Now it's my turn to ask for computer help!

Sally'sConcerns | 12/05/04 | Sally'sConcerns

[Sally'sConcerns]

Before anyone asks I have AVG, Spybot, Ad-Aware, SpySweeper (paid for) and TrojanHunter. SpySweeper runs nightly as does AVG. I run Spybot every couple of weeks as back-up for SpySweeper. I'm on cable modem and the only protection I don't have is a firewall. I plan on securing that when my computer whiz son visits at Christmas. (I'm an almost computer idiot)

So my computer's been acting hinky and I don't know why. I decide to go to http://www.pcpitstop.com to check my computer. For some strange reason I click on the free scan from Stop-Sign. Stop-Sign finds stuff and the only way I can get them to "correct/fix" it is to purchase their program. Is it worth the money to buy their program? They did find several things such as the remains of IWon and AllAdvantage which none of the other programs found.

[Loyal Buckeye]

Got it.

Thanks.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Once you get it clean, switch to the Firefox browser and dump Internet Explorer. Please.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

One minor problem, I don't have the original CD.

That's not a problem unless you want to wipe the drive and start over. You can do a reinstall of Windows before-hand by running the setup.exe file that is found in C:\Windows\Options\Cabs.

It won't hurt a thing. If you really, really, really, really need an install CD...I have an OEM Windows ME install disc with nothing bundled on it. Freep mail me and we can arrange something. Or you could take this opportunity to upgrade to Windows XP. Cost you about $75.00 if you do some shopping around.

[Americanchild]

Looks good! The only thing I would disable is the Qttask. That's Quicktime task tray icon and it's a resource hog.Disable it as follows – Start QuickTime through "Start \ Programs", choose the "Edit \ Preferences" menu option, select "QuickTime Preferences" from the right-hand side menu, uncheck the box next to QuickTime System Tray icon. In version 6, however, this is done differently : double-click on the QuickTime icon in the Control Panel to bring up the QuickTime Settings panel, choose Browser Plug-in in the drop-down at the top, and then uncheck QuickTime System Tray icon.

This won't disable the actual Quicktime program and you can start that anytime you want. It's just not necessary at start-up. Everything else looks good!

[united1000]

put FR in Favorites! Better yet, put a short cut on your desktop!

The truely addicted can't wait around for search engines...

I found out years ago the easiest way was to make it my homepage!

[Sally'sConcerns]

I'm having a mixed day as far as fixing my computer. I had no problem in running defrag and there sure was alot of white space while it was running.

BUT, running scan disk was a whole nother story. It ran well for awhile and then after it had scanned 55,000 sectors it quit and when I hit alt/contol/delete to see what was going on, I received the blue screen of death telling me my system was unstable. I tried again and only got to 4,000. If I use F8 as you originally suggested, how difficult is that and how big are my chances that I might make a mistake and do damage that I wouldn't have a clue as to how to fix?

I did as you said for Quicktime but found no Edit/Preferences menu option so I decided to uninstall it as that was the only option I saw. I may be wrong but I decided that if I ever needed Quicktime I could re-install it.

I haven't downloaded Mozilla or Firefox yet since there seems to be differing opinions on which one is best. Not only that but I'm suffering with the syndrome of 'better the pain you know than the one you don't'. I'm willing to change browsers but I want the one that does as much (in a good sense) as IE and is easy browsing with.

Oh, and while I'm describing all of my little computer programs, when I restart I get a screen that tells me I may have added a program and if I want my active desktop back then I need to click on a bar on the screen. I haven't downloaded any new programs in months and this only started happening the last couple of days.

Is it time to call the tech? :)

[Sally'sConcerns]

I thought I had read on FR that there were problems with XP. Or am I so frustrated with my current problems that I'm remembering incorrectly?

Why would I want to wipe the drive? Could I reinstall Windows anyway and do you think that would get rid of the freezing up and blue screens of death.

Thank you for your offer, it's greatly appreciated. I think I'll try to fix what I have and if that's not going to work for me then I'll have son fix me.

[Americanchild]

Yeah, that works too! :)

[Americanchild]

Scandisk often restarts and restarts itself but will eventually finish in safe mode at least. F8 won't hurt your computer, I've used it many times on the work computers that everyone said were beyond help. Just keep pressing it during boot up until the menu comes up. Choose safe mode with the directional arrows on your keyboard, then enter. Everything will look a little odd, but go ahead and run scan. DISABLE your screensaver first! Now leave the computer for awhile. If you've never run a complete scan, this is going to take awhile. I wouldn't use ctrl+alt+delete during a scan.

As for the Quicktime, if you can't find the options in that program , you can always take it out of start-up in Spybot's "tools" section. :) It likes to put itself back in there regularly, so you might have to remove it often.

Active desktop can usually be restarted by right-clicking on an empty space on the desktop and choosing the appropriate option.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

I thought I had read on FR that there were problems with XP.

Well...problems with the new Service Pack 2 for XP. But XP itself is quite nice.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Why would I want to wipe the drive?

Only if everything else fails. By all means, try EVERYTHING else first before doing that. I only mentioned it because I had assumed it had been recommended to you by another poster when your reply mentioned you didn't have an install disk.

I myself have reinstalled WinME many times as well as having wiped many a drive and reinstalled every type of Windows OS. But then, I work on computers of all types and am very comfortable with the process.

I would recommend to you to try and clean things up yourself and only go so far as to re-install WinME from the setup file I mentioned earlier. It will not destroy any of your data. It will only refresh the Windows install and might actually fix yor problem.

[ChefKeith]

Start here (#38)

let me know when you are done, probly a day or two from what I read in the other thread

[IamHD]

"probly a day or two from what I read in the other thread"

Funny guy. :)

I have all shown in #38 and more. I did some more searching, and found that all of the (unmentionables) in my Registry are supposed to be there. They have to do with the scanning with the ad-aware, spybot, etc., and their findings. They are also in my Security Restricted Sites Tools. Every time you scan, they are added to the Registry. They are buried very deep in the Registry.

Thanks!

[ChefKeith]

?gone into safe mode yet?

[Smokin' Joe]

I had a similar problem with an XP machine, where it would just shut down and restart. After observation, I realized that any time something video intensive came up, it quit. After mucking about with troubleshooters I found out that I had waaaay too little virtual memory: the computer was purchased open box, and apparently someone had changed this. I can't tell you how to reset it, but check and see if windows is managing your virtual memory, and if not, what the setting is. If it seems low (under 2000), that may be the problem.

I could be wrong, too, so see what more experienced folks have to say.

[Sally'sConcerns]

Just an update if you're interested!

I never could get scan disk to run completely so I decided to live dangerously (for me!) and F8'd. I went into safe mode after 4 tries and finally ran scan disk to completion.

So far, so good! I talked to son last night and he's decided to give me XP for Christmas.

Now that my computer isn't freezing up like it was, I'll delete cookies. (It's also running faster!)

The only remaining question I have is which browser is best for someone like me. Mozilla or Firefox?

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Great news. I have trouble running scan disk on occasion as well. So, when I have to run scan disk, I'll boot up on a system floppy disk and run it from the DOS prompt. It runs perfect everytime that way with nothing else trying to access the disk while it's running.

Mozilla or Firefox?

If you want a browser to replace Internet Explorer, use Firefox. Mozilla is a browser but it has a mail client in it as well as some other things that make it kind of bulky.

If you need a mail client as well, I would recommend Thunderbird. It's from the same project team that developed Firefox.

Firefox is the bomb. You'll have a blast playing with all the configurations and Extensions and Themes. You can get plenty of support for it here on FR as well as the built in links to help sites. Download and install version 1.0 and never look at again.

[edchambers]

First of all I think there are far too many good free utilities now to pay for another one.It sounds like you have plenty.As far as firewalls go I've been using the free version of Zone Alarm for quite awhile now and feel no urgency to buy the deluxe version.But even when you have all the right stuff installed and use it correctly there are still going to be times when you need to just reformat and reinstall.I'm not saying that's what you need to do, but you should weigh how much time and frustration your willing to spend on fixing the problem vs what it takes to reformat your hard drive and start over.

[edchambers]

(I just installed a new DVD-rom drive and it will not play sound when I pop in a movie)

A couple things first is your sound card seperate from your mother board ? or is it on board? The old systems had a wire running from the sound card to the drive if it's not hooked up no sound.Other than that reinstall the drivers for your soundcard.

[edchambers]

if i download mozzila and keep outlook mail will that be ok

Sure just don't open any attachments unless you know the person sending them to you.I have use OE for years no problem.