Computer Q&A

[jeriddian]

Continuation of the thread.

This is the link to the archived thread: http://www.globaljusticealliance.com/archives/thread82/index.htm

[Cloud23465]

Ok... Now I've just order at 750gb hard drive and I'm not sure what to do with it... as far as the 2 options. Set it as the master boot drive or set it as a secondairy backup drive? Though I've never had a WD crash but there's always that fear that it will... and something that big would hurt. I'm thinking of making it the boot drive but I'd figure i'd ask what you guys think.

[jeriddian]

You could just put a fresh copy of your OS on the new drive and then make your computer a dual boot system, able to go to either drive.

[GhostWhiter]

Ok... Now I've just order at 750gb hard drive and I'm not sure what to do with it... as far as the 2 options. Set it as the master boot drive or set it as a secondairy backup drive? Though I've never had a WD crash but there's always that fear that it will... and something that big would hurt. I'm thinking of making it the boot drive but I'd figure i'd ask what you guys think.

After your computer (without the second HDD) has been running for an hour or two, does the case feel rather warm? A lot of computer manufacturers have barely adequate cooling for the factory configuration and will suffer from overheating if you add another heat producing device (such as a second hard drive) in the case. If you even suspect that this is your situation, you should seriously consider mounting the new HDD into an external USB case.

You also might want to use a backup utility such as Norton Ghost or Acronis Trueimage to copy your current HDD onto your new 750 Gb HDD (format the new drive as a system disk first and then overwrite it with the backup image of the original HDD--this ensures the the computer will 'see' the new disk as bootable) and then swap drives (make sure everything works on the new drive first) and then erase your old drive and use that as the second drive.

You should also consider that adding a second HDD inside the case will usually be assigned drive letter D by Windows and could possibly change the drive letter designation of your CD/DVD drive(s). This can have the unfortunate effect of breaking shortcuts of applications that run off the CD. This can be fixed with the Disk Management Snap-in buried several clicks deep in 'Administrative Tools' in Control Panel

You could just put a fresh copy of your OS on the new drive and then make your computer a dual boot system, able to go to either drive. If you want to do this, make sure that you got a bootable Windows install disk from your computer's manufacturer instead of one of those #$*& system restore disks that will only allow you to restore the computer to it's factory condition--they tend to automatically overwrite your existing HDD.

[Cloud23465]

Turely my only concern is the recovery partition... I'm hoping it will be able to create new recovery partition on this hard drive without conflict. Some of my older computer that I had to replace the hard drive with wouldn't let me use the recovery disks because it wasnt the right hard drive that was installed with the system. So i'd have to borrow someones copy of XP and enter the code found on the tower itself to get to have an OS.

[jeriddian]

You could just put a fresh copy of your OS on the new drive and then make your computer a dual boot system, able to go to either drive. If you want to do this, make sure that you got a bootable Windows install disk from your computer's manufacturer instead of one of those #$*& system restore disks that will only allow you to restore the computer to it's factory condition--they tend to automatically overwrite your existing HDD.

Very True. I still have my original XP boot disk from when it first came out several years ago. I have used it several times and simply upgraded the service packs in order as they come afterwards. I will probably have to do it again here in a short while.

[Cloud23465]

I don't see anything on Hp's website that says it would keep me from replacing the hard drive with the boot partition with a new one... we'll just have to play it by ear i guess. First it's got to get here and not be DOA because of rough shipping.

[jeriddian]

I don't see anything on Hp's website that says it would keep me from replacing the hard drive with the boot partition with a new one... we'll just have to play it by ear i guess. First it's got to get here and not be DOA because of rough shipping.

You can do that. But I would consider ghosting a copy of the original HDD over to the new one as an option.

[Cloud23465]

I don't see anything on Hp's website that says it would keep me from replacing the hard drive with the boot partition with a new one... we'll just have to play it by ear i guess. First it's got to get here and not be DOA because of rough shipping.

You can do that. But I would consider ghosting a copy of the original HDD over to the new one as an option.


Well I dunno if the western digital lifeguard tool I've got will copy the hidden recovery partition but... i do know it can transfer and entire OS... programs, documents and all to make the new drive the boot drive. I sence alot of ne trial and error lesson on computers coming. Not to mention this is my first new SATA drive. All my older drives were IDE interface so hopefully everything will be as smooth as the past... I can hope.

[Cloud23465]

Ok... I'm getting tired of how warm my CPU gets when I'm running programs.
My CPU Idles at between 45*C and 50*C and gets between 60*C to 65*C at full load. I'm sure the fan that came with my HP is just a Stock Intel fan... What are my options? Is it possible to change it out with a different fan/ and or cooling system?

[Cloud23465]

Ok... I'm getting tired of how warm my CPU gets when I'm running programs.
My CPU Idles at between 45*C and 50*C and gets between 60*C to 65*C at full load. I'm sure the fan that came with my HP is just a Stock Intel fan... What are my options? Is it possible to change it out with a different fan/ and or cooling system?

[Ran Hakubi]

I don't know about stock computers like HPs. I would assume that there is a way to buy a bigger fan.

I know on custom PC's, there are cases that keep the computer itself at close to freezing.

[Kwebs]

Ok... I'm getting tired of how warm my CPU gets when I'm running programs.
My CPU Idles at between 45*C and 50*C and gets between 60*C to 65*C at full load. I'm sure the fan that came with my HP is just a Stock Intel fan... What are my options? Is it possible to change it out with a different fan/ and or cooling system?


Cloud,
you'll need to look up what is available for your specific model. I worked on computers thats had a load of options and some with none.

[Cloud23465]

Ok... I'm getting tired of how warm my CPU gets when I'm running programs.
My CPU Idles at between 45*C and 50*C and gets between 60*C to 65*C at full load. I'm sure the fan that came with my HP is just a Stock Intel fan... What are my options? Is it possible to change it out with a different fan/ and or cooling system?


Cloud,
you'll need to look up what is available for your specific model. I worked on computers thats had a load of options and some with none.

The Stocket type is 775 and I see a whole new heat sink and fan setup that works All Intel Celeron (Socket 775) All Intel Pentium 4 (Socket 775) All Intel Pentium D All Intel Core 2 Duo Core 2 Extreme Quad

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186134

I don't know squat about brands but judging by the reviews... it's a good product.

[jeriddian]

Ok... I'm getting tired of how warm my CPU gets when I'm running programs.
My CPU Idles at between 45*C and 50*C and gets between 60*C to 65*C at full load. I'm sure the fan that came with my HP is just a Stock Intel fan... What are my options? Is it possible to change it out with a different fan/ and or cooling system?


Cloud,
you'll need to look up what is available for your specific model. I worked on computers thats had a load of options and some with none.

The Stocket type is 775 and I see a whole new heat sink and fan setup that works All Intel Celeron (Socket 775) All Intel Pentium 4 (Socket 775) All Intel Pentium D All Intel Core 2 Duo Core 2 Extreme Quad

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186134

I don't know squat about brands but judging by the reviews... it's a good product.

Socket 775's running a quad or duo core like you are doing are going to run very hot very quickly. Stock fans are not as good with these chips mostly as they do not fit onto the motherboard well with those little push-down pins, and because they do not make good enough contact with the thermal grease to adequately get rid of the heat. And if you continue to run your temperatures at 55 to 65 degrees, you're going to burn out your CPU a lot quicker than usual. It's too hot really. You will do better with a third party cooler, like Cooler Master or Thermallake, but it really should be one that has the bracer plate that goes onto the bottom of the mother board. You will have to take your motherboard out to install it, but using this brace on the back of the board and screwing the heat sink apparatus into the back brace gives you much better contact between the heat sink and the CPU, plus the grease they provide is fuller and better than what is supplied on the stock fan. Using this method also relieves a lot of stress on the motherboard itself from the pressure those push pins put on it to push the stock heat sink down on the CPU. The back plate takes all of that stress onto itself. You should be running temperatures of between 30 and 35 degrees, 40 at the very most.

[Cloud23465]

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&objectID=c00590499

There's the specs and a pic of my MB... I have no idea what I need to look for as far as knowing if what I'm looking for will fit and or work. You know jeriddian that i've never built a system and I know you have so what am I looking for here? Will I have to change the Bios have to be changed for the new cooling system?

[jeriddian]

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&objectID=c00590499

There's the specs and a pic of my MB... I have no idea what I need to look for as far as knowing if what I'm looking for will fit and or work. You know jeriddian that i've never built a system and I know you have so what am I looking for here? Will I have to change the Bios have to be changed for the new cooling system?

No prob, Cloud. I've built my own units for years now. You do not have to do anything to your BIOS at all. All you have to do is take out the motherboard and change the CPU cooler, then just put the motherboard back in. There are no software changes needed. Here's a link to the ones I found:

http://www.svc.com/775-cpu-cooler.html

The one I bought is the ASUS V-60 which is on the fourth row, right hand side. When you look at the pictures, you will see some of these have those measly push pin types. Those are the ones I would avoid. The most inexpensive ones I could find there are as follows:

Arctic Cooling's Alpine 7: Top row, center
The Cooler Master Vortex 752: sixth row, right
Cooler Master's RR-CCH-ANU2-GP GeminII Dual 120mm CPU Cooler: seventh row, center (But you have to add two 120mm fans to the unit for it to work.)

There are many others there to look at, but they tend to be more expensive. Just make sure the cooler is designed to fit Socket 775. In general you will notice the push pin types are cheaper. Also the ones with a lower fan rating of cubic feet per minute (CFM) tend to be cheaper. The more CFM, the cooler the CPU, although the design is important too. Just make sure that the unit you get has a retention bracket which goes on the bottom of the motherboard on which you can bolt the cooler. Also, make sure that you have enough thermal grease to provide heat transfer form the CPU to the heat sink. Almost all of these units come with the grease in a soft coating on the heat sink, but some don't (although they will provide separately as a rule), so just make sure you have the grease available if you do need it. Arctic Silver 5 thermal grease is good stuff if needed for that. Hope that helps.:)

[Cloud23465]

Ok... I took the Heatsink off... the processor and copper part had the grease is dried up and it doesn't seem to be to well applied. Processor (http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s267/Cloud23465/DSC00004.jpg)
Heatsink (http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s267/Cloud23465/DSC00008.jpg)
I'm guessing this heatsink is junk and Ill start looking for a replacement?

[Sir Sebastian]

One thing you could try before replacing the cooler, is to clean out the old grease and apply new grease (the stuff that's used to clean potentiometers and such is very good for the cleaning). The big mistake most people make, is they put on TOO MUCH. The purpose of the grease is NOT to transfer the heat from the CPU to the cooler plate, but to fill out those microscopic dents and such since it still conducts heat better than air that would otherwise fill those holes.

The optimal layer of grease is even and a bit translucent. And it does not matter which type you use, the differences between different greases is marginal if they have been applied correctly.

[Cloud23465]

I went and ordered a new heatsink and cooler for the CPU. This stock one just isn't going to cut it anymore. I remember how horrably hot it'd get in my room during the summer with this thing running. So warm sometimes i'd have to just turn it off so my room could cool down. If this works as good as I hope it will... I wont have to worry about how warm my rooms going to get with this puppy running.

[GhostWhiter]

Ok... I took the Heatsink off... the processor and copper part had the grease is dried up and it doesn't seem to be to well :errr:applied. Processor (http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s267/Cloud23465/DSC00004.jpg)
Heatsink (http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s267/Cloud23465/DSC00008.jpg)
I'm guessing this heatsink is junk and Ill start looking for a replacement?

:errr: I know its a little late in the game, but I hope you are using a properly anchored grounding wrist strap when working around the processor. The slightest bit of static shock around the CPU can be deadly to a computer.

:hmm:While you have the case open, you should consider getting a can of compressed air and cleaning any dust that has accumulated out of the case and especially from around the ventilation ports & fans for the case. Even partially blocked vent ports can cause a significant rise in the internal temperature of a computer.

I notice that your computer is an HP/Compaq. I have one that is about 4 to 5 years old. In my situation the case ventilation was so poor I wound up cutting a hole in the side of the case to add an exhaust fan. It was to only way for me to get the internal temperature down to safe levels after adding a second HDD.:ohwell: If this is the computer you are looking to add that 750 Gb HDD to--I am thinking that the only safe way to add it is with an external case.

[Cloud23465]

Oh yeah. I keep myself grounded when I work on the computer, and I do a dust cleaning every 3 months or so. I know what your talking about as far as it making a huge difference in the tempature. I have the 750 in the spot where the old boot disk was. It runs about 2*c warmer then the old 300gig hard drive... but I expected this by the reviews from newegg. My computers side pannel is about 55% drilled out from the factory with small holes to help air flow. I actually have 3 hard drives running in this computer now and there hasn't been any higher spikes in tempatures that i've seen.

[Mike_Industries]

I was talking to my buddy today, and he was telling me to that my E-machine (I KNOW!) is old and bad, blah blah blah. His main argument, 80 gigs of hard drive is too small. My question is, am I really that out of date when 80 gigs is a small computer? I mainly use it to store my music, write, create my rom hacks, and that's about it. Sorry, but my buddy just confused me...

[jeriddian]

I was talking to my buddy today, and he was telling me to that my E-machine (I KNOW!) is old and bad, blah blah blah. His main argument, 80 gigs of hard drive is too small. My question is, am I really that out of date when 80 gigs is a small computer? I mainly use it to store my music, write, create my rom hacks, and that's about it. Sorry, but my buddy just confused me...

If that's all you're doing with it, 80 Gb should be more than enough to do the job.:)

[Sir Sebastian]

I was talking to my buddy today, and he was telling me to that my E-machine (I KNOW!) is old and bad, blah blah blah. His main argument, 80 gigs of hard drive is too small. My question is, am I really that out of date when 80 gigs is a small computer? I mainly use it to store my music, write, create my rom hacks, and that's about it. Sorry, but my buddy just confused me...

If your computer is sufficient for your needs, it's not too old. Same goes for your harddrive. You only need under 10 gigs to run Windows, anything over only necessary if you need to store media or plan to install a lot of games. I have 160gigs on my main computer only because I'm running a multi-boot system (XP/XP64/Vista). The rest (about 700gigs in total) is in my fileserver which sits in my "server room" (a walk-in closet that I turned into my junk warehouse).

I only recently upgraded from a Sempron 3000+ to an Athlon X2 5000+. The old one did the job I needed it to do - play videos and music - and I only upgraded since I had extra money and it bugged me that the video would sometimes start to chop when doing something else in the background.

[Cloud23465]

I do massive amounts of movie format conversions, video editing, plus my music, video and picture collections... hard drive space fills up smaller drives fast. I've got almost 2TBs of hard drive space to work with now... this is including internal and external drives. About a 1/4 is already in use and given time proabably half will be used here soon. I was restricted by what I could do with the smaller hard drives... but adding this 750gb hard drive really opened a door for me so I can cut loose a bit and not have to worry about space management for a while. Given time and money Ill have another 750gb hard drive on the way and 1TB external server setup on my network.

[canuck31003]

For iPods like the Shuffle, would I need to install Apple software (iTunes?) to load mp3's, or can I access it simply like a USB drive?

[Fireand'chutes77]

It looks like I've made a rather signifigant boo-boo with the PC...

For the past day, I've kept getting these messages from our computer's "Trend Micro PC-cillin" protection service:

Infected file: C:\WINDOWS\system32\vtuts.dll
Virus name: TROJ_VUNDO.ATM
Scan action result: Unable to clean infected file. The file was quarantined.

And more ominously:

Infected File: C:\Documents and Settings\Family\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\N9UWV4HP\css4[1]
Virus name: TROJ_VUNDO.ATM
Scan action result: Unable to clean or quarantine the infected file.

:scared:


I can't say I've been exactly, uh, innocent in all this. Last night I attempted to use Google to find a way to back-door around Apple's locks on their .m4v KP episodes so I could use them for AMVs.... And at the same time I was looking for a "crack" of Adobe Premiere Elements so I wouldn't have to pay the roughly $500 for retail... Not exactly Eagle Scout-ish behavior... Ehhhhhh.... :blush:

And, since I'm pretty sure my searches and downloads caused the problem, I'm resolved to fix it (and before my parents find out. :confused:). I've deleted the stuff I downloaded, but I'm still getting these Trojan warnings.

I've scanned the computer multiple times using PC-cillin, and deleting the quarantined files when they came up. I can't find a "Local Settings" folder to go after the un-quarantinable files, though. I've looked up this Vundo thing on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vundo), and it looks serious if you get a bad case of it. So far, I don't think I did; my computer hasn't slowed down - not counting when I was doing the scans, the homepage hasn't been hijacked, I haven't been getting pop-ups, and images on webpages haven't been replaced.

That could change, though, if this thing has some sort of "unloading time bomb" on it... :unsure:

I've used the "VundoFix" application at the bottom of the Wikipedia page, but that doesn't seem to do anything.

The second external link, to something called "Exterminate-It," seems helpful, and I've used the free trial version to scan the computer.
It's turned up "Malware Browser H..." [The rest of the name doesn't show], of the "BHO" category [whatever that means] in the "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE......" or "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT....." [Whatever that means.] It's also found a surprising number of "Tracking Cookies." Unfortunately, I can't delete the buggers until I buy the program.

I haven't tried the McAfee program yet (first external link).

Does anyone know of some free software that could help me (or have some "idiotproof" step-by-step instructions)?

More importantly, is there any free software (and/or pay-for) that'd prevent this from happening again? I have "ClamWin Free Antivirus" already, but a lot of good that did me.

:thumbdown:

[campy]

You should be able to find that Local Settings folder if you change your options to display hidden and system files. (Control Panel > Folder Options > View tab ) I'd do that and then delete the N9UWV4HP subfolder.

[jeriddian]

McAfee and Norton are not that good any more. If Campy's suggestion doesn't work. I would recommend getting a one user version of Zone Alarm. I think you're at the point you're probably going to have to spend a little money....:ohwell::dubiety:

[Kwebs]

I use AVG anti virus and I've never had a problem and it's free.

[Sir Sebastian]

In my experience, ZoneAlarm is a buggy piece of... well you get the idea. I've had problems with viruses that I couldn't delete. Once they get into locked system files, the only way to delete them is with a DOS scanner. You gotta go old school.

My own recommendations for software would be:

Firewall: Kerio Personal Firewall (shareware) or Ghostwall (freeware)

AntiVirus: Avast! (free for personal use, needs to be registered after a month, which is also free)

Antispyware: Microsoft Defender (I know, I know, but it's based on the, at the time, best antispyware software there is, Giant Antispyware, which Microsoft bought. And it's free.)

[jeriddian]

In my experience, ZoneAlarm is a buggy piece of... well you get the idea. I've had problems with viruses that I couldn't delete. Once they get into locked system files, the only way to delete them is with a DOS scanner. You gotta go old school.

Hmmmm......maybe for you. Double 'S". Zone Alarm came highly recommnded in PCMag and PC WORLD. I've used it for some time now, and it has performed flawlessly for me. But your suggestions sound good too.

[GhostWhiter]

In my experience, ZoneAlarm is a buggy piece of... well you get the idea. I've had problems with viruses that I couldn't delete. Once they get into locked system files, the only way to delete them is with a DOS scanner. You gotta go old school.

Hmmmm......maybe for you. Double 'S". Zone Alarm came highly recommnded in PCMag and PC WORLD. I've used it for some time now, and it has performed flawlessly for me. But your suggestions sound good too.

I have to agree with Jeriddian on this one Double 'S". Zone alarm coupled with a hardware firewall/router have worked flawlessly for me for over 5 years. I will concede the Zone Alarm is a pain in the...um...posterior to get up to speed with :dubiety:(can Firefox have access to the internet, can IE have access to the internet, can GAIM have access to the internet, can Outlook have access to the internet, can Microsoft Update have access to the internet, etc, etc.), but overall I think it was worth it.

[Sir Sebastian]

In my experience, ZoneAlarm is a buggy piece of... well you get the idea. I've had problems with viruses that I couldn't delete. Once they get into locked system files, the only way to delete them is with a DOS scanner. You gotta go old school.

Hmmmm......maybe for you. Double 'S". Zone Alarm came highly recommnded in PCMag and PC WORLD. I've used it for some time now, and it has performed flawlessly for me. But your suggestions sound good too.

I have to agree with Jeriddian on this one Double 'S". Zone alarm coupled with a hardware firewall/router have worked flawlessly for me for over 5 years. I will concede the Zone Alarm is a pain in the...um...posterior to get up to speed with :dubiety:(can Firefox have access to the internet, can IE have access to the internet, can GAIM have access to the internet, can Outlook have access to the internet, can Microsoft Update have access to the internet, etc, etc.), but overall I think it was worth it.

Okay, maybe I was a little harsh. With a clean install it'll work great and has an effective protection. But the free version is too limited for me. And when you try to update or remove the program it bombs (especially if you try to reinstall afterwards) - in my (admittedly limited) experience.

[GhostWhiter]

It looks like I've made a rather signifigant boo-boo with the PC...

For the past day, I've kept getting these messages from our computer's "Trend Micro PC-cillin" protection service:

Infected file: C:\WINDOWS\system32\vtuts.dll
Virus name: TROJ_VUNDO.ATM
Scan action result: Unable to clean infected file. The file was quarantined.

And more ominously:

Infected File: C:\Documents and Settings\Family\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\N9UWV4HP\css4[1]
Virus name: TROJ_VUNDO.ATM
Scan action result: Unable to clean or quarantine the infected file.

It is likely that the Trend Micro PC-cillin has dectected the trojan but is unable to delete it since the trojan manged to install itself as a system file (it is pretending to be a file vital to windows).

Try rebooting your computer and tapping on the F8 key as it is starting up (after the BIOS screen)--this should get you a menu that will allow you to boot the computer in safe mode. Windows will only start with the most vital of drivers and system files so you screen resolution will be minimal and you won't have any internet or networking (there won't be the usual background and the icons will be large and rearranged). Manually run a Trend Micro PC-cillin scan and see if it can delete the trojan's files and registry entries from safe mode.

Does anyone know of some free software that could help me (or have some "idiotproof" step-by-step instructions)?

More importantly, is there any free software (and/or pay-for) that'd prevent this from happening again? I have "ClamWin Free Antivirus" already, but a lot of good that did me.

Ad-aware http://www.download.com/Ad-Aware-2007/3000-8022_4-10045910.html and AVG Anti-spyware (a takeover and update of the highly regarded Edwido Anti-spyware but still free) http://free.grisoft.com/doc/download-free-anti-spyware/us/frt/0 have worked well for me in the past. But each of them must have a scan run manually by the user from time to time. They do not offer real-time anti-spyware protection.

I find the best way to get real time protection is to browse the internet with Firefox with the NoScript and McAfee SiteAdvisor add-ons installed. Both add-ons are free.

NoScript defaults to scripting off unless you consciously click on its icon in the status bar and turn on scripting for the site (and/or any of the sub-sites or your choice) either temporarily or permanently.

SiteAdvisor puts another icon in the status bar which turns green if the site is known safe, yellow if it might have some minor security issues, and red if the site associates with security threats (or even know spam sites--overkill IMHO). You can click on its icon to get more info on the site in question. If you use it you will find that even 90% of the red site warnings are that when they gave it an email address they got spammed. Also of note is that SiteAdvisor will put a small red, yellow, or green icon next to the entries in your google searches--so that you will know if a site might be suspicious even before you visit it.:thumbup:

I can't say I've been exactly, uh, innocent in all this. Last night I attempted to use Google to find a way to back-door around Apple's locks on their .m4v KP episodes so I could use them for AMVs.... And at the same time I was looking for a "crack" of Adobe Premiere Elements so I wouldn't have to pay the roughly $500 for retail... Not exactly Eagle Scout-ish behavior... Ehhhhhh....

If you want to be absolutely safe when browsing for those kind of sites download an ISO (cd image) of Ubuntu Linux and burn it to a CD using Roxio, Nero or your favorite CD burning program and then go out and buy a USB data key. Reboot your computer with the Ubuntu Linux CD in the drive and you should get a live session (e.g. running off of the CD) of Ubuntu Linux with the familiar Firefox web browser. Insert the USB key and it with appear on the Ubuntu Linux desktop. Find the files you want in Firefox and download them to the USB key. If any of the websites try to drive-by download viruses or spyware they are 99.9% likely to fail since you are running Linux instead of the typical target OS (Windows) and even if they should succeed all changes will disappear when you reboot the computer back into Windows. The only files that will "survive" are the ones you download onto the USB key. Of course you should thoroughly scan the files on the USB key with your anti-virus AND anti-spyware programs before running anything in Windows.

Okay, maybe I was a little harsh. With a clean install it'll work great and has an effective protection.

I've had problems with viruses that I couldn't delete. Once they get into locked system files, the only way to delete them is with a DOS scanner. You gotta go old school.

If wasn't my intent to knock your recommendations SS. I agree the ZoneAlarm won't clean up a virus or trojan once it gets onto your system--it will only warn you that a strange file is trying to access either the trusted zone or the internet and give you the option to block it (which might be the only warning that some people would get that their computer is infected). I just meant that it has proved an effective security tool for me for a long time and that people should consider it as opposed to going with no firewall. Perhaps the best thing it offers to a new user is its simplicity.

I have heard good things about Kerio Personal Firewall, but I thought that people might forgo using it since they are supposed to pay for it and I will probably perform a test run of Ghostwall on another machine based solely in my confidence of your knowledge (and of course the right price--free).

[TransWarpDrive]

I may have asked this question before, so I apologize if I'm repeating myself. Can somebody explain why it is that whenever I'm trying to click on an icon on one of our forum pages, the whole image jumps up and down briefly? On several occasions, this jumping has caused me to click the wrong icon by mistake. What makes the screen image jump like that? Is there any way to stop it?
After all these years of working computers, there's a lot about them I still don't know... :unsure:

[jeriddian]

I may have asked this question before, so I apologize if I'm repeating myself. Can somebody explain why it is that whenever I'm trying to click on an icon on one of our forum pages, the whole image jumps up and down briefly? On several occasions, this jumping has caused me to click the wrong icon by mistake. What makes the screen image jump like that? Is there any way to stop it?
After all these years of working computers, there's a lot about them I still don't know... :unsure:

Hmmm....:hmm:Specifically which icons are you clicking, TWD? And what browser and OS are you using? I've never heard of this problem before.

[TransWarpDrive]

I may have asked this question before, so I apologize if I'm repeating myself. Can somebody explain why it is that whenever I'm trying to click on an icon on one of our forum pages, the whole image jumps up and down briefly? On several occasions, this jumping has caused me to click the wrong icon by mistake. What makes the screen image jump like that? Is there any way to stop it?
After all these years of working computers, there's a lot about them I still don't know... :unsure:

Hmmm....:hmm:Specifically which icons are you clicking, TWD? And what browser and OS are you using? I've never heard of this problem before.

The "Edit" and "Quote" icons, as well as the little box with the arrow in it after members' names (that connect you with each member's last post) - even when I'm posting, the screen jumps.
My browser's Mozilla Firefox; and my OS is Windows XP Home Edition. Does this help?

[Sir Sebastian]

Mu guess is your browser is reloading the page. When I refresh a page on the forum, the screen jumps around a little until the page is fully loaded.

[jeriddian]

Mu guess is your browser is reloading the page. When I refresh a page on the forum, the screen jumps around a little until the page is fully loaded.

This makes sense, TWD. You may have to wait until the page fully loads before you click anything. I've run into that problem also. I just have to wait until page has completely loaded into memory.

[Fireand'chutes77]

My computer sitch:

It was looking bad for a while there, but I think I've got it under control now. My McAfee attempt didn't work - some gremlin made the problem worse - but I just did a system restore thru Safe Mode, and it seems to have gotten me back to normal.

Objective Alpha: Get me some serious firewalls. And no more f****ing around with illegal hacks. I've learned my lesson.

And Ghostwhiter, you got me to the end of this. I'd forgotten that "System Restore" was F8.

[GhostWhiter]

My computer sitch:

It was looking bad for a while there, but I think I've got it under control now. My McAfee attempt didn't work - some gremlin made the problem worse - but I just did a system restore thru Safe Mode, and it seems to have gotten me back to normal.

Objective Alpha: Get me some serious firewalls. And no more f****ing around with illegal hacks. I've learned my lesson.

And Ghostwhiter, you got me to the end of this. I'd forgotten that "System Restore" was F8.

I'm glad that you were able to get things to work out for you F'C77. Keep in mind that although the system restore probably took the Vundo trojan out of your systems registry (and autostart) that the files themselves (including the installer) might still be lurking on your disk.:ohmy: Please run your Trend Micro PC-cillin again. Since it was able to detect the trojan it should be able to delete the files now that they aren't locked by Windows.

To err on the paranoid side of safety you also might want to download, update and run a scan with Ad-aware http://www.download.com/Ad-Aware-200...-10045910.html, just to make sure that when the trojan was active it did not manage to download any other malware to your system. Your system restore should stop anything that was installed since the restore date, but you don't want to one day click on something ("what's this?" <click>:eek:) and have the whole mess start over again. This particular infection appears to be rather benign, but you would not believe how aggressive some of its "cousins" can be.:thumbdown:

Please also consider what I said in my previous post of making Firefox with the NoScript and McAfee SiteAdvisor add-ons installed your default browser. The browser and the add-ons are free. If you had been using them at the time you were infected the site you googled to probably would have been red-lighted and even if you did go to the site would not have been able to run the installer script without you letting it.:cool: You can try them and if you don't like them, you can always go back to using IE--the only thing it will cost you is a little bit of disk space.

[Fireand'chutes77]

Please run your Trend Micro PC-cillin again. Since it was able to detect the trojan it should be able to delete the files now that they aren't locked by Windows.
Thanks for the advice. I'm about 2/3rds the way through the PC-cillin scan and it's picked up on 3 trojans and something called "Cryp_Tap-2." :blink: :unsure:

Does this mean the whole thing is going to start all over again, or once I delete these, will it all be over?

EDIT: It doesen't seem to want to delete them. It says it's taken "Quarantine" action with the three trojans and "unknown" with the Cryp file, but the PC-Cillin didn't let me take action. I'm running Ad-Aware now; maybe it can delete them...

[GhostWhiter]

Please run your Trend Micro PC-cillin again. Since it was able to detect the trojan it should be able to delete the files now that they aren't locked by Windows.
Thanks for the advice. I'm about 2/3rds the way through the PC-cillin scan and it's picked up on 3 trojans and something called "Cryp_Tap-2." :blink: :unsure:

EDIT: It doesen't seem to want to delete them. It says it's taken "Quarantine" action with the three trojans and "unknown" with the Cryp file, but the PC-Cillin didn't let me take action. I'm running Ad-Aware now; maybe it can delete them...

Sounds like the first trojan may have already downloaded some other bits of malware and they could be downloading and installing more of them while you are connected to the net. Quarantined is good, but obviously deleted is better. If niether PC-cillin or Ad-aware can get rid of them cleanly, re-try both scans after re-booting into safe mode (F8 once more).

Does this mean the whole thing is going to start all over again, or once I delete these, will it all be over?
Hard to say 100% for sure, but if their virus/spyware definitions are up to date, Ad-aware and PC-cillin should be able to get rid of most problems. The downside is one or more of the infections has probably been set-up to keep downloading more spyware and viruses in the background so it can quickly become a losing battle if you don't keep on top of it. :(

[Fireand'chutes77]

Ad-Aware found something and I was able to delete it, along with a bunch of "tracking cookies." Hopefully, that's the end of it.

[GhostWhiter]

Ad-Aware found something and I was able to delete it, along with a bunch of "tracking cookies." Hopefully, that's the end of it.

Remember when I said "Ad-aware and PC-cillin should be able to get rid of most problems?"

The truth is it usually takes about 3 to 4 days of a virus or trojan being released into the wild before the anti-virus or anti-spyware companies to become aware of it and get their hands on a sample, find a unique signature within that code, and devise and distribute a defense against it. Since it is possible that your first trojan was downloading additional files, you might (though it is not likely) have one of the new viruses/trojans that they do not have the ability to recognize yet.

If I were in your shoes I would ensure that my Ad-Aware and antivirus program are updated and run a scan with each tomorrow, update and do the same the day after, and update and do the same two days after that. If I got three consecutive all clears from both Ad-Aware and my antivirus program, then I would consider myself uninfected. As I have said before, it is by far best to err on the paranoid side in cases like this--there is probably a ton of data that you would be very upset to lose on that computer.

Please note that I said just "anti-virus" program instead of your "PC-cillin" antivirus program. Surprisingly, it did such a poor job against a trojan it obviously recognized and flagged that I have to wonder if maybe if it is either a trial version (scan and id only) or if your update subscription has expired and you do not have the latest definitions. If either is the case you would do much better getting an update of the totally free Clamwin Antivirus you previously mentioned and running scans with that. IMHO an up-to-date good antivirus or anti-spyware program is a much better defense than an out-of-date top-of-the-line one. I cannot tell you how many computers I have seen that stopped getting definition updates of one of the highly rated paid anti-virus programs that had become littered with infections in just a short time. For this reason alone I consider many free anti-virus programs vastly superior to their paid counterparts.

If you cannot bring yourself to trust Clamwin again (note that I use Calmwin on several older computers at work and I keep a copy on a USB data key for troubleshooting) there are other well regarded AV programs that are free for download and home use:

AVG free (I use this on my computer): http://free.grisoft.com/doc/2/ make sure you download the free edition on this page.

Avast free (I understand that you have to register): http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-home.html

[TransWarpDrive]

My guess is your browser is reloading the page. When I refresh a page on the forum, the screen jumps around a little until the page is fully loaded.

This makes sense, TWD. You may have to wait until the page fully loads before you click anything. I've run into that problem also. I just have to wait until page has completely loaded into memory.
Yeah, I think you're both right. My problem is, I'm rather impatient. I need to learn to make myself wait until the page has finished loading before I try clicking those icons.
Thank you both - I really appreciate it. :thumbup:

[Cloud23465]

Well Im sure that airflow is the issue... I've seem to solve the problem. I've moved my computer from it's tight space with little room to the surface of my desk. I bought a small fan with the money I got back from the horrible thermal grease I got from worst... I mean best buy. Thanks to Jeriddian, I got some of the real good thermal compound that's gave me great lower number in tempatures on my CPU. I'm talking about 10-20* C lower with the combination of the compound and fan. But if you take a look at how cramped my tower is... you'll see why it gets so warm.
http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s267/Cloud23465/DSC00012.jpg
1. NEC 2500-ND 8x Dvd burner
2. Asus E616A 16X Dvd Rom
3. Hp Personal media Bay. Right beside that is the primary hard drive and then the front Usb, Firewire, RCA, and headphone and mic jacks.
4. Heat Sink and Fan.
5. Exaust fan.
6. Graphics Card.
7. Tv tunner.
8. Secondary hard drive.
The Third hard drive (not shown) in sitting outside the case on it's side. I'm very careful not to touch it unless i know im static discharged and not to knock it over or anything... but it works.

[jeriddian]

Well Im sure that airflow is the issue... I've seem to solve the problem. I've moved my computer from it's tight space with little room to the surface of my desk. I bought a small fan with the money I got back from the horrible thermal grease I got from worst... I mean best buy. Thanks to Jeriddian, I got some of the real good thermal compound that's gave me great lower number in tempatures on my CPU. I'm talking about 10-20* C lower with the combination of the compound and fan. But if you take a look at how cramped my tower is... you'll see why it gets so warm.

{image}

1. NEC 2500-ND 8x Dvd burner
2. Asus E616A 16X Dvd Rom
3. Hp Personal media Bay. Right beside that is the primary hard drive and then the front Usb, Firewire, RCA, and headphone and mic jacks.
4. Heat Sink and Fan.
5. Exaust fan.
6. Graphics Card.
7. Tv tunner.
8. Secondary hard drive.
The Third hard drive (not shown) in sitting outside the case on it's side. I'm very careful not to touch it unless i know im static discharged and not to knock it over or anything... but it works.

Glad to see the Arctic Silver 5 worked for you, Cloud. You are right that you have a rather cramped machine there, and moving it to where you have better air flow definitely was a good move.:thumbup:

For my part I am now in the process of investigating the possibility of building a super computer. This is for a business venture with which I am involved. We are looking into building a Beowolf Cluster, a shared memory parelleled system, probably with somewhere between 4 to 8 boards, possible 8 to 16 quad processors, and somewhere between 32 and 64 Gb RAM, probably running Linux. If we're lucky it may only cost us a few thousand dollars. The increased processing power would tremendously save a lot of time for the purpose it is being built.

[Fireand'chutes77]

We are looking into building a Beowolf Cluster, a shared memory parelleled system, probably with somewhere between 4 to 8 boards, possible 8 to 16 quad processors, and somewhere between 32 and 64 Gb RAM, probably running Linux.
If you don't put a "I... am... Beowolf!" sticker on the side of the tower, I'm going to be very disappointed... ;) :laugh:

For my part I am now in the process of investigating the possibility of building a super computer. This is for a business venture with which I am involved.... If we're lucky it may only cost us a few thousand dollars. The increased processing power would tremendously save a lot of time for the purpose it is being built.
Good luck with whatever you're going to be doing with it.... :thumbup: You could get some massive graphics stuff out of that... ;)

[lunchmeat]

And preferably in the original Old English, to wit:

Ða wæs on burgum Beowulf Scyldinga,
leof leodcyning, longe þrage


folcum gefræge (fæder ellor hwearf,
aldor of earde), oþþæt him eft onwoc
heah Healfdene; heold þenden lifde,
gamol ond guðreouw, glæde Scyldingas.
ðæm feower bearn forð gerimed


in worold wocun, weoroda ræswan,
Heorogar ond Hroðgar ond Halga til;
hyrde ic þæt wæs Onelan cwen,
Heaðoscilfingas healsgebedda.
þa wæs Hroðgare heresped gyfen,


wiges weorðmynd, þæt him his winemagas
georne hyrdon, oðð þæt seo geogoð geweox,
magodriht micel. Him on mod bearn
þæt healreced hatan wolde,
medoærn micel, men gewyrcean


þonne yldo bearn æfre gefrunon,
ond þær on innan eall gedælan
geongum ond ealdum, swylc him god sealde,
buton folcscare ond feorum gumena.
ða ic wide gefrægn weorc gebannan


manigre mægþe geond þisne middangeard,
folcstede frætwan. Him on fyrste gelomp,
ædre mid yldum, þæt hit wearð ealgearo,
healærna mæst; scop him Heort naman
se þe his wordes geweald wide hæfde.


He beot ne aleh, beagas dælde,
sinc æt symle. Sele hlifade,
heah ond horngeap, heaðowylma bad,
laðan liges; ne wæs hit lenge þa gen
þæt se ecghete aþumsweorum


æfter wælniðe wæcnan scolde.
ða se ellengæst earfoðlice
þrage geþolode, se þe in þystrum bad,
þæt he dogora gehwam dream gehyrde
hludne in healle; þær wæs hearpan sweg,


swutol sang scopes. Sægde se þe cuþe
frumsceaft fira feorran reccan,
cwæð þæt se ælmihtiga eorðan worhte,
wlitebeorhtne wang, swa wæter bebugeð,
gesette sigehreþig sunnan ond monan


leoman to leohte landbuendum
ond gefrætwade foldan sceatas
leomum ond leafum, lif eac gesceop
cynna gehwylcum þara ðe cwice hwyrfaþ.
Swa ða drihtguman dreamum lifdon


eadiglice, oððæt an ongan
fyrene fremman feond on helle.
Wæs se grimma gæst Grendel haten,
mære mearcstapa, se þe moras heold,
fen ond fæsten; fifelcynnes eard


wonsæli wer weardode hwile,
siþðan him scyppend forscrifen hæfde
in Caines cynne. þone cwealm gewræc
ece drihten, þæs þe he Abel slog;
ne gefeah he þære fæhðe, ac he hine feor forwræc,


metod for þy mane, mancynne fram.
þanon untydras ealle onwocon,
eotenas ond ylfe ond orcneas,
swylce gigantas, þa wið gode wunnon
lange þrage; he him ðæs lean forgeald.

(Aye, that's no ordinary rodent, it has great fearsome teeth....

Brother Maynard, bring forth the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch....)

[Fireand'chutes77]

I had better luck reading The Jabberwocky. :blink: :laugh: :laugh: :unsure:

[jeriddian]

heh, heh, heh! Beautiful, LM, just beautiful. I love to hear actually spoken too. It's almost melodious to hear.:thumbup:

[Cloud23465]

I had better luck reading The Jabberwocky. :blink: :laugh: :laugh: :unsure:

I think I would understand Japanese better then what LM said. :confused::laugh:

[TransWarpDrive]

I had better luck reading The Jabberwocky. :blink: :laugh: :laugh: :unsure:

I think I would understand Japanese better then what LM said. :confused::laugh:
Yeah, me too... :confused::laugh::laugh:

[Sir Sebastian]

Well Im sure that airflow is the issue... I've seem to solve the problem. I've moved my computer from it's tight space with little room to the surface of my desk. I bought a small fan with the money I got back from the horrible thermal grease I got from worst... I mean best buy. Thanks to Jeriddian, I got some of the real good thermal compound that's gave me great lower number in tempatures on my CPU. I'm talking about 10-20* C lower with the combination of the compound and fan. But if you take a look at how cramped my tower is... you'll see why it gets so warm.

I'd have to say that with that case airflow would definitely be an issue. What is that, a mini-ATX? You really need to get a bigger case. Remember: the optimal airflow is from the bottom front to the top rear part of the case. It's best to have only fans that push the air OUT of the case. Inward blowing fans mix the cool and warm air inside the case, thus disturbing the optimal airflow (with the exception of fans blowing directly on the CPU). It may sound a little paradoxical, but with a properly arranged airflow, the more airtight the case, the cooler it'll be.

I'm glad you were able to find a better cooling solution, but I'd like to reiterate that when applied correctly the differences in thermal transfer between the compounds are negligible. The only attribute that bears any significance is the duration they stay in their optimal consistency. Even the best compound/grease will dry out eventually.

EDIT: Btw, I use Arctic Silver as well. It's good stuff - the price/quality ratio is quite good. It tends to be messy, though.

[campy]

So I downloaded this Handbrake app to rip my KP DVD episodes and convert them to iTunes. It worked okay on the Secret Files DVD, but it can't read my Villain Files disc for some reason. Anybody know another free app I could try?

[GhostWhiter]

Well Im sure that airflow is the issue... I've seem to solve the problem. I've moved my computer from it's tight space with little room to the surface of my desk. I bought a small fan with the money I got back from the horrible thermal grease I got from worst... I mean best buy. Thanks to Jeriddian, I got some of the real good thermal compound that's gave me great lower number in tempatures on my CPU. I'm talking about 10-20* C lower with the combination of the compound and fan. But if you take a look at how cramped my tower is... you'll see why it gets so warm.

I'd have to say that with that case airflow would definitely be an issue. What is that, a mini-ATX? You really need to get a bigger case. Remember: the optimal airflow is from the bottom front to the top rear part of the case. It's best to have only fans that push the air OUT of the case. Inward blowing fans mix the cool and warm air inside the case, thus disturbing the optimal airflow (with the exception of fans blowing direc4tly on the CPU). It may sound a little paradoxical, but with a properly arranged airflow, the more airtight the case, the cooler it'll be.

I'm glad you were able to find a better cooling solution, but I'd like to reiterate that when applied correctly the differences in thermal transfer between the compounds are negligible. The only attribute that bears any significance is the duration they stay in their optimal consistency. Even the best compound/grease will dry out eventually.

EDIT: Btw, I use Arctic Silver as well. It's good stuff - the price/quality ratio is quite good. It tends to be messy, though.

My computers side pannel is about 55% drilled out from the factory with small holes to help air flow. I actually have 3 hard drives running in this computer now and there hasn't been any higher spikes in tempatures that i've seen.

Since his side panel is vented, SS I think the best thing he could do to improve the airflow in his box would be to add an exhaust fan to the front vent on his case. This should help pull away the heat produced from that large array of drives (2 DVD/CD and 2 HDD) and increase his room temp intake from the side vent.

Cloud23465, I am concerned about the safety of that 3rd drive outside the case. I would definitely recommend that you install it into an external USB or SATA case. If you don't want to take that step, at least consider using some screws to mount a piece of plastic or coated cardboard to the underside of the exposed drive to protect the exposed electronics--the remaining sides of the HDD are fairly safe from static. This is a trick I used to use a decade or so ago when I had 4 or more 40 GB HDDs attached to one computer.

[Sir Sebastian]

Since his side panel is vented, SS I think the best thing he could do to improve the airflow in his box would be to add an exhaust fan to the front vent on his case. This should help pull away the heat produced from that large array of drives (2 DVD/CD and 2 HDD) and increase his room temp intake from the side vent.

Sounds plausible. Worth a try. And if you're worried about the noise, try running the fans at 7 volts. Plug the negative (black) wire from the fan to the +5 (red) on the power connector, and the positive (red) to the +12 (yellow) line. The fans run slower and quieter.

[GhostWhiter]

So I downloaded this Handbrake app to rip my KP DVD episodes and convert them to iTunes. It worked okay on the Secret Files DVD, but it can't read my Villain Files disc for some reason. Anybody know another free app I could try?

Here a drag and drop tool I used before I tried Handbrake: http://www.videohelp.com/tools/3GP_Converter. Handbrake might not be able to read the Villain Files disc because it might be using copy protection or using a different copy protection than the Secret Files DVD.

The site that is hosting this file, Videohelp.com, has lots of good information on video file conversion and obstacles to performing a conversion, but you have to be willing to scan multiple threads to locate it.

[kyojikasshu]

The program I've been using, CloneDVD mobile (http://www.slysoft.com/en/clonedvd-mobile.html), has been working great for me. It does have a limited trial period of 21 days, but it has full functionality without restrictions during that trial period.

[campy]

The program I've been using, CloneDVD mobile (http://www.slysoft.com/en/clonedvd-mobile.html), has been working great for me. It does have a limited trial period of 21 days, but it has full functionality without restrictions during that trial period.I looked at the CloneDVD page, and it said AnyDVD was required to get around the copy protection. Once I installed AnyDVD, Handbrake was able to read my DVDs just fine.

Thanks for the pointer, Rob. :D

[Fireand'chutes77]

So I downloaded this Handbrake app to rip my KP DVD episodes and convert them to iTunes. It worked okay on the Secret Files DVD, but it can't read my Villain Files disc for some reason. Anybody know another free app I could try?

Here a drag and drop tool I used before I tried Handbrake: http://www.videohelp.com/tools/3GP_Converter. Handbrake might not be able to read the Villain Files disc because it might be using copy protection or using a different copy protection than the Secret Files DVD.

The site that is hosting this file, Videohelp.com, has lots of good information on video file conversion and obstacles to performing a conversion, but you have to be willing to scan multiple threads to locate it.
Can it go the other way around, too? (I.e., iTunes videos to DVD/other digital media? I mean, if it can break TVF copy-protection...)

If so, my AMV efforts might be back in business...

[Cody MacArthur Fett]

So I downloaded this Handbrake app to rip my KP DVD episodes and convert them to iTunes. It worked okay on the Secret Files DVD, but it can't read my Villain Files disc for some reason. Anybody know another free app I could try?

Here a drag and drop tool I used before I tried Handbrake: http://www.videohelp.com/tools/3GP_Converter. Handbrake might not be able to read the Villain Files disc because it might be using copy protection or using a different copy protection than the Secret Files DVD.

The site that is hosting this file, Videohelp.com, has lots of good information on video file conversion and obstacles to performing a conversion, but you have to be willing to scan multiple threads to locate it.
Can it go the other way around, too? (I.e., iTunes videos to DVD/other digital media? I mean, if it can break TVF copy-protection...)

If so, my AMV efforts might be back in business...
On a similar note, does anyone know where I can get a wireless capture card? I want to start making Mass Effect videos of Shego in action on Feros and Vermire, but the computer I use to make videos is about 30ft away and one level up from the TV I use to play video games. Come to think of it, is something like a wireless capture card even possible? :huh:

On yet another similar note: Isn't it illegal to make copies of DVD in the US? :errr:

[Fireand'chutes77]

On yet another similar note: Isn't it illegal to make copies of DVD in the US? :errr:
Well, um, yes... But with all the internet cracking tools and millions of people doing it, you should be able to stay way under anybody's radar unless you start mass-producing this stuff or selling it.

That's how I'm justifying myself, anyway. Snapping iTunes's copyrights may be technically illegal, but I'm doing it only for my own personal use, so it can be changed into a workable AMV form. I certainly don't intend to flood the stuff onto Limewire or BitTorrent.

(However, if somebody else has.... I'm listening...)

[Sir Sebastian]

On yet another similar note: Isn't it illegal to make copies of DVD in the US? :errr:
Well, um, yes... But with all the internet cracking tools and millions of people doing it, you should be able to stay way under anybody's radar unless you start mass-producing this stuff or selling it.

That's how I'm justifying myself, anyway. Snapping iTunes's copyrights may be technically illegal, but I'm doing it only for my own personal use, so it can be changed into a workable AMV form. I certainly don't intend to flood the stuff onto Limewire or BitTorrent.

(However, if somebody else has.... I'm listening...)


There no need for justification. The law itself is unjust and tramples your individual rights. As far as I'm concerned, civil disobedience is the only way to go. If I paid for the DVD/CD/file, I'm sure as heck going to do whatever I please with it (excluding making a profit from it, which is my definition of piracy). EDIT: Yeah, we have the laws, too.

[Cody MacArthur Fett]

On yet another similar note: Isn't it illegal to make copies of DVD in the US? :errr:
Well, um, yes... But with all the internet cracking tools and millions of people doing it, you should be able to stay way under anybody's radar unless you start mass-producing this stuff or selling it.

That's how I'm justifying myself, anyway. Snapping iTunes's copyrights may be technically illegal, but I'm doing it only for my own personal use, so it can be changed into a workable AMV form. I certainly don't intend to flood the stuff onto Limewire or BitTorrent.

(However, if somebody else has.... I'm listening...)
:errr: Yaaaaaaa, I think I'm just going to stick with legal way of doing things. Breaking the law would just be wrong man, it's just what the man whats you to do, man.

[jeriddian]

On yet another similar note: Isn't it illegal to make copies of DVD in the US? :errr:
Well, um, yes... But with all the internet cracking tools and millions of people doing it, you should be able to stay way under anybody's radar unless you start mass-producing this stuff or selling it.

That's how I'm justifying myself, anyway. Snapping iTunes's copyrights may be technically illegal, but I'm doing it only for my own personal use, so it can be changed into a workable AMV form. I certainly don't intend to flood the stuff onto Limewire or BitTorrent.

(However, if somebody else has.... I'm listening...)


There no need for justification. The law itself is unjust and tramples your individual rights. As far as I'm concerned, civil disobedience is the only way to go. If I paid for the DVD/CD/file, I'm sure as heck going to do whatever I please with it (excluding making a profit from it, which is my definition of piracy). EDIT: Yeah, we have the laws, too.

That is one viewpoint, Double 'S'. but what about the person (or group of people) who creates the work on that DVD/CD/File? These are works that take a great deal of work, energy, and time. Some of them are entrepreneurs like Sylvester Stallone who virtually made 'Rocky' single handed back in the seventies. You yourself don't have to make a profit from it to hurt them in terms of making money from their creation. If such widespread sharing (as has already been witnessed) goes on unchecked, then these people who create will make a bare pittance compared to what they would have made because a very few people actually bought the product and then spread it over the internet where anybody could get it free. If that went on without challenge, you find very quickly that nobody would bother doing it as it would not be worth it. I know that if I spent years working hard hours every single day making such a creation like a DVD, video, movie, or whatever, I would like to be compensated for my work if people appreciated it.

It's the same as live performance. You have to buy a ticket to get in and hear or see the artist do his work. It's no good for the performer if someone buys one ticket, then is able to let all of his friends or whoever come in and fill the seats for free. Then it becomes a situation where the performer is unable to perform because he is not recompensed for it. He can't afford to go on. In the end, nobody will perform, at least anybody of any quality, because it will no longer be worth it.

And I'm not talking about the superstars making their millions. They're actually only the tip of the iceberg of people who are in the industry, trying to make a living. I'm taking about writers, best boys, grips, cameramen, gaffers, computer experts, artists, musicians, composers, assistants, and all of the myriad 'little' people who benefit from the sales of these products because they got work out of it, and many get a percentage of the profits from sales, and that hurts them too. Take away the incentive of making the product by removing the possible profits, and then no product will get made, at least anything worth viewing.

If you try to run a store where anyone can come in and steal most of the goods any time they like, without being able to do anything about it, you won't be in business for very long.

[Sir Sebastian]

That is one viewpoint, Double 'S'. but what about the person (or group of people) who creates the work on that DVD/CD/File? These are works that take a great deal of work, energy, and time. Some of them are entrepreneurs like Sylvester Stallone who virtually made 'Rocky' single handed back in the seventies. You yourself don't have to make a profit from it to hurt them in terms of making money from their creation. If such widespread sharing (as has already been witnessed) goes on unchecked, then these people who create will make a bare pittance compared to what they would have made because a very few people actually bought the product and then spread it over the internet where anybody could get it free. If that went on without challenge, you find very quickly that nobody would bother doing it as it would not be worth it. I know that if I spent years working hard hours every single day making such a creation like a DVD, video, movie, or whatever, I would like to be compensated for my work if people appreciated it.

It's the same as live performance. You have to buy a ticket to get in and hear or see the artist do his work. It's no good for the performer if someone buys one ticket, then is able to let all of his friends or whoever come in and fill the seats for free. Then it becomes a situation where the performer is unable to perform because he is not recompensed for it. He can't afford to go on. In the end, nobody will perform, at least anybody of any quality, because it will no longer be worth it.

And I'm not talking about the superstars making their millions. They're actually only the tip of the iceberg of people who are in the industry, trying to make a living. I'm taking about writers, best boys, grips, cameramen, gaffers, computer experts, artists, musicians, composers, assistants, and all of the myriad 'little' people who benefit from the sales of these products because they got work out of it, and many get a percentage of the profits from sales, and that hurts them too. Take away the incentive of making the product by removing the possible profits, and then no product will get made, at least anything worth viewing.

If you try to run a store where anyone can come in and steal most of the goods any time they like, without being able to do anything about it, you won't be in business for very long.

I was referring more to the right of making copies for personal use, and the right to convert from one format to another, regardless of what the law says. Other than that, I do agree with what you're saying. While I myself do download a fair share of copyrighted material, if I like the stuff enough, I will buy it. And I believe this is the same with the majority. Besides, if I remember correctly, even with all the Internet sharing going on, record and movie sales have been rising steadily.

[Fireand'chutes77]

...It's the same as live performance. You have to buy a ticket to get in and hear or see the artist do his work. It's no good for the performer if someone buys one ticket, then is able to let all of his friends or whoever come in and fill the seats for free.
That might cut profits in the short-term, for one or two concerts, perhaps, but in the long run, that could pay off big. Say several of those "freebies" really like that performer's work and want to get more of it. Word-of-mouth is huge. They also might be able to get that performer's songs off dogpile.com, but if they want it now, and in high-quality, they'll bite the bullet and buy the physical CD/iTunes single. That's my approach, anyway. I could've gotten most, if not all, of my iTunes list off dogpile.com. But that takes more time, and you have to sort through pages of hits to find a working mp3. If I just listened to it on the radio, and I want it now, ownership via iTunes is three clicks away. I'll pay that .99 cents for speed and an assurance of high quality.

Oh, right. Fight the power, stick it to the man, etc, etc...

[TransWarpDrive]

That is one viewpoint, Double 'S'. but what about the person (or group of people) who creates the work on that DVD/CD/File? These are works that take a great deal of work, energy, and time. Some of them are entrepreneurs like Sylvester Stallone who virtually made 'Rocky' single handed back in the seventies. You yourself don't have to make a profit from it to hurt them in terms of making money from their creation. If such widespread sharing (as has already been witnessed) goes on unchecked, then these people who create will make a bare pittance compared to what they would have made because a very few people actually bought the product and then spread it over the internet where anybody could get it free. If that went on without challenge, you find very quickly that nobody would bother doing it as it would not be worth it. I know that if I spent years working hard hours every single day making such a creation like a DVD, video, movie, or whatever, I would like to be compensated for my work if people appreciated it.

It's the same as live performance. You have to buy a ticket to get in and hear or see the artist do his work. It's no good for the performer if someone buys one ticket, then is able to let all of his friends or whoever come in and fill the seats for free. Then it becomes a situation where the performer is unable to perform because he is not recompensed for it. He can't afford to go on. In the end, nobody will perform, at least anybody of any quality, because it will no longer be worth it.

And I'm not talking about the superstars making their millions. They're actually only the tip of the iceberg of people who are in the industry, trying to make a living. I'm taking about writers, best boys, grips, cameramen, gaffers, computer experts, artists, musicians, composers, assistants, and all of the myriad 'little' people who benefit from the sales of these products because they got work out of it, and many get a percentage of the profits from sales, and that hurts them too. Take away the incentive of making the product by removing the possible profits, and then no product will get made, at least anything worth viewing.

If you try to run a store where anyone can come in and steal most of the goods any time they like, without being able to do anything about it, you won't be in business for very long.

I was referring more to the right of making copies for personal use, and the right to convert from one format to another, regardless of what the law says. Other than that, I do agree with what you're saying. While I myself do download a fair share of copyrighted material, if I like the stuff enough, I will buy it. And I believe this is the same with the majority. Besides, if I remember correctly, even with all the Internet sharing going on, record and movie sales have been rising steadily.

I only copy stuff off my CDs for personal use. Heck, I did that with my vinyl LPs for years. I'd play the record on the turntable in order to record it onto a blank cassette. That way, I could play the cassette over and over, keeping the LP in pristine condition. If the cassette wore out from constant use (which has happened to me on occasion), I'd just record a fresh tape off the album.
I'm no lawyer, but what I do is not, IMHO, piracy in that it's only for my personal enjoyment. I started transferring albums to tape way back when because the record companies' tape versions were cheaply made - cassette bodies just pressed together (no screws to hold the halves in place); little or no leader on some tapes, and they used the lousiest quality tape they could buy. When some of those "studio tapes" fell apart on me, I began investing in blanks from Sony, Maxell, or Scotch and began transferring.
Later on, record companies began using better-quality tapes in solidly-constructed cassettes for their albums, but I kept recording on tape anyway; mostly putting together compilations of various artists for my enjoyment. In fact, that's mostly what I do with my CDs today. It gives me a variety of music to listen to at home and in the car. And the artists and record labels still profit off me, because I buy the original albums on disc in order to make my compilations. It's a "win-win" situation all around, as far as I'm concerned.

[jeriddian]

That is one viewpoint, Double 'S'. but what about the person (or group of people) who creates the work on that DVD/CD/File? These are works that take a great deal of work, energy, and time. Some of them are entrepreneurs like Sylvester Stallone who virtually made 'Rocky' single handed back in the seventies. You yourself don't have to make a profit from it to hurt them in terms of making money from their creation. If such widespread sharing (as has already been witnessed) goes on unchecked, then these people who create will make a bare pittance compared to what they would have made because a very few people actually bought the product and then spread it over the internet where anybody could get it free. If that went on without challenge, you find very quickly that nobody would bother doing it as it would not be worth it. I know that if I spent years working hard hours every single day making such a creation like a DVD, video, movie, or whatever, I would like to be compensated for my work if people appreciated it.

It's the same as live performance. You have to buy a ticket to get in and hear or see the artist do his work. It's no good for the performer if someone buys one ticket, then is able to let all of his friends or whoever come in and fill the seats for free. Then it becomes a situation where the performer is unable to perform because he is not recompensed for it. He can't afford to go on. In the end, nobody will perform, at least anybody of any quality, because it will no longer be worth it.

And I'm not talking about the superstars making their millions. They're actually only the tip of the iceberg of people who are in the industry, trying to make a living. I'm taking about writers, best boys, grips, cameramen, gaffers, computer experts, artists, musicians, composers, assistants, and all of the myriad 'little' people who benefit from the sales of these products because they got work out of it, and many get a percentage of the profits from sales, and that hurts them too. Take away the incentive of making the product by removing the possible profits, and then no product will get made, at least anything worth viewing.

If you try to run a store where anyone can come in and steal most of the goods any time they like, without being able to do anything about it, you won't be in business for very long.

I was referring more to the right of making copies for personal use, and the right to convert from one format to another, regardless of what the law says. Other than that, I do agree with what you're saying. While I myself do download a fair share of copyrighted material, if I like the stuff enough, I will buy it. And I believe this is the same with the majority. Besides, if I remember correctly, even with all the Internet sharing going on, record and movie sales have been rising steadily.

Ah, I see. I misunderstood. Thanks for the clarification, Double 'S', and actually I agree with you as long the copying is restricted solely for your own personal use, I also think that's okay despite the language of the law. The key there is intent, which is your actions would not cause a financial harm to the creators. And you are right that CD and movie sales are growing although they are still losing a mint from the piracy that goes on(like in China).

[Kwebs]

Actually I haven't listened to a CD I bought more than once. Then I rip it to my pc and burn a copy to listen to in the car and at home. When I started buying cds I went through three or four copies of some because it got a bad scratch. So while I do buy all my music I don't use the cds more than a couple times.

[canuck31003]

The past week this blue screen of death has popped up 3-4 times, with this message: IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

Any advice as to what this is or what I can do about it? I haven't installed any new programs recently. I have a PC with Vista.

[Sir Sebastian]

The past week this blue screen of death has popped up 3-4 times, with this message: IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

Any advice as to what this is or what I can do about it? I haven't installed any new programs recently. I have a PC with Vista.

It's hardware related. You can try unplugging all peripherals and expansion cards and see if the message goes away, after which you can try installing Windows again. But my best guess is your hard drive is kaputt.

[Kwebs]

The past week this blue screen of death has popped up 3-4 times, with this message: IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

Any advice as to what this is or what I can do about it? I haven't installed any new programs recently. I have a PC with Vista.

It's hardware related. You can try unplugging all peripherals and expansion cards and see if the message goes away, after which you can try installing Windows again. But my best guess is your hard drive is kaputt.

I think your computer might be over heating or it may be bad ram. Check out this site. http://www.tweaksforgeeks.com/IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL.html

[Sir Sebastian]

The past week this blue screen of death has popped up 3-4 times, with this message: IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

Any advice as to what this is or what I can do about it? I haven't installed any new programs recently. I have a PC with Vista.

It's hardware related. You can try unplugging all peripherals and expansion cards and see if the message goes away, after which you can try installing Windows again. But my best guess is your hard drive is kaputt.

I think your computer might be over heating or it may be bad ram. Check out this site. http://www.tweaksforgeeks.com/IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL.html

Very possible. It has been a while since I've encountered this particular BSOD, and in my case it was a malfunctioning hard drive, I think. I don't remember exactly what I did to get rid of it.

[canuck31003]

The past week this blue screen of death has popped up 3-4 times, with this message: IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

Any advice as to what this is or what I can do about it? I haven't installed any new programs recently. I have a PC with Vista.

It's hardware related. You can try unplugging all peripherals and expansion cards and see if the message goes away, after which you can try installing Windows again. But my best guess is your hard drive is kaputt.

I think your computer might be over heating or it may be bad ram. Check out this site. http://www.tweaksforgeeks.com/IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL.html

Very possible. It has been a while since I've encountered this particular BSOD, and in my case it was a malfunctioning hard drive, I think. I don't remember exactly what I did to get rid of it.
Thanks for the tips. I'll follow up on them. I really hope it's not my hard drive, though. I bought my current computer last year because the hard disk died in my old one.

[canuck31003]

I'm back with another question. Can anyone recommend a program that backs up blogs? I'm not as concerned with the links and pics (though it would be nice), but I'd like a way to back up the text of my blog posts -- other than copying and pasting.

I'd prefer something cheap (i.e. free :P) but it's not absolutely critical.

As an aside, my IRQL issue disappeared a while ago after a Windows update.


Edit. Never mind. Blogger has instructions.

[GhostWhiter]

I'm back with another question. Can anyone recommend a program that backs up blogs? I'm not as concerned with the links and pics (though it would be nice), but I'd like a way to back up the text of my blog posts -- other than copying and pasting.

I'd prefer something cheap (i.e. free :P) but it's not absolutely critical.

As an aside, my IRQL issue disappeared a while ago after a Windows update.


Edit. Never mind. Blogger has instructions.

You might still want to check out the free WinHTTrack website copy utility (http://www.httrack.com/). I use it to back up my Linux group's wiki. It copies a website's (or a blog's) entire structure into an empty directory.

Note that it can take a while do it's work if you have a large site to backup.

[canuck31003]

Thanks for the link. For some reason the blogspot instructions didn't work for me, and the HTTrack seems to take a long time even though I only have a relatively teeny site. I ended up using a Firefox add-on called Scrapbook. Right-click on page, save as, and voila!