Turn off file and printer sharing. If that fails, unplug your printer.
Just sit back and watch the "wise" comments pour in.
Printers truly are the WEAKEST LINK in the computer universe. At my job they are demanding we go to computer generated checks. Oh but they don't realize we'll have to actually print them on printers.
Good luck eh!
but windows ME? That has got to go.
Open your Printers folder (in the Control Panel). Double click on each of your printers and be sure there's no cached document that's trying to print.
Then shut down everything, power it all off, check for loose cables, then turn everything back on.
I really doubt this is a virus.
Unplug printer power cable for a few minutes to clear memory
Some anti-virus progs are better at picking up stuff than others. I kept having some weird problems and I d/l the AVG Free edition and it found some things nothing else did and I haven't had any problems since (knock wood). Hope this helps and good luck!
Try doing an R & R on the printer objects. Sometimes they get corrupted and need to be replaced. You also need to seriously considering upgrading. The Win9x platform is not very stable.
I cleaned up her computer with Ad-Aware, SpyBot, and a virus scan. I believe the program that finally got rid of this nuisance was a free download called HijackThis. Exercise caution: it's not an easy program to use, and I recall making a correction in the registry.
Note: always back up your registry before messing with it.
I Googled up some instructions on that particular repair, but I can't remember the search terms off the top of my head.
Shut down File Sharing and get rid of ME. It is not a great OS.
Your printer is haunted. Your screwed.
My modem talked one day....
Most versions of Windows will keep trying to print anything they find in the SPOOL folder, even after a reboot, and even if it's a corrupt spool file and printing gobbledegook.
Here's how it works. You tell Word or something to print.
I doesn't send it directly to the printer, it sends it to a file(s) in the SPOOL folder on your hard disk, and the Windows spooler software dribbles it out to the printer as fast as the printer can accept it.
I don't remember exactly where it is in WinME, and I don't feel like getting out of bed to fire up my WinME machine, but look for a SPOOL folder in your C:\WINDOWS or C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM.
There may be several folders under that, so be careful not to delete your print drivers.
You're looking for a folder with files that end in .SP*, (You have to have file extensions turned on).
Whack those files, run a regular scandisk, and reboot.
I use Firefox PR1 and IMHO, beats the sox off MS Explorer. Life is good with tabs. Click the link and give it a try. | Browser Wars, take two various FR links | 12-22-04 | The Heavy Equipment Guy http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1306815/posts ...and let your compiler of links drop out of Lurk & Link mode for comment and advice: Ditch IE. Honest to God, almost anything else will give you fewer problems. Try and compare- use IE, then run Ad-Aware and Spybot Search & Destroy... then try another browser and repeat. You will be stunned at the garbage IE attracts. Keep your OS updated & patched. Run a hardware firewall-- with today's LAN's, it's easy. You need a hardware firewall. Use a software firewall, too-- if you don't, you'll never know how many times your PC is trying to "phone home" and send your info across the web. |
It's free......
http://www.ccleaner.com/
Your printer is haunted by a ghost. You'd better sell it on eBay.
Ditch that and just use the free zonealarm only and get AVG for AV.