ is one popular one. Google Picassa is another. (Google has TONS of free stuff, including a MS Office compatible program called Google Docs, and the Picassa I'm talking about. If you haven't looked around inside google at all the free stuff they have, I'd recommend it. Go to http://www.google.com/, click "more", then "even more" and be sure to scroll down. It goes on for a while.) If you click on the "more" link in Google, one of the choices there will say "photos". That brings up Picasa. Sign up for a free account with either, or any other similar service you might find. (Some photo labs offer this kind of thing for their customers too. I know Sam's Club does for example.) Follow the directions to upload a picture and make it viewable to the public. That makes it so anyone trying to view the picture doesn't have to enter a password. Now, just view the online album you just created till you get to your picture, and follow the instructions in the post above to get it in here.
Another way to do it is to set up your own web site. Many ISP's (internet service providers) offer free web sites to their members. Follow their directions to set yours up. Or you can do what I did and set up a web server on your computer at home. That is quite a bit more complicated, but if anyone is interested, I can try to walk you through it!
Last edited on Fri Sep 11th, 2009 01:05 pm by GaCDBFan
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| Posted: Fri Sep 11th, 2009 02:37 pm |
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nuffsaid
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Hello GaCDBFan,
What a thoughtful thing for you to do.
I keep getting a message of my virtual memory being low and Windows is correcting it.
It does that quite often. Is this something I should be concerned about?
Thanks
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| Posted: Sat Sep 12th, 2009 04:29 am |
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GaCDBFan
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Is it doing it only when you are running several programs? If so, you'd probably do your computer a world of good adding more RAM (memory). Maybe explaining what virtual memory is will help a bit.
Every program that is running (Windows runs dozens all the time, even if YOU are running nothing.) requires a certain amount of memory. Since there is only so much actual memory, Windows reserves a bit of your hard drive to use as pretend, or virtual, memory. (That isn't really quite right, but this is the biggest impact on the performance, so I'll focus on this part. Virtual memory actually also includes tricking programs to think they have one BIG chunk of memory when they actually have a bunch of little chunks. The smaller your memory is, the worse it gets. The bigger your memory, the bigger chunks it'll get.) If your computer HAS to use virtual memory because real memory runs out, it slows your computer WAY down. Real memory is at least 100X as fast as the hard drive, probably more than that. Using the hard drive as memory is not good, at least in terms of performance. It is good in the respect that it allows the computer to temporarily run more programs than it has real memory to run. Windows would crash if it could not do this every now and then. The important thing here is that it should only be doing it every now and then, NOT frequently.
When virtual memory is used, because the performance is so bad, Windows tries not to have to delete anything from there, trying to anticipate what might have to be written there again. If it's already there, it doesn't have to be written again... the performance improves greatly. Following me so far?
OK. If the computer is constantly having to go through the virtual memory file and looking at what is not being used RIGHT NOW so it can be deleted for a few moments and rewritten later, that means the computer is running out of both real memory and the virtual memory space is getting filled up by being used frequently. The best way to fix it, and this will speed up your computer greatly, is to add more real memory.
Another way to fix it, which will not greatly improve the performance, is to give the virtual memory a bigger chunk of the hard drive. This is really not a good idea for most users. Yet another thing you can do, which will help, but not fix the problem is to defragment your hard drive. Go to "my computer", right click the hard drive, and select "properties". Click the "tools" tab, then "defragment now."
Installing more RAM is the best and safest way to fix this problem. Memory is quite cheap these days, unless your computer uses an old type that is not currently popular. It'll be harder to find and more expensive. You'll have to do a little research to find out what type of memory you have and how much your computer can hold. You can go to the computer manufacturer's web site and look for a "support" link where you can enter the model number. It should tell you how much you should have factory installed, and how much it'll take total, and what type. There is also a tool at http://www.crucial.com that might be able to scan your computer and tell you this information. Then go somewhere that sells memory with the specs of your computer's memory, and buy some. It is quite easy on most systems to install memory, unless the memory sockets are hidden under other hardware. It only takes a few seconds to do.
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| Posted: Sun Sep 13th, 2009 01:01 am |
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| Posted: Sun Sep 13th, 2009 07:02 am |
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| Posted: Sun Sep 13th, 2009 06:19 pm |
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| Posted: Mon Sep 14th, 2009 04:26 pm |
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nuffsaid
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GaCDBFan wrote: Is it doing it only when you are running several programs? If so, you'd probably do your computer a world of good adding more RAM (memory). Maybe explaining what virtual memory is will help a bit.
Every program that is running (Windows runs dozens all the time, even if YOU are running nothing.) requires a certain amount of memory. Since there is only so much actual memory, Windows reserves a bit of your hard drive to use as pretend, or virtual, memory. (That isn't really quite right, but this is the biggest impact on the performance, so I'll focus on this part. Virtual memory actually also includes tricking programs to think they have one BIG chunk of memory when they actually have a bunch of little chunks. The smaller your memory is, the worse it gets. The bigger your memory, the bigger chunks it'll get.) If your computer HAS to use virtual memory because real memory runs out, it slows your computer WAY down. Real memory is at least 100X as fast as the hard drive, probably more than that. Using the hard drive as memory is not good, at least in terms of performance. It is good in the respect that it allows the computer to temporarily run more programs than it has real memory to run. Windows would crash if it could not do this every now and then. The important thing here is that it should only be doing it every now and then, NOT frequently.
When virtual memory is used, because the performance is so bad, Windows tries not to have to delete anything from there, trying to anticipate what might have to be written there again. If it's already there, it doesn't have to be written again... the performance improves greatly. Following me so far?
OK. If the computer is constantly having to go through the virtual memory file and looking at what is not being used RIGHT NOW so it can be deleted for a few moments and rewritten later, that means the computer is running out of both real memory and the virtual memory space is getting filled up by being used frequently. The best way to fix it, and this will speed up your computer greatly, is to add more real memory.
Another way to fix it, which will not greatly improve the performance, is to give the virtual memory a bigger chunk of the hard drive. This is really not a good idea for most users. Yet another thing you can do, which will help, but not fix the problem is to defragment your hard drive. Go to "my computer", right click the hard drive, and select "properties". Click the "tools" tab, then "defragment now."
Installing more RAM is the best and safest way to fix this problem. Memory is quite cheap these days, unless your computer uses an old type that is not currently popular. It'll be harder to find and more expensive. You'll have to do a little research to find out what type of memory you have and how much your computer can hold. You can go to the computer manufacturer's web site and look for a "support" link where you can enter the model number. It should tell you how much you should have factory installed, and how much it'll take total, and what type. There is also a tool at http://www.crucial.com that might be able to scan your computer and tell you this information. Then go somewhere that sells memory with the specs of your computer's memory, and buy some. It is quite easy on most systems to install memory, unless the memory sockets are hidden under other hardware. It only takes a few seconds to do.
Thanks a lot. I really appreciate all your time. I will go to that website and see what I can find out.
The main time it does it is if I'm online and maybe have 2 or 3 things at a time pulled up.
GOD BLESS.
Last edited on Mon Sep 14th, 2009 04:27 pm by nuffsaid
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| Posted: Mon Sep 14th, 2009 06:25 pm |
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GaCDBFan
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This is about registry scanning and repair tools. I'd recommend everyone get one and use it from time to time. It'll help keep your computer "like new" and will help keep some weird problems from showing up.
One other thing you can do that MIGHT help would be to scan your registry. There are a number of both paid for and free utilities to do this. A free one that I've used is here: http://iobit.com/advancedwindowscareper.html?Str=download A paid one I've used a long time ago is Norton Utilities, or Norton System Works. There are many others.
The only thing about free ones is that they sometimes have ads and/or other "free" software you don't want. If you get this, it'll try to also install yahoo tool bar and make yahoo your default search engine. If you don't want that, you'll have to watch as it downloads, and uncheck the boxes that say you want it, to change to where you don't want it. It'll also try to entice you to get the "pro" version for "free" but it isn't really free. You'll have to sign up for another service and jump through hoops, and I wouldn't recommend that. Just get the truly free one.
Also, this one works only with Windows 2000, XP, Vista, and the new Windows 7 that isn't out yet. If you have ME or 98 or 95, we'll have to find another one.
Last edited on Mon Nov 16th, 2009 01:32 pm by GaCDBFan
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| Posted: Wed Sep 16th, 2009 12:37 pm |
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GaCDBFan
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Don't be afraid to post what you think is a dumb question. The dumbest question is the one not asked. If you don't understand something, chances are someone else probably doesn't either. If you'd prefer, ask in a PM and I'll answer the same way.
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| Posted: Sat Sep 19th, 2009 01:11 pm |
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SusieQ_TX
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Here's the latest goofiness from my computer. Window media won't play sound that has been copied in. Itunes and the other media programs play sound. My guru played with it some and didn't find an easy fix.
And this just in. The DVD drive will read a CD with .pdf files (my textbook on disk) but it will not play a movie. It says it can't find the drive when I put one in.
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| Posted: Tue Sep 22nd, 2009 12:31 am |
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GaCDBFan
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This is about broken video/music playback.
SusieQ_TX wrote: Here's the latest goofiness from my computer. Window media won't play sound that has been copied in. Itunes and the other media programs play sound. My guru played with it some and didn't find an easy fix.
And this just in. The DVD drive will read a CD with .pdf files (my textbook on disk) but it will not play a movie. It says it can't find the drive when I put one in. Sorry I didn't try to answer this sooner. The thread got buried under a lot of new posts and I didn't see it for a while.
There could be any number of things that caused this, including viruses. The most likely cause is a corrupt or missing codec or a "broken" codec that something installed. Windows Media Player is different from a lot of other media players in its use of outside codecs to play media.
A codec is a COder/DECoder file. It knows how to convert video and audio streams to/from one format to another. Windows Media Player uses them for virtually every file it plays. Sometimes a codec gets corrupted or accidentally deleted and that leaves WMP not knowing how to play the media. Sometimes another program, including some viruses, installs a codec that isn't well written and is thus what I call "broken." WMP asks each codec one at a time if it knows how to handle the media task you are asking it to do. A "broken" codec will frequently answer "I DO!" to EVERY request, like a teacher's pet in school, even if it does not actually know how to handle the file. The codec fails to play, therefore WMP won't play the file. School teachers may learn to try calling on other students when the "I DO!" kid can't answer the questions, but WMP won't. It keeps trying to get the broken codec to try to play the file, and the codecs which actually COULD play the file never get asked. WMP never goes down the list in a different order or anything like that.
There is a STRONG, though admittedly not 100% chance that installing a complete set of good quality audio and video codecs will fix this. The one that I use and I've never run into a video or audio file it couldn't play, is the Combined Community Codec Pack, or CCCP like the old Soviet Union. The web site is here: http://cccp-project.net/. There are other similar projects that are also free, but I'll only recommend things I've actually tried. Give it a shot. There is a good chance it'll work.
Last edited on Mon Nov 16th, 2009 01:38 pm by GaCDBFan
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| Posted: Tue Sep 22nd, 2009 01:56 pm |
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bonds7
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I have googled my problem, but other's solutions did not work for me. Everytime I try to reply and paste into a post, internet explorer quits working, and has to restart.
I have a new computer with vista home premium, internet explorer 7. I had planned on buying a new computer when windows 7 came out, but old computer was going on 8 yrs old, it quit on me. 
A solution to this problem will greatly be appreciated.
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| Posted: Tue Sep 22nd, 2009 02:27 pm |
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GaCDBFan
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bonds7 wrote: I have googled my problem, but other's solutions did not work for me. Everytime I try to reply and paste into a post, internet explorer quits working, and has to restart.
I have a new computer with vista home premium, internet explorer 7. I had planned on buying a new computer when windows 7 came out, but old computer was going on 8 yrs old, it quit on me.
A solution to this problem will greatly be appreciated.
Try installing Internet Explorer 8. It came out recently. There might be a missing or corrupt file that a new install would fix. If you don't want IE8, you can still download and re-install IE 7. They are both available at http://www.microsoft.com.
Also try downloading and running the registry cleaner program I linked to in an earlier post.
I would also recommend Firefox. It usually works much better than IE with few exceptions. The only problems I've ever had with Firefox are when a web site uses proprietary Microsoft extensions to add extra features to their web site, thereby breaking the web site for Firefox and other browsers, including on the Mac and in Linux computers. Web site designers should stick to industry wide standards, not proprietary ones, but that is another issue. Firefox is here: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/. I wholeheartedly recommend the Thunderbird email program at the same place too.
If your computer is new enough (purchased June 26 or later), you may be able to get the upgrade to Windows 7 for free. Go to http://www.microsoft.com/windows/buy/offers/upgrade.aspx to find out. Click on your brand and it'll direct you to the manufacturer's upgrade instructions.
Last edited on Tue Sep 22nd, 2009 02:27 pm by GaCDBFan
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| Posted: Tue Sep 22nd, 2009 05:21 pm |
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bonds7
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GaCDBFan wrote: bonds7 wrote: I have googled my problem, but other's solutions did not work for me. Everytime I try to reply and paste into a post, internet explorer quits working, and has to restart.
I have a new computer with vista home premium, internet explorer 7. I had planned on buying a new computer when windows 7 came out, but old computer was going on 8 yrs old, it quit on me.
A solution to this problem will greatly be appreciated.
Try installing Internet Explorer 8. It came out recently. There might be a missing or corrupt file that a new install would fix. If you don't want IE8, you can still download and re-install IE 7. They are both available at http://www.microsoft.com.
Also try downloading and running the registry cleaner program I linked to in an earlier post.
I would also recommend Firefox. It usually works much better than IE with few exceptions. The only problems I've ever had with Firefox are when a web site uses proprietary Microsoft extensions to add extra features to their web site, thereby breaking the web site for Firefox and other browsers, including on the Mac and in Linux computers. Web site designers should stick to industry wide standards, not proprietary ones, but that is another issue. Firefox is here: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/. I wholeheartedly recommend the Thunderbird email program at the same place too.
If your computer is new enough (purchased June 26 or later), you may be able to get the upgrade to Windows 7 for free. Go to http://www.microsoft.com/windows/buy/offers/upgrade.aspx to find out. Click on your brand and it'll direct you to the manufacturer's upgrade instructions.
Thanks for your help GaCDBFan.
What helped was the free download of your earlier posting of the link to the free download of the registry cleaner, thanks! You were not kidding when you said there were lots of hoops to jump through. 
Now, with that being said, I have another problem, does it ever end? My Protected mode is turned on, but it keeps popping up that it is turned off. I have restarted internet explorer, didn't work, restarted my computer, still doesn't work. I've about had enough computer problems for today. I started with windows 98 when it came out, bought a new computer with windows xp when it came out, gave the first computer to younger sister, it is still going, (11 yrs old) just slow. I am having more problems with vista than i ever had with 98 and xp together. I've heard windows 7 is better, and I do get the free. 
Last edited on Tue Sep 22nd, 2009 05:23 pm by bonds7
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| Posted: Wed Sep 23rd, 2009 04:27 am |
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GaCDBFan
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This is mostly about the importance of doing "routine maintenance" on your computer, and several things everyone should do.
bonds7 wrote: Thanks for your help GaCDBFan. What helped was the free download of your earlier posting of the link to the free download of the registry cleaner, thanks! You were not kidding when you said there were lots of hoops to jump through. Now, with that being said, I have another problem, does it ever end? My Protected mode is turned on, but it keeps popping up that it is turned off. I have restarted internet explorer, didn't work, restarted my computer, still doesn't work. I've about had enough computer problems for today. I started with windows 98 when it came out, bought a new computer with windows xp when it came out, gave the first computer to younger sister, it is still going, (11 yrs old) just slow. I am having more problems with vista than i ever had with 98 and xp together. I've heard windows 7 is better, and I do get the free. Is that a protected mode in Internet Explorer I'm assuming? Unfortunately, I almost never use IE anymore. I only use it for the very few web sites I go to that Firefox won't work on yet. Therefore, I'm not really up on all the IE modes and how to set them, etc. I can look around on the net to see what I can find out.
It is possible that there is a virus that is forcing the mode off so that it can more easily connect to the internet. Do you have a good antivirus program that has up-to-date virus profiles?
A note to everyone, not just you. One of THE MOST IMPORTANT things you can do to keep your computer running well is to have a reliable antivirus program running and having up-to-date virus profile updates. If you don't have one, get one RIGHT NOW!! There are many paid for versions that are fine, and many internet service providers include one "free" with your subscription. The reason they give you one is that viruses can clog up their network and ruin the connection experience for others even if the others have antivirus. Ask your ISP if they provide free antivirus. If not, and you'd prefer not to pay for one, there are a number of free ones that are quite good. One that I've tried and am using on the computer I'm writing this on is AVG. http://free.avg.com/ Look for the free "basic protection" link. Another that I've used and have on at least 1 of my computers is Avira. http://free-av.com/ There are others that I hear are also good, but I try to only recommend ones I've tried myself. You can go to somewhere like cnet.com and search for something like "free antivirus reviews" to get more input about what might be best for your computer.
Other good things to do regularly would be the registry scanner every now and then, like every couple of months, or when you have weird problems crop up. Also, it's good to defragment your hard drive every now and then. If you use your computer a lot, especially if you frequently delete old files and create new ones, do it more often, like at least every month. If you are a little lighter on computer use, maybe every 2-3 months would be OK. Vista, and I think XP can be put on a schedule to do it automatically very early in the morning once a week/month etc, so you don't have to do it manually. To defrag, go to "(My) Computer" (My Computer in XP, just Computer in Vista) and left click (once!) to select, then right click on the hard drive, usually C:, and select "properties", then "tools." One of the tools will be the defrag tool. Another will be the "check the drive for errors" tool. Not a bad idea to run that every now and then too.
Doing all these things is routine maintenance on your computer. It is just like changing the oil, rotating and checking pressure in your tires, etc. Last edited on Mon Nov 16th, 2009 01:42 pm by GaCDBFan
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| Posted: Wed Sep 23rd, 2009 01:14 pm |
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GaCDBFan
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This is about the Internet Explorer protected mode and why it will show as off despite being set to on.
I did some looking around about the IE protected mode and found several reasons why IE would be showing it as off despite it being set to on. Most of them are explained here: http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/2007/04/04/protected-mode-for-ie7-in-windows-vista-is-it-on-or-off.aspx. I think you can also have the protected mode turned off by setting a web site as "trusted" which isn't really covered in the article. So, it appears normal for protected mode to show as off in certain circumstances, especially if you have that pesky User Access Control set to off like I do. If you have that off, protected mode will always be off. It also looks like if you are logged in on an administrator account type, it'll be off too, because it says that if IE is run as administrator it'll be off. You can fix that by going into the control panel, go into user accounts (There are more than one way to get there depending if you have clicked the "control panel home" or "classic view" to the left.), creating a new account of type administrator (you HAVE to have at least one of that type) and change the account you normally use to a "standard user." The down side is that this mode limits you a little when doing certain things. You'll have to log off and log back in as the administrator to be able to do those things.
Last edited on Mon Nov 16th, 2009 01:43 pm by GaCDBFan
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| Posted: Wed Sep 23rd, 2009 11:49 pm |
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KeepTheChange
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My computer geekiness is nowhere near what others may proclaim, so please bear with me.
Lately, whenever I'm playing a YouTube video, the player stops and starts many times so it is really hard to understand what is being said. This happens on a lot of blogs that I frequent. As I said, this has been lately, so it wasn't prevalent a couple months back.
What to do, what to do?
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| Posted: Thu Sep 24th, 2009 12:03 am |
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KeepTheChange
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I forgot to mention that I also have a problem with IE email, in that after pushing send I receive the following email, "Delivery Status Notification (Failure)", and it also mentions attachments, when I did not send any attachments.
Can you help, please?
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| Posted: Thu Sep 24th, 2009 12:59 am |
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GaCDBFan
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This is about connection speeds as well as a tip for watching youtube type videos without them breaking up.
KeepTheChange wrote: My computer geekiness is nowhere near what others may proclaim, so please bear with me.
Lately, whenever I'm playing a YouTube video, the player stops and starts many times so it is really hard to understand what is being said. This happens on a lot of blogs that I frequent. As I said, this has been lately, so it wasn't prevalent a couple months back.
What to do, what to do? This one sounds like something happened to the speed and/or reliability of your internet connection. You can go test it by going to http://www.dslreports.com/speedtest?more=1, picking a test site near you, and comparing the speed you get with what the ISP says your speed is. I got 13 Mbit per second download and 2.6 Mbps upload speed on my Comcast connection here in Atlanta to a site about 80-100 miles away just now. If you aren't getting at least half of what they say you are getting, try another (different) test site, and if that agrees with the first, pester them to do something about your connection quality. They'll tell you that the speed isn't guaranteed, but you should be able to get a significant percentage of the speed.
There might also be something affecting the internet between you and the youtube servers, such as a major fiber optic cable being accidentally cut during construction, or getting damaged by a flood or lightning, etc. There is nothing you can do about that.
One thing you can do is start playing the video, then immediately pause it. You'll see the progress bar change color as the video continues to download and gets buffered. Once the entire progress bar changes color, you can play the whole video without break ups.
Last edited on Mon Nov 16th, 2009 01:49 pm by GaCDBFan
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| Posted: Thu Sep 24th, 2009 01:33 am |
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GaCDBFan
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This is about common email problems.
KeepTheChange wrote: I forgot to mention that I also have a problem with IE email, in that after pushing send I receive the following email, "Delivery Status Notification (Failure)", and it also mentions attachments, when I did not send any attachments.
Can you help, please? This one is a little harder to answer, without knowing a LOT more details.
Even if you don't explicitly send attachments, most email programs automatically send them even if you don't see them either when they are sent or when they are received. They will send an HTML file (like a web site page) that can contain different fonts, pictures, smileys, etc. They will send a plain text version that has no font information, or pictures, etc. The different versions are sent as attachments, and the receiving program automatically opens the appropriate one depending on its capabilities. The plain text version will also automatically make attachments out of any pictures. The mentioning of attachments is really nothing.
Is the email of delivery failure coming from your own internet provider, or the recipient's provider? If it is coming from yours, and on every email, your ISP could have changed their server to only accept and forward mail from account holders to keep spam senders from hijacking the server to send spam, or have changed something else without adequately letting you know to make corresponding changes. Usually, they will require a login and password, and if you don't have a correct one, it'll just not accept the connection, but it doesn't necessarily have to. If all of your mails are coming back, and coming from your ISP, go to their support web site and look up the correct server connection settings and make sure you have them correct.
There should also be additional information inside the mail that gets bounced that will usually tell you why it got bounced, or at least give you a code number. If it gives you a code number, you can google "SMTP code XXX" replacing the XXX with the code number. A pretty thorough list of the standard codes is here: http://www.answersthatwork.com/Download_Area/ATW_Library/Networking/Network__3-SMTP_Server_Status_Codes_and_SMTP_Error_Codes.pdf. It might be just that the friend you are sending a mail to hasn't checked their messages in a long time and their mailbox is full and no more will be accepted. It also might be that you accidentally mistyped their address or they have unsubscribed from that ISP if it says something like "no such user."
Also, with nearly all the answers in here, there could be a virus blocking it from working properly.
Last edited on Mon Nov 16th, 2009 01:50 pm by GaCDBFan
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| Posted: Thu Sep 24th, 2009 02:56 am |
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KeepTheChange
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Thanks GaCDBFan! I appreciate you taking the time to explain w/o the legalese!
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| Posted: Thu Sep 24th, 2009 03:07 am |
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GaCDBFan
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Oh, I forgot to mention that some ISP's will automatically assume any email received from someone not on their customer's "OK to receive mail from..." list is spam and will bounce it back to you. There is little you can do about that. Some ISP's will send you back a little form so you can explain who you are and why you are sending an email, and they will send an email to their customer asking for permission to add you to their "OK to receive" list. If they don't have that, you'll have to call or snail mail the person and ask them to add you to their spam filter.
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| Posted: Sat Sep 26th, 2009 03:47 am |
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GaCDBFan
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KeepTheChange wrote: Thanks GaCDBFan! I appreciate you taking the time to explain w/o the legalese! You're welcome... Hope it helped more than confused!
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dsquared56
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It has been answered before, but I forgot where it was.
How do you post a link here ??
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Herb
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One of my computers keeps giving me a message that the drive 'D' is full.
Drive 'D' is the backup drive, as I understand it. How do I delete items from that drive without screwing up the backup function?
I do restore points before making any changes (this has saved my neck, more than once), like loading new programs. Is this what has filled the drive? What files can I safely delete? Can I just go through ad delete a bunch of stuff and then do a restore point?
I am not completely computer illiterate, but I'm not an I T person either.
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GaCDBFan
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This is about posting links to other web sites.
dsquared56 wrote: It has been answered before, but I forgot where it was.
How do you post a link here ? The easiest way to do it is to have your browser open twice... once in here and once where you want to link to. In Firefox, you click "file, new window," or "file, new tab." Internet Explorer is similar. Browse in one of the windows/tabs to where you want to link to. Click in the location bar, where it says http://whatever. All the text will change color, usually to blue depending on your color settings. Click "edit, copy" or you can use the keyboard shortcut of holding the "ctrl" key down, then typing the letter "C", OR you can even right click and pick "copy". Now switch window/tab to come back here. Click on the "Reply" or "Quote" buttons ("edit" works too). Quick reply won't show the tool to paste in a link. Click on the button that looks like this:  . In the window that pops up, right click and pick "paste", or hold "ctrl" and type the letter "V" for paste. The address of the web site you want to link to is now in there. Click OK or press enter, and another window pops up asking you to type some text. You can either paste the link in again, as most of us do, or you can type a word or two (or more) describing where the link leads such as click here to go to Charlie's main page. edit: you CAN use the quick reply window (or any other window) by simply copying and pasting the link directly into the window and it'll almost always get changed into a link automatically. The only difference will be that it won't give you an opportunity to change the text it shows as the link as I did in my example.
Edit: It is best to NOT simply paste the link directly in the quick reply window, although it does work, because it may cause "thread spread." It is best to type a couple of words as I did in the example above, because that will never cause thread spread. An additional option is to use a URL shortener, such as http://goo.gl as I did in my signature. Paste your long link there, click the button, and it'll give you back a MUCH shorter link you can copy than paste in here that won't cause thread spread.
Last edited on Fri Apr 27th, 2012 01:40 pm by GaCDBFan
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GaCDBFan
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This starts discussion about things to do when/if you get a "disk full" error message.
Herb wrote: One of my computers keeps giving me a message that the drive 'D' is full.
Drive 'D' is the backup drive, as I understand it. How do I delete items from that drive without screwing up the backup function? It could be a backup drive, but isn't necessarily. Usually you only have a D drive if you have two physical hard drives, or one that has been split into two or more "virtual" drives (the same drive, but Windows treats them as separate drives). Unfortunately, just having a D present doesn't tell anything about how it is used. A lot of computers are set up with Windows itself set up on a smallish C drive that is really fast, and all the programs and files are stored on the D drive.
I do restore points before making any changes (this has saved my neck, more than once), like loading new programs. Is this what has filled the drive? What files can I safely delete? Can I just go through ad delete a bunch of stuff and then do a restore point?
I am not completely computer illiterate, but I'm not an I T person either.
Restore points are a great thing to do.
Probably the easiest and safest way to try to do something about this is to use Windows' built in disk cleanup program. If you click the start button, then all programs, then accessories, then system tools (they could definitely have made it easier to find), there will be disk cleanup. Start that and tell it which drive to analyze (D in your case). It'll look for things such as files in the recycle bin (Windows never really deletes anything till you empty the recycle bin) that can be emptied, programs you haven't used in a long time that you might be able to uninstall without missing, etc. It won't do ANYTHING without you telling it to, and it'll give you an idea of the risks of each recommendation and how much disk space you'll gain back.
Last edited on Mon Dec 7th, 2009 01:16 pm by GaCDBFan
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dsquared56
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Thanks. I appreciate the help.
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Herb
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GaCDBFan wrote: Restore points are a great thing to do.
Probably the easiest and safest way to try to do something about this is to use Windows' built in disk cleanup program. If you click the start button, then all programs, then accessories, then system tools (they could definitely have made it easier to find), there will be disk cleanup. Start that and tell it which drive to analyze (D in your case). It'll look for things such as files in the recycle bin (Windows never really deletes anything till you empty the recycle bin) that can be emptied, programs you haven't used in a long time that you might be able to uninstall without missing, etc. It won't do ANYTHING without you telling it to, and it'll give you an idea of the risks of each recommendation and how much disk space you'll gain back.
I did the disk cleanup but it only found 3 K of files to get rid of. I did those but I am still getting the disk full message, on start up.
I am also concerned that there will be a problem the next time I go to do a restore point.
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GaCDBFan
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Unfortunately, this is not so easy to fix. You'll either have to go in there and look at all the files in there manually and see if there is anything you know you don't need.... such as pictures that you can burn to a CD or DVD, or old documents you don't need anymore, although documents are generally fairly small, or old programs that may be installed there that you don't use. The down side is that you may not be able to tell what is important and needs to be left alone, and what is not important. The only other way to fix this is to get a new larger drive, and clone the old one to the new one (one exception below...). You'll have to determine if the D drive in your system is in fact a separate drive, or if it is the same drive split into two. The easiest way to do that is look in your device manager. You get there a little differently depending on the version of Windows, but they are similar. The quickest way is right click "My Computer" (or just "Computer" in Vista) and select "properties" and then look for a tab or button or link that says device manager. In XP and older, there is a tab at the top of the window that says "hardware, and the device manager is in there. Click on the + beside the "disk drives" in the list, and it'll give you a list of all the physically separate drives in there. If you only have one listed, that means you have one split into 2.
Having one drive split into two my be good news if the part that is C has a lot of free space. You can get a partition resizing tool and make C a bit smaller, then make D a little bigger, claiming the space you gave up from C. There are some free partition resizing tools around, but they can be complicated if you haven't done anything like that before. If you have a Maxtor or Western Digital brand hard drive, they have tools on their web sites that work on their drives that might do what you need. Otherwise, I'd get a commercial partition manager. Make sure it says it'll support resizing.
If you have two separate hard drives, the best/easiest way is to clone the old one onto a new, bigger one. There is a basic guide here so you can see what is involved to see if you want to tackle this yourself. Again, if you buy a Maxtor (kind of hard to find anymore...got bought by another company) or Western Digital drive, they come with software that will do what you need included in the price. Other brands may too, but read the box to be sure.
If you have one drive split in 2 pieces, you can still do the cloning to a new drive. What you'll actually be doing is copying the partition that is now D and putting it on the new drive, then deleting the old partition. You can then run a partition manager to "grow" your C drive to use the space that had been the D drive.
Last edited on Mon Oct 5th, 2009 05:47 pm by GaCDBFan
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GaCDBFan
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A good free partition editor is here for anyone so inclined. Be aware that it can be complicated and/or dangerous to do in some cases. Most of the time it is pretty easy. READ THE DOCUMENTATION AND FAQ's COMPLETELY!! BACK UP ANYTHING CRITICAL THAT YOU CAN'T REPLACE!!!
Read everything, back up critical files.
Read everything, back up critical files.
Read everything, back up critical files.
I can't stress that enough.
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Herb
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GaCDBFan wrote: A good free partition editor is here for anyone so inclined. Be aware that it can be complicated and/or dangerous to do in some cases. Most of the time it is pretty easy. READ THE DOCUMENTATION AND FAQ's COMPLETELY!! BACK UP ANYTHING CRITICAL THAT YOU CAN'T REPLACE!!!
Read everything, back up critical files.
Read everything, back up critical files.
Read everything, back up critical files.
I can't stress that enough.
My 'D' drive is a partition off of the 'C' drive. I think I'll try going through the files and see if there is anything obvious that can be deleted. Trouble is, this gets very scary.
Every time I have tried to change a partition size, I have ended up screwing up the programs on the main partition. I even ruined a drive that way once. I had been smart enough to save everything, from the 'C' to an external hard drive, but it still cost me many hours of work to get it working again. Not to mention how ticked my wife was that the computer was down for 4 days. I don't want to go through that again.
If I delete the whole 'D' drive, can I do a backup from the 'C' to restore my 'D' to a useable backup again?
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GaCDBFan
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Is your computer an HP/Compaq (or one of a few other major brands) by any chance? A lot of them use a D drive to keep a copy of all the pre-installed software in case you have a problem so that you can restore it to the way it came from the factory. If that is the case, and you haven't tried to save or install anything there, you can actually safely ignore the message. I'm not sure why Windows would start reporting that as almost full. I've never seen it do that in this case before, but nothing surprises me from Microsoft. It is also possible that running the disk clean up utility will have cleared whatever flag was set to warn you the space was low, and you won't see it again for a while. If it is an HP or Compaq, you can burn the restore partition to CD's or DVD's, if you haven't done so already. It is a good idea to do that in case the drive physically fails, because then you can't access it. Keep it in a safe place, where it won't get scratched. If you make the DVD's, you can erase the recovery partition and use the space for your files.
If your computer is set up to use D as a backup target only, and there is nothing "installed" there or saved there other than the backup files, deleting everything on D and running a fresh backup should work. How is the backup program set up? Is it doing full backups, incrementals, etc? Is there more than one full backup? If there is more than one full backup, you can delete some of the older ones as long as you haven't had any problems since you made the newer ones. If there is one full backup, and a lot of incremental ones, I'd delete all of them (granted, you are taking a small chance that something will go wrong before the next backup finishes) and make a new full backup. If it is like that, and you had to restore, it would take forever anyway, because you'd have to restore the full backup, then every one of the incremental ones one at a time till they are all done. Incremental backups run a WHOLE LOT faster than full ones because they only save what has changed since the last backup. I'd do a full backup, then 8-10 incremental ones, then start over again. One caution though... If you are set up this way, with the backups being saved on the same hard drive as the main system partition, chances are if you have a hard drive problem, you won't be able to access the backup either. It is better to use a second hard drive for that, and better yet to use an external one that you can lock in a fire safe or take to someone else's house in case there is a fire or other disaster at your house.
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Herb
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GaCDBFan wrote: Is your computer an HP/Compaq (or one of a few other major brands) by any chance? A lot of them use a D drive to keep a copy of all the pre-installed software in case you have a problem so that you can restore it to the way it came from the factory. If that is the case, and you haven't tried to save or install anything there, you can actually safely ignore the message. I'm not sure why Windows would start reporting that as almost full. I've never seen it do that in this case before, but nothing surprises me from Microsoft. It is also possible that running the disk clean up utility will have cleared whatever flag was set to warn you the space was low, and you won't see it again for a while.
It is a Compaq. The D is the backup drive and even though I did the clean up it is still popping up with the disk full message.
Not a major problem but it is a pain in the neck.
I do a backup to a second hard drive I installed in the thing. I did a full backup about 6 or 8 months ago and do an incremental every month.
I had not done a full backup before that and I had a virus that locked up all the programs, even with AVG Free running. I had the old drive out the previous computer that had windows 98 on it and I managed to get it in and boot up. I then went to the C drive and managed to get it to do a restore. When I got it cleaned up and working right, I reformatted the old drive and did a full backup.
So your saying I should do a full backup every 6 months or so?
BTW, this is a second computer that I bought used, just for the grandkids to use. They do their schoolwork and are allowed to play games on it, they are not allowed on our Dell.
Last edited on Tue Oct 6th, 2009 03:36 pm by Herb
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GaCDBFan
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Herb wrote: GaCDBFan wrote: Is your computer an HP/Compaq (or one of a few other major brands) by any chance? A lot of them use a D drive to keep a copy of all the pre-installed software in case you have a problem so that you can restore it to the way it came from the factory. If that is the case, and you haven't tried to save or install anything there, you can actually safely ignore the message. I'm not sure why Windows would start reporting that as almost full. I've never seen it do that in this case before, but nothing surprises me from Microsoft. It is also possible that running the disk clean up utility will have cleared whatever flag was set to warn you the space was low, and you won't see it again for a while.
It is a Compaq. The D is the backup drive and even though I did the clean up it is still popping up with the disk full message. So that is the factory's backup right, not yours? If so, ignoring the message it is safe.
Not a major problem but it is a pain in the neck. I know what you mean. I hate all the messages Vista gives with the user access control feature so much that I turned it off despite the protection it gives the system. I'll have to try to look up a fix to see if we can get that message suppressed for that drive.
I do a backup to a second hard drive I installed in the thing. I did a full backup about 6 or 8 months ago and do an incremental every month. I guess that answers my first question.
I had not done a full backup before that and I had a virus that locked up all the programs, even with AVG Free running. I had the old drive out the previous computer that had windows 98 on it and I managed to get it in and boot up. I then went to the C drive and managed to get it to do a restore. When I got it cleaned up and working right, I reformatted the old drive and did a full backup.
So your saying I should do a full backup every 6 months or so? That would be fine. It is just that if you constantly do incremental ones, and never (or rarely) full ones, when/if you need to restore, you'll have to restore the last full one and all the incremental ones one at a time. The more incremental ones you do between full ones, the more you'll have to restore. You could do a full one every time if you wanted to, it would just take longer. You could start it at night and let it run overnight till it finishes.
BTW, this is a second computer that I bought used, just for the grandkids to use. They do their schoolwork and are allowed to play games on it, they are not allowed on our Dell.
Another thing you could do that would make it a LOT easier to recover if something did happen would be to use an external USB hard drive to clone your C drive instead of just backing it up. Most fairly modern PC's have an option in the BIOS to allow booting from USB devices. If you clone your C drive to an external and something happens, just plug in the USB drive and restart the computer and your computer will come up from the USB drive just as it was the last time you cloned it. Again, if you have a Western Digital or Maxtor drive (maybe some others I don't know about) anywhere in the system (C drive or external), they provide disk cloning software for free, and there are good free and commercial cloners.
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Herb
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GaCDBFan wrote:
Another thing you could do that would make it a LOT easier to recover if something did happen would be to use an external USB hard drive to clone your C drive instead of just backing it up. Most fairly modern PC's have an option in the BIOS to allow booting from USB devices. If you clone your C drive to an external and something happens, just plug in the USB drive and restart the computer and your computer will come up from the USB drive just as it was the last time you cloned it. Again, if you have a Western Digital or Maxtor drive (maybe some others I don't know about) anywhere in the system (C drive or external), they provide disk cloning software for free, and there are good free and commercial cloners.
A lot of good information, thanks.
When I do the restore point, where is the information stored, is that why the D drive is full. I went in last night, pulled up the restore function, and I have over 30 restore points on the restore calendar.
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GaCDBFan
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The restore files and some other stuff is stored in a double hidden file (I say double hidden because even if you turn on the option to show hidden files, it'll still be hidden unless you do one more step.) in every partition on every hard drive in your computer in the root folder.
I found out that you can turn off the automatic restore point for a particular hard drive, and that might stop your messages. If you right click "my computer" (just "computer" in Vista) and then select "system protection." There will be check boxes beside each partition (drive letter) in your system. If the D drive is checked, uncheck it. The system restore uses up to 15% of the disk space for the restore points. The D drive in HP/Compaq computers is intentionally made just big enough for the factory backup, so using automatic restore points could very well have filled up the drive. If you turn off system protection for this drive, I THINK the message will quit. I think what is happening is that it is trying to create a restore point, then finding the disk full, and automatically deleting enough old ones to make room for the new one. It is giving a message to let you know why there is a bit of delay as it does this.
Another thing to try is to use the disk cleanup again, clicking the "more options" tab, then selecting to remove all but the most recent restore point. It is unclear if that will remove them from ALL drives or just the currently selected one, and I'm not sure what it'll do in that respect, but it'll recover a lot of the space from the older restore points. If you aren't having any problems, you shouldn't need them, but you never know.
Another thing people around the web have said works is to boot into safe mode (press F8 the second it says "windows is starting up" or something like that) and run the "check disk for errors" tool (right click "my computer" click the drive to select it, right click it, select "tools") and then the "defragment" tool, and sometimes if that doesn't work, do that again, and it'll sometimes work the second time.
Hopefully something in here will git er done! Good luck!
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GaCDBFan
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Herb, I found a really simple way to suppress the message. Simply remove the drive letter from the system. It'll no longer show up in the "(my) computer" window, and I'm pretty sure it'll no longer be included in the system restore checks either, yet should still be visible if you need to use it to restore the factory backup by pressing the F11 key (or whichever key it tells you) on startup. There is a tutorial here: http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/114767-drive-letter-add-change-remove.html. Follow the steps up to step 4, then skip to step 7. The instructions here are for Vista, but it works almost exactly the same if you have XP. Just ignore the UAC references for example. XP doesn't have that feature. I tried it in one of my XP boxes that has several drives, and it is really easy. It took me about 2 minutes to do it, check to see that it really did it, and put it back the way it was.
I've never seen this problem myself, and I'm sorry it took so long to come up with a definitive answer. I hope no one spent a lot of time doing any of the other suggestions, although there are some good things to do anyway in there.
Last edited on Thu Oct 8th, 2009 01:42 pm by GaCDBFan
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Herb
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Thanks. You have been very helpful.
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Note: No trees were killed in the sending of this message, but a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.
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| Posted: Fri Oct 16th, 2009 03:39 pm |
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46th Post |
AUNTPAT
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Hello,
I was doing a virus scan yesterday (I have the Avast program) and it would get real slow on 13%. I watched it for about an hour on 13%. (It was on the "Documents & Settings) I let it scan all night and this morning it said 0 viruses.
It's never been that slow when I do the scan. Do you know what could be wrong?
Thanks
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| Posted: Fri Oct 16th, 2009 11:53 pm |
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47th Post |
Aldebaran
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Well, GaCDBFan, I was trying to figure this out for myself but I've had no luck, so no doubt it is something a six year old could fix with his or her eyes closed. I have a dual monitor video card. One port is DVI and the other is VGA. I just bought a nice flatscreen and hooked it up to the DVI and have the old CRT monitor hooked up to the VGA. The problem is the big, ugly CRT monitor is monitor #1 and the nice new pretty flatscreen is monitor #2. I'd like to switch them so that the flatscreen is the #1 monitor, but I've had no luck. Any suggestion? Thanks.
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To my ancestors who fought in the American Revolution: Thomas Day, Hans Gerlach, Nathaniel West, and especially John Wetherholt who took a British ball in the head at Saratoga, spent a year in the hospital at Albany, and re-enlisted in the Jersey Blues.
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| Posted: Sat Oct 17th, 2009 04:33 am |
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48th Post |
GaCDBFan
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This is about slow virus scans. More "routine maintenance!"
AUNTPAT wrote: Hello,
I was doing a virus scan yesterday (I have the Avast program) and it would get real slow on 13%. I watched it for about an hour on 13%. (It was on the "Documents & Settings) I let it scan all night and this morning it said 0 viruses.
It's never been that slow when I do the scan. Do you know what could be wrong?
Thanks That could be any number of things, and it is hard to tell. Have you emptied your recycle bin lately? Have you cleared your temporary internet files, etc.? All of that stuff is in your documents and settings folder. Try running the drive cleanup utility, and it'll help clean up a lot of unnecessary files that you probably don't even know are there. Click start, programs, accessories, system tools, disk cleanup. Also try checking the disk for errors (right click the drive in "my computer" and select "properties", then the "tools" tab). Then try defragmenting (same place as the check for errors tool). Any one of these things might help, probably the combination will. Also try downloading and running the registry scanner I linked to in post #14 in this thread. That will cure a lot of weird problems too.
Last edited on Mon Dec 7th, 2009 01:20 pm by GaCDBFan
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| Posted: Sat Oct 17th, 2009 05:03 am |
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49th Post |
GaCDBFan
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help with multiple monitors.
Aldebaran wrote: Well, GaCDBFan, I was trying to figure this out for myself but I've had no luck, so no doubt it is something a six year old could fix with his or her eyes closed. I have a dual monitor video card. One port is DVI and the other is VGA. I just bought a nice flatscreen and hooked it up to the DVI and have the old CRT monitor hooked up to the VGA. The problem is the big, ugly CRT monitor is monitor #1 and the nice new pretty flatscreen is monitor #2. I'd like to switch them so that the flatscreen is the #1 monitor, but I've had no luck. Any suggestion? Thanks.
Pull up the display properties window. The easiest way to do this is to right click on the desktop, somewhere away from any icons or the start menu or any tool bars, etc. Just in the middle of the background. In XP, click on properties, in Vista, click personalize. Click display settings. You'll see a window with a 1 and a 2, each in boxes. Click on the "identify monitors" button. It'll show a big 1 on one and a big 2 on the other for a couple of seconds. Click the corresponding box with the number in it in the window. Then check the box "primary monitor" in XP, "main monitor" in Vista, then click "apply". That should do it. There are some other settings too. Do you want to show the same thing at the same time on both, or do you want to use the second as extra screen space, as in have one program on one screen, and another on the other screen? I'm assuming the second, so be sure the "extend the desktop" box is checked. If you need to re-arrange which monitor is on the left or right, you can drag the boxed in 1 and boxed in 2 around to switch places. Then you can drag a window from one monitor to the other by dragging it to that side of the monitor its on till it appears on the other one.
Last edited on Mon Dec 7th, 2009 01:22 pm by GaCDBFan
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| Posted: Sun Oct 18th, 2009 12:34 am |
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50th Post |
Aldebaran
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Thanks a lot. It worked like a charm.
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To my ancestors who fought in the American Revolution: Thomas Day, Hans Gerlach, Nathaniel West, and especially John Wetherholt who took a British ball in the head at Saratoga, spent a year in the hospital at Albany, and re-enlisted in the Jersey Blues.
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| Posted: Sun Oct 18th, 2009 12:42 am |
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51st Post |
GaCDBFan
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You're welcome.
Herb, you're welcome too. Sorry I didn't get to that before.
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| Posted: Mon Oct 19th, 2009 08:34 pm |
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52nd Post |
AUNTPAT
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GaCDBFan wrote: AUNTPAT wrote: Hello,
I was doing a virus scan yesterday (I have the Avast program) and it would get real slow on 13%. I watched it for about an hour on 13%. (It was on the "Documents & Settings) I let it scan all night and this morning it said 0 viruses.
It's never been that slow when I do the scan. Do you know what could be wrong?
Thanks That could be any number of things, and it is hard to tell. Have you emptied your recycle bin lately? Have you cleared your temporary internet files, etc.? All of that stuff is in your documents and settings folder. Try running the drive cleanup utility, and it'll help clean up a lot of unnecessary files that you probably don't even know are there. Click start, programs, accessories, system tools, disk cleanup. Also try checking the disk for errors (right click the drive in "my computer" and select "properties", then the "tools" tab). Then try defragmenting (same place as the check for errors tool). Any one of these things might help, probably the combination will. Also try downloading and running the registry scanner I linked to in post #14 in this thread. That will cure a lot of weird problems too.
Thanks for the info.
I did all of the above things already before I did my virus scan. I have the ScanSpyware program and it's a good one.
I know you are suppose to go to Microsoft and do those security patches but when I tried it before it messed up something. We bought this comp. used from a comp. store and they said not to go to the Micro. site for some reason. But I was wondering if not being able to go do those patch things had anything to do with it.
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| Posted: Mon Oct 19th, 2009 08:40 pm |
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53rd Post |
muddawber
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AUNTPAT wrote: GaCDBFan wrote: AUNTPAT wrote: Hello,
I was doing a virus scan yesterday (I have the Avast program) and it would get real slow on 13%. I watched it for about an hour on 13%. (It was on the "Documents & Settings) I let it scan all night and this morning it said 0 viruses.
It's never been that slow when I do the scan. Do you know what could be wrong?
Thanks That could be any number of things, and it is hard to tell. Have you emptied your recycle bin lately? Have you cleared your temporary internet files, etc.? All of that stuff is in your documents and settings folder. Try running the drive cleanup utility, and it'll help clean up a lot of unnecessary files that you probably don't even know are there. Click start, programs, accessories, system tools, disk cleanup. Also try checking the disk for errors (right click the drive in "my computer" and select "properties", then the "tools" tab). Then try defragmenting (same place as the check for errors tool). Any one of these things might help, probably the combination will. Also try downloading and running the registry scanner I linked to in post #14 in this thread. That will cure a lot of weird problems too.
Thanks for the info.
I did all of the above things already before I did my virus scan. I have the ScanSpyware program and it's a good one.
I know you are suppose to go to Microsoft and do those security patches but when I tried it before it messed up something. We bought this comp. used from a comp. store and they said not to go to the Micro. site for some reason. But I was wondering if not being able to go do those patch things had anything to do with it.
Hmmm...wonder why they told you not to go to Microsoft for anything? Could it be they installed an illegal copy of the OS on the computer? Just curious.
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| Posted: Mon Oct 19th, 2009 09:50 pm |
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54th Post |
AUNTPAT
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I don't know why but on my older computer I could go to it. But if I try to do it on this one it messes up. I am thinking it has something to do with it being rebuilt but I'm not sure about that.
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| Posted: Mon Oct 19th, 2009 10:01 pm |
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55th Post |
muddawber
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AUNTPAT wrote: I don't know why but on my older computer I could go to it. But if I try to do it on this one it messes up. I am thinking it has something to do with it being rebuilt but I'm not sure about that.
I don't know. All of my computers I have, I rebuilt myself, and I never had that problem.
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| Posted: Tue Oct 20th, 2009 12:09 am |
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56th Post |
GaCDBFan
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He's right, unfortunately. The most likely reason they would tell you not to go because it messes anything up is that it probably has a bootlegged copy of Windows on it. One of the "updates" you'll download periodically is called the Microsoft Genuine Advantage utility (or something like that). This utility scans your Windows installation to see if the registration number is valid, and to look for certain tell tale signs, such as specific files being modified to make it work without registration. If it finds anything out of the ordinary, it'll disable a lot of Windows' functionality.
edit:
Does your computer have a sticker on it with a Windows serial/registration number on it? If you have such a serial number sticker, you can re-install from a genuine disk you can borrow from someone who has one, and use that serial number to activate it.
Or, and this is the best option, I think. Go back to the store you bought it from and insist that they give you a genuine copy, or you will turn them in to the SPA for piracy. The fine they will have to pay if found guilty is 6 figures. You might should turn them in anyway. I think MS has (or had at one time) a policy if you turned someone in to them for piracy, they would replace your pirated copy with a genuine copy.
Last edited on Tue Oct 20th, 2009 11:08 am by GaCDBFan
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| Posted: Tue Oct 20th, 2009 12:24 am |
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57th Post |
| Posted: Tue Oct 20th, 2009 12:35 am |
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| Posted: Tue Oct 20th, 2009 11:01 am |
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59th Post |
GaCDBFan
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I've heard a lot of good things about it, but I haven't used it or even seen it myself. I'm fairly happy with Vista and XP on my machines, so they'll have to show me something to make me want to spend the money.
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| Posted: Tue Oct 20th, 2009 04:01 pm |
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60th Post |
AUNTPAT
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Wow, I didn't know my computer was illegal. Right now we can't afford a new one but I think I'm going to plan on that in the very near future. I don't like it and yes, I will contact Microsoft. To me, folks have to work hard for an honest living and if someone is doing something illegal then it should be reported.
I actually just tried to call the place and the number is disconnected. But when I go up that way, I am going to see if they are still there.
No, GaCDBFan, I don't see a sticker anywhere on it. But like I said, I am going to just get a brand new one soon.
I am use to my desktop but I've thought about a laptop but I don't like using your finger for a mouse. I've seen some with the mouses though. Are the laptops as good as the desktops or do they desktops hold up better?
Thank ya'll for the info.
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| Posted: Tue Oct 20th, 2009 04:18 pm |
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61st Post |
muddawber
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AUNTPAT wrote: Wow, I didn't know my computer was illegal. Right now we can't afford a new one but I think I'm going to plan on that in the very near future. I don't like it and yes, I will contact Microsoft. To me, folks have to work hard for an honest living and if someone is doing something illegal then it should be reported.
I actually just tried to call the place and the number is disconnected. But when I go up that way, I am going to see if they are still there.
No, GaCDBFan, I don't see a sticker anywhere on it. But like I said, I am going to just get a brand new one soon.
I am use to my desktop but I've thought about a laptop but I don't like using your finger for a mouse. I've seen some with the mouses though. Are the laptops as good as the desktops or do they desktops hold up better?
Thank ya'll for the info. Your computer isn't illegal, just a possibility your operating system is.
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| Posted: Wed Oct 21st, 2009 02:38 am |
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62nd Post |
stephany
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Howdy,
I have windows XP, and use Mozilla Firefox.
I purchased a new HP printer last month, and like it very well.
But the HP program has me frustrated.
When I open up "My Documents" or "My Pictures" they are in the
Paint Program.
I don't like the program, at all!
I don't know which one was used when I had my Dell Computer and printer. But I sure would like to get rid of this paint.
One thing I find puzzling is this.
Say I have a photo saved that is 220 kb's. I will crop and save it, and the new file becomes something like 1.4 M. How can that happen?
I have to tell you that I am NOT tech savvy! I would apprecitate
any help you could send my way.
Thanks, Stephany
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| Posted: Wed Oct 21st, 2009 02:47 am |
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63rd Post |
stephany
Forum Member
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Dear Mr. Geek,
I have another question!
I have a Wildblue satellite. Do occasionally test the PC using
Speedtest.net. Nothing wrong, it is running the way it is supposed to.
Why is the dang thing so SLOW AT NIGHT?
When I get back online in the morning, things move right along..
Thanks again, Steph
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| Posted: Wed Oct 21st, 2009 02:55 am |
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64th Post |
railroaddaisies7
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Computer Debacle
WindowsVista
Windows auto updated recently but two updates failed -- both for my Linksys wireless adapter. At the same time the adapter quit working (wouldn't detect networks including my own wireless router). Did diagnose/repair and got this message: network cable unplugged. Did all of the power down of cable/wireless/adapter restarted computer, etc.
Tried to go back to a previous restore point before updates -- failed, said I didn't have restore point on this computer. I abandoned that plan.
Went to adapter manufacture to check for whatever update microsoft said I needed. Found none for my adapter.
Tried to reinstall driver from manufacture CD. Install program wouldn't let driver install said to contact manufacture.
Removed adapter from hardware list and reinstallled with original driver from CD. Success!
except--
now when I boot up or restart computer I get a message that Windows needs to install the driver in order for my adapter to work -- but it is already installed and working!
How can I or where can I find how to turn off that message. Or what do I need to do so that it doesn't hang at that point.
Thanks for any help.
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| Posted: Wed Oct 21st, 2009 03:08 am |
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65th Post |
muddawber
Forum Member
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railroaddaisies7 wrote: Computer Debacle
WindowsVista
Windows auto updated recently but two updates failed -- both for my Linksys wireless adapter. At the same time the adapter quit working (wouldn't detect networks including my own wireless router). Did diagnose/repair and got this message: network cable unplugged. Did all of the power down of cable/wireless/adapter restarted computer, etc.
Tried to go back to a previous restore point before updates -- failed, said I didn't have restore point on this computer. I abandoned that plan.
Went to adapter manufacture to check for whatever update microsoft said I needed. Found none for my adapter.
Tried to reinstall driver from manufacture CD. Install program wouldn't let driver install said to contact manufacture.
Removed adapter from hardware list and reinstallled with original driver from CD. Success!
except--
now when I boot up or restart computer I get a message that Windows needs to install the driver in order for my adapter to work -- but it is already installed and working!
How can I or where can I find how to turn off that message. Or what do I need to do so that it doesn't hang at that point.
Thanks for any help.
I'm sorry, I don't know the answer to your question, but there are times you can find the answer by searching Microsoft knowledge base.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/ms772425.aspx
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| Posted: Wed Oct 21st, 2009 04:19 am |
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66th Post |
GaCDBFan
Forum Member
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muddawber wrote: AUNTPAT wrote: Wow, I didn't know my computer was illegal. Right now we can't afford a new one but I think I'm going to plan on that in the very near future. I don't like it and yes, I will contact Microsoft. To me, folks have to work hard for an honest living and if someone is doing something illegal then it should be reported.
I actually just tried to call the place and the number is disconnected. But when I go up that way, I am going to see if they are still there.
No, GaCDBFan, I don't see a sticker anywhere on it. But like I said, I am going to just get a brand new one soon.
I am use to my desktop but I've thought about a laptop but I don't like using your finger for a mouse. I've seen some with the mouses though. Are the laptops as good as the desktops or do they desktops hold up better?
Thank ya'll for the info. Your computer isn't illegal, just a possibility your operating system is.
It isn't a 100% sure thing, but a high probability. Legitimate copies will come with a sticker with a serial number on it that the manufacturer/builder is supposed to stick to the computer somewhere to show it is genuine (at least since XP. I'm not sure about before that, but I don't think so.). Like muddawber said earlier, you can buy a new copy and install it. newegg.com advertised one today for $80. I think you have to type in a promo code to get that price.
Do you use your computer for much other than getting on the web? You could dump Windows off and use a Linux distribution instead. There are lots of them, and they are all free LEGALLY and most of them are very easy to use because they are so similar to windows in so many ways. One of the easiest to use is Ubuntu. You can download a "live" CD that you can burn to a blank disk, which will start the computer in Linux instead of Windows, and allow you to try it WITHOUT making any changes to your Windows installation to make sure you want to use it and that it works with all your hardware. Look here for more information and some instructions on how to do it: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/LiveCD If you like it, and everything works, the same disk can wipe Windows off and install Linux on your computer. There are free programs available for Linux, such as Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird web browser and email, openoffice.org for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations that are MS Office compatible, and a LOT more. (Most of them are for Windows too if anybody is looking for free but good programs!)
As far as laptops are concerned, they are generally a bit slower than desktops, especially the hard drive speed. Most people won't notice a huge difference, especially if the computer you are replacing is 2-3 years old. As far as durability is concerned, they are fine. In fact, the hard drive may last longer because they don't spin as fast, and therefore don't get as much wear. The primary down side to laptops is that there is absolutely ZERO room for upgrades inside. The only way to go is external USB, pretty much. However, most people never upgrade their desktops either, so it isn't REALLY all that bad a thing. The nice thing about laptops is that you can fold it up and put it in a closet or something when you are through using it. You don't need a desk. You can carry it with you on trips, and likely have free internet in your hotel room, and in some McDonalds, etc., on the way. There are wireless mouses (do you call plural computer mouses mice like the rodent?) made specifically for laptops. They are smaller, so they take up less room packed away, and newer models come with tiny wireless transceivers that don't stick out of the computer. You don't have to remove them, and you don't have to worry about them being broken off. If you don't want to spend the $30 or so for a wireless laptop mouse, you can use ANY USB mouse, wireless or wired, and it'll work just fine.
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| Posted: Wed Oct 21st, 2009 04:30 am |
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67th Post |
muddawber
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GaCDBFan,
I was just thinking about asking you today if you had ever used Linux/Ubuntu. I have a copy on one of my hard drives, and it is great. It took a little to get used to, especially on downloads and upgrades, but, it is a lot more stable than anything Windows has to offer. As soon as I can get another computer up and running so the family doesn't have to relearn everything, I'm going back to Ubuntu. The great thing about Linux systems, it's all open source, and, most everything is free.
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| Posted: Wed Oct 21st, 2009 04:38 am |
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68th Post |
GaCDBFan
Forum Member
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stephany wrote: Howdy,
I have windows XP, and use Mozilla Firefox.
I purchased a new HP printer last month, and like it very well.
But the HP program has me frustrated.
When I open up "My Documents" or "My Pictures" they are in the
Paint Program.
I don't like the program, at all!
I don't know which one was used when I had my Dell Computer and printer. But I sure would like to get rid of this paint.
One thing I find puzzling is this.
Say I have a photo saved that is 220 kb's. I will crop and save it, and the new file becomes something like 1.4 M. How can that happen?
I have to tell you that I am NOT tech savvy! I would apprecitate
any help you could send my way.
Thanks, Stephany
I think what has happened is that the HP program has installed what is called an ActiveX control and has actively taken over the window in your documents and pictures folders. It has been a while since I've seen this, but there is a way to stop it. If I'm remembering right (I'm not on an XP machine right now), it gives you the list of files on the right side of the window, and the left side gives you a list of things you can do with the files. The HP driver uses an ActiveX control to change the list of things to use the HP program instead of the normal built in Windows programs. I think it might be as simple as clicking an X in the top right corner of the left pane in the window, but I don't remember. I'll have to look it up, or get on an XP box.
Most photos are compressed to save space, and it sounds like the program is uncompressing the picture to modify it, then being too dumb to re-compress it to where it was. It is either not re-compressing at all, or using a much higher quality setting than the original. It doesn't hurt anything except your storage space, but it doesn't help either. No matter how high the quality setting, it'll never be better than the original.
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| Posted: Wed Oct 21st, 2009 04:44 am |
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69th Post |
GaCDBFan
Forum Member
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stephany wrote:
Dear Mr. Geek,
I have another question!
I have a Wildblue satellite. Do occasionally test the PC using
Speedtest.net. Nothing wrong, it is running the way it is supposed to.
Why is the dang thing so SLOW AT NIGHT?
When I get back online in the morning, things move right along..
Thanks again, Steph
It is probably just that more people are using it at night. You have to share the connection with everyone else that is using that satellite.
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| Posted: Wed Oct 21st, 2009 04:48 am |
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70th Post |
GaCDBFan
Forum Member
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muddawber wrote: GaCDBFan,
I was just thinking about asking you today if you had ever used Linux/Ubuntu. I have a copy on one of my hard drives, and it is great. It took a little to get used to, especially on downloads and upgrades, but, it is a lot more stable than anything Windows has to offer. As soon as I can get another computer up and running so the family doesn't have to relearn everything, I'm going back to Ubuntu. The great thing about Linux systems, it's all open source, and, most everything is free.
I've used it some, and Red Hat/Fedora too, but not a whole lot. I have too much weird hardware that doesn't have Linux drivers available for them for me to be able to use them too much. Ubuntu seems better at picking up hardware and installing drivers for it, but I mainly use the live CD to fix things.
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| Posted: Wed Oct 21st, 2009 04:58 am |
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71st Post |
muddawber
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GaCDBFan wrote: muddawber wrote: GaCDBFan,
I was just thinking about asking you today if you had ever used Linux/Ubuntu. I have a copy on one of my hard drives, and it is great. It took a little to get used to, especially on downloads and upgrades, but, it is a lot more stable than anything Windows has to offer. As soon as I can get another computer up and running so the family doesn't have to relearn everything, I'm going back to Ubuntu. The great thing about Linux systems, it's all open source, and, most everything is free.
I've used it some, and Red Hat/Fedora too, but not a whole lot. I have too much weird hardware that doesn't have Linux drivers available for them for me to be able to use them too much. Ubuntu seems better at picking up hardware and installing drivers for it, but I mainly use the live CD to fix things.
Hardware drivers are one drawback. Some things just will not work. They try to give you a work around that helps get most things up and running. That was one of the issues with Microsoft. They cornered the market on the driver compatibility, and most of the hardware manufacturers would only use windows drivers. That's just like Bill Gates, isn't it?
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| Posted: Wed Oct 21st, 2009 05:01 am |
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72nd Post |
GaCDBFan
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railroaddaisies7 wrote: Computer Debacle
WindowsVista
Windows auto updated recently but two updates failed -- both for my Linksys wireless adapter. At the same time the adapter quit working (wouldn't detect networks including my own wireless router). Did diagnose/repair and got this message: network cable unplugged. Did all of the power down of cable/wireless/adapter restarted computer, etc.
Tried to go back to a previous restore point before updates -- failed, said I didn't have restore point on this computer. I abandoned that plan.
Went to adapter manufacture to check for whatever update microsoft said I needed. Found none for my adapter.
Tried to reinstall driver from manufacture CD. Install program wouldn't let driver install said to contact manufacture.
Removed adapter from hardware list and reinstallled with original driver from CD. Success!
except--
now when I boot up or restart computer I get a message that Windows needs to install the driver in order for my adapter to work -- but it is already installed and working!
How can I or where can I find how to turn off that message. Or what do I need to do so that it doesn't hang at that point.
Thanks for any help. Does the adapter show twice in the device manager, or is there a device with a question mark or exclamation point on it? It is common for a device from one manufacturer to use a chip made by another manufacturer and the device maker and the chip maker both release updates. The chip's update is generic in nature, while the device's are more specific. It is almost always better to use the device manufacturer's driver than the chip manufacturer's. Unfortunately, sometimes Windows incorrectly picks up the chip's drivers instead of the device's. If there are two devices showing in the device manager, or one with a question mark, you should remove BOTH of them, then reinstall from the CD or the device manufacturer's web site. You might even have to look at the driver properties to see the file name that it's loading, and go and manually delete it. Removing a device from the device manager doesn't remove the driver file. It that doesn't work, you'll have to do some registry editing, which is way beyond what I'd like to get into, and should be left to the tech support people.
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| Posted: Wed Oct 21st, 2009 05:15 am |
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73rd Post |
GaCDBFan
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muddawber wrote: Hardware drivers are one drawback. Some things just will not work. They try to give you a work around that helps get most things up and running. That was one of the issues with Microsoft. They cornered the market on the driver compatibility, and most of the hardware manufacturers would only use windows drivers. That's just like Bill Gates, isn't it?
I don't think it's anything really intentional or anything, just that if 95% of computers use windows, and 5% or less Linux, which would you spend all your efforts developing software for? Some hardware has developed a niche fully developing Linux drivers and/or supporting open source development for their hardware, but unfortunately, that is the exception instead of the rule.
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| Posted: Wed Oct 21st, 2009 05:42 am |
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74th Post |
muddawber
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GaCDBFan wrote: muddawber wrote: Hardware drivers are one drawback. Some things just will not work. They try to give you a work around that helps get most things up and running. That was one of the issues with Microsoft. They cornered the market on the driver compatibility, and most of the hardware manufacturers would only use windows drivers. That's just like Bill Gates, isn't it?
I don't think it's anything really intentional or anything, just that if 95% of computers use windows, and 5% or less Linux, which would you spend all your efforts developing software for? Some hardware has developed a niche fully developing Linux drivers and/or supporting open source development for their hardware, but unfortunately, that is the exception instead of the rule.
Wasn't that one of the big lawsuits several years back, that Microsoft was basically forming a monopoly on the driver software? Or am I thinking of something else?
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| Posted: Wed Oct 21st, 2009 05:59 am |
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75th Post |
GaCDBFan
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Mainly Internet Explorer being used by everything in Windows and shutting out other browsers.....
I don't remember anything about drivers, but I might be wrong.
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| Posted: Wed Oct 21st, 2009 10:53 am |
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76th Post |
railroaddaisies7
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GaCDBFan wrote: railroaddaisies7 wrote: Computer Debacle
WindowsVista
Windows auto updated recently but two updates failed -- both for my Linksys wireless adapter. At the same time the adapter quit working (wouldn't detect networks including my own wireless router). Did diagnose/repair and got this message: network cable unplugged. Did all of the power down of cable/wireless/adapter restarted computer, etc.
Tried to go back to a previous restore point before updates -- failed, said I didn't have restore point on this computer. I abandoned that plan.
Went to adapter manufacture to check for whatever update microsoft said I needed. Found none for my adapter.
Tried to reinstall driver from manufacture CD. Install program wouldn't let driver install said to contact manufacture.
Removed adapter from hardware list and reinstallled with original driver from CD. Success!
except--
now when I boot up or restart computer I get a message that Windows needs to install the driver in order for my adapter to work -- but it is already installed and working!
How can I or where can I find how to turn off that message. Or what do I need to do so that it doesn't hang at that point.
Thanks for any help. Does the adapter show twice in the device manager, or is there a device with a question mark or exclamation point on it? It is common for a device from one manufacturer to use a chip made by another manufacturer and the device maker and the chip maker both release updates. The chip's update is generic in nature, while the device's are more specific. It is almost always better to use the device manufacturer's driver than the chip manufacturer's. Unfortunately, sometimes Windows incorrectly picks up the chip's drivers instead of the device's. If there are two devices showing in the device manager, or one with a question mark, you should remove BOTH of them, then reinstall from the CD or the device manufacturer's web site. You might even have to look at the driver properties to see the file name that it's loading, and go and manually delete it. Removing a device from the device manager doesn't remove the driver file. It that doesn't work, you'll have to do some registry editing, which is way beyond what I'd like to get into, and should be left to the tech support people.
There is only one adapter showing and it is working properly -- no ? or ! showing. I did check to make sure it was indeed gone from the list when I uninstalled it.
I didn't know I might have to remove the driver manually. I will try that this weekend when I have a larger window of time to devote to the project!
I don't do registry changes either! I can get there and contemplate the idea but I've never been brave enough to actually change anything!
Thank you for the suggestion though.
PS
About 99% of what I do on my computer beast is a "work around". Its like my mother slapping the daylights out of the top of the television when I was a kid to straighten the picture on the screen! It worked, but it wasn't exactly the way it was designed to work. There was no science to her effort either, just frustration.
muddawber -- I did a tiny bit of search over there, even used the error code Windows gave me but it was too general to be of any help. I'll have to get over there this weekend and dig around some of the forums and help files.
Thanks muddawber....and I like your member name, reminds me of my Granny's old place up in the country.
Thanks y'all!
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| Posted: Wed Oct 21st, 2009 02:03 pm |
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77th Post |
GaCDBFan
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GaCDBFan wrote: stephany wrote: Howdy,
I have windows XP, and use Mozilla Firefox.
I purchased a new HP printer last month, and like it very well.
But the HP program has me frustrated.
When I open up "My Documents" or "My Pictures" they are in the
Paint Program.
I don't like the program, at all!
I don't know which one was used when I had my Dell Computer and printer. But I sure would like to get rid of this paint.
One thing I find puzzling is this.
Say I have a photo saved that is 220 kb's. I will crop and save it, and the new file becomes something like 1.4 M. How can that happen?
I have to tell you that I am NOT tech savvy! I would apprecitate
any help you could send my way.
Thanks, Stephany
I think what has happened is that the HP program has installed what is called an ActiveX control and has actively taken over the window in your documents and pictures folders. It has been a while since I've seen this, but there is a way to stop it. If I'm remembering right (I'm not on an XP machine right now), it gives you the list of files on the right side of the window, and the left side gives you a list of things you can do with the files. The HP driver uses an ActiveX control to change the list of things to use the HP program instead of the normal built in Windows programs. I think it might be as simple as clicking an X in the top right corner of the left pane in the window, but I don't remember. I'll have to look it up, or get on an XP box.
Most photos are compressed to save space, and it sounds like the program is uncompressing the picture to modify it, then being too dumb to re-compress it to where it was. It is either not re-compressing at all, or using a much higher quality setting than the original. It doesn't hurt anything except your storage space, but it doesn't help either. No matter how high the quality setting, it'll never be better than the original.
I can't duplicate what is going on on my computer any more. I have an HP laptop which was doing the same type of thing you are describing because of some pre-installed software. I managed to get it turned off, but it was 3 or 4 years ago, and I don't remember 100% how I did it. I believe I right clicked in the pane to the left where the HP programs are listed in place of the built in Windows program, and clicked an option something like disable ActiveX somewhere in the context sensitive menus that popped up. Sorry I can't be more specific.
On the other hand, whenever you want to edit a picture, you can right click it, then select "open with..." and manually select the program that you want. Look around in the "folder options" settings to see if there is something in there too.
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| Posted: Thu Oct 22nd, 2009 04:40 pm |
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78th Post |
AUNTPAT
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GaCDBFan wrote: muddawber wrote: AUNTPAT wrote: Wow, I didn't know my computer was illegal. Right now we can't afford a new one but I think I'm going to plan on that in the very near future. I don't like it and yes, I will contact Microsoft. To me, folks have to work hard for an honest living and if someone is doing something illegal then it should be reported.
I actually just tried to call the place and the number is disconnected. But when I go up that way, I am going to see if they are still there.
No, GaCDBFan, I don't see a sticker anywhere on it. But like I said, I am going to just get a brand new one soon.
I am use to my desktop but I've thought about a laptop but I don't like using your finger for a mouse. I've seen some with the mouses though. Are the laptops as good as the desktops or do they desktops hold up better?
Thank ya'll for the info. Your computer isn't illegal, just a possibility your operating system is.
It isn't a 100% sure thing, but a high probability. Legitimate copies will come with a sticker with a serial number on it that the manufacturer/builder is supposed to stick to the computer somewhere to show it is genuine (at least since XP. I'm not sure about before that, but I don't think so.). Like muddawber said earlier, you can buy a new copy and install it. newegg.com advertised one today for $80. I think you have to type in a promo code to get that price.
Do you use your computer for much other than getting on the web? You could dump Windows off and use a Linux distribution instead. There are lots of them, and they are all free LEGALLY and most of them are very easy to use because they are so similar to windows in so many ways. One of the easiest to use is Ubuntu. You can download a "live" CD that you can burn to a blank disk, which will start the computer in Linux instead of Windows, and allow you to try it WITHOUT making any changes to your Windows installation to make sure you want to use it and that it works with all your hardware. Look here for more information and some instructions on how to do it: https://help.ubuntu.com/community/LiveCD If you like it, and everything works, the same disk can wipe Windows off and install Linux on your computer. There are free programs available for Linux, such as Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird web browser and email, openoffice.org for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations that are MS Office compatible, and a LOT more. (Most of them are for Windows too if anybody is looking for free but good programs!)
As far as laptops are concerned, they are generally a bit slower than desktops, especially the hard drive speed. Most people won't notice a huge difference, especially if the computer you are replacing is 2-3 years old. As far as durability is concerned, they are fine. In fact, the hard drive may last longer because they don't spin as fast, and therefore don't get as much wear. The primary down side to laptops is that there is absolutely ZERO room for upgrades inside. The only way to go is external USB, pretty much. However, most people never upgrade their desktops either, so it isn't REALLY all that bad a thing. The nice thing about laptops is that you can fold it up and put it in a closet or something when you are through using it. You don't need a desk. You can carry it with you on trips, and likely have free internet in your hotel room, and in some McDonalds, etc., on the way. There are wireless mouses (do you call plural computer mouses mice like the rodent?) made specifically for laptops. They are smaller, so they take up less room packed away, and newer models come with tiny wireless transceivers that don't stick out of the computer. You don't have to remove them, and you don't have to worry about them being broken off. If you don't want to spend the $30 or so for a wireless laptop mouse, you can use ANY USB mouse, wireless or wired, and it'll work just fine.
Thanks for all the info. I am just going to wait and get a whole new computer that comes with the disc and everything. I also reported that place to Microsoft. I am glad ya'll told me about this cause I didn't know.
Thanks for all your help. This is a nice thing for ya'll to do to help folks.
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| Posted: Fri Oct 23rd, 2009 03:29 am |
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79th Post |
GaCDBFan
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If you are serious about a laptop soon, I'd look RIGHT NOW if you can afford one now, because the new version of Windows was released TODAY and the few laptops (desktops too) that are still available that have Vista on them instead of the new Windows 7 can be had for a steal if you look carefully. Most are getting marked down to get rid of them, because everyone wants 7 now. The thing is that you can get a FREE copy of 7 LEGALLY if you buy before January 31 on most brands.
Oh, and you're welcome!
Last edited on Fri Oct 23rd, 2009 03:30 am by GaCDBFan
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| Posted: Sat Oct 24th, 2009 03:04 am |
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80th Post |
GaCDBFan
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GaCDBFan wrote: GaCDBFan wrote: stephany wrote: Howdy,
I have windows XP, and use Mozilla Firefox.
I purchased a new HP printer last month, and like it very well.
But the HP program has me frustrated.
When I open up "My Documents" or "My Pictures" they are in the
Paint Program.
I don't like the program, at all!
I don't know which one was used when I had my Dell Computer and printer. But I sure would like to get rid of this paint.
One thing I find puzzling is this.
Say I have a photo saved that is 220 kb's. I will crop and save it, and the new file becomes something like 1.4 M. How can that happen?
I have to tell you that I am NOT tech savvy! I would apprecitate
any help you could send my way.
Thanks, Stephany
I think what has happened is that the HP program has installed what is called an ActiveX control and has actively taken over the window in your documents and pictures folders. It has been a while since I've seen this, but there is a way to stop it. If I'm remembering right (I'm not on an XP machine right now), it gives you the list of files on the right side of the window, and the left side gives you a list of things you can do with the files. The HP driver uses an ActiveX control to change the list of things to use the HP program instead of the normal built in Windows programs. I think it might be as simple as clicking an X in the top right corner of the left pane in the window, but I don't remember. I'll have to look it up, or get on an XP box.
Most photos are compressed to save space, and it sounds like the program is uncompressing the picture to modify it, then being too dumb to re-compress it to where it was. It is either not re-compressing at all, or using a much higher quality setting than the original. It doesn't hurt anything except your storage space, but it doesn't help either. No matter how high the quality setting, it'll never be better than the original.
I can't duplicate what is going on on my computer any more. I have an HP laptop which was doing the same type of thing you are describing because of some pre-installed software. I managed to get it turned off, but it was 3 or 4 years ago, and I don't remember 100% how I did it. I believe I right clicked in the pane to the left where the HP programs are listed in place of the built in Windows program, and clicked an option something like disable ActiveX somewhere in the context sensitive menus that popped up. Sorry I can't be more specific.
On the other hand, whenever you want to edit a picture, you can right click it, then select "open with..." and manually select the program that you want. Look around in the "folder options" settings to see if there is something in there too.
Is your computer opening up the Windows Paint program, the one you open manually by clicking start, all programs, accessories, paint? Or is it some program installed by the HP printer? I'm still not sure what to suggest to do.
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| Posted: Mon Oct 26th, 2009 07:54 pm |
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81st Post |
AUNTPAT
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GaCDBFan wrote: If you are serious about a laptop soon, I'd look RIGHT NOW if you can afford one now, because the new version of Windows was released TODAY and the few laptops (desktops too) that are still available that have Vista on them instead of the new Windows 7 can be had for a steal if you look carefully. Most are getting marked down to get rid of them, because everyone wants 7 now. The thing is that you can get a FREE copy of 7 LEGALLY if you buy before January 31 on most brands.
Oh, and you're welcome!
Thanks. We probably will have to wait till after Christmas. But thanks for the info. I've heard good things about Windows 7. Will probably get one with that on it. A friend of mine has Vista and she don't like it. I currently have XP and it's ok. My first one was Windows 98 and it was good. But hopefully, by January or February, we will have a new one.
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| Posted: Fri Oct 30th, 2009 02:31 pm |
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82nd Post |
loner1115
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Saw a comment on another thread about carpel tunnel.
Anyone using Vista? Found out last week that there is a voice recognition program with it. At least with the Home Premium version.
Load it, get a mic, talk into it and it types it.
Can be used to pretty much control everything the computer does. There are 7 pages of commands it recognizes and performs.
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| Posted: Fri Oct 30th, 2009 02:44 pm |
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83rd Post |
GaCDBFan
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this is about setting up voice recognition
loner1115 wrote: Saw a comment on another thread about carpel tunnel.
Anyone using Vista? Found out last week that there is a voice recognition program with it. At least with the Home Premium version.
Load it, get a mic, talk into it and it types it.
Can be used to pretty much control everything the computer does. There are 7 pages of commands it recognizes and performs.
Yes, it has been there since the beginning. I don't think it is in XP (if it is, it surely isn't as advanced), but I'm pretty sure it's in 7 too. You just have to read it a few sentences so that it learns how you say certain syllables (you don't have to do it for this, it takes a while, but it helps accuracy TREMENDOUSLY) and adjusts the gain on your mic (you DO have to do a little reading to do this setting). For anyone wanting anything more advanced, a really good commercial voice recognition is from Dragon Dictation Systems, called Naturally Speaking. Make sure to get the latest version.
For a few people who have bluetooth built in to their computers, and have a bluetooth headset for their phone, that headset can link to the computer and be used for voice recognition. The unfortunate thing is that most headsets will only bond with one device at a time, and you'll have to re-link it to the phone or computer each time you switch devices. It isn't hard to do, just a pain to have to do it every time. I wish bluetooth headsets would be able to bond with several devices. If you don't have bluetooth in your computer, you can get a little adapter that plugs into the USB port for as little as about $10.
edit: If you want to use or look at voice recognition in Vista, it is in the Control Panel, under Ease of Access (Control Panel, speech recognition, if you are viewing the classic view of control panel). I'd assume the location in 7 would be similar. Mics are available for USB (better, digital, easier to connect) and the tiny headphone jack type connection (analog, easy to connect to the wrong place.... there are at least 3 holes on most computers where this will fit, but only one will work).
Last edited on Mon Dec 7th, 2009 01:44 pm by GaCDBFan
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| Posted: Sat Oct 31st, 2009 06:04 pm |
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84th Post |
GaCDBFan
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It is never a good idea to click on anything sent in an email, even from a trusted source, unless it is scanned for viruses, and you were expecting it to come (like someone sending you pictures from a trip, etc. This is the most common way of spreading a virus. It is also a common way of stealing your user ID and password for your bank and other places. Someone will make a web site that LOOKS exactly like your bank's for example, and even has an address that is very similar, but possibly misspelled by one or two letters, but it does nothing but have you type in your ID and password. Guess what happens as soon as you click OK? Within minutes sometimes, someone is at the REAL bank web site typing in the ID and password you just gave them, and is writing themselves a check or transfer of funds from your accounts!!!! Be careful. Treat such emails as you would a phone call out of the blue from a credit card company asking for your account information. You should hang up the phone (or not click on the link in this case) and calling them back with the number on the back of your card (or the web site you know is real in this case).
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GaCDBFan
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It was suggested in another thread that since we talked about things that can be done to help people who can't type very well, that a similar topic be started for those who can't see very well. Sounds reasonable. There are a whole LOT of things that can be done in that area, from the very simple to the very complex. I'm going to write about the things I know about. Anyone who can add anything else, please feel free.
One of the simplest things is if someone writes in a certain color that for various reasons, you cannot read. When that happens, you can simply point the mouse at the beginning of the text you can't read, click and hold the left mouse button and drag the mouse across the text. If you haven't changed your color scheme, the text will turn white, and the background color will turn royal blue. Practice on this text to see it work. This works in almost every program, and is pretty simple once you've done it a time or 2.
Another in the simple category is to use a simple keyboard shortcut to enlarge text, at least in web browsers. If text is too small to read in most web browsers and many mail programs, simply hold down the ctrl key and press the key with '+' on it. It can be either shift-= (you don't have to use the shift key in this case) or the plus on the number pad. Every time you press the + (while holding the ctrl key), the text will enlarge to the next size. Doing the same with the minus, '-', does the same thing, but shrinking instead of enlarging, so you can get it back to normal.
If you'd like to enlarge everything on the computer, there are several ways to do that. One way is to reduce the resolution of the screen. That makes everything bigger, but pictures won't be as sharp, and you'll have to scroll to see some of them. If you want to see if this is right for you, just right click on the desktop somewhere, away from any icons or the menu, and select properties(XP and before)/personalize(vista). Look for display settings (just settings in XP and earlier) and slide the little marker to the left to get everything larger, but less sharp, to the right to make everything smaller but sharper. One caveat is that if you have a flat panel monitor, they don't "like" some settings, so it may look blurry on certain settings. You may have to try several till it looks good. A more thorough tutorial for this, with pictures, is at: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/personalize/resolution.mspx . This is for XP, but is very similar for Vista and other versions.
If you don't like the tradeoffs of adjusting the resolution, you can try adjusting the DPI (dots per inch) setting. This is more of a Vista only (Windows 7 too probably) thing. XP does some of this, but it doesn't work well, and can cause some programs to have scrambled displays. Anyway, do the right click, personalize thing as above. In the left pane, you'll see "adjust font size (DPI)" Click on that and you'll have a couple of choices and a button to make a custom one. If you do a custom one, be careful not to over do it, or things will start to scramble and/or overlap to the point you can't read them well. Do it a little at a time till you start to see some of that, then back down till that goes away. A caveat to using this method of enlarging the screen is with programs that ignore the scaling settings. Sometimes, the program puts up a window that runs off the edge of the screen, won't allow you to resize it, and doesn't have scroll bars to let you move it around, and you won't see buttons made for clicking with the mouse. If that happens, 'OK' is usually accessed by pressing enter on the keyboard, and cancel by pressing Esc. I'm using the 120 font size myself because I'm using the HDTV in my living room as a monitor, and can't always read everything from the couch in the default 96 setting. I run into this problem sometimes, but usually not with major/popular applications.
If your text looks fuzzy, you may be able to sharpen it a bit. Vista and XP both include a feature called "clear type." It is usually turned on by default, but it may not be. A tutorial and tuning guide is here: http://www.microsoft.com/typography/ClearType/tuner/tune.aspx . You have to do this in Internet Explorer, or use the downloadable version. If you use IE, you'll have to click the yellow warning bar at the top, and tell it to allow the install. Then, just follow the directions to tweak your settings to what looks best to you.
Windows also includes a number of what they call "accessability options" or "ease of access." You get to them in the control panel. (I'm listing features in Vista. XP and earlier may or may not have them.) They are all fairly self explanatory, and include high contrast color settings, a magnifier (which uses a stip of the screen to show the area you point to with the mouse magnified significantly so it is easier to read. There is a narrator setting, which makes Windows read much of what you point the mouse at (at least the title bar, and menu choices, depending on the program). There is a hot key setting that lets you toggle between standard and high contrast color schemes (ctrl, left shift (hold both of those down) then print screen.... doing again switches back). You can customize the colors used in the high contrast mode to ones you can see well too. You can even change how thick the cursor bar is within text entry windows. Play with all these settings until you find settings that work for you.
I'm sure there are other programs that are downloadable that will add to what is here. If anyone knows them, please feel free to add them on!Last edited on Mon Nov 2nd, 2009 12:44 pm by GaCDBFan
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Duke
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GaCDBFan,
I know that will help somebody.
Thank you,
Duke
Edited in; I came back and read GaCDBfan's post just below;
You did well and I can't think of anything you didn't cover, good job,
Duke
Last edited on Thu Feb 18th, 2010 12:09 am by Duke
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GaCDBFan
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You have more experience using this type of thing than I do.... Did I miss anything?
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GaCDBFan
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I just realized that I didn't discuss one thing you can do any more than as a quick matter-of-fact mention above. You can get a larger monitor. (DUH to me for not mentioning that, since I'm using a 56" TV as my monitor!) This is the most expensive way to do it, but if you own an HDTV, you probably already have one. Most HDTV's (not all, but most) have a VGA connector on the back that works just like a standard monitor connection. As I stated earlier, flat panels don't like certain resolutions, so you might have to experiment with that setting to find one that looks sharp. A quick shortcut is to look in the TV's manual for its "native resolution" and set the computer for that.
Now the caveat... some older computers may not have resolutions built in that support the wide screen format. You may have to put up with stretched screens. It'll look OK with text and such, but pictures will make people look short and fat.
Now some good news. If you have a newer computer, it probably (not definitely) has a video connector called DVI. It looks like this:
The one on the left is DVI, the right is standard VGA. A few older HDTV's (3-4 years... not real old, but old by HDTV standards...) have a DVI port. If not, you can get a cable with DVI on one end and HDMI on the other. For those unfamiliar, HDMI is now the standard way to connect high definition devices to a TV. It looks like this:
The cables for this hook up run from cheap to very expensive. The cheap ones usually work just fine, because this is a digital connection. Either you get a perfect signal, or none at all. Amazon.com has them for as little as $0.35  with $3.00 or so shipping. Local stores will probably sell them for $40.00 or more. Just search Amazon for "HDMI DVI cable" and find the cheapest one with at least 3 star rating and from a well rated vendor.
You might get extra lucky and already have an HDMI port on your computer. Just use that to hook up to the TV, and you're all set.
Another small caveat, you MIGHT have to go into the setup program of your computer to enable the DVI/HDMI outputs. That is where the computer on startup says something like "press F2 to run setup" or something similar. I can't really help too much with that because every computer's setup program is a little different. You'll just have to go in there and look around, being careful not to change anything you are not sure of until you find the setting. Fortunately, FEW computers REQUIRE this step.
Last edited on Mon Nov 2nd, 2009 06:37 pm by GaCDBFan
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Duke
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Hawk,
Thank you, I copy/pasted that and will share it with those on my e-mail list.
They'll be glad I sent it,
Duke
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neil1970
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I have no qualifications in computers, but I've built 4 of them myself and installed windows and a million other programs (as well as fixing my computer when it decided to die multiple times) and I've found that I seem to know quite a bit compared to other people I meet.
I'm also happy to help anyone with a problem. It might be beyond me (often you've got to be sitting in front of the machine to fix the problem), but I'm willing to try.
Put it this way. Everyone I know gets me to fix their computer. I need to get one of these "No, I will not fix your computer T-Shirts ).
Cheers
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My profile shows me as being from the United Kingdom - well that was the only choice available in the list, but I am a SCOT and Scotland is my country. I don't recognise this United Kingdom. It is only the Kingdom that was United by force by the English
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| Posted: Wed Nov 11th, 2009 01:20 pm |
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94th Post |
GaCDBFan
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loner1115 wrote: For those that want a good magnifier, this is what I use when necessary.
http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/mouseandkeyboard/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=041
It is a Microsoft mouse. The size of the magnifier can be adjusted. Also has 4 way scrolling wheel.
That is a good point. A lot of mouses (mice?) and even keyboards have special extra features with them if you install the software that comes with them. Most people don't bother to do that because they will work fine by just plugging them in, but the software, especially from Microsoft and Logitech, can add a good bit of extra functionality. If you have one of those, look into it. If you don't have the disk anymore, you can usually download it.
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| Posted: Wed Nov 11th, 2009 01:22 pm |
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95th Post |
GaCDBFan
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neil1970 wrote: I have no qualifications in computers, but I've built 4 of them myself and installed windows and a million other programs (as well as fixing my computer when it decided to die multiple times) and I've found that I seem to know quite a bit compared to other people I meet.
I'm also happy to help anyone with a problem. It might be beyond me (often you've got to be sitting in front of the machine to fix the problem), but I'm willing to try.
Put it this way. Everyone I know gets me to fix their computer. I need to get one of these "No, I will not fix your computer T-Shirts ).
Cheers
Thanks. Anything you have to add, or can answer before I get to it is appreciated.
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| Posted: Wed Nov 11th, 2009 01:53 pm |
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96th Post |
Duke
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I could put all I know about computers in a thimble, it's nice to have the benefit of the other people's hard work and knowledge.
Good topic topic and info. Thank y'all,-Duke
Last edited on Wed Nov 11th, 2009 10:09 pm by Duke
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| Posted: Wed Nov 11th, 2009 08:53 pm |
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97th Post |
muddawber
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Okay, here's my problem for today. My computer, all of a sudden, gave me the blue screen, and began the physical memory dump. It gave me an error number, and then rebooted. After starting up, and getting to my desk top, it started the process over. This happened for about five times, until I was able to go into safe mode. I couldn't find the error number I was looking for, and since I couldn't access the internet, I had to wing it.
I tried to remember if I had made any changes, and remembered that I had put another mouse on the computer because my other one died. So, I went into the device manager, and it was still showing the old mouse, so I uninstalled it and rebooted. Problem solved, for now. Apparently, the old mouse driver was causing a conflict.
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| Posted: Wed Nov 11th, 2009 09:12 pm |
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98th Post |
GaCDBFan
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You're probably right about the driver. One of mine did that too yesterday (or day before). The fan inside the power supply had died and it would shut off after 4-5 minutes when the power supply overheated. I took it all apart and replaced the fan. When I was taking it apart, I unplugged the floppy, and when putting back together I didn't bother to plug it back in since we don't use it anymore. When it was booting up, it blue screened on me twice in a row till I went into the BIOS setup and turned it off. Oh, that reminds me, did you replace a PS/2 (small round connector) with a USB one? You could try going into the setup and turning off the PS/2 port too.
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| Posted: Thu Nov 12th, 2009 12:29 am |
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99th Post |
muddawber
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GaCDBFan wrote: You're probably right about the driver. One of mine did that too yesterday (or day before). The fan inside the power supply had died and it would shut off after 4-5 minutes when the power supply overheated. I took it all apart and replaced the fan. When I was taking it apart, I unplugged the floppy, and when putting back together I didn't bother to plug it back in since we don't use it anymore. When it was booting up, it blue screened on me twice in a row till I went into the BIOS setup and turned it off. Oh, that reminds me, did you replace a PS/2 (small round connector) with a USB one? You could try going into the setup and turning off the PS/2 port too.
The one I replaced was a USB plugged into a PS/2 adapter. I replaced it with a PS/2. That was where my problem was. So far, everything is working nicely.
I'm having the same power supply overheat problem. I cleaned every thing out, but it didn't help. I finally took the cover off, and I have a small fan blowing directly into the unit. I've been doing this for about a year, because I'm too cheap to buy a new power supply.
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GaCDBFan
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The power supply is usually fairly easy to take the cover off of, and sometimes you can take the fan out and replace it. You can get replacement fans pretty cheap. Get one with ball bearings or fluid bearing, not a sleeve. You might have to splice and solder the wires (I did.... well actually I'm going to.... right now they are just twisted together and taped to make sure that was the problem before I went to the trouble. To get the right size fan, measure the width of the fan you have in millimeters, and get one with the same number of wires. Some have 3 or 4, with one of the extras used to monitor the RPM on some, and another extra used to throttle the speed on others. They only NEED 2 wires, red and black. You can replace a fan that has 3-4 wires with one that only has 2, and only lose the ability of the computer to monitor it, or slow it down to make it quieter when full speed isn't necessary. Most power supplies don't do any of that unless they are fairly high end models.
Sometimes you can catch a good power supply on sale for pretty cheap. For example, today, and I'm not sure how long this will last, newegg.com has a Corsair brand model that I have one of myself, and it is extremely good quality, for $50 out of pocket, and a $20 mail in rebate, for a final cost of $30, with free shipping. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139008&cm_re=corsair-_-17-139-008-_-Product
These are very quiet too. The first one I installed was so quiet that I had my face right over it with the case cover off trying to reach around and turn the switch on the back on, but it was already on and booting the computer. When it beeped at the POST, it about scared the %^&&%$ out of me because I couldn't tell it was on and wasn't expecting the beep. A decent fan will set you back about $10. If you can upgrade your power supply to one this good for $30, it might be worth it. The only reason I'm replacing the fan in mine is that I already had a fan that size, and the supply in my computer isn't a standard size, so this one won't fit the case. I'd have to get a case and PS for this computer. Measure yours and compare it to the specs to make sure it'll fit if you go for that option.
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Anyone else who knows the answer to someone's question can feel free to answer too. I can't be here 24/7, and I won't know EVERY answer
