My other computer, like the one I'm keying this on, is running system
2000. We have explorer runnning on that, and AOL. About two weeks ago,
we stopped being able to enter any data in onscreen fields within
Explorer. No other problems (WORD okay, Outlook okay). Now the problem
has occurred within AOL too.
We run Norton daily and have had no virus problems that we know of. My
daughter was running KaZaa for a while on it--which I wasn't thrilled
with anyway--and I've heard that it can cause system problems. True?
Any other suggestions?
One more thing. I'm running system 2000 and it says "Service Pack 4"
when I click on My Computer and get details. When I try to re-install
from my "Windows 2000 Professional" disk, I get the message that I
can't "upgrade" from Service Pack 4 to Service Pack 2. That makes, of
course, no sense. Are they trying to tell me that the disk is Pack 2,
an OLDER form of system software than the Pack 4 on my compuper?
The disk came with my computer--but from a private computer-maker
locally. Did he give me the wrong disk? Is this as simple as
re-installing from a proper "Service Pack 4" disk??? He wants to
charge me $125 and says I have a virus, needing a re-install of the
whole operating system.
Any thoughts on this mess? Thanks. |
Request for Question Clarification by
webadept-ga
on
13 Sep 2003 23:26 PDT
Hi,
I've never been able to diagnos problems like this in this medium. It
is very difficult to see all that is going on, without sitting down at
the computer.
KaZaa isn't the best thing to stick on your computer and there are
alternatives.
http://www.shareaza.com/download/
for instance is a fairly stable and good program to use as an
alternative. I've used it for more than a year now and have had very
little trouble with it.
Why is KaZaa not so good? Spyware and Adware. Your consultant is
probably wrong, you probably don't have a virus, but the outcome may
be the same. We'll see about that in a minute.
Spyware and Adware are two forms of programs which are installed on
your computer without you knowing about it, and tell the company
databases, the ones that installed them, what you are doing on line.
The programs are usally buggy has heck, and rather intrusive most of
the time. Why a company feels that it will benefit from frustrating
and angering possible customers, I don't know, but apparently it is
rather big business.
These are not viruses, they are programs. So your virus checker will
probably not find them or even lift an eyebrow as they are loaded on
your computer. A current bug in Explorer allows these programs to be
installed on your computer when you visit malicious websites.
"Malicious" meaning that they do these types of things, and you never
know they are there normally until things like this start happening.
http://www.webadept.net/blog/archives/000014.html
I believe the latest Update is available from Microsoft
http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/default.asp
KaZaa, Bearshare and several other file sharing programs install these
for a fee to the business that wants them installed, on to your
computer, and, when you click on the "I agree" button, you are in fact
agreeing to have them installed. This is a separate issue from the
Internet Explorer bug, but basically the same problem.
Uninstalling them, is a real hassle. They can be uninstalled but it is
not as simple as going into the control panel and clicking Uninstall.
Even for the ones that are listed in there.
The instructions for uninstalling them vary from spyware to spyware.
There are a few Spyware detectors and removal systems out there. I can
recommend, Ad-aware from LavaSoft,
http://lavasoft.element5.com/software/adaware/
They've been very good at cleaning out much of the small things which
do cause problems over time. As for the larger ones and the just plane
malicious ones (ones that just damage and that is really all they do)
there's not much in the way of "cleaning" those out. Reloading is
really the best option. Sad as that is.
The version you have on your CD is an earlier version than what is on
the computer. It sounds like what you have is an "Upgrade" version,
which means that it will only Upgrade, not install new. This is rather
common unfortunately. And not just with small tech suports, but larger
ones as well.
Here is some things you can do, and perhaps it will solve the problem.
1) Uninstall the KaZaa program.
2) Get and install Lava Softs ad-aware program and run it.
3) open, My Computer -> C Drive -> Program Files.
Go through that list and look for anything that you don't know what it
is, write each name down, go to your other computer, and search for
that "something" and see what it is. If you find a page saying it is
adware or spyware, search for instructions on how to get rid of it.
As I said, it is very hard to do this in a forum like this, so I'm not
taking this on as a question. But that is some insight and some
possible solutions. You may be stuck with taking the computer in and
having it re-installed. But.. try these things out first, and post
back your findings and any insights you can give. If I see something I
know about, I'll follow up with you.
webadept-ga
|
Clarification of Question by
bbb-ga
on
14 Sep 2003 11:41 PDT
Thanks to webadept-ga:
I greatly appreciate all the thoughtful suggestions and advice. I do
know about Ad-Aware and Spybot, and run them--but probably not often
enough. I'm running Ad-Aware on the troubled computer right now.
I will take your suggestions (e.g., run Ad-Aware) and get back to you.
On a couple of points, you implied your ideas but didn't quite state
them. So I'm requesting clarification:
1. Why is KaZaa not so good? Spyware and Adware. Your consultant is
probably wrong, you probably don't have a virus....
...Good--but I do wonder why you said that? Is it because I run
Norton daily on that computer (automatically)? Or is there something
more in what I've described?
(By the way: I suspect that the consultant may be wrong a
slight alarmist, for this reason: A few months ago, he told me I had a
virus on the computer that I'm on now, because I kept getting Norton
messages about "malicious script detected," and "IEXPLORE.EXE" -- but
other people saide were not serious, and I gather they were not. [I've
gotten more of them, from time to time, and Norton still shows the
computer as virus-free--though it has deleted a bunch of incoming
viruses in the last few weeks. Again, none of this applies to the
computer with the problem]).
2. ....but the outcome may be the same. We'll see about that in a
minute.
Help! Your phrase "the outcome may be the same" can imply that
the computer's operation will be in serious trouble. But your tone
suggests that it's not quite that crucial. Please do clarify. I take
it that if your suggestions don't work, then I must reload the
operating system, or:
(1) I may have continued problems or
(2) the computer will stop operating, at some point.
I need to fix things either way, but I'd like to know whether you feel
(1) or (2) is the case.
That is, those ads, etc., that Ad-Aware gets rid of -- can they
eventually stop your computer, just as a virus can?
3. About my disk issue, you said it sounds like I have an
"Upgrade" disk, and cannot install new. "This is rather common
unfortunately. And not just with small tech suports, but larger ones
as well." In other words, I can't re-install the basic operating
system I bought and paid for, with the disk I was supplied. So I'm
forced to go back to the consultant for a re-install. I'd probaby do
so anyway--I know those are complicated--but basically this is
deception. (In fact, it's actually fraud, since the implied
arrangement when you buy software is that you own a copy which can
re-install. That is part of the ownership, obviously.)
bbb-ga
Having a disk that cannot re
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