Topic: The thing's gone bonkers!!

[Derekthefox]

Yes, glowworm, alas that is so often the case ... never mind, I will still interrogate my son.

[adam04]

Get rid of pop-ups with google taskbar, Adam

It still wont get rid of anything fully. po-ups are built into programs and as long as you are connected to the net thye will pop-up they are seen as windows opening in the programme, like save as screen etc, so it wont block them.

[Glowworm]

Guess wot... ? The problem came good over-night.  ::) All the search plugins have just disappeared like a miracle.

I've spoken to my local priest about performing an exorcism on my computer... and he's kindly agreed to chuck me in too -- all under the same one standard fee.

I hope my head won't spin around and around... or that I'll spew a great stream of green bile at him while he's performing the exorcism.  That wouldn't be polite would it?

Wish me luck, fellas.

 :-X

[Derekthefox]

Did you do anything ? eg reboot ?

[Glowworm]

That must be it... switching the computer off and then switching it on in the morning. That's still a bit odd though because at the time I did reboot my computer without success.

Must be Gremlins.

[Derekthefox]

Would that have been a soft reset though, ie activate a restart through the mouse, whereas overnight you did a hard reset. I don't know the details of what goes on inside the computer, but sometimes it is necessary to do a complete shutdown

[ken (69)]

ADAM.......from a microsoft site....Using Windows XP > Web Browsing and E-mail
Block Pop-up Windows with Internet Explorer
 
 
Many legitimate advertisers on the Internet use windows that pop up in the middle of your screen to display a message. They might also open when you click a link or button on a Web site, and they might open either over or under the window you wish to view. Some pop-ups are helpful. For example, if you click an image to see a larger version, it might open in a pop-up window. Unfortunately, some pop-up windows can contain inappropriate content or can be a way for you to accidentally download dangerous software (called spyware or adware) onto your computer.

With Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) Internet Explorer allows you to prevent most pop-up windows from appearing over pages you want to view while you're using the Internet.

Using Pop-up Blocker
When you install SP2, Pop-up Blocker is turned on in Internet Explorer and set to the medium setting, which means it will block most automatic pop-ups. The default settings for the pop-up blocker allow you to see pop-ups that are opened when you click a link or button on a Web site. Pop-up Blocker will also play a sound and show the Information Bar when a pop-up is blocked. You can adjust these settings so that Pop-up Blocker works the way you want it to.

To change Pop-up Blocker settings

1.
 Open Internet Explorer.
 
2.
 On the Tools menu, point to Pop-up Blocker, and then click Pop-up Blocker Settings. .............
 
.and microsoft anti-spyware ,formerly Giant..plus as mentioned Google Taskbar.
Don't get pop ups anymore.

[adam04]

yes, i have Win XP SP2.

Settings on medium, used to be on high but got annoyed with pressing CTRL all the time.

still get pop-ups...

used to have google search bar, then yahoo search bar, but got rid of both as neither did get ird of po-ups and were simply a waste of time that cluttered things up.

[Derekthefox]

I have mine set on medium too, most pop ups are blocked, I just live with the rest ...

[ken (69)]

Hi ADAM ...you could try Computeractive forum, not sure if you have to register.

[Glowworm]

That's a bit odd. I don't seem to have any pop-up advertising at all. Not the sort that goes Wham! right in your face. I only get little sneaky ones on the side which I hardly notice.

Hard re-boot, Derek? That might have done the trick. I only gave it a 'soft' re-booted with a Restart.

Here's a nice little website which I've had some fun with.... free music. So far it's the only genuine free music site I've found so far. All the rest boast a free download of their music - but not the music itself... you have to pay. If anyone else can give me another free music site let me know!

http://music.download.com/2001-1_32-0.html

I've burnt a couple of CD's with music I've downloaded from here.

[Glowworm]

I had a devil of a time yesterday trying to burn some DVD discs. I transfered a VCR taped film onto a DVD-R disc in my DVD-Recorder successfully. Then I burnt this DVD-R disc to another DVD-R disc in my computer - again successfully.

But then things began to go terribly wrong. I then tried to burn a DVD-RW disc to a blank DVD-RW disc in my computer... and all I got was some error notice saying I needed a 'decoder' to read the disc. So I downloaded something that said it was a decoder of some sort. Still no joy.

So I then tried copying a DVD-RW disc to a blank DVD-R disc... no success.

But at last - just before turning in for the night I had some success when I copied a DVD-R disc to a blank DVD-R disc... and it came out all right.

What I've got to do now is find out where I can download the 'decoding' software that will allow me to make copies of my DVD-RW discs..

Anyone have an idea... ?

I use 'Nero StartSmart' to do my video burning... and Microsoft Windows Media  for my musical CD burning.   

[Derekthefox]

My son just smiled when I mentioned the soft v hard reboot ...

Thanks for that music link .

I have had an awful day re computers, managed to download a stinker of a trojan this morning, my son had to conceed defeat (it is new on the net ... a spyaxe thing ...) and am in the process of a complete reinstall ...

[Glowworm]

It's good isn't it Derek... ?! We buy our computers like having a second wife in the home and then spend all our time cussing and cursing the d**n things for the trouble they give us.  ;D We can't even take the PC's into the bedroom for a bit of romance to compensate us for our troubles... (I've got friends who even say that about their wives... )

Thank God for the porno sites is all I can say...  ;D ;D ;D ;D

[Mac49]

I use Limewire for free music & films, Win MX is back on for same as well & you can get both for free.
Mac.

[djbrenton]

It makes my blood how service desks take customers for a ride. 99% of the time a competent operator can solve problems without reformatting or reinstalling windows but you rarely get that sort of help from a help desk. A friend of mine works for the help desk who cover PCWorld, Currys and Dixons. He's a graduate in computing and it's driving him mad. He's not allowed to tell you to take backups and with very low level problems ( which he knows how to solve ) has to tell you to reinstall windows. He assures me that in 99% of cases, with due investigation, all files could be saved, but they're not allowed to spend that long sorting a problem out. It's a scandal.
Technically I'm still using the same PC I bought 10 years ago. In that time I've replaced every single component one at a time rather than buy a new PC entirely. Unless the motherboard and processor have fried then there's no need to bin a faulty computer, just replace the faulty part. Around every 4 years you need a new motherboard to be able to use newer components. Computers are probably the worst example of the throwaway society.

[Rosa_Mundi]

He assures me that in 99% of cases, with due investigation, all files could be saved

Perfectly true, DJ - but that would take time, which they're not allowed to give, even when charging you £1 a minute... ???

[Derekthefox]

Mac49, you say Winmx is back ? I was trying the other day and couldnt get a download. Do you have a link? (pm me if you prefer).