Mrs. Muddled

Well, I think I shall just leave everything alone. I too always accept all the updates from MS. Thanks so much for taking the time to pass along your opinions on the issue. MM

Actually Shaw does protect from spyware etc. It is a complete coverage.

I am wondering if I really need this program on my computer. I have a full protection program with my Shaw Secure. Should I delete WD or am I missing the forest for the trees? I love deleting "stuff." Tidying up makes me feel so pure.

We will be moving in to a friend's home and house-sitting for a month while waiting to move into our new home. We want to have our desktop computer with us during that month and not in storage. Our friend assures us "it's okay to use our computer." We don't want to do this. We'd like to hook up our own computer there. Now the question:- What's the best way to do this to avoid messing any of their settings up? I'm just not sure. I just don't want to start yanking out cords until I get some direction from you. Kindest regards, MM

Many thanks. I have forwarded this information to my friend. MM

My friend has been using Spybot Search and Destroy and Ad Aware. She tells me her "freebies have run out" and she wants me to suggest programs that are well regarded that would replace these two. I use Shaw for everything so am not up to date on a/m programs. What "free" programs would you suggest. Thanks! MM

Thanks Sam and everyone. That is a very good explanation Sam. I wrote a post this morning re your comments. Have absolutely no idea where it went.

You are hilarious!!! I definitely liked your last suggestion best. I relate well to violence. So, I ran my virus checker through last night after I turned the thing off and back on, and this morning I am typing away at the speed of sound once again ... and so far so good. Go figure? There is no sign of virus etc. I'm going to run an online virus checker through it now, just to make sure my Shaw Secure isn't missing something. Bloody computers!

I just replaced a pair of 512 sticks of RAM in this new computer with a pair of 1 MG sticks. So, silly me, I thought my computer would be amazingly fast with all that new RAM. Wrong. What I find now is an annoying pause as I type. It lasts for about four seconds. I lose a couple of letters and have to wait for the computer to type them. What do you suppose is causing this delay? It's rather annoying. I've never had this problem before. For a minute there I thought it was only happening in Windows Mail ... but it is also happening on your site. Here I am with this brand spanking new computer and I have to tell ya ... it's not one bit better than the one I'm giving away. There is zero improvement in speed . . . and the fact that it can't keep up with the speed of my typing . . . . what a disappointment!

Fixed it! Sorry I forgot to let you know. I have no idea how it fixed it at this point - but all is well and it is searching locally which is what I wanted it to do. Next time I'll let you know what solutions I find to a problem.

I am using the Google toolbar. The "problem" appears to only be when I use Firefox, which I have the computer set to default to. It's okay if I use IE. I tried removing all the search engines from Firefox and just leaving Google and Answer.com. I returned it to default but it just added all those UK search extensions again. Should I uninstall Firefox and reinstall it? I just recently installed Firefox into this new computer. That's probably where I made the wrong selection.

I've managed to change the setting on the computer from USA to UK. So, now when I search for something I get all the UK sites. For the life of me I can't remember "where" I made this recent change. I want the computer to search local and Canadian sites first. Can you jog my memory and aim me in the right direction to fix the problem please. The instant you tell me I WILL remember! Ta

Thanks! Did that. Nope. Still wont work.

Did that Bruce. If I save the email attachment to my documents folder it will open and I can view it. I tried opening it right from Windows Mail and it still wont open. It tells me I have to associate it to a program but I can't figure out what more I can do ... considering I've already made the preview program the default.

Thanks! I was using the wrong words in my search. So, I've downloaded it. Now I'm trying to open a files in my emails that I want to view and I'm not sure how to start a path to the powerpoint previewer. It used to find the viewer automatically.

Seems Powerpoint previewer didn't make it to my new computer when I switched over. I've downloaded it from Tucows but that's as far as I've got. It has an extension of .sit and I don't know what or how to associate the download with a program that will make it work. MM

Thanks Dick. I appreciate your comments. It just occurred to me that buying new speakers in Colorado and trying to get them on the plane home ... ya right! Like that's gonna happen. Can't you just visualize me trying to walk on that plane with all those boxes of electronics? Sigh. They'd be calling out the SWAT team!

I'm going to Colorado in a few weeks. I think I'll get one of those Logitech systems and some more RAM sent to our address there and give you guys a break. I take it there is no question of one of those systems playing nice with my Compaq Presario??????

I only get "one" tab and that is Speakers. I am not given the option of setting the default device button. I get the green checkmarks ... it says everything is working. It isn't. Again, I get the green checkmark but I am not given the option of setting a default.

Gulp. Is that all they cost? Never having actually purchased a sound system, I figured they were expensive. I never even onsidered buying new ones. Sheesh Bob ... this system I have is brand new!!! That sooo goes against my thrifty nature. I was hoping to beat this problem into submission before I roll over and belly up. So I checked out that website. I was very surprised! I live in Canada and I have a feeling they would cost a lot more once I had them shipped up here. I'll go to a computer store and browse around ... see how much more something like that would be here. Always more expensive than buying in the US.

Thanks so much guys for your suggestions on this continuing speaker saga. In desperation I got on line with HP once again last night. I got yet another suggestion from yet another tech. This one is very like the one you are suggesting. I have not bought the cord as yet ... but it will likely be the swan song when it comes to this epic. Fingers crossed. "Purchase a 1/8 to 1/8 male stereo connecting wire or check if it has been shipped with the PC. Remove the digital cable from the back of the computer and from the subwoofer. Take the new 1/8 to 1/8 stereo male connector, plug one end into the analog input of the subwoofer and the other end into the computer. Then take the speaker wire that you removed from the analog input of the subwoofer and plug it into the other satellite speaker. Check if it works. Also, please make a note of the session ID: ----------so that next tech can view the case without you explaining the whole thing altogether and see the troubleshooting steps you already performed. We are committed to helping you with any questions you may have about your product. If you would like to attempt another chat interaction, please visit the following Web site:"

Thank you so much for your reply Chip. I really appreciate that you reinforced what I was fairly confident of ... I HAVE done everything right ... it just aint workin'! Yes, you and I have the same computer history. Today I spent HOURS on chat with various HP techs. This is not the first time. I've totted up hours with this gang, trying to figure out why I can't get sound through my really excellent external speakers. So, after spending those hours, doing everything as directed a gazillion times ... I still have no sound coming from my wonderful Boston Acoustics speakers. Too bad. So sad. So, my conclusion is ... YOU are right Chip. It is an impossible situation ... sad ... but ... that's the way she goes folks! I'll just have to settle for plugging in those gawdawful tinny monitor speakers and bite it. I don't want to spend anymore money ... on new speakers that will also be rendered useless when I buy my next computer, so that's the end of the saga folks. Thanks for your input. Let me know the instant one of you has figured out how to make these really nice Boston Acoustics speakers of mine work ... okay?

Ya right Bruce! Okay ... so I walked 4 miles ... hopefully I am oxygenated and my brain will work better. Everything is plugged in and working ... except the sound. It sure sounds great through my headphones! I am going to try to get someone from RealTek to answer.

OMG!!! If you think I was confused before ... I just paid for and downloaded Driver Detective to see if perchance I needed a new driver. Well Driver Detective has found quiite a few things that apparently need new drivers. Now I'm so over my head .... oh lordy .... I've tried downloading some drivers. I get info alerts that refer me to other sites ... sites that are just masses of numbers and information I've never even heard of! There are continual directions for so many of these driver updates that it is quite intimidating. So I actually did download "something" to do with RealTek, which is my sound card. Didn't do a thing. I have discovered that I am able to hear my Boston sound system if I put earphones on. That tells me that my sound system is analog ... whatever the *%$ that means. It was at the suggestion of Boston Acoustics that I contact RealTek. I'm going for a walk ....................