I need some computer help please

[Bigdog]

This board has helped me before, so I will ask for your collective assistance again.

I am having a problem with web pages and e-mails not loading properly. They load, but with errors. In particular, pictures and graphics show up as a red X place holder. The baffling part is it is not all pages and not all the time. This only started happening a day or two ago, so I have been examining what I did prior to that as a possible culprit. Areas I have looked at:

1. I loaded TurboTax and have been doing my taxes. Not sure how that could be a problem, but who knows.

2. I downloaded and ran Spybot, looking for things running in the background and slowing my computer down. When I discovered my current problem I went and "recovered" all the files Spybot had corralled except for tracking cookies and the dialer program I found lurking. Didn't help.

3. I downloaded IE5.5 again and reloaded it, no help.

My system specs: 400Mhz Pentium Celeron, Windows 98, 256Mb RAM, 9Gb hard drive (only half full), browser is IE5.5, mail program is Outlook Express.

I am somewhat computer literate, very good at following detailed instructions. I will be checking in here periodically, I am spending offline time backing up valued files onto CD's and/or floppies. Post your answers (or questions) here or by PM, all help will be gratefully accepted.

 

[CelestialBody]

 

[Bigdog]

Thanks for your reply CB.

I have already tried clearing the Temporary files and History files and rebooting, no luck. I also ran my virus scanner, didn't find anything.

Forgot to mention one recent event, I upgraded my DSL to the new SBC/Yahoo! DSL service. It added some whistles and bells, but nothing else should have changed (I hope).

The sites that don't load properly are ones I've used for months, and it also is affecting some e-mails. As an illustration, this site works fine but Netflix is completely unusable. I haven't checked my online banking sites yet, that would be very bad if they are messed up too.

 

[April]

Here's a thought: Tools, Internet Options, Advanced, scroll down to the Multimedia section, and check to see if you have "show pictures" enabled. Sometimes things get whacked and you gotta change it back.

If that doesn't work, I'm out of ideas.

 

[ma_guy]

I don't think the problem is you at all. It's SBC/Yahoo.

The Red "X" usually shows up when the image isn't hosted on the actual WWW site you are visiting. The process is called "Thrid party linking" or "off-site linking" depending on who you are talking to.. It works the same here on LIt. It's what you do when you post an image from another site in one of your posts by just listing the images URL (With the "IMG" tags) and it shows up in your post.

I just looked at Netflix and they don't host any of the images on their own site. Every image is hosted by Akamai (a 3rd party content management provider).

It sounds like SBC/Yahoo either doesn't recognize the Akamai reference links or they are having problems serving up the images from their servers. Yahoo is a MAJOR Akamai customer so I'd wager on the latter.

Call SBC/Yahoo tech support and complain. There isn't anything you can do about it from your PC.

 

[Bigdog]

April: already checked that. Got that tip from Microsoft, but you get a for being helpful.

ma_guy: I think you are on to something. That would also explain the e-mails having the same problem since their "upgrade" has a web-based e-mail server. Sometimes new and improved is just new. I will give them a call and see what they know.

 

[Barely__There]

Re TurboTax

DON'T Use Intuit's TurboTax

URGENT!

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,3973,863408,00.asp (Be sure also
to check the discussions)

Intuit has contracted with the makers of Macrovison (remember that
fiasco?) to insert an insidious computer-wrecking program called
C-Dilla into their TurboTax software. They claim it is a Digital
Rights Management (DRM) program. Yeah, right!

Users far and wide are returning the software after numerous problems.
The spyware program CANNOT be removed EVEN BY REFORMATTING THE HARD
DRIVE! Don't get burned using it on Windows XP, and whatever you do
DON'T try using it on Windows 98. You could lose all your valuable data.


Checked on snopes, and no hoax listing there. You may want to research further.