Can't connect to the Forum - Page 2

Holly Snyder · 01-23-2005, 11:00 AM

For a couple weeks I've also not been able to log off the forum through Netscape. I also just have to click on the second log out error message. I'd figured that my browser's cookies got messed up somehow, but seeing that others are having the same problem, that can't be it.

Cynthia Daniel · 01-23-2005, 01:25 PM

I checked with vBulletin, who created this forum software, and the logging off problem is a bug that they say goes away with version 3.0.6. And, I just paid $40 to have someone upgrade us to 3.0.5. The newest version came out within about a week of the 3.0.5. Groan

Mike McCarty · 01-23-2005, 01:46 PM

Why do I ever want to log off?

Cynthia Daniel · 01-23-2005, 01:53 PM

I'm not sure that you do need to. I never do. I'm fairly sure that once you close out the browser window or go to another site that one no longer shows in who's online.

Kimberly Dow · 01-27-2005, 09:07 PM

I just thought I'd let everyone know what was wrong with my computer - in case anyone else has the same problem. I was not only unable to log in here, but I couldnt type anything while online, my webiste wouldnt show the updated version, of course many pop ups and a variety of other weird small things that were going wrong.

Apparently there were over 2,000 malicious spywares, adwares, maulwares and bad software pieces. I didnt have any virus' though. I have 2 spyware programs I run all the time: Spybot & Aluria Spyware. Apparently they aren't enough - especially considering the shopping I do online. I will pick up the computer tomorrow - they have installed another couple of programs that if I run once a wekk will keep it clean. If anyone is interested in knowing which ones these computer guys recommended - let me know.

Mike McCarty · 01-27-2005, 09:17 PM

I run Ad-aware 6.0 every night (free download), I also run spybot. They usually finds 8-20 occurances of spyware every day.

About a year ago my computer was so crippled that I thought I would have to scrap it and buy a new one. I was totally ignorant of this spyware. When I finally ran Ad-aware it identified over 800 installed files and executable programs that had been loaded onto my hard drive. All this crap had left my computer unusable and I didn't know why.

Why this practice is legal is a mystery to me.

Cynthia Daniel · 01-27-2005, 10:52 PM

I tried Aluria, but after a while wasn't impressed. I now use Giant AntiSpyware and I love it. It even tells me on the spot if something is trying to change my registry file, which is what many of these spyware programs do. It recognizes names like Microsfot, but still alerts me. On others, I get the choice whether to allow it or not. I have it set up to do an automatic scan every night while I sleep. It cost about $40, but was well worth it. Previously, my computer was so junked up that I had to have my system rebuilt.

Richard Monro · 01-28-2005, 12:20 AM

Kim,

I recently had a similar problem. The source turned out to be a new anti spyware program called Webroot Spy sweeper. In its setup it automatically installed some settings that caused the problem. A change in the setup checkboxes fixed it. Have you recently installed such a program? If so I can give you some steps to fix it.

Kimberly Dow · 01-28-2005, 10:09 AM

Thank you Richard, I appreciate it. I haven't installed that program or any new ones recently though.

Kimberly Dow · 01-29-2005, 02:49 PM

Just thought I'd share this:

One of the things on my list to the computer guys was that I couldnt log on here. When he called he told me I must have been typing in www first and that it isnt necessary - and he got on fine with my computer.

Well - I tried to get this forum to come up last night when I got the computer back and couldnt. So I tried typing it every which way. With the www - without it - as portraitartist/forum, as forum/portraitartist, etc. I finally did a search on msn for 'portrait artist forum'. The first 4 results wouldnt let me on this site - as well as going through the SOG main page. Finally in the search results was the actual numbers associated with this site: 65.127....etc. Clicking on that finally worked and I saved it to Favorites real quick.

I'll never get this stuff.

Another weird thing is that on my website if I type www - an old version of my site comes up. Without the www it is the newest one, but the links to the various pages were older versions. I think I fixed it - but what is the deal with the www. I thought everything on the internet was www.