Monthly Archives: March 2007

spambayes helps eliminate email spam

Computer Aid Posted on by

In my fight against email spam, I have tried my hosting company’s spamassassin, gmail, but some spam still gets through.

I’ve now tried spambayes, and I find it works well. http://spambayes.sourceforge.net/

The main problem I had was getting my email client to talk to spambayes, and then gmail (spambayes doesn’t support gmail-level pop security (yet?).

I found a great workaround by following: http://www.engelassociates.net/email.html (and using stunnel).

Although gmail seems to catch the vast majority of my spam, spambayes adds a nice extra layer, for the spam that slips past gmail.

Musicmatch Jukebox causes strange behaviour

Computer Aid Posted on by

This customer has a lot of strange things happen on his PC.

Musicmatch jukebox and win media player don’t work well (either they don’t start, or computer slows to a crawl), the internet often stops working, his front usb ports don’t work anymore, the PC is very slow, and he wants to learn about backups and making music CDs (using nero 5.5…).

The front usb ports have had the plastic “tab” broken off, so that cannot be salvaged. I order in one of those multi-everything front panels (ie 2 usb ports, various card readers, firewire, audio in/out).

PC only has an outdated virus checker, so I recommend AVG anti-malware.

Given all the different types of problems, I decide it will be faster to work on it from the office.

I remove a few infections, and tune the PC.

Win media player seems to work correctly, and overall everything works well.

I take the PC back, then finish setting up AVGAM. One of the questions asked is “do you want to run a regular scan of the computer”… the choices are: low priority scan, high priority scan, no scan. I pick low priority scan, since they have had many problems in the past.

A few days later, customer calls back, asking it is now slower than ever; it still freezes, and wmp and music matchbox still don’t work.

Hmmm, I go back, restart the PC, and the AVGAM scan really hits the PCs performance. I figure that since I’ve already scanned the PC, then a regular scan isn’t good if it impacts the performance for a few hours per day.

I try starting WMP, and it works fine. I’m told they prefer musicmatch, so I give it a go, but it refuses to start. No error messages. I reckon it encountered a corrupt file, and refused to start.

I eventually need to restart the PC, as its running slow again. Very odd behavior. While shutting down, windows says the musicmatch program is not responding… do I want to terminate the process?

Now I see whats happening. Musicmatch is starting, but due to some problem, it cannot start the graphical front-end.

So I uninstall musicmatch, and everything is now working well. Customer say he will download and install musicmatch again.

So I have learned another lesson: when starting a program, if nothing appears, it might still be in task manager (waiting to be killed off).

Legal threats against bloggers

Computer Aid Posted on by

I wrote a blog entry about an unusual problem I encountered, the steps taken to resolve it, and the obstacles I bypassed along the way.

Some obstacles involved a computer product by a non-Australian company, and I questioned the worth of this product, and the slowness of their support.

Well, soon afterwards, the customer calls me to say we have a problem. Apparently, the company in question didn’t like the negative aspects of the post, and would consider taking action if the post wasn’t removed.

I removed the post, re-edited it, so no company names were mentioned (or could be inferred), and posted the new “clean” version.

The customer is pleased, the local branch of the company is pleased, but she said that there was no way of knowing what action the overseas “head office” would take, and it would be better for me, if I also removed the “clean” version.

Now, if I someone posted something nice about Computer Aid, then good.

If someone posted something about a bad job that I had done (or a bad product I had sold/made), then, I probably deserve the bad rap, and I cop it sweet.

I would never consider threatening, or even asking the poster to remove their post. As far as I’m concerned, they are entitled to their opinion, and they should be free to express it (even it I don’t like it!).

Freedom of expression is a fundamental part of any democratic society.

So, I find myself in this analogy: I’m in a small car at traffic lights… the lights go green, and I’m just about to take off, when I notice a large Kenworth about to cross my path (ignoring his own red traffic light)… some people might go anyway (“but I had right of way”)… I say the kenworth has right of way… and one day, the driver will make a more fatal mistake.

Anyway, I pull the post, but I’m annoyed, angry, distressed, disappointed… I feel all sorts of emotions. I’m strongly tempted to just resurrect the original post as an F. you! gesture. But I have a family to support, and I don’t want the headache of legal rubbish on top of trying to build a good business.

I consider all sorts ways of anonymously posting something about this companies paranoid tactics… but you can’t be truly anonymous on the net. So I feel trapped and helpless… by a larger company that will not tolerate any form of criticism. I sincerely wish them the worst: bankruptcy.

Printer and firewall problems after a spyware infection (backdoor.ranky.x etc)

Computer Aid Posted on by

I worked on a PC with a lot of nasties (winfixer, newdotnet, backdoor.ranky.x, etc etc).

After removing everything, I install SP2, and all the subsequent patches (via autopatcher), but after all that, the windows firewall refuses to start (Windows cannot display windows firewall settings).

I found a great solution at: http://windowsxp.mvps.org/sharedaccess.htm. I downloaded sharedaccess.reg, put it in the registry, and it worked great.

But I also found that the usb ports were no longer working… Device manager showed a problem, so downloading the latest driver fixed that.

I install all the usual free security software (antivir, win defender, etc), but when I take it back to the customer, she says that the printer stopped working at some point (a HP MFP)… can I fix it?

So I say: sure!

I just need to uninstall the printer software, reboot the PC, then reinstall the software.

The uninstall goes well

The reinstallation gets to 18%, and then stalls…

Since I cannot stay for long, I ask the customer to just let it run… it might “snap out of it” in a few hours.

A few days later, she calls saying the PC is now slower than before I worked on it! And hubby cannot do any business “paperwork”.

I manage to go around very soon, and hey! why is Norton AV running on this system! Now I know why its slow. It turns out the customer had the norton AV setup file on her desktop. She wanted to get rid of it, but must have double-clicked on it instead! Anyway I disable the partially installed NAV (cannot be uninstalled unless I complete the installation!).

Since hubby  stopped the printer install soon after I left, I restart the install… but it still freezes at 18%.

I give the customer the following options:

  1. Backup whole system, reformat, and reinstall windows
  2. Try another printer. If another printer works, buy a new printer.
  3. I can try to repair the printer system (probably involves an hour of trawling through the registry, looking for (and removing) HP keys… but I cannot give a fixed quote.

She has a think about it.

you might not have permission to use this network resource

Computer Aid Posted on by

This is something that has always bothered me, yet I never really investigated it until now.

It always bugged me that shared folders would become inaccessible ie, you get the message: “you might not have permission to use this network resource” when you make some change to network settings. The annoying thing about this is that it would all fix itself at some unknown time in the future (from 10 minutes, up to 10 hours).

Well this happened when I changed a customers PC from fixed IP to DHCP. After that, none of the other computers in the office would be able to see the shared folders on the main PC… It all came right after a few hours (after I had gone).

Well, the next time it happened, I used: ipconfig /flushdns (and followed by a related command: ipconfig /registerdns).

It seems to work sometimes… yet other times, it seems to have no effect.

It seems to have no effect if the network settings have been corrupted by an infection… in which case, a reinstall of windows seems to be the only option 🙁

My first encounter with Windows Vista

Computer Aid Posted on by

I briefly used a vista laptop last friday.

The laptop had 512Mb ram, yet vista felt very slow… almost sluggish.

After some work trying to get it to connect to a wireless network, I eventually realised it was running on battery power. A quick flick of the power switch, and vista perked up.

Overall, once you look under the covers… past the annoying eye candy, its still very similar to XP.

I can now see why MS made ie7 so difficult to configure (and annoying to use)… so that it would fit into the vista look and feel 🙁

Yes, the extra security is great, it looks prettier, the nuts and bolts at the very lowest levels are probably completely different, but from what I saw, I can’t say I’ll be in a hurry to get it.

At last! A use for the ssdp and wmpnss windows services.

Computer Aid Posted on by

As part of my tuning process on low memory PCs, I always disable the SSDP service, as I have never found a use for it.

I did this for a customer that needed his computer to run faster (he only had 256 MB RAM).

A few weeks later, I get an email asking if what I did would affect media player 11 “media sharing”.

Some poking around on google showed that media sharing uses the WMPNSS service, and in turn, it depends on the SSDP service (which I disabled).

So, I pop over asap and re-enable SSDP. Media sharing now works on the PC end, but there are still problems with the Amplifier side on the home entertainment unit…

After that, I find out how everything is meant to fit together:

The house has ethernet outlets everywhere, and they all lead to a “panel” in the garage (in a cupboard, with bulky equipment in front of it… I was hoping to see if the wiring used a switch, or a router… oh well). Downstairs, there is an “intelligent” Yamaha amplifier in the entertainment unit. My customer was convinced to spend some extra $ to upgrade from the normal amp, to the smart one (apparently it can communicate over the LAN). Over the next few months, the company (Todds) tried to get it to work correctly, but they had no technical know-how (like many retailers nowadays, its just about selling “boxes”, technical backup and know-how, is very low on the priority list). Yamaha could help with the amp, but had no computer expertise. They seem to call ethernet “smart wiring”… They eventually upgraded the amp firmware, so it could handle WMP 11… at the same time, I “tuned” the PC, disabling SSDP. Microsoft were also called, but it seems they couldn’t figure out that the disabled SSDP service was causing the media player sharing problems…

Now, since I don’t know how to configure the amp (and don’t have the time), then I leave the customer with details on the IP addresses, and I try to get the concept of IP address classes across, so that they can (hopefully) configure the amp correctly). I know I have the background to be able to connect all the components, but the customer wouldn’t want to spend money while I learn how it all works.

XP continuous, neverending, load screen

Computer Aid Posted on by

And here we go again, another strange XP startup problem.

This time, windows gets to the logo loading screen… and the rolling bar at the bottom just keeps on rolling (for hours at a time!).

But it starts in safe mode with no problem…

A local computer shop (Mr CD-R) have looked at it, but couldn’t find a problem (so they say its a faulty power lead… huh?… and give my customer a new power lead)

The PC is closed within a small cupboard, under the desk… wow its warm in there… I’m surprised the PC hasn’t melted 🙂

I take out the PC, take a look inside… the only strange thing is that the mobo has a 24-pin power connector, but the lead from the power supply only has 20 pins… 4 pins are left unpowered.

I’ve not seen this before; and it obviously works, but I’d be tempted to upgrade the PSU to a 24-pin version.

Anyway I run the PC without the side covers, and see what happens… same problem.

I also notice the optical mouse isn’t lighting up… OK, I try my own USB mouse: this time windows starts normally, but It won’t detect the mouse. looks like an expired version of Computer Associates antivirus is complaining about an expired license… and it also looks like it won’t allow windows to detect new hardware until you click on OK and then cancel… But I cant click anywhere until the mouse is detected… catch 22

The keyboard works, so I fumble with windows keyboard shortcuts, until I get rid of the Computer “DisAssociates” windows.

I go to restart the PC with the original mouse.. I need to follow the mouse and keyboard cables (both are extended in order to reach the PC… I eventually figure out which is which, and then start the PC, and everything starts normally (but the keyboard is not working.

I decide to put the PC on the desk, and connect the keyboard and mouse directly to the PC: All startup problems have finally gone.

I reckon it was the mouse/keyboard extension leads the were causing the problem (either an incomplete contact, or a loose plug/socket.

Either way, the PC is fixed, I spend a little time removing the expired CA antivirus, and then installing antiVir.

Windows XP freeze at startup

Computer Aid Posted on by

I came across a strange problem today.

PC would boot into safe mode, but booting to normal mode would cause it to freeze at the windows logo screen (the one with the scrolling bar at the bottom).

The customer says that at some point, it wouldn’t shut down.

I open it up, in case one of the CDROM drives has developed a fault, and its drivers are causing the windows lockup… I remove power from both CDROM drives, but almost no difference.

After a few restarts, I can see some really strange behaviour… after XP is shutdown, the PSU fan keeps spinning… in fact, the PSU fan never stops until the power cord is removed (and restarts when it’s plugged in again)… PC sometimes won’t start via the power button, and sometimes the reset button makes it start.

I also discuss with the customer, the option of getting a new PC. She was considering it towards the end of this year, but recognises that she might have to upgrade earlier.

I figure this problem could be anything, so I take it back to the office, image the drive (in case the HDD is about to fail). I’m starting to think a MoBo or CPU failure… Maybe the PSU, but unlikely, given the symptoms.

Then I decide to try a different power supply (simply because a replacement MoBo or CPU (AMD Duron 750Mhz) would be more difficult to find). To my surprise, everything works flawlessly.

This is the first time I’ve seem a PSU fail like this. Normally they just go bang, or lose a voltage (so that some components keep going while others fail to start), or suddenly cut out at some point after powerup.

Its almost as if a voltage was just out of tolerance (too high or too low), such that the CPU (or some other critical component), would stop working when it was asked to do too much…

Anyway, I replace the PSU, and return the PC to a very relieved lady.

fried netgear WGR614 v6

Computer Aid Posted on by

I hate it when a router “partially” fails.

A customer has a wgr614 v6 wireless router. It seems that it stopped working just after they had some electrical work done.

The cable modem works fine if connected directly to the PC

I take a look, and the router behaves very strangely:

  • When I start IE, it always goes to the netgear setup wizard (even if you try going to google!)
  • The PC gets it IP settings correctly (via dhcp)
  • pinging any (even non-existent) websites, gives a reply ping from the router…
  • I start bartPE, and it also generates the strange pings… so the problem is not the PC, its the router
  • I reset to factory default setting, but nothing changes.

Based on this, I declare the modem fried, and give the customer his options… I can take it back to the office, and see if I can resurrect it, or just give up and get a new router.

Customer elects for the new router.