MORE computer problems - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Gilly · #1 05-24-2004, 10:04 AM

Seems like every 6 months or so something will mess up on this thing that I can't figure out. Hopefully next year or maybe even later this year I can dump this thing (Compaq, Windoze ME), but for right now, I need occasional help to keep it chugging along.

Last week or two ago, seemed to pick up 2 problems simultaneously.
First one the tech at my ISP helped me at least do a "work around" on when the button on my keypad (like a "instrument panel" set of buttons) would no longer activate my dialler. The tech had me to an icon on my desktop to connect to my ISP, so I could get online (a "shortcut" button to my ISP). So that does work, but once that's done I still need to use the buttons on my keyboard again to access OE or IE (seperate button for each), so just a little inconvenient, not bad, but anyone know what may have prompted this and if I can make it the way it was before? Previously I would usually hit the button for E-mail (OE I guess) to go to my ISP-provided emails, then another button to launch IE. I can copy and paste the message that I receive if I try doing that now if anyone would like to see it.
The second problem at this point is a little more irritating. When on IE, if I go to a site, which opens in a new window, I guess you would say, the window size is smaller than full-screen and I need to press the "maximize" button every darn time a new window needs to open. NO idea what's going on here, again the problems seemed to start at the same time.
I'm wondering if there is something infected here? I tried the "hijack this" program but need someone to interpret the results, don't know if this would even pertain to the problem. I did a total scan for errors and came up empty handed. i did AVG 6.0 and it did come up with something about a "sober" virus, but now if I run AVG again it comes up clean, so maybe it got rid of it and there are a few things it ruined or reset I need to fix? I also have Adaware 6.0, which picks up the usual tracking cookies from time to time, and also CWShredder, which is coming up clean.

Any thoughts from the puter whizzes around here?

Gilly

Lebenz · #2 05-24-2004, 11:49 AM

Gilly I'm not clear on what you are saying. Are you saying that your keyboard has some extra keys that aren’t working? If so there are drivers that are used to integrate the extra keys with the operating system. You’ll need to check with the keyboard or computer manufacturer for the drivers

A simple standard work around is to go into start then programs right click on the programs, select send to from the menu that will come up, and select desktop.

I don’t remember if ME has the quick launch bar, but if it does, and, of course, if you want to use it, you can drag the icons over to the quick launch folder and be able to single click to run the programs.

Hope this helps.....

KirkVining · #3 05-24-2004, 01:13 PM

Windows ME is at the heart of your problems. Get ahold of Win 2000 and run it as an upgrade.

crash9 · #4 05-24-2004, 01:35 PM

Not sure if this is of any interest, but I took the online puter to the tech for a tune-up and clean last week. Seems that I’m on with MS twice a year and just taking it to the shop is a lot easier and less time consuming for me. I use a few proprietary tools that don’t seem to run well with the virus programs, so I just run AdWare and do the free scan at Trend Micro once in a while. Anyway the tech put a little scanner called SpyBot on – it’s a free download at -- http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=download seems to be a good tool. You might want to check it out.

Gilly · #5 05-24-2004, 02:11 PM

Thanks for the replies.
I had a chance to mess with it some more. I have what are called "Easy Access" buttons on the keyboard. I used to be able to press the big center button, labeled "i", and it would start my dialup and log me onto OE. I managed to get it so that the "i" button will now dialup, but not log onto OE, now for that I need to click on the OE icon on my desktop, but at least it's a start. The only way I could do this was to send my "shortcut" to "My Documents", then I could set the Easy Access key, otherwise I couldn't get it to use the "shortcut" when it was on my Desktop only. What am I missing here?

I would also say this is NOT as irritataing as the other problem, where when I open up a new window, I need to maximize the screen. No idea where to even look for this problem to attempt to correct it. .
I ran AVG again today, again no viruses found, also no problem with CoolWaveSearch (CWS) (ran CWShredder), and also AdAware again, only found a few tracking cookies again.

Gilly

Gilly · #6 05-24-2004, 02:29 PM

I may be on to something; still not 100% though:

What I tried is opening up a new window, but instead of clicking the "maximize" button, I clicked and dragged the margins to the edge of my screen. Now it seems better, don't have to click "maximize" now. BUT the image is a little too big for the scrren, have to move bar on bottom of screen to see everything in the image. Do I need to change the size somewhere (for example to 800 X 600 resolution), and where is this done? Any idea how this stuff would have been changed? And is the "easy access button" problem possibly related to this problem?

Gilly

Gilly · #7 05-27-2004, 05:24 AM

Bigger dilemas now:
Tried to do a defrag, said there are errors on the disc so it can't defrag and to do a disc scan (I did this a few days ago, a "thorough" test w/no problems. OK, so went to do another disc scan, after a long time (1/2 hour plus) seems to be no progress in the scan and I receive the message
"ScanDisc has restarted 10 times because Windows or another program has been writing to this drive. Quitting running some programs may enable ScanDisc to finish sooner".
This is with the computer off-line and nothing else running, nothing I know of anyways.
It has developed a new problem, the computer won't shut off normally, I have to hold the power button in until it shuts off, then of course because of that it won't restart normally.
Any ideas guys? Other than the shutting-off thing it seems to be working it's normal slow pace, not unbearably slow.

Gilly

jpb5151 · #8 05-27-2004, 08:04 AM

Gilly, have you restarted in Safe Mode? Or, is there a way to run the disc scan before even booting the GUI? I know almost nothing about ME other than what I've read: it's the worst of the ms bunch right now...

Better yet, boot from the scandisc CD and run things from there?

Best yet, upgrade to either Linux or FreeBSD? (not kidding at all, but i know this is probably unfeasible).

If you do a good disc scan, then run virus scans, AdAware, Spybot, use Mozilla instead of IE, and install ZoneAlarm's firewall, you might be able to have your system going well again. Best of luck.

Gilly · #9 05-27-2004, 07:19 PM

You're talking a bit above my training here.
When I have to manually shut off the computer, when i restart first it does a quickie DiscScan (not thorough) and checks out OK, then my desktop is white (instead of my normal background) with a light blue wraning triangle. This my be the "safe mode" you speak of. I click a box to return to the normal mode, which I think they refer to as my "active desktop". I haven't tried doing a restart in that mode, no. But I can.

I have never heard of a GUI.

I don't know if I have a scandisc CD.

You're right, I really just want to keep this one chugging along for maybe another year, when i get close I'll be looking for advice on a good "over the counter" computer.

Gilly

jpb5151 · #10 05-27-2004, 08:05 PM

Safe Mode is usually accessed by hitting the F8 key just as ms windows starts to boot. There should be a menu of different boot options.

It might be good to do a full ScanDisc, including media test. Then after that, while you're in Safe Mode, you could probably run your other things too (virus, spyware checks, etc).

hth, and i hope your computer gets up and going soon.

Gilly · #11 05-27-2004, 11:26 PM

The F8 key did nothing that I COULD SEE to the computer, HOWEVER the computer did a disc scan! YAY!
Then I could do a defrag, so I will report back as far as if the computer at least shuts down without a problem now.

Gilly

Gilly · #12 05-28-2004, 05:10 AM

Nope, still won't shut down. Just to clarify, when I try to shut down, I get a slowly blinking white cursor in the upper left corner of the screen and it stays like that.....
Gilly

jpb5151 · #13 05-28-2004, 06:40 AM

Wow, F8 didn't do anything? You hit it right when you saw a Starting Windows or similar message, or just after the power-on self test finished?

Hopefully some windows experts will post some more stuff, but I'm guessing that you'll wind up reinstalling the os. When I ran windows, I had to do that every few months just to keep things going OK (i always pushed it to the limit and it always broke). Another note, reinstalling on top of the existing os always seemed to lead to problems. A reformat / reinstall seemed the best.

Maybe you could take this opportunity to repartition your disk into a C: (for operating system & programs) and D: (for all your data files). That made it much faster for me when reinstalling.

Again, I hope some windows experts will recognize this problem for you and save you from redoing everything.

aklim · #14 05-28-2004, 11:24 AM

IMO, something has corrupted it and when you try shut it down, a process is hanging. Usually it gives an "End Process" window and you can end it. When it gets up and running, have you tried running "regclean" to try clean up some parts in the registry? If that doesn't work, you might be better off backing up your stuff and reinstalling the OS.

Lebenz · #15 05-28-2004, 11:40 AM

Commonly when you do a shut down and the system hangs, it is because a piece of hardware or software doesn’t respond to the shut down request. It’s possible that the quick keys, which, according to your earlier post, aren’t working properly, are related to this. In fairness it could be almost anything. Take out a piece of paper and pencil do an end task for one item. After the end task succeds, try to do a shut down. If ending the task doesn’t cause a problem, note it. If it does cause a problem also note that. In the end of this you will know which programs need to be running and which ones don't. Also you’ll find out which program is not letting you shut down windows.

That said, one of the most common failures on shut down is due to a mildly defective mouse or mouse driver. It will work fine otherwise but will cause windows to hang on shut down. Again, the test is to physically remove the mouse prior to shut down and see if that solves the problem.

This may sound like a chore but you will get through it in 15 minutes or so...