Computer/Technical Help

Need help with anything computer related? Feel free to ask about it here and the other members of PCF and I will do our best to help you.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: How do I get rid of adware/spyware?

A: Download Ad-Aware SE and Spybot - Search & Destroy. Those two are free and highly recommended by many, and together they can catch nearly all known adware/spyware. Once you install them, be sure to check for updates using the built-in web updater in both programs before scanning.

Note: Don't get confused by the names of the programs. Adware is a program that runs in the background and displays unwanted advertising (this is what you want to remove). Ad-Aware is a program that removes adware/spyware (and no, Ad-Aware does not contain any adware/spyware). Similarly, Spybot is another program that removes adware/spyware and does not contain any itself.

Q: The tools above don't detect any spyware, but my computer is still acting like it has some on it. Is there anything else that can be done to remove it?
Q: I can't run the tools above since they have been disabled. How can I remove the spyware?

A: Download and run Hijack This! and use it to create a log. Attach the log to your post (zipped with an archiving program such as WinZip or WinRAR if possible), and we will help you remove the spyware. If you can't access the link above, try this one instead.

Q: How can I reduce my chances of getting adware/spyware?

A: First, avoid using Internet Explorer as your web browser if possible, since it has many security flaws that can allow malicious web sites to install unwanted software onto your computer. There are several other browsers available for free that can greatly reduce your chances of picking up spyware from simply using the Internet. My personal favorite is SeaMonkey, although those who prefer a more simplified browser might want to try Firefox instead. Opera used to cost money, but it is now free as well.

Second, be careful what you install. Before downloading and installing just anything, try using a search engine (such as Google) to find out more information about it such as reviews and opinions. Also, during the installation process, be sure to answer "No" if you are asked to install any toolbars or other utilities that are not part of the software that you are installing.

i got a question, how come slowly my computer get's slower and slower, i have tons of free space, and i've defraged, but yet it still seems to have a stady decline in speed sence when i first got it.

any thoughts?

quote:

Originally posted by Trotsky i got a question, how come slowly my computer get's slower and slower, i have tons of free space, and i've defraged, but yet it still seems to have a stady decline in speed sence when i first got it. any thoughts?

If you install alot of programs, some of them may have components running in the background that could build up and slow down the computer over time. Try uninstalling anything that you no longer use and see if it helps. Also, try checking for spyware (see my post above) just in case, and remove any if it is found.

Also if you are on the net and find this happening, delete all teh temperory internet file from time to time.

quote:

Originally posted by Krang Need help with anything computer related? Feel free to ask about it here and the other members of PCF and I will do our best to help you. Frequently Asked Questions: Q: How do I get rid of adware/spyware? A: Download Ad-Aware SE here and Spybot - Search & Destroy here. Those two are free and highly recommended by many, and together they can catch nearly all known adware/spyware. Once you install them, be sure to check for updates using the built-in web updater in both programs before scanning.

Another tool that is very, very useful is Hijack This!

It can be good for the stubborn malware that keeps reinstalling itself automatically. However, to use it, you need someone experienced with it to tell you what things to leave be and what things to delete.

I can do it, and I think there's at least three other members on this forum with the know-how to interpret the logs, so post the log to the tech help thread and one of us will go over it with you, or you can email it to me privately.

quote:

Originally posted by Trotsky i got a question, how come slowly my computer get's slower and slower, i have tons of free space, and i've defraged, but yet it still seems to have a stady decline in speed sence when i first got it. any thoughts?

The other smoking gun is memory use. If you're using XP, use the Task Manager (the lazy way to start it is ctrl-alt-delete). Click the "Performance Tab" and look at two numbers: the "Commit Charge: Total" and the "Physical Memory: Total".

What you would LIKE to see is for the physical memory to be bigger than the amount of memory in use (the "commit charge).

If your system is junked up with programs that eat vast quantities of memory, the commit charge may be larger than the amount of memory you actually have. To allow your system to run at all, memory is swapped back and forth to disk as needed. This is very slow.

Add memory or ditch programs. Click the "Processes" tab and look at the "Mem Usage" column (if it shows up -- you may have to use View->Select Columns to add it) to get an idea of which apps are eating your memory. If some of the pigs are programs you don't really use, disable or uninstall them.

RULE OF THUMB: The sweet spot for Windows XP systems is 512 MB. A lot of systems are running at 256 MB and would be a lot perkier with a memory upgrade. A 512 MB memory upgrade costs under $100. It's probably time you opened up your PC and blew out the dust bunnies anyway.

Heres a software question. What program would I use to record media through a capture card?

Well, you can try using VirtualDubMod, and go the file menu, and look for "Capture AVI". I haven't tried it, but that should be what you're looking for. Hopefully, someone who has done this before could confirm this.

ok i defraged again, got rid of a lot of things. and i'm still no better off.

any more thoughts?

Uh...

Is there anyway to get my report that I typed in microsoft word on a mac to work in microsoft word on my pc? Or am I screwed?

quote:

Originally posted by A Clockwork Tomato quote: Originally posted by Trotsky i got a question, how come slowly my computer get's slower and slower, i have tons of free space, and i've defraged, but yet it still seems to have a stady decline in speed sence when i first got it. any thoughts? The other smoking gun is memory use. If you're using XP, use the Task Manager (the lazy way to start it is ctrl-alt-delete). Click the "Performance Tab" and look at two numbers: the "Commit Charge: Total" and the "Physical Memory: Total". What you would LIKE to see is for the physical memory to be bigger than the amount of memory in use (the "commit charge). If your system is junked up with programs that eat vast quantities of memory, the commit charge may be larger than the amount of memory you actually have. To allow your system to run at all, memory is swapped back and forth to disk as needed. This is very slow. Add memory or ditch programs. Click the "Processes" tab and look at the "Mem Usage" column (if it shows up -- you may have to use View->Select Columns to add it) to get an idea of which apps are eating your memory. If some of the pigs are programs you don't really use, disable or uninstall them. RULE OF THUMB: The sweet spot for Windows XP systems is 512 MB. A lot of systems are running at 256 MB and would be a lot perkier with a memory upgrade. A 512 MB memory upgrade costs under $100. It's probably time you opened up your PC and blew out the dust bunnies anyway.

Hm, interesting, at the moment my commit charge is 302592 and my physical memory is 261132, yet I'm not experiencing any slow down(none that I'm noticing anyway)?

The stats for everything else there is as follows:

*currenty*

Totals
Handles: 9622
Threads: 446
Processes: 41

Commit Charge
Total: 301224
Limit: 631916
Peak: 466900

Physical Memory
Total: 261132
Available: 88752
System Cahce: 114304

Kernel Memory
Total: 68460
Paged: 47040
Nonpaged: 21420

quote:

Originally posted by Trisa Well, you can try using VirtualDubMod, and go the file menu, and look for "Capture AVI". I haven't tried it, but that should be what you're looking for. Hopefully, someone who has done this before could confirm this. Later, Trisa

Yes, VirtualDub is great for capturing video clips. That's what I used with my WinTV card to capture all the clips that are currently on the site.

quote:

Originally posted by Trotsky ok i defraged again, got rid of a lot of things. and i'm still no better off. any more thoughts?

If that didn't work, you'll need to answer some questions about your PC:

1. What Operating System are you using?
   
2. How much RAM do you have?
   
3. How often do you reset/turn off your computer?

quote:

Originally posted by Big Money Uh... Is there anyway to get my report that I typed in microsoft word on a mac to work in microsoft word on my pc? Or am I screwed?

If you can move it to your PC without using a floppy disk (since the Mac format for floppies is not compatible with PCs), you should be able to open it in Word. Try temporarily uploading it to a website on the Mac and downloading it with the PC.

Im having XP issues. I recently installed half-life, cs, and all other half-life related games. Well then i installed steam.

I tried to get into my friends game, and my computer locks up. I en up holding the power button for 5 secs to turn it off and restart. Well now my comp wont load. It just sits there on the xp loading screen. Its bugging me. Anyone know how i can fix this.

Oh and i can get into safe mode just fine. Its getting onto xp normally. And please, i dont want to hear anyone tell me to reload xp. I just dont wanna do that.

[edit] Never mind...got it to work.

quote:

Originally posted by Krang Yes, VirtualDub is great for capturing video clips. That's what I used with my WinTV card to capture all the clips that are currently on the site.

Hmm... speaking of VirtualDub, I have one question. Is there some type of plugin for VirtualDub that lets me view MPEG-2 files (DVD files, to be exact)? I use VirtualDubMod for that purpose, and since it seems that development for VDubMod has stopped, I was wondering if there is a way to view those files. Thanks in advance.

quote:

Originally posted by Trisa Hmm... speaking of VirtualDub, I have one question. Is there some type of plugin for VirtualDub that lets me view MPEG-2 files (DVD files, to be exact)? I use VirtualDubMod for that purpose, and since it seems that development for VDubMod has stopped, I was wondering if there is a way to view those files. Thanks in advance. Later, Trisa

Here's another build of VirtualDub that should be able to open MPEG-2 files: http://fcchandler.home.comcast.net/stable/

quote:

Originally posted by Big Money Uh... Is there anyway to get my report that I typed in microsoft word on a mac to work in microsoft word on my pc? Or am I screwed?

You could also just email it to the PC from the Mac or transfer it using a Window formatted Zip disk. Macs can read Windows formatted media without any problems. Also, if Word doesn't open when you double click on it, try opening it through Word instead. That should work. Most Word docs can open in the Mac and PC versions back and forth without a problem these days.

If you have a problem with the emailed file not opening, try zipping (compressing) the file and send it again. Unzip it and try opening it again.

BabyGhia

I'm moving this discussion over here since it's more tech than picture related.

I tried the two programs Trisa mentioned and I can't get VirtualDub to create an AVI below 25 MB and I can't even figure out how to actually install XviD at all. Helllllllllp!

All right. I'm going to guess that you already have the two programs installed. The first thing you have to do is open the movie file you want to convert.

You should be here:



Now, go to where you see the video menu, and make that Full Processing Mode is enabled. After you have done that, go to "Compresson", and you will see this window (see first image). Look for the XviD codec, and make sure that the options are set to it defaults as shown in the second image:



After you have done that, go to File-Save As, type in a file name, and wait until it is done. I converted your webcam earlier, and it turned out to be about 975 kilobytes.

Ah, nice... I think I got it working.

I am well educated with Apple computer products if anyone needs assitance with them.