dumb computer questions

[craig johnston]

ok, i know fq all about computers although i'm using one right now, make music on one etc etc.
anyway, i'm sure i'm not the only one who has some dumb questions like:

1, what's the difference between a laptop and a notebook?

2, i keep getting this message saying something like 'you have 548 critical errors and your pc is about to explode' i just click it off and nothing happens, but am i dicing with death?

more to follow, when i think of them....
:)

[karma_queen]

how come, on zefrank messageboards, on the whos online thing, i'm always shown as online, but the other members aren't? is there something you're not telling me?

[Red Princess]

there is no difference between a laptop and a notebook. same thing different name.
there is likely some kind of utility program already installed on your computer to deal with the critical error issue. with out knowing what system you are running i can't be any more specific than that.
(some pc's tend to be somewhat dramatic when they have a sniffle)

[craig johnston]

thanks rp - i kind of guessed that first one, but wasn't 100%

i got windows xp

kq, it's that perfume dear, i told you not to scrimp!
;)

[JesusTitties]

i dont know

[trisherina]

kq, in your User CP, under Edit Options, you'll find a toggle for "Invisible Mode."

[craig johnston]

she's just disappeared
:)

[karma_queen]

ooo am i on? am i off? who knows!

[craig johnston]

sneaky!
;)

[Sapphire]

2, i keep getting this message saying something like 'you have 548 critical errors and your pc is about to explode' i just click it off and nothing happens, but am i dicing with death?

more to follow, when i think of them....
:)

Is this a message you receive while surfing the web? Does it look remotely like this or similar -

http://www.doshelp.com/images/Scams-Copy/popups-netmessenger/spam-pop3.gif


Or like this -
http://www.doshelp.com/images/Scams-Copy/popups-netmessenger/popupscam14.gif

Or this -
http://www.doshelp.com/images/spyware21.gif

Or like any of the other popups displayed here:

Google Search Results (http://images.google.com/images?q=Popup+Spam&svnum=100&hl=en&lr=lang_en&newwindow=1&safe=off&start=0&sa=N)

Get yourself a good pop-up blocker and some good anti-spyware software. A broser hijack blocker is a good idea too. I'm suspecting you're not getting a windows-generated error, but one generated by spyware or spam pop-ups.

The programs I use, with great success, are:

BHOdemon (browser hijack blocker)
SpyBot S&D
Ad-Aware SE
and Spyware Blaster

Google them and you'll find the download pages - they're all free.

I also use Avast (http://www.avast.com) home edition as an anti-virus.

Also, everyone who owns a computer should occasionally run an on-line anti-virus scan, like the one on TrendMicro's website. Having anti-virus software is great, but many viruses disable your AV software, and you won't even know it. You'll run your AV updates, and the software tells you it's successfully updated your virus definitions or that your computer is clean - and it's not. The virus has hijacked your AV software on your local machine, and your software is now corrupt and not to be trusted.
Reinstalling your AV software won't work to find the virus - you have to get rid of the virus first or it will just corrupt the AV software again.

If none of this solves your problem, then it's time to start looking at your operating system.

Last but not least - the BEST thing you can do for your computer, in my opinion, is to ditch Internet Explorer and start using Firefox. www.mozilla.org

[Coffee]

I have a first time network of two computers...one is a WinXP machine (the main computer) and the other is an old win98 machine I need to keep using for now because my 6 year old Postscipt Printer RIP software will not work under XP, and I can't afford the RIP upgrade at this time...so the 98 machine is running the printer and RIP software, and I access it from the XP machine.

The question...is there a way to open a program on the old machine from the new machine using the network? I would love to get rid of the second monitor and just link the CPUs together. But so far I can't figure a way to do it and I have to walk over to the 98 machine, start the RIP, then walk back to the XP machine and send the job to print.

And I'm afraid the answer is a one-word/two-letter answer??? :(

[craig johnston]

thanks sapphire, i've got norton, spybot and pest patrol. i would've thought that was enough. :(
it looks a bit like your first example.

sorry coffee, you'll have to wait for funky tubes, but i've got a similar set up with a new comp with xp and an old win98 one for my music. just one monitor, keyboard and mouse though.
:)

[Coffee]

Do you just use the second computer for a storage device? Can you open programs on the "linked" comp?

[Sapphire]

And I'm afraid the answer is a one-word/two-letter answer??? :(

In theory, yes.

When my husband and I have networked our computers (Mine was WinME, his Win98), I could run certain programs of his through mine.

You'd launch it through the exe file - acess the file tree for 98 through the XP's file manager - find which folder the exe file for the program is, and double click on it from the XP machine.

[Sapphire]

I should add-
in order for this to work, you have to have full network access to the 98 machine from the XP machine - in other words, when you go into your file manager, you should see not only your drives, but the drives for the 98 machine, and the Windows & Program Files folders on the 98 machine. In theory, if you have full access, you can run just about any program via XP that is on the 98.

[craig johnston]

it wants me to go to www.fixms.com
should i?

sorry coff, no, i'm afraid they are separate.

[Coffee]

Coffee=Network newbie. Sorry.

Clairify please.
When you say:In theory, if you have full access, you can run just about any program via XP that is on the 98. ...do you meen that XP is running the 98 program on the XP machine? If so, XP will not run the program I need, they are not compatible.
Or do you mean that the XP machine will reach into the 98 machine and start up the program so that it will be running on the 98 machine, but accesable through the XP machine...that is what I need to be able to do.

I also used to have an ME machine, and it ran Win98 programs fine...it is the change to XP that is messing me up...The XP OS is too far removed to run 98 programs...at least this one anyhow.

Thanks for the advice. :)

[Frieda]

1, what's the difference between a laptop and a notebook?
fashion lingo

2, i keep getting this message saying something like 'you have 548 critical errors and your pc is about to explode' i just click it off and nothing happens, but am i dicing with death?
update your virus scanner

[Sapphire]

it wants me to go to www.fixms.com (http://www.fixms.com)
should i?

sorry coff, no, i'm afraid they are separate.

No, you shouldn't go there - you have spyware - installed by a company that claims to fix spyware. They don't. It's what's called a "Rogue Spyware Tool."

Keep in mind - no ONE spyware scanning software finds all spyware. It's always a good idea to have at least two anti-spyware programs and scan your system with them weekly.




Or do you mean that the XP machine will reach into the 98 machine and start up the program so that it will be running on the 98 machine, but accesable through the XP machine...that is what I need to be able to do.

Yes, this is what I mean.

Using your XP Computer:
Go into your File Manager, click on the icon for the drive on your 98 computer on which the program is installed. Find the .exe file that launches the program you want to use. Double click on it.

It will run on the 98 machine but you will use it from the XP machine - assuming, of course, that XP and the program both have the functionality to do this. You won't know until you try. It's not going to "hurt" either machine for you to try - at most, you might have to reboot them.