Topic: you have no idea how much I hate windows (Read 4124 times)

Clark Kent · « **on:** October 12, 2003, 11:43:01 pm »

To start off, this is not a post to bash PCs, or microsoft. I am simply at my wits end with this damn computer, and am not sure where to turn for help, other than paying $50 to have some lamebrain tech support guy help me.
The problem I am having right now is simple. For a couple minths now my computer absolutely refuses to not be on the internet, which is a problem since I'm on a dial up. If i'm not on the internet, it will barrage me with the dial up screen telling me to connect, and when I say no, or cancel, or close the box, it dials anyway, with no way of me stopping it, other than reaching behind the computer through all the wires and cables trying depseratley to find the phone line, or simply cutting the power. This is a problem, since this is nopt the only computer i have that I connect to the internet with, and it will dislodge anything else from any connection, whether i'm alreay on the net on another computer, or talking on the phone, or even trying to recieve a fax. Moreoever, this need to be on the net is crashing or freezing my PC to the point that I can't load any other programs without that damn thing prompting me to connect.
Tonight I spent 40 minutes trying to load OP, the computer crashing bad enough that I have to do a cold restart because the damn thing keeps dropping me to the desktop, letting me know that I'm not on the net.
This problem has been getting worse, and I've already been through the control panels trying to set the stupid thing so that it stays off the internet unless I say so, or even just simply never connect. I't been building up, the I finally got so angry at the machine tonight after 11 crashes that I just started punching the damn thing, cracking the matel case open, and cutting my hand in the process.
Can someone please clue me in?
CK

Edit: forgot to include: 1.2 GHz AMD Athlon, 384 megs RAm, Win ME (upgrading to another Win OS isn't an option).

Lieutenant_Q · « **Reply #1 on:** October 13, 2003, 12:28:02 am »

Most likely the constant dialing isnt a hardware problem, its prolly a software problem, now theres too many programs now a days that connect to the net for various special features. I would start checking programs like (If you have them) ICQ, AIM or other Instant Messaging programs, make sure its not set to "Dial a connection when one isnt present". Check anything that goes onto the internet, chances are you have a program that thinks it has free reign on connecting to the net. Programs like Real Player, Windows Media Player, Real Player was really bad for me a few years ago, it constantly wanted on the internet, and every so often it would set itself back to dial when connection is not present. I got so sick of it, I finally pulled it off my computer.

KBF-JD · « **Reply #2 on:** October 13, 2003, 12:32:57 am »

Quote:

To start off, this is not a post to bash PCs, or microsoft. I am simply at my wits end with this damn computer, and am not sure where to turn for help, other than paying $50 to have some lamebrain tech support guy help me.
The problem I am having right now is simple. For a couple minths now my computer absolutely refuses to not be on the internet, which is a problem since I'm on a dial up. If i'm not on the internet, it will barrage me with the dial up screen telling me to connect, and when I say no, or cancel, or close the box, it dials anyway, with no way of me stopping it, other than reaching behind the computer through all the wires and cables trying depseratley to find the phone line, or simply cutting the power. This is a problem, since this is nopt the only computer i have that I connect to the internet with, and it will dislodge anything else from any connection, whether i'm alreay on the net on another computer, or talking on the phone, or even trying to recieve a fax. Moreoever, this need to be on the net is crashing or freezing my PC to the point that I can't load any other programs without that damn thing prompting me to connect.
Tonight I spent 40 minutes trying to load OP, the computer crashing bad enough that I have to do a cold restart because the damn thing keeps dropping me to the desktop, letting me know that I'm not on the net.
This problem has been getting worse, and I've already been through the control panels trying to set the stupid thing so that it stays off the internet unless I say so, or even just simply never connect. I't been building up, the I finally got so angry at the machine tonight after 11 crashes that I just started punching the damn thing, cracking the matel case open, and cutting my hand in the process.
Can someone please clue me in?
CK

Edit: forgot to include: 1.2 GHz AMD Athlon, 384 megs RAm, Win ME (upgrading to another Win OS isn't an option).

Sounds like you have a virus to me...

the virus keeps trying to open the internet connection...

Do you have up to date virus protection?

If you have no virus protection, go ahead and connect to network associates site and run a web virus scan on your pc.

If you have virus protection, download the newest virus defs for your pc on a nothe pc and copy them over to this pc and update the virus protection and run an virus scan. Note you may need to do this in safe mode.

Also you may have to run an ad ware scan. Spybot or adaware are good ones...

jd

Warden · « **Reply #3 on:** October 13, 2003, 01:19:17 am »

I have seen this before, or rather it sounds similar to a problem a friend had, the computer would try to connect to the net even if it was already connected.

Check to see if you have multiple dial-up connections (to the same number/ISP). My friend had 2 accounts set up in Outlook express, the first account was set to connect using "DUC 1" while the second account was set to use "DUC 2" thus when the computer checked the first account it would dial, connect, drop the line, then dial again for the second account, even though the same number was being dialled. You might have something similar with a program trying to use a second Dial up account.

Have you tried disabling un-needed programs at startup, Start - Run - msconfig - Startup tab.

Also like the other responses said, I would do a virus scan with the latest updates, run spybot or adware, and if that does not help, mabye consider performing a fresh install of Windows.

Clark Kent · « **Reply #4 on:** October 13, 2003, 12:08:13 pm »

Thanks for the replies. I've been through all the second party SW I could find and haven't found anything to signify it doing it's own thing as far as the internet goes. I have some up to date virus software lying around here somewhere. When I find it, i'll install it and run a scan.
CK

TalonClaw · « **Reply #7 on:** October 14, 2003, 08:38:42 am »

Go get a free copy of zonealarm and install it. It will then tell you what is trying to connect to the internet and ask you if you want to allow it. This is by far the best firewall you can get and it is free.

Once ZA tells you what is trying to connect maybe you can find it and turn it off.

zaniwhoop2 · « **Reply #8 on:** October 14, 2003, 07:33:27 pm »

I second that.

Pestalence · « **Reply #10 on:** October 14, 2003, 08:14:32 pm »

Also with Dial-Up problems.. you may want to get Lavasoft's Ad-Aware 6 build 181 Spyware detection / elimination software... sounds like your system went to a site that used an active x control that installed a hidden dialer on your system that is force connecting...

Ad-Aware 6 will detect about 99% of those type of programs and eliminate them....

also Spybot Search and Destroy will eliminate those thigs as well

and finally a program called HackThis will scan for invalid entries and start-up programs that you can select independantly and have hackThis remove them or fix them.. works very well for IE 6 problems, especially in the registry settings...

also a good registry cleaner would be good after running 1 or all of these 3 programs to clean up things that are not detected.. I recommend RegScrub and Registry Cleaner...

all of these used 1 day a week will keep your machine clean of spyware and dialer programs and keep your IE working correctly.

hope that this helps...

Clark Kent · « **Reply #12 on:** October 12, 2003, 11:43:01 pm »

To start off, this is not a post to bash PCs, or microsoft. I am simply at my wits end with this damn computer, and am not sure where to turn for help, other than paying $50 to have some lamebrain tech support guy help me.
The problem I am having right now is simple. For a couple minths now my computer absolutely refuses to not be on the internet, which is a problem since I'm on a dial up. If i'm not on the internet, it will barrage me with the dial up screen telling me to connect, and when I say no, or cancel, or close the box, it dials anyway, with no way of me stopping it, other than reaching behind the computer through all the wires and cables trying depseratley to find the phone line, or simply cutting the power. This is a problem, since this is nopt the only computer i have that I connect to the internet with, and it will dislodge anything else from any connection, whether i'm alreay on the net on another computer, or talking on the phone, or even trying to recieve a fax. Moreoever, this need to be on the net is crashing or freezing my PC to the point that I can't load any other programs without that damn thing prompting me to connect.
Tonight I spent 40 minutes trying to load OP, the computer crashing bad enough that I have to do a cold restart because the damn thing keeps dropping me to the desktop, letting me know that I'm not on the net.
This problem has been getting worse, and I've already been through the control panels trying to set the stupid thing so that it stays off the internet unless I say so, or even just simply never connect. I't been building up, the I finally got so angry at the machine tonight after 11 crashes that I just started punching the damn thing, cracking the matel case open, and cutting my hand in the process.
Can someone please clue me in?
CK

Edit: forgot to include: 1.2 GHz AMD Athlon, 384 megs RAm, Win ME (upgrading to another Win OS isn't an option).

Lieutenant_Q · « **Reply #13 on:** October 13, 2003, 12:28:02 am »

Most likely the constant dialing isnt a hardware problem, its prolly a software problem, now theres too many programs now a days that connect to the net for various special features. I would start checking programs like (If you have them) ICQ, AIM or other Instant Messaging programs, make sure its not set to "Dial a connection when one isnt present". Check anything that goes onto the internet, chances are you have a program that thinks it has free reign on connecting to the net. Programs like Real Player, Windows Media Player, Real Player was really bad for me a few years ago, it constantly wanted on the internet, and every so often it would set itself back to dial when connection is not present. I got so sick of it, I finally pulled it off my computer.

Warden · « **Reply #15 on:** October 13, 2003, 01:19:17 am »

I have seen this before, or rather it sounds similar to a problem a friend had, the computer would try to connect to the net even if it was already connected.

Check to see if you have multiple dial-up connections (to the same number/ISP). My friend had 2 accounts set up in Outlook express, the first account was set to connect using "DUC 1" while the second account was set to use "DUC 2" thus when the computer checked the first account it would dial, connect, drop the line, then dial again for the second account, even though the same number was being dialled. You might have something similar with a program trying to use a second Dial up account.

Have you tried disabling un-needed programs at startup, Start - Run - msconfig - Startup tab.

Also like the other responses said, I would do a virus scan with the latest updates, run spybot or adware, and if that does not help, mabye consider performing a fresh install of Windows.

Clark Kent · « **Reply #16 on:** October 13, 2003, 12:08:13 pm »

Thanks for the replies. I've been through all the second party SW I could find and haven't found anything to signify it doing it's own thing as far as the internet goes. I have some up to date virus software lying around here somewhere. When I find it, i'll install it and run a scan.
CK

TalonClaw · « **Reply #19 on:** October 14, 2003, 08:38:42 am »

Go get a free copy of zonealarm and install it. It will then tell you what is trying to connect to the internet and ask you if you want to allow it. This is by far the best firewall you can get and it is free.

Once ZA tells you what is trying to connect maybe you can find it and turn it off.

News:

Topic: you have no idea how much I hate windows (Read 4124 times) var addthis_config = {"data_track_clickback":true};

Clark Kent

Lieutenant_Q

KBF-JD

Warden

Clark Kent

Maxillius

Clark Kent

TalonClaw

zaniwhoop2

Pestalence

Pestalence

Clark Kent

Clark Kent

Lieutenant_Q

KBF-JD

Warden

Clark Kent

Maxillius

Clark Kent

TalonClaw

Topic: you have no idea how much I hate windows (Read 4124 times)