Okay, let's talk about me getting a new motherboard and more Ram. Yeah, I did that. And here's why I don't trust what he did. I have a HP Pavillion Media Center. when I got the computer back and I knew he put a new motherboard in, well, when I boot up the computer it says:

COMPAQ

Now when I asked him about this, if you think I understood what he said, forget it. It worked great for a while, then the DVD Lightscribe thing stopped playing dvds. So that doesn't work.

What happens now is I'll be on Mozilla Firefox and I'll be on the internet and it all goes away. Then I have to reboot.

Or....God forbid we have been on the internet and we go off, it won't bring up Mozilla or Internet Explorer. I have to re-boot and then I can go on the internet.

Unless we leave it on and we're online, if we should go off the internet, it will never let us go back on, unless we re-boot.

That is VERY annoying.

I have no idea why, when I click on an icon of either Mozilla or Internet Explorer it just does nothing. That's when I need to reboot.

Oh, sometimes it won't let me do the shut down thing. You know, go to start, select "shut off computer"

I will select this and it just stays on.

To turn it off, I often have to press and hold the power switch for about 5 seconds.

We got this computer in 2005.

So why would it say COMPAQ when it boots up??

Any ideas?
And how do I find out if my present computer as a wireless card.

The reason I ask is I just might want to use this as MY computer. Putting it in my bedroom, fooling around with it, re-formatting it, and if I put a router in the living room (when I get a new computer), I could use this to go online and not have to go into the living room. But I know I would have to have a wireless card right?

Could I have one installed and not know it? How do I find this out?

Thanks much

Melody

Ah I remember the Compaq mystery now ,
HP & Compaq are partners or HP bought Compaq I think, so that could be it.


If you had a wireless card there would be an antenna - usually about 3" LONG OUT THE BACK OF THAT PARTICULAR CARD (darn hit caps lock LOL)
like these-
http://www.google.com/search?tbm=isc...0l3.4.3.1l11l0

Last time I talked to Verizon ( now mine is frontier) but they wanted to sell me their own wireless modem/router - so if you do go with 2 machines and don't want them both close by the dsl modem (wired) - you cloud look into the Verizon wireless modem/router.


not sure what the problems are with your internet - the not shutting down stuff - the not opening browsers....

mine was acting a lil weird so i did a clean & defrag amazingly that fixed the problem - something must have got scrambled when we had a power off /then on again right away.

you might try some scans, clean up and defrag it to see it it helps anything.

I have tried to do defrag on Windows xp. Don't know how to do this.

Thanks much

Melody

Click Start

All Programs

Accessories

System Tools

click Disk Defragmenter

I shall do this tonight.


And I really do thank you very much

Melody

Disk Clean up is right in that same location (System Tools )- i would run it first- then do the defrag.

Okay, will do.

Looks like I'm going to get that Slim HP Tower thing.

It's affordable and we can zip on the internet.

Oh, here's a good question. When one buys these new things, they often come with a free trial of Norton or some other Anti virus thingee.

Now I pay for Verizon Internet Security Suite and they told me all I would have to do is call them up and they would help me download the software on any new computer I might buy.

So should I continue with Verizon or should I give the Norton Free trial thing a shot??

And if I don't use the Norton thing, don't i have to uninstall it because, from what I've been told, you can't have 2 anti-virus softwares on the same computer!!

Right?

Thanks much

Melody

When I built my parents computer , the windows OS came w/ Norton trial - we used it till it expired and then I uninstalled it and installed a copy of my zone alarm ( covers 3 computers).

Norton is a bit tricky to fully remove if I remember correctly, but that was 2.5 yrs ago, maybe it is easier now.

So it's up to you which ever way you want to do it.

Well, if it comes with the anti-virus software and it's ready to go upon activation, then I guess I have two options right?

Option 1. Activate Norton for the free trial period and at the same time cancel the $5.99 subscription to Verizon Internet Security Suite.

Option 2. DON'T ACTIVATE THE NORTON ANTIVIRUS.

Or does it come already activated????

Just want to know the facts BEFORE I get this thing.

thanks much

Melody

Do you know you are paying 71.88 per yr for the Verizon protection?
- it seems like it has slipped up a few times for you.
You can get many of the top anti virus programs for much less than that.

The Best Antivirus Software for 2011 (So Far)
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2368554,00.asp

The Best 10 Internet Security Programs 2012
http://www.security-faqs.com/the-bes...012-my-reviews

http://www.pcmag.com/reviews/antivirus

The Internet suite ones would probably be the best coverage for your uses.