XP question

Soundguy · Dec 16, 2004

Thanks guys.. I took notes.

If it comes down to registry editing.. I've got no problem with that. On the older windows systems.. if you didn't get in their and manually hack up the ini files and the registry.. sometimes you just didn't get any work done.

Thanks

Soundguy

DocHeb · Dec 16, 2004

Are you "immunizing" your system with Spybot Search and Destroy?

OkeeDon · Dec 16, 2004

( Are you "immunizing" your system with Spybot Search and Destroy? )

Yes.

OkeeDon · Dec 16, 2004

Thanks -- those sound like good things to try. Will be a few days until I can get to it -- I finally caved in and installed the Firefox browser to give it a try, so I expect to be tied up a little on that, and I'm having a real problem getting a new HP Photosmart printer installed. I got it for the wife for Xmas, along with a camera. We have 3 computers on a wired-and-wireless network, so I decided to try a network-ready printer this time. I got the 8450, which is enabled for a wired ethernet network. If I wanted to hook up with USB, I could have gotten the 7960, which is the same printer except for the networking, and saved some $$$.

So, I try to install the thing, and the software is giving me a fatal error at the same point on 2 different computers, and the install is failing. I have a suspicion that it's a defective CD. So, I tried to download the installer from HP. That said it worked, but the printer didin't show up. So I'm back to square one. I emailed HP support, and the first reply I got suggested I hook up with the USB -- "that will certainly work..." -- I kind of got upset with the techie; her English (or lack of it) suggested she was outsourced -- I told her that if I wanted to hook it up with USB through an "always on" computer I could have saved money and bought that model. I told her that if she didn't understand what I was saying to bump it up to someone who did; I have since received another email with the notice that they're "researching it". I'm glad I tried to install it before Xmas...

OkeeDon · Dec 16, 2004

"...That's what would happen if I had two browsers installed..." 

Well, I guess I'll see. I finally had it. I downloaded Firefox and installed it and am using it now. No problems. The only plug-in that had problems was Windows Media player; said it was "not possible to complete the installation"; no reason given. I'll try that again, later.

So far, so good. Whatever was causing my IE to run so slowly is not affecting Firefox. My Ebay pages load as quickly as in the past -- which is almost instantly.

I'm not a Microsoft basher; been using their stuff since Bill Gates wrote the BASIC that was used on the TRS-80 Model I. But, this is the second strike against them. The first was financial -- I refused to pay for any more updates of Office, and downloaded Open Office onto my laptop -- and I love it.

Hank · Dec 16, 2004

If it comes down to registry editing.. I've got no problem with that 

Things that are started automatically at startup are found in:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

and

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

where "CURRENT_USER" is any user experiencing the problem. You can edit all user profiles by going to HKEY_USERS, and follow the same path for each profile.

When you get to the "Run" folder, in the right-hand pane you will see enumerated every program that is set to run at startup. If you can identify the dialer, just delete it there.