Gaming The Computer Help Thread

[Zeta]

Coming from your speakers? I can think of a few possibilities.

1) Do you have a sound card? If so, try downloading the newest sets of drivers for them from the manufacturers website.

2) How old are your the speakers? That same thing happened to me when my speakers were starting to go bad from excessive loud music, etc..

[drive_monster]

[COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]First, you should try switching those speakers with another set to see if it is the speakers.

Do you have any magnets nearby the speakers? I've messed up a speaker or two by putting them near things that I didn't know were magnetic :animeswea

Have you installed any new software lately? Maybe it's a bug in one of your programs.[/COLOR]

[AzureWolf]

[COLOR=blue]drive_monster has a good point: find the source of the problem first. When your computer is off, is the sound there? When your computer is booting but connected to the speakers (i.e., there are no programs running), is the sound there? Or is it only when you enter Windows that the sound starts?

Also, check to see if the speakers do this with anything else. If there's a headphone jack on your TV or something, plug it in there and see what happens.[/COLOR]

[eleanor]

[color=darkslateblue] I haven't downloaded anything recently, the sounds do not come out when the computer is off, the speakers are less than one year old, if I am logged in onto my account on Windows XP with no programs open, the sounds continues (it also continues if you're just on the page that has the list of the accounts), and I do not have extra speakers to switch them out with to see if anything happens. Whew.

I am no good when it comes to actual hardware problems, so I don't know if I have a sound card.

The other odd thing is that after a while, the sounds would not come out of the speakers after I restarted my computer. But then, the next time I restarted the computer, the sounds would come again.[/color]

[AzureWolf]

[COLOR=blue]XD Who asked if you have a sound card?! That's an absolutely hilarious question!

Anyway, if you can 1. hear sound when you connect speakers to your computer; and (more importantly) 2. connect the speakers to the computer in the first place, then you most certainly have a sound card. You might need to upgrade drivers, but that's easier to explain on AIM (look up OtakuSennen if you are AIM: he knows how to do this).

Windows runs programs in the background (i.e., invisibly), which is why it will be helpful to know if the sound comes before or after windows boots. When the computer is loading (B&W, text-only junk), does the sound exist? Or is it only after windows boots up and starts to show the logon screen that the sound comes? Oh, and can you still play music and audio when the sound is there? Do the speakers make the sound when you connect them to anything else (you can connect them to any headphone connection you have anywhere)?

From what (little) I can tell, it sounds like a program in the background might be causing it. I honestly have no clue, though. I'm not a tech-head, haha. ^^; But there are a few here at OB, which is why it's surprising that they haven't posted yet.[/COLOR]

[Sir Auron]

Is there any program to block spyware, instead of everytime scan my pc for spyware to be deleted ?

[Zeta]

Azure, I asked him if he had a sound card. Why? Because I was having the exact same problem just last week, and when I updated my drivers, everything was okeyday.;) And another example of a sound card problem was when I was having fan problems and random restarts. I removed my sound card and viola, problem solved. Had to buy a new one because of that though -_- It is always smart to explore all possibilties when there are problems with computers. I myself am still going with the sound card possibility, assuming of course he has one. I am not knowledgable with onboard sound. If that is the case I suggest you run spyware/adware/virus scan, and if the problem persists post on some computer tech forums, specifically the website of the computer provider if it is a Dell, Compaq, etc..

[AzureWolf]

[COLOR=blue]Oh, terribly sorry Zeta. I meant no offense. Upgrading the drivers is indeed a great suggestion, but whether or not Lunox has a sound card was a rather strange question is all. ^^;[/COLOR]

[Semjaza]

[quote name='Sir Auron']Is there any program to block spyware, instead of everytime scan my pc for spyware to be deleted ?[/quote]

I believe a program called Spyware Doctor does this. I had it installed and it would load up every time I opened my browser.

Even with that, I'd still scan using AdAware and Spybot: Search and Destroy every so often. Some anti-virus programs also catch these things before you download them.

[Petie]

[font=Verdana][color=blue]Unfortunately though, there's really only one way to blick spy ware and that's to avoid getting it to begin with. It's not easy to do but to start, never run anything online that says something like "You must click yes to continue" unless it is from a trusted company (like Microsoft's Windows Update for instance). Other than that, just keep doing what you're doing to remove it and it should help a little at least.[/color][/font]

[DeadSeraphim]

[COLOR=Indigo][SIZE=1][FONT=Arial][quote name='Petie][font=Verdana][color=blue]Unfortunately though, there's really only one way to blick spy ware and that's to avoid getting it to begin with. It's not easy to do but to start, never run anything online that says something like "You must click yes to continue" unless it is from a trusted company (like Microsoft's Windows Update for instance). Other than that, just keep doing what you're doing to remove it and it should help a little at least.[/color'][/font][/quote]
Windows Update? I thought you said trusted company. :rolleyes:

I'm pretty sure with SpyBot S & D you have a few options to stop it getting on your comp to begin with. The one that springs to mind is 'immunize', but I'm sure there's another option in there somewhere, lol. The best advice is to just stay away from dodgy sites and software though.[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Semjaza]

The fact of the matter is that most of the time this stuff winds up on your computer without your direct knowledge or is included in software installs of other programs. There's not a single 100% way to avoid getting them on a Windows-based PC other than never using the internet. I certainly get far less if I stick around reputable sites, but you honestly never know.

Updating Windows helps, but people figure out ways to get through any of their fixes so quickly that it barely even matters sometimes.

[Petie]

[QUOTE=Generic NPC #3]The fact of the matter is that most of the time this stuff winds up on your computer without your direct knowledge or is included in software installs of other programs. There's not a single 100% way to avoid getting them on a Windows-based PC other than never using the internet. I certainly get far less if I stick around reputable sites, but you honestly never know.

Updating Windows helps, but people figure out ways to get through any of their fixes so quickly that it barely even matters sometimes.[/QUOTE][font=Verdana][color=blue]You're right. What it comes down to is that unless you somehow know everything that's going on in every step of an installation or a visit to a website, which no one does, then you're never 100% safe. To be more on the safe side though, read everything very carefully before installing software. I have a perfect example of this.[/color][/font]
[font=Verdana][color=blue][/color][/font]
[font=Verdana][color=blue]I'm sure many of you know of a program called MSN Plus. Well when I went to install that, I wasn't really reading it so when it got to the last screen before the install, I just checked off yes and clicked continue without reading the rest. Turns out that I just agreed to have it install the LOP toolbar which was a big mistake. Had I actually read the directions to begin with, I would have noticed that it said Yes, I agree to participate with your sponsors or No, do not install sponsor software with MSN Plus (or something along those lines).[/color][/font]
[font=Verdana][color=blue][/color][/font]
[font=Verdana][color=blue]So while even that won't keep you completely safe from spy/adware, it will help a lot to read everything before flying through installation steps.[/color][/font]

[eleanor]

[color=darkslateblue] :3 Thank you for all your help, but one of my techie friends came over...and did something (something magical, I tell you). *shrugs* I will forever be a novice in the area of hardware problems. I think Azure was correct about some program running in the background. :)

Thanks![/color]

[Roxie Faye]

[color=#9933ff]Yes, like Petie said, a lot of spyware comes in the form of bundled software. When I had grokster (before I stopped d/ling (downloading) mp3s), my computer reeked of spyware - and that was in the days when I didn't even know what spyware was. ^^;;;

I'm always getting spyware anyway, because I d/l lots of crap from downloads.com with crap attached to it, so that when you install it, it installs the spyware, too. I would really not advise d/ling stuff unless you're sure of it's reputability or know how to get rid of the spyware. I'm still debating whether or not to delete registry keys of spyware because nothing but panda scan picked it up. :/ And I get popups from it, too. Annoying-ness. ><

Er... what was the point of my self-centered story? Oh yeah. Be careful of what you decide to download and install. Heh. That's my two cents of unneeded advice. =/[/color]

[Petie]

[color=blue]Deleting registry keys can be a dangerous move though. And worse yet, it doesn't always work. Just be sure you know what you're doing and where exactly the keys are before you press delete - or have System Restore ready.[/color]

[Roxie Faye]

[color=#9933ff]I installed Serif's DrawPlus 4.0 to see what it was about. Unfortunately it doesn't come with an uninstaller and I can't do it by using Add/Remove programs. I guess it was rather stupid of me to install it in the first place, but that's what you get from a computer-challenged person.

Do you know of any uninstall software, or any other method, really, to get rid of the whole thing. I was thinking about just going on a rampage and deleting all the DrawPlus keys in the registry myself, but that probably isn't a good idea, because every time I say the word registry, someone freaks out and says "OMG DON'T DO IT!!!!11???111one!!1111¡!¡!¡!¡!¡! STAY AWAY FROM THE REGISTRY ROXANNE." And yes, I also realize that it could totally screw over your computer if you do something wrong. >_>[/color]

[Petie]

[font=Verdana][color=blue]Okay well there is a better solution. It depends on how long ago you installed the program though. Anyway, here's what you have to do. Go to Start -> All Programs (I'm assuming default layout of XP) -> Accessories -> System Tools -> System Restore. Click next (the correct option is already selected). Then, find the day before the day you installed the program on that calender. Click next and then next again. Your computer will be restored to the exact state it was in on that date. It will not delete files (like Word documents, images, etc) but will remove program files/registry keys that were created.[/color][/font]
[font=Verdana][color=blue][/color][/font]
[font=Verdana][color=blue]And for future reference, you can protect yourself in cases like this by setting a restore point before installing questionable software. To do this, follow the above steps but instead select "Create a restore point" in the first step and follow the on-screen instructions.[/color][/font]
[font=Verdana][color=blue][/color][/font]
[font=Verdana][color=blue]I hope this helps and feel free to contact me (PM/Email/IM) if you need any further help![/color][/font]

[Roxie Faye]

[color=#9933ff]...

Thank you for the suggestion, but I forgot to tell you, I have Windows 98 SE. That's my fault, sorry. ^^; I know where you're pointing to (because I got as far as System Tools) but there's no selection of a program (or whatever it is) of "System Restore." X_x; I clicked on the ones I didn't know (that was everything aside from ScanDisk and Defrag) to see if it would bring me to whatever you're talking about, but uh... I don't think I found it. Sorry - my bad. ^^;;;; [/color]

[Petie]

[font=Verdana][color=blue]Ah, well that presents a bit of a problem then. I did a little research and found out that System Restore was not introduced until Windows ME.[/color][/font]
[font=Verdana][color=blue][/color][/font]
[font=Verdana][color=blue]There is a way to do it but it's a bit more complicated and would be easier to explain online than in a post. My screen name is Pete3911 (AIM) so IM me there if you'd like further help. Otherwise, you may just have to live with leaving that program there or manually deleting registry entries and program file folders. Sorry about that.[/color][/font]

[Roxie Faye]

[color=#9933ff]Thank you for all your help. I'm extremely busy until the week of the 20th (I shouldn't even be online right now), though. It's not killing my system right now or anything, so maybe after then I can catch you on AIM or something.

Thank you for all your help - you've been extremely kind. ^_^[/color]

[Zeta]

Can't you just go to Star>programs>said program> and then check if there is an uninstall option right there? I know there are some programs I have on my computer that I am not able to remove through the regular add/remove, but in when I do the above there is a special uninstaller for the program.

[Petie]

[font=Verdana][color=blue]I'm pretty sure she checked there already. The program needs to put in uninstall information when it is installed for any uninstaller to work correctly anyway.[/color][/font]

[Your Mother]

I need help with Msn Messenger 7.0, I've tried everything and I'm at my wit's end. The error code I keep recieving is "80070190". Does anyone know how to deal with this error? I've used Spybot.

[Lady Asphyxia]

[size=2][font=arial narrow]Hmm...I'm not entirely sure but when I got it, I believe it was because I wasn't connected to the internet -- in MSN Messenger's eyes. Perhaps your firewall is blocking it?[/font][/size]