jebbypal

I finally installed SP3 for windows XP. Anything I need to know? I turned off the automatic update option because I couldn't tell from the language if it would actually automatically update or if it would still give me the option for express vs custom install (I don't have outlook on my machine so I don't want it to download those, etc).

eta - nevermind, turns out it's still the same way it always was.

If you browsed any of the WFI site, you should check your computer for spyware.

frakking idiots. If it turns out to be rootkits, i say it's war.

Okay, i know at least one of you have one, so maybe someone has experienced this....if not it can serve as a warning I suppose.

B was going to add another album to his zen player last night, but first he did updates to his computer including one to WMP upgrading it to 11 or some such. His player was also connected since that's the only way he has to charge the battery.

Long story short, when the updates to WMP happened, it started randomly downloading music from his library into his player starting alphabetically. While trying to get it to stop, it somehow decided to spontaneously format his player, wiping all his music...and wiping away whatever was needed for his computer to recognize his player.

Yeah, I know, that explains the screaming and the waves in the ground from his fist pounding things that you heard and felt last night.

Not sure if he got it fixed or not last night as my migraine was precluding me from searching online for a fix for him. Gave him some generic advice and left him on his own. I'm sure I'll find out soon enough if it worked or not.

Anyone had something similar happen? If not, beware of updating WMP with your mp3 player connected to your computer.

Talyn is at the campus computer repair place. I paid the fifty dollars to have it expedited, so I have some hope that, depending on what has to be done, I may have it back next week. Week after at the absolute latest.

In the meantime, I'm going to do my best to figure out the finalists of the Strawberries by Sunday night (which was the reason I was considering putting it off till next week until the problems got worse last night).

the_reel is looking for extra vid reviewers for the next two months. You don't have to be a vidder to signup to review things, and Supernatural has a huge backlog of vids submitted to be reviewed. *looks at the SN fandom on the flist*

Not much else to say except that I'm looking forward to the thunderstorms that will break this heat wave. I do like hot weather, but I do prefer a gradual stepup to 90 degree heat instead of it being low 70s one day and then 95 the next.

Think good thoughts for B on Saturday. I really don't want to think of how badly he'll be upset if he doesn't pass his CFA exam between the amount of money he's spent for the test and study materials combined with the months of studying. Not that I doubt that he can do it, but every little bit helps, right?

Well, last night since I was no longered in the middle of working on the presentation, I defragged my laptop for the first time in several weeks (I'd been putting it off because since the major problems, defragging sometimes results in blue screens and I didn't want to risk a permanent blue screen).

It did finish defragging...but instead of the normal 1-2 fragged files that I've been having since the last reformat, I suddenly had 8-10. Which is what has happened previously in the past right before critical failure that necessitated harddrive reformatting.

Sooo...not sure if I'll take it in today as I do need to back some stuff up off of it and I'd like to install my wireless keyboard to my pda so I can type on there, but today or tomorrow, Talyn is going back to the computer doctor. Which means I'd better start remembering my new lj so I can log in at work:P LOL.

Well, all appears fine once again post-reformat. Computer is even going into hibernate mode w/out problem and all that:P *rolls eyes* Asquared check went fine and defrag as well.

However, there's no telling how long this will last. So I figure on monday, I'll take it to the computer store to get checked out -- they claim to be able to tell if anything is wrong even if it isn't acting up and it's just 40 dollars for a diagnostic. Stupid school repair center's prices seem outrageous compared to this place's 75 an hour if something is actually wrong. That and not really trusting anything at this school farther than I can throw it.

So that will give me this weekend to do a bit of judging before I go drop off my baby. Cause I really don't want to be doing a reformat every two months.

Of note, I decided against the one computer repair place that is actually closest to me physically because the guy that answered the phone had such a bad accent and inability to understand english that it took four times to convey the idea of computer repair rather than buying a new one.

I tried to install itunes so that I could add info to songs off of cdr's that I rip, but the program won't function. Seriously. Quicktime will open, but if I ask the itunes program to open, it refuses.

Crap, and hopefully a restart will fix the problem that it apparently caused with winamp's ripping since said program has quit for an error twice.

Seriously, why can't my computer just be NORMAL????

Soo...got home from work today and figured that by god, I was going to fix my internet...considering I'm paying for it, I need to right. So, I did everything that everything said I should....and no luck. Still only getting limited or no connectivity via MY wireless. Went back and checked the westell modem...and sure enough, bridge setting REFUSES to stick. After an hour of fiddling, I gave up and called tech support. Explained it all to a nasaly high pitched guy about what was going on and all and promptly confused the heck out of him. heard the "no we can't provide support for the dell wireless router" and finally got it through his head that I didn't need help on it.

so, he had me go through and do what I told him I'd been doing for an hour of resetting the VC connection to bridge.

Guess what? Even when he told me to do what I knew how to do, it didn't take.

Conclusion: firmware must be fried and his best suggestion is to buy a new modem. Recommends the wireless in one modem, but has no clue how to tell me to check to see if my wireless card is capable of "g" wireless. *imagines bashing more brains into his head cause really he needs them*.

So then I ask the magic question: "Okay, how'd my firmware get fried?"

him: "Well, now, electromagnetic radiation of any kind. Wireless phones (not cell phones)

Me: "Cordless phones you mean? but wait, I've had my cordless phone next to it for almost two years now with no problem."

Him: "Oh yeah, well that would do it. Also speakers or anything of the like need to be at least 30 feet away and remember, walls don't count.

Me---looks around apartment---"Umm, I don't think there's anywhere in my apartment that is 30 feet away unless I put my stereo and phone in the bathroom. And I only have one phone plug anyways"

Him: "silence" Well, like I said, you can call back and get a new modem.

*bangs head*

Soooo, anyone techie out there -- is he right? Did my cordless phone slowly fry the firmware of my modem? Is this destined to happen to any modem I get so long as I have a phone next to it? the TV 5 feet away might not help either. Or the fact the breaker box is within five feet. But my phone jack is RIGHT THERE and putting either the modem or phone or both anywhere else would result in nice fun cords for me to trip over.

*bangs head*

So, I can either cancel DSL and pray that there is always at least one unsecured wireless network around....or I can cross my fingers that if I buy another modem, it waits a year or so before getting fried.

siiiiiiiiiigh.

these albums contain the rootkit

Of course, macs and linux machines aren't affected by this.

And the RIAA jumps on the digital flag idea
Basically, they want to join with the MPAA and tell customers of digital radio services, like Sirius, how long 'saved' sessions can be saved and prevent them from being transferred to computers.

*rolls eyes* Just more proof that corporations are becoming dinosaurs. God forbid that the customer-provider relationship change or evolve with globalization.