-=PCTechTalk=- Re: a*d*ult links I cannot get rid of !!!! and other stuff

Hi Madeleine,
    There's not much anyone can do to keep it out of your email (it's Spam,
after all), but I can tell you that the Desktop link keeps appearing because
of a command that the initial "oops" stored in your registry.  You won't be
able to get rid of it until that registry key is deleted.  The next time it
appears, let us know the full title of the link (if it's too embarrassing,
just send it to me privately).  I'll send you instructions on how to search
the registry for it.  Once it's found, you can let me know the full name of
the key to make sure it's not something you need.  If all goes well, I'll
give you the go-ahead to hit the Delete button and you'll be rid of it.
:O)

    As for the non-functional Floppy drive, it sounds like the tech may have
disabled it in the BIOS.  Why he/she would do that is beyond me, but it's
not difficult to do accidentally (i.e. carelessly).  It could also be that
the data (and/or power) cable running from the mainboard to the drive isn't
seated properly, but this will usually cause the BIOS to warn you with beeps
and a message telling you that the floppy drive cannot be found (or
something similar) before booting into Windows.  For this reason, I'll start
below with my first hunch.


    As the computer is just starting to boot up, look for the command that
gives access to the system's "Setup".  It'll usually say something like "DEL
FOR SETUP", "PRESS F1 TO ENTER SETUP", etc. near the bottom left side of the
screen.  The word "SETUP" may be replaced with the word BIOS or CMOS, so be
aware of that.  As soon as you can react to it, press the key it mentions.
You have a very short amount of time before the key is disabled, so you'll
have to act fast.  If you're too slow and it gets to that "Starting Windows"
message, immediately do a CTRL+ALT+DEL to reboot the computer again.  This
won't hurt the computer, but it may cause Scandisk to run the next time it
boots into the OS.

    If you're fast enough, it should open up the main menu of the BIOS after
a couple seconds.  To move inside a subcategory (one of the items listed on
the main screen), just use the arrow keys to select it and then press the
ENTER key.  If you decide to change a setting, write down the original
setting and its location first.  This will allow you to easily reverse
anything you do in here.  When you're finished working with or looking over
a subcategory, press the ESC key to go back to the main screen. if you
happen to be in a sub-sub-category (one inside another), press ESC once to
return to the sub-category, twice to return to the main screen.  The BIOS
will remember any and all of the changes you make until you tell it to
either "SAVE CHANGES AND REBOOT" or "IGNORE CHANGES AND REBOOT".  Those two
commands are part of the main screen and will do exactly what they say
they'll do if you select one of them and press the ENTER key.  If you're not
sure of anything you've done, you can always tell it to ignore the changes,
reboot and go right back into the BIOS.  It'll be as though you've never
even been there before.

    Having said all that, go into the very first subcategory and see if the
floppy drive is listed among the other drives.  It should be shown as a 3½"
or 5¼" drive, depending on what she has installed.  If it shows the A:\
drive as "Not Installed", you'll need to follow the instructions at the
bottom of the screen to figure out how to change it.  In my own BIOS, I have
to use the PgUp and PgDn keys to scroll through any item's options.
Different BIOS' use different keyboard commands to move around them, so I
don't want to give you directions that may not work for the one you'll have
in front of you.            :O)

    If you find that the floppy is already represented properly in that
first subcategory, you'll have to go hunting for another line that controls
the Floppy drive somewhere else within the BIOS.  I'm not positive which
category it's in, but one of the lines under one of the other subcategories
turns the "floppy drive missing" warning on and off.  You want to make sure
that it's turned on so that it does beep and create a warning on the screen
during bootup.  If you find that you're following these instructions because
the drive was already set up right in the first subcategory, it means the
drive isn't connected properly inside the computer case.  This means you'll
also have to open up the case, reseat the power cable and BOTH ends of the
floppy ribbon cable (being very careful to not accidentally dislodge the
other ribbon cables from the mainboard) and then try booting up the system
and testing the floppy drive.  I would leave the case cover off at this
point, just in case you need to get inside it again.  If all goes well, all
of the drives will work and you'll be able to shut down Windows, replace the
case cover and wish your friend goodbye.  If it doesn't work, recheck all of
your work.  If it still doesn't work, you can look around the BIOS some more
to see if there are any additional lines having to do with disabling the
floppy.

    Of course, if everything fails to produce any results, the drive itself
may have passed on to that great server in the sky.  The only thing to do
then would be to replace the drive.

Peace,
GMan

PCTT Owner

----- Original Message -----
From: "ArmChairPaintClasses/Madeleine Jacobs"
<info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <pctechtalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, April 21, 2003 9:21 AM
Subject: -=PCTechTalk=- a*d*ult links I cannot get rid of !!!! and other
stuff



I try, I really do, not to click on anything that might even be a problem,
but I must have unwittingly done something that keeps an A*d*ult link in my
site. No matter how I set up a filter the blasted stuff keeps getting into
my email. My! Are they persistant! After I delete the link from my desk top
and elsewhere, it's gone for a day and pops back up when I least expect it.
I've tried looking for the program, (but there doesn't seem to be any)
cleaning my cache and all sorts of things. How does one remove this without
wiping out my entire computer! I'm so frustrated because I could scream
because I dont' want this on my computer, LOL. But lucky, lucky me, it
appears to be there to stay :(

Also, if someone has done something to an A drive, (sorry I cannot be more
specific as I"ve not seen this computer and have only heard that the local
'repairman' had done something to make using her floppy impossible) and this
person cannot save to a floppy, how does one repair that so that they might
do so again?

Thanks again :)
Madeleine


To unsub or change your email settings:
http://www.freelists.org/webpage/pctechtalk

To access our Archives:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PCTechTalk/messages/
http://www.freelists.org/archives/pctechtalk/

For more info:
http://www.freelists.org/cgi-bin/list?list_id=pctechtalk

Other related posts: