Posts by SnowDog

Of course it's possible to survive without it all :) But you're talking about necessity versus choice.

The original posts asked if civilisation was worth the complexity that goes with it.

People who have no choice but to survive at the lowest level of complexity have no say in the matter. Ironically, those of us at the other end have the opportunity to help them, but we usually don't.

And life is an ongoing construction, so it doesn't really matter what we didn't have as kids. What matters is what we do have right now - since that's what we'd have to give up.

The thing is: living in the wilderness in 2007 in a western state is not the same as living in the wilderness in an undeveloped country.

Necessity versus choice, again.

But - with respect - the most likely reason that it was 'the best week ever' was because deep down you knew you could go back to the other life once you were through with the experience.

Your/our complicated life paid for it and allowed you to eat and survive while you were out there.

It would have been far less enjoyable if you had to live like that with no provisions, no fuel, and no money all of the time, with starvation and death the automatic outcome of failure.

Have you tried removing and redetecting the soundcard from the Control Panel?

Are you sure that your Soundcard needs the AC97 drivers and not SoundMAX? There are some issues where updating the system can cause them to switch with onboard-based sound systems.

What's even more funny is that the solution I provided - and which appears to be totally invisible to everyone - does not include any javascript (thank you very much), gives you an 'animated' button if you want it, and makes a whole div into a link as per the original question (I think).

Let me simplify it:

<div CLASS="divname" onmouseover="style.backgroundColor='#FFFFFF';
this.style.cursor='pointer'" onmouseout="style.backgroundColor=''#000000" 
onmouseup="somepage.htm"></div>

This creates a div which is white when you point at it and black when you don't, and the whole thing links to somepage.htm.

No Javascript and no anchor tags.

Clean install of XP. It'll save you loads of messing around.

You don't know what files are damaged, and they may not just be the 'network files' ones.

Clean install, then focus on the network before installing anything else.

And make sure you leave the router off, and do a total reset on it before you try setting it up for anything new.

I've not got any experience of them.

Google for 'plus.net complaints' and 'plus.net reviews' - there's not much mention of them at the moment:

http://www.reviewcentre.com/review219190.html

It doesn't matter that it was working before because it isn't now!

Remove the mains cord from the back, take out the battery, and put the mains back in. Try turning it on.

Does that light still flash?

I suspect it won't, and the brief flash may have just been due to residual battery charge.

To be honest, whatever happens you've got a potential problem with either the PSU and/or the MOBO.

No magic solutions. You'll have to get it tested to be certain and probably repaired.

When you say you imaged it, do you mean you took an image of Windows on the bad drive and put it on another?

If so, surely with bad sectors the installation you took an image from is effectively 'broken', so all you' be doing is copying a broken image on to another disk?

Your best bet is to clean install (and then take an image of the fresh install if you need one).

In the meantime, though, doing this would allow you to figure out if the original suspect bad image was the cause of the problem or not.

Download and install this first:

http://tinyurl.com/y9598x

Then download and run this (and let it create the default folder):

http://tinyurl.com/y5zohv

Use the program called Imagewriter (installed in the first link) to create a bootable disk using the file extracted in the second link.

Then restart the broken machine with the disk in the drive and run the RAM tests.

I can't find any reference to 2-6 beeps as you described.

Mixing and matching throws up 2 beeps (memory), 8 beeps (video RAM), 2-3-3 (memory again), 6 beeps (mobo fault or keyboard controller (same thing) fault). This is looking at all codes, and not just one BIOS type.

Do you know what BIOS you have? (Edit: it's Award, I think)

You seem to have found a link to keyboard and/or RAM with what you've tried.

(Edit: Other advice I found is to contact Asus Tech Support with 'abnormal' codes. The 2-6 isn't listed anywhere I could immediately find, though other people have reported it)

It's booting up into Windows? Is that what you mean when you say you 'heard everything in [ your ] computer turning on'?

Everything points to the graphics card. You've already done all the tests you can (assuming the above is correct and the machine boots).

The next thing is to get another card and swap it. Can you do that? And what if you make it worse by breaking something? They're packed pretty tight in there.

Alienware's service isn't universally bad. If you listen to only the worst stories, any retailer sounds bad.

If the card is broken there's no magical way of fixing it. It needs replacing (or, testing and replacing, depending on how you look at it).

A-ha! So something probably did change.

If it was me, I'd start with a full recovery and go from there. After all, you've no way of knowing what damage/corruption has been done.

Also worth making sure the router is left switched off for a while before powering up and trying again. I know that some cable modems can take a while for the MAC to refresh and this is especially a nuisance if you switch from a USB to an ethernet connection (because I've been there several times with NTL).

If you have a viable DSL connection, then all you have to do is those three things I mentioned: connect the router to the line, connect the computer to the router, then tell the router your account settings.

The only advantage to doing it the way you mentioned is that you can use Talk-Talk's install software. Of course, the downside to that is that you also have to let Talk-Talk install a load of bloatware to advertise their name all over your machine. If you're connecting via ethernet or wireless you don't need any drivers so there's no absolute need to have to install ISP software.

Networks can be easy to setup, but they can also be a real dog to troubleshoot.

In this case, it seems strange that there are missing settings on the network, because like I said, apart from the lost connection on one side of the router, the computer side should still be as it was and the PC should be able to connect to the router. Has someone had a fiddle, do you think?

If so, there's no reason why this router shouldn't work. None at all.

First of all, nothing has changed - in theory - on the computer-to-router side of things, so the default gateway address should be the same as it was before. You mentioned 192.168.1.1 - are you certain that's what it was?

If you go to Network Settings then double click the relevant network icon, then choose Support, the gateway address is there.

As far as getting connected is concerned, you've got no chance until that MAC address is sorted out.

On the router, is the DSL light on and is it steady or blinking?

I don't know anything about Talk-Talk - other than a lot of our customers have had problems with them - but I can only see their disk supporting their router equipment. I can't see how running this is going to help set up this router unless you got very lucky and it is the same model that Talk-Talk supply.

To me, routers are set up in three stages.

1. Connection between router and line (DSL light?)

2. Connection between PC and router (and I don't mean just detecting it, but connecting to the default gateway)

3. Using the PC to tell the router to let people access the Internet as necessary (so entering account details and - if they're messed up - changing IP ranges)

The DI-624 is just a router not a DSL modem/router. So you'll need a DSL modem - and watch out for those awful USB-powered Voyager things the ISPs usually supply.

The most elegant solution is to have the router downstairs near the phone socket, thus minimising wires. But routers can be a pain in the backside when it comes to doing what they're supposed to do in real peoples houses, and the last thing you want is to find that next to the phone socket is a blackspot.

Test your router there first and see what signal strength you get. The weaker it is, the slower your connection will be.

The other 'best' option is to have BT put a socket in upstairs. You don't want to be messing about with extensions yourself if you can avoid it. They'll do it around the outside of the house most likely. Shorter and neater.

Your biggest problem is going to be getting your ADSL connection activated in the first place.

To be honest, I'm amazed you're moving away from NTL (unless you moved house and have no choice). NTL is cable and already their top speed offering is higher than DSL. The upper limit is also going to be much higher, so when NTL roll out 20MB in the near future, DSL won't be able to compete. And NTL is genuinely 'always on', but DSL is still a dial-in type service most times.

Even now, with …

I don't think there's a magic solution for this.

Look at what you have: machine is perfect except it will not display on the internal display.

When it first became apparent, the display was all distorted with vertical lines, flickering, then it went completely.

Once, it seems, you got the display back after fiddling inside, but it went again.

Compaq have told you it's the display and all the evidence points exactly at that.

You've got to face facts: the display is broken.

I know what you mean. HDDs are way too unreliable to trust as a primary backup, and yet they are also way too big to be backed up economically (timewise and DVD-wise).

When it comes to BIOS or firmware updates, I'm always of the mind that if it has been OK for x number of years, if it suddenly starts doing it now....

Obviously, call centres only deal with problems, so you don't get to hear about all the satisfied customers, but from the moment machines started being sold in the stores with 200GB drives there were clearly issues.

It was so common for machines to be DOA (just not working from the moment they were switched on). You just build up an impression based on that.

And if they worked at the start, they'd die within weeks or months.

Scary.

One piece of advice: back up your data regularly.

As these drives get bigger, people are less inclined to back up and more inclined to save stacks of personal stuff. With the apparent increased risk of failure, it's a disaster waiting to happen.

Is the machine still under warranty?

The 8E error points at RAM problems. It's pretty unique for a STOP code in that it only points at RAM problems when you look it up! So there's a good start.

There are a couple of ways to diag it.

You don't say which PB model it is, but if it has two sticks of RAM you can try removing one of the sticks to see if the problem persists, and then swapping with the other stick likewise.

The other way is to download a RAM test utility and run that.

You can't really narrow it down any more than you have!

PSU error light with nothing else connected? So a PSU fault.

And you have extended warranty? You're covered for everything except software!!!

If your diagnostic and repair system is anything like ours, it definitely has a fault and definitely needs an engineer out to it based on the symptoms you have and the tests you've done, so the call centre will book it (though I'm sure they'll insist on you trying something on the phone so they don't get caught out).

HDDs dying soon after purchase is horribly common. Working in my call centre I have developed a sort of phobia about 200GB HDDs (and 160GB ones to a lesser extent) - they appear SO unreliable.

Well, a message like that can't be any more specific!

You could try removing and redetecting the driver in the Device Manager to see if that resolves the issue.

Or you could download the latest drivers and try reinstalling them.

If that doesn't work, the next step is to go for a full recovery and see if the problem still occurs after that. If it does then it is quite likely a hardware problem.

If it does do it again, since it is a new machine this next suggestion is likely to be no problem for you...

If there's anything wrong with it you need to identify that as soon as possible and get it replaced before your period of grace expires (in the UK you have 28 days after purchase during which you can get a replacement or your money back if the machine isn't right).

So. If the problem does recur, use the Toshiba Product Recovery DVD and do a clean reinstall. Then test the machine and if it still does it it is definitely a fault of some kind.

In the UK, it would be repaired within days.

It depends on your retailer's support structure. Often, if retailers have their own technical support they repair under licence in 12 month warranty. HP licences repair to 3rd parties anyway (especially laptops).

It isn't necessarily HP who is to blame for any delays.

What card is it? It's not a Radeon, is it?

I'd agree. Do you have a spare card to test?

(Note: When you reply, post a new message in the thread rather than edit your original, because that way those involved get a notification :))

Toshibas are good, reliable machines in my experience (compared to many other makes, and inasmuch as a laptop can be considered reliable compared to a desktop).

Let's face it: multiple Windows opening is either going to be hardware (stuck buttons, for example) or a software problem, but all of them closing down again is probably only down to software.

I've not come across this particular problem as you described it, but lots of spyware, etc. opens multiple Windows. And since you removed spyware and it stopped, well... at this stage the likely cause is fairly clear, isn't it?

See what happens and go from there.

OK. According to their website you get 5MB of webspace (assuming you are on high-speed/DSL and not plain old dialup).

That is more than enough for you at this stage.

Holding in the power button on the tower would work whether it was in Windows or not - although if it didn't work at all then that would point to a definite problem.

The yellow standby light means that - assuming the monitor is OK - it is not receiving a video signal from the computer. Does the monitor display "No Signal" if you disconnect it and turn it off and back on again?

The big question is: is it POSTing?

Did it used to make a beep when you turned it on? Is it doing that now?

If you disconnect everything from the machine and let it stand for a few minutes, then plug in just the mains cord and turn it on, what happens?

Fine, lights will probably come on (so the PSU isn't dead), but what else happens? Does the HDD light flicker for a minute or two as Windows loads?

If it does, how do you normally log in? Using TAB and the arrow keys (obviously having turned off and reconnected the keyboard and mouse) you can switch between user log ins and type 'blind' (you have to guess a little, but if you know your computer you can do it). If this succeeds you may hear the Windows sounds (plug speakers in, of course).

If it isn't POSTing then there is a problem.

Your Internet Service Provider (ISP).

Whoever you pay to let you connect to the Internet usually (not always) allows you some space to upload your files to.

Who is your ISP?

Your ISP most probably provides you with some free webspace. Most do.

Does it give a blue screen just before it restarts?

Will it restart immediately after shut down?

Does your BIOS have a CPU temperature monitor in it?

Can you run a RAM test to check all RAM is OK? It might be when certain memory is accessed by large applications.

The thing that points at it possibly being something else other than overheating is that it does it when you do the same thing each time (log on to a server, or play video).

Is there any reason why you can't do a clean install and then test it after that? If it still does it, it is most likely a hardware problem, but at the moment - unless you can prove it is overheating beyond doubt - it could easily be down to software issues.

They turn off for all kinds of reasons.

Unless the vents are actually blocked, given the machine space won't do that much. If the CPU is overheating for example, it is down to the seal between the heatsink and the chip, and the performance of the high-speed fan on top of it. Just wafting a bit of air on to the outside can be misleading sometimes.

What computer is it?

I'm trying to figure out where all the AOL files came from.

Well, better a 50-day wait than no computer, period!

That's just bad service, of course, and I can't comment on it directly - not knowing the full details.

If we book out an engineer (or part) to a customer it depends on whether the part is in stock or not. If it isn't, it often has to come from the manufacturer of the machine, and we are just as vulnerable to stupid delays as the customer in those circumstances. It is shocking when a new machine doesn't have spare available, but under terms of the warranty it has to be an approved part that goes back in.

Not many manufacturers - especially HP - deliberately take 50 days to fix things. It is usually much quicker and that last experience may have been extraordinary.

We can usually get repairs done inside a week.

This is the point I was making about these things leaving 'holes'.

I've tried to remove MyWebSearch from several computers for people and it seems to be different each time. Sometimes the folders that are supposed to be there aren't. It had stopped Internet access on all those machines, although there were other infections present and it may have been conflicts rather than MyWebSearch specifically causing those symptoms.

This link goes into it in more detail:

http://www.infopackets.com/channels/en/windows/gazette/2004/20040316_cant_remove_uninstall_mywebsearch_part_2.htm

I'm sorry that there isn't a definitive answer, but as you can see you're not the only one who can't get rid of it easily.

You do use AOL as your ISP, I assume? It looks like it from all the other AOL specific files on there.

Apparently, AOL.EXE is...

...also a process belonging to the AOL Password Stealer. It is a registered security risk and should be removed immediately...

as well as being part of the AOL software.

However, your system looks clean to me - maybe someone else can see something, but there's no obvious infection.

The error message is quite specific: atl.dll has got something wrong with it. You could try replacing it:

http://www.dll-files.com/dllindex/dll-files.shtml?atl

Ah. Well, under warranty you are quids in.

Unplug everything and let it stand for a few minutes - just the tower with nothing connected.

Plug in the mains and look at that led on the back.

Try powering up.

If it does anything odd then you have a fault that is definitely in warranty territory. Call them and get them to fix it.

Before installing anything that might make matters worse, try the instructions here for removing MyWebSearch:

http://www.pchell.com/support/mywebsearch.shtml

If you are going to install anti-spyware, the secret is to install one or two programs and not a handful. You only really need Ad-Aware and Spybot to be safe (if you scan regularly). I'm sure you could also get away with only a couple of others - but having all of them is asking for trouble.

The problem with installing and running anti-spyware after you have spyware is that there is a risk it will make things worse.

Some of our agents advise it to get customers off the line quicker, but they invariably call back with other problems - and that's if they can install the software in the first place.

Make sure you back your important stuff up first.

The flashing light on the back is surely telling you there's a PSU problem? It is normally on steady, isn't it?

The problem with searching for answers to this sort of problem is that often a lot of people don't consider having to replace the PSU as a solution - they're looking for magical software fixes and so they don't follow their threads through.

Do you have access to a spare PSU or a friendly computer store?

Get it tested at a store just to be safe.

Some one on here had a fiddle with a similar problem yesterday and their's just started working again. I believe he disconnected the hard disk and reconnected it again. Maybe the HDD was just stuck and the handling unstuck it.

Computers shouldn't do this, and even if they DO suddenly start working again it is still a bad sign that they had the problem.

Well, no.

I am really, REALLY missing something here.

<div style="position:absolute; left:0px; top:0px; border-color:#FFFFFF;
border-style:solid" CLASS="divname" 
onmouseover="style.backgroundColor='#FFFFFF';
this.style.cursor='pointer'" onmouseout="style.backgroundColor=''" 
onmouseup="somepage.htm"></div>

makes the entire div a link.

Yes, anything plugged into USB or network ports (or slots).

Shutting it down shouldn't have caused damage - but computers are funny things, and it might have. But it doesn't really matter now.

The MOBO is the motherboard.

If it is broken it will have to be replaced and if it isn't under warranty it could be expensive.

Remove power cord and anything else attached, take the battery out, insert power cord, and attempt to power up.

If it still does the same thing then it's usually the MOBO.

Am I missing something? :)

The question was

Is it possible to make an entire <div> into a hyperlink using CSS only...

.

The solution I offered may not be what you'd class as 'only css' but it doesn't have a H REF and it assigns properties to a class. Is that wrong?

You've definitely got spyware on there. MyWebSearch for one, and I rate that as a nasty. You also seem to have a heck of a lot of programs running at startup (many of them HP ones).

Personally (and it IS just a personal view), once a system starts playing up like this I advise people to think about a clean install because you can never be sure what damage has been done. Even if you get the stuff off, it can leave 'holes' behind which become apparent at awkward times.

So you're running it with the side off?

I thought you said you'd tried that (swapped disks)? Ah well. It just goes to show.

I was going to say that before you write it off, get it checked at a PC store. You never know.

But now, if the HDD was holding it up, there may be a fault with that. It might be worth running a HDD diag before you start using it again.

On occasions where a machine has gone into our workshop with no POST, been knocked about a bit and tested, and found to work, it'll go back with 'no fault found' when there clearly was one to start with. A few days later the customer will be calling back with similar problems (and it makes them angry) ;)