Help Desk

Dale O Sea · Post by **Dale O Sea** » 07-13-2006 01:39 AM

Are you using XP? XP has a great System Restore feature that lets you roll back to before you changed settings.

If you have Anti-spyware you should run that. I recommend MS Defender first, thaen Adaware or Spybot Search and Destoy.

Also, make sure you have all your Windows Updates.

You are missing the show with my mess. You are too nice.

I'm listening.

Dale O Sea · Post by **Dale O Sea** » 07-13-2006 01:49 AM

When did you start having problems with Outlook Express? And what were the problems? OE and T-Bird are pretty much set and forget. Once the settings are in they stay. Sounds to me like you got some kinda malware on there.

Download and run Defender, I link it above and then update and run your anti-virus program. You have to get rid of any bugs before anything can be fixed.

Oh, and any time you are having any PC problems back up all your data - Address books, pictures, bookmarks, etc..all the stuff personal to you. Don't bother with the software - you reinstall that. If you can...

Dale O Sea · Post by **Dale O Sea** » 07-13-2006 01:51 AM

And if you don't have an antivirus program go to Trend Micro's Housecall and follow their instructions to run a scan.

I did that myself today. Works great!

http://www.trendmicro.com/hc_intro/default.asp

Starrphyre · Post by **Starrphyre** » 07-13-2006 01:58 AM

Dale, I am running Windows 2000 Professional. I have the free Microsoft anti-spy program and Spybot. They run daily and I ran them myself just in case. I just recently installed an e-Trust updated firewall/spam/whatever thing last week through my service provider. Windows updates come automatically but I check that too, once in awhile.

I don't run any backups. I didn't think I had anything to lose--I just use the PC for silly e-mails, the forum, Amazon, and encylopedia-type stuff.

Dale O Sea · Post by **Dale O Sea** » 07-13-2006 02:09 AM

I just recently installed an e-Trust updated firewall/spam/whatever thing last week through my service provider.

That bothers me a little. Can you uninstall that? I would. Firewalls can cause some strange problems.

I don't think 2000 has the system restore..

that would have been neat..and easy. Nope, just checked theMS site.
________________

Is all that isn't working is your email client(s)? It''s easy enough to check those settings. I'd disable OE and use T-Bird. I used to use OE all the time but have had T-Bird for the last couple of years. OE, like IE is susceptable to Active-X issues. Active-X lets 3rd parties run code on your machine..

Dale O Sea · Post by **Dale O Sea** » 07-13-2006 02:24 AM

If it is just your email client messing up - double check your account settings. You get these from your ISP. Your mail server and SMTP server numbers, etc.

If that don't do it then remove OE and reinstall it. Not sure how to do that IN 2000 but look in your Control Panel for add Remove Programs and in that look for Add Remove Windows components. Back up your email and address book. Do that using an Export function, I think. Then remove Outlook Express and T-Bird if you have that installed. Then reinstall, preferable t-bird but OE is ok too.
___________________

Now that your completely confused, my work is done.

Just kidding..confusion is a natural state of mind for PC users.

Dale O Sea · Post by **Dale O Sea** » 07-13-2006 02:30 AM

This is kinda hard to go about this this way - thru written correspondence. If you have a geeky friend or know a HS teenager they could be of great help to you in person.

turtle101 · Post by **turtle101** » 08-14-2006 10:09 PM

As you know I have dail-up and 2000 xp sp2. I have Ad-ware, spy and destroy, X cleaner, avg and avast. now

I did have Avg switch to Advast becuase Avg would not let me up grade my virus protecter and kept saying I had a trojan dropper generic dzd. It let me remove it but it would not let me up grade. Removed AVG started over again. Re-downloaded AVG. Wouldn't let me up Grade. So Switched to Advast. It said I had a virus and it removed it. Went to HouseCall and it said I was clean.

I like AVG so I did try and re-downloaded it. The shield again said I needed a virus up grade. It won't let me up grade. Now the shield came on and said Advast needs an up grade. But everytime I down load it, sit here for hours. No up grade. No error message, nothing........ just say's I already have Advast do I want to downlaod anyway..... So right or wrong I click the red shield at the bottom of my computer -away-. What else can a Turtle do?

Yes i up grade my computer always. Dale taught me that.

Second question. I have a place I can go download music, games and stuff. I'v burn plenty of music. But it won't let me download anything else. I tried to get bejewel. But one million virus's shields came up.....so I was smart and stopped. Gee do you think I need some other kind of virus protecter......why have these places if yo can't use them? Am I doing something wrong?

Shirleypal · Post by **Shirleypal** » 08-14-2006 10:16 PM

Alarm Zone has a free version and is pretty good.

Barbie · Post by **Barbie** » 08-14-2006 10:29 PM

I've got an eMac. I've been running 9.2 OS because Howard uses my computer to check out things (his new PAWriter program free to genealogists) but I'm finding it more and more difficult to play things people send me via e-mail, and when I log-in to some of the references you put out here on the Forum.

Howard says he thinks there is no way to import many of my files to an upgraded system. I figure there must be a way to import things from one eMac OS to another, and he's probably not familiar enough with them to help me out. But I'm SO computer-ignorant, I think maybe the best thing for me to do is just buy one of the new Macs, so I can begin fresh in the new OS, and yet he and I will still have access to this older model.

Any thought on this? Thanks.

turtle101 · Post by **turtle101** » 08-14-2006 10:44 PM

WHat is Alarm Zone?

Me to Barbie I just get lost trying to do anything but I do try.
I send hours reading about Virus and Spyer's but after I'm done I just go ...huh?

Dale is the best though. Spends hours trying to figure out what I real meant then send me off in the right direction. And all the other's....hehehe.

The best thing I found out to do with genealogy findings. I down load everything to note paper, put three holes in it and put in a note book all from A TO Z. Faster and eaiser. Then if some one wants info and can't find it in my web site. I look it up, scan it sent it e-mail. Anything blows-up, throws-up or burns-up......I'm covered. My computer already knows I don't trust it. Did it once, lost everything. Not this time.

Dale O Sea · Post by **Dale O Sea** » 08-15-2006 12:34 AM

Barbie, you should be able to move all of your data to a new Mac, no problem. But most of the programs would need upgraded to run on OSX which comes on the new Macs.
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Turtle, first make sure both of the anti-virus programs are uninstalled completely from your system. Then pick one, you say you like AVG so lets use that one. Make sure you are downloading the AVG Free and not the AVG trial. Install that -- then when it asks for updates make sure it knows you are using a dialup then be very patient when it gets those updates as that will be the first one and may be rather large adn take some time.

If Housecall gave you a clean test then you are likely free of viruses. But getting popups saying you have some kind of bug is almost always a sure sign of some sort of malware/spyware/trojan. Most AV scanners don't consider those viruses so you need to find a scanner that will find and remove that stuff - which is a very tough act. Try them all - AdAware, Spybot Search and Destroy, Microsoft Defender, Spyware Blaster, etc... But the only sure-fire way to get spyware off your system is a clean format and re-install of your OS. Good luck with that. As long as you use Internet Explorer and are not blocking all but trusted sites you are going to get infected. Again and again.

turtle101 · Post by **turtle101** » 08-15-2006 01:22 AM

Did it ....deleted all...... downloading Avast. Need a change anyway. It was not a pop up....lets how do I say this.....a red shield down on the right hand corner of your computer. didn't say I had a virus said my virus protecter is out dated. when I went to the virus protecter to up date it said I didn't need to up date. So I got rid of the little shield.......hope I didn't do wrong.

Someone said it was best to have two virus protecters is that true?

I'm not useing IE for my browser....I have yahoo and all it protection. spyware, pop ups, virus's, e-mail scanner....hope thats good.

But downloading from MP3 Rocket isn't in my protected area. Guess its just music no games. Didn't really cost to much $34.00 for life.......lol

Dale O Sea · Post by **Dale O Sea** » 08-15-2006 01:41 AM

Multiple spyware scanners are fine but you should have only one active virus program installed on your machinge at a time. They will conflict with each other. Be sure the other(s) are gone before you install avast.

Yahoo is an email/search portal web site, not a browser. Browsers are software that is used to view Yahoo and the like. Internet Explorer, Opera, Firefox, Mozilla, Netscape, etc..Safari if you have a Mac are all web browsers.

turtle101 · Post by **turtle101** » 08-15-2006 05:19 PM

dir.yahoo.com/Software/Internet/World_Wide_Web/Browsers

think i did this right...has something to do with Mozilla.