? PC Fatigue

[Arthur Little]

Don't worry Arthur, my computer keeps on shutting down..just imagine, i was upgrading my cellphone's firmware the other day, i opted to connect it to my pc to do the updates online since the updater in my phone doesn't seem to work at that time..then in the middle of the installation, my pc shut down and i can't switch on again my phone! so in short, i sent it to the service center again and paid P560 for another software update!

Not really TOO worried, Rayna ... but your mention of updates has got me wondering. You see, I'VE installed [or TRIED to instal!] a few purported 'Windows' "upgrades" to my computer in recent times - to boost my speed - only to discover it has had the OPPOSITE effect! Hopefully your cellphone is back in working order again!

[Arthur Little]

Authur...Re read the thread and follow the instructions given..Its really not that hard..
Then tell them if there are any improvements.
If it makes you feel any better..I bet my internet connection is about 20 times worse than yours..In fact it might be quicker to send you this message in the post.

, Fred ... I'll try my best. But I doubt if many folks' internet connection could be any slower than MINE is at the moment!

Here`s where you can download spydoctor.. http://www.pctools.com/spyware-doctor/download/
After downloading it,install it and follow instructions..
It will find all the nasty viruses that you might have picked up whilst mistakenly pressing a strange looking link and stumbling across the odd porn site etc..
Dont worry..We all fall prey to that kind of thing from time to time and we are not to blame!

Computer duly "doctored" ... and diagnosed as being free of any "viral infections" that can be detected; nevertheless, I'm still left wondering if it's a case of "physician heal thyself" in finding a cure for sluggishness?

[somebody]

It's like the blind leading the blind in here

Arthur do you use Internet Explorer 8? Or a lesser version? Try installing IE8, if you already have it, it won't cause any harm.http://www.microsoft.com/windows/int...ide-sites.aspx

If not you need to update. It is also worth having a backup browser installed. For use of this website the best one is Firefox http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/product...win&lang=en-US .... the other browsers fail to load the smilies correctly.

Sir would you recomend IE 8 for this site from personal experience the Pc with it in the household is the wifes and along with IE7 on a workdevice seem to give the most grief.

While Chrome seems to have no problems or am i not using some of the options/functions? I bow to your knowledge of the Site especially as time seems to be lacking in the day to hang around here winding up Joe

Would certainly go with having the option of more than one browser on a pc

Athur trust me keep them updated yes things may sometimes slow down a little but it maybe because extra security features have to be acted on. The interweb is not a safe place to be even if you never stray far from blue chip companies websites and of course the greatest website in the world which we are currently on

Be careful with updates though of course Windows Vista is used for many different purposes by many people in different enviroments. At present the Wifes PC with Vista im typing away on has several updates which I have declined to download as they are of no use to the OS as we use it and from research and knowledge gained have no incidental benefits to us.
As you saying adding all the updates may well add more functions, checks and processes than you need but best to as i say research and ask those who are sad enough to keep informed on such matters
For example adding extra fonts, junk mail filter for software we dont use along with some other obscure updates i leave off.

[KeithD]

IE7/IE8 is fine with this site, so is the new Firefox but others don't use the full AJAX functions.

[JimOttley]

Ah ... now, therein lies the the problem! If you look a wee bit further back on this thread, you'll see that Keith asked me earlier if it was the computer or the *browser. And I don't quite know how to answer this question, because I'm able to "browse" the site okay ... I'm just not sure of the technical definition of the *word in terms of it being a noun! But the trouble I have, is when - midway through typing a post and/or reply - it suddenly "freezes" ... starting with the 'smilies' [which I have a habit of using proliferously] followed by a clouding over of the monitor screen on which the typescript is still visible but hazy and, seconds later, vanishes irretrievably. What frustrates me most about these "shenanigans" is that I tend to THINK as I type ... since it inspires my train of thought ... and if I lose it all ... well .. it's back to square 1 - which, of course, can be extremely time consuming.



I WISH ... oh, if only! Many's the time lately, I've felt like

for your helpful suggestions, though, my friend.

Hi Arthur, I hope you got this sorted out in the end, I'm a bit late commenting on this one.

The "Browser" as a noun is the computer program which provides the window which you use to view this site.

The problem you are experiencing is a freezing of that program, the "clouding over" effect is either a temporary lockup of the programs internals or it is the death throws of the current instance of the program.

When it disappears from the screen that means the program did something that it should not do and the operating system (the computer) decided to terminate the Program and it's Window.

You can of course restart the program but the chances are it will do the same thing again.

From your earlier responses I am pretty sure you are only using the computer for Browsing so I doubt you have many other programs installed, so chances are that it is just your Browser that is acting up.

I use multiple browsers both Internet Explorer and Google Chrome and recently I have found that Internet Explorer has been pretty flaky, Microsoft sometimes make things worse rather than better when they release "fixes" that get automatically installed on your computer.

I am guessing from what you have said that you are using Microsoft's Internet Explorer if you are still having problems the easiest thing to do would be to install another Browser and as Keith recommends Firefox you should go with that.

All Browsers and indeed all programs can crash like this, it is ultimately always the fault of a programmer like me somewhere occasionally it can be the hardware at fault but it's usually the programmer


Jim

[Ayumbar]

I was also with Tiscali which then moved to TalkTalk. I have to admit, since Tiscali was bought by TalkTalk I amsure my internet experience has not been as good.

I find my computer is so slow at the start of every internet connection. IE8 is worse than Firefox on my computer. I am not sure if the problem is down to my computer or not. It is supposed to be on "upto 8Mb", but never goes above 3.8Mb The computer itself is about 9 years old I guess. Pentium 3 processor, MMX gforce graphics card - not much else to brag about other than those.

The thing is, I have not really changed how I have used my computer over the years. I've always done the youtube sites, Ebay, MSN etc through this computer and never had an issue. Just seems recently the poor thing needs an extra 5 minutes by itself these days to log online and prepare me a home page screen.

[les_taxi]

Try using a speed test http://www.speedtest.net/
It may be your pc needs a good clean-up and at 9 years old it's done well,if you can be bothered to format it,it will speed up your pc no doubt.

[Arthur Little]

Hi Arthur, I hope you got this sorted out in the end, I'm a bit late commenting on this one.

Jim

Don't worry, Jim ... "better late than never", as the saying goes! Things SEEM to have greatly improved ... your diagnosis turned out to be SPOT-ON ... as you will note from my next response below! But I'm still a bit wary, and don't want to risk becoming too "complacent" at this stage.

[joebloggs]

I was also with Tiscali which then moved to TalkTalk. I have to admit, since Tiscali was bought by TalkTalk I amsure my internet experience has not been as good.

.

i was with bulldog for years and never had a problem, then them at tiscali bought bulldog, then not long ago the line went dead for a day or so, and my speed dropped from 5mb to 1.5mb , they could or wouldn't give me a reason, ( i think they moved their equipment to an exchange further away) so i left and went to virgin (20mb and hardly a problem )

[Arthur Little]

The problem you are experiencing is a freezing of that program, the "clouding over" effect is either a temporary lockup of the programs internals or it is the death throws of the current instance of the program.

When it disappears from the screen that means the program did something that it should not do and the operating system (the computer) decided to terminate the Program and it's Window.

You can of course restart the program but the chances are it will do the same thing again.

From your earlier responses I am pretty sure you are only using the computer for Browsing so I doubt you have many other programs installed, so chances are that it is just your Browser that is acting up.

I use multiple browsers both Internet Explorer and Google Chrome and recently I have found that Internet Explorer has been pretty flaky, Microsoft sometimes make things worse rather than better when they release "fixes" that get automatically installed on your computer.

I am guessing from what you have said that you are using Microsoft's Internet Explorer if you are still having problems the easiest thing to do would be to install another Browser and as Keith recommends Firefox you should go with that.

All Browsers and indeed all programs can crash like this, it is ultimately always the fault of a programmer like me somewhere occasionally it can be the hardware at fault but it's usually the programmer


Jim

Jim ... ... it's ME that's late this time - with my promised follow-up! Anyway, the story IS - as luck would have it - I discovered that my equipment is still covered by an extended warranty until September 9. So I called in the 'Tech Guys' ... who sent round an engineer one Saturday forenoon recently. And d'you know what ...? As far as I can remember [from my limited knowledge of computers] HE came up with an explanation that (to my inexperienced ears) sounded like something along the lines of what you've mentioned in your post ... hence my comment about your diagnosis being spot-on!

It's good to know, therefore, that - in the event of any further problems - all I need do is refer back to the helpful suggestions you've shared with me here.
a million, Jim!

[Arthur Little]

I was also with Tiscali which then moved to TalkTalk. I have to admit, since Tiscali was bought by TalkTalk I amsure my internet experience has not been as good.

Ayum ... it's interesting you should happen to SAY that! Because it seems to be the verdict of quite a few [formerly-satisfied] Tiscali users I've spoken to since the changeover to TalkTalk. Not ONLY has the quality of service deteriorated ... the latter's charges have recently shot-up as well! Indeed, for two pins, I'd switch to another Telephone/Internet Provider - the snag being, that if I did so, I would probably need a new email address - which COULD, in turn, bugger-up my existing sources of contact and cause me endless hassle!

[Ayumbar]

lestaxi1 - Thanks for the tip off. I think I used my McAfee to clean up the computer a few years ago. I think Mcafee in itself perhaps has helped to slow the computer down a little at the start also. Will try again soon though.

Arthur Little - To be honest, I am paying about £14.99 for "up to 8Mb" on internet connection alone. I think I will perhaps change provider in the next 6 months, but I am not confident about the idea of going to wireless. I will need to know how to secure a wireless connection.

I have a friend from Brazil who came to London as a student a few years ago. While in London, he told me how he was able to ninja an unsecured wireless connection - which was a neighbour's connection. He said when using the connection he was just doing so as a startup for a couple of months until Virgin installed cabling in the area for faster speeds - having made an enquiry to the company.

When I met him later in the year near London Bridge, he showed me how he had torrented (when it was not banned) a really stupid but highly impressive amount of films, software etc from Brazil and beyond. He used some little small device he place into the side of his laptop and it was able to connect into unsecured networks. He made it sound so easy, that it was a bit worrying. By the time I met him at London Bridge he had been on Virgin for a few months, but in the short period of time his was using someone's connection he had done so much download, that scrolling down on the Windows screen of his downloaded files took some waiting.

I am not trying to glorify the idea of torrenting files, but the idea of someone else being able to access my future wireless connection so easily does seem a bit worrying.

[joebloggs]

I have a friend from Brazil who came to London as a student a few years ago. While in London, he told me how he was able to ninja an unsecured wireless connection - which was a neighbour's connection. He said when using the connection he was just doing so as a startup for a couple of months until Virgin installed cabling in the area for faster speeds - having made an enquiry to the company.

When I met him later in the year near London Bridge, he showed me how he had torrented (when it was not banned) a really stupid but highly impressive amount of films, software etc from Brazil and beyond. He used some little small device he place into the side of his laptop and it was able to connect into unsecured networks. He made it sound so easy, that it was a bit worrying. By the time I met him at London Bridge he had been on Virgin for a few months, but in the short period of time his was using someone's connection he had done so much download, that scrolling down on the Windows screen of his downloaded files took some waiting.

I am not trying to glorify the idea of torrenting files, but the idea of someone else being able to access my future wireless connection so easily does seem a bit worrying.

i think wireless piggybacking is Illegal

The Communications Act 2003 says a "person who (a) dishonestly obtains an electronic communications service, and (b) does so with intent to avoid payment of a charge applicable to the provision of that service, is guilty of an offence".

There are also suggestions using somebody else's wireless could come under the Computer Misuse Act

nevermind sharing pirated/copywrited stuff

[les_taxi]

Dont worry about going wireless,you just password protect it,it's as easy as that. when I fix peoples pc's i sometimes use my neighbours unsecured wireless router just to test for a connection

Luckily she is a mate

Many people go wireless and it shows up as unsecured so you can connect,but if when you set up all you do is create a secure connection with a password then no-body is going to be able to use you internet.

Here is a quick overview http://www.ehow.com/video_4982591_se...s-network.html

[bornatbirth]

is your pc working ok, arthur?

have you ever formatted the hard drive, i can talk you through it if you like, its quite simple

[Arthur Little]

is your pc working ok, arthur?

have you ever formatted the hard drive, i can talk you through it if you like, its quite simple

It's definitely a lot better than it WAS, my friend ... still not perfect ... but we'll see how it goes. As I said in response to Jim Ottley, an engineer from the 'Tech Guys' called round a few weeks ago at my request. But you know ME ... ... I'm a bit of a luddite when it comes to how computers function! So yes, I'd certainly be glad of your kind offer as regards ... ... formatting [whatever that means in technical jargon] the hard drive ...

And congratulations again on achieving 4,000 posts!

[somebody]

When securing your Wireless be aware now some Phones very small portable computers can now run with ease software, which will change the mac device of the phones wlan connector, run wireshark, kismet,aircrack plus many plug ins which make the Applications even more powerful and useful.. (Also like to mention all this software is free )

WEP and WPA2 are both not fully safe they can be cracked by those using Powerful mobile Phones!

Advice given a few years ago about hiding ssid, and using mac filtering simply is not enough if you want to ensure your Wirless network is safe. Packets can be sniffed and basically to save typing quite sophisticated hacking tools are now freely available and easily portable .

Although you can make very secure Wirless networks which can protect the network and data travelling along it. I would strongly advise anyone to not use Wirless networks unless they are happy with even a small risk of the techy neighbour next door or someone they show how to use a preconfigured high street device being possibly able to access more than you bargained with.

Even if the Device they are carrying cant crack the encryption from experiments im aware of these devices can do part of the job and then with the huge memory (i can think of devices which have 48gbs and more of internal storage and know of some which can when modded have access to far greater size of external memory which can record the data and then be played around with on more powerful devices.

Now the chances of this happening to you as a random person are remote. But I feel its important for people to be aware as if you took a look at what the information on your pc might tell a person about you and your loved ones..

Think not just banking and e comerce but email, photo sharing websites, online storage, ftp site social media. Even your GPS downloads but thats a tad on the paranoid side But I guess it depends on your situation and those around you. Anything you might have a username and password could possibly be at risk..
Although most encryption the websites would prove harder to crack some don't.


Do i use wireless? Yes at work and at home but for highly secure information at work we are not allowed and at home I dont either.

While im sure many will say its impossible with the current technology and methods as we are aware normally its only once its discovered often purely by chance that black hats have pioneered ways to benefit.. Where money or self gain are involved technology and invention speeds ahead as we all know. War, Crime and Porn have been the biggest accelerators of technical growth in recent years it seems.

One of the best methods of finding out how safe the procedures, applications and process you intend to use on your pc system network (this can be just between your pc and wireless router) is to use google and youtube. Put crack ____ whatever your encryption is and see what's about.

Remember if it seems only a few nerds with complicated fiddly setups can do first check the date of the footage and secondly bear in mind what's fiddly and complicated 6-12 months ago maybe a piece of cake now...

[bornatbirth]

It's definitely a lot better than it WAS, my friend ... still not perfect ... but we'll see how it goes. As I said in response to Jim Ottley, an engineer from the 'Tech Guys' called round a few weeks ago at my request. But you know ME ... ... I'm a bit of a luddite when it comes to how computers function! So yes, I'd certainly be glad of your kind offer as regards ... ... formatting [whatever that means in technical jargon] the hard drive ...

And congratulations again on achieving 4,000 posts!

i will reply in a few days when i have time, btw what did the tech guy do?, had it made any real difference.

[somebody]

is your pc working ok, arthur?

have you ever formatted the hard drive, i can talk you through it if you like, its quite simple

I hope once you let Arthur know how to Flaten the PC you show him how to re install an OS

Arthur seriously Computers are now quite simple if you keep to the basics and read up a little on the basic jargon.

If you are planing to use the Computer regularly it would be a good investment of your time as if your paying for Tech guys to turn up and sort issues you want to make sure its for something which you could not fix with a little time and learning of some "inside Knowledge"

Also I would suggest respectfully as a moderator of the greatest website in the world you should consider the security implications of not keeping your PC patchs up to date, and having a anti virus/malware, firewall (Hardware and/or software) Prevention is far better than cure as the DOC will tell you

[somebody]

Had a quick scan though this Thread and one point which has not be mentioned is what DNS are you using?

DNS in a nutshell is what changes the www.fillipinouk.co.uk/forum into its ip address which the Computer needs to find the website..

Some people find by using open DNS or Google DNS it beats using their own ISP's DNS. Also normally if you check your routers setup. Often it will be on autodiscover (ie spend a bit of time looking where it should go to do the look up)

If the dns lookup is slow then it doesn't matter how quick the connection is for many websites.

Google has a useful page on the subject here although im not saying google is better than open DNS or your own ISP's or another option. It really can vary.


Many Talk Talk users seem to have found Google handy a while ago http://talktalkmembers.net/forums/sh...ad.php?t=46036


Also another reasons why talk talk may have issues.

http://talktalkmembers.net/forums/sh...ad.php?t=16829

In a nutshell there DNS is not working as it should casuing problems with some parts of the Internet.

[Arthur Little]

... can anyone explain this "phenomenon"?

Frequently, after logging-on ... and particularly when I'm switching between the sub-headings 'Members List' and 'Today's Posts' ... I'm confronted with the following pop-up message:

"Internet Explorer cannot open the Internet Site
http://filipino forum .........

operation aborted"

And it means going back to Square 1, so to speak. Damned infuriating!!

[KeithD]

Problem with your browser.... are you allowing popups for this site?

What browser version as the site is now heavy on AJAX coding.

[Terpe]

Problem with your browser.... are you allowing popups for this site?

What browser version as the site is now heavy on AJAX coding.

I though this site was English language! Can't understand word on this thread

[ghee101]

I though this site was English language! Can't understand word on this thread

if i were on another place and listening to ppl talk abt this, i'd think AJAX is a laundry bar

[les_taxi]

if i were on another place and listening to ppl talk abt this, i'd think AJAX is a laundry bar

It's all explained here simple when you know how
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajax_%28programming%29

[ghee101]

It's all explained here simple when you know how
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajax_%28programming%29

im just joking like terpe i know these stuff too

[Dedworth]

I always thought it was a scouring powder or Dutch football team