The General "Computer Issues" Thread

[Michael24]

Semi-computer related, but does anybody know how to get Yahoo's "search assist" feature to stay turned off? I hate it popping up every time I'm using Yahoo. I click on the off option, but the next time I start a new browsing session it still pops up! I even stay logged into Yahoo, but that doesn't help either. I looked around in my settings and stuff, but didn't see anything. Anybody?

 

[defunctzombie]

That's got to be a cookie thing. Does your browser dump the cookies after you exit? If not, try baking a new cookie for yahoo.

Last resort, if messing with the settings doesn't work, there's always the option of searching through your browser. Firefox lets you turn off suggestions.

 

[Shawn Hopkins]

Semi-computer related, but does anybody know how to get Yahoo's "search assist" feature to stay turned off? I hate it popping up every time I'm using Yahoo. I click on the off option, but the next time I start a new browsing session it still pops up! I even stay logged into Yahoo, but that doesn't help either. I looked around in my settings and stuff, but didn't see anything. Anybody?

You've probably tried this, but just in case:

How can I disable Search Assist?
Note that you must be signed in to Yahoo! to have the Search Assist setting saved for the next time you use Yahoo! Search.
To disable Search Assist from the Yahoo! homepage:

1. Click the arrow below the Search box to expand Search Assist.
2. Select Off.

To disable Search Assist from a Yahoo! Search results page:

1. Click the arrow below the Search box to expand Search Assist.
2. Click Settings.
3. At “Select how often Search Assist suggestions are shown” select Never.

 

[Michael24]

^Oops. Thanks. I did get it to work.

New question: I got a brand new computer for Christmas (w/Windows 7) and for some reason animated GIFs do not work when I open them. If I open them with Firefox or IE they work fine. But when I try to view them in the Windows Photo Viewer, it just shows a stationary image. Do I need a plug-in or something?

 

[defunctzombie]

Nope, that's good ol' Microsoft's way of telling you to quit using gifs and use their image formats instead. I was REALLY mad when I found that out.

 

[Michael24]

So I'm simply out of luck then? I'll just have to use an Internet browser when I want to view one?

 

[defunctzombie]

Windows Photo Viewer will open .gif pictures, but it will not recognize animations. You can have WPV as the default program to open it, but if you want to see it move you'll have to use Firefox or some other browser. I really have no idea why they took it out.

 

[Michael24]

Darn. Okay. Thanks for the info, though. I certainly didn't think it would be something like that. Interesting.

 

[ThisGuyTony]

I was uploading a picture to my Facebook account when all of a sudden I got a message that said- "Internet Explorer has closed this web page to help protect your computer.

A malfunctioning or malicious add-on has caused Internet Explorer to close this web page."

Anyone know what this could be? I'm using Internet Explorer 8 and am using a Windows Vista computer.

 

[defunctzombie]

Run a virus scan just to be sure, and maybe go through and remove any add-ons that you don't need.

If it happens again, the problem may be with Facebook's picture uploader (in which case, report it to FB).

 

[Rainbow Sharpie]

Hey guys, it's Rainy here on the Toonzone forum app on my IPod touch. (Works great, btw!)

Yep, my Acer Aspire laptop finally blew out after 2 years - the monitor went, and all the tech heads say once the monitor blows out, you're screwed over.

Since the only games I play are Sims 3 and the Internet flash based (Neopets and Gaia), I was wondering, should I get a desktop Mac? Not a MacBook, but a desktop Mac. A woman at Best Buy told me that they last up to ten years with good care.

Recommendations for a desktop? Since I play Sims, it has to be Intel based.

RS

Sent from my iPod touch using toonzone

 

[Beefy]

Yep, my Acer Aspire laptop finally blew out after 2 years - the monitor went, and all the tech heads say once the monitor blows out, you're screwed over.

Define "blew out". Was there a flash, a pop, and smoke? Or did the screen just stop lighting up? If you connect an external monitor to the laptop do you get an image?

Any "tech head" worth their weight could tell you that replacing the screen on a laptop isn't that difficult (if they know what they're doing) and costs much less than buying a new computer.

As far as buying a Mac, some computer brands have better track records than others, but any computer can fail if it's mistreated. Macs aren't immune from hardware failure.

 

[defunctzombie]

Getting a Mac can depend less on what you do with your computer and more on how attached you are to the PC model. Using a Mac for the first time can be REALLY confusing if you aren't familiar with it. Do any of your libraries or schools have a Mac that you can try out? Go play for a while on one and make sure it's really what you want.

(I'm not bashing Macs, BTW. )

 

[Rainbow Sharpie]

Define "blew out". Was there a flash, a pop, and smoke? Or did the screen just stop lighting up? If you connect an external monitor to the laptop do you get an image?

As far as buying a Mac, some computer brands have better track records than others, but any computer can fail if it's mistreated. Macs aren't immune from hardware failure.

I was on the internet for literally a minute, then a blue screen popped up.

I can't recall the whole message, but the gist of the message was:

"BAD_POOL_HEADER

If first time you see this message, restart your computer."

At the bottom of the message, a countdown was showing me how many seconds until the PC dumped all of it's physical memory.

Since this was the first time I saw the message, I did a hard reboot (holding the power button until it turned off, then turned it back on). While the laptop went on, the screen didn't show anything, and I didn't hear the hard drive start up.

Keep in mind I never dropped or split anything on my laptop, and yes I had a USB cooling fan plugged in at all times.

(I'm aware Macs aren't perfect either, but I meant to ask if they were a good investment. My cousins own MacBooks and my middle school library has Macs, so I am aware of how they work.)

Sent from my iPod touch using toonzone

 

[Beefy]

I was on the internet for literally a minute, then a blue screen popped up.

I can't recall the whole message, but the gist of the message was:

"BAD_POOL_HEADER

If first time you see this message, restart your computer."

At the bottom of the message, a countdown was showing me how many seconds until the PC dumped all of it's physical memory.

Since this was the first time I saw the message, I did a hard reboot (holding the power button until it turned off, then turned it back on). While the laptop went on, the screen didn't show anything, and I didn't hear the hard drive start up.

I thought you meant it was the screen that was damaged.
If you don't even hear the drive spin up when you power it on, then things do look grim.

As a former Mac user myself, I can offer a few tips:
1) Make sure you take inventory of what programs you use on the PC and see if there's a Mac equivalent. This isn't too much of a worry these days as the new Intel Macs offer ways to run Windows either in a dual-boot or a virtual machine configuration.
2) As long as Apple doesn't change CPU vendors again in the near future like when they went from IBM to Intel, you should be safe. (They really left the PowerPC CPU users out in the cold.)
3) Macs are harder to buy hardware upgrades for. Don't plan on upgrading the video card or monitor on the iMac. You're kind of stuck with the configuration you initially pick, so choose wisely.
4) You pay a premium for Mac hardware. A PC with similar specs will cost less.

If you feel comfortable with the above, then go with a Mac. They are really nice if they do everything you want them to.

 

[Spideyzilla]

The quotation button on my Mac keeps giving me an apostrophe e. Here is me hitting the apostrophe button. è That is what I get. Also, I have an essay due Monday. Please tell me you know what this is.

 

[Aquadementia]

The quotation button on my Mac keeps giving me an apostrophe e. Here is me hitting the apostrophe button. è That is what I get. Also, I have an essay due Monday. Please tell me you know what this is.

The modern computer has move beyond logic, to guess work.


Is your ALT button stuck?

Otherwise, try resetting it to English.
http://www.wikihow.com/Change-the-Keyboard-Language-of-a-Mac

 

[Spideyzilla]

The modern computer has move beyond logic, to guess work.


Is your ALT button stuck?

Otherwise, try resetting it to English.
http://www.wikihow.com/Change-the-Keyboard-Language-of-a-Mac

It worked. Thanks!

 

[Hanshotfirst1138]

The CD drive on my computer won't close. If is shut it manually or with the button the keyboard, it reopens. I can't see anything stuck in it.

 

[defunctzombie]

Laptop or desktop? I've never had a problem like that happen before.