What computer/OS are you using?

[Icelilly]

Hi C-Chan!! It's good to hear from you again! <3

It's actually Saseko that's having some problems. My friend gave me his laptop as a Christmas present to me after he got a computer for Christmas. Secchan is currently being fixed right now. Thunderstorms and lots of power outages fried her modem so I had no access to the internet. Moseko had some problems last month as well but those are long since fixed. My mother gave me the okay last month for my laptop to have temporary internet access as long as I keep the firewall on. Sadly, Saseko doesn't have any AV software since my mother thought it wasn't necessary (mainly because of the firewall) and I didn't worry because the new Firefox scans the files after they are downloaded...

Okay, so this is how it happened:

I tried to shut down the laptop yesterday and it just sat there and nothing. And I mean nothing! You could could press any form of a turn off button and it did nothing. You couldn't even put it in stand by or restart! So, I came up with the idea with draining the battery so it would turn off. Oddly, when it was draining the battery, it was doing it really, REALLY slowly. Slower then usual.

When the battery was FINALLY drained, it was trying to shut off, but that error message I posted in my last post kept popping up with a black screen behind it. Eventually, I grew frustrated with it, closed the laptop and went to eat my dinner. I came back about an hour later and opened up the laptop and looked like it shut itself off. I put the power supply back on and I pressed the power button on and I saw the "Resuming Windows" screen where it got stuck on at the end of its load. I closed the laptop screen and decided to work on it in the morning. At the same time, I unplugged the power supply to the battery.

This morning, I put the power supply back on and turned it on. Before the "Resuming Windows" screen could come on, I pressed F8 for the starting options so I could go into Safe Mode. I selected Safe Mode but the loading for Safe Mode took a full hour to do. But I got on and did a System Restore and it looks like everything is running in good order so far. That's how I was able to post my question in my last post. ^^

However, when I start up and it shows the welcome screen, it shows a bulky black line half way across my screen that appeared after my system restore. I should get a picture of it with my camera and show you.

I'm currently running a spyware removal program (it's a program that comes with AOL) and so far it has found any thing yet. ^^ I'll let you guys know if anything happens!

EDIT: The scan just finished and it didn't find any thing. However, I just remembered that my computer popped up an message in my taskbar that my computer was low on virtual memory and it was going to make more. Could that have something to do with that message popping up when I was trying to shut it off?

[C-Chan]

*GASP*  Yeah,... running XP without AV is taking a BIIIIIIIIIIG risk.  ^^;
A firewall is only used to block incoming/outcoming net traffic from your machine, but there are still tons of ways for files to get in.  It can be either in attachments, or hitched within cookies that save to your cache directory every time you visit Myspace or Yahoo or AOL or any website with mixed content.  Plus if it's a particular "holey" firewall, like the default Windows one or later versions of ZoneAlarm, then its protective ability is suspect.  ^^;

And firefox, well,... it's just a browser really.  It may offer a 10% security bonus over IE for particular content (especially with security extensions), but is still not meant as a real security barrier.  -___-'

Best bet right now -- get Ad-Aware to do your spyware removal instead.  AOL is hardly the bastion of security, so I wouldn't trust their tools very much (besides, you should use COL, or "Canadian On-Line" instead -- bwahahaha!).  ^v^

As long as you can use it, consider yourself lucky -- many people in your situation might not have the luxury of a working system.  That being said, the cosmetic black line problem shouldn't be an issue -- just take it as a Badge of Courage and hope it doesn't happen again.  ^__~

Usually memory leaks DO cause systems to freeze up like that, but one thing is certain -- the power-off buttons on ALL computers are hardware-based, so you absolutely MUST be able to turn it off manually when you have a chance, try just holding down the power button for 15 seconds and see if it turns off your machine.

If it turns out that this is possible, whereas it was not during the incident, then:


1)  Either the hardware is tied to the software by some rattle-brained manufacturer.

2)  The laptop is possessed and needs an exorcism.  ^.^'


In any event, to answer your original question,... like most Windows problems,...

It is a Mystery.  ^___^'

Added after 2 minutes:

One last thing.... chances are the Spyware problem isn't designed to detect viruses, or has a poor detection algorithm for it.  

If the cost of licensing Norton and McAfee is the issue (I wouldn't recommend either anyway), consider convincing your mum to try Avast, AVG or ClamAV.  All are free and do a good job of detecting viruses -- although I weigh more towards Avast in this particular case.

[NejinOniwa]

Avast is a pain in the ass.
I'm for ClamAV, 'cuz it doesn't bother me as much.

[C-Chan]

Well in fairness, Avast DOES still nag you like any other antivirus program.  At the very least, it's easier to use and nicer looking than Free AVG.  

I've only tried ClamAV under Linux (with the KlamAV frontend) back in my old Buntu days.

[grant_p]

Thanks to C-Chan's input, I've got my computer I rescued from a dumpster (gave ten bucks to the owner not to toss it, replaced parts with another junker, and WE GOOOOO!!!!!!) running very well.  Here's the specs:

Intel Coppermine (some sort of Celeron, I think...)
395 MB RAM.  Some may be bad, it's an odd number...
60 gig hard drive.
One CD-RW/DVD-R drive, one CD-R drive.
A floppy drive, though I have no idea what to do with it.  When I unhook it the computer crashes, so it's been left.
Puppy Linux 4.0

I originally had Windows ME on it, and it crashed (big suprise), then Ubuntu, but so far Puppy is the only OS that can keep up with me as I type and have Pidgin and nine browser windows open.

I plan to write a new chapter in my fanfic at C-Chan's urging as soon as I get done with finals!

On an unrelated note, a research paper I wrote won a contest, and I now have a Windows XP Pro laptop with a 2.6 Ghz processor, 2 gig memory, and a 120 gig hard drive.  A better computer then I could EVER have afforded.

And I don't have a CLUE what to do with it...I'm sticking to my bang-around Vostro for school use for now as there's no chance of me getting a replacement for a $1500 computer right now.

[C-Chan]

Yo Grant-san!  

Almost had me there -- thought you had rescued ANOTHER laptop.  Once I saw the specs and Puppy-chan, I knew you were talking about THE laptop.  

Ecstatic to hear the good news -- not only are you liking Puppy-chan, but you're learning enough about it to install "normal" software on it.  I was worried that because it carried a mixture of low-level and custom applications, it would be a lot more discouraging to use.  But hey, as long as it works very fast AND does the job, then I guess "lightweight" is the new "heavyweight".  I know the Puppy Wizards are amazingly-thorough.  



Best of luck in the Finals to you -- although I feel you have oodles of luck already, winning contests and all.
Do let me know when you start writing the new fanfic -- to keep with the mandatory "cute" atmosphere, I might volunteer a few illustrations this time around.  I'mm thinking perhaps in the artistic style of "The Little Prince" (w/ the standard Anime eyes, of course).  ^___^

That seems like a pretty neat machine -- although perhaps a bit overpowered for your needs at the moment, since you're sticking with the Vostro?  :|
Hmm... it does get a bit tricky, especially considering that a high-end computer like that will be a budget laptop two years from now.

Have you ever considered perhaps selling it?  [New] XP machines are pretty sought after given the less-than-stellar performance of her younger sister.  And while I don't want to imply you have the same financial crunch of an average student, I do imagine that a little extra income is always a good thing.  

Conversely, have you considered gifting it to a family or friend?

[grant_p]

I'm going to use it at home and later get a docking station to replace the desktop that was hit by lightning.  For now, it's my excuse to finally get a wireless router for the house!  It's near-identical to my mother's work laptop, so I think if I can get her to use it that'll be one less machine I have to take care of.  I don't want to sell it, as there's zero chance of me getting another one, especially with the sudden loss of XP Pro for this model.  It was, apparently, one of the last to be factory-installed with it.

I'll let you know when I start the next story!  Though someday, I *do* need to do Vista.

Ubuntu:  "Hi, nice to meet you-"
Vista:  "You will be assimilated."
Ubuntu:  "Um..."
XP:  "Ignore her, she's always like that..."

[JA8956 / Patrick]

i like vista, once you start working and playing with it you feel a huge distance between xp and vista. But linux is also nice if you yust want a system for writing some mails and watch DVD´s on some older computers

[grant_p]

I admit, I'm one of those people who everyone hates who doesn't care WHAT something runs so long as it works.  I've had nothing but bad experiences with Vista myself when helping people get set up, but there are some things, like gaming, where it is most definitely the best choice and if it works well for the operator using it, why argue over nothing?

I tend to deal more with simple pictures and lots of text, so something less elaborate works better for me, and with the $10 machine, it's not an option, of course.

I actually got a laugh when I tried to load XP on it and she sort of had a claustrophobia attack.  The systems well above minimum specs, but it was a no-go.

[C-Chan]

Awesome blossom, you chose the Family option  Very good, I'm proud of you Grant-san.  ^___^

Still waiting [impatiently] for this one in Royal Blue...  ^.^

http://www.acer.com/aspireone/

[JA8956 / Patrick]

Yup the minimum system requirements are also important; let me tell you 10 years ago I put win 98 on a 08486DX2 machine, which was really no fun. But with actual hardware a new O/S is able to bring out its full potential. But also there was also always some stuff which wouldn’t run on the new system, for e.g., special software for companies.

I’ also don’t give vista 10/10 points, there are some small things I´m afraid of.
Overall I give Vista 8/10 points.

And the thing which I really dislike are that Linux & Vista haters , if they say its crap with even no trying it makes me crazy

[C-Chan]

Well even Windows 95 has trouble running on old 486 machines, even though it was advertised that it could.  Under such circumstances, it's really important to use an OS better designed for older hardware.  Windows 3.1 or NT, a lightweight Linux or BSD distribution, or even OS/2 -- that way, everything can run at its full potential.  In terms of relative speed, Office 3.0 ran as fast in the hardware of its day as Office 2003 runs on modern systems today.

That certain applications don't run on new [I'm guessing Windows] versions is in part a factor of Microsoft not fully committed to backwards compatibility, but also a factor of the companies not diligent in their efforts in keeping their applications up-to-date.  They also share tremendous fault in relying on proprietary solutions, knowing full well they cannot last forever.  

My own company still relies on OS/2 Warp to run certain databases written for that platform, which is harder and harder to do since IBM no longer supports OS/2 Warp.  Had they chosen to write them using Open Standards instead of tying them to a single vendor, they would have been able to migrate those critical applications to any platform they needed.  The same holds true with over-reliance on the DOC format -- now that DOCX is being peddled by the latest versions of Office, billions of data files already written in older formats will slowly and surely slide into obsolescence.  Hence the reason why there's so much interest lately by governments and corporations in Open Document formats, to ensure that a file created today can still be opened (with its formatting perfectly preservered) 30 years from now.  And thankfully, there's also growing interest in office suites that WILL abide by Open Formats, and not change them every 2-3 years.  

When it all comes down to it, everything depends on how much work the user wants to put into his/her computer.  If the extent of tinkering with an old computer involves sticking in an old install CD and calling it a day if it doesn't work (or works badly), then yes that won't be fun.  But if you love what you do and take a little time to get to know the software and hardware you're using, then you can do really amazing things on any platform, be it Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD, OS/2, Amiga, and all the countless other systems we now have OS-tans for.  

Heck, it's labors of love by dedicated hobbyists that have made them successfully implement hard drive, CD-ROM, ethernet, USB, etc support for COMMODORE 64 MACHINES, which have not been commercially supported for over 18 years!!!

http://www.64hdd.com/64hdd/details/c64-64hdd.html
http://www.ide64.org/index.html
http://www.dunkels.com/adam/tfe/
http://home.ica.net/~leifb/commodore/ethernet.html

Even I sometimes find it tempting to ask "why bother?", but then I remind myself of the sheer power of conviction, and greatly admire when people actually put that conviction into positive action (in this case, breathing remarkable new life into old but venerable machines).

The real potential of hardware and software is meaningless, unless the user himself strives to make use of his own potential.  

Otherwise, you just end up with disposable computers -- and its no coincidence that companies that profit off of disposable products also make efforts to stifle individual potential as well.

[Aurora Borealis]

Hard drive, CD ROM, USB, and ethernet for the Commodore 64?! That is truly amazing and it is incredible what a loyal fanbase can do!


I got a newer Mac yesterday! It's a 1.5 GHz Mac Mini running Leopard (10.5.4 to be exact) and it also came with a wireless keyboard and mouse, all for a bargain price!

I got all of my files transferred (although I had to do so manually, the automatic way didn't work for one reason or another) and after two hours of struggling, I got Inkscape installed!

I tried Inkscape 0.44, 0.45 and 0.46 along with X11 2.3.0 and 2.2.3. But with Inkscape 0.46 and X11 2.23, I found the working combination!

I just hope I never have to go through all that hassle ever again! >__< But it's finally working! ^_^

[C-Chan]

Wow!  Everyone's posting in a hundred million directions!  At this rate, I'm gonna reach my response cap in no time.  @@;

Guess I'll have to treat every post as an "immediate response required one", and just reply to them all for today.  ^^;

Hard drive, CD ROM, USB, and ethernet for the Commodore 64?! That is truly amazing and it is incredible what a loyal fanbase can do!

Now you see why I made C64-tan the "techie" of the Binteji Renmei. ^___^

I got a newer Mac yesterday! It's a 1.5 GHz Mac Mini running Leopard (10.5.4 to be exact) and it also came with a wireless keyboard and mouse, all for a bargain price!

AWESOME BLOSSOM!!!!  Aurora-hime's gonna time travel now!  

I tried Inkscape 0.44, 0.45 and 0.46 along with X11 2.3.0 and 2.2.3. But with Inkscape 0.46 and X11 2.23, I found the working combination!

I just hope I never have to go through all that hassle ever again! >__< But it's finally working!

Awww... wish you had told me earlier, I would've given you that winning combination right off the bat.  I've already installed Inkscape 0.46 on three Leopards and one Tiger, so I've experience on the matter.  (then again, I don't have said Macs near me very often)  ^^;

[Bella]

Wow, I didn't know any companies anywhere still used OS/2 o__O

And those Commodore 64 hobbyists are so cool! I can't believe what can be done with those old machines...  

Congrats on the new Mac Mini, Aurora-sama! And hey, you've finally gotten to try Leopard

My dad tossed around the idea of getting a Mac Mini, but when he saw the iMac, 'twas love at first sight. I personally think the MacBook would be better (I do have a laptop bias), but then again, I'm not going to be the one buying it ^^

And I shall remember all this Inkscape stuff. Y'know, for when I eventually commandeer his iMac when it's not being used as a work computer. XD