Computer Problems and\or Advice 2008 to 2011

[angie]

Not a problem any longer. The said Mrs N took it back to PC World and refused to leave the shop until they replaced it with the correct cartridge. Formidable woman is Mrs N where money is concerned

See us women always get things done, sometimes we come in handy...well done Mrs N.

Angie

[Ray]

Could someone explain what the Smiley means next to the thread "my oxalis garden"thanks bye Ray

[Maggi Young]

Could someone explain what the Smiley means next to the thread "my oxalis garden"thanks bye Ray

^ _ ^      ...... it's just that, Ray: a smiley face.  Dabi is from Taiwan and  I assume it is their version of  our "colon bracket"   ...  

And, as Mark says below... it is possible to put an emoticon on a new topic heading ....

[TheOnionMan]

Could someone explain what the Smiley means next to the thread "my oxalis garden"thanks bye Ray

^ _ ^      ...... it's just that, Ray: a smiley face.  Dabi is from Taiwan and  I assume it is their version of  our "colon bracket"   ...  

I was wondering this too, how does one get a smiley face into the listing of topics?  Never noticed the dropdown list, when creating a new topic, that allows one to select an "emoticon" image.  Now I know.

[Paddy Tobin]

My saved link to bring me to the site takes me directly to the forum page. From there I click "Show unread posts since last visit" and then survey what has been posted. However, this link hardly ever works on the first visit of any day. It does work on subsequent visits.

Any thoughts?

Paddy

[ranunculus]

My saved link to bring me to the site takes me directly to the forum page. From there I click "Show unread posts since last visit" and then survey what has been posted. However, this link hardly ever works on the first visit of any day. It does work on subsequent visits.

Any thoughts?

Paddy

I use the same approach Paddy, but I don't encounter your problem.  Do you log off after each visit?   I simply remain logged on all the time and don't suffer at all.  (Until now, of course ...  ).

[Ray]

Well there you go,wasn't such a stupid question afterall.bye Ray

[mark smyth]

Security Tool - virus or ...

I have somehow ppicked up the Security Tool pop up virus and following lots of internet instructions on how to remove it I cant find it on my computer. I've got as far as stopping it with the task manager.

Have you had it in the past?

[David Nicholson]

I had one a couple of years ago that was a virus masquerading as a security tool. Took me ages to get rid of it.

[mark smyth]

I'm scared to shut down the computer in case it comes up again

My experience is
I dont know how it sneaked on to the computer. I have AVG anti virus and its up to date
the virus is very smart and kicks in within seconds of the icons appearing on the desktop
it blocks everything from opening including antivirus scans

you can stop it opening if you are very quick and start task manager before Security Tool opens. In task manager click on Security Tool and click end task. It took me a few goes of restarting the computer to get task manager open
This gives you access to everything except your desk top icons

I then installed microsoft security essentials and the free Malwarebytes. The latter found the virus first and via that I deleted the virus I hope

Despite following youtube tutorials my computer couldnt find the 8 digit.exe number of the virus

I've been using my computer all day but with task manager still on

[TheOnionMan]

Mark, this insidious virus can be very bad, the hardest part is that there are many forms of it out there, it is forever changing.  So, when you find directions describing which file names are the bad files, the file names can be different in your system.  My daughter had this happen on her computer twice, and happen on my wife's computer once (my daughter using my wife's computer).  I managed to clean the virus off twice, each time virus files were different than what those listed in the "clean up recipes". The last time she got the virus, it was such a malicious version, that the virus kept coming back, eventually it tainting at least one or more Windows XP system files causing it to not be able to login anymore.  I finally had to bring the computer into my previous office and "re-image" the entire computer (computer "imaging" is like formatting the disk and applying a fresh base install of the operating system and all system updates), I then installed all software applications from scratch, and AVG once again.

My daughter had caught the virus each time by visiting a website for sharing artwork, she's no longer allowed to go to that site, and must think hard about the types of activities she does on the internet.  Obviously that site she had been visiting was hacked and one can get a virus (in a new iteration of a virus, newer than what any virus-detection software might know about any given day), but after she was without a computer for about 3 months, she now has a greater concept of "safe computing".  But, their remain lots of places one can get viruses, even hacked plant websites (I've found a few in my day, thankfully my virus-protection software warned me), and the WORST are Facebook "apps"... the whole concept of Facebook "apps" that anyone can write and make available to others, completely negates the world of virus-protection and opens the floodgates of virus possibilities.... just google: facebook virus applications to get a sense of the threat.  If you really want to see one of my rants, get me going on this nonsense called Facebook (I do however, have a Facebook account). 

Sorry to hear you have a virus, there's nothing worse (computer-wise) these days than getting a bad virus, such a useless waste of everyone's time and waste of resources, I don't know what inspires idiotic hackers to write this junk.  I do hope you're able to get this cleaned up and back into safe-computing mode soon.

Now, even though I constantly espouse my matra of "safe computing", I do know just how easy it is to get a virus, it only takes a split second visiting an infected web page, and I suppose to some degree, I've been lucky so far.  At my prior place of work, in the IT group for 350 people, we had viruses hit (despite having enterprise level virus protection) and within minutes the virus spread thoughout the network infecting nearly all computers, putting the company's network and users out of business for 2-3 days while we worked frantically to clean it up.  The potential for virus risk remains huge... I'll do what I can to offer some tips for staying virus-free.

[Paddy Tobin]

My saved link to bring me to the site takes me directly to the forum page. From there I click "Show unread posts since last visit" and then survey what has been posted. However, this link hardly ever works on the first visit of any day. It does work on subsequent visits.

Any thoughts?

Paddy

I use the same approach Paddy, but I don't encounter your problem.  Do you log off after each visit?   I simply remain logged on all the time and don't suffer at all.  (Until now, of course ...  ).

Cliff, No, I never log off simply move along to another site and come back to the SRGC when I wish. All is OK after the first visit of the day. Subsequent visits will allow me to use the "Show unread posts..." option.

It's not a great inconvenience but sometimes is a nuisance.

Paddy

[mark smyth]

I come in every day by clicking the action=unread link on my address tool bar. It works everytime

[mark smyth]

This morning there is no sign of the Security Tool virus

[arisaema]

I come in every day by clicking the action=unread link on my address tool bar. It works everytime

Paddy;
There is a possibility of the link you're using being redirected, thus the server thinks your first visit of the day is in fact your second - so could you try bookmarking and using Mark's link to see if it helps?

http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?action=unread