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

Todd Tavares sprocket80 at mail.com
Thu Nov 27 13:07:38 EST 2003 

>you seem to
> have a propensity for doing things the hard way.

True that

I still think like a kid from a poor family.  :-D
Sometimes its less expensive to do things the more costly way.

  
----- Original Message -----
From: Steve Alm <salm at mn.rr.com>
Date: Thu, 27 Nov 2003 02:12:28 -0600
To: Rhodes <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Subject: Re: [ham] [Rhodes22-list] Dummy with computer needs help--badly

> Or...........You could just get a Mac!  Problem solved!  Todd,    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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> >>> 
> >> 
> >> __________________________________________________
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> >> 
> 
> __________________________________________________
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> 

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