Importan Question about firewalls and anti-virus stuff.
 

I know that you can't have two things of anti-virus on the computer....right?

Does this apply to firewalls? I believe that I once heard that it does.

Here is why I am asking.

I turned my computer on this morning, and on the right bottom, a little balloon thing popped up and indicated that:

YOUR UPDATES ARE NOT TURNED ON. CLICK ON THIS BALLOON TO CORRECT THIS.

so I clicked to see what this was all about and

WINDOWS SECURITY CENTER POPPED UP RIGHT UP ON MY SCREEN.

It indicated that

FIREWALL WAS ON

UPDATES WAS OFF!!

Now I have Verizon Internet Secrurity Suite with firewalls, and all the bells and whistles. including firewalls.

So is the fact that my Windows Firewall is turned ON, well is that BAD??

Should I turn it off?

And should I turn the updates ON??

I know you need to get the windows updates.

I sense that Alan has been playing doctor again on MY computer.

So someone ...please just let me know if I should have the firewall thing ON or if I should turn it off?

thanks much

Melody

P.S. And this might sound stupid, but how do I know that is is ACTUALLY THE WINDOWS SECURITY CENTER, and not some rogue spyware thing making me think it's windows security center????

on your last question - go to control panel and click the security button yourself to double check- then you will know it is the real thing if it says the same info as the pop up said.

I set my updates to just tell me when there are new ones and then I read what they are before I decide to download them by checking the box or not.
But most don't have any problems with the updates so you should be fine with them turned on.

If you are sure all your Verizon protection is running then you can turn off the XP firewall.

I am thoroughly confused.

I went to control panel, to system, to Windows Firewall. It indicates it's OFF.
I then went to System, and checked on Windows Updates. It indicates that it is turned ON.

Then I rebooted my computer. I went back to the bottom right, (where the little icon for Windows Security center, and BAM,

it all came up and tells me that the Firewall is ON, and the Windows UPDATES IS OFF. Then when I click on the option to turn on Windows updates, a little message tells me

Sorry, you cannot turn on Windows Updates from here, you should go to Control Panel, System and choose Automatic Updates.

When I go to control panel the Automatic Updates thingee is already checked.

So why does my control panel tell me one thing. and my little icon on the bottom right is indicating something COMPLETELY different.

Also my Verizon Internet Security Suite is running just fine, everything is turned on, firewalls, anti-virus, anti-spyware stuff. All is turned ON.

So the big question is why, at the bottom right of my screen, there is a Windows Security Center icon , that when I bring it up, it tells me completely different stuff than when I go to Control Panel, click on System, etc. etc.

I gather I should believe what my control panel tells me, right?

this is enough to make one go nuts!!
lol
Thanks for ANYONE WHO CAN HELP ME TURN ON WINDOWS UPDATES (EVEN THOUGH I'M BEING OLD IT'S ON by my Control Panel.

Mel

Jo (and anyone else who can help).

Last night was the pits. We couldn't do anything. Computer wouldn't let us do a system restore, go anywhere ....NOTHING.

I tried to run an anti spyware using my Super Professional Anti spyware software (that Verizon gave me). Couldn't get it to run.

I used Internet Explorer to go online, I went to Super Pro's website and they have FAQ's and one of them was "Why can't I get my Super Professional Spyware thing to run?"

It gave a patch to download (or something like a patch).

I did it. BEAUTIFUL!!!!!

I then ran the spyware for over 2 hours. It found all kinds of trojans (for example, Trojan Vundo/Next Gen (found 69 spyware thingees).

I quarantined and deleted everything.

This morning I tried to run Mozilla (this is the browser we always use). It would not load up.

I went to control panel, add and remove programs. I deleted the old firefox. I re-installed it (did this two times).

I have a mozilla icon on my desktop. I have the program on my computer. I mean IT'S THERE.

So why can't I run Mozilla?

Please, if anyone knows what else I can do.

Thanks much.

melody

the Mozilla/FF not running happened to me a time or 2...
try this-
remove the whole program again
reboot the computer
reinstall FF
try it...

oh ..in the Set Program and Access Defaults
maybe something there got checked to not let you use FF?

if still won't work can you try get it to work by going thru the My computer /hard drive & program files list?

I'm thinking something either got removed or scrambled during the AV scanning

you might do a disk clean up & defrag if needed also

and Google has a browser now
also there's one called Flock that I tried - maybe try one of those to see if they might work till you get the Mozilla figured out.

Hi Jo:
First of all, thanks so much for replying.

I have DONE EVERYTHING YOU SUGGESTED I DO.

We got yet another virus. And trojans, and WHATEVER THE LORDS OF DARKNESS decided to throw on my poor computer.

I ran the Super Professional Anti-spyware and knocked out 69 trojans (bad bad bad). and a virus.

This morning, my computer would not boot up. I ran it in safe mode.

I tried to go online. NOTHING WORKED.

Alan, did a re-configuring. That got my computer to go to a place where all bad computers need to go to be spanked.

I then had to re-install all my peripherals that is attached to my computer.

Then I discovered that the virus wiped out Verizon Internet Security Suite.

So I had to call up Verizon Tech Supprt and they helped me re-install it.

Then we found out the virus wiped out my ability to use Outlook express.

The Tier 1 guy at Verizon spent one hour trying to re-configure my Outlook Express.

I then said: "Do you mind connecting me to a another Tier person".

he said: "I think you're right'.

In two seconds, I had a Tier 3 person on the line, and she fixed the whole Outlook Express in 5 seconds flat. It seems that the number in the port should have been 110 and not 995.

That was THE PROBLEM!! The tier 1 guy did not know the problem.

She did.

GOD LOVE THAT TIER 3 WOMAN.

She came on the line and I told her "I love you!!!

She burst out laughing.

I am now going to shoot my husband when he comes home.

If you think I'm kidding, you don't know me.

He has a habit of going on these ad websites and clicking on everything in sight.

I told him the last time "If I have to spend any more time with Verizon tech people, I'm going to kill you".

Right now, he's at the Orthopedist so I can't be TOOOOO MAD AT HIM.

But if he comes home and says 'my foot is just fine (oh, he's walking in the door right now, let's see if I should kill him????)

His foot is fine.


I'M GOING TO KILL HIM

GOODBYE!!!

lol

Melody

Hi. Me again!!


Originally I asked (in this posting) how to make the icons LARGER on my desktop.

I figured it out. I went to Propeties, appearance, advanced, then I selected ICON, and made THEM BIGGER.

HOWEVER, the lettering doesn't fit in the box.

SO INSTEAD OF SAYING OUTLOOK EXPRESS, for example, It says OUT

I went back and I saw that there is also a selection for Icon spacing vertical and Icon spacing Horizontal.

I tried each one but no matter what I do, I can't get the words OUTLOOK EXPRESS or even MOZILLA, to fit in the ICON BOX.

So what am I doing wrong?

Thanks in case you know!!!

lol

Oh one more thing.

Right now, I am viewing this website and all is fine. However, at the top (is that called the Active one?), that is in Blue

Right underneath (where you type in the URL, well the fonts are small), What is this called and once I KNOW, I'll know which option to select and change.

Maybe, this is the INACTIVE ones?

lol

Kick....it

all joking aside, am a wondering if you are not having registry issues

Registry Issues?????

Do I have to be registered at Bloomingdales????


lol.

No, not a registry issue. I just don't know how to supersize fonts and make them fit all on the desktop.

Now ABOUT THE DISPLAY THING AND DPI's.

EXACTLY HOW DO YOU GET TO DISPLAY.

I did the properties thing. all I see is "desktop, appearance, screensaver, etc.

I can't find the word DISPLAY...anywhere.

Enlighten me please.

Melody

Helloooooooo!!!!

Well, stupid me finally figured out how to get Display. I went to control panel, clicked on settings, advanced. etc.

Anyway, IT DIDN'T GIVE ME ANYTHING TO SLIDE. Maybe that's vista?? But it did show me the DPI thing and I changed it (at least I think I changed it to 120).

that was the only option. There was no slide rule to slide it to 104

So when I clicked on 120, all kinds of prompts came up, telling me that this will affect this, or affect that, and if I had a disc to insert it, so I just got scared and x'd out of EVERYTHING.

then it prompted me:

"the following changes will be made if you re-start".

So Melody re-started.

And guess what? And this is funny.

My desktop icons are still showing what they were showing. Instead of OUTLOOK EXPRESS, I see something like OUT (at least I know what this is so I don't care).

but when I clicked on Mozilla, everything on the top tool bars was nice and clear and in bold. (I have no idea how I did this, but I LIKE IT!!!).

And the lettering in the postings are a bit bigger.

So whatever I did do, well I accomplished SOMETHING, now didn't I?

So now here's my next question.

When Alan goes to his YAHOO mail, let's say he has 20 messages. the fonts are so tiny.

He said "Melody, how can I get my yahoo mail to show me the mail SO I CAN SEE IT".

So here's you next assignment.

HOW DO YOU BLOW UP THE MAIL IN YAHOO?.

And please don't be giving me no dpi instructions because I'm lucky I didn't blow up my computer.
lol Melody

I should have said click on the the graph lines in the dpi settings section to get it to change- there's not really a slider thing showing - basically you would click on the lines and move it to the right for larger..
sorry, it is XP though.

but glad you got it fixed a bit...:)


now for the Yahoo - that's going online to the website and reading email there right? - he's not using outlook express to do the pop mail thing??

I use the Verizon /yahoo email when i check mine online sometimes - I just double checked and I don't see anywhere to make the fonts/text bigger when viewing email on the website.

the only thing I can think of is making the browser fonts larger - if you only need thse larger now..
or trying the DPI settings again which will make all text larger , or smaller depending on which way you slide the lines.

he doesn't have pop mail set up for checking yahoo?
that might be the way to go as far as being able to adjust incoming & composing font sizes.

Of course I recommend Mozilla's Thunderbird email program over Outlook Express - seems much simpler to set it up. supposedly more secure too.

was wondering what your screen resolution is?
it's in the control panel - display & then settings tab screen.

It says:

Highest - 32 bit.

is that bad??? good?? or what??

And when I went to control panel, the lettering is big but I can't make out the words. For example, Display is shown like DI

What the heck do I do now??

Melody

Isn't there another thing next to the 32 bit part??
mine says screen resolution on the left and color quality {32 bit} on the right
yours might say 1024 x 760 or something - or maybe that's only for LCD screens - i don't remember what mine said in that area with my old monitor.
If it isn't there no biggie - i was just curious...

Back to the problem at hand...
if you open the DI {display icon} can you read anything there? or is it all big too?

I think if I were you - I'd go back to what ever you changed and put as many of the settings back to the original sizes if you can.
Did you change the icon sizes on the appearance section and the DPI sizes too??

maybe go to the display , dpi and set it back to normal first & see if that helps.
then if it is still too big go to the appearance and try a change there or a new color/theme and test that.

Ok went back and re read - so you didn't change any dpi settings at all??
If not don't mess with that then-
- wherever you did make a change just go back to it and make the font or icons sizes smaller.
All you have to do is back track and find any places you made changes.
then only try one thing at a time and test it - if it doesn't work then put it back to what it was at then try the next place.

Jo:

This is what I just did. I went to my desktop, right clicked and chose properties. clicked on Appearance, and where it had 'EXTRA LARGE FONTS". I changed it to NORMAL.

everything on my desktop is now back to teeny and the top of my browser is small.

so can someone tell me STEP BY STEP.

How to get my desktop fonts to be bigger (and that I can see the whole title of the font, and not just the word OUT, instead of OUTLOOK EXPRESS).

And how can I make the stuff on the top of the browser (right now it says "NeuroTalk Communities - Reply to Topic - Mozilla firefox.

This wording has a blue background but the lettering is very small, as is the toolbars.

How can I make the lettering bigger, and bolder?

So I need two things.

My desktop icons to be big and readable.

And when I go on the internet, the top of the screen where it tells you where you are, (and all the toolbars), well they are not BOLD, and the lettering is too small.

I realize this might be simple for many of you, but believe me, I CAN LEARN HOW TO DO THIS. I just need to be shown it.

Thaks much.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!
lol
Melody

using mozilla
 

With mozilla you can hit control and roll your mouse wheel and
things get bigger.

If you use the Spring screen skin option here the fonts in the
reply box are much larger normally than with other skins here.

This is not "saved" however, you have to do it manually each time.

Glad you got it back to normal.
Lets try this ..

Go to Display and click the appearance tab - see the drop down menus ?
{on the windows and buttons drop down -are you using g Classic or XP style?}
I use Classic so the next group of choices might be different if you are using XP style.
but we can try it and see & it's easy to change back if not what you like.

So on the Color Scheme drop down click it to see the choices - click thru them -and it will show a little demo/display of what it would look like - you might have some that say large. if you find one you like fairly well i can tell you how to customize the color & font sizes one by one.
************************************************** ******

If you don't see any thing you like and want to keep the colors that you have, we can do the next step which is to click the advanced button.
there is where you can set colors and font sizes to customize your theme.

I'll give you time to check it out and be back in a while.:D

If it helps - i found Microsoft's info page on how to do it also - might cover something I missed.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310543

hmm - you might want to explore the accessibility features-

[Accessibility Tutorials / Windows XP
Use Large Icons
You can enlarge the icons on your screen to make them easier to see or to access by choosing the Large icons option. This procedure tells you how to select this option through DisplayProperties in Control Panel.]
http://www.microsoft.com/enable/trai...argeicons.aspx

Hi Melody!

You are using Vista? I have some places you can go to change the look of everything, and it is easy to put it all back to normal too. Just right click on anywhere on the screen and select "Personalize".

Attachment 4017

Attachment 4015

Attachment 4016

Hope this helps :)

[Show your style! Make Windows look the way you want
Published: September 7, 2006

You can change everything at once by choosing a theme. There are themes for hundreds of movies, TV shows, sports teams, games, cars, musicians, and anything else people get enthusiastic about. Or you can totally customize the appearance of Windows XP by tuning individual settings.
How to change the theme

Themes can change every aspect of your computer's appearance, including colors, sounds, pointers, and the desktop background. To change your theme, first find one that appeals to you. The Microsoft Download Center has many themes, or you can search the Web. To find a theme on a particular topic, search for "Download XP Themes topic." After you download a theme, just install it as you would any other program.

After you've installed a theme, you can change it manually. ]

more info from Microsoft- w/ screen shots of customizing/personalizing -
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u...lize/look.mspx

I HAVE WINDOWS XP.
I shall try and do what the others have said.

Be back later!!

Oh, the holding down Control and using my mouse wheel DIDN'T DO ANYTHING.

lol

Another way of increasing the print size Mel is to hit Control and the + sign next to the backspace bar.

Print size decreases when you hit Control and the - sign on the left of the +

OH, I'M GETTING SOOOOO EXCITED.

I just hit the control and the plus and all the print got bigger, then I did it in reverse and the print got smaller.

SO NOW I LEARNED A NEW TRICK.

However, the top of the page didn't change. The toolbars.

So, I'm going to do the Properties, or Display, and the Theme thing. Will tell you how this turns out.

Oh, I feel like a kid again.

lol

OKAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've accomplished GREAT THINGS!!! lol

My theme is Windows Classic, my color is Pumpkin, and my fonts (I have no idea why), are terrific.

Good contrast on the desktop and nice size.

Still don't have the words OUTLOOK EXPRESS. Just the word OUT. Anything I can do about that.

I mean, I really don't care. The color pumpkin is easy on the eyes and the PRINT IS BIG.

I'm thrilled.

and THANKS TO YOU ALL!!

Mel

[Still don't have the words OUTLOOK EXPRESS. Just the word OUT. Anything I can do about that.]


Is that on the Icon & the only one messed up now?

If it is the icon - you can right click it and go down the list to Rename and just retype it and see if that fixes the problem.

Jo:

Tried doing exactly that BEFORE I changed themes and pumpkin colors.

Well, I did it last night and guess what?

I CAN NOW SEE Mozilla (that's how it looks), and Outlook Express is two lines on my icon, BUT WHO CARES.

I can see those icons. They are the only ones I care about anyway.

THANK YOU ALL, THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH.

Alan now thinks I'm a genius.

I threatened him with bodily harm if he so much as goes into the control panel or does anything to change what the screen looks like.

And the nifty little trick about holding down Control and pressing the plus sign.

THANK YOU MRS. DOUBTFIRE FOR THAT ONE. Well, you said hold down control and put the mouse scroll thing over it and that didn't do it BUT HOLDING DOWN CONTROL AND PRESSING THE PLUS SIGN.

What a cool thing!!

I might even like computers once again.

lol

Melody