Category: Geeks r Us
Hi All,
I haven't been here forever, more computer troubles, so that's why I'm back again.
First off, I have Windows XP I use C A (CA) Internet Security Suite, including Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware & an Anti-Spam filter. The sound card isn't a stand alone, it's built right into the mother board of my computer.
When the computer starts up, the first thing it does is check for Anti-Spyware. I don't know what else is starting up with it, so I can't answer that. (These questions were all posed to me from the last post I made a while back).
This computer is a home built system just to refresh people's memories.
I took it in & had everything backed up onto my new external harddrive that I just bought.
Then the computer guy said he reinstalled everything including Windows. There was "no problems" with it according to him. He checked everything, updated & reinstalled everything as I said.
I got it home last night & it was missing my FLV player & my win.rar file compressor, so I got them both back. I connected my external harddrive & copied back a few folders. Ann Rules Crime Files, music from Seether/Saran Gas & Saliva, everything from my L&O folders, & Cold Case.
The computer abruptly stopped so I restarted it. JAW's wouldn't talk though, so I actually shut the whole thing off with the button on the front of my machine, then restarted it. It worked for a while, then shut off again, so I gave up & went to bed.
I was up at around 10 this morning & attempted to turn it on again. It turned on & I attempted to run a virus scan. I didn't run anything else, not even window's Media player, but it still decided to quit talking to me. So I turned it off & then turned it back on after a few minutes. It ran for a while, so I tried to run a virus scan again, but no dice. This time I had music on hoping it would keep JAW's from stopping, but then it just got stuck (the way one of those record players from back in the day sounds, or when a CD skips). From 1PM (eastern standard time) until now I've turned it on 7 times & had to turn it off again because JAW's wouldn't respond to me. Now it is responding so I'm wisely taking the time to write here & hoping for some help.
If anybody has any ideas or suggestions, please post!
I've already called the comp guy back & told him he can take his system back! I'll probably have it for another day, so I need advice fast.
What else do you recommend I do? Should I invest in store bought computers from now on? Do I need a new anti-virus scanner, should I call Freedom Scientific & bitch them out over JAW's? (Politely of course), what would your next move be?
Thanks.
hi,
Just my opinion here, but sounds like your hd may be dying slowly. I'm talking about the internal hd that's in the pc and not the desktop one.
I'd ask him to replace the hd and reinstall windows on it.
Hi
agree with the last poster, also remove your security suite completely, or make sure no anti virus/security thing is installed with a new set up, get Jaws running, everything working, then you can install anti virus, I recommend Avira from personal experience and Super Anti Spyware or Malware Bytes, I know these don't interfere with Jaws, but you can also see a whole topic on that on the geeks board "favorite anti virus" I thik the topic is.
I do not know about CA, but it is vaguely possible the anti virus is messing with Jaws, espespecially if Jaws was set up with that program turned on, there are issues sometimes with that.
And, yes, go with store bought in future, I've had a few home built computers, this one works, but I chose the components and worked with my friend to have everything set up, I once had a guy build a computer for me and I was never really able to use it properly.
Cheers and good luck, it's incredibly annoying when these things don't work, only then do you realize how addictedyou are to them, well, speaking for myself anyway.
-B
I personally think that you're having virus with your external hard drive. since you were saying that it stopped working only after copying things from that one.
or otherwise, the hard drive is dying. which is inside to your deskttop.
Raaj.
AVira is a great anti virus program and works well with jaws.
CA products are typically a henderence with Access technology.
Hmm i wonder if Jaws isn't an "allowed" program with your Anti Virus/Firewall suite. I would uninstall teh anti virus suite first and if problem presist uninstall jaws and re install it. If problems persist its either your HDD dieing or you copied over a virus from your external HDD. If you have access to another working computer, I would connect my external to it and scann it for viruses. Also never hand any issues with home made vs store bought computers. And to be honest its all the same parts in them anyways so it doesn't make a difference. the big brands buy parts in bulk and thus get a better price hence why they can sell you one for less.
I agree with the people who say that your HD is dying. I'd also say get avira and super anti spyware, and see if that fixes it.
You might also wanna try spinright, but be awhere that it's not a free program, and you'll need sighted help to run it as it runs in dos mode. That may solve your harddrive troubles if it's recoverable. What the program does is salvage or atempt to salvage bad sectors on a drive. Just know that the larger your c drive is, the longer the program takes to do it's thing. You can ither run it from a floppy disk, or burn the iso of spinright to a cd that will then be bootable. Hope that will help ya.
Ok, thanks everybody.
So go through the process again? I'm asking because like I said, everything's already been re-installed. I just got the computer back from him after having everything reinstalled.
He says the computer system itself, including motherboard/soundcard, harddrive, etc is working fine.
He also says that I will always have problems with viruses & there's nothing I can do about it. He makes it sound like it's a "fact of life" that blind people just have to deal with.
I'm guessing from everything you guys have written that that is in fact, not the case.
No, your computer should work fine. Viruses do not install themselves, you ahve to actively surf the net, open an attachment etc to get them, and with virus protection that does not mess with Jaws they won't be a problem.
He is wrong, he needs to uninstall the CA anti virus suite completely, let you install Jaws without anti virus running, see if it makes a difference. If Jaws works normally without CA installed, you know that anti virus was messing with your system, then downloas Avira or Nod32 or AVG, and either Super Anti Spyware or Malware Bytes Anti Malware and you will be protected against viruses without compromising your Jaws (you'll have to run scans yourself, I can walk you through it if this works). If you have the same issues once you've installed Jaws without anti virus, call FS and ask if there are any known problems with the motherboard you have with the built in soundcard, if not, I suggest you tell him to take the thing back and you go with a store bought computer, because there's got to be some hardware issue somewhere. If you pay for a built computer you should get it in working shape, Jaws does not mess so much with PCs that it can be used an excuse for the system not working. I've owned 5 or 6 PCs and always gotten Jaws to work very efficiently with them.
Good luck.
-B
Avast Anti Virus 4 Proffessional works a treat with JAWS. Avast gives you audible alarm warnings if any viruses, trojans or spyware manages to get through your router and Windows Firewall since your router's a firewall in its own right iff you're on a secure Wireless Broadband network. When you want to run a scan or remove infected files, data, spyware Etc, the simple user interface and no skins is just a series of checkboxes and list views, very screenreader friendly and easy to navigate and manage. Although things like Mcafee look like they mean serious business, they don't with JAWS. Don't even go there with JAWS either. A maze of clickable graphics, hidden dialogues and crappola's of no use to a screenreader user, what so ever unless you're on a laptop and right mouse button's a sure fire way to get the most out of those horrible sighted applications. Also, I'd download Malwarebytes anti malware and run a full scan. This is free although you do have the option to buy it if you wish. Also, malware could be the reason the computer's playing up, although having said that, my soundcard on this Dell Studio 1537 sometimes crashes in the way you described above and I've only had this laptop 5 months since January 22nd 2009 just 4 days after we ordered it direct from the manufacturer.
Jen.
Avast is fine if you've got the stuff to run it. I had it on my desktop and it slowed the thing down so much it wasn't even funny. Put Avira on it, and it ran like a charm. Plus, Avira gives you constant protection, not just when you run a scan.
Ok, thank you all for your info, I really appreciate it! I haven't been able to get back here until now since I couldn't get my computer to work.
Thanks again, & if there's anything you've forgotten, I can always use more advice. If not, this is great & will be very useful!
Thanks again!