IT Queries: Computer problems answered

I have 57 computers (individually owned)that share a satellite internet system that was personally purchased. The internet is running slower than expected. We discovered that some of the individuals use peer-to-peer (ie vuze, limewire). Is this primary cause for our problems?

Satellite Internet connections are always tricky beasts and it’s likely your network is pushing the limits of this technology.

That said, it is possible those peer-to-peer services are affecting your service as they are permanently connected to their network and are frequently moving files to and from users’ systems, even when the individuals aren’t actively using the programs.

So it’s best to ban these programs if you’re concerned about the traffic on the network, there’s also a few security issues and possible legal problems involved as well. A good network administrator or computer tech can configure your router to block most of the access to these services, although smart users will find a way around those blocks.

From your description, it sounds like a residential network. So if you have teenagers using these programs, you’ll probably struggle to keep them off the network. You might want to sit down with your users to discuss the problem so they understand the issues involved.

What is indexing?

Indexing is noting the names and contents of files so it’s easier to find them later. It’s like the index of a book where you can quickly look up which pages a word, name or phrase appears rather than reading the whole book.

In the computer world and on the Internet, indexing speeds up looking for things as the process of searching through millions of websites or folders for your search would be painfully slow.

On Windows computers, there is the Indexing Service which was designed by Microsoft to speed up search. Unfortunately it never really worked that well and we recommend disabling it.

Overall, Indexing is a good thing as it makes life easier for us in the Information economy. It isn’t foolproof though and if it’s poorly done it can cause problems.

I am using an Intel P4 HT 3.0GHz, ASUS P5SD2-VM motherboard and a 512Mb of DDR2 RAM. All the games I run on my PC, even the lightest game e.g. IGI, GTA Vice City etc, jerk and swap greatly. I even tried to share about 256Mb of my RAM with the Internal VGA chip SIS Mirage 3, but the performance remains the same. Please try to solve this problem.

The problem is your system has an inadequate graphics card. The built in SIS car isn’t really capable of much beyond basic computing which is fine for doing email, most web surfing and office application but hopeless for anything that puts demands on the video capabilities.

Your best bet is to install a third party graphics card, according to the ASUS website this motherboard can fit one PCI-e expansion card. Consult your local computer technician on the right card to install, list the games you want to play so the most suitable card can be selected.

XP Professional, Version 2002, 2.80GHz running Firefox. After connecting and browsing for less than 15 Min’s, there becomes no response as if the signal had gone. pages will not load, emails cannot be sent. Lights on usb device still flash blue and task bar icon states very good signal. This continues frequently.

Will this be a computer problem or a wireless device problem?

The problem is almost certainly a driver issue. The software supplied on many Internet Providers’ disks is often outdated or simply buggy and this is very frequently the case with Bigpond.

To fix this first download the latest drivers for your wireless broadband equipment from the Bigpond website. Note where you have saved the downloaded files so you can use them later.

Once you’ve downloaded the drivers, unplug the USB modem from your system and go to Add/Remove programs and uninstall all Bigpond software along with anything referring to Maxon or Sierra software and drivers.

Restart your computer without the wireless modem plugged in and install the software you downloaded earlier. During the installation you may be asked to plug the device in, otherwise leave it disconnected.

When you’ve finished installing the updated software, restart the computer and once the computer is running, plug the device in. It should be detected as a USB wireless device and the Bigpond connection manager should start. Fill in the required details and you should be connected.

Emails that I send out in Microsoft Outlook are received by others with just “Peter” in the From column of their In Box. Also, the email itself shows just “Peter + my email address at the top.

How do I change this to “Peter Kowaltzke” OR something else ??? Could you help me please.

Fixing this is relatively straightword. It’s a matter of changing the setting in the mail account. Open Outlook, choose the Tools menu and select E-mail Accounts.

In the E-mail Accounts screen choose View or change existing e-mail accounts, select your email account and click the change button.

Under User Information, change your name there. Click Next and Finish then restart Outlook for the new name to take effect.

Hi,I received an email, that indicates the receiver’s name in my yahoo email as my mom’s first and last name and it states as the subject xxx xxxxx says you should see this video clip.
xxx xxxxx thinks you will really like this YouTube Video. Check it out! Sender From : xxx xxxxx

I clicked on the “Check it out” button unknowingly thinking it really was from my mom and it led me to some unusual webpage with a cartoon-like picture and didn\’t seem like a YouTube webpage,and I quickly escaped and clicked close. I then realised may after all not be from my mom and and I verified with her and she said she did not send me that email. I am very afraid it is some kind of a scam or virus attack, pls advise what I should do now!

You’re right to be concerned as this is a classic Trojan horse attack which is aimed at infecting your computer and there is a risk you’ve been infected. You should follow our Removing a Trojan instructions and if you are still concerned, call a computer technician.

I am running windows 7 ultimate, and installed office 2003. I use outlook for my emails, but when I connect to myInternet service provider (ISP) to retrieve messages from a Post Office Protocol 3 (POP3) server, my password is not retained even though I chose to save the password. Entering the correct password again does not resolve the issue. I have tried deleting that account and redoing it, but I still have the same trouble. Also when some friends sent pictures they come in as attachments rather than on the email. I asked it they pasted onto the email or sent as attachments but they have said that they sent it pasted on the email. Is there is a setting that I must change to fix this?

This is a difficult problem as there’s a number of settings that affect how Windows and Outlook retain passwords. The first thing is to visit the Microsoft Update site and make sure both Windows and Office are updated with the latest patches and service packs. Sometimes you have to repeat the process a number of times so keep visiting the update site until you’re told there are no more critical updates.

Once you’ve fully updated your computer, reboot and see if the problem has gone away. If not, open Outlook, choose Tools from the menu bar and select options . In the Options window, select Security.

In the Security settings, select the Zone Settings box. You’ll be prompted about the fact you’re about to change security settings, click OK.

The box that will then open is the Internet Options windows. Select Local intranet and click the custom level button.

Security Settings – Local Intranet Zone will then appear. Scroll to the bottom of the list to User Authentication and tick the Automatic logon with current user name and password. Click okay until you’re back to Outlook, shut down Outlook and reboot your computer.

On rebooting, you’ll be asked for your password one more time, make sure the Remember this password box is ticked and the problem should go away.