When in doubt repair your Toshiba XP laptop with Windows 2000

Had an interesting run in with XP Home today. We started early this morning and wound up healed around 5:30pm. Trying to replace corrupted files on a laptop is nightmare and this bad dream was further enhanced by not having the original restore disks. Please find your important software and put it in a safe place. Ended up using a Windows 2000 upgrade disk and ran an install on top of the XP Home partition. Hey, both are based on the NT5 kernel. Guess what? It worked! No data was lost and the missing files were re-written into the original OS installation. At least we now know that it works on late model Toshiba laptops. If you think this sounds like some kind of cyber spell, the voodoo chicken dance we did as it booted was wayyy over the edge! Ahhhh, Windows. Amazing...

"Common sense and a sense of humor are the same thing, moving at different speeds. A sense of humor is just common sense, dancing."
-William James

Have I said this before?!?!? - Spyware sucks!

The Look2Me and Dealhelper links are posted. It amazes me that new spyware keeps showing up. A pox on all of them. Just plain evil. Bet their dogs are wormy. Get SpyBot Search and Destroy, read the tutorial, install it and lock the host files, your homepage and the IE tools. These utilities are located in the advanced mode. Be sure and update. These procedures will help keep out the bad guys.

Get in touch with your Congresspeople and raise holy hell about the enormous problem spyware has become in our nation. We need to shut them down. ALL of them.

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
-Edmund Burke (1729 - 1797)

Is this land our land?

Sonya, from Tishomingo County, sent a really funny link -> JibJab. Turn up your volume and go click on the picture. Do it quickly because there is quite a brawl going on and this may not stay up long. There is some profanity, but this is political satire at its best. Pokes fun at both Kerry and Bush. See today's post by timothy at Slashdot for more information on the controversy. The article title is Your Rights Online: Parody or Satire? Threat to Sue JibJab. Some bumpkins just don't have a sense of humor.

Got to get back to my shark show on the Discovery TV. Why do these animals fascinate me? Think my knowing several during the course of my life has something to do with it?

"The wise man in the storm prays God, not for safety from danger, but for deliverance from fear."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson, Journals, 1833

New spyware removal and regedit tools

Here are links that will help with DealHelper removal -> Symantec and Kephyr. Be sure and read both before starting the registry edit. If you feel uncomfortable fumbling around in the registry, go to a professional. You can bring your personal confuser to a screeching halt if you make mistakes editing the registry. These are great instructions, but follow them carefully.

Now for a Look2Me removal link -> PCHell. They have a removal tool link listed, but I opted for the regedit. The removal tool is actually on Look2Me's site and these are the jerks that installed this malware! This is really nasty stuff and will annoy the the living hell out of you. PCHell also has more links to aide and assist in this malware removal.

Links will be listed permanently in the next few days. Good luck!

"If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there'd be a shortage of fishing poles."
-Doug Larson

It's late and I'm not thinking in hex or binary

Can't believe that no one commented on yesterday's post. Not a lot of folks from Utah coming here, I guess. Still, it embarrasses me that Orbit Hatch is a Republican. Anyway, this type of legislation is dangerous. We stopped Hitler in WWII. Let's keep such jerks subdued.

Please defragment you PC. Try to do it every two weeks or when making a major change in hard drive content or structure. Redoing two PCs. One hasn't bee defragged in a year and the other almost 3 years! Took almost 4 hours for the last one to finish.

Still working on the links and rant about new spyware problems. Will try and post before the week is out. Also looking at some freeware/shareware that are trojan removal and prevention tools.

"The only disability in life is a bad attitude."
-Scott Hamilton

Orrin visited Hollywood and they force fed him the liberal-monk up yo' head drug they require you to take at the city limits maybe?

The Good Lord knows that Mississippi has its share of problems. Haley Barbour, our Republican governor, has done more to further the Democratic party than any combination of great Democrats over the last 50-100 years. Goes to show there can be rotten apples in any barrel. But, while eating this dish of crow let me share something that makes me proud of our great state. We didn't elect Orrin Hatch to office. What the hell were you thinking about Utah?!?!?!!! This man is a blithering idiot of the nth order! Please do something about this ego driven fool of a Senator and stop this Nazi like 'Induce' bill he is advocating. Don't you realize our freedom is at stake? They want to ban the manufacture and use of Apple iPods, Creative Nomads, etc., for starters. This buffoon is a minion of the RIAA. Much akin to Gollum's affiliation with Sauron. Curb that pet dog Leahy from Vermont too. Maple syrup is NOT served at the beach house. Folks, this is VERY SERIOUS stuff! Read about it at Wired.

"We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was "legal" and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was "illegal."
-Martin Luther King, Jr.

Windows 2000 re-install and a Music Hag

Don of Belmont is doing a re-install of Windows 2000 with an upgrade disk. You need the upgrade version in order to overwrite existing Windoze files while retaining other data. Here's a great site that helps explain all this -> TechRepublic.

Still working on a post about healing personal confusers infected with DealHelper and Look2Me malware. Somebody needs to gut shoot one of these clowns and let him die slowly in front of all other dungware aficionados. There are several great sites that post removal tips and registry hacks. Just Google.

Poor, Poor, Pitiful Me is probably what Linda Ronstadt is singing. She's a discredit to our country and an insult to the above mentioned song written by a hero of mine, Warren Zevon. Read about it at The Union Leader. Should we encourage everyone to steal her music off the internet? Lose some weight Linda (especially in the mouth area), and stop bashing our President.

"Tis better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than open one's mouth and remove all doubt."
-Samuel Johnson

Another browser and beware the bad guys

Okay, I am in search for an alternative browser and have become a junkie. Trying on a browser called Deepnet Explorer. So far it's okay and will report further after it has been used for several days. It does have an awesome P2P interface for those that aren't quaking in fear of the RIAA music Nazis. Let's see music sales are at an all time high and these creeps still exist? Makes one want to stop trying to understand human nature.

Please be aware of Beagle's warning yesterday over at Southernphried. Has to do with the new variants of the beagle/bagel/bagle virii. AVG Antivirus's parent company, Grisoft, has a removal tool posted. It works.

Time to hit the trail and be productive. Find time to compliment someone today.

"Candor is a compliment; it implies equality. It's how true friends talk."
-Peggy Noonan

I read the news today, oh boy (and it's not too bad)

There are several Universities that one should not attend. They have given in to the Nazis at the RIAA. The article is at The Register.

Although I am NOT a supporter of Steve Jobs and proprietary, cost extravagant downloads, it is neat that Duke is giving incoming freshmen Apple iPods. Check out this story at newsobserver.com

USAToday posted this article - Weight gain midyears link to memory loss later. Wow, am I stepping in it or what?

Please read the latest post (July 19) by wampus33 over at Southernphried. Great article about our native language. Shame on you John Deere.

Go out and dance sometime today. Even if in private. Free your spirit this Tuesday. Gonna' boogalu outta' here!

"Remember, Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, but backwards and in high heels."
-Faith Whittlesey

Spyware, Adware or Dungware? They are one and the same!!!

While surfing to find a registry hack or removal tool for Dealhelper malware I ran across an interesting post from December 2003, over at Slashdot. ALL DELL USERS should read this post about Dell & spyware. Very enlightening. Sorta' like the HP and Wild Tangent mistake.

Anyone running across this Dealhelper dungware should be very careful and do a thorough job of removing. It is a 'hit and run' piece of spyware plus it keeps coming back like a cyber stomach cramp on a hot day. Users not familiar with proper removal procedures need to call in professionals. I am in the process of cleaning a PC with several tools and will post a report on my findings. This sleaze has been out there for a while, but this is my first experience with removing it.

Why do these things exist? Just to prove evil is still running rampant? People at Dealhelper and all other dungware factories; go back to hell where you belong!!

"People that work for spyware companies have to look up to see a snake's belly."
-Billy Wobblynife

Priorities

First I lose the cable remote control, then the garage door clicker disappears, a wheel falls apart on the barbecue grill, the 'leadsled' air conditioner quits working and now the wheel has come off the riding lawn mower. Screw TV, cooking, getting in the garage and riding comfortably - that wheel is going back on that lawn mower! A man must know his limitations and priorities. Sometimes life serves you lemons and you make rum and coke with a twist of lemon. Enough whining.

Interesting poll over at Slashdot today. Use the Comments here and let me know how you voted or your opinion and then I'll reveal my vote. Good site that packs a lot of info pertinent to things techno.

To all the idiot terrorists - let me give you real targets. Seek out and find the headquarters of CoolWWWSearch, Incredifind, DealHelper, Gator/Claria/Gain/CMES or whatever their name is today and the rest of the spyware dungheaps then use your "influence" on these worshippers of the Dark One. Yes, for the first time in your life do something constructive and useful. Spyware Jihad!! (Cold chance in hell they'll listen; two peas in a pod)

"Thus the metric system did not really catch on in the States, unless you count the increasing popularity of the nine-millimeter bullet."
-Dave Barry

Weather

The weather has wreaked havoc with internet connectivity in this area. Must attend to things lifewise and cyberwise. Everyone hang in there...weather changes like the flow of apple and microsmooze.

"Advice to children crossing the street: damn the lights. Watch the cars. The lights ain't never killed nobody."
-Moms Mabley

DragonFly in this heat?

Heard about a new flavor of BSD? Interested? It's called DragonFlyBSD. The also have an online Digest which is a blog devoted to activities of this Unix based operating system. Think about it. It's time for everyone to start looking at alternatives. Microsoft proved last month that they don't care whether you are secure online or not. Check out Infoworld about the woes of Internet Explorer. With all their 'firepower' it took them a month to issue an Internet Explorer patch? Just go to Google and type in Linux. 111,000,000 results will happen.

Time to hit the grind on this extremely hot and humid day. Last week everyone was complaining about the rain and now they wish it was back! Watching the Sun rise one can detect a faint mist in the air. Today will be very hot and smothering. As the summer marches on we will most likely see a gruesome August. Yes, this is the Deep South. I love it!

"To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring."
-George Santayana

All is not warm and fuzzy in cyberworld

Just finished reading and commenting on the Ashby Rhett Culpepper, III, latest post at Southernphried. Strong writing about a subject that is at the front of the cybernews stand: Internet Explorer's failure to patch known security flaws and Mozilla's increase in downloads. Check it out. Interesting angle on an important subject. Made me think.

On Saturday the 3rd (see archives over at Southernphried) iRiS said this in a comment "What I think would help G4 the most right now is to listen to their viewers, re-instate The Screensavers, have shows based on something other than games, and get their head out of their ***." This is in reference to Comcast's recent butchering of G4TechTV. And I wholeheartedly agree. This merger of a very weak channel, G4, with an outstanding channel, TechTV, is downright sinful. One of the worst decisions ever seen and it was possibly made by baboons sitting around a table in a board room buried somewhere in a bunker beneath a Comcast building.

I cling to the hope that at least a remnant of The Screensavers will last, but it looks very, very, doubtful. Comcast board member monkeyboys, you suck! Can't something be done about these evil cretins? Family members, I call on you! Take their bananas away until they stop throwing monkey poop on the TV viewers of America. It's for sure these simians never read today's quotation...

"Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value."
-Albert Einstein

Lionel said it best

It's a beautiful Sunday with no rain this morning. Not opting for church today, but will do a lot of praying. Seems I do not ask for material things anymore, just forgiveness for stupid mistakes and courage to stand by my convictions. Want to keep the arrival lecture with St. Peter somewhat short. Oops, sorry, had to stop and pray again about getting to the lecture.

Later today, it will be time to slip into my YardBoy costume and do exciting stuff like weed eating, spraying RoundUp in the ditch to kill weeds, use the push mower on top of the storm house, clean the garage, do battle with the evil smelly thing that resides in the southwest corner of said garage and so forth. Hey, my morning meds are taken and the Aleve and coffee are working so I shall approach the day with the gusto of a hound-dawg. For a while anyway. Until it gets really hot. Or starts raining. Won't make a lot of noise this morning due to the close proximity of a church.

K, back to meditation and prayer. Everyone have a super Sunday and be careful out there in the world. Don't let the grinches scare you!

"Well, I'm Easy, Easy like Sunday Morning"
-Lionel Ritchie, with the Commodores

Sane Saturday so far...

An early morning service call started this day off. Virus infection across a 9 computer network. Really kewl client (they sell boats!) and help was needed immediately so it was a call of duty thangy. Came home, helped Michelle on the phone with a Windows 2000 problem and then mowed de beach house lawn. Time for a refreshing beverage and it's beast roasting night. Ahhhhh, sometimes life is just sweet. Besides, sleep last night was awesome. Here's hoping dreams come true, lol.

Everyone have a super weekend. If you are driving, please be careful. Watch out for the other dude/dudette.

"Character is higher than intellect."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Gmail Invitations

Google has been nice enough to permit me 6 invitations for others to join gmail. These things are selling on eBay like hotcakes! I am willing to give them away to individual users. Please, no spammers, porno sites, etc. Just email me your addy.

It's early, I need coffee and it's gonna' be a long Friday. Consider your fellow man's feelings today and if you are normally an ass, do something that'll make you better. Be nice.

"So often time it happens, we all live our life in chains, and we never even know we have the key."
-The Eagles, Already Gone

Mighty Mozilla and Microsoft neglected Internet Explorer

Just a day or so after the bruhaha over Microstupor's long awaited Internet Explorer patch and many articles about how it doesn't work (see this link) now we have a another problem. Mozilla has issued a security update. Unlike Microsoft, the opensource crew has immediately issued a simple to install Patch. Just click here. Read the Newsforge article about this easily corrected problem and find out it is actually part of the Internet Explorer picture. This patch installs in seconds, literally.

Sometimes plugins are needed for Mozilla and Firefox, but the solutions have been quick and painless. These are neat, free, easy to install and use browsers. About the only thing that I can find wrong is that they are tied to AOL in some weird symbiotic relationship. It's possibly AOhell's way of being a thorn in Microsnooze's side? Opensource advocates will overcome any sticky connections due to their intense dislike of cyberthings being exploited. I am on this bandwagon.

"If life was fair, Elvis would be alive and all the impersonators would be dead."
-Johnny Carson

Poor, pitiful MPAA and a real patch for Internet Explorer

Cmdr Taco over at Slashdot posted an article concerning the 'poor' members of the MPAA having to suffer through a record breaking June, 2004, box office of over 1 billion dollars! That's only a 14% increase over the reported box office of June, 2003. Read more about it at BBC News. The Motion Picture Association of America is one of the more recent converts to the dark lords over at the RIAA. Have I mentioned that there is a rumor going around the web that there is a picture of Hitler on the wall in the board room of these music mafiosos?

Microsoft finally patched the Internet Explorer problem. Have you checked Windows Updates? Seems there is still some problem even though they finally issued this long awaited "fix" to protect your personal confuser from hackers. Please read the article at PCWorld. After several weeks use it looks like Mozilla and Firefox will remain at the Beach House. I will keep up with all the IE shenanigans for my diehard clients though.

Must go do laundry, ironing, and shower. Peace out my fellow nerdlings.

"My second favorite household chore is ironing. My first being hitting my head on the top bunk bed until I faint." -Erma Bombeck
NOTE: for info about free Linux and XP Autopatcher, please see today's post at Southernphried

CWS Shredder, a welcome, and an outstanding quote

Got an email asking about where to find CWS Shredder. This is a nice piece of software that was developed by Merijn to combat CoolWWWSearch, CoolWebSearch, etc. My link for CoowlWWWSearch Removal IS this site. Working on some more links that'll aid us in fighting this dungware and will rename this one Merijn's CWS Shredder. Hope this clarifies because this is a site dedicated to defeating these clowns.

Like to welcome Tammy to Thomas Electronics, Inc. She has taken over the office manager position and has our support. It's a whirlwind kinda job at times and the phones can go bonkers. Techs should always support those that are in the trenches setting up service calls, etc. It can make a difference in client attitude when arriving on a site. Techs should always remember they are the people that actually write the checks too.

Everyone enjoy their day off. Please pray for our troops and remember the forefathers of this great nation.

"We confide in our strength, without boasting of it; we respect that of others, without fearing it."
-Thomas Jefferson

Happy 4th!

Microsoft has finally issued an update that patches the hole in Internet Explorer. Do your Windows Update. I patched it about 3 weeks ago by converting all my Windows machines to Mozilla and Firefox. Yeh, yeh there's the Active X issue, etc. Hey, haven't missed it a bit! Always liked Mozilla and made it resident browser on most of my Linux machines. Firefox seemed weak at first, but has improved. Nice looking browsers that are quick.

Another positive note is Gmail. It rocks so far. Easy to use and the way it groups messages is unique. Nice interface that is stoic and to the point. Down through the years I have come to expect no less from the nice folks at Google. Did you know that if you type the word 'define' followed by a word you don't know in the Google Web search bar it will look it up in the dictionary? Try it, you'll like it! Be sure and check out the American Eagle in their title bar today.

God Bless America and Freedom. Opponents? Doom on you...

"It is easy to take liberty for granted, when you have never had it taken from you."
-Dick Cheney

Trojan Downloader.Agent .AI writer! The sun doesn't shine where your head is located...

Here's a great string concerning the trojan downloader.agent.ai. It's at the Net-Integration site. This is a forum that has two people solving a problem. Battling the Agent.AI malware? It'll help if you print this article. You can refer back to the different steps and sites that are pertinent. If necessary, I'll post links about this dungware. Let me know through comments or email.

Often I've ranted about people not protecting their cyber experiences from virus infections. Stanford.edu has an informative article the will help you grasp the big picture of these evil doers and efforts to stop their tacky, nasty efforts. You must udpate definitions and scan your PC every day. Mandatory. Not an option.

We've been LAN partying and are about to WAN to the current UT2004 game. Besides, shrimp are boiling. Later dudettes n dudes.

"Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none."
-William Shakespeare

Two things that really suck!

CoolWWWSearch is the absolute pits. Why in the world does our government permit these thieves to even exist? Is there no end to what these worshippers of dung will do? To the Volcano with all of them!

If you are using McAfee to "protect" your machine please leave this site now and don't ever come back. You are a doofus of the highest order. McAfee is an outright ripoff. It is used only by people that can't get their heads out of their asses.

Ahhhhh, there's always tomorrow.

"The trouble ain't that there is too many fools, but that the lightning ain't distributed right."
-Mark Twain