Computer Problems

[PhillWard]

afternoon,
This is very much "off topic", but as the Oz guys here don't seem to do much chatting, (cos we're all out riding as opposed to our other country cousins who are dabbling around in that cold wet stuff called "snow") I thought that our collective knowledge may help someone else here....

The moderator can delete this if so desires.........

My poor old PC (MS ME op system) was going extremely slooooooooow in loading up web pages... I have "Zone Alarm" firewall, plus "Spy-Bot Search and Destroy"...both freebies ....

Found (courtesy of the "Icon" section of the Dec 2005 Sydney Morning Herald) another recommended freebie anti virus program, from Sandi Hardmeier's web site seen here at http://inetexplorer.mvps.org/prevention.html called "AVG" from the company "Grisoft" seen here at http://www.grisoft.com/doc/40/lng/ww

Have downloaded the AVG free program (16Mb which took about 80minutes on my broadband connection...talk about going slooooooowwwwww) and run the thing...it found two "Trojan Horse Exploit downloader" programs within the Temp Internet Files folders. It corrected the problem and now PC back to itself again.....

Primarily I was after a solution for my son's laptop (XP Pro) whereby the home page setting had been hijacked by some web site and all the setting tabs were greyed out (check your home page setting tabs by "Tools>Internet Options>General tab" so that he could not select his own "home page"...I found the fix in the Dec 2005 Icon, from a web site provided by a Doug Knox, seen here at http://www.dougknox.com/security/scripts_desc/noisHomePage .htm this was a small file to be downloaded, saved to HDD and run...it restored the setting tabs for the home page.

cheers

Phill

[cws]

yup, them trojans are a bitch....

Nearly every time one of my 3 sons comes to visit (between 18 & 21 years old) we wind up with some crap they've downloaded "by accident" on the home PC.
Cost me a whole Sunday one weekend trying to fix the damn things when we had nothing but big red X's all over the screen... I should have been out riding...!!

feel your PC pain...

at least at work there's a team of around 15 sysadmin kids running around to call on ;-)

[BrianD]

Hi there
Just be careful with some of those "free" anti-spyware programs. Some of them actually contain, or give access to, things that you don't want on your computer. Things like key loggers, targeted pop-up ads, etc.

I use two programs that I have found very good, but they do require an annual fee, but they are well worth it IMHO. Spyware Doctor and Ewido Suite are the two I use. They both run in the background, stop pop-ups, cookie guard, browser guard, keylogger guard, etc. I usually run a scan on both once a week and have had no problems since using them.

[Dezrae]

AVG free is ok for a freebie.Ther is plenty worse antivirus s/w out there to get.

If you would like to purchase a full blown suite of software i suggest Kaspersky

www.kaspersky.com.au

Check out the Personal suite.It has anti-hacker,anti-spam, and anti-virus for about $130 or there abouts.
I use it on my home pc's and have never had a problem.Magic bits of software, cant reccomened them highly enough.
Spybot once upon a time used to the "bees knees" in spyware.its getting over taken a bit now days by some other products, but as a freebie, you cant go past it.

Another fix for your Xp problem might have been hijack this

http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/downloads.html

[pcra]

Hello Phil

I am running a threesome of security products that have not let me, my wife or my kids down (4 & 9 and yes, the 4 year old surfes on his kiddies sites, they use another login on my XP pro, so they don't have administrator rights)

They are all for free, english, completely legal and work very well. After downloading and installing please do update the refrence files where needed. It's the update button on the program.

1) Firewall: Zonealarm
http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/company/products/znalm/freeDownload.jsp

2) Spyware/Trojans: Ad-Aware run it once a week
http://www.lavasoft.de/software/adaware/

and 4x a year The Cleaner (trojan specialized)
install it, it has got a 30 day trial period, so it is good enough to use it only when needed, just reinstall on demand
http://www.moosoft.com/

3) a anti virus program: Antivir personal edition classic
http://www.free-av.com/

Sorry for responding so late, but I am busy with the big move schedulde for next week wednesday. That's when the bikes go into the 40foot Container, ready to be shipped to Brisbane.
When possible I might take a pic or two and post it here.
Cheers
Patrik

[PhillWard]

"Renewing your IP address".....


boring....!

Here's the intro.
Eldest son (who we will call "Cheyne") came home from London for a week an a bit.
I use Optus broadband, and an olde PC with Win ME, via a Motorola Surfboard cable modem. Use a USB cable to connect the both.
Cheyne has a laptop, and normally connects to the cable modem via an ethernet cable we put in, which plugs into the ethernet port of the modem. for him to use this we have to reboot the modem each time, and the PC not being used on the internet.

The first couple of days he was here his laptop (XP Pro) worked ok via the cable modem.

Next day the error message popped up saying
"Local Area Connection
This connection has limited or no connectivity. you might not be able to access the internet or some other network resources. For more information click this message".

ok I thought I'll go along with My Gates......

after clicking the message another dialogue box appeared

"Local Area Connection Status
(has a "General" and "Support" tab)
under the Support tab it has
"Connection status"
This problem occurred because the network did not assign a network address to the computer.
Clicking on the "Details" button it displayed
physical address: 00-90-F5-24-C3-55
IP address: 169.254.67.230
Subnet Mask: 255.255.0.0
Default Gateway:
DNS Server:
Wins server:

To restart the connection and try to establish full connectivity, click "Repair"

After clicking the Repair button, it came back with
"Windows could not finish repairing the problem because the following action cannot be completed.
Renewing your IP address
For assistance contact the person who manages your network.

Clicking on the "General" tab
it displayed that the on board Realtek RTL 8139 Family PCI fast ethernet NIC which also had a "Configure" button...

Clicking on the "Configure" button displayed the following tabs:

General - Advanced - Driver - Resources - Power Management

Under the "Advanced" tab
Property--------------------------------Value
link speed/Duplex Mode Auto Mode
Network address o
o Not Present
Receive buffer size 64k bytes


Boring!......

Tried connecting direct to the USB port, after loading the surfboard modem software, still same problem...as i thought it would be.

Cheyne left Oz yesterday (complete with laptop) spending a couple of days in NZ, then 4 days in LA before tripping back to London...He'll be back in the UK for about a week before travelling to Cyprus for a couple of weeks training with the UK army.

life sucks when you're young an single huh?????

He'll no doubt have probs with his laptop when he tries to connect to the internet elsewhere, but hopefully someone here will be able to give me the gist on fixing this...

cheers Mr Gates.....have a nice life! hehehheheheheh

Phill

[BrianD]

Hmm, if it was me I would disable the "Local Area Connection", and the create a new connection.

Start/Settings/Network connections
Right click on "Local Area Connection"
Click disable.
Click on "Create a New Connection" to the left and let the computer setup a new one.
Should reset everything to default, and should work.

[PhillWard]

Hmm, if it was me I would disable the "Local Area Connection", and the create a new connection.

Start/Settings/Network connections
Right click on "Local Area Connection"
Click disable.
Click on "Create a New Connection" to the left and let the computer setup a new one.
Should reset everything to default, and should work.


Hi Brian....
I remember going through this scenario a couple of times ...but now not too sure that I actually disabled the existing first LAN connection....Doh!!

I went through the LAN connection wizard blah blah and it was all straight forward enough ..I'll email Cheyne (he goes to internet cafe's whilst flitting around the globe) and pass on the info...cheers

Phill

[Dezrae]

If worst comes to works, and the laptop has usb, try a usb to lan adaptor and see if this helps???

sill question but was windows set to auto detect ip or was it set for static ip?

another place to look for help is http://www.whirlpool.net.au/

[PhillWard]

If worst comes to works, and the laptop has usb, try a usb to lan adaptor and see if this helps???

sill question but was windows set to auto detect ip or was it set for static ip?

another place to look for help is http://www.whirlpool.net.au/


Evening Dezrae,
Yep...tried the USB connection to the surfboard modem direct, but still same result.

"Windows set to auto detect ip...or static ip"....hmmmmmm haven't seen this option anywhere....where does it hide?

Another thing I was gonna ask is how does an IP address get "allocated" anyway?? The ip address is associated to the computer device whenever it connects to the internet..right? by who? this is a unique address, with no other computer device having the same address?? is the ip address of your computer exactly the same everytime you log onto the internet? how do change (can you??) an ip address?

boring!!

hehehhehe

cheers

Phill

[Dezrae]

Evening Dezrae,
Yep...tried the USB connection to the surfboard modem direct, but still same result.

"Windows set to auto detect ip...or static ip"....hmmmmmm haven't seen this option anywhere....where does it hide?

Another thing I was gonna ask is how does an IP address get "allocated" anyway?? The ip address is associated to the computer device whenever it connects to the internet..right? by who? this is a unique address, with no other computer device having the same address?? is the ip address of your computer exactly the same everytime you log onto the internet? how do change (can you??) an ip address?

boring!!

hehehhehe

cheers

Phill

Phil,
i could just about write a book on ip setup/config on windows but i wont go in to it her now, im way to tired.

but basically with something like windows xp go start-> network connections -> and right click on local area connections and select properties.
if u have a scroll down u willsee an incon that says TCP/IP
double click on it.
it brings up a window that has a static ip (one you assign) or as box that says obtain ip automaticall (DHCP assigned by server or router, in your case the cable modem would do it for you no doubt)


>>>>Another thing I was gonna ask is how does an IP address get "allocated" anyway??


depends. in your case on the laptop your pc will get assigned a ip from the router.
the router gets an ip assigend to it when it connect to the net from the servers at the isp it connects to (and the isp gets assigned an ip range of addresses it can use), unless you have a connection with a static ip so the ip stays the same, or most people have a net connection that is dynamic, menaing everythime they connect to the net they get a different ip.

the easist way to find your owm ip address on the net is to have a look at your router when its connected to the lan.your looking for a setting that says WAN IP or somthing similar to this.
this is the ip the "world" sees you connected as to the net.

you would probably see so,eting like 192.168.1.3 or similar if you brought up a dos prompt and ran if config on a windows machine telling you the ip of your pc on the LAN side of the network.
WAN is wide area network or in this case, the inernet.
LAN is lacal area network or in your case your pc and how ever many more pcs you decide to connect ot ehr outer or hub/switch that you would like to connected ot the internet.

hope this helps a little...


clear as mud??

good.

im going to bed.
nitey nite.
:-)

[harrowbmw]

Greetings people.

I'm dead impressed with the incredible amount of computer knowledge here. It's really quite amazing! You blokes are brilliant.

I recently picked up something (I don't know what it was) but what it did was constantly download webpages of mobile phone ringtones, soft porn, online gambling and an assortment of others. I eventually just wiped my drive and reinstalled the lot. Got rid of it of course but what a pain in the butt!

I think this is a great thread because I've picked up some simply great tips. Let's keep it a regular thing shall we? Can we?

Kindest regards to all.
Paul Harrington
SA
corcaigh@internode.on.net

[PhillWard]

Greetings people.

I'm dead impressed with the incredible amount of computer knowledge here. It's really quite amazing! You blokes are brilliant.

I recently picked up something (I don't know what it was) but what it did was constantly download webpages of mobile phone ringtones, soft porn, online gambling and an assortment of others. I eventually just wiped my drive and reinstalled the lot. Got rid of it of course but what a pain in the butt!

I think this is a great thread because I've picked up some simply great tips. Let's keep it a regular thing shall we? Can we?

Kindest regards to all.
Paul Harrington
SA
corcaigh@internode.on.net


G'day Paul,
"AAAAAggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"...... you wiped your drive of all the mobile phone ringtones, soft porn, online gambling and all the other goodies your SWMO has been diligently using whilst you have either been riding the K12 or the mucho larger "red truck"....

Now she is gonna have to do it all over again.....bugger!

heheehhhehehehhe

Yep this thread, like all the other threads, are here cos someone has a question, and someone out there in K12LTland has an answer....it may not be the correct answer first off, but it's a start, and it's here at your fingertips....sure beats waiting for the "all of our operators are busy at the moment but press button 1 if you want general sales,....press button 2 if you ..............."

There's nothing more infuriating (unless Bill G hasn't released it yet) than all this crap that magically appears on the HDD...you wonder why people bother sometimes,..

cheers...and on to another thread "the installing the Wilburs front shock" ..at long last.

Phill

[Dezrae]

Some of us have been in the IT industry for years...
some of us still are...

some of us run own own pc business as well ;)

[cpaine]

Get a MAC!

I have been a Windoze user for many, many years, and always sniggered at those quaint folk that used those mysterious fruity computers, with their single button mouses (or is that mice). I am what is termed a 'power user' of evil overlord Gates' computer systems, and blithely accepted problems such as Fast Fill is experiencing.

Until....

A mate in the IT game loaned me his MAC powerbook for a week while he was away on business. I was so impressed I terminated the lease on my VAIO WINXP notebook, raced out and bought a MAC powerbook, running OSX.

Now I sit out on the porch of contemplation (I have a nice view of the ocean and the rolling green hills) with my MAC and borrow a line from Darryl Kerrigan in 'The Castle' - "How's the serenity...."

Networking - automated
Viruses - non-existent
Trojans - non-existent
Security Flaws - 2 in 12 years
Software - heaps
Connectivity - yeah, baby..I reckon you could get a MAC to connect to a chainsaw if you wanted to..

I reckon this post will ignite the flamers in this forum - so bring it on! - but before I sign off - Phill - you could be the only person left in the world using Windows ME?!?!?!? I believe it is the most vulnerable version of Windoze out there. Will have to rummage around for my old legit copy of XP Pro that came with the VAIO and put it on a mercy flight..

Best regards
Chris Paine
01 K1200LT
Carool NSW

[PhillWard]

Get a MAC!

I have been a Windoze user for many, many years, and always sniggered at those quaint folk that used those mysterious fruity computers, with their single button mouses (or is that mice). I am what is termed a 'power user' of evil overlord Gates' computer systems, and blithely accepted problems such as Fast Fill is experiencing.

<snip>

Now I sit out on the porch of contemplation (I have a nice view of the ocean and the rolling green hills) with my MAC and borrow a line from Darryl Kerrigan in 'The Castle' - "How's the serenity...."

Networking - automated
Viruses - non-existent
Trojans - non-existent
Security Flaws - 2 in 12 years
Software - heaps
Connectivity - yeah, baby..I reckon you could get a MAC to connect to a chainsaw if you wanted to..

I reckon this post will ignite the flamers in this forum - so bring it on! - but before I sign off - Phill - you could be the only person left in the world using Windows ME?!?!?!? I believe it is the most vulnerable version of Windoze out there. Will have to rummage around for my old legit copy of XP Pro that came with the VAIO and put it on a mercy flight..

Best regards
Chris Paine
01 K1200LT
Carool NSW

G'day CP,
Haven't heard from you for yonks....must be all that porch sitting that is getting you down....
Windoze ME...well you use what you can......

Have you done that project of choice yet with the changing of the shocks?? I am now an accredited changer of shock person....at long last....next time you're down the road from me I'll give you the ghist of what's involved....any time frames of when you'll be back down this way at all??

cheers

Phill

[PhillWard]

Evening,

Anyone here use Spybot???.....well of course you do.....

Everytime it comes up with "recognized a registry entry", and you press the "remember this decision" and close the dialog box, (therefore to allow this action) it comes up with another dialog box saying "resident has denied the change".....

So next time you boot up exactly the same thing occurs......boring!

The RHS "remember this change" button is also a bit "blurry" for want of another description, with no text on the button???????????

any ideas?

Phill

[onions]

Hey Dez,
sorry, but gotta put my mod hat on here...commercial posts are not permitted mate...

[Dezrae]

opps.sorry