MSN and laptop...

NeptuneNavigator2001 · **on:** February 02, 2009, 10:52:30 PM

Okay, I have just about HAD it with this stupid laptop...! It's been an uphill battle to get this piece of junk running, and keep it running! Sure, it's my best machine now, but dang, how much crap do I have to go through to get it to work properly??! :mad

Now, I can't maintain a stable connection to MSN, AT ALL... I'm doing my best to diagnose the problem, but it's just NOT working, and, I'm ready to throw up my hands! I'm pissed off, and not gonna take this crap anymore!

I'm sorry to those of you who talk with me via MSN, but it's rather rocky right now. This transition over to this machine has been one long uphill battle after another, and I for one am so sick and tired of it, that I'm actually contemplating just saying screw it with computers, unless some miracle happens and I'm able to maintain a stable connection. Doesn't seem to happen on my desktop, so why here? Geez.... And yeah, I was serious about the "giving up" part - if I can't fix it, then I'll just say screw it...

Petrie. · **Reply #1 on:** February 02, 2009, 11:17:40 PM

You could always go third party if its the MSN software that is the problem. Sure doesn't sound like it. Seems that your internet connection is what needs to be fixed, like the signal is dropped or something. Is it a wireless connection?

NeptuneNavigator2001 · **Reply #2 on:** February 02, 2009, 11:22:03 PM

I can run either wired or wireless. I disabled wireless, no difference. In fact, a couple weeks ago, I had a lot of problems with my wired connection on my desktop disconnecting and reconnecting. I actually had to install a spare WiFi card in my desktop for a more stable connection, and as crazy as that sounds, it worked. I've tried running either my wireless connection on the laptop, or the wired, and even both simultaneously, and it's just not working... Other applications seem to be working fine... This is a new install - I JUST did this!

Kor · **Reply #3 on:** February 03, 2009, 12:03:33 AM

It may be that your desktop may have to be used for online stuff, and the laptop for everything else. Annoying but if it works out like that while you are there it may be like that. And I've heard nearly everyone has problems with wireless internet, the reason I didn't let my isp talk me into wireless. It may be routers or something. Or something simple.

Is it your connection or msn, if it's your connection and your desktop work ok, it may be like I said and you may need to use the desktop for online use only. If it is MSN you can try using pidgin or some other IM program.

NeptuneNavigator2001 · **Reply #4 on:** February 03, 2009, 12:07:37 AM

I think it's something misconfigured, somewhere... There's no other explanation as to why it doesn't work right on my laptop versus my desktop. I will stop at nothing to make this work, including a reformat, or exposing any security vulnerability that may be necessary. Call me obsessive, but I want this to work. It USED to work, back before I got the laptop. Used to work just fine. Now it doesn't... Looks like I'll have to play blindman's bluff with all my technological know-how until it either works or I give up.

EDIT: Here, this hint should make things easier for someone to help me out: there is usually a variable delay between sending a message and being signed out, and I get it bounced back at me... I'm ready to format the laptop for the billionth time...

EDIT 2: Matter of fact, that's almost too easy now, so that's what I'm gonna do. To all my MSN contacts, I'm sorry, but you won't hear from me for a while, until this is resolved. I'm burning an emergency backup DVD of what I have on this drive that isn't backed up, and formatting... This is ridiculous, seeing as it's about the fourth or fifth time that I've done it now...

Mumbling · **Reply #5 on:** February 03, 2009, 02:06:26 AM

Hmm.. You should calm down at least. Good luck reformatting your laptop and I hope it works afterwards

NeptuneNavigator2001 · **Reply #6 on:** February 03, 2009, 02:08:14 AM

Quote from: Mumbling,Feb 2 2009 on 10:06 PM

Hmm.. You should calm down at least. Good luck reformatting your laptop and I hope it works afterwards

Yeah, I should... But it's frustrating having to do this for the umpteen-bazillionth time...

At least I can burn a quick DVD; this time, I'll install MSN first...

Kor · **Reply #7 on:** February 03, 2009, 02:23:57 AM

Good luck on getting your problems resolved. I'm sure many of us know how big hassles computers can be at times.

NeptuneNavigator2001 · **Reply #8 on:** February 03, 2009, 02:29:24 AM

Quote from: Kor,Feb 2 2009 on 10:23 PM

Good luck on getting your problems resolved. I'm sure many of us know how big hassles computers can be at times.

Yeah...

Thanks everyone. Really.

Petrie. · **Reply #9 on:** February 03, 2009, 07:22:41 AM

Quote

EDIT: Here, this hint should make things easier for someone to help me out: there is usually a variable delay between sending a message and being signed out, and I get it bounced back at me... I'm ready to format the laptop for the billionth time...

Every now and then I'll get a timeout with third-party software Pidgin through the MSN network. Now I don't get signed out, but I logout manually because otherwise all my messages will bounce back. It doesn't happen all the time, but some nights it does. It could very well be MSN acting up. I had a bad stretch on MSN for a while, but the problem did go away with time.

landbeforetimelover · **Reply #10 on:** February 03, 2009, 05:35:05 PM

If it happens on wired and wireless and you've already formatted the laptop, I'd suspect the router.

NeptuneNavigator2001 · **Reply #11 on:** February 03, 2009, 08:53:33 PM

Quote from: landbeforetimelover,Feb 3 2009 on 01:35 PM

If it happens on wired and wireless and you've already formatted the laptop, I'd suspect the router.

Nope.

It works now, and it worked before, a long time ago, before this laptop was mine and back when it still used its original hard drive. I think I've traced the problem to a redundant, needless driver I accidentally installed for the wireless... Leave it to Compaq to list redundant drivers even in specific models of certain computers, and the end-user to figure out which ones will break the machine, which ones won't even work, and which ones you actually need.

Yeah... Anyway, over the course of the day, I'll be reinstalling everything; right now, I've got only a basic install of XP, many updates (darn you Patch Tuesday!), MSN, and Firefox. Hopefully I don't break the machine.

Kor · **Reply #12 on:** February 03, 2009, 10:12:31 PM

Doing it on step at a time and stopping to test things may tell you which program or update is the problem.

landbeforetimelover · **Reply #13 on:** February 04, 2009, 12:27:21 AM

You did get that copy of XP Lite I sent, didn't you? You should use it man. Seriously.....regular XP sucks so bad.

And for drivers, go ahead and download my "Dame's Computer Repair Standard Applications" package from my server. It's in the "Standard Tools" folder in the main server directory. It has some great tools man. I'm sure you can use 'em.

EDIT: But the copy of AVG and VLC are outdated so I'll be making a new one shortly. Perhaps you want to wait till then.

NeptuneNavigator2001 · **Reply #14 on:** February 04, 2009, 02:20:42 AM

To be honest Austin, I did try it once, on a spare hard drive, and found it to be somewhat unstable... For example, I tried to close a window that had frozen, clicked twice and clicked "End Task," and it crashed Explorer as expected, but what I didn't expect is for it to bring down another task, which forced the whole system to shut down, and then later on, I find out that a couple files are damaged? Eh, sorry dude... For what it does, it does okay, and it's there when I need it.... But I'm already tweaking my XP installs all to crap anyway.

EDIT: Oh, this is just great. Now AVG claims that MSN has tracking cookies in it.. I clicked to have one moved to the vault accidentally, but now it seems to be screwed up. I even tried restoring it and it doesn't work... This is just peaches. I hope I can reinstall MSN, even though it'll take me two hours to reinstall all my custom emoticons. I'm one screwup away from walking away from computer techieness... Thanks AVG, you PIECE of GARBAGE!

EDIT 2: Okay, I reinstalled MSN, and disabled tracking cookies in resident shield in AVG. Fortunately all my emoticons, display pictures, and the one background I was able to reinstall, all were still there...

UPDATE: It's working!

I got it all working last night!

Honestly, this was something I wasn't sure I would be able to do...

But this is a big morale booster for me. :^.^: It's actually done, so now I can take it anywhere I might go.

The freedom that this gives, it's amazing... :^.^:

Petrie. · **Reply #15 on:** February 05, 2009, 08:13:24 AM

What did you do differently?

NeptuneNavigator2001 · **Reply #16 on:** February 05, 2009, 09:36:41 AM

Quote from: Petrie,Feb 5 2009 on 04:13 AM

What did you do differently?

Not a whole lot, surprisingly..

I'm wondering if the order of certain programs I installed has anything to do with it, or if it was all on account of that same driver... I'll be sure that incompatible driver gets sent to hell...