Several Computer Problems -- Help?

Ron Andersen

Ron Andersen

Joined
Mar 23, 2000
Messages
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I've been enduring several computer problems and finally decided to bring it to a knife forum for help (it was either a knife forum or a watch forum).

I'm running XP Pro on an IBM platform computer with a ton of software and hardware.

Any computer dudes out there able to help out on any of these?
  1. Web browser changing font size: My web browser (IE) keeps changing my font size. I keep changing it to "medium" and then, every time I restart my browser, it is reset back to "smaller." On a number of sites, the text is so abnormally small that the text is mushy and hard to read. How do I keep it permanently set at "medium."
  2. Multitasking problems: If I'm multitasking, only the open window will work. Example: if I'm web browsing and word processing, flipping back and forth, the computer gives 100% attention to the window in the forefront. I so often click open a new web page and while I'm waiting for it to fully load, I jump over the Word to do more word processing. The window in the background is just not doing what I asked of it "while I'm away." Also when multitasking (and I don't know if this is on the same topic), it will sometimes switches between windows if one becomes active doing something.
  3. Web pages not loading: My browser will often (about one out of three times?) not load a web page that that I opened. It kinda stalls, then comes up "server not found...the page cannot be displayed." This happens with all my different browsers (IE, Firefox, Netscape, Opera, and Mozilla). Then, all I need to do is hit "refresh" and it will load. Unlike the previous problem, this is happening when I leave the browser window in the forefront while I wait for it to load.
  4. Issues when printing from browser: When printing from my web browser, it often cuts off text on the right hand side. I don't have this problem with Opera.
Any help or advice out there?

Thanks in advance!
 
I am no computer expert, so I dont know if this might be the problem, But I was having poor performance with my computer, so I hit Ctrl Alt Delete, and checked the number of processes running, which was high, above 40. I went through each one and typed them into an online windows process library, eliminated all those I did not need. I also went into my Windows config and cleaned out my start menu except for my Antivirus and firewall. I now run at less than 30 processes and have no problems. I also stopped using IE, which was causing some slow performance due to active X controls.

Another thing could be spyware or viruses, but I dont know much about those, just that they suck.


Alot of the problem sounds like it has to do with your Internet Browser.
I would recommend you try Firefox- I have not used IE for quite some time on my personal computer.
Good Luck with your troubles, I am sure someone will come along who has better ideas than I.
 
Open internet explorer, click on tools up top, down to internet options. Under temporary internet files, delete cookies and delete files. Go down to history and click the clear button. Open my computer, right click your hard drive, click properties, then click disk clean-up. This should resolve a couple of your issues in IE.
 
Rat,

Thanks for your input. I have 83 processes. But 1 Gig of ram and AMD processor running at 1.7 (rated at 2.8)...if those are in my favor.

I am a huge MS fan, so I'm not ready to toss IE...it offers a lot of what I want in a browser. Firefox hasn't yet rung my bells, though I know people are fans of it. I have several other browsers for when I want an alternate view of something...and when wanting to view web pages I've designed to see how they load in different browsers.
 
temp internet files:

114 meg
14,052 files​
Cookies: What if I don't want a handful of them deleted?
 
I had the font size problem when upgraded IE a year or so ago. It turns out that there is a keyboard shortcut to change font size which I was hitting accidentally.
 
Ron Andersen said:
temp internet files:

114 meg
14,052 files​
Cookies: What if I don't want a handful of them deleted?
Click to expand...

You can locate your cookie folder and delete them manually but identifying them individually is not always easy.
 
Ron,

That sounds like an awful lot of porcesses running in the background. I will usually have Firefox, Outlook, Word, and some ohter applications all running at once, and have never got near that many. I would be real concerned about spyware, malware, and virus infection on a machine like that. That is unless of course you know what each and every one of those processes is, and are fine with it running.

Try running:
Spybot
Adaware

I would also recommend running an online virus scan from:
House Call
Bit Defender

If those don't help any then I would have you download an application called Hijack This! and save it to a permanent folder. Then run a full scan, save the log and post back as it is a bit difficult to know what is good or bad without a lot of experience.

HiJack This!
 
Hi Eric,

I'm fairly confident that I am virus free (but one is never for sure). I run Norton, MS Antispyware, Ad-aware, Spybot, and ZoneAlarm (their spy protection software).

I do have a lot of software installed, thus all the stuff running. But I don't know what I can "turn off."

I'll run the Hijack this and see what comes up.

Is there a location I can get a printable list of everything running in the background? I can view it via control alt delete.

I appreciate everyones responses and look forward to anything else is sent my way.
 
No wonder it's been a while since I've been here. Blade Forum is this you're doing?
 
Cobra....Strange posts. Can you be more clear?

Eric...Just ran HiJack This! I'll send the document to you via email. If anyone else wants to see it, let me know and I'll email it to them.
 
Ron if you have had your puter for a while you may need to do a disc defrag. go to Start>programs>accessories>system tools>disk defragmenter.

often after running your puter for several years the computer has bits and bytes stored all over the hard drive in fragments and needs to locate them and it slows down the puter ...disc defrag puts all the bits and bites back together so the computer can access them quicker.

it takes about a hour to do ...so have it run during lunch or something

hope this helps

Ren
 
Yeah, Ron. Be happy too, please first tell me how to log out of here. The detail you asked for, I was just posting a reply asking if anyone could tell me how to get some warranty help, and "MyDoom In" crashed my firewall. MyDoom is an older "virus", but it's malware. The "In" I hope isn't the variation of the day. I can't say where it can from just wanted out before something more trojan slipped in. Sorry 'bout that, B.F.
 
Ron,

I gave the log a quick loko and everything there looks legi to me, though I am not an expert on the subject. While some of the process could be trimmed down I really doubt it would help much after looking at what they are, and your system specs. Many of them are related to Norton products, a known resource hog, and other anti-spyware applications. Basically the only reason I owuld recommend trimming down on the process is if you are a real performance nut, and want to get every last bit of performance possible out of the PC. Otehrwise you would probably be best off just keeping them running, as long as your memory is fine. If you look in the Performance tab of the Task Manager it will give you some idea of how your RAM is doing. As long as there is a decent amount of RAM still free to run your applications, my guess is there will be, you are fine.

I stopped using IE quit some time ago in favor of Firefox, so I can't be of huge help with Ie. One thing I would suggest trying though is setting everything as you like it, and then using File..Exit to close it rather than any other shortcut method. I do remember having some problems like you mentioned when printing some sites with IE. It has to do with the settings, and scale at which you are trying to print. Basically some pages are just to big to fit on a page, and if nothing scales it down it will get cut off.
 
Eric,

You've been a lot of help. Thanks.

I likely should trim things, but not sure how...I am a speed freek with little patience for things going slowly.

Because of this, I'm hoping to learn how to ramp up the clock speed on my processor.

I have a gig of RAM and earlier today, half of it was being used (I can't check right now because I'm connecting to my computer remotely via my laptop).


And Cobra...maybe I'm on drugs, I'm still not sure what you're saying.
 
Great thread! As I was reading it, my computer gave me the blue screen of death! %$$%$^&*& computers!:mad:
 
EricD has good advice, but getting your whole system hijacked and tracked with every bit of data on your comp' CAN happen, so don't say anything you wouldn't "tell the whole world", this WWW has many jokesters lurking about that get ther kicks messing around with us. Ron, I've see problems like those you mention reguarding partial windows opening and closing, like Eric said, Defrag; and check for viruses, spyware, & malware again and again.
 
I'll disable my firewall and see what happens. I can cleanup the mess later, if I have the chance.
 
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