Goddamnmotherfuckingpieceofshitcomputer!

[Kirk482002]

I have both AdAware and Spybot and run them both...one while sometimes catch something the other missed...

Yep, I've got all three, AdAware, Spybot and Norton. Each gets run every day, one right after the other and all three catch stuff the others missed....

 

[BlackShanglan]

Thanks for the advice on Ad-Aware. I took down a free copy and managed to weed out some junk from the cookies.

 

[Samandiriel]

Yep, I've got all three, AdAware, Spybot and Norton. Each gets run every day, one right after the other and all three catch stuff the others missed....

Ditto. Can't have enough protection these days.

 

[lil_elvis]

Ditto. Can't have enough protection these days.

There's always abstinence.

Yeah, right.

 

[Samandiriel]

There's always abstinence.

Yeah, right.

That what the Mother Superior told me too.

 

[TheEarl]

That what the Mother Superior told me too.

Were you nakedat the time?

The Earl

 

[Samandiriel]

Were you nakedat the time?

The Earl

No, I'm catholic, we have no bodies.

 

[Saucyminx]

if your computer still isn't behaving...

I've decided mine is going in the wood chipper. Or maybe I'll give it a good bashing it with a big sledge hammer--haven't decided which will be more satisfying. Bring yours over--we'll have a party.

Now where did I put those goggles?

 

[Guest]

Show it a super-high-powered magnet.

 

[kendo1]

Be careful with Adaware.
There was a problem six months or so ago with trojans using Adaware to get in to your operating system. Really fucked me up. Hi-Jackthis is pretty good and very fast, Spybot is great.
Best of all is Mozilla: http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/start/
It's free.

 

[CharleyH]

You need a me day

 

[Guest]

Some very good advice in the thread, especially using Mozilla Firefox (the latest version just released) as an altenative to IE--it could easily become your browser of choice. I find it faster to use (especially when I'm on Lit ). It can virtually (no, not 100%, unfortunately) eliminate most of the malicious and virus crap that Internet Explorer would otherwise let through.

But that means you shouldn't have antivirus software running, too--you're at risk if you don't. For me, I'm now a fan of Trend Micro (PC-cillin Internet Security) instead of Symantec/Norton Antivirus which I used until two years ago, and is still okay. "In any event, there's no reason these days not to have antivirus software running on your PC.

Spybot, as mentioned above, is very good for checking for spyware (I used to have AdAware loaded with Spybot and used them both, but Spybot seems to catch more stuff). Both (or either) are still great apps free to the public.

An outstanding disk cleaner, IMHO, and also a freebie is EasyCleaner: http://personal.inet.fi/business/toniarts/ecleane.htm
It's incredible how much garbage your computer accumulates over time that doesn't get deleted, even when you think you remove applications. It has a great registry cleaner utility, too (I've yet to have a problem with it).

Finally, for Windows users, don't forget to run the regular disk cleanup utilities and regular cookie deletion maintenance in addition to everything else.

 

[Liar]

An outstanding disk cleaner, IMHO, and also a freebie is EasyCleaner: http://personal.inet.fi/business/toniarts/ecleane.htm
It's incredible how much garbage your computer accumulates over time that doesn't get deleted, even when you think you remove applications. It has a great registry cleaner utility, too (I've yet to have a problem with it).

Just the thing I've been looking for. Thanks!

Now, if I could only find a program to monitor and clean out old drivers and codecs I don't use anymore...

 

[R. Richard]

minsue:
This computer you are speaking of, is it some HP model? I have my suspicions here!

 

[jfinn]

minsue:
This computer you are speaking of, is it some HP model? I have my suspicions here!

Or a Compaq? That was my last computer and it was a piece of crap.

Jayne

 

[cloudy]

Or a Compaq? That was my last computer and it was a piece of crap.

Jayne

Mine too. It finally committed hari kiri and blew itself up one night - literally.

 

[minsue]

ROFL!

She's really gonna love that one, Bel.

. .

 

[minsue]

minsue:
This computer you are speaking of, is it some HP model? I have my suspicions here!

Give the man a cigar

Thanks for all the advice and links, guys. I agree, Mozilla is vastly superior to IE even without taking into account all the crap IE lets through.

 

[cloudy]

Give the man a cigar

Thanks for all the advice and links, guys. I agree, Mozilla is vastly superior to IE even without taking into account all the crap IE lets through.

Now I really feel your pain.

 

[TheEarl]

This is why I build my own computers.

The Earl

 

[jfinn]

This is why I build my own computers.The Earl

I not mechanically inclined enough to do that, but what I did do was my homework when finally dumped the POS from Compaq. I ended up with a NuTrend, now merged with ABS, which I'd never heard of (and no one else I talked to knew it either) but was highly rated in all the expert lists for my price range. It's not like the big names, this company doesn't make the components, just buys and assembles them. Sort of like having The Earl do you up. Best is it was cheap, at least 500 bucks less than a comparable Dell.

I love it. It's fast and big--literally, the console is at least a third again as large as normal home computers--and it's really the best computer I've ever worked on. The company is great too. Lots of support and I liked how they sent a big loose leaf binder with all the disc's and instructions in vinyl, ziplocked pockets with extras for my own stuff instead of just a bunch of little booklets that are easy to lose.

If you have to bite the bullet and get rid of your junker HP, I highly recommend looking at this one.

Jayne

 

[Huckleman2000]

Give the man a cigar

Thanks for all the advice and links, guys. I agree, Mozilla is vastly superior to IE even without taking into account all the crap IE lets through.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but Microsoft has an anti-spyware program that fixed some things that AdAware and SpyBot did not, at least for me. They were nasty ones, too, that hijacked the browser and everything.
Microsoft AntiSpyware

Also, if you find that there are programs starting when you turn on your PC that shouldn't be, you can switch them off by choosing "Run", and typing "msconfig" (minus the quotes) in the box. That will start up a configuration utility. The tab farthest to the right shows programs that are set to start when you turn on your PC. Just uncheck the ones that you don't want to automatically run at startup. Of course, that assumes you have a vague idea of what they actually do...

Unless you're a real glutton for punishment, don't even try to figure out what "regedit" does, but that gets you deep inside. Probably the equivalent of brain surgery on your PC. I've been able to fix some pretty bad stuff doing that, but it takes a lot of patience, research, and perserverance. Plus, a willingness to risk REALLY screwing things up. I dabbled in this when I was unemployed - I don't think I'd try it now that I have a job to spend time on.

 

[shereads]

The brutal murder of the copy machine in "Office Space" is one of the satisfying moments in film history.

Take no prisoners, Min.

 

[minsue]

The brutal murder of the copy machine in "Office Space" is one of the satisfying moments in film history.

Take no prisoners, Min.

Fax.

One of my favorite movie scenes of all time.

http://photos1.blogger.com/img/61/2429/320/office%20space.jpg

 

[Samandiriel]

Min, I'm sending you a virus to take care of everything.