# Problems with home computer



## Bronte (13 Nov 2012)

I've 3 pc problems.

I've a hotmail account and for a few weeks now it will not show any incoming mail.  I hit send/recieve and an error message comes up.   How do I fix this.  When I log onto another PC there is no problem. 

McAfee keeps popping up to 'update now or later' how do I stop this.

Podcasts from RTE.  When we download these if you pause it causes it to stop altogether sometimes.  How do you fix this.

Please bear in mind I need baby instructions as I don't understand anything very technical.  Thanks


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## tallpaul (13 Nov 2012)

Bronte, you don't say what operating system you are using. 

In relation to the hotmail issue, I would suggest that you clear your cache, cookies, temporary files etc. (in Internet Explorer got to Tools>Internet Options and have a look at the General tab). Try logging in then.

With regard to your second problem, do you have another antivirus product installed other than McAfee? I would suggest that you uninstall McAfee and install Microsoft Security Essentials. This has two advantages: no more annoying pop-ups and MSE is free! 

However uninstalling av software is more complex. In Windows 7 you can use the Windows uninstall utility. However with an earlier OS, Google search 'McAfee Removal Tool', install and let it remove it for you. 

What program (I simply refuse to use the term app!!) are you using to play the Podcasts?


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## Crugers (13 Nov 2012)

McAfee - This is an easy one. Take the pc into the garden, douse it with flammable liquid, add a lighted match and stand well back! Give it an hour or two and McAfee should never bother you again! Apologies for being flippant but I’ve come to realize that McAfee are as much part of the problem as they are a solution to any PC problems!
http://www.pchell.com/virus/uninstallmcafee.shtml has instruction on how to manually uninstall and links to McAfee’s own automatic removal tools.
  Of course this solution means McAfee is removed.
  If on the other hand you want to continue using McAfee you need to log into your McAfee Account at McAfee.com and update.
  Hotmail - Not sure what to do! Maybe it is connected to your McAfee issues?


  HTH


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## Bronte (13 Nov 2012)

Hi Paul, by operating system do you mean like Windows 7, that's what we have.

Not sure why we had McAfee but it ran out months ago and we never renewed it but the pop ups keep coming so I'll print out your instructions for my other half to do.  I don't want to touch the computer, just want it to work. 

Not sure what you mean by the programme for podcasts.  My OH goes into RTE on the internet, to the programmes and just plays.  ie directly from the computer to the TV.  Don't think he does anything else.


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## Bronte (13 Nov 2012)

Hi Crugars, I do feel like chucking the PC sometimes.  The day we bought it and got it home we discovered it didn't have word or excel and then had to go and buy that, we are really clueless.  In our house my OH is responsible for this wonderful computer as he wanted a home pc (he has a work laptop but it not allowed to go onto certain websites that are not work related).

The McAfree thing is going on for months and months.  But the hotmail is about a month so I don't think the two are linked.  

I cannot understand how you buy something to do a job and it ends up giving you grief.  (There have been other issues !)


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## Bronte (13 Nov 2012)

Ok, just asked my OH. It's RTE player for the TV programes, like Brendan O' Conner. These are the one's that stall if you hit pause.  And sometimes it means he has to close the RTE player and start again.  

The podcasts then are via itunes, that would be Marian Finucane etc. To listen back to radio programmes.


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## wednesday (13 Nov 2012)

If McAfee is out of date and not being used then uninstall it. AVG is a free anti-virus that you can download without too much issue if you don't want to go to the expense of buying anti-virus software - the likes of Norton or Kaspersky. Have a chat with friends to find a reliable, good computer guy in your area, we found ours through the staff at Harvey Norman - and fingers crossed they will be able to help with your other issues.


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## AlbacoreA (13 Nov 2012)

Not to be flippant but perhaps an evening course might be useful to come up to speed with the computer.


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## elcato (13 Nov 2012)

The McAfee dialog will always appear once you put it on once. Just click no thanks each time or remove as suggested. Can you give the exact error you get from hotmail ? Try pasting it into a google wondow and see if a solution comes up. There is a chance that your hotmail account has been hacked.


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## tallpaul (13 Nov 2012)

Yes, sounds like McAfee came pre-installed with your computer as part of the bloatware package that most manufacturers insist on having on their products.

Just uninstall it and then download Microsoft Security Essentials and you will never have to worry about anti-virus again...


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## Boyd (13 Nov 2012)

I would wonder why your husband/whatever is not doing the posting here? Its very hard to offer any help when you give very vague information e.g. 



Bronte said:


> I've a hotmail account and for a few weeks now it will not show any incoming mail. I hit send/recieve and an error message comes up. How do I fix this?


What is the exact error text?



Bronte said:


> McAfee keeps popping up to 'update now or later' - how do I stop this?


Very simple, uninstall McAfee (as its rubbish) and install a free anti-virus like AVG or Avast. Note only install ONE of these, AFTER you have uninstalled McAfee.



Bronte said:


> Podcasts from RTE. When we download these if you pause it causes it to stop altogether sometimes. How do you fix this?


I would assume ye are using internet explorer. Stop using this as its also rubbish. Install Chrome/Firefox and try the RTE player again.


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## burmo (13 Nov 2012)

Bronte said:


> I've 3 pc problems.
> 
> I've a hotmail account and for a few weeks now it will not show any incoming mail.  I hit send/recieve and an error message comes up.   How do I fix this.  When I log onto another PC there is no problem.
> 
> ...



Hi Bronte. 

1) Your email problem sounds like you are using Outlook or Thunderbird to read your emails rather than a webpage? If so can you please detail the exact error.

2) Remove Mcafee. Hit the windows button and type in "Change or Remove a program". Select Mcafee in the list and uninstall. You should have an Antivirus... I recommend and use the free Microsoft Security Essentials, I used to use Avast and AVG before it came out. Get it here: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/security-essentials-download   UNINSTALL MCAFEE and reboot your PC first!

3) I suggest you try downloading Firefox and using it as your internet browser to try the RTE player and see if that resolves the issue for you. Download here. http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/  If not download the newest version of Flash.


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## Boyd (13 Nov 2012)

As mentioned above, are you really using hotmail? As far as I know, Hotmail doesnt even have a Send/Receive button.....


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## elcato (13 Nov 2012)

Bronte - to access hotmail

Launch web browser IE or Firefox or Chrome
In the location type in http:\\www.hotmail.com
Enter your username blah@hotmail.com or perhaps blah@live.co.uk
Enter password and hit OK

Do you see your email now ?

Is it possible you are using an outlook client or something ?


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## Bronte (15 Nov 2012)

Here is my progress and thanks to everybody who has helped me so far.

McAfee pop up removal

My only real success I went on to the McAfree website with no joy, but following the advice on here I eventually found where the programes were stored and deleted it from there, but I was overenthusastic and decided to clean up the programes by deleting a load of them, I thought it was a good idea and would create more space and delete things I've never heard of and thought it might fix the emails. I'm now banned from 'fixing' the laptop by my OH

RTE player

This is the reason I'm banned. As Galway hospital was in the news yesterday we wanted to watch the news on RTE but apparently I'd deleted a program that allows us to do that, I'd thought you just go into the website of RTE and play the news but apparently not. I guess my OH will manage to get the player back if he manged to install it in the first place.

When he does that I hope the problem of TV programes have a problem if you pause them might be solved. 

Antivirus produce

Also following the advice on here I went to install Microsoft as it's free and sounded easy from what you guys suggested. And I managed it to find that low and behold it was already on the PC. (presumably my OH did this) Just so I know for again, when installing I was given the option 'run' or 'save' what is the difference, do you do one first and then the other?

Hotmail

Some of you think I don't have hotmail but I most definitely do. As in Inbox, windows live mail. Or windows live messenger.

I couldn't find 'tools' but I did find the history and delted all the cookies there.

*The error problem is as follows:*

*Unable to send or receive messages for the hotmail.co XXX account*

*Server Error 4102, server mail services.live.com, Windows live mail Error ID xxx*

So as suggested by some of you I googed this, and server error 4102 does exist and there was a lady who had a solution but I couldn't figure out how to fix it. On any other PC my hotmail works on my PC it says I cannot 'send or receive' but I can send and cannot receive emails for a few weeks now. 

As my OH has banned me from fixing the PC he tried last night to fix it for ages and I as far as I can tell he didn't suceed as he's just about as good as myself on the PC stuff. We're avoided talking about it as he was a bit miffed I'd deleted the RTE player. But any help would be great.

PC education

You guys are techies/internet/pc savvy people. Not one clue do I have. I've done loads of training, even once went on a course on how to do a webpage and I was bottom of the class so it's a no no for me. I just want the PC to work, to do the things it's supposed to without me having to know why. Like my car.  It works and I don't care how it works as long as it works. With a PC it's like absolutely everything is complicated.  All we need is word, excel, the internet, RTE TV programmes and itunes.  Last month the toolbar disappared etc.  Why do things disappear etc.  It drives me insane.  Currently the tab for the internet has disappeared but we have a 'web' button which helps.  

Browser

One of you suggested we use Firofax or Chrome instead of internet explorer.  How do we do that.  At the moment when I hit the internet explorer I have it set to google.ie to come up first as for some time a thing called babylon was there and I hated it.


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## tallpaul (15 Nov 2012)

This is the best post I've read in ages! It is a study on the difficulties that some people have with ICT that (dare I say _younger_?!?) people take for granted.

Bronte, from reading your post it seems to me that you would find a tablet device such as an iPad a significant relief to use. Not so much for Office programs perhaps, but certainly when it comes to internet, mail, RTE Player etc. I think you would enjoy using one without all the faff that goes with using a PC.


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## Jazz01 (15 Nov 2012)

Hi Bronte... have you any friends / relatives who are "computer savvy"? I would guess that you only need to sit down for a few hours with someone to go through the basics & for that person to go through your computer once every few months to keep it up to date in relation to virus protection, latest windows updates, keeping it running smoothly. 

Treating it as you say ,like a car, is really what you need. I do that for family & a few neighbours... saves me the "have you a minute to look at the computer questions"...

It's hard to go through specifics in such a forum... deleting the programs above as you have isn't a good idea... they are still installed on your machine, but can't function now... I would recommend that they be cleaned out using the computers "uninstall option" before trying to install them again... "rte player" being an example, so for e.g. start -> all programs -> control Panel -> add/remove programs 
that will list all thats installed on your machine (be careful here).. then choose the programs you no longer need, e.g. McAfee & click "uninstall"... hopefully the uninstall software won't have been removed from your earlier clean up.
If it was removed, then you have a "recycle bin" on your desktop (the screen you first see when you log in). You can double click that to open it, locate the folders you removed & you can highlight it & click "restore". You should try the above with "mcafee" first, if that "works" for you, then try another...


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## Boyd (15 Nov 2012)

Bronte said:


> My only real success I went on to the McAfree website with no joy, but following the advice on here I eventually found where the programes were stored and deleted it from there, but I was overenthusastic and decided to clean up the programes by deleting a load of them, I thought it was a good idea and would create more space and delete things I've never heard of and thought it might fix the emails. I'm now banned from 'fixing' the laptop by my OH
> 
> .....
> I guess my OH will manage to get the player back if he manged to install it in the first place.



Based solely on this, IMO its pretty clear both you and your OH have no idea what ye are doing when it comes to using a PC or PC maintenance. 

I would suggest bringing it to a PC repair shop as by now programs have been installed/uninstalled, God only knows what state its in. Tell them what programs ye want/need on said PC. If you dont know this, tell them what ye want to be able to do using the PC, such as use Word/Excel, watch RTE player, use iTunes etc and they should be able to set it up for ye. 

A computer course including doing a website is useless and too in-depth, you need "An idiots guide to PC usage" type course (no offence intended, I mean like the book title).


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## elcato (15 Nov 2012)

It appears that you use Windows Live Mail Desktop to access hotmail. Can you just connect using the browser (See my previous mail) ?


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## Boyd (15 Nov 2012)

elcato said:


> It appears that you use Windows Live Mail Desktop to access hotmail. Can you just connect using the browser (See my previous mail) ?



Yeah sounds like the connection from desktop to hotmail server is not configured or else the login is wrong. 

I see no reason hotmail wont work if you are
1) Able to connect to the internet
2) Are using hotmail* directly on the internet*, via www.hotmail.com


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## AlbacoreA (15 Nov 2012)

Bronte said:


> ....Not one clue do I have. I've done loads of training, ....With a PC it's like absolutely everything is complicated....



Seriously buy a iPad. 

A PC is not for you.


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## Bronte (15 Nov 2012)

Yes agreed we haven't a clue. I hold my hands up and agree that I'm an idiot in relation to the laptop. 

I'm going to call out the TV guy as he was well impressed when he saw our new laptop. I couldn't figure out why he liked it so much, but I know I hate it. So probably he loved it as it's so complicated. 

My problem is compunded by the fact that I hardly understand computers in English never mind doing it in my second language. And those guys in the shop are very confusing. 

I've lots of relations who are tech savvy but they're in Ireland. My OH is working on his friends, my friends don't know anything about this kind of thing, plus it's compunded by RTE etc.

If my telly guy doesn't work my OH is going to bring it to Ireland in a couple of weeks. Meanwhile he's determined today to sort out some of it.

Jazz, I did do the 'uninstall' button yesterday. And no worries 123 the PC is still working. Paul I think your idea of the tablet might be a good idea if it's simple. Good idea for an xmas present. I can live without word and excel as I can work on those on my husband's laptop or on my work PC. Can the tablet also connect to the TV, I guess yes. And I think I could then bring that with me when I go to the kids swimming classes etc instead of bringing a newspaper.

I'm not that old mind, just can do without this added complication in my life. Before we bought it we researched it with top IT guy in my husband's company who is also his cousin, after him I was more confused than ever and when we went to the shop, we managed to buy great laptop but it had not word/excel - the basics. Am I the only person who can not buy a PC bring it home and it works. 

When we were going to bed last night I was talking about managing to get rid of McAfee and my other half said he's a real person and had some mad story about a murder in Belize (where is that?) so I was dreaming about burning the thing like Cruggers suggested with this mad devil of a McAfree dancing around it last night !

It will take me another couple of days to act on the advice you guys have posted, I've to print this out now again and will have another go. I had to make notes so I could do the first post today on this. I really appreciate your help, if any of you want financial/childcare/cooking advice don't hesitate.


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## ashambles (15 Nov 2012)

I wouldn’t be too harsh on yourself. Anti-virus stuff is designed to be really hard to remove and to encourage (trick?) you into paying an annual subscription. Removing it generally requires much poking around the internet, and maybe installing a special removal tool. 

It seems much of the problems here has been a direct consequence of the uselessness of the AV tool and the deliberate difficulty in removing/disabling it. I’d be more critical of McAfee than the predictable results when a naïve user tries to remove it.

As a side note – the colourful founder of McAfee is currently on the run in Belize due to suspicion of murder.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/14/john-mcafee-hiding-businessman-murder


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## Bronte (15 Nov 2012)

I forgot to add and you guys are going to love this, the reason I went on the web creation course was that at work the guy in charge of our web got ill and the boss decided I could do it


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## DrMoriarty (15 Nov 2012)

I see McAfee's personal fortune is reported to have declined to $4 million from a peak of $100 million, back when he sold to Intel. Maybe we should invite him to come on for a money makeover?


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## Boyd (15 Nov 2012)

Bronte said:


> I forgot to add and you guys are going to love this, the reason I went on the web creation course was that at work the guy in charge of our web got ill and the boss decided I could do it



LOL, dunno where to start with that!! BTW Belize is in South America, used to be called British Honduras. Very nice islands called Caye Caulker few miles off Belize City if you fancy a nice holiday!


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## Bronte (16 Nov 2012)

They gave up on the idea of me being webmaster. No way was that ever going to work. 

But thanks to you guys I've made some more progress. But it is very much a stage of two steps forward, one step back. 

Firefox

I managed with the links provided above to upload firefox as a browser. Very easy to do, the link to it even had very simple instructions. And then I went into hotmail and my emails came in. Happy days, I was so happy you wouldn't believe it - short lived I hasten to add. But I was there thinking you guys are geniuses and all sorts of wonderful other things about you including the fact that if one were getting married nowadays it might be an idea to check out a man's computer skills. In the _old _days it was only one's skills with rabbits ears and ability to go on the roof and turn the aerial that was important but we have progressed from that. 

Rte Player

Fired up with enthusasim on my success I decided I'd tackle the RTE player (that I'd previously deleted). I think this is where I came undone. Not only had I deleted the player from my programs, I'd also deleted 3 different versions of adobe, I had no idea this adobe programe was linked to RTE. So obvious solution was to get it back. But then something bad happened.

Babylon

At some stage, only a couple of minutes after I'd got firefox I noticed it had changed to babylon, the browser that is. This is something called a malware, - see I'm progressing, all I know is that means Babylon is like a parasite and is very difficult to get rid of. And how do I know this, well I googled it to try and get rid of it, and you'll all be impressed I actually managed to do it. Mind you I was exhausted and megga p---ed off with all this knowledge that I do not need to have in my brain, that will be of no use to me subsequently. I had to get rid of it in two places, including deleting firefox and starting again. Even though I was making notes along the way, I have no idea where now to go back and delete such a _maleware_ if it creeps in again. Question 1 - is a malware a virus and if yes why didn't my anti virus stop it. The only thing I remember is that I had to go into programes and delete Babylon but it's not called Babylon because there are evil people on there who create these things to drive people like me nuts. Question 2 - why do people create such things, for fun, for money what? But I did suceed in getting rid of it. Then I thought I'll give RTE player another go. 

Adobe

This seems to be the problem as to why we cannot see RTE anymore (live or programs). I uploaded the adobe from the RTE site, that didn't work. Then I uploaded adobe for firefox and that didn't work. Temporary techi that I am I even uploaded adobe for windows 7. Meanwhile OH who was watching a man movie (brain dead/Tommy Lee Jones/Volcano) and is mightly sick of the PC and me, but he really really wants RTE even tried to help. He's now at the point that if nothing else, not even my email or anything else works he will be happy. He's even now offered me his laptop such is his upset. Another mega discussion, not quite an argument, but he is upset about because he consider that I can do the emails somewhere else and pointed out to me that I won't be able to get Frontline or the news or really upsetting this, Brendan O' Connor so can you guys help on this. My husbands theory is that because we live abroad that now we've firefox, RTE know we're not in Ireland and will not let us see them anymore. Is this possible that he is correct?

Hotmail icon

As outlined I can go into hotmail via firefox and that works brillant. I also a few minutes after opening the PC get an icon for the mail (outline of man and woman symbol), this is the 'old' hotmail that doesn't work and is locked on incoming mail to a few weeks ago. Am I correct in thinking this is the hotmail coming in via the Microsoft browser and can I get rid of it? the icon that is and replace it with a direct icon but via the firefox? This though is not a priority.

The help of AAM

Before I did all of the above I printed out all your instructions from here and while the kids were doing their swimming class I went though the whole thing line by line studying your responses, and making notes, it made me notice that I'd missed certain things and I had to write in what you meant when you used abbreviations but I've learnt a lot.   I think that's why I made as much progress as I did.  The only real priority I have now is the RTE player. To give some feed back, I do know what the recycle bin is, I'm such a dab hand at that I knew to delete what I'd deleted from there too, so that wasn't a solution for me on RTE.


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## Boyd (16 Nov 2012)

First point, uploading vs downloading!

Uploading is putting something from your PC onto the web, like sharing a photo on facebook. Downloading is getting something from the web and storing it on your PC, such as flash, adobe, firefox etc. So everytime you mention you uploaded firefox etc. from the web, you actually downloaded it!! Small point but it bugged the crap outta me reading that post ;-)

More to follow.......


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## elcato (16 Nov 2012)

Bronte next steps before you start from scratch regarding Firefox. Have you tried these steps to stop it. I have added some explanation to some nerd words so sorry if it sounds like I'm a wee bit condescending.



 1.  click into the address bar (where askaboutmoney.com is) in Firefox.......Type "about:config"  
2.  You will get a warning about your warranty .....bypass this.(Click I'll be careful I promise)
3.  In the next screen....type......"Babylon" in the Filter window (a search in the config just below the address bar) 
4.  You are now in the guts of Firefox.....and where Babylon did  it's dirty work.  You will find about 5 or six places where Babylon  shows up. 
5.  Highlight each of these entries one at a time, right click and pick "reset". 
6.   When all have been reset.....close the file.   
Now test:   
Open firefox....type something weird into the address bar.as a test...and your browser should start acting normally and faster.....and BABYLON is GONE

And for WIndows 7

 THINK I have solved it via Win7!! Did a search and found a ref: to BABYLON @  c:\programfiles/mozilla/SEARCHPLUGINS/.... LOOK for baylon entry and DELETE!!!


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## Bronte (16 Nov 2012)

My dear darling other half worked from home today to let the plumber in and he sorted out RTE, something about windows 9. Apparently it was easy for him in the end as he just needed to concentrate on it and didn't want to look at the PC yesterday as he'd had a long day working on it yesterday so happy days. Thanks once again to everyone. My mind is elsewhere today so I cannot think anymore about computers.


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## elcato (16 Nov 2012)

Maybe he got the plumber to do it and took the credit himself


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## Boyd (16 Nov 2012)

Bronte said:


> Firefox


OK you know how to install this now, thats good.



Bronte said:


> RTE Player


Yes you need Adobe (specifically Adobe Flash Player) for this to work. Flash is the *player *of RTE *Player*. See here for info on RTE player, including watching abroad: http://www.rte.ie/player/ie/help/faq/



Bronte said:


> Babylon
> Question 1 - is a malware a virus and if yes why didn't my anti virus stop it. The only thing I remember is that I had to go into programes and delete Babylon but it's not called Babylon because there are evil people on there who create these things to drive people like me nuts.


Isnt your anti-virus (McAfee) out of date? Also as said McAfee is rubbish. Sometimes Babylon installs itself by tricking you into installing it when you download something else. If what youre downloading comes bundled with Babylon for some reason, it pre-ticks "install babylon" checkboxes (much like Ryanair's website, where you have to untick stuff in order not to get insurance/car hire etc.)



Bronte said:


> Question 2 - why do people create such things, for fun, for money what?


Both i'd say, Google ads on Babylon maybe. 



Bronte said:


> Adobe


Now fixed by the plumber 


Bronte said:


> Hotmail icon
> 
> As outlined I can go into hotmail via firefox and that works brillant. I also a few minutes after opening the PC get an icon for the mail (outline of man and woman symbol), this is the 'old' hotmail that doesn't work and is locked on incoming mail to a few weeks ago. Am I correct in thinking this is the hotmail coming in via the Microsoft browser and can I get rid of it? the icon that is and replace it with a direct icon but via the firefox? This though is not a priority.


Just use hotmail via Firefox, thats the simplest way to do it. Ignore/delete/uninstall the windows live desktop.


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## Bronte (3 Dec 2012)

You'll all be glad to know that everything is good with my home PC now.   

But I think your advice on a tablet is a good idea.

Could you guys tell me which one you think would suit me?  I'll then give it as a hint for my OH for Christmas.  He happens to be going to Ireland next week so the name of a good shop with excellent customer service in any city other than Dublin. Cork, Limerick, Galway or Waterford.  

And my plumbing problem looks like it's going to cost a lot more than a tablet, a quote of 500 Euro to replace one toilet as it's unfixable due to it's age.


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