Various computer problems inc Skype!

[Kitty]

Following the advice given to me with my MySpace problem, I have realised there are a few similar things going wrong really.

With the MySpace problem, when I clicked on one particular person's profile, it just took me straight back to the desktop front page. It turned out that this was just with Mozilla... I rectified this temporarily by using IE for MySpace.

Yesterday, I signed up to a live forum...sign up was fine but every time I click to go into the community chat room, the same thing happens...back to desktop. This time it is not remedied by using IE.

I also have problems with Skype...I downloaded it a few weeks ago but it will not connect or if it does very briefly as it did once, it dropped the call. iIcould her the person I had calledcmomentarily but it was breaking up.

Will I have to clean my computer up completely? I am not a boff but can follow simple instructions! i would rather not have to take my computer away somewhere as i rely on it for a lot and am also a moderator on a music forum so can't do without it easily!

Any ideas as to what is going on please?

Kitty x

[MoHux]

Hi Kitty.  Just a guess, but it could be a security setting that is rejecting some things.
Is there a security setting set too high, in Mozilla (never used it), or IE, or perhaps a firewall if you have one running?
Worth checking I think.

HTH

[Kitty]

Thanks, how would I check that? My mind has gone blank. (Not hard!)

[MoHux]

I have no knowledge of Mozilla, Kitty.  But there are plenty on the forum who do.  I am sure one of them will guide you.

In IE click on 'Tools/Internet Options' then the Security tab at the top of page.  Click the 'Internet' zone, and move the slider down a notch.  Try the places you are having trouble, if no improvement put the slider back where it was.  Do the same for the other 'zones'.

If you have IE7 untick 'Protected mode on' (under above slider), see if that improves anything.  Do things one at a time, and reset as they were if no improvement.

If that didn't work, check to see if your firewall (you do use a firewall?) is blocking the sites you want.

[Rik]

Hi Kitty

Mo has already given you some good advice on security settings. My instinct is to start by checking the machine is clean. Can you do a sweep of the machine for virus and malware, see if anything is playing games before we start taking it apart for you.

I'm half wondering whether the Skype problem could actually be your connection, have you noticed any slowness, high pings or loss of connection?

[Kitty]

Ssssssshhhhhh-I don't actually know what pings are.

Give us some clues on how to learn about such things! (Please.)

[Rik]

Hi Kitty

Pings are the bouncing of a small packet of data off a remote site, they give an indication of (a) being able to reach the site OK and (b) whether it's taking a long time to do so.

To run the ping command, hit the Start button, then Run. Type CMD in the dialogue box and hit ENTER. You will then have a 'DOS' window. In this, type 'ping www.idnet.net' (without the quotes) and you'll get something like this:

ping www.idnet.net

Pinging www.idnet.net [212.69.36.10] with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 212.69.36.10: bytes=32 time=21ms TTL=61
Reply from 212.69.36.10: bytes=32 time=20ms TTL=61
Reply from 212.69.36.10: bytes=32 time=21ms TTL=61
Reply from 212.69.36.10: bytes=32 time=22ms TTL=61

Ping statistics for 212.69.36.10:
    Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
    Minimum = 20ms, Maximum = 22ms, Average = 21ms

You can substitute any URL for www.idnet.net. If you want to cut'n'paste the results into a message, right-click on the title bar of the window, then Edit > Select All. Hit ENTER to copy.