TP

Another timewaster, eh? ;-)

Download and install PC Wizard 2006 from http://www.cpuid.com/pcwizard.php

When you've done that, open the program, click on the 'Configuration' tab.

To your left you will see several icons. The one you want looks like a pair of keys.

Click on this icon and all the passwords on the machine, which have been saved to Windows, will be revealed.

Hope that helps. :-)

If you cannot get onto the pc in the 1st place how can you download and install the software ????

Rick the timewaster.

2 days after my Norton Internet Security was due to be renewed, which I haven't done, I got a message to say it had blocked an intrusion:

Intrusion: MS SQL Stack BO.
Intruder: 61.187.200.10(4756)
Risk level: High
Protocol: UDP
Attacked IP: 0.0.0.0
Port: ms-sql-m(1434)

What on earth does this all mean? I look on it as a cynical pre-programmed attempt by Symantec to get me to renew!!! (OK, maybe not but that was my first thought).

As I don't do emails on this machine, what alternative security does anyone recommend, gotta be cheap as chips though!

I don't know.

But I know a man who does: Can't Log On to Windows XP? Here's what to do. "I Forgot My Administrator Password!"

Rick, that's for you. I thought Doc was a bit quick answering my query!

Thanks folks,think we have cracked it :-)

Rick....

SC, it means someone in china is scanning your PC, probably along with many other. Deny access to it.

Hmm, thanks. I had denied access anyway.

How can I stop this sort of intrusion without using Norton?

SC,

I am a fan of Trend Micro's PC-Cillin.

IMHO far more effective and controllable than Norton.

TP

I am about to buy a laptop which I want for remote access to the internet and writing reports on site etc. I also want to be able to send and receive emails using Microsoft Outlook. That is not an issue as such but how do I best go about transferring all my existing emails and folders, including contacts details and reminders etc, that are currently on my main desktop Microsoft Outlook program so that I can have all this history to hand on the laptop?

Also, is there a convenient method of merging email data so that when I've been working on travels and filing emails on the laptop, I can ensure my email and contact records are kept up to date? and vice versa when I'm working at the main desk. Or do I have to abandon the desktop as the main machine :)

SC: That IP address (61.187.200.10) is one allocated to Hunan Telecom in China. So that's where the probe into your machine came from. Norton obviously continues to work, it's just that you won't get updates to its database.

Having said that, if the computer is behind a NAT firewall (eg an ADSL router with the firewall on), I'm surprised the probe got that far.

UDP is the basic Internet datagram protocol which doesn't guarantee delivery (as opposed to TCP which does). It's sometimes used for streaming media where a small bit drop out is tolerable in sound and/or vision transmission.

MM, I was on dial up with OneTel at the time rather than broadband. I realise Norton is continuing, without updates, which is fine for now but really I do think Norton's too heavyweight for my needs.

Bones:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-ca/assistance/HA011166031033.aspx

and

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA010875321033.aspx

Thanks for those links Seymour!

Bones,

I was re-reading some info about Karen's Replicator last night as I was recommended to it as a good back up system. At the time I was also being warned off back up systems that encrypted or compressed as they were more likely to become unreadable.

If you look at the following page you will see a reference to synching a laptop and a PC and you might find it an interesting approach.

http://www.karenware.com/newsletters/2003/2003-05-27.asp

Certainly the software seems well thought out and there are about half a dozen of those newsletters that explain more about how it can be adapted to suit people's various needs.


TP

Seems the CPU fan on my computer has broken. Is this something I can just buy myself and plug in or do I need a "pro" to fix it? Seen a couple for sale on PC World website for my processor (AMD Athlon) but no many about how they connect. Any advice much appreciated.

Isaacs,

"Seems the CPU fan on my computer has broken. Is this something I can just buy myself and plug in or do I need a "pro" to fix it? "

I b*gg*r*d up my studio PC a few months ago trying to replace a power supply with a noisy fan. It is an easy job to do, but what I did wrong was to switch the computer off with the power switch instead of closing down from within Windows.

I did it because, in fitting the new power unit, I dislodged one of the other cables to something like a CD drive. I was so annoyed that I turned the PC off and as it had not done its proper Windows close down the operating system became corrupt. So corrupt that trying to install the system from the release disk did not work - so I guess I trashed the hard disk.

I am sure I could do it again properly next time, but when I think of the time I wasted it makes using a pro seem cheap.

TP

Isaacs, fitting a CPU fan (combined with heat sink) is very easy if you are reasonably handy. I am not familiar with Athlons specifically but fans are made to clip onto the motherboard thereby pressing onto the processor below. The only things to watch are: choose the right model of fan (look inside the box and note the dimensions of the fan, and get one a similar size and specified for the correct processor); be very careful not to damage the motherboard as you unclip and reclip the heat sink (it may take a certain amount of force); and ensure that you put enough 'thermal transfer compound' between processor and heat sink. When you remove the heat sink you will find remnants on both sides and should be able to scrape enough from the old heat sink to move to the new one. The new heat sink might come with a piece of tape under which is pre-spread the correct amount of paste, in which case remove the remnants on the CPU. Otherwise Maplin do a small tube, from memory.

OK thanks guys. Might have a go later. Fortunately PC holding up so far. Famous last words no doubt.....

.

I've just been taking the Opera 9.00 browser for a spin this evening -- I think it must have the quickest web page rendering ever. Very impressive and worth a try.

For free at http://www.opera.com/