Tech support and advice threads.

[bixaorellana]

IMPORTANT REMINDER:

Please be conscious of the size of the photos you post. Really big pictures make the forum's automatic resizer take longer, meaning the whole thread takes longer to load. Images up to 800 wide and 700 high can be posted on AnyPort without the resizer kicking in. When pictures are 13%, 22%, 30%, etc. bigger than 800x700, it really slows things down, especially for people without fast connections.

By the same token, it's good to avoid "quoting" photos and videos. Simply delete that portion of the quoted material.

The pictures you all post are what make this forum what it is, and having to pay attention to the size is a little extra hassle. But hey, threads that load quickly are easier to enjoy, so your cooperation -- and your pictures -- will be appreciated by all.

Thanks!

anyportinastorm.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=fotobasics&thread=4897&page=1#106110

[Kimby]

And another photo posting request to make threads load faster - don't cram so darn many photos into one post! Spread them over several posts. Otherwise the 30 posts per page might contain 100's of pictures and take 4EVER to load! (End of rant)

[tod2]

Is there anyone who could give me a hint of what to do about this very annoying computer problem:

Somewhere, somehow, my "CONTACTS" list was hijacked by one of these infernal hackers/advertisers,
and every 6 weeks or so they send out a message to all my contacts either selling something or similar. Of course what happens next is my contacts all contact me to ask whether this email is indeed from me or must they just delete it! Bloody annoying for all of us!

QUESTION: Would my only alternative be to change my email address?? Then when my contacts see the old address they must know it is not a genuine email from me - What other routes could I persue?

Jeez, I hope some knowledgeable computer person can give me an answer.....I'm tearing my hair out!

[Deleted]

I had that problem a couple of years ago -- I even received spam from myself. Usually the internet provider finds a solution sooner later, once enough people have brought it to their attention.

Changing addresses is always good -- but depends how many contacts you have, including all of the places you have given your current address to. I would have great difficulty remembering all of the places I would need to inform of a new address (bank, electricity, telephone, insurance.... etc. etc. etc.)

[bixaorellana]

Tod, if you google removing computer worms or a similar phrase, you'll get explanatory hits.

You'll get hits such as this one, which seems do-able to me, or this one, which would make me call my tech guy before trying it.

Sorry, I don't have direct experience, so let's hope someone more knowledgeable sees your question.

[Kimby]

My parents' email account was hijacked by a spammer. The fix was to change their password AND to set the email software so that it didn't automatically log in with the password (i.e. to make the password be entered manually each time you access the account). HTH.

[bixaorellana]

Firefox 6: downloaded it last night, removed it from my computer a few minutes ago & re-loaded firefox 5.

It wasn't just slow, it would out & out freeze. If I had any kind of video paused in one window, I couldn't open another one in a different window.

Anybody else have this experience?

[hwinpp]

I'm using FF6 now. Seems ok.

I'm also using Thunderbird6, some password saving problems, but solved now.

[bixaorellana]

FF 6 worked fine when first downloaded -- no difference that I could see from FF 5 -- then started being balky. Apparently the differences between 5 & 6 were so tiny, that it doesn't matter if I stay with the earlier version. If anyone cares about this kind of stuff, this article is interesting: arstechnica.com/web/news/2011/08/firefox-6-ships-but-we-shouldnt-really-pay-attention.ars

HW, do you use Thunderbird because so much of your work stuff is done via email? In other words, is there any reason for casual email users to need it?

[hwinpp]

HW, do you use Thunderbird because so much of your work stuff is done via email? In other words, is there any reason for casual email users to need it?

Yes. I check 4 email accounts at work and that's why I use it.

I used to use Outlook but that became so slow I switched to Thunderbird.

[bixaorellana]

Thanks, HW. I never liked Outlook because it seemed to exist to make mail hard to get.

Firefox had the temerity to change me from ff5 to ff6 this morning.
I endured a whole day of slow internet, then changed it back to ff5 tonight. What will tomorrow bring?

[bixaorellana]

For what it's worth ~~ Firefox, which formerly had my love and loyalty, has been performing poorly on my computer.  It had started to affect this forum, specifically with "bouncy" loading that became very annoying. 

My solution was to try out Google Chrome, which is now my default browser. 

[Jazz]

I'm having a complete tech meltdown, 36 hours before I go to Paris for 3 weeks.

A week ago, I took my laptop in to fix its problems. They did so. But, they 'generously' updated Windows to 'state of the art'. A pain. The problem is that with the 'update', I now cannot work with Word Process and my Printer. The Word files are there (and I can add, ( ie: am writing this post in my Cheese folder in WordPad)....but I cannot create new folders and organize.

Never procrastinate. I had left things to the end to organize, phone numbers of Paris contacts (!), the final To Do and Pack lists etc. etc.

Printing: It won't print.

With both the Word and Printer problems, I go to Help and I don't understand what to do. I'm afraid that I'll wipe out all of my research. Tomorrow, I will break down and get a tech guy to
come to the condo and fix it, hopefully.

Paris looms threateningly I will take the laptop and hope that it will function. If not, will find a local computer person to come? My cell phone ceased working (is fully charged) and probably I should leave it here and perhaps buy a cheap cellphone there and get a 'card'....whatever that means.

Other minor tech issues. My 'laundry card' for the building ran out and I don't know how to recharge it. Hand laundry...

My balcony door slammed open and cannot be closed. It is going down to 8C tonight.

Time to handwrite my special things...

[bixaorellana]

Oh dear!

Okay, first things first. Remain (or get) calm. Perhaps a nice cup of chamomile tea or glass of wine.

Now, google set Word as default program or something similar. You can be more specific, as in set Word as default program in Vista or in Mac or whatever applies. You can usually find some written-for-humans instructions in this way that might clear up that problem.

For the printer, go to Control Panel & click on Printers & Faxes. Look to see if your printer is checked.
(I just double-checked that, & it appears that things are not always called what they're called on my computer. So, look at this & proceed from there: windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Change-your-default-printer)

Laundry: contact the condo office or someone in the condo association or a neighbor.

Balcony door: Maintenance man for building? Kind neighbor? Now that you're all calm, look to see what's keeping the door from closing. It might be something you can fix with a jiggle. (for the door -- you don't have to shimmy like my sister Kate)

Lastly, keep checking back here to see if one of the techier and handier people than I has shown up to save your day.

It's all gonna be fine!

[Jazz]

Well, let me say that I am very pleased to report that I have my airline ticket, passport, and, the trusty Debit and Visa cards are working.

Thanks Bixa, it will take some time for me to absorb the first part of your answer.

Laundry and balcony door: the superintendent and maintenence men go off the clock at 6PM Friday. Reappear on Monday, 9AM.

Kind neighbor? Well, this doesn't appear to be a 'neighborly' building. I've met a few people in the elevator and a couple of sightings in the laundry room. Actually, my most intimate new friends here are the building superintendent (who, about to retire, is writing a cookbook!) and, the lovely young woman from Nothern Africa, the parking attendent. Both return Monday, 9AM, when I will be having a brief layover in Amsterdam.

Working on this. ;D

[bjd]

Jazz, if you really need a cellphone in Paris, there are shops all over the place. Buy the cheapest one you find with a sim card (about 15€ for the sim card). Then you buy a pre-paid card that lets people phone you and you can call, but the calls are expensive. You can buy one for 5 or 10€ or however much you think you'll need.

There are still a few phone booths around, and you can buy a phone card to use in them, but they seem to be disappearing as so many people have cell phones and they are not replaced if broken or vandalized. And there are internet places with phones to call abroad in case you need to call Canada. Much cheaper than with a cell phone.

[cheerypeabrain]

OK...who's been playing? ;D yesterday the MB was turquoise and today a sort of buff-pinky colour until one logs in. I quite like today's one....

[bixaorellana]

;D Thanks, Cheery!

Our host forum chose Any Port in a Storm as its weekly featured forum. We wanted to look our best for visitors and also to give a hint of the variety to be found here.

This is as good a time as any to remind everyone that the Port Authority board has some helpful guides and gets updated occasionally. One of its threads is the Skin Catalog where you can see a sample of all the skins. The default skin right now -- Cheery's "sort of buff-pinky colour" one -- is called "Motor Court", if anyone wants to try it on. Oh yeah ... there is a new skin that's not in the catalog yet, if anyone likes being first to try things. It's called "Telescope".

[cheerypeabrain]

I like it (telescope).....very subtle... ;D

[cheerypeabrain]

...but 'faerie window' is GORGEOUS......... ;D and I may well use the 'big buttons' one at some stage...I shall stick with faerie window for now.. praps...

[onlymark]

Problem with the site -
I have checked the remember me box when I logged on a long time ago. Thus, when I come back to this site (and other proboards sites) it does, i.e. I don't have to log on again.
However, and this is the problem - many times when I return to the site via Bookmarks the page loads as it should - but it displays the page as it would have been when I previously departed.

So - I come to the site, have a look round and maybe even post. I then leave to go off elsewhere.
I return via my bookmarked page (Home) and if then I look at the time displayed on the page, it is from when I last left. Also then I may click on a page I previously looked at, and that is also from the time before.
If I hit refresh, then the true current page will display.

I noticed this with the Jerash thread I made quite badly (the problem, not the thread itself I mean) - I'd come back to it and the time on the top of the page was from before. I'd even post, but then when the page reloaded my new post was not there. Sometimes I had to refresh two or three times until a current page was displayed.

So - if anyone else has the problem or even thinks they have, look at the time at the top of the page - is it current or from the last time you were there?

[bixaorellana]

Thanks for the explanation, Mark. I have never used Bookmarks, so would never have noticed. From what you say, it sounds as though the problem is specific to Bookmarks.

A few questions:

When you say "Bookmarks" you mean the Bookmark function here on the forum? (i.e., you are not referring to a bookmarks menu or toolbar on your browser(s)?)

Does this only happen when using Bookmarks?

In which browser(s) do you have the problem?

Re: your first sentence -- you do NOT have a problem with staying logged in, correct?

Thanks.

[onlymark]

Somehow missed your reply, maybe because of the problem - however it seems to have cured itself a little bit now, we'll see as I have another one.
Anyway, Bookmarks - I mean the Firefox Bookmarks at the top of the browser, not the site ones.
I click on that and I used to have the Recent posts page as the bookmarked one.
I found it wasn't giving me the most up to date entries but those from the last time I was at the site.

I now, as said, have the Home page bookmarked in Firefox and from that I click on the compass link or the Recent link. It now seems to work.
I don't have any problem staying logged on.

As an aside, I've picked up a virus from somewhere. It's called the Google Redirect virus, more or less. When I search on Google (or any search engine) I click the link for the site I want, it loads it briefly and then goes to a blank page with "clothesdryerstore.com" as the heading (I've not put the 'www' thing at the start as it will show up as a real link).
I then have to click the back button and try again.

It also does this randomly on some sites, but not Proboards - i.e. I click on a link, the page loads a little and then goes to the spam page.
It appears to be a very hard thing to get rid off. In fact I've been trying all day and still no joy, but I'm working on it.

[Deleted]

I had a Google redirect problem, too. When I clicked on a link, it would take me somewhere I didn't want to be. I'm not even sure if I managed to get rid of it or if it went away all by itself.

[bixaorellana]

[Mark wrote:]
Anyway, Bookmarks - I mean the Firefox Bookmarks at the top of the browser, not the site ones.
I click on that and I used to have the Recent posts page as the bookmarked one.
I found it wasn't giving me the most up to date entries but those from the last time I was at the site.
Oh. Yes, I do use that kind of bookmark toolbar, both in Firefox & in Chrome.
I had the home page bookmarked in Firefox, but deleted it and replaced it with the Recent option. Then I navigated away to several other sites, finally clicking again on the anyport Recent Bookmark icon. The time at the top of the page was correct.
So, if you prefer Recent, you can try putting it back on your toolbar to see if it's working now.

I now, as said, have the Home page bookmarked in Firefox and from that I click on the compass link or the Recent link. It now seems to work.
Good. Maybe you'll like the Home page better as a starting point. When I use Recent, I always feel I might be missing something for some reason.

I checked the last several pages on the Support forum, and no one reported any similar problems. Sorry, I was no help, but this appears to have fixed itself.

I don't have any problem staying logged on.
Also good.

As an aside, I've picked up a virus from somewhere. It's called the Google Redirect virus, more or less. When I search on Google (or any search engine) I click the link for the site I want, it loads it briefly and then goes to a blank page with "clothesdryerstore.com" as the heading (I've not put the 'www' thing at the start as it will show up as a real link).
I then have to click the back button and try again.

It also does this randomly on some sites, but not Proboards - i.e. I click on a link, the page loads a little and then goes to the spam page.
It appears to be a very hard thing to get rid off. In fact I've been trying all day and still no joy, but I'm working on it.
Wonder if Proboards has some way of blocking it, or it that just luck. I looked it up & there are scads of people trying to get rid of it. Most of the answers seemed to be trying to sell something though.

[hwinpp]

I've just upgraded to FF7, works a treat!

[onlymark]

Update as regards the Google Redirect problem -
I appealed to those that could offer a solution after it became unbearable and no matter what I did, I failed miserably to get rid of it. Every link I clicked on redirected me to a blank advertising site initially but after a couple of attempts I'd eventually get through to the correct site.
How I came by the site that would help, I can't now remember for sure, but anyway, I posted my problem and someone led me through an idiots guide to not only get rid of it but tweak my computer and advise as regards maintenance/updates and virus software.

This is the link through to my post for the reason that you can see the forum I used.

www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic423988.html

[bixaorellana]

Thanks for the link. Hope no one has need of it, though. Sounds like a giant pain.

I just had something really strange happen. I had a window open in Chrome & another one open in Firefox. My hands were only near the keyboard & the mouse. All of a sudden the screen went black, then instantly rebooted. Fine, I thought -- there must have been a split-second power outage, although no house lights dimmed. However, as soon as the desktop opened, it went black again, rebooted again, black again, etc. two or three more times. That's when I reached over to push in that bottom button on the front of the cpu, only to find that it was already pushed in & apparently stuck there. I pushed it all the way in and it disengaged. The computer rebooted & all was fine.

What could have caused this?

[onlymark]

You did.

[bixaorellana]

Uh-UNNHHuh!!