Weird computer problem

Bob, you specifically asked:

Can words be added to the forum spell checker?

Click to expand...

I'm probably the only one who would know the answer to that question, which was why I said that Tom S wouldn't know the answer. The only way that words can be added to "the forum spell checker" is if I hard code them, so the simple answer is no.

I have no clue what the reference to "a crutch' means but, yes, it's "OK to ask here".

Actually I thought it was pretty obvious that we cannot add words to the forum spell checker. I have never seen a way to do that.

Tom said:

I'm probably the only one who would know the answer to that question, which was why I said that Tom S wouldn't know the answer. The only way that words can be added to "the forum spell checker" is if I hard code them, so the simple answer is no.

I have no clue what the reference to "a crutch' means but, yes, it's "OK to ask here".

Click to expand...

Actually, "this" is what you posted:

I'm sure you know that TomS wouldn't know the answer to that Bob 

Since you appear to be using the spell checker in your browser, that's where you need to make the fix. The forum software should not be a crutch for limitations in your browser.

No, I wouldn't know that TomS would not know the answer - or that you are the only person that can change spell check words. Was actually kidding - and wouldn't add such a word anyway. But because he suggested it, even if only kidding as well, I still thought perhaps I was overlooking some kind of preferences somewhere that could change that ability. Other than my postings, I really don't know much about the forum SW.

And from your post, I was pointing out that I wasn't using the forum software as a crutch for my browser. I don't have a clue as to what kind of spell checker is in my browser - and could care less.

Your post was critical Tom, "spanking" as noted. You write now that the simple answer is, "no" which would have been preferred.

Bob, you lost me. I wasn't trying to be "critical, and I didn't mention "spanking". Maybe we just have too many Toms here, but this one was here first  ;D

OK you guys go get a room and let's get back to my computer problem 8)

Tom said:

Bob, you lost me. I wasn't trying to be "critical, and I didn't mention "spanking". Maybe we just have too many Toms here, but this one was here first  ;D

Click to expand...

Your quote, as mine, referenced TomS -- capital S, no space. That's the only other Tom in this thread.

Molaker wrote, "Tom, you didn't kiss Bob after spanking him."

seilerbird said:

OK you guys go get a room and let's get back to my computer problem 8)

Click to expand...

Did you get rooms with all those involved in your many conflicts on this forum, Tom?  8)

As to your computer problem, it seems to boil down to either living with it or selling it. I will sell you mine for $200. It has never displayed a black screen.

My only thought is that the combo of only 1gb or RAM and Win7 Starter may occasionally cause your black screen. Win7 in any form is a lot of SW for 1gb, it would seem if any multi tasking is going on - or will Win7 Starter allow multi tasking?

Click to expand...

I think you may be onto something, Bob.  I have a Toshiba NB-505 netbook running Win 7 Service Pack 1 with 2 GB memory and the CPU/Memory Use gadget usually runs about 45-50% if I'm doing anything other than just looking at the desktop.

And yes, Win 7 starter allows multi-tasking.

Tom - look at Start Menu | Control Panel | Desktop Gadgets to get the CPU Monitor.  It also tells you how much memory you're using.  Just double click on the gadget to add it to your desktop.

It can't be a memory problem, it only occurs when the system starts up, displays the Acer logo and then it goes black. It is using 50% to 70% of it's memory when I am using it, around 55% right now. Everything works fine once it starts. However I did unzip the zip file two more times yesterday and it didn't boot properly on the next start up. So this is going back to Walmart this morning. I don't know what I am going to replace it with, but I am not keeping it. A zip file should not stop a computer from opening up if there is no virus involved.

Bob Buchanan said:

Did you get rooms with all those involved in your many conflicts on this forum, Tom?  8)

Click to expand...

There isn't a room big enough. ;D

And as Peter Paul and Mary once said, sometimes you gotta lay it between the lines.

I took the defective computer back to Walmart this morning and exchanged it. Unfortunately they didn't have the exact same model so I got a different model, Acer Aspire One D257-1417. Unfortunately they did not have that one is aquamarine, so I had to get black. And I just don't like the black, it is glossy and will show fingerprints easy. The differences are instead of the Atom N455 single core processor it has the Atom N570 dual core processor. Instead of the L2 cache being a 512 meg it is a 1 meg cache. Instead of a 250 gig hard drive it has a 320 gig hard drive. Otherwise it is identical.

I am going to use this in stock condition for about a week and see if the black screen problem reappears. If it does not reappear then I will download the photos again and see if the problem pops up again. If the problem does happen again I will return it to Walmart and get a different laptop.

Thanks to all of you who attempted to help me solve this crazy problem.

seilerbird said:

I have never gotten a virus or any malware in 30 years of computing, the last 25 online. I spend at least a few hours online every day. I have never ran anti-virus or anti-malware on my computers and I never will. I feel they cause more problems than they cure.

Click to expand...

Hi

The problem is that the anti-virus programs supplied with most PC's are memory hogging and inefficient at stopping viruses. That tends to paint all anti-virus with the same brush.

I have used, for many years, ESET's award winning NOD32 anti-virus and it has saved my bacon many times.

It is a paid for program and, if one wanted a freebie that was also very effective, Microsoft Internet Security Essentials is a great download.

If you have a computer on a DSL line and access the internet on a regular basis, you are incredibly lucky to never have received virtually invisible trojan horses or other malware.

It's not a practise I would recommend...

Geoff and Sally

Geoff_T said:

If you have a computer on a DSL line and access the internet on a regular basis, you are incredibly lucky to never have received virtually invisible trojan horses or other malware.

Click to expand...

Luck has absolutely nothing to do with it. Not after 25 years of being online without a virus. If you follow the rules of safe computing, like not download crap from the Internet, not visiting suspicious sites, etc, then getting a virus or malware becomes an impossibility. Most people don't want to follow the rules because it means no surfing porn sites, gambling sites, wares sites. And not forwarding those stupid Forwards people get in their email.

BTW - Several times in the past I have been told by experts that I will eventually get a virus and that a hacker could get into my computer. I told them go ahead and try all you want, you ain't getting in and I ain't getting a virus. They all failed to penetrate my computer or infect it.

However I never recommend to anyone else that they run with out anti-virus. I just happen to hate anti-virus because most costs money, it slows down your computer and it is not 100% effective. My method is 100% effective, it is free and it doesn't slow down my computer.

About the fifth time I started the new computer up it went to a black screen. I had only installed Verizon Manager, Chrome, and Adblock. So that completely rules out a virus. It is an Acer problem. This one is going back in the morning.

I will only make two more comments. There is a black screen and a black screen, (Comment one)

By that I mean, that one of the windows wall paper settings is a plain black screen, And that is what THIS netbook size box was booting to, a plain black wall paper.

And there is a black screen, as in MONITOR OFF or some similar condition. (I have that ability on my Thinkpad)

I use  a different (patterened) wallpaper (A stock wondows standard one, Autumn)

Comment 2:

THIS netbook was given to me because it had a virus my daughter and her husband could not get rid of. What this virus did was cause all icons etc to NOT appear on the desktop, so since she had a straight black desktop, it was a black screen.
I DO NOT KNOW if it would have made a difference had she had a patterened desk as I do... Since I fixed it before I did anything else.

Oh, one third comment: Just because it was a virus hiding all my files on this machine, does not mean that's the O/P's problem.  Many things can cause a black screen.. I've had two different black screens with my R-31, Both were hardware.