Mrs. Muddled

Wow Bruce! Maybe there is hope at the end of the tunnel huh? I've never had a problem on this "thing" that I couldn't solve if I stayed in my bathrobe and agonized over it for an entire day. I'm very hopeful that you are right on with your comment. I'm going to turn it off now and start plugging "stuff" back into it. If you don't hear from me again ... well ... I'll eventually surface again ... I always do. MM

The day before yesterday I wrote an email, didn't finish it so saved it to my drafts file. I don't recall whether I signed out of Outlook Express and went back to the desktop or not. That is usually what I do when walking away from the computer. When I returned to the computer several hours later, the screen was black. Everything was frozen and I had to force it to reboot. I got the black screen with white text telling me Windows had shut down abnormally and I was given several options for starting it. None of them worked except safe mode...and then I didn't know where to go from there. I would log off and try to re-start. The Gateway screen would come on, followed by Windows XP for a few seconds - and then it gave up and the screen would go black again - everything frozen. I'd force it to start again. I tried all the options. I could get it to go into safe mode and everything looked normal. When I logged off it went back to the black screen and I'd start from scratch again. I had a CD-RW in the e drive. I ejected it. I took the computer apart and dragged it down to Staples. The guy plugged it in and there was nothing wrong with it. I paid the bill and trundled the thing back home after being instructed to only plug in the basic stuff like mouse and keyboard etc. Each time I added a new plug I was to re-start the machine. I blew air all through the insides and cleared out all the dust. It appeared to be working ... until I tried to open an email from the day it crashed, and all there was was a blank square where the text should be - and the computer froze up again. I managed to get it going again. All was well until today, when I decided to plug in the cord that connects the monitor sound (my monitor is a Samsung with the speakers inside) ... I turned off the machine in re-start. The screen came up black again. Gateway flashed ... Windows would not start. It was the whole routine all over again. Force start ... black screen with text ... safe mode worked. I was flummoxed. I realized I had again left the CD-RW in the e drive. I wondered if somehow that was interfereing with the opening of Windows. I ejected the CD-RW. Logged off and re-started the computer. Worked. Now I'm wondering if somehow that CD is what is stopping Windows from opening properly. Can they do that? Could it be interfereing with the path that kicks Windows into gear? Can u not leave a CD-RW in the e-drive when you log off the computer? For the past couple of months I've been having trouble with the computer when I leave it not back at the desktop. I had it set so that the monitor would shut down after a couple of hours. If I left the computer with either a website or OE or anything still on the screen - when I returned to the computer I would have to do a forced start and reboot it because it woud be frozen. I've done this quite a few times. The incident with the black screen plus the white text was a first.

I followed this instruction: Renamed the file as a ZIP file. Change the extension of OpenOffice.org document from whatever it is (like ODT, ODS, ODP, ODG, ODB, ODF) to a ZIP extension. Then open the file using Microsoft Windows or WinZip. If you're lucky, you'll see a bunch of files contained in this newly-created Zip file. One of them is called "content.xml". Open this file with any text editor, and you may find your document text. It will have a bunch of formatting statements you'll have to delete, but the actual text should be there too. I can't begin to tell you how pleased I was with myself. I spent a whole day trying to figure this out. I was determined to get those &%$$ files back!

I have solved the problem. My husband owes me BIG TIME!!!!

You're serious right? Do you think that would work? What's with the Adobe icons? I don't see why only those two files in the computer would fail to switch back and forth from OOo to MS, By the way ... I checked the ODT file and it says it is a Word file.

The other user of this computer has a BIG problem with the two most important files he has on his side of the computer. No, he did not back up the files. He has two files that he has been regularly adding information to. When he tried to open them today he discovered they are no longer .doc files, they are now sporting the Adobe Acrobat icon and an .ODT extension ... and they appear to be empty. I have searched high and low on the computer and I can't find his files. I have no idea how a .doc file could suddenly become an .ODT file with an Adobe icon. The only fly in the ointment that I can think of is this: I had switched to OOo and didn't like it, so switched back to MS. I don't recall exactly when I switched back ... but he hasn't opened these files since December. None of my files were corrupted in the switch either way. I've left a message on OOo. So far I'm getting nowhere. Do you have any idea what "might" have happened to destroy these two files. Is there some way a pro could restore the two files after all the times I've "cleaned" the computer with Clean-up and defragged etc.?

We travel a lot. I can only record 6 hours of TV while we're gone. I've just got the old fashioned video machine.

Do you use this Apple program? I'm not interested in downloading movies or music. I just want to know more about downloading my favourite TV series when I miss an episode. I'm hoping someone on the forum who actually does this will spot my post. I'm not remotely interested in doing something that is illegal or questionable. Thanks for your post!

I have been looking at several sites that offer downloads of TV series episodes and movies etc. I know nothing about these sites other than what they say about themselves. Have you subscribed to one of these sites? What is your experience? What did it cost you? They don't list the costs and I have little doubt that there are plenty. fasttvdownloads.com is one that seems to be highly rated. Thanks!

I have just run Symantec's web based virus checker. It came up with this: C:\Program Files\Mail PassView\mailpv.exe is infected with Hacktool.PassReminder It didn't spot the one I originally told you about. Now I'm REALLY worried!

Okay, now I'm good and frustrated. I am very careful with my computer. I run my Shaw Secure virus checker every day. It's actually F-secure, only the local Shaw guys run it. It is my virus checker and my firewall. It usually does a good job. I'm not complaining - well maybe a little. Every couple of weeks I run an internet Trend Micro ... just to make sure Shaw isn't missing anything. So, Sunday I run a Trend Micro and BOOM, up comes an alert in the middle of the screen. It's under the F-Secure Banner. Malicious code found in the file C: .... etc. It's in my temp file. Well, you know the story - I finish running TM. It can't do anything about this trojan. I clear out everything. I even do a system restore to the last week! I defrag. I run Clean up! Nada. It isn't showing up on my virus scan - but there it is every time I run Trend Micro. It just keeps giving itself a new name. I call Shaw. I call Shaw four times. I do everything they suggest. They have never heard of this trojan. Great. I can tell they haven't a clue what to do. Shaw tells me to write to F-Secure (their parent company) and see if they've ever heard of it. I do. No reply yet. It's not on their list either. There is something similar, but not the same. It is also an openstream. It's malware. When I Googled it it came back as High risk and suggests removing it. Great. I've spent the day on this - and I'm not gettin' any younger here! Did I mention Shaw told me to try the program called Trojan Hunter? Well they did, and I did. Computer came up clean. The trojan isn't on their list either. So, I wrote to them. I got a one liner back saying to clear out my temp file and turn off my virus checker when I do that. My temp file IS empty! Was there some part of that suggestion I'm not catching? If you have any idea how I can get this "thing" off my computer I'd be your new best friend. Cheers & best of the season to you!

Oh Bruce ... it's me ... are you trying to give me a heart attack?

I wanted to clean out some games I don't use. Both Canasta games pop up this alert. I looked in my programs file and didn't see either game. Hmmm? Only show up in the Add/Remove program list in the Control Panel. Any suggestions?

Yes Bruce, I have been doing that. I can force it over to MS Picture It Publishing .... BUT ... I don't want Fireworks to be the default and I can't figure out how to change it.

I have installed Dreamweaver and Fireworks. All of a sudden the Fireworks icon is on all my photos. I don't want that. Yes, if I right click on files where this icon appears it gives me the option of switching to Picture It Publishing etc. How do I stop Fireworks from making itself default.

Hmm? I thought I had a 40 GB hard drive. I've checked out Norton Ghost - Acronis True Images and Second Copy. Second copy is a lot cheaper. I think I will add Second Copy to whatever external hard drive I decide on so that I have options of what I back up. Lets face it ... there is all sorts of junk on the computer that I don't need and wouldn't want to reinstall automatically if the BIG CRASH ever did happen. Your various comments have helped. I am appreciative.

AcomData 60GB 2.5" USB 2.0 PHOTON Hard Drive, External Item Number 634007 This is at Staples Canada. $149.80. Would this be adequate?

Thanks Bruce. What you say makes perfect sense. I think I will take a wander over to Best Buy and see what's available. I would not have stored my backups on this computer. Even "I" am smarter than that! (insert grin here) My computer consists of this. Would I need a 120 G back up? Wouldn't a 60 or 80 G be enough ... or am I missing something obvious here? 1.70 gigahertz Intel Pentium 4 8 kilobyte primary memory cache 256 kilobyte secondary memory cache 40.01 Gigabytes Usable Hard Drive Capacity 25.56 Gigabytes Hard Drive Free Space ST340016A [Hard drive] (40.02 GB) -- drive 0, s/n 3HS0CPGB, rev 3.05, SMART Status: Healthy

Hi Gail! I checked out Second Copy. Not a bad idea. I think that's exactly what I need. It looks simple enough to work with. When you use the compression option - just how small would that make things? Would attempting to back up the compressed files to the CD drive be a bit iffy? I get everyone's point about "why" do I think I need to back EVERYTHING up. I guess I came to this conclusion because everything I read reminds me to "back up - back -up back up!" I figured I'd better back the entire works up, because sure as God made little green apples - a disaster would happen and I would discover I had not backed up something I now wanted to use. Your comment about backing everything up to an external hard drive. Makes more sense than backing stuff up on this hard drive. Can you elaborate on that a bit? How does that compare with my using flash drives? What kind of an external hard drive do you suggest? Are they horrifically expensive? How big are they? Can you plug one in to the USB ports on the front of the tower - or do they have to be plugged in to the back? MM

I just thought I'd let you know ... I deleted Spy Sweeper from the computer. It had slowed so much I could barely use the computer. I am now back to using my original Shaw Secure. I no longer get that long list of programs that could not be scanned. I wrote to Shaw and received a reply explaining why their program wont play nice with Spy Sweeper and others. They reassured me that if anything gets by their security programs, they will take responsibility for getting it off my machine. I am satisfied with this. As the writer said - no spyware program is perfect. I update daily ... and upgrade when they're available. I will run Trend micro regularly - just as a secondary sweep. Frankly, I think I got bum advice from the tech I used. When I queried him further as to what exactly he found on my computer in the way of spyware that made him come to the conclusion Shaw wasn't doing it's job ... he really didn't have a satisfactory answer for me. The fact that he'd had other customers who had "problems" and were using Shaw Secure (f-secure) ... could mean they simply never set it up properly! I think you will always find folks who have a complaint about any security program they are using.

Thank you for taking the time to reply to my question. My knowledge of the back up process is somewhat (totally) limited. I just know that I want my entire computer backed up ... just because I do. I'm a little confused about "why" I would need to decide on a variety of options to back up. Isn't it simpler to just back everything up? Why would I want to pick and choose? Can you fill me in on this?

I popped in to Staples today to see what they had to offer in the way of backups for my computer. I've been using a flash drive for some of my files ... but I'd really like to have something that backed up everything we have. I also don't want to spend a bundle. There is quite a variety of prices. One the sales guy was pushing was a Maxtor One Touch 111 USB 2.0 $169.99 200GB. He tells me this product is good value for the money. They had more expensive ones that backed up a lot less. Do you know anything about these? Your thoughts. I'm wanting something I don't have to fuss with. Think one button and it's done!

Being mathmatically dyslexic (if there is such a thing) ... I can vouch for that!

Yes Don I have both. If you have a minute, would you kindly take a look at what the report says. I don't recall seeing this "soapbox" thing before. These files are not scanned by my Shaw Secure. That's F-secure. Why would they not be scanned? Thanks Don. MM

I just ran a complete F-secure scan on my computer. That's virus & spy - firewall and spam. It was clean. About 20 files were not scanned. The ones below for example. I noticed that the scan hung forever on a file called c:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Shoebox\ .... What exactly is Shoebox?