[ham] [Rhodes22-list] Dummy with computer needs help--badly

Thu Nov 27 02:12:28 EST 2003

Or...........You could just get a Mac!  Problem solved!  Todd, you seem to
have a propensity for doing things the hard way.   8-)  8-)  8-)

Slim

On 11/27/03 12:20 AM, "Todd Tavares" <sprocket80 at mail.com> wrote:

> Michael,
> 
>  Yeah,  this computer has probably exceeded its useful life.  It is 3+ years
> old.  I have Norton systems works 2001, McAfee firewall, virus scan
> professional, and a group of other McAfee products, ie instant updater,
> guardian, clean sweep,shreader, safe & sound, and visual trace.
> 
>  The problem is that I have not enough time or knowledge to configure them
> efficiently.  The firewall for instance, if I use it to block much at all, I
> cannot get pages like msn.com to load even.  If I set it to filter, I get 20
> windows a second asking do you want to allow this program access, and I cant
> even read my e-mails.
> 
> I will probably take the dumb guy approach with the next computer and save all
> of my personal files to cd.  So when it gets too bad, I can reformat the hard
> drive and go from there.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Michael Meltzer <mjm at michaelmeltzer.com>
> Date: Thu, 27 Nov 2003 00:30:28 -0500
> To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
> Subject: Re: [ham] [Rhodes22-list] Dummy with computer needs help--badly
> 
>> you got hit by a porn dialer(that what they call it, they started the trick),
>> what is does is highjack your modem line and call
>> 1-900 number or a oversea call, it is called fraud.
>> 
>> 1)call the phone company, they will take it off the bill, you might have to
>> ask to speck to a supervisor, SOP is they will let you
>> off the hook for the first time(check the current bill while you at it), if
>> nice is not working get pushy, you might have to remind
>> them that this is a fraud, from other complaints they should have know it was
>> a fraud, you did not knowingly make the call, by them
>> billing you they are a party to the fraud, willing to go to the state
>> attorney general. ask them to place the "blocks" on your line.
>> If you need help with the scream job, I do it for a living, conference call
>> :-)
>> 
>> 2)now for the computer, the problem you have is that any Microsoft product
>> that is not absolutely current is not fit to be connected
>> to the internet, frankly I think bill gates should loss a class action law
>> suit, their is really no reason for it.
>> 
>> Hopefully http://www.safer-networking.org has removed the dialer by now.
>> 
>> the problem you have window98Se, is End of life, MS is no longer suporting
>> it, then next step for you is upgrading to windows98me,
>> but ms is going to EOL that soon also, you could upgrade to windowsXP but
>> most like any computer that started out with windows SE
>> does not have the power to run XP (skip win2000 in your case), for about 400$
>> you can upgrade to alot better assuming you can reuse
>> the monitor, witch will include 100$ your would have to pay to upgrade the
>> OS, might want to think about it.
>> 
>> For DSL or Cable modem you beed a hardware firewall, they will also allow you
>> to share the line with outer computers in the house,
>> linksys, dlink, smc, etc, thay cost about 100-150$, look for the words
>> "statefull packet filtering fallwall", zone-alarm will alway
>> be second best to a real firewall(the virus disable zone-alarm but donot
>> touch the hardware firewall)
>> 
>> zone is ok for dialup, if no other resion that thier is nothing else.
>> 
>> I like Mcaffe for my anit-virus on the decktop pc, Norton has been slipping
>> over the years(my option).
>> 
>> bottom line, must be always up to date on the OS, must be running antivirus,
>> have a firewall. should be sueing MS or get linux :-)
>> 
>> MJM
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Todd Tavares" <sprocket80 at mail.com>
>> To: "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>> Sent: Wednesday, November 26, 2003 2:39 PM
>> Subject: [ham] [Rhodes22-list] Dummy with computer needs help--badly
>> 
>> 
>>> HELP MJM, Mark, Will, Steve, Rik, or any of you smart computer guys, HELP!
>>> 
>>>    I am ready to trash my computer and start over and do not want this
>>> particular problem to reoccur with a new computer.
>>> 
>>> I have been having problems with my computer for about a month now.  I use
>>> win98SE and have slow dial-up service.
>>> 
>>>    About a month ago I started getting pop-up ads trying to connect to the
>>> internet, even when I was sitting down watching TV and
>> not near the computer.  I had no idea where they were coming from. Deleting
>> the history, cookies, changing my security settings
>> didn't stop them.  I brought the task window and viewed the properties for
>> the files running, but when I did a search in the
>> directies named...these files did not exist...not hidden, archive..nothing.
>>> 
>>>    I have a Norton 2000 maintenance software package (Norton Works 2000?)
>>> that monitors, cleans, defrags etc.  Half or more of the
>> Norton items wouldn't run.
>>> 
>>>    I deleted all unfamiliar downloaded programs and items.....still the
>>> pop-ups came.   They only stopped after I went through
>> windows explorer and deleted or uninstalled unfamiliar files/directories.
>>> 
>>>    I thought I was a genius until I opened my telephone bill and today found
>>> a $398.00 internet charge.  It seems that I had
>> picked some sort of downloaded software that dialed up and connected to the
>> internet at 2:00 AM while I was sleeping and went to a
>> pay site somewhere in the Camoros Islands off the coast of West Africa.  I
>> know it wasn't wifey or the kids.
>>> 
>>>    This charge was an add on from ATT.  I do not use ATT.  ATT CSR said this
>>> is happening with increasing frequency, but refused
>> to remove the charges from my bill.
>>> 
>>>    So my questions are  (yes there is a question in here somewhere) what can
>>> I do to stop this from happening again?  How can I be
>> sure this software is not still in my computer hiding? Is there software that
>> I can buy to prevent this?  Can my McAfee Virus or
>> Norton firewall software be configured to catch it?   Short of trashing the
>> computer and getting a non-telephone internet
>> service...what should I do.
>>> 
>>>     And a second subject,  my windows defrag keeps restarting because a file
>>> is trying to write to disk.  How can I stop this?
>> Are these two problems related? (hopefully this is an easy fix)
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Todd
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> -- 
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>> 
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