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  • #2187263

    HELP URGENT

    Locked

    by cute_nadz_31 ·

    HELP PLEASE – I dont know if i have a virus or what but when im connected to the net via my Lan (high-speed cable) I loose my Internet Explorer connection after 5 minutes…. after 5 minutes IE displays a blank page, and even if I reset the web setting, or refresh it keeps saying ‘detecting proxy settings’ but does nothing. So I have to unplug the modem, restart the PC and same thing, 5 minutes only….

    BUT here’s the wierd thing, my ‘connection’ is always active, ie, im still connected…

    I’ve disabled my firewall, downloaded all the anti virus updates, adware, etc…

    I’m about to throw my PC out the window!!! HELP!

    If you have any suggestions, can you please email me at cute_nadz_31@yahoo.ca because I can only read email for 5 minutes at a time!

    Thanks soooo much in advance!

All Comments

  • Author
    Replies
    • #3247452

      Help Help! I got a infected

      by bfilmfan ·

      In reply to HELP URGENT

      First, turn off your System Restore.

      Then re-boot.

      And then scan for viri, trojans and malware.

      And unless you disconnect from the Internet, you might see some keep-alive activity on your high-speed modem and network card.

      • #3247443

        Drop IE

        by jmgarvin ·

        In reply to Help Help! I got a infected

        Move to Firefox or Mozilla.

        • #3247413

          Firefox

          by oregonian.pjb ·

          In reply to Drop IE

          I switched to Firefox and really like it’s features a lot better than IE. Seems to be much more stable than IE also.

    • #3247414

      Throwing it out of the window won’t help

      by tony hopkinson ·

      In reply to HELP URGENT

      Disconnect from the internet.
      Turn your firewall back on !!!
      Do a full scan.
      I don’t think this is the problem however, unless it’s somesort of crap virus, the last thing they do is kill your internet connection.
      As someone else said try firefox. Are you on XP, did you just get sp2ed ?
      It’s more than possible IE is simply broke or ms have just crapped on you with an update.

      Now you’ve got you firewall, back on, check it’s set up correctly. Look for any programs with permission to get through, that you are unfamilliar with.

      Never turn your firewall off. Anything that says you should in order to use it means you shouldn’t use it.
      Last but not least when your firewall says do you want this program to connect to the internet and you are not sure, the answer is NO, not yes.

      • #3247409

        It’s worse!

        by cute_nadz_31 ·

        In reply to Throwing it out of the window won’t help

        Thanks Guys, I’ve tried it all! Now on top of that, I’m getting .dll errors, cant even run sfc/ scannow, it looks like my registry is messed up! Im really discouraged now!!! By the way, im running Win2000….

        • #3244746

          Be specific.

          by deepsand ·

          In reply to It’s worse!

          Win 2K or Win 2k Pro.

          But, in the Tech. Q&A forum, not in the Discussions forum.

        • #3243477

          My computer acted like this

          by dr dij ·

          In reply to It’s worse!

          Turned out, I had it so long, dust covered cpu cooler and it was overheating. This also caused additional flakiness: scandisk as it had scrambled some directory sectors. Also had adware. load opera or firefox so you can see if IE fried, and you can download latest if you want.

          If you have overheating/ hardware problem you need to fix this. I simply swapped out the motherbored, is quite easy. then proceeded to fix the other problems, now is quite stable.

    • #3247379

      Try Technical Q&A forum.

      by deepsand ·

      In reply to HELP URGENT

      This is a tech. problem, in search of a solution.

      It properly belongs in “Technical Q&A,” not in “Discussions.” There you will be more likely to get the attention of those seeking questions that they might answer.

      You should re-post there..

      Thank you.

    • #3247345

      Highjackthis

      by cute_nadz_31 ·

      In reply to HELP URGENT

      Can someome please check my highjackthis log… it would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

      Here it is:

      Logfile of HijackThis v1.99.1
      Scan saved at 11:54:29 PM, on 04/20/2005
      Platform: Windows 2000 SP4 (WinNT 5.00.2195)
      MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP1 (6.00.2800.1106)

      Running processes:
      C:\WINNT\System32\smss.exe
      C:\WINNT\system32\winlogon.exe
      C:\WINNT\system32\services.exe
      C:\WINNT\system32\lsass.exe
      C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccProxy.exe
      C:\WINNT\system32\svchost.exe
      C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccSetMgr.exe
      C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\SPBBC\SPBBCSvc.exe
      C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccEvtMgr.exe
      C:\WINNT\system32\spoolsv.exe
      C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgamsvr.exe
      C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgupsvc.exe
      C:\WINNT\system32\drivers\dcfssvc.exe
      C:\WINNT\etlisrv.exe
      C:\WINNT\System32\svchost.exe
      C:\Program Files\Network Associates\Common Framework\FrameworkService.exe
      C:\Program Files\Network Associates\VirusScan\vstskmgr.exe
      C:\WINNT\system32\rundll32.exe
      C:\WINNT\Explorer.EXE
      C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\VS7Debug\mdm.exe
      C:\Program Files\Norton AntiVirus\navapsvc.exe
      C:\Program Files\Norton AntiVirus\IWP\NPFMntor.exe
      C:\Program Files\KODAK\KODAK EASYSHARE Software\bin\ptssvc.exe
      C:\WINNT\system32\regsvc.exe
      C:\WINNT\system32\MSTask.exe
      C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\CCPD-LC\symlcsvc.exe
      C:\WINNT\System32\WBEM\WinMgmt.exe
      C:\WINNT\system32\svchost.exe
      C:\WINNT\system32\etdsvc.exe
      C:\Program Files\Network Associates\Common Framework\UpdaterUI.exe
      C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\3cmlink.exe
      C:\Program Files\Network Associates\VirusScan\SHSTAT.EXE
      C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\3cshtdwn.exe
      C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Update_OB\realsched.exe
      C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\3cmlink.exe
      C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgcc.exe
      C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccApp.exe
      C:\Program Files\MSN Messenger\MsnMsgr.Exe
      C:\WINNT\system32\ctfmon.exe
      C:\WINNT\system32\etlitr50.exe
      C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\SNDSrvc.exe
      C:\Program Files\Shockwave.com\PopDrop\PopNDrop.exe
      C:\PROGRA~1\MOZILL~1\firefox.exe
      C:\Program Files\Hijackthis\HijackThis.exe

      R0 – HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://www.hotmail.com/
      R1 – HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http://intracom.hq-ac.prv
      R0 – HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http://www.hotmail.com/
      R1 – HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Window Title = Microsoft Internet Explorer provided by HRDC
      R1 – HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings,ProxyServer = ftp=nhqgate.hq-ac.prv:80;http=nhqgate.hq-ac.prv:80;https=nhqgate.hq-ac.prv:80
      R1 – HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings,ProxyOverride = *.prv;10.*;*.hrdc-drhc.net;
      R0 – HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar,LinksFolderName =
      F2 – REG:system.ini: UserInit=C:\WINNT\system32\userinit.exe
      O4 – HKLM\..\Run: [Synchronization Manager] mobsync.exe /logon
      O4 – HKLM\..\Run: [McAfeeUpdaterUI] “C:\Program Files\Network Associates\Common Framework\UpdaterUI.exe” /StartedFromRunKey
      O4 – HKLM\..\Run: [NvCplDaemon] RUNDLL32.EXE C:\WINNT\system32\NvCpl.dll,NvStartup
      O4 – HKLM\..\Run: [nwiz] nwiz.exe /install
      O4 – HKLM\..\Run: [AtiPTA] atiptaxx.exe
      O4 – HKLM\..\Run: [3c1807pd] C:\WINNT\SYSTEM32\3cmlink.exe RunServices \Device\3cpipe-3c1807pd
      O4 – HKLM\..\Run: [ShStatEXE] “C:\Program Files\Network Associates\VirusScan\SHSTAT.EXE” /STANDALONE
      O4 – HKLM\..\Run: [QuickTime Task] “C:\Program Files\QuickTime\qttask.exe” -atboottime
      O4 – HKLM\..\Run: [NeroFilterCheck] C:\WINNT\system32\NeroCheck.exe
      O4 – HKLM\..\Run: [TkBellExe] “C:\Program Files\Common Files\Real\Update_OB\realsched.exe” -osboot
      O4 – HKLM\..\Run: [AVG7_CC] C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgcc.exe /STARTUP
      O4 – HKLM\..\Run: [ccApp] “C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccApp.exe”
      O4 – HKLM\..\Run: [SSC_UserPrompt] C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\Security Center\UsrPrmpt.exe
      O4 – HKLM\..\Run: [DXDllRegExe] C:\WINNT\system32\dxdllreg.exe
      O4 – HKLM\..\Run: [Symantec NetDriver Monitor] C:\PROGRA~1\SYMNET~1\SNDMon.exe
      O4 – HKCU\..\Run: [MsnMsgr] “C:\Program Files\MSN Messenger\MsnMsgr.Exe” /background
      O4 – HKCU\..\Run: [ctfmon.exe] ctfmon.exe
      O4 – HKCU\..\Run: [Windows Registry Repair Pro] C:\Program Files\3B Software\Windows Registry Repair Pro\RegistryRepairPro.exe 4
      O4 – HKCU\..\Run: [Wwjqkuw] C:\WINNT\system32\tskmgr.exe
      O4 – Global Startup: Entrust.lnk = C:\WINNT\system32\etlitr50.exe
      O6 – HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Restrictions present
      O6 – HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Control Panel present
      O8 – Extra context menu item: E&xport to Microsoft Excel – res://C:\PROGRA~1\MICROS~2\Office10\EXCEL.EXE/3000
      O12 – Plugin for .mpeg: C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\PLUGINS\npqtplugin3.dll
      O12 – Plugin for .spop: C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\Plugins\NPDocBox.dll
      O14 – IERESET.INF: START_PAGE_URL=HTTP://intracom.hq-ac.prv
      O15 – Trusted Zone: http://*.cmsprint.prv
      O15 – Trusted Zone: http://*.forms-formulaires.prv
      O15 – Trusted Zone: http://*.cmsprint.prv (HKLM)
      O15 – Trusted Zone: http://*.forms-formulaires.prv (HKLM)
      O15 – Trusted IP range: 206.161.125.149
      O15 – ProtocolDefaults: ‘http’ protocol is in My Computer Zone, should be Internet Zone
      O15 – ProtocolDefaults: ‘http’ protocol is in My Computer Zone, should be Internet Zone (HKLM)
      O16 – DPF: RaptisoftGameLoader – http://www.miniclip.com/hamsterball/raptisoftgameloader.cab
      O16 – DPF: {0E5F0222-96B9-11D3-8997-00104BD12D94} (PCPitstop Utility) – http://pcpitstop.com/pcpitstop/PCPitStop.CAB
      O16 – DPF: {11311111-1111-1111-1111-111111111157} – file://C:\Recycled\Q330995.exe
      O16 – DPF: {22222222-2222-2222-2222-222222222222} – file://c:\x.cab
      O16 – DPF: {288C5F13-7E52-4ADA-A32E-F5BF9D125F98} (CR64Loader Object) – http://www.miniclip.com/platypus/miniclipGameLoader.dll
      O16 – DPF: {2BC66F54-93A8-11D3-BEB6-00105AA9B6AE} (Symantec AntiVirus scanner) – http://security.symantec.com/sscv6/SharedContent/vc/bin/AvSniff.cab
      O16 – DPF: {4F1E5B1A-2A80-42CA-8532-2D05CB959537} (MSN Photo Upload Tool) – http://by18fd.bay18.hotmail.msn.com/resources/MsnPUpld.cab
      O16 – DPF: {644E432F-49D3-41A1-8DD5-E099162EEEC5} (Symantec RuFSI Utility Class) – http://security.symantec.com/sscv6/SharedContent/common/bin/cabsa.cab
      O16 – DPF: {683DFF0F-331F-44D2-B69B-46D7BFB58F32} – http://www.advnt01.com/dialer/canada_ver3.CAB
      O16 – DPF: {87067F04-DE4C-4688-BC3C-4FCF39D609E7} – http://download.websearch.com/Dnl/T_50226/QDow_AS2.cab
      O16 – DPF: {9DBAFCCF-592F-FFFF-FFFF-00608CEC297B} – http://downloads.aaa1screensavers.com/download/rist-aug-acx22.exe
      O16 – DPF: {B38870E4-7ECB-40DA-8C6A-595F0A5519FF} (MsnMessengerSetupDownloadControl Class) – http://messenger.msn.com/download/MsnMessengerSetupDownloader.cab
      O16 – DPF: {C40F8F85-3FC3-4C0C-AD91-6A204FAAD59F} (UCInstall Class) – http://ultimatecleaner.com/install/UCInst.cab
      O16 – DPF: {D7BF3304-138B-4DD5-86EE-491BB6A2286C} – http://www.azebar.com/install/azesearch.cab
      O16 – DPF: {EFAEF0E4-F044-4D57-9900-1C3FF18524C9} (AV Class) – http://pcpitstop.com/antivirus/PitPav.cab
      O17 – HKLM\System\CCS\Services\Tcpip\..\{2AFF0CC9-9D73-4B77-8A7D-A65D9BE9E90C}: NameServer = 10.54.249.10,10.51.249.10,10.53.0.4
      O20 – Winlogon Notify: Control Panel – C:\WINNT\system32\fp4803hue.dll
      O23 – Service: Ati HotKey Poller – Unknown owner – C:\WINNT\system32\Ati2evxx.exe
      O23 – Service: AVG7 Alert Manager Server (Avg7Alrt) – GRISOFT, s.r.o. – C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgamsvr.exe
      O23 – Service: AVG7 Update Service (Avg7UpdSvc) – GRISOFT, s.r.o. – C:\PROGRA~1\Grisoft\AVGFRE~1\avgupsvc.exe
      O23 – Service: Symantec Event Manager (ccEvtMgr) – Symantec Corporation – C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccEvtMgr.exe
      O23 – Service: Symantec Network Proxy (ccProxy) – Symantec Corporation – C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccProxy.exe
      O23 – Service: Symantec Password Validation (ccPwdSvc) – Symantec Corporation – C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccPwdSvc.exe
      O23 – Service: Symantec Settings Manager (ccSetMgr) – Symantec Corporation – C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\ccSetMgr.exe
      O23 – Service: Dcfssvc – Eastman Kodak Company – C:\WINNT\system32\drivers\dcfssvc.exe
      O23 – Service: Logical Disk Manager Administrative Service (dmadmin) – VERITAS Software Corp. – C:\WINNT\System32\dmadmin.exe
      O23 – Service: Entrust Login Interface (ELIService) – Entrust(R) – C:\WINNT\etlisrv.exe
      O23 – Service: Entrust/TrueDelete(TM) (ETDSVC) – Entrust Technologies Ltd. – C:\WINNT\system32\etdsvc.exe
      O23 – Service: Contivity VPN Service (ExtranetAccess) – Nortel Networks NA, Inc. – C:\Program Files\TELUS MVPN\Extranet_serv.exe
      O23 – Service: McAfee Framework Service (McAfeeFramework) – Network Associates, Inc. – C:\Program Files\Network Associates\Common Framework\FrameworkService.exe
      O23 – Service: Network Associates McShield (McShield) – Network Associates, Inc. – C:\Program Files\Network Associates\VirusScan\mcshield.exe
      O23 – Service: Network Associates Task Manager (McTaskManager) – Network Associates, Inc. – C:\Program Files\Network Associates\VirusScan\vstskmgr.exe
      O23 – Service: Norton AntiVirus Auto-Protect Service (navapsvc) – Symantec Corporation – C:\Program Files\Norton AntiVirus\navapsvc.exe
      O23 – Service: Norton AntiVirus Firewall Monitor Service (NPFMntor) – Symantec Corporation – C:\Program Files\Norton AntiVirus\IWP\NPFMntor.exe
      O23 – Service: NVIDIA Display Driver Service (NVSvc) – NVIDIA Corporation – C:\WINNT\system32\nvsvc32.exe
      O23 – Service: ptssvc – KODAK – C:\Program Files\KODAK\KODAK EASYSHARE Software\bin\ptssvc.exe
      O23 – Service: SAVScan – Symantec Corporation – C:\Program Files\Norton AntiVirus\SAVScan.exe
      O23 – Service: ScriptBlocking Service (SBService) – Symantec Corporation – C:\PROGRA~1\COMMON~1\SYMANT~1\SCRIPT~1\SBServ.exe
      O23 – Service: Symantec Network Drivers Service (SNDSrvc) – Symantec Corporation – C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\SNDSrvc.exe
      O23 – Service: Symantec SPBBCSvc (SPBBCSvc) – Symantec Corporation – C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\SPBBC\SPBBCSvc.exe
      O23 – Service: Symantec Core LC – Symantec Corporation – C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\CCPD-LC\symlcsvc.exe

      • #3244747

        You’re a consultant? And, you want us to provide free consulting svcs.?

        by deepsand ·

        In reply to Highjackthis

        As I noted above, your search for an solution to a specific problem belongs in the Technical Q&A forum.

        This is the Discussion forum. It is NOT for people looking for others to provide them with free services.

      • #3244597

        ooof

        by cuteelf ·

        In reply to Highjackthis

        that thing is pita to read.

        Honestly, have you gone to http://www.dslreports.com /security forum for this?
        That’s my homepage, and theres a lady in the Security that is GREAT w/ the HJT logs.

        All I can see is that you have a bit too much at startup.

        CuteElf

      • #3244507

        Why are you running multiple antivirus products?

        by unclerob ·

        In reply to Highjackthis

        A quick browse through that log indicates to me that you’re using multiple antivirus products, now I don’t know for sure if that’s causing your problem or not but you need to cut that out. Pick a product and stick with it. I noticed you have Symantec’s av product installed, McAfee’s av software and Grisoft’s AVG. Seriously dude, pick an av client that you are going to use and uninstall 2 of the other av packages. I don’t think you’re providing yourself with anymore protection running 3 av clients at the same time, probably too much system resource overhead for your win2k machine either. Someone asked you to specify which version of Windows 2000 you were running, I will assume you’re running Win2k Pro (He asked whether or not you were running Windows 2000 or 2000 Pro from what I know if it isn’t a 2000 server product you’re running there is only Windows 2000 Pro as a workstation OS so I don’t what that person was asking specifically), I don’t think you’re running Windows 2000 Server or Advanced Server on your machine in question.

        I know it doesn’t sound like the answer you want but maybe it’s time you scrapped the win2k install and thought about upgrading to WinXP Pro. Backup your data & files and do a clean install (format the drives, use a 3rd party partitioning tool to create 2 partitions, your main partition where you will install the OS and applications and also leave room for a 4 or 5 gb backup partition so that after you perform the clean install of winxp and all of your apps and any required security & critical updates, you can create an image of that system partition saved on to the backup partition mentioned earlier. If you ever experience system problems again in the future you can then restore you pc using the image you created instead of having to re-install the OS from scratch, major time saver when you system bites the dust as it appears to have done for you.)

        Check the nic inside the machine you’re working on, maybe it’s faulty. If you’re running Win2k Pro, make sure you have SP4 installed (maybe re-apply it even if you do have it installed), and while you’re at it, download any available patches from the winupdate site and reboot. Check your machines network settings to see if they have changed from what they’re normally set at, if you’re working in an office lan, check out the network switch or hub you’re connected to, maybe it’s faulty or failing. Is anyone else on the lan experiencing similar problems. Maybe it’s a router issue? Could be a few things. Maybe it’s a spyware or virus related problem. Reboot the machine into safe mode and perform virus & spyware scans (ms’s antispyware software is not too shabby, pretty quick too).

        Seems to me if you’re an IT consultant you should already have the foresight to have done this so that you’re not in this sinking boat to begin with. No worries, we all have to learn sooner or later and improved skills can always be acquired, it’s part of this IT life we live.

        Please post back, I’m sure we’d all like to hear if you were able to solve your problem and if you did what was it that fixed your dilemna that way if someone else posts a similar problem we can forward you fix to them as well.

        just my 0.02 cents though, I’m sure there will be people who disagree (and hopefully agree) with my suggestions.

      • #3243173

        Several AV intalled !

        by _christian_ ·

        In reply to Highjackthis

        That is a basic mistake.
        Having more than one antivirus means that they interfer with each other, and effectively give little or no protection.
        Some AV manufacturers give strong warnings against it, for that reason (McAfee, for instance)

        Desinstall ALL your antiviruses, only reinstall the one you really want to use.
        In my experience, AVG is the best at detection, although it is not very good at cleaning.

      • #3245046

        Reply To: HELP URGENT

        by the admiral ·

        In reply to Highjackthis

        Well, I see three versions of antivirus, and a few suspicious things.

        C:\WINNT\etlisrv.exe

        is one. Whach it. The other suspicious thing is C:\WINNT\system32\etlitr50.exe

        Of course, if you spent more than 8 hours on this, a reload would have been done by now.

    • #3247171

      IT Consultant? Oh boy.

      by angry_white_male ·

      In reply to HELP URGENT

      My advice is to find a new line of work. IT consultants should be able to troubleshoot these issues themselves.

      • #3246454

        FTPDownloader

        by johnnyantunes ·

        In reply to IT Consultant? Oh boy.

        Hi all,

        I dont know if it is the same prob..
        I have this sintome in the past, the problem wose a “virus” called “ftpdownloader”.
        This virus “eat” all your netwok connection speed and you cant do anything.
        I cant remove this “virus”, o solve it whit a format of the box…

        regards to all

        Johnny

      • #3246445

        I agree..IT Consultant my ass!

        by why me worry? ·

        In reply to IT Consultant? Oh boy.

        If I were in his shoes, I would be ashamed to even bring this up and call myself an “IT Consultant”. Anyone who calls themself an IT professional should be able to find the solution to this problem. I am pretty sure this problem is related to Spyware which most likely came from a P2P client like Kazaa or Morpheus running on this machine.

        • #3246439

          i cant understand..

          by johnnyantunes ·

          In reply to I agree..IT Consultant my ass!

          hey pp..

          This kind of “discussions” should be to everybody help everybody.. coments like this last one dont help no one…
          Maybe it is a “basic question”..but if u know how to help u should do it..not post this kind of sh… comments..
          I just hope next time is not one of u..

          Regds to all

          Johnny

        • #3246428

          To help you understand Johnny

          by jdclyde ·

          In reply to i cant understand..

          First, all tech questions should be in the Questions & Answer section not the general discussion section.

          Second, if you have listed as your job title Certified Mechanic, then what would that say about you if you HAD to take it in for a tune-up?

          He has listed IT Consultant listed as his title. What does that say for him if he has this problem?

          Most likely it is Malware or hardware.

          While true, people could be a little more understanding, there are a lot of people that get a cert, pass themselves off as a tech and make the rest of us look bad.

        • #3246237

          Hey, not all consultants are nuts-and-bolts people

          by dc_guy ·

          In reply to To help you understand Johnny

          I’ve been an IT consultant for ten years, and I can barely follow this discussion. I help IT shops improve their software development processes, implement measurement programs, learn how to spell “QA”, reduce rework and overtime, and assert the value of what they do to their executives, among other things. I haven’t read or written anything more esoteric than a macro since most people wrote in Cobol.

          Somebody has to look at the big picture or all of our jobs will be offshore-outsourced.

          I know just enough about Windows to have a Mac at home.

        • #3246187

          My point exactly

          by jdclyde ·

          In reply to Hey, not all consultants are nuts-and-bolts people

          And while you need to have that, I have seen too many that don’t even ATTEMPT to understand what it is they are selling and make all kinds of promises that they couldn’t keep.

          If they don’t bring a tech that will actually be the one to do the work, I don’t waste my time discussing new projects.

      • #3246435

        Must be in sales

        by jdclyde ·

        In reply to IT Consultant? Oh boy.

        Sure he can fix it, by selling himself a newer bigger box that will allow him to stay up with the competition.

        Remember, Consultants TALK to you about your computer needs. Then the techs come in and do the REAL work for about 1/3 the money that the sales rep gets. A slow death to sales people.

        • #3244532

          Definition of a consultant

          by jamesrl ·

          In reply to Must be in sales

          Someone who borrows your watch so they can tell you the time…

          In the 80s, I was a consultant for small businesses, and a tech. I’d consult, sell, install, support. I earned every penny. I wouldn’t gouge people for hardware or software, but being a one man band I couldn’t get the same wholesale prices as the big stores.

          But as a Y2K Project manager I had the death from/to consultants experience. The board of the billion dollar company I was working for insisted on having their auditing firm review our progress quarterly. I was actually looking forward to working with them, expecting them to be expert. I was highly dissapointed.

          What I was hoping for was that the Y2K practise at this firm would share information with each other and be able to recommend best practises.

          Instead, they reviewed where we were, and anything we hadn’t done, but were planning to do, they recommended. We went to the person from that firm (not int he Y2K practise) that worked with our senior management, and insisted that we have the right to reveiw the findings for accuracy – so we made them fess up that we had recommended these things, not they. In the end, they didn’t do anything but rubber stamp whatever we had planned. All that for 10s of thousands per quarterly report.

          James

        • #3244481

          OR more simply put

          by oz_media ·

          In reply to Definition of a consultant

          An unemployed sales rep.

        • #3244824

          Hire the person, not the firm.

          by deepsand ·

          In reply to Definition of a consultant

          Too many lose sight of the fact that, in the end, it’s PEOPLE who actually do the work, not a COMPANY.

          So, no matter who is hired, a big company or a one-man shop, you only get that which the person or people doing the work are capable of.

        • #3243615

          Especially since…bait and switch

          by jamesrl ·

          In reply to Hire the person, not the firm.

          Ever notice when a large consulting firm is pitching for a contract they bring out some impressive big guns, but when they get the contract, you get newbies. In some cases I have seen they give you people who have zero experience in what they are trying to do, and end up getting trained by the company hiring them.

          Sad really.

          James

        • #3243524

          That’s exactly what happens at quote time too

          by oz_media ·

          In reply to Especially since…bait and switch

          You ask for a quote, the small comapany is just a channel partner and they get the dealer to send along their own people for the investigation, quoting and closing of the deal. Then the maufacturer reps are sent on to help the next guy, just like getting warm sales leads.

          Once the product is installed, the dealer moves on to the next guy and consulting company is left in charge again. If they keep calling the manufacturer’s techs in, the manufacturer says “Our contract states that you must be XYZ Inc. trained in order to sell this product as our partner”, they train your own guys at one of their half-a$$ed weekend wondershops and finally wash their hands of supporting a crummy channel pertner, or else they stop using them as a distributor and find a new partner,

        • #3260487

          The world’s oldest profession…

          by larryminnj ·

          In reply to Must be in sales

          As a programmer that moved in to sales, then back into the technical end of things, I have to ask you, jdclyde, what kind of business do you work in that your paycheck would be unaffected if your company’s sales people suffered “a slow death?”

          Sales is the world’s oldest profession, and the lubricant by which we all get paid, regardless of who we work for. Better be careful what you wish for…

          LEM

        • #3261810

          Agreed sales is the oldest profession

          by oz_media ·

          In reply to The world’s oldest profession…

          Sales of a sexual nature that is.

          But as a long time sales rep myself, not a consultant (aka. an unemployed sales rep), I have yet to see a single business survive without a strong sales department.

          No IT dept., NO PROBLEM!
          No sales dept., no business, end of story.

        • #3261666

          Speaking of sales of the 1st kind, …

          by deepsand ·

          In reply to Agreed sales is the oldest profession

          did you notice the the “cute” avatar appeared only after he/she was taken to task for claiming to be a consultant?

      • #3246334

        Give the guy a break

        by mr ‘t’ ·

        In reply to IT Consultant? Oh boy.

        Give the guy a break. We all have problems where we cant see the forest for the trees – then someone leans over our shoulder to whisper
        “Its microsoft.com, not microsoft.con”

    • #3246442

      Dowload Microsoft’s AntiSpyware Beta

      by why me worry? ·

      In reply to HELP URGENT

      I am pretty sure you have some form of Spyware running on your PC which is killing your bandwidth. By any chance, do you or did you install one of them P2P clients on your PC, such as Kazaa, Morpheus, Grokster, etc?

    • #3246438

      Bad NIC

      by jdclyde ·

      In reply to HELP URGENT

      Did you check your NIC? It may be going bad.

      Did you check your Cat5 cables? They may be going bad. They get pulled, stretched, and stepped on.

      Your router may be going bad. Load a good software firewall and connect to the internet without your router and see if it still happens.

      do you have other systems on the network? If so, do they drop off too?

      Plug your system into a different port of your router.

      Load Linux.

      Do all of these steps and I GUARENTEE that you will get and stay connected.

      • #3244504

        Good points

        by jamesrl ·

        In reply to Bad NIC

        I had a DSL modem that heated up. If it got too hot, it would fail. Quick replace, and all was well. It took a while to realise it had nothing to do with the computer.

        James

      • #3244496

        I agree with everything except for that linux plug you put in there

        by unclerob ·

        In reply to Bad NIC

        You hit everything spot except for that linux plug of yours!

        This person seems to be having issues with keeping his win2k install running smoothly. And while I’m not against Linux (just mention a distro next time and we’ll see what kind of linux fan you really are) I think the skill level required to maintain & operate a linux box and connect it to what seems to be a windows network is head & shoulders above the skill level required to maintain his win2k box. I’m just keeping it real. If he does goe with Linux, he should pick a distro that run’s off cd so that his install never craps out on him. I’ve recently tried out Beatrix 2005 and it’s actually pretty sweet to work with and runs entirely off the cd, it comes with an HD install option but it’s buggy and doesn’t work on every machine. Just my 0.02 cents.

      • #3244425

        Definitely

        by oz_media ·

        In reply to Bad NIC

        Swap out the NIC!

    • #3246284

      It may not be any of those things mentioned

      by a.techno.geek ·

      In reply to HELP URGENT

      #1. I think “it” is a person of female persuasion.

      #2. Just the way the way the responses come back, it is written like, “Help me I am a damsel in distress,” kind of response (a kid doing something they should have not done in the first place). example; “Thanks soooo much in advance!”. Now I ask what guy is going to use that?

      #3. If it is an “IT” female type, you know the type of feminist. “I can do anything a man can do, including peeing stand if up need be!” But when it comes to figuring things out, why should she figure it out when she can manipulate a man to do it for her. Notice the word manipulate has the word “man” in it, why do you think it is there.

      Now to get on with the possible corrective advice.

      I do not know if Windows 2000 has the same configuration as the rest of the Windows products, that is MSCONFG (or is it MSCONFIG), but if it does, go there and tell it at start up to load everything and the kitchen sink as well. There might be a problem with the NSDIS file. The reason I say that is because when I got on broadband (notice “broad”band) the first time, my dial up was faster. Nobody could help, not even the help desk of the then @home people. After about 3 weeks, I thought, well nothing to lose, went to the system configuration in “System Information” clicked on load everything. Restarted the computer, then I got what I paid for in broadband. Then I went back to my old selective load and it still worked.

      • #3246233

        I used to think IT folks have better “people skills” than in my day.

        by dc_guy ·

        In reply to It may not be any of those things mentioned

        But now I’m not so sure. Whatever motivates you guys to write stuff like that? Is that really the personality you want to display to the rest of us? If we happen to meet at a conference some day and you say, “You’ve probably seen me on TR, my handle is [whatever],” is this drenn you want to pop into my head to identify you?

        We men have just as many annoying stereotypical traits as women do. (One of them is our tendency to mouth off inappropriately.) And they do far more damage than those of women because we’re in power. And any one of us is just as likely not to fit the stereotype as any woman is and to be just as tired of stereotyping.

        A female cop, doctor, firefighter, soldier, paramedic, judge, or IT consultant may save your behind some day. Be nice to them.

      • #3244715

        My thoughts

        by bfilmfan ·

        In reply to It may not be any of those things mentioned

        I can’t think of a single woman that I have ever met that used the word “nadz,” as a hyperbole reference to “gonads.”

        You might be able to tell if a woman has cute gonads, but I am not blessed with a personal MRI scanner to view a female friend’s parts.

        Thus, I think:

        The person who wrote the question is a man.

        I’ve seen hundreds of “Help me Mr. Wizard! Help Me!” questions from men and women in the forums over the years.

        And from your diatribe about women in the IT field, I would recommend a few moments of self-reflection on the fact that you have announced to the TR users that you certainly have some issues.

        While not a religious man, I believe that you should reflect upon the commentary in Proverbs 26:27:

        Whoever digs a pit shall fall into it. Whoever rolls a stone, it will come back on him.

      • #3244600

        Ohh, dont even…

        by cuteelf ·

        In reply to It may not be any of those things mentioned

        Dont even start this kind of male/female stuff.

        At the moment, I’m reading your response and thinking…hmmm poison or flamethrower.

        I dont proclaim to pee vertically.
        I dont proclaim to have larger testicles than you.
        I dont manipulate HUMANS to help me.
        I dont even pretend to be damsel in distress.

        (I barely wear dis tress, or dat dress.)

        I really and truly hope you go back and edit your response, as it is very offensive/repulsive/sexist.

        And, I’m sorry that you’ve had an experience to color your judgement.

        I am who I am, and proud of it in this field.
        A minority, and a welcomed change of thought to an industry.
        Plus my perfume smells good.

        Cute Elf

        • #3244596

          So Speath La Femme Fatale Uber Geekette

          by bfilmfan ·

          In reply to Ohh, dont even…

          Doesn’t it get kinda chilly up there not wearing dress or tress?

          I can see it now….really good smelling La Femme Fatale uber Geekette stnading ‘neath the Northern Lights, with nary a dress or a tress on her person, just her perfume wafting about on the breeze.

          I can see now why Oz keeps threatening to make raids into Alaska to steal our womenfolk!

          (Chortling at my totally whacked sense of what passes for reality!)

        • #3244588

          Tsk Tsk

          by cuteelf ·

          In reply to So Speath La Femme Fatale Uber Geekette

          You’d think that a lack of dress would constitute Carhartts or even PANTS.

          Just cuz I dont wear dresses doesnt mean I’m nude.

          grrrrrrrrr.

          binary. sex or no sex.

        • #3244529

          The Mysterious Case of Implied Nakkieness

          by bfilmfan ·

          In reply to Tsk Tsk

          Now Cute, re-read what I said. I did not say you were nude.

          I said:

          “I can see it now….really good smelling La Femme Fatale uber Geekette standing ‘neath the Northern Lights, with nary a dress or a tress on her person, just her perfume wafting about on the breeze…”

          I was just saying I could picture you standing about without a dress or tress and smelling good in your perfume. You read far too much into my playful message. If I had wanted to suggest that you were standing about nude in your personal recreation of a nymph of the sylvan wood, I would have done so ma’am.

          Just to be fair, we’ll suppose that you are dressed and Oz is the person standing about nakkie in his cologne.

          (I recally can’t wait to see Oz’s reply to that one! LMAO)

          And excuse my lack of knowledge of clothing for ladies, but what the dickens are Carharts?

        • #3244528

          Its clear, oh so clear

          by jamesrl ·

          In reply to The Mysterious Case of Implied Nakkieness

          You need to step away from the computer, get some fresh air and think about something else for a while.

          You have too many disturbing images in your head. Perhaps you should watch Eraserhead a few dozen times and get some new ones.

          James

        • #3244526

          if you want disturbing

          by jck ·

          In reply to Its clear, oh so clear

          watch either “A Clockwork Orange”…

          Or, just watch “Ishtar”…that’s REALLY disturbing.

        • #3243315

          Hmmmmm

          by bfilmfan ·

          In reply to Its clear, oh so clear

          Is James inviting me to make him some coffee cause he found his mug?

        • #3244527

          oh jesus…

          by jck ·

          In reply to Ohh, dont even…

          ok…here I go…I’m in a s***ty mood today

          ———————-
          CuteElf, I like you a lot and all…but:

          1) he never addressed you, CuteElf…so, all those “I”s aren’t even called for. Your activity was never in question and your morals and integrity never attacked. He was addressing an “it”…which is someone else…not a “CuteElf”.

          2) it wasn’t a “sexist” comment. The “damsel in distress” thing is real. I’ve seen it. Everyone has, whether its at work or involving a flat tire on the side of the road. Just like people have seen all those “Rico Suave” type of guys. They exist. It’s a fact. And people play up a role to get what they want.
          In fact, I’ve had a girl I worked with go as far as to offer to sleep with me to do her Visual C++ project coding. She got told no and went on to sleep with 3 of my coworkers who were software engineers as well.

          There are sluts, both male and female, in EVERY business who are incompetent and use “their charms” to get their work done…whether it’s sexual or not…whether you believe it or not. I.T. is not immune to it, and even tho you are not that way…some people are…both male and female.

          You are cool as hell, but I caught a glimpse of a chip on your shoulder there…don’t take comments like that personally…he wasn’t insulting all women…or about you…he was making an analysis of a specific case. Whether it’s accurate or not would be up to cute_nadz to supply us with his/her gender.

          Was it repulsive or offensive? That’s a personal judgement. I won’t fault ya for saying something offends or repulses you. But, questioning someone’s opinion directed at someone else as a personal attack on you…hmm…I mean…I’d buy you a beer if I was closer to you and tell ya “take it easy…if you think he’s that big a dweeb for saying things like that, then his opinion shouldn’t matter to you.”
          ——————-
          now…a.technogeek:

          I use that phrase sometimes…and if you need me to prove to you how much of a man I am, I’ll be glad to meet you at any public facility in Central Florida and show you I’m no daisy and that I’m not “light in the loafers”.

          nuff said.
          ————————-

          BTW, CuteElf…I do know one thing…most guys are assholes…not all, but most. Especially the ones who are “players” and screw over the nice girls and turn them into man-haters. That pisses me off…I’d probably start killing men if I could read minds and find out who the assholes are…just to make the world a better place.

          I’d have to kill a couple of friends…but…eh…who cares.

          Today…I should be at home drinking beer. I’m not in a nice mood. I might leave early.

          Nothing personal to anyone…but, today I got a lot of rage and it’s gonna come out here since I can’t beat up my house, my car, or co-workers.

        • #3244466

          it’s official

          by jck ·

          In reply to oh jesus…

          cute_nadz is a chick:

          http://techrepublic.com.com/5208-6230-0.html?forumID=3&threadID=172235&messageID=1753733

          wonderful…it’s settled. now can we go back to making sexual innuendo and let me dream of beating up bad people?

          thanks…

        • #3243195

          settle down deary

          by cuteelf ·

          In reply to oh jesus…

          hon…
          really, all i was saying is that
          I am female
          I dont claim to do those things
          I dont like someone saying ALL females do.

          I was hoping his (female * infinte * bitchy) formula would be tweaked to say
          (female*infinite*bitchy)-CuteElf = not all females.

          gawd i’m a geek 😛

        • #3243191

          He’s bein’ a bit of a pisser today.

          by jessie ·

          In reply to settle down deary

          And let’s not forget that ITgirli, Jessie, maecuff, levannah and a couple others whose names I’ve forgotten… don’t do those things either.

          I change my own oil, fix and change my own tires, and if I don’t know how to do something, I’ll ask you how to do it, or where to look for the answer, but if you attempt to take over my computer and do it for me, I’m liable to bite your head off (you choose which one).

        • #3243180

          Woot

          by cuteelf ·

          In reply to He’s bein’ a bit of a pisser today.

          TBH, I’m too lazy to deal w/ cars.
          I like learning about under hood stuff, but really am too lazy to change oil/tires etc.

          I’m glad we dont act “oh mee oh mee”

          We (women) can set a good example for any one else joining the industry.

        • #3243135

          honestly

          by jck ·

          In reply to Woot

          I have been in a pissy mood today…and said I was…

          but…just make sure that you set an example for *all* professionals…not just IT people…not just women…despite what some might think, we have something we can learn from others…despite gender, race, religion, etc.

          Everyone has something unique to offer others no matter how trivial they think their own experience.

          Everyone has something left in life to learn, no matter how experienced they think they are.

          My attitude is better…I’m at home with my beer…listening to James Taylor…it’s just what I needed…

          Have a good weekend, all…

        • #3243558

          Change your own oil….

          by jamesrl ·

          In reply to He’s bein’ a bit of a pisser today.

          I’ve never been inclined to change my own oil. I have changed rotors, wires and plugs, and added various other chemicals to the car.

          But changing oil, at least in this jurdisdiction, requires taking the used oil in an approved container to a place for environmentally friendly disposal.

          For all of that, and the fact I don’t have my own garage and would have to wait for good weather, I use a modestly priced oil change at a local fast change place.

          But I see your point. One very smart IT programmer that I have worked with went to lunch with me once, and I stopped by Canadian Tire to buy some replacement bulbs for my car’s headlights. He was amazed I snapped them in myself.

          I have another friend who is a trucker. His minivan only had a cassette player, and he wanted a CD player. He went to the dealer who quoted him some outrageous amount of money for the OEM equipment. I explained to him that when I wanted to do the same (same manufacturer, same tape deck actually), I went to a discounter and bought a name brand deck, went to a car stero place and bought a wiring harness, and soldered it up myself. He looked at me like I was from Mars. I offered to do his for him, but he hasn’t taken me up on it.

          Its sexist, and insulting to hold anyone and everyone to stereotypes based on gender. And I’m not trying to be politically correct, but some of the humour based on stereotypes is annoying at best.

          James

        • #3244495

          I agree except for one thing…

          by unclerob ·

          In reply to Ohh, dont even…

          I agree except for one thing…
          the smell of your perfume doesn’t really translate that well in a post, maybe future versions of internet browsers will fix that some day. 😉

        • #3243308

          Sony TVs

          by jessie ·

          In reply to I agree except for one thing…

          are “on a course” to start marketing “smell-o-vision” in a few years, using ultrasound technology they’ll make your brain think there’s a smell coming out of the television…

          I’m SURE that causes cancer!!!

        • #3243300

          I heard somewhere

          by jck ·

          In reply to Sony TVs

          the Japanese had already designed a system that emitted mixtures to emulate odors…just timing them right and clearing the previous odor for the next was the issue to accurately imitate reality.

        • #3243224

          I recall

          by jamesrl ·

          In reply to I heard somewhere

          An article about scents for stores. Certain scents stimulating certain behaviours. Could be a similar system.

          James

    • #3246220

      Cable and /or ISP issue?

      by werla ·

      In reply to HELP URGENT

      Did you ever stop to think about the installation the Cable person did?
      Is your cable modem the first drop on the wire run? (Must be first drop!)
      Is there a signal booster (amplifier) before the cable modem on the run? If so reconfigure again, Must be first drop.
      Are there any other devices on the wire?
      Did you call the cable company and verify the modem?
      Ask the cable company for a replacement modem yours could be flakey (intermittent)
      Check all connections, map out the run and analyze.

      Before dealing with this major process of elimination, disconnect the cable where it enters your building; connect your modem to the entrence wire you just removed then run a very long Cat 5 or 6e patch cable to the computer.

      Please explain in detail your statement: ?BUT here’s the wierd thing, my ‘connection’ is always active, ie, im still connected…?

      • #3244712

        SORRY I ASKED!!! MY GOD!

        by cute_nadz_31 ·

        In reply to Cable and /or ISP issue?

        All I wanted was for someone to check my damm highjackthis log! If thats too much to ask from IT Consltants then never mind!

        Thank you very much to those of you, real men, who were nice enough to try and help a ‘damsel’ in distress! I sincerely appreciate your help.

        Yes, I’m a chick, in IT!!! Damm me eh ? I’m not an IT Consultant, I’m an IT Project Leader and I tell people what to do! But in the list of choices, IT Consultant was the closest one to pick.. maybe you IT Consultants should hire an IT Consultant to ‘improve’ your drop-down menus… its not very hard to do.. but hey, I’m not an IT consultant, so what do I know!

        So anyhoo… I unistalled my firewall, cleaned everything and re-installed it. Seems to be working fine! I did call the cable company, and the modem is fine also. When I connect with my laptop everything works, so I know its the PC… I think my son might of surfed and downloaded some stuff…

        But I still think my registry if messed up, and still getting .dll errors. So if anyone knows enough about highjackthis and is nice enough to verify my log file, it would be greatly appreciated! Those who dont care, so sorry I asked, but this is a tech forum is it not ?

        Thanks!

        • #3244612

          Technical Forum

          by bfilmfan ·

          In reply to SORRY I ASKED!!! MY GOD!

          Actually it is a discussion forum and the technical forums are located here http://techrepublic.com.com/5221-6239-0.html on TR.

          You didn’t state what .DLL’s are failing, so this is at best stabbing about in the dark and hoping to strike the dragon; but, I’d recommend doing an in-place reinstallation of Windows 2000.

          Greg Shultz (Who I think is our esteemed Sgt Shultz amongst the peers. If I am wrong about that Sgt, gimme a yell and I will cease saying that you have to work with a Klink! haha) has details of that operation here:

          http://techrepublic.com.com/5100-6268_11-5203066.html

          You will also want to re-install any service packs which you have put on. You should be able to auto-update those, but in the event that futzes, you can use these instructions ro resolve that issue:

          http://www.petri.co.il/windows_2000_xp_sp_reinstallation.htm

          If the DLL’s that are giving issues are associated with programs, your choices are to either locate jsut those failing ones and replace them, which is problematic at best. Or, reinstall the software for that application, which while it is a pain would ensure you get the right ones.

        • #3244467

          If you need DLL’s

          by oz_media ·

          In reply to Technical Forum

          Just go to dll.com and download what you need, keep in mind you MAY be adding a dll that is just a process running in the background that you don’t actually want though.

          You can post a hijackthis log in Tech Q&A, someone will look at it there,

        • #3243336

          Actually its often a symptom

          by jamesrl ·

          In reply to If you need DLL’s

          Sometimes when you are getting a missing dll message an antivirus program or virus cleaner has deleted the .dll but something running at start up is still looking for it.

          If you know how to post in usenet news groups, there are several virus newsgroups which will encourage you to post your hijackthis information.

          James

        • #3243332

          Uh yeah

          by oz_media ·

          In reply to Actually its often a symptom

          Is that not what I said?

          You may or may not want it. It’s just anopther running process.

          You get infected, AV removes and infected DLL that is scheduled to startup on boot, the registry entry remains and the startup file tries to reload it everytime.

          Thus if you replace it, then it will be loaded and running all the time again. This may be needed, it may be an unwanted spyware/trojan file.
          Just wen through hours of that with another guy that finally weeded the problem out of his system, then without saying anything, he went and downloaded the DLL and it started all over again, because he hadn’t finished cleaning out the trojan properly.

        • #3243284

          Don’t get mad

          by jamesrl ·

          In reply to Uh yeah

          You described the technical side, I was trying to give her the context in non-technical terms.

          James

        • #3243111

          Wrong read sorry

          by oz_media ·

          In reply to Uh yeah

          I took it as a sharp correction to my comments.

          Having a pissy day so far, maybe tomorrow the ponies will be in a better mood. The place in Vancouver I stay at had no hot water and it just hasn’t been a great day at all. Sorry ’bout that.

        • #3244483

          try this out…

          by unclerob ·

          In reply to SORRY I ASKED!!! MY GOD!

          these posts can either turn the furnace heat up or help out a problem, sometimes they do both.

          You mentioned a windows registry issue, if your windows registry is really messed up, I don’t think there’s too much that can be accomplished remotely by us posters. But I would try a few things.

          If you can get a copy of Norton Systemworks or even better, Tuneup Utilities 2004 (you can get a free fully functional 30 day trial from their website, no I don’t work for them but I’ve tried out the software and like it alot, it’s been referred to as Norton Utilities on steroids and I’m inclined to believe this, their site is http://www.tune-up.com )

          The software has a registry scan tool which will look for and find errors that it can fix. It also has a registry defrag/optimization tool which might help as well. Judging by your hijackthis logs, you have plenty of software installed on that box, time to uninstall some of that accumulated fluff. You have too many av products installed on your pc, I noticed Symantec, McAfee & Grisoft, pick one and uninstall the others (IMHO, get rid of McAfee and then pick either Symantec’s or Grisoft’s product and uninstall the other one). Uninstalling unnecessary software will go a long way to cleaning up your machine and possibly improving performance and reducing the errors your experiencing. Download any available security & critical updates from the winupdate site, maybe even re-apply win2k serv pack 4 too. Download a good antispyware app, I use Ad-Aware SE 1.05 & MS’s AntiSpyware beta, to be effective you need to run these tools when you boot win2k up into safe mode, we can show you how to do that to if you need assistance. There’s probably a whole bunch of other stuff you can do as well, if you need more help just ask.

          just my 0.02 cents 🙂

        • #3244469

          Thanks Uncle Rob

          by cute_nadz_31 ·

          In reply to try this out…

          Thanks so much.. I’ve dowloaded the tuneup and running it right now! I’ll let you know how it goes

        • #3244471

          You’re right, It’s not

          by oz_media ·

          In reply to SORRY I ASKED!!! MY GOD!

          Actually TR is laid out a little differently, as previously noted by deepsand.

          ON TR there are two sections, clearly noted if you read the entry pages to Discussions and Technical Q&A.

          Discussions is NOT a technical question and answer forum at all, you will need to post in the Tech Q&A forum.
          http://techrepublic.com.com/5221-6239-0.html

          THAT is where you ask technical questions and get simple, to the point replies. There is no way to DISCUSS issues there as the threads are limited to single replies without a string of answers/comments flowing off in every direction.

          So by posting in the right forum, you get the answers and support you need, based on a points system. You get a certain amount for registering with TR to begin with, so just use those points and you’ll get given another 1000 when you close the question and rate the answers.

          But in short, you ask: ‘but this is a tech forum is it not”

          Reply: NO it is NOT a tech forum, you will need to go to Technical Q&A, the tech forum, for the help you need and you will get help there.
          Link again is:
          http://techrepublic.com.com/5221-6239-0.html

          Good luck.

        • #3244459

          oh boy

          by jck ·

          In reply to You’re right, It’s not

          Man…um…nevermind

        • #3244820

          If you’d read prior posts, you’d have known that …

          by deepsand ·

          In reply to SORRY I ASKED!!! MY GOD!

          you needed to re-post in the Technical Q&A forum.

          Yes, many of us here are aware of the problem re. guiding people to the proper forum; but, it’s not under our control. In fact, we’ve had many a discussion of this very matter, with the result that the TR staff are now showing signs of working toward its resolution.

          In any case, to blame us for your being in the wrong placed is totally without merit. In fact, ignoring advice to re-post in Q&A was itself a display of bad manners on your part.

    • #3244673

      Move to ‘Firefox’

      by mikevans ·

      In reply to HELP URGENT

      For the small amount of time and effort needed to install and set-up Mozilla ‘Firefox’ you will have an excellent, trouble free browser.

      • #3244493

        he has firefox installed

        by unclerob ·

        In reply to Move to ‘Firefox’

        he provided us with his hijackthis logs in one of the previous posts and he does have firefox installed. I think his problem is deeper than just installing and using a different browser.

      • #3244485

        This is hilarious!

        by cute_nadz_31 ·

        In reply to Move to ‘Firefox’

        Guys… this is to funny! It doesnt take much to start a bunch of men going eh! It just takes a chick ! hahahaha!

        Yes i’m a chick, Nadz, is short for NADINE and im french too! Go figure!!! I dont know what gonadz is, and frankly I dont care! All I want if for my stupid dumb ass PC to function properly so I can get some work done!

        That being said, I’d like to thank every who were nice enough to help me! I appreciate it!

        Now, I’ve downloaded Mozilla, works great! Also, the reason I have 3 Anti-Virus’ is because McAfee sucks, and didnt pick up anything, so then I tried AVG cause its free, picked up a few trojans, then decided to try Norton for 15 days and it pick up everything! So now im looking for a crack code for it..hihi!

        I’m still having some issues when I boot, errors like rxabase.dll / rndll / nwiz.exe / t?skmgr.exe / shit like that!

        A buddy said I should just install WinXP Pro but I’m wondering if it will keep all my files and directories of it it will delete everyting ? Ya I’m admitting to not knowing this! Like I said, I’m and IT Project Leader, clients tell me what they want their Website to look like, and I tell my programmers to do it! So I dont pretend I know it all cause I dont! And ya, if I’m lost, I will stop and ask for directions! hihi!

        Thanks again guys!

        The french chick!

        • #3244472

          well now we’re getting somewhere….

          by unclerob ·

          In reply to This is hilarious!

          one of those errors you mentioned includes nwiz.exe, if I’m not mistaken that executable is the Nvidia Video Card system tray applet which allows you to change graphics modes, etc. You may want to download an updated driver for your video card, you may be able to pick up the updated driver from the winupdate site, MS tends to support the more popular cards (ATI & NVidia,Matrox, etc.) with driver updates on their site. Also uninstall McAfee & Norton and just stick with Grisoft’s AVG product, it’s good and it’s free and you don’t have to wait for a “crack” for the other products which aside from being a little illegal won’t guarantee you’re using a good product.

          Yes you can install Windows XP on your win2k machine as an upgrade. It will upgrade the entire Win2k OS to Windows XP if you’re hardware supports it. I’ve done it before and although I haven’t seen too many ill repercussions from this install method, most will agree and clean install involving a formatted harddrive is the best way to go which means you would need to backup your data before attempting the install.

          Leave it to a bunch of guys to assume NADZ meant gonads instead of being short for your full name, I wouldn’t take it personally though, I thought it was funny too when I read it originally.

          Let us know how things go “French Chick”!

        • #3244461

          Merci!

          by cute_nadz_31 ·

          In reply to well now we’re getting somewhere….

          Merci Uncle Rob… you seem to be one of those ‘nice and normal’ ones! hihi!

          I know I can install XP over 2000 and I know it will upgrade the entire OS.. but I have lots of stuff on this machine and there is no way I can back it all up.. it would take for ever, and many CDs.. my question is will it erase all my data, folders, files etc… or will it keep it ?

        • #3244438

          Before you shoot your own foot off

          by oz_media ·

          In reply to Merci!

          What possible stroke of imagination makes you think that installing XP OVER 2K would be a good idea?

          I’ve done the downgrade for DOZENS of people who bought PC’s with an unwanted XPPro and they REALLY want 2KPro instead, but have never seen people WANT to upgrde from 2K to XP.

          XP is just 2K with more crap added to it, more problems, more security issues, more processes running in the background etc. UNLESS, you run XP wih the Classic Interface, in which case it looks and feel a lot more like 2K.

          2K is a good OS, why upgrade to the most controversial, attack prone and ‘unhardware friendly’ OS made to date? Before you know it you will need to upgrade to Longhorn. Save yourself the headaches, just keep XP working.

          To be more concise, YES you can UPGRADE your OS with an upgrade disk and everything is retained. Unless you have a full install and then you need to format first.

          If you don’t have new hardware, don’t upgrade, XP is REALLY picky about it’s hardware compatibility list. What possible gain do you expect by installing a less robust and bug ridden system though?

          DLL.com will let you get your DLL files, there are numerous system tweak tools you can use to delete dead registry files. You should get rid of anything Norton or MacAffee, they are not resourceful and are the root of more problems than they have EVER resolved.

          Just stick with Grisoft’s AVG Free AntiVirus, and Lavasoft’s ADAware to keep cleaned up.

          You would be doing yourself an IMMENSE favour right of the bat by using a more reliable and stable browser that isn’t tied into the OS as tightly as IE too, try Mozilla Suite or Mozilla Firefox (you can install their Thunderbird email client to remove the Outlook blues too).

          If you take simple steps, install the simplest software, you will be fine.

          If you load up on bloatware, Norton AV (by far the most problematic of all), MacAffee (just a fat AVG), and then start running a bunch of system clean tools, you will have problems.

          Forget XP, forget IE, use Firefox and keep the 2K that obviously will work ok with your hardware and you’ll be fine.

        • #3243363

          Far from me to disagree with the Great “OZ” but…

          by unclerob ·

          In reply to Before you shoot your own foot off

          If I have a choice between running Win2k Pro or WinXP Pro, I would always choose WinXP Pro. I would also run WinXP Pro in classic mode to turn off all the unwanted xp eye candy (aka “unwanted crap”). XP Pro runs faster than Win2K Pro on the same machine with the same hardware. This includes boot times, normal system operation and shut down times. IMHO, WinXP is a better product. Any security problems WinXP has I’m sure that Win2K is prone to as well so that’s not a reason to not upgrade. XP is a current OS whereas 2K is slowly reaching it’s end of life cycle. I don’t think MS plans on releasing SP5 for Win2k which means that what you have now is as good as it gets. The next release of IE will not be supported on Win2K, you may be a firefox fan and that’s not bad because I’ve tried it and use it myself on occasion but if you’re an IE user and don’t want to switch over that limits your options. WinXP is just as stable (if not more stable) as Win2K and if you turn off the eye candy it’s a whole lot faster and who wouldn’t want more performance from the same machine if it’s possible.

          WinXP is also a current OS and if we’re all IT professionals shouldn’t we all strive to work with the most current IT innovations (while also maintaining support for older technologies where necessary), it helps to be current if you’re providing some sort of IT service. WinXP SP2 is more of OS upgrade than a service pack and involves alot of new features that help make it a better & more secure OS.

          I guess it boils down to personal choice. If you really like Win2k stick with it but don’t avoid installing WinXP because of old hardware. Even with old hardware, XP isn’t really that picky. I have installed WinXP on machines running P2 350’s with 256mb ram and with hd’s ranging as low as 4 – 6gb – I would consider a machine with these specs to be very old and XP runs better on these machines than Win2K ever did, that’s not a claim, it’s a fact. Machines with better & newer hardware specs will always run their OS’s with fewer problems & better performance but don’t limit your options just because of older hardware.

          I’ve used all of the AV products mentioned: Symantec, McAfee and Grisoft’s AVG. Symantec’s AV client is good but tends to be a resource pig, McAfee’s av software is by far the most problematic and error ridden product I’ve ever worked with (you will also probably experience problems uninstalling McAfee’s software – it is crap), Grisoft’s AV client is free and easier on system resources than Symantec’s or McAfee’s av products.

          I guess you just have to make a decision, if you have a half decent machine that is capably running Windows 2000, Windows XP will probably make that machine run even better or just as well in any case. Security issues affect every OS and that will never change so that shouldn’t limit your decision when determining to upgrade your OS or stick with your current one.

          I hope I didn’t step on any toes with this post, just remember my posts (and everyone else’s for that matter) are just opinions backed up by experience. Everyone’s opinion will always differ slightly from everyone else’s.

          As always, just my 0.02 cents. Feel free to tear me apart!

        • #3243324

          THat’s your dime but I must argue the speed issue

          by oz_media ·

          In reply to Far from me to disagree with the Great “OZ” but…

          I have always found machines running on 2K to be a lot faster than XP.

          my neighbour runs XP on a P4 3 Gig with 512MB Ram.

          My notebook with a PIII 1.13 Gig and 640MB ram walks allover his, startup and ESPECIALLY shut down speeds.

          I also have TWO Win XP boxes (collecting dust) that I had a client buy me for monitoring his VoIP PBX, as it’s new management software wasn’t compaitible with 2K. THey are both ‘harder and faster’ as far as harware goes, but neither performs even nearly as fast as my notebook with 2K.

          One is classic interface one left with all the pretty pictures (it has hardly ever been used though).

          SO in MY experience I have yet to see a winXP box that boots faster or shuts down faster than my notebook with half the processing speed, a slower front side bus and Win2K in it.

          In fact, XP has the slowest boot/shutdown I’ve seen from Windows yet. I worked onsite at one company and they had just upped all their PC’s to XP, only 6 mos old but they got a loss leader deal from a vendor and they were all 2K. Half of them woudln’t even install XP as it stated hardware errors, others were just bug ridden nightmares. I downed them all to 2K again and they worked flawlessly and MUCH faster.

          So in essence, I will agree that XP is okay for a brand new box (if stripped down to get rid of the garbage), but other than that I’d say run screaming. As well as anyone else I know that’s done older box upgrades.

        • #3244816

          Depends on the apps.

          by deepsand ·

          In reply to Far from me to disagree with the Great “OZ” but…

          Some applications will do just fine on 2K, but will bring XP to its knees.

          Especially problematic are DOS apps. Under 2K you can run multiple DOS apps. with acceptable speeds and context switching times; with XP, 1 DOS app. hogs the CPU.

        • #3244817

          I’ll 2nd that.

          by deepsand ·

          In reply to Before you shoot your own foot off

          If you’ve got Win 2K Pro, DO NOT replace it.

          If you must have XP, at least do a dual-boot install so that you can continue to use 2K except where XP is absolutely needed.

        • #3244435

          Bienvennue

          by jamesrl ·

          In reply to Merci!

          Yes if you do the upgrade it will keep all your files folders etc. But it will also write a ton of stuff to a registry which is already messed up by your own admission. If you have corrupted settings files (ini files) it will add to them instead of creating new ones.

          It may seem like more work to do a clean install but it isn’t necessarily so.

          As for the time to do the backups, if you organize your files so that you have one root directory and move all your folders into it, it is much less work.

          Or you could buy a cheap second hard drive, install it as the “master” (c:) and have your old drive as d: with all the files intact. You have to reinstall your applications, but since your system was messed up this isn’t a bad idea anyway.

          James

        • #3244424

          it shouldn’t erase your existing date & folders

          by unclerob ·

          In reply to Merci!

          If you choose the upgrade method, it should just upgrade the OS from win2k to winxp which means all of your existing applications will still be functional, none of your data & folders will be erased. However, having said that, you will be notified that before you attempt the upgrade that you should backup all of your important data. Microsoft likes to throw in that little blurb because even though the upgrade should proceed without any problems if something does happen they won’t assume any responsibility for lost data. Backing up data is always a smart thing to do. I just recently picked up a used dvd burner off of ebay for $25 U.S. It works with DVD-R & +R media and although it only has a max speed of 4x it has worked like a dream and I’ve had it for a few months already. DVD-R media is super cheap and you can backup alot of data over a few DVD-R discs. I think it’s worth it. Or maybe you could install a second harddrive in your pc if it’s a desktop pc, if it’s a laptop you will need to pick up external backup device like an external usb harddrive or an IOMEGA tape backup system (I’m not a huge fan of IOMEGA but I’ll throw it out there as an option) if you don’t have cd burner already installed on it.

          I try to be as nice as possible. My wife keeps me in line plus it sets a good example for my kids, having said that I can be a grumpy bear too and that nickname is from my co-workers! Being an IT professional not only means working with information technology, it means being able to provide that service to the company you work for and the employees you work with and that ultimately means having some sort of customer service skill set. Having a crappy attitude make you seem inaccessible to people and if I ever expect to get assistance with my problems when I need it, I have to be able to say that I was able to provide the same assistance to others.

          I ain’t perfect but I’m learning! Working with good people either locally or remotely helps alot too.

        • #3244444

          I agree and add

          by jamesrl ·

          In reply to well now we’re getting somewhere….

          Uncle Rob has the right idea.

          I would suggest you download all the XP versions drivers you need, along with AVG, whatever spyware tools you use(Microsoft’s Beta is good), XP service pack 2 and burn it to a CD.

          Also burn any files you want to keep to a CD.

          Then I highly recommend formatting the drive and doing a clean install.

          I have done both types of installs, and trust me, you will be more productive sooner by biting the bullet and doing a clean install. If you do an upgrade, you will suffer the death of a thousand cuts as you fix little issues.

          This is all dependant though on whether your hardware supports XP. Don’t go by Microsoft’s minimums, they are only for masocists. I wouldn’t suggest it on less than a 400 Mhz PC with 256, and I would recommend at least a 1Ghz PC with 512MB of RAM.

          James

        • #3244452

          You’re being Razd Nadz

          by oz_media ·

          In reply to This is hilarious!

          Gonadz, male genitalia (nuts, crown jewels, you get the picture).

          Nads, is a slang term for the same, so people seeing NADZ will think you’re a guy bragging about his ‘nuts’. CuteNadz, well not sure how people don’t put that one together but oh well.

          Don’t worry about it, that’s what you get for posting in the Discussion forum. There’s been a HUGE problem with finding the best navigation system to get people to post in the correct forums, when you mispost you are fair game here.

          That’s why Tech Q&A is specifically structured completely different than the regular discussion forums, it eliminates such banter.

          Feel free to stick around and chat here, but is you want solid answers and help with a problem, tech Q&A will get it solved much quicker and without the BS.

          TO bring you up to speed with the peers here, there are actually quite a few regulars no these forums that are female IT managers, coders etc. They also can hold their own without the whole guy/girl thing being brought up, nobody f***s with them you might say. SO you are not alone, you are not the only woman here, BUT you did mispost and that can be the death of people on TR.

        • #3244447

          Nads

          by jck ·

          In reply to You’re being Razd Nadz

          is also an Australian-based hair removal gel.

          I bought some for a girl to try once…and told her “I got some Nads for you.”

          Cracked her up.

        • #3244437

          Nadz….

          by cute_nadz_31 ·

          In reply to Nads

          So I’m a male body part and a hair remover! hahaha! Thats funny! So Nadz… for me… with a Z… not an S… as if that makes a difference…

          So lets call me NADINE then ok!

        • #3244428

          They sell it here too

          by oz_media ·

          In reply to Nads

          Don’t know if they still do though.

          “She’s got NADS” just isn’t appealing.

        • #3243386

          Nadz….

          by cute_nadz_31 ·

          In reply to Nads

          So I’m a male body part and a hair remover! hahaha! Thats funny! So Nadz… for me… with a Z… not an S… as if that makes a difference…

          So lets call me NADINE then ok!

        • #3243316

          Greetings La Femme Fatale Uber Geekette

          by bfilmfan ·

          In reply to Nadz….

          Welcome Nadine. Welcome to the circus of the deranged and demented mind.

        • #3243116

          I’m glad I didn’t get into this one

          by cg it ·

          In reply to Greetings La Femme Fatale Uber Geekette

          whew…. welp glad I stayed out of this one.

        • #3245030

          Now it’s all clear

          by craig herberg ·

          In reply to Greetings La Femme Fatale Uber Geekette

          So THAT’s why we were invited to join!

        • #3244814

          In the center of the ring, they are torturing a bear; …

          by deepsand ·

          In reply to Nadz….

          and although it cannot sing, they can make it whistle Londonderry aire.

          And, the price is right; the cost of one admission is your mind.

        • #3243711

          The American Metaphysical Circus

          by craig herberg ·

          In reply to In the center of the ring, they are torturing a bear; …

          1969. By Joe Byrd and the Field Hippies.

        • #3262773

          Yup! From the self-titled “The United States of America”.

          by deepsand ·

          In reply to In the center of the ring, they are torturing a bear; …

          Amazing that someone here recognized this.

          I’m impressed!

          My copy of the LP is nearly shot, but I still love to drag it out onto the turntable; it brings back a whole lot of good memories.

        • #3245056

          Getting from point A to B

          by craig herberg ·

          In reply to This is hilarious!

          It sounds like your setup is in bad enough shape to justify a reinstall. If I were in your situation, I would back up everything you need, reformat the hard drive, and reinstall the OS. Install Norton Internet Security 2005 or Zonealarm Security Suite, and Webroot Spysweeper. After you get the computer set up properly, and before your kids get near it, make an image backup of your hard drive. Symantec Ghost v9 and an external USB hard drive will work nicely. After the first backup, you should probably do a daily incremental and mothly full backup.

          Good luck.

          Craig Herberg

    • #3243339

      Proxy settings in IE.

      by cfwags1 ·

      In reply to HELP URGENT

      First I recommend contacting your Internet Service Provider (ISP) to have them check the connection. I had this problem before, and it turned to be a faulty circuit card owned by the ISP. Since you are connecting for 5 minutes successfully, this should not be the problem, but worth checking after you loose connection. Check your proxy settings in IE. If your LAN is not using a Proxy ensure your IE does not have the Proxy settings selected. Goto Tools drop down menu, select Internet options, goto the Connections Tab, click LAN settings button, and make sure you do not have the Use Proxy Server selected. You can also turn off Automatically Detect Settings. You can choose to uninstall IE, and then re-install it. Or try using Mozilla or Netscape browser to see if they do the same thing. Finally reinstall the latest Service Pack for your OS and IE.

    • #3243227

      Reinstall IE

      by lameei ·

      In reply to HELP URGENT

      Try reinstalling the last version of IE if you have checked your PC with the latest Anti-virus program.

    • #3243190

      DNS resolution problem?

      by _christian_ ·

      In reply to HELP URGENT

      It could be a virus, but this looks like a DNS resolution problem to me.
      To verify that, open a console (Windows, Accessories, Command Prompt) and type >Ping http://www.bbc.co.uk
      If DNS resolution works, you will get something like this:
      Pinging http://www.bbc.net.uk [212.58.224.125] with 32 bytes of data:

      Request timed out.
      Request timed out.
      Request timed out.
      Request timed out.

      Ping statistics for 212.58.224.125:
      Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 0, Lost = 4 (100% loss),
      Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
      Minimum = 0ms, Maximum = 0ms, Average = 0ms

      Otherwise, it will not give the IP, and time out.

      How to carry on solving your problem will depend upon this answer.

      I will check back this site periodically.

    • #3245052

      A good tactic for me has been …

      by zentross ·

      In reply to HELP URGENT

      From a separate system, obtain the following tools.

      http://www.zonelabs.com ‘BASIC zonealarm’
      http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/ ‘in step 1, click on the link to stinger.exe and save to disk’

      Use the stinger utility to scan for and remove the most recent virii (viruses?).

      Install zonealarm and configure to have programs request permission to contact the network.

      Reboot system and wait for about 15 minutes without launching any program by yourself.

      Write down every program that makes a request for access to the internet.

      From a different system, search google for the requesting programs and see if the search results list links to McAffee, Trend, Sophos, Symantec, Panda, or any other antivirus site.

      Follow links to the above mentioned sites and print removal instructions.

      Hope this helps.

    • #3245049

      Reply To: HELP URGENT

      by the admiral ·

      In reply to HELP URGENT

      Run Anti-Spyware, Anti-Virus, and install a Firewall.

    • #3262697

      wireless remote rebooting

      by ddagata ·

      In reply to HELP URGENT

      You should look into a product from Nighthawk Systems (NIHK) http://www.nighthawksystems.com

      The thing uses paging technology to reboot anything from anywhere without a phone line. Its amazing.

      • #3262153

        that’s assuming….

        by unclerob ·

        In reply to wireless remote rebooting

        that’s assuming that she has a wireless nic installed in her machine to begin with and I don’t remember her mentioning that she did. But you’re right, it does sound amazing that they can reboot a machine just using a wireless signal, interesting how that it would circumvent existing win2k security to perform this. I will check out their website.

        It was determined that she needed to uninstall a few apps, perform some virus scanning, perform some type of windows registry repair using an app like Norton Systemworks or Tuneup or something similar. Since she hasn’t posted anything recently I think we can assume that her ‘puter is working fine again. (Hopefully!)

Viewing 15 reply threads