OT. computer HELP!!!

[pewter_jean]

I see a lot of you guys are wizz's when it comes to these computer things. I definately am NOT!!! I know how to make it to this site, check my email and maybe do a couple of other things. But I can tell when something is not right, and something is very much not right. I called Charter again, probly the sixth time this year and someone is suppose to come out Sat. But I thing it may be a problem with both the modem and my computer. It is running very slow. In fact it took 4 plus minutes to show this screen so I could type this question. It is like I'm using shoestrings and cans for my internet service. The modem lights wont stay on. and I loose my connection altogether for a couple of days. Then when I finally get it back, It will be fine for about a half hour, then start going real slow.
I don't have a clue. I have ran my Norton for virus's but it keeps saying I have none. So I don't know. The computor says this port is disconected, or port is missing, or ethernet card is missing, whatever that is.
My computer is a SONY VAIO. It is slightly over a year old. I don't know who to believe. Charter says it has to be my computer. That is why I am not getting service.. I think that maybe their lines have been spliced too many times. and the signal is weak. and maybe my computer can not pick it up. If there is anyone that can help me, or maybe might have a little time to come look at my computer a tell me what is going on, I would forever be in your debt. You can call me at 618 980-6768.
Got to put phone ##. I might not be able to get back here until Friday.

 

[Spiffyguy]

Couple things you can try.

1. make sure you do the MS updates. Usually any new drivers for you NIC card should come down with that.

2. Make sure to defrag your hard drive. A cluttered hard drive can slow you down a bit. Go to start->progras->accessories->systems tools-> disk defragment.

3. http://www.dslreports.com/tools has quite a few tools to test your connection. It may find so packetloss on the connection which would be a problem with actuall connection. Could rule out PC problems.

just a few things that might help.

 

[ol'saltybastage]

first things first.. shut the modem/router down and pc down for a good 5-15 minutes.

2nd if it is your machine, it could be malware. i'd download spybot and run a scan and let it clean all the junk out.
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/index.html
(skip the donation part) i work for a multi-billion dollar company and we didnt even donate)

if your getting errors that you NIC is missing or port errors it could be a couple of things. but yes probably your PC. i'd update drivers the Microsoft suggestion is a great one.. also check sony.com they typically have updates for their pc's also. NIC cards do go bad quite often. no biggie i've got a few extra if this is the case.

defrags a good idea also, if it has not been done in a while.



If you are running Windows XP i'd be happy to log in from remote and take a look at it when i get home.

 

[Dert42]

i recommend doing a spyware check as well.
it sounds like this actually has nothing to do with charter.

 

[superfirefly]

It sounds to me more like a problem with the modem then the computer simply because your modem lights keep going out. Although once they are on it should not be slow so that could be malware.

My old modem did the same thing and every time they came out it was when the modem was working fine of course. They kept telling me it was a pc problem and would not replace the modem even though I requested it.

I was so frustrated I blew away the hole pc and reinstalled just the OS and the appropriate drivers, and it still did the same thing.

Finally they happened to come out when things were not working right, they installed a new modem and what do you know, I have not had a single problem since then and that was 3 years ago.

 

[caesura]

In internet explorer go to tools->internet options. On the general tab delete cookies, delete files and clear history. On the security tab set all to default. You will have to toggle through them internet, local intranet, etc.

Turn the computer off.

Disconnect the modem power cord from the wall and the back of the modem.

Disconnect and reconnect the cable between the computer and the modem to reseat them.

Disconnect and reconnect the coaxial cable from the modem to reseat.

Reconnect power to the modem.

You should have a steady power light and a blinking light. The blinking light should become steady and green after a short time (30-60 seconds) and remain steady. If not call charter.

Turn the computer back on and try to connect using internet explorer.


If you still cannot connect try disabling norton. Right clicking the icon by the clock should give you some form of menu.

Try to connect again.

Once you connect try to download spybot or adaware or both. They are free. Make sure you update them and run a scan to clean up. MS updates are also a good idea.

Good Luck.

 

[JxMetal]

You probably have a bunch o' junk goin on. TO put it in a nutshell.

I'd start with a few spyware/malware scans. My favorite is ewido. An excellent program to find malware. http://www.ewido.net/en/


Just take a whole day and clean your computer. That's about as long as it takes sometimes! Run de-frag, disk clean-up, and whatever spyware progams you want and ewido.

If it's still running slow I'll teach you to use hijackthis and I can look it over for ya. But we'll use that for our last resort.


Oh yeah........don't use Internet Explorer, it's :rolleye1:

Use Firefox! It's just more secure and more fun I think.

GOOD LUCK!

 

[pewter_jean]

Well I made it back, couldn't get on all day. It almost seems like it is the busy time of the day I can not get my modem to work. early morning and late at night I can get on. after 8am and before 9 pm no way. That is what makes me think it's charter. This has been going on for about a year. And like before. everytime they come out, everything is working fine. They leave and nothing. I got fustrated so last Friday I picked up a new modem. and still same problem. I belive it is probley both PC and internet connection. I will try to figure out what all I was told to do and get that done tonight while I will have acess to the internet.
Yes I have windows XP. The computor is a Sony Vaio PCV-V300. The one where the guts and junk are build into the monitor. no tower.

 

[HouseDJSTL]

You need to check and see where your modem connection starts at. Is it on the first leg of a splitter? If its farther down the line, the signal isn't as strong as it could be.

-J

 

[pewter_jean]

I know it starts in the front of the apt building and wraps around to the back and up to my back bedroom. I know it has at least four splits to the other apt before it gets to my back bedroom. That is where the tech had me get a booster and he put is there. Then it goes through the first bedroom and he split it off again to go through the wall to my daughter's room where the computer is. So I guess that is about 6 splits (?).
When the tech came out last year I asked him about all the splits and he said that that causes no problem. Charters conectors have a booster built in. So everytime they are split in fact it is better.

 

[pewter_jean]

Now I don't know much about this, nor do I claim too. But when I tried to defrag my computer. It is telling me that defraging up the space will only clear up 5% and it needs at least 15% for it to do it. So it wont defrag. I don't understand why. also when I got this computer last year the guy at the store said I had 250 whatever of memory. and basically that there is no way to fill it up. I do not down load game and such. There is nothing on this computer. no pics. no screensavers one game that I got at Office Depot, no song. no tv shows (Since this is also like a TiVo). Nothing. So why do I only have 5% space on here. I mean there is nothing on here

 

[Spiffyguy]

defragging your hard drive requires space to move things around. Sounds like you are running short on hard drive space. Right Click on the C drive in my computer and choose properties. Should tell you how full you are.

 

[pewter_jean]

I don't understand but you probly will 705MB, 13.9GB

 

[dynamitedj]

13.9 gb is SMALL..... Do a disc cleanup. If you are using win xp then open "my computer", rt clk the "c:"drive/clk "properties"/ next to the pie chart will be "disc cleanup" clk on it and follow through. In all likelyhood the others are right it's probably the modem but with a harddrive that small you need to do a clean up. Also you should remove any unused software in start/settings/control panel/ add-remove software, and remove from there. Good luck!

 

[dynamitedj]

LOL i just realized you got a new modem last fri. so focus on the cleanup and run an antispyware software. I would use adaware it's free and they update it frequently. There is a catch though you have to be on the net to download it, but it works.

 

[pewter_jean]

Well last night I couldn't get on at all. Yesterday my daughter went through everything try to delete this and that trying to clean up enough disk space to run a defrag, no luck. So this morning I broke down and ran the vaio recovery wizard. (Supose to wipe everything out of the computer, back to out of the box) I guess that is what it is called. Anyway I ran that, the computer is bare bones now. Just the windows XP stuff. Norton, and Sony Vaio stuff. I installed the foxfire as the internet connection. Is there anything else one of you great wizzards believe would be a benifit to install in this machine to protect it in the future.

Oh yeah, We will see if it was the computer or the connection in a little while. Will I still be able to connect. It is after 8 am.

 

[Shooter7]

I was having troubles with my home computer getting slower, more popups despite having popup blocker and running adaware and windows defender. I then started getting a warning through windows defender of the presence of something called the virtumonde virus/spyware or something like that spelling. Anyway, in searching for info on it I came across a forum which I think is called geekstogo.com. Message forum dedicated to destroying adware and spyware. I went through some of their stickied threads of FAQ's and through those came up with a site to review my computer for free, finding 12 spyware programs on it. After I got those results the thread then directed me to free software for removal of the problems. Ran it and came out clean. Still running great now a couple weeks later. (All the spyware was attached to my wife's login, btw.... :rolleye1: :mad2: )

 

[Markk96]

Before I would mess with anything on the computer I would call charter have them work with you on the Modem, have them do latency tests and make sure the connection is solid.

From your end some basic IP troubleshooting should be done. What DNS servers are you using, are they DHCP or static, I could go on and on. I can help you if you need. Just send me a PM.

Mark

 

[Reggae Fish]

Going forward my recommendation would be:

Ad-Aware www.lavasoft.com

AVG Free Home Edition www.download.com (this is just as good as any others out there...I know the Norton came with that but in my opinion is worthless...Even their Symantec Client Security

Every couple of months I download Solo Antivirus Free Trial from www.srnmicro.com This is about the best program I've ever found for picking up Trojan viruses and it's a small file (2.8 I think)

I'm not positive but if I had to guess, your recovery disk will be XP with Service Pack 1...Do all your Windows Updates at www.windowsupdate.com because you definitely want the service pack 2 not to mention all the additional updates, etc...It's going to take awhile and several restarts if you're still at service pack 1

POP UP BLOCKER!
http://toolbar.yahoo.com/?.cpdl=iy
I prefer Yahoo, some like Google...Whatever you like, they are both good programs

Find someone who lives next to you who is familiar with this to come over and get all the crap that computer comes with even on a factory restore...(paid stuff)
AOL, Free Trials, all sorts of junk that just takes up space...Just because it's back to the factory state, doesn't mean that there isn't any junk on there.
I would venture to guess if you restored and have 15 icons on your desktop, you probably need 8 of them but you have to sometimes dig for them to find them.

If noone can help, bring up your laptop this weekend and I'll remove this stuff...Also, if you want, I can load the above mentioned as well...However, you will need internet connection to get the updated definition files so just update when you get home. Just let me know so I can bring the appropriate discs, etc... and updated definition files. I'll be there hanging out both days

I've had a handful of laptops in the last 6-7 years and I've had ZERO problems with viruses and I'm on the computer 6-8 hours a day.

Also, if someone looks at your computer have them just write down the specs so in the future if you have any problems, you will have the information but I'm guessing you have a 40gb hard drive with 256k memory
Plenty of space for what you do.

A few simply things that might help you with general speed besides cleaning out cookies, etc...

Start>Run> type msconfig Go to startup tab, disable all except your mousepad with virtual scrolling

Start>Run> type prefetch make a point to delete those every once in awhile

Disk Cleanup Start>All Programs>Accessories>System Tools

 

[pewter_jean]

I got ahold of Charter today, and finally someone there ran or did something and came back on line and told me that it is their connection. As far as getting on line. Now the slow part is probly me.
He said according to whatever he did there is barely a signal running through the modem. and if traffic goes up, I go off. They are suppose to send someone on Wed to rewire me up.
Reggae I appreciate the offer. But this is a desk top. the tower is build in the the screen, Everything is build into the screen. So it is very bulky and somewhat heavy. I'm sorry I didn't get to talk to you and your wife last night. Maybe I will have a chance tomorrow at Gateway.