Home computer problem

[clare]

When it first came out, some clained it meant "not tested"

[clare]

One SIMPLE step you can take which will stop most but not all "hosts hijackers" is to simply make the file read only

[krw]

Not stable enough to replace OS/2. It had major problems, which 2K resolved.

Wrong.

[Robert Green]

It came back from the grave MS has serious problems because they're faced with both a large installed base of users but they want to attract new customer that have no experience with PC's. Hence, Clippy and his pals. The day I finally learned how to kill Mr. Clippy and all his minions dog, cat, Einstein (???) was a red letter day. Clippy initially refused to day. If you killed him in Word 97 he only stayed dead until the day you decide to look at Powerpoint 97 for the first time. It's like saying Beetlejuice three times. As soon as you do, Clippy is comes back to life not only for Powerpoint but ALL other Office 97 programs including Word. Clippy was as persistent as malaria and just as useless.

At one time I collected and fixed abandoned PC's and laptops and on one, (I kid you not!) there was a huge bite mark on the corner of the LCD screen of a distressed Dell laptop. If she had a gun, I am sure it would have had a bullet hole in it, too! She was easily frustrated and orally fixated. I also got a dead phone from her with a similar bite mark.

-- Bobby G.

[Robert Green]

Anyone remember 386ToTheMax? - you could squeeze a lot of extra RAM out of the machine if you were willing to use programs like 386ToTheMax to load drivers in to high memory. IIRC, extended was the range from 640K and expanded was memory on add-in cards that a very few program could use natively (I think it was a drawing program, but ICRS.) However EMS could be configured as a huge (for the time) RAM disk (up to 2MB, IIRC, maybe 4) to speed up access (while increasing risk of data loss). Now 2Mb is the size of the built in disk cache on a modern hard drive (or more). 386TTM was a local company.

-- Bobby G.

[Bob-tx]

From: Sent: Tuesday, April 05, 2011 6:58 PM Newsgroups: alt.home.repair Subject: Re: Home computer problem

Yes, W-7 does have a host file where you identified it in ///ect.

I have been there. Originally, the host file did not exist. I created one using Notepad. The only thing I put in it was '127.0.0.1' (without the quote marks). Now that I think about it, after your comment, I think I named the file hosts (plural). Should it be just host? Also, since Notepad is text editor, the file is saved as a .txt extension. Could this make a difference. If so, can the file be renamed to remove the extension?

Whenever I try to go to Google, it just times out.

Thanks for the reply, Bob-tx

[Robert Green]

.44 Magnum.

Or, a good pop-up blocker or browser (like Firefox) with it built in. IE's design decisions were made by Pollyanna. The internet turned out to be perhaps 1000X meaner than MS imagined it. While other hate it, I like Firefox with just two add-ins - NoScript and AdBlock. I am always two clicks away from allowing Javascript if I need it. And that's the way I like it. Surfing with shields up until I decide to lower them, and you can do that by looking at the site's security certificate, looking at what sites it redirects you to for content, looking at clicking-jacking and cross-scripting attempts/attacks. A number of sites recently were tricked into hosting javascript accessed malware through their advertising partners. So far, it seems with Javascript off, the NYT paywall vanishes. (-:

-- Bobby G.

[The Daring Dufas]

I think I had a RAM memory card I stuck in my 386SX/20 and I had software that let me load Windows into the RAM and run the OS from the RAM card. It's been almost 20 years so MY memory may have degraded a little. Running the OS from the RAM card made things very fast considering the times and it was so cool. In fact, I had to Polish engineer a little squirrel cage blower to help cool the motherboard to keep Frankenstein running. Darn, I had to do a lot of screwing around with configurations back then just to keep things running but that was part of the fun. :-)

TDD

[Nathan Prugh]

To: clare Re: Re: Home computer problem By: clare to alt.home.repair on Thu Apr 07 2011 09:22 pm

computera quesations gowa to the computer uswgeoups!!!!!

*shakes my head*

[notbob]

....is to trim the other 114 lines of previous text we've all read 5 times, already. Duh!

nb

[Robert Green]

One tremendous advantage W2K has over later versions is that it doesn't phone home for authentication every time you fuss with the machine. I am surprised no one has hijacked that mechanism and shut down all the machines running "authentic" versions of XP, Vista and W7 with a virus. If Stuxnet could screw with Iran's process control machinery in their nuke program, it would seem to be trivial to spoof Windows into believing it's been stolen and to shut it down, blocking access to the WGL "approval" site the way many viruses block visiting site that could explain or help clean the infection. I guess the bad guys are too busy spearfishing to worry about clobbering PC's. Spearfishers *want* your PC to work.

Those who think Javascript isn't a major player in malware, drive-bys and more should read:

[Roy]

=3D=3D With proper "permissions" in place Javascript is fine. LizaMoon won't run unless you let it run. =3D=3D

[Robert Green]

Bob-tx - your clock is set to PM instead of AM, at least according to what I see . . .

-- Bobby G.

[Roy]

=3D=3D LOL =3D=3D

[Bob-tx]

Thanks, I didn't know how to save without the extension. Bob-tx

[notbob]

Nowhere in this thread did I say or even hint Windows users are stupid. But, if you feel you must defend yourself, who am I to argue.

nb

[Roy]

=3D=3D Really...kinda sounded that way.

"Holy crap, ppl! If you can learn all that other crap, you can learn Linux. But noooooo!! I'll never leave my precious Windows computer. "

No, no stupid reference...but it is inferred IMHO. =3D=3D

[Tony Hwang]

Hmmm, Comparing W2K to W95? Oh, lord. W2K became XP, There are many XP boxes out there. I am using more and more Linux(Debian), Just finished mod'ing my wireless router OS. The router runs almost 2 times faster. There are many routers with Linux OS all with GPL source code. Fun to lay with.

[notbob]

Appears I was dead on about the whine/sniffle. Self fulfilling prophecy.

nb

[aemeijers]

On 4/8/2011 9:55 PM, Tony Hwang wrote: (snip)

Girls are more fun.