I downloaded Live and it ran amuck

[Lamb Chop]

B) wow I didn't see this one coming - I was manually updating and must have been stupid as downloaded Live and the computer went bonkers.

I couldn't do anything with it but keep on trying to shut it down and get rid of the thing.

It took best part of 2 days to do it but I am rid of it and today have had to run CHKDSK which has 3 stages and went on for a long time and deleted corrupt attribute records and orphan files and then on varying security and indexing did a lot of stuff to and it is finally working.

Stupid part if I head read in the Washington Post that people were having problems with Live and Messenger etc and freezing!

Anyway now everything is back to normal except my email program which I have downloaded a new version but it goes over the old one and still has the problem - have emailed for support as I will have to save the date if they tell me how and then uninstall it completely etc and new version hopefully will stop freezing as this is the last of the gremlins.

Thing is I havent a clue how I ran the above as I had trouble with booting up all the time and went into F2 Bio and did the run through and then on boot up and it worked. But then booted up wrong again so went back and this time did defaults and that I think was what loaded it to do CHKDSK - I know to do it via run but this was a bit of shock but hopefully it has done the work.

Crossing everything - as with me it is the blind leading the blind in Bio and stuff but last time I had a tech he knew less than me and that is saying something.......... so try myself - hope I did the right thing.

I just hoped that the defaults put in by Dell were what would bring it back to normal - was I right to do this?

[Alan2273]

If I understand your post, you have set the BIOS to the default setting.

Unless you are overclocking it is best to run the BIOS on the default settings unless some specific problem needs the BIOS to be tweaked.

[Dencandy]

You're not the only one to have problems with Windows Live, lamb Chop. I tried it both on the Laptop and on the PC, each time problems, especially if IE8 is running. I did this after being advised by Microsoft that Outlook Express was being phased out. So I uninstalled Live on both machines & no longer use Outlook Express. Instead I access my email directly from the providers' websites & everything is working OK. Hotmail still tells me I'm still using the Windows Live sign in assistant, but I don't have all the other junk that goes with it installed.

[Lamb Chop]

Well I am logged in but never got an email re answers - just checked.

I am having problems still whilst trying to work !

anyway two problems remain - email and now Firefox.

I updated to Firefox 3.5.2 and it has updated so have the latest version but it is slow to load - then found on programs that I have two versions - Ccleaner+Add/Remove say only one and so went to Belarc and it said one. BUT I can load both from start>programs and get on different sites and then check to see if different versions working and they are there - weird eh.

Both Firefox and my email program freeze every now and then and neither respond and only way to get out is emergency close down and this is not nice.

No solution on FF site - cant get to ask the right question as it says go ask a support question.

Working in safe mode now.

Had a look in the program file itself and looks okay but only one unless it has doubled up and I dont see it cause I am ignorant

So shall I unstall the one that shows and see what happens?

I have twice now emailed my email support - paid version so should answer - but not to date and this is not responding and it is the imapp.exe which will open the program. I want to save the data on it and uninstall as this is latest version and they install on top of old and that didnt fix the problem so corrupted.

Asked how.

Have had to do it before but on old which fried and so did my backups because I am not good at backups and yet to find a program I can use that works for me - must be moron!

OK for me to say that

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

I updated to Firefox 3.5.2 and it has updated so have the latest version but it is slow to load - then found on programs that I have two versions ...

Where do you have two versions of Firefox...?

[Lamb Chop]

I updated to Firefox 3.5.2 and it has updated so have the latest version but it is slow to load - then found on programs that I have two versions ...

Where do you have two versions of Firefox...?

Only on start>programs. Entered twice. One as Firefox and second one belowe as Firefox 3.5 and both are 3.5.2

Thought it was a mistake but I loaded first one and got a site.

then - it to task bar.

then went back and loaded second one on a different site.

then went back to first one still on its site. Second one checked and still on its different site so must have two versions ??

But various programs said only one version Belarc CCleaner and Add/remove.

BTW I have now run Norman malware cleaner in safe mode and it found nothing at all. - Turned off.

Booted normal and first thing I noticed is that my old original email program was collecting mail when it had been taken off as default and Outlook was the default and had collected mail earlier.

Also Secunia PSI came up saying that my email program had been patched- so maybe just running Norman patched it do you think, and turned it back to being default, and I'm not going banana's?

BTW had already tried System restore to back before Live and it said no changes to make.

What makes the email program freeze is clicking on link and it made Outlook do the exact same thing this morning so not my actual program but something shared?

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

Only on start>programs. Entered twice. One as Firefox and second one belowe as Firefox 3.5 and both are 3.5.2

Start | Programs are just a list of shortcuts; most likely they point to the same C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe

Just right-click on one of these and delete it.

[Lamb Chop]

Only on start>programs. Entered twice. One as Firefox and second one belowe as Firefox 3.5 and both are 3.5.2

Start | Programs are just a list of shortcuts; most likely they point to the same C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe

Just right-click on one of these and delete it.

Ok thanks Pat

Also guess what my email of working fine since I ran Norman-malware-cleaner - so far crossing everything seems it may have done the trick somehow and FF is quicker too and everything else to date is working and loading quicker not hanging ........wow

[Dencandy]

Yes, you had 2 shortcuts to one FireFox. Do you know what it was that Norman Malware Cleaner found and deleted? I read that Norman is v. good at dealing with old malware signatures, but not so good with new ones. Also I believe it deletes everything without asking, so back up your data & make a Restore Point before running it.

[Lamb Chop]

It actually reported nothing found.

But maybe just the sheer picking through must have done something as it is running as good now and faster than even brand new.

No freezing and I didn't back up as never have done it successfully so given up and printed out all I want and noted all my stuff to get back any programs in a notebook as I go which helped last time I lost the lot including the tower!

I have tried several programs but none I find me friendly! Not alone as this is the biggest comment I see on forums. Cant get a good back up program that works and how do you test it anyway?

I suspect millions of us just hope for the best!

Not tech savvy enough for back ups.

Whomsoever invents a real easy program can make millions!

Or writes a book for dummies! Step by step. :lol:

Had a look around but can find one on this subject.

[Dencandy]

I find that for my purposes the built in Windows Back-up program works fine HOW TO USE XP BACKUP. Apart from that I copy My Documents to a pen (USB) drive after every time I do something new there.

[Lamb Chop]

I bought one of the plug in things you can use for backing up but don't have a clue how to use it - on my HD I use only 15 GB of 160 GB - does that mean it includes the OS as well as set out in the back up bit I read? You see on telly people using these things to stesal info in spy movies etc - and they plug them in and a window opens and they download files etc.

Is it that easy? Not been game to do so and also have no USB ports left unused - not enough on this computer and have to unplug my keyboard to download camera which is ok.

BTW BTB I do still have a wireless keyboard and mouse but no letters on the keyboard. I use a wireless mouse. This keyboard came with the Dell Computer and is now two years old and has stood up to me typing with only the loss of u i l n m so far!!! Certainly do not make them as good as typewriter keyboards - my old one is 2 years old and has been pounded by receptionists in my company as well as myself and still has every single key designated clearly - but not made in Asia - but Germany. :D

[Dencandy]

There's 2 main types of "plug in things" that can be used for backing up. One is a very small device 2-3 inches long that plugs in directly to a USB socket - that's a pen or USB drive. The other is a bit bigger, perhaps 4x5 inches, and connects by 1 or 2 wires to USB ports - that's an external hard drive. Which type do you have? Both can be used for back up storage, but the external hard drive has a much larger capacity - often more than 100 GBs.

The devices you see on the TV where someone just plugs something into a computer and then gets control of it are highly specialised instruments used only by the CIA and James Bond! They are not the same as the plug in devices ordinary users have.

If you want to be able to increase the number of devices you can plug into the USB port, go to a computer shop and ask for a USB hub. That plugs into the USB port but then allows you to plug in 4 USB devices to the hub so you don't have to keep plugging in & un-plugging different devices.

When you've get items plugged into the USB ports just open Control Panel & you will see them itemised there & can control them from that panel just as if they were integral parts of the computer.

[Lamb Chop]

thanks Dencandy.

After losing data when old computer fried I tried to get the right thing for back ups and a hub but I think I have been given the wrong things actually - got them a couple of years back.

One is a 1 GB Data Traveler made by Kingston which I thought was for back up which is what I asked for. Still in its packet.

Also I asked for a hub and what I got was an adaptor with usb at one end and the other plug in with lots of needles at the other if you know what I mean so not a hub either - ripped off for sure but it was cheap and didn't bother to go back as 149Ks from home each way.

got them home and realized neither was really what I wanted so have let it slip - naughty me.

Not very expensive about $12 the two put together.

I will have to try to find a real computer shop locally and buy one - there is a Dell service place now in closest town to me I noticed from a flyer from Dell so will ring them and see if they sell a proper hub.

Also a think your idea of getting an extra HD as a back up would probably be better if I just have to plug it in and copy as this is within my capabilities - I think

[Dencandy]

Lamb Chop, make sure you ask for a USB hub & that it has several USB sockets on it exactly the same as the USB sockets on the computer. In Sri Lanka we get excellent ones made by Imation.

Do you really have to travel 149 kms each way to do your computer shopping? I sometimes feel grumpy because I have to travel 3 kms each way by Sri Lankan tuk-tuk. :(

[Lamb Chop]

Lamb Chop, make sure you ask for a USB hub & that it has several USB sockets on it exactly the same as the USB sockets on the computer. In Sri Lanka we get excellent ones made by Imation.

Do you really have to travel 149 kms each way to do your computer shopping? I sometimes feel grumpy because I have to travel 3 kms each way by Sri Lankan tuk-tuk. :(

Yes :D Rural areas in Australia are limited on choice but low on crime so you trade off not being able to go buy anything you desire without planning a trip.

I will be more discerning next time. B)