problem with PC....HELP

[Spectral Morn]

Hi Guys


I have an odd problem....I can't see some visual content of say the likes of photobucket (including my own in a flock of tuners) or the AOS banner and elsewhere on the web. Gifs don't work either such as those here on AOS, I can't use them or see them working.

I had a DDE fault indicator show up earlier today when shutting down my PC but it seemed to sort its self out....maybe not.

Could this be at fault ? Interestingly I cant click onto IMG links anymore either I tried.

HELP...

I am using a PC so please no Mac jokes... A virus scan shows no virus...


Regards Neil

[Beechwoods]

Neil, apart from the obvious things like clearing your browser cache, have you tried a different browser to see if the problem is there with the other software. Mozilla Firefox is excellent. I think the DDE error is a red-herring, though it could be a sign that something more broadly has gone wobbly with your machine. Try a different browser and see if that fixes it.

[Tony Moore]

Are the jpg and gif files still associated with the correct viewers? I wonder if something has got corrupted in the registry? Can you double-click on a jpg file in explorer and still open it into a viewer?

Or is the problem confined to the web browser?

I once had a registry problem that showed up in bizarre ways and complaints on startup until it gradually degraded to the point where it wouldn't boot and I had to reload a previous registry backup which fixed it. (After a lot of panic and trawling the web from another machine :steam: )

There are some registry tools out there on the web that will go through the registry files and make sure that there is no obviously corrupted keys. RegistryMachanic is one I've used.

I'm probably barking up the wrong tree. Don't panic!

Cheers,
Tony

[Spectral Morn]

Neil, apart from the obvious things like clearing your browser cache, have you tried a different browser to see if the problem is there with the other software. Mozilla Firefox is excellent. I think the DDE error is a red-herring, though it could be a sign that something more broadly has gone wobbly with your machine. Try a different browser and see if that fixes it.


Hi Nick

I used the Avg browser and same problem....everything was working fine yesterday but not now. Certain websites are missing some graphic content including AOS and I have just found out that my Windows XP is counterfeit/not genuine. Microsoft has been prompting for about a month to do a genuine notification test...it failed. The original owner who sold it on to the guy I got it from must have......errrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. I thought this test might help but it hasn't. Microsoft want £95 for genuine software. Life is fun at the moment.

I can't use gifs or perhaps can but can't see them working ? Are there gifs on this post?

I can't click on to an img code on my photobucket page anymore either so no photos until I get this sorted.



Feedup D S D L

[Spectral Morn]

Are the jpg and gif files still associated with the correct viewers? I wonder if something has got corrupted in the registry? Can you double-click on a jpg file in explorer and still open it into a viewer?

Or is the problem confined to the web browser?

I once had a registry problem that showed up in bizarre ways and complaints on startup until it gradually degraded to the point where it wouldn't boot and I had to reload a previous registry backup which fixed it. (After a lot of panic and trawling the web from another machine :steam: )

There are some registry tools out there on the web that will go through the registry files and make sure that there is no obviously corrupted keys. RegistryMachanic is one I've used.

I'm probably barking up the wrong tree. Don't panic!

Cheers,
Tony

Hi Tony

English please.....my PC knowledge is limited. I can use google image and the like click on image view it and download it. But I can't transfer img data anymore so ctrl+c and ctrl+v will not work anymore ?

very feed up D S D L

PS I just tried my Ccleaner registry issues fixer....nope still the same problems.

[Spectral Morn]

Hi Guys

I don't know what has solved the problem but its working now. I used Ccleaner to sort issues with registry of which there were many...no idea what they are but they are fixed (I made a backup just in case as prompted by the software). I then sorted and cleared my Cache on firefox/mozilla..... We now have banner graphics back and :) Gif operation.

All very weird ....:confused:


Thanks for the help guys.

Anyone know what happened and what if any ramifications there will be by allowing Microsoft to scan my PC and now know its not legit software...which I did not know....:steam:


Regards D S D L Happier but concerned....:scratch:

[lovejoy]

Hi Guys
Anyone know what happened and what if any ramifications there will be by allowing Microsoft to scan my PC and now know its not legit software...which I did not know....:steam:


Regards D S D L Happier but concerned....:scratch:

The ramifications are that you will continue being nagged about buying a genuine copy of Windows. You'll get a black backdrop and a pop up message every time you reboot telling you you've not got genuine software. You'll also no longer be able to download any Microsoft software/security updates anymore. This seems to have been recently introduced. You won't get anyone knocking the door or sending you nasty letters though if you're worried about that.

Did your PC come pre-installed with this copy of Windows? If so, depends who you got it from. If you're rather hacked off about it, your first course of action would be to get in touch with them and ask nicely for a legit copy. If you're still not happy, you can report them to Microsoft, who, the last time I looked were offering legit copies of Windows to people who reported people who were selling dodgy copies.

[Spectral Morn]

The ramifications are that you will continue being nagged about buying a genuine copy of Windows. You'll get a black backdrop and a pop up message every time you reboot telling you you've not got genuine software. You'll also no longer be able to download any Microsoft software/security updates anymore. This seems to have been recently introduced. You won't get anyone knocking the door or sending you nasty letters though if you're worried about that.

Did your PC come pre-installed with this copy of Windows? If so, depends who you got it from. If you're rather hacked off about it, your first course of action would be to get in touch with them and ask nicely for a legit copy. If you're still not happy, you can report them to Microsoft, who, the last time I looked were offering legit copies of Windows to people who reported people who were selling dodgy copies.

Hi Rich

The PC was given to me/my wife by one of her friends who got it built for them via a guy in work...so it didn't come from a shop. I saw the free copies for those who have been ripped off. I can't really say I have. The Microssoft XP downloads that have been given to date don't really seem to have done much....so is not getting updates a big issue ? However I hate the idea of having ripped off software. Being out of work with no extra money to pay £95 means it will have to sit as is. I thought the Windows scan might identify and sort out the problem I was having....I had been ignoring this Microsoft pop up/add....I now wish I had not used it :doh::(


Regards D S D L

[lovejoy]

I think we've all been there. I'd say that as long as your antivirus is kept up to date and you're not visiting dodgy Russian hacker sites, then no need to worry too much about not getting the latest updates.

Have you considered trying Linux? Asking that question generally tends to scare all but the most computer savvy folk, but I can seriously recommend Ubuntu. I guess it depends on what you use your computer for, but I installed it on my parents' PC about 2 years ago after being fed up with being constantly on call for all their Windows woes. Granted, they only use it for surfing the net, watching a spot of TV on iPlayer, sending the odd Email, browsing Google Earth and not much else, but I've not had to touch the machine, or show them how to use anything since. It all works wonderfully. I also reckon, from recent experience that the whole Ubuntu install process is easier and quicker than Vista. I should put an asterisk here though and say depending on what hardware you have. The best bits are, Ubuntu is completely free, it's fast, it's a nice interface, there's LOADS of good software for it - also free, and it makes a damned good digital audio front end too ;).

[Spectral Morn]

I think we've all been there. I'd say that as long as your antivirus is kept up to date and you're not visiting dodgy Russian hacker sites, then no need to worry too much about not getting the latest updates.

Have you considered trying Linux? Asking that question generally tends to scare all but the most computer savvy folk, but I can seriously recommend Ubuntu. I guess it depends on what you use your computer for, but I installed it on my parents' PC about 2 years ago after being fed up with being constantly on call for all their Windows woes. Granted, they only use it for surfing the net, watching a spot of TV on iPlayer, sending the odd Email, browsing Google Earth and not much else, but I've not had to touch the machine, or show them how to use anything since. It all works wonderfully. I also reckon, from recent experience that the whole Ubuntu install process is easier and quicker than Vista. I should put an asterisk here though and say depending on what hardware you have. The best bits are, Ubuntu is completely free, it's fast, it's a nice interface, there's LOADS of good software for it - also free, and it makes a damned good digital audio front end too ;).

Hi Rich

Word-processing, surfing the net and thats about it. However if I change the operating system I will have to save anything I need to disc and pretty much replace whats on this PC yes no ? Wipe and re-install. I am not really that knowledgeable about the world of PC's....as you can probably tell.

Looks interesting...I am not opposed to Linux. Does anyone have any comments?


Regards D S D L

[lovejoy]

Hi Rich
However if I change the operating system I will have to save anything I need to disc and pretty much replace whats on this PC yes no ?
Regards D S D L

Yes, this is true. It's a bit of an upheaval is switching operating systems. The rule also goes that you always forget to back up at least one thing before wiping the hard drive as well, for me it's generally my Email contacts, or a load of photos.

In saying that however, Ubuntu has a really good 'suck it and see' mode where you can run the entire operating system from a CD without disturbing the contents of your hard drive, so it's a great way of getting familiar with it before deciding if you want to spend any more effort in getting everything backed up and doing a fresh install.

[Spectral Morn]

Yes, this is true. It's a bit of an upheaval is switching operating systems. The rule also goes that you always forget to back up at least one thing before wiping the hard drive as well, for me it's generally my Email contacts, or a load of photos.

In saying that however, Ubuntu has a really good 'suck it and see' mode where you can run the entire operating system from a CD without disturbing the contents of your hard drive, so it's a great way of getting familiar with it before deciding if you want to spend any more effort in getting everything backed up and doing a fresh install.


Thats what I thought Rich...thanks I will consider it. Anyone else care to comment on Linux


Regards D S D L

[Beechwoods]

Ubuntu is great. Very Windows-like, very easy to use, and you'll find all the Apps you'd need - browsers, media players, and office apps, free. I have a friend who uses a PC at work, a Mac for his desktop and Ubuntu on an old laptop for browsing, email and music. It's definitely worth a try in 'run from CD mode'.

Maybe Rich can recommend somewhere to the download the disc image?

[Tony Moore]

I've been using Suse Linux 11 on my SqueezeCentre PC for a while now and I found it a doddle to install and use. Far less hassle than Windows and it's free. However, I'm very familiar with all this stuff, this being my job and all.

I also gave Ubuntu a go for fun and I was most impressed. I have been saying for while now that I will move away from Windows as my primary machine, however there's always that nagging doubt that things you take for granted, such as drivers for bits of consumer gadgets, cameras, etc, and their utility app won't work on Linux.

In this day and age of Virtual Machines (ability to run Windows inside an app called VMWare or others) it's possible to have the main machine be Linux and yet still be able to start up a Windows virtual machine to run the exotic things that won't run natively on Linux.

If you do mainly word processing, web browsing, email, play CDs, etc. then Linux would probably suit well for your needs. As already suggested, why not get the Live CD of Ubuntu and try it out. It makes no changes to your system and just allows you to get the feel of the new OS. It will run slower than a disk based installation but you just have to take that into account. One thing to know is that with most of the Linux distributions there are two different (main) desktops out there. Ubuntu uses Gnome which is quite nice, some say easier to get to grips with. Kubuntu uses KDE-Desktop which is perhaps more like Windows, more clutter and menus and things. Both are good, it's down to personal preference. (Unlike Windows where you get no choice!) The beauty is that you can download Live CDs of both Ubuntu and Kubuntu and try out both and see which you like best.

For me, Win2000 is where I'm at. I don't like XP and I have no intention of going to Vista or Win7. Win2000 is now starting to lose out to newer software that won't run on it. (By design to make it obsolete) So I'll be forced to take the plunge sooner rather than later.

Cheers,
Tony

ps

http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download

and

http://www.kubuntu.org/

[lovejoy]

The best place to download Ubuntu is probably directly from the website:
http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download.
I'm using the newest version 9.04 rather than the older, but long term support major release of 8.04 and all drivers (including my shiny new 802.11n wireless USB stick) worked out of the box.. Magic.

[Spectral Morn]

Thanks Tony

Appreciate the info, I will have a look into it. A friend does the computer thing for a living but I don't like to ask for help to often....feels a bit like using him, if I ask to often. However if I was swapping over I think that I really would need to get him to do it.


Regards D S D L

[alb]

Ubunto is now the main op system in my household, after a year or so of deliberation.
The only problem we found is that our new Kodak printer was completely useless, with no support for Linux. I bought a new HP printer which does work but it's not without teething troubles.
Everything else is quite slick and not too hard to get used to.
Windows is like a drug, you still miss it sometimes even after a few months of giving it up. Yet, there's little reason to feel that way.
Overall Ubunto is still a no brainer.

[spendorman]

I recently tried Linux, Mint, DSL, Ubuntu, Slax and possibly another (can't remember all the names), all very interesting, but came across something like drivers that were absent (or difficult to configure) in all of them.

Unfortunately stuck with Windows and everything works (sometimes!) One thing if there is a problem with Windows, you bet you will quickly find an easy solution on the internet. Takes a bit more searching with Linux problems.

Fedora was the other one!

[spendorman]

If the Microsoft nag screens bug you, you can use "System Restore" to go back to a time before this happened. There are other fixes as well. Send me a PM is you want some more info.