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Index ‹ Windows XP ‹ Windows XP
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- 1
- Windows XP Support >> Constant RefreshingMy pointer switches to an hour glass every 5 or so seconds. It seems to be
timed with the usage increase for the System Idle. This is affecting a lot
of things that I do in Microsoft Office.
Outlook - I could be in a month view, and scrolled down a week or two where
the top week is mid-month. When that hourglass shows up, it will
automatically adjust the calendar in Outlook back to the top of the month
that I'm in the middle of.
I'm adding an item into the calendar, it will let me type for a few seconds,
and then when that hourglass shows up, it cuts me off mid-entry and starts
another entry.
In Excel or Word, if I'm doing a print preview, and "show margins"...it will
show them for a few seconds up until when the pointer switches to an
hourglass. If I double click on the clock/calendar in the lower right, and,
say I go forward a couple of months, it will adjust back within a few seconds.
These are just a few of the things that are going on.
- 2
- Windows XP >> System 32When I start up my computer, the System 32 page opens up,
and I have to close it. I have tried to correct the
problem, yet to no avail. Any suggestions? Thank you.
- 3
- 4
- Windows XP Perform Maintain >> Remove a programI am trying to remove sounblaster program and have run
into an error. Unhandled exception # OX 80040201. The
program uninstalled to 54% and will not go any further.
How can I get this program uninstalled?
- 5
- Windows XP >> XP Pro(orig) prob HELP! - Sys folders names change after reboots...System:
XP Pro(orig)
AMDxp2100
1gig RAM
When I reboot, sometimes the folder names for (start)>My Computer and
Network(or Neighborhood) are changed to something different.
They appear to be reg key names/data information.
For instance, right now, "My Computer" says "DirectMusicBand"?!?
Another name that has popped up is "MDhcpClass" but they seem to change
with no apparent pattern - I can rename them and they're fine until a
random number of boots.
Also, when I looked at the registry for these keys, I noticed there are
a vast number of entries that are identical except for the number "1" at
the end.
IE: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{79BA9E00-B6EE-11D1-86BE-
00C04FBF8FEF}\ProgID (Default=Microsoft.DirectMusicBand.1)
There is another entry like this but WITHOUT the ".1"
I'm wondering if these are "duplicate" keys and can they be removed
safely?
I've done an XP over-itself repair but no change.
Very strange prob, eh?
(the Recycle bin icon changes too - I've tried most fixes for this but
no joy)
Anybody heard of this sort of thing before? Driving me nuts.....
nikko
- 6
- Windows XP >> Yahoo won't loadI'm running windows xp on a dsl speed connection. I cannot get Yahoo in
Internet Explorer or Moxilla. All other pages load up fine but for some
reason I get a message saying "That page cannont be displayed" . I ran my
Adaware, Spybot and my antivirus is up to date. Can someone please help?
- 7
- 8
- Windows XP Network >> seeing other computers on the networkI have a problem that I hope someone can help me with. I am running an XP
system with service pack 2 and all the updates that I can get from the
microsoft update center.
My problem is before I got a trojan that was named xwinupdaterarx.exe I
could see and connect to other systems on my network. Now I can not connect
or even see other systems but I can stil get on the internet. I was
wondering if that trojan modified something that could have caused my problem
or what. I know when I first got the trojan it went into the registry and
disabled the ability for windows updates to work.
I have ran multiple tools to kill the trojan and my virus scan has killed it
but I still have the problem of not finding any systems.
Any help given here would be greatly appreciated and thank you.
- 9
- Windows XP >> Shared Documents vs My DocumentsIt is a personal preference that I do not have a shared
documents and a my documents folder with each person in
my household to have to decide where to store
information. Is there a way to eliminate one of the two
folders from the system?? Just for the purpose of
simplifing things.
- 10
- 11
- Windows XP Hardware >> Unable to Create or delete a PartitionI am unable to create a partition in unused unallocated space and unable
to delete a partition, using The Disk Management tools. The message I
receive back is:
?The disk configuration operation did not complete. Check the System
Log for more information on the error? Verify the Status of your
storage before retrying, if that does not solve the problem, close The
Disk Management Console, then restart6 Disk Management or restart the
computer?
The System event log had the following:
?The Logical Disk Manager Administrative Service services entered the
running state?
I have attempted to create & delete a partition several times; the
errors are always the same. Any ideas anyone?
--
Chinasky
- 12
- Windows XP Perform Maintain >> Windows Task ManagerOn opening task manager the different tabs at the top of
the window for processes etc are not visible, neither are
the minimize, maximise, close buttons. Even when clicking
in the areas where they are supposed to be does nothing
but select the window behind it. The only way I can exit
out of the task manager is to alt+f4 shortcut. I have run
an anti-virus check and my system is clear of virus' yet
the problem persists. Does anybody know of a solution
that does not include formatting my hdd or returning my
pc to factory settings?
Thank you in advance.
John
- 13
- Windows XP Network >> Odd Extended File Property behavior--____WKNWMIDVXAQZZTAXLAHN____
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
First the background:
We have a Windows 2003 Server, holding, among other things, about 100,000 =
TIF document files. In order to ensure that our Sharepoint server =
properly indexes the documents, we copy certain of the TIF tag data to =
extended file property fields automatically, as a part of a document =
"check in" process. We use dsofile.dll, downloaded from Microsoft, to =
maintain the extended file properties (which are stored as alternate data =
streams.) (We COULD enter it manually from the summary window of the file =
properties as well.) The summary fields we update include Title, Subject, =
Category, Keywords, Comments, Source, Author, and Revision Number. Each =
file then has at least two alternate data streams, holding the summary =
data and category data.
As a result of this check-in process, we are able to verify tag presence =
simply by looking at the file properties: Summary Tab from any workstation.=
=20
This is the problem: For the last two+ years, we've been running the =
check-in process from several Windows 2000 workstations. As a part of our =
routine PC replacement process, we've recently replaced one of these =
machines with a Windows XP Pro machine. Now, the Windows XP machine =
cannot see ANY of the file property summaries that were entered with the =
Windows 2000 machines, nor can the Windows 2000 machine see ANY of the =
file property summaries entered by a Windows XP machine.
Does anyone have any ideas as to the cause of this, and how we can address =
the problem? Thanks in advance
--____WKNWMIDVXAQZZTAXLAHN____
Content-Type: multipart/related; boundary="____DJASTSOGMMMMODBQNSLJ____"
--____DJASTSOGMMMMODBQNSLJ____
Content-Type: text/html; charset=windows-1252
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1"=
>
<META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2900.2668" name=3DGENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY style=3D"MARGIN: 4px 4px 1px; FONT: 12pt Arial; COLOR: #000000">
<DIV>First the background:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>We have a Windows 2003 Server, holding, among other things, about =
100,000 TIF document files. In order to ensure that our Sharepoint =
server properly indexes the documents, we copy certain of the TIF tag data =
to extended file property fields automatically, as a part of a document =
"check in" process. We use dsofile.dll, downloaded from Microsoft, =
to maintain the extended file properties (which are stored as alternate =
data streams.) (We COULD enter it manually from the summary window =
of the file properties as well.) The summary fields we update =
include Title, Subject, Category, Keywords, Comments, Source, Author, and =
Revision Number. Each file then has at least two alternate =
data streams, holding the summary data and category data.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>As a result of this check-in process, we are able to verify tag =
presence simply by looking at the file properties: Summary Tab from any =
workstation. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>This is the problem: For the last two+ years, we've been =
running the check-in process from several Windows 2000 workstations. =
As a part of our routine PC replacement process, we've recently replaced =
one of these machines with a Windows XP Pro machine. Now, the =
Windows XP machine cannot see ANY of the file property summaries that were =
entered with the Windows 2000 machines, nor can the Windows 2000 machine =
see ANY of the file property summaries entered by a Windows XP machine.</DI=
V>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Does anyone have any ideas as to the cause of this, and how we can =
address the problem? Thanks in advance<BR></DIV></BODY></HTML>
--____DJASTSOGMMMMODBQNSLJ____--
--____WKNWMIDVXAQZZTAXLAHN____--
- 14
- Windows XP Support >> Stop Error ScreenUsing Win XP Sp2. Out of nowhere I had a blue screen pop up with the
following info: "STOP ERROR SCREEN...Windows shut down. If this has not
happened before restart your computer. If this has happened before check for
adequate disc space and check for Bios update." I restarted and so far so
good. My computer has been shutting down randomly with no prompt. Also I
have had to use Ctrl-Alt-Delete keys to shut down programs that continue to
run when prompted to close. Anyone have a clue as to what is going on?
- 15
- Windows XP >> updating XPHow do I update XP? When I go to the page where
Microsoft is suopposed to scan my system, nothing happens.
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linuxiseenlekkerding
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 Posted: Tue Aug 07 06:38:57 CDT 2007 |
Top |
Windows XP >> How to share Internet ?
I just get a 1 port ADSL modem router from the ISP. From the specification,
it says that I can use it for Internet sharing.
However, as there is only 1 port (1 port for connecting ADSL signal and 1
port for Ethernet), I would like to know why they say that modem is a router
? From my basic understanding, a router should connect more than 1 machine.
Thanks
Windows XP276
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Pegasus
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| Posted: Tue Aug 07 06:38:57 CDT 2007 |
Top |
Windows XP >> How to share Internet ?
"Peter" <EMail@HideDomain.com> wrote in message
news:EMail@HideDomain.com...
>I just get a 1 port ADSL modem router from the ISP. From the
>specification, it says that I can use it for Internet sharing.
>
> However, as there is only 1 port (1 port for connecting ADSL signal and 1
> port for Ethernet), I would like to know why they say that modem is a
> router ? From my basic understanding, a router should connect more than 1
> machine.
>
> Thanks
An ADSL modem is a device that can process an ADSL-type
signal delivered on the phone line. It assigns an IP address to
your PC that is determined by your ISP. PCs connected to the
Internet via an ADSL modem are vulnerable to hacker attacks.
An ADSL modem/router is an ADSL modem plus a router.
The router acts as an interface between your internal network
and the Internet. It is like a barrier: Your internal IP address
(e.g. 192.168.0.10) is not visible to the outside world. It can
therefore be used by several PCs connected to the internal
network. It's much harder to hack through a router than it is
to hack through a modem.
Most ADSL modem/routers have several output ports but
they don't have to. If yours has only a single port then you need
to buy a switch so that you can connect other PCs too. Switches
are very cheap these days.
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Pegasus
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| Posted: Tue Aug 07 06:42:06 CDT 2007 |
Top |
Windows XP >> How to share Internet ?
"Peter" <EMail@HideDomain.com> wrote in message
news:EMail@HideDomain.com...
>I just get a 1 port ADSL modem router from the ISP. From the
>specification, it says that I can use it for Internet sharing.
>
> However, as there is only 1 port (1 port for connecting ADSL signal and 1
> port for Ethernet), I would like to know why they say that modem is a
> router ? From my basic understanding, a router should connect more than 1
> machine.
>
> Thanks
P.S. Have a look at your clock. You're posting in the future.
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Tim
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| Posted: Tue Aug 07 07:53:01 CDT 2007 |
Top |
Windows XP >> How to share Internet ?
"Peter" <EMail@HideDomain.com> wrote:
>I just get a 1 port ADSL modem router from the ISP. From the specification,
>it says that I can use it for Internet sharing.
>
>However, as there is only 1 port (1 port for connecting ADSL signal and 1
>port for Ethernet), I would like to know why they say that modem is a router
>? From my basic understanding, a router should connect more than 1 machine.
It sounds like you have an ADSL modem that is not a router. My
understanding of the language in the specification is that they are
saying that you can use it with a router, which you can. Home routers
are widely and cheaply available, and many have wireless capabilities
too.
When you get a router, you'll connect it to your ADSL modem with a
single ethernet cable. Be careful to get that cable into the proper
port on the router! The router will have multiple (probably four)
other ethernet connections that you use to connect your computers to
it.
--
Tim Slattery
MS MVP(DTS)
EMail@HideDomain.com
http://members.cox.net/slatteryt
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Pegasus
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| Posted: Tue Aug 07 07:57:21 CDT 2007 |
Top |
Windows XP >> How to share Internet ?
"Tim Slattery" <EMail@HideDomain.com> wrote in message
news:EMail@HideDomain.com...
> "Peter" <EMail@HideDomain.com> wrote:
>
>>I just get a 1 port ADSL modem router from the ISP. From the
>>specification,
>>it says that I can use it for Internet sharing.
>>
>>However, as there is only 1 port (1 port for connecting ADSL signal and 1
>>port for Ethernet), I would like to know why they say that modem is a
>>router
>>? From my basic understanding, a router should connect more than 1
>>machine.
>
> It sounds like you have an ADSL modem that is not a router.
Not necessarily. I have seen several ADSL modem/routers
with just a single port.
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HeyBub
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| Posted: Tue Aug 07 10:30:10 CDT 2007 |
Top |
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Pegasus
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| Posted: Tue Aug 07 10:39:37 CDT 2007 |
Top |
Windows XP >> How to share Internet ?
"HeyBub" <EMail@HideDomain.com> wrote in message
news:EMail@HideDomain.com...
> Peter wrote:
>> I just get a 1 port ADSL modem router from the ISP. From the
>> specification, it says that I can use it for Internet sharing.
>>
>> However, as there is only 1 port (1 port for connecting ADSL signal
>> and 1 port for Ethernet), I would like to know why they say that
>> modem is a router ? From my basic understanding, a router should
>> connect more than 1 machine.
>
> Use an external "router" or, better, a "switch" (a "switch" in this
> context is a super router).
No, a switch is not a router. Routers will perform some IP address
translation but switches won't: What comes in goes out.
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Tim
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| Posted: Tue Aug 07 11:20:27 CDT 2007 |
Top |
Windows XP >> How to share Internet ?
"Pegasus \(MVP\)" <EMail@HideDomain.com> wrote:
>> It sounds like you have an ADSL modem that is not a router.
>Not necessarily. I have seen several ADSL modem/routers
>with just a single port.
Sounds strange to me. As OP said, a router allows multiple computers
to connect to it and switches packets among them. This thing has only
one ethernet connection, so you can connect only one computer to it.
What kind of router is that?
--
Tim Slattery
MS MVP(DTS)
EMail@HideDomain.com
http://members.cox.net/slatteryt
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Gary
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| Posted: Tue Aug 07 11:36:27 CDT 2007 |
Top |
Windows XP >> How to share Internet ?
If such an animal exists, it's a cheap one that requires an added network
switch to distribute to more than one device. A router does a lot more than
just switch packets to the destination. What we normally think of as a
router is a router with a built-in switch.
--
Gary S. Terhune
MS-MVP Shell/User
www.grystmill.com
"Tim Slattery" <EMail@HideDomain.com> wrote in message
news:EMail@HideDomain.com...
> "Pegasus \(MVP\)" <EMail@HideDomain.com> wrote:
>
>
>>> It sounds like you have an ADSL modem that is not a router.
>
>>Not necessarily. I have seen several ADSL modem/routers
>>with just a single port.
>
> Sounds strange to me. As OP said, a router allows multiple computers
> to connect to it and switches packets among them. This thing has only
> one ethernet connection, so you can connect only one computer to it.
> What kind of router is that?
>
> --
> Tim Slattery
> MS MVP(DTS)
> EMail@HideDomain.com
> http://members.cox.net/slatteryt
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Pegasus
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| Posted: Tue Aug 07 11:38:23 CDT 2007 |
Top |
Windows XP >> How to share Internet ?
"Tim Slattery" <EMail@HideDomain.com> wrote in message
news:EMail@HideDomain.com...
> "Pegasus \(MVP\)" <EMail@HideDomain.com> wrote:
>
>
>>> It sounds like you have an ADSL modem that is not a router.
>
>>Not necessarily. I have seen several ADSL modem/routers
>>with just a single port.
>
> Sounds strange to me. As OP said, a router allows multiple computers
> to connect to it and switches packets among them. This thing has only
> one ethernet connection, so you can connect only one computer to it.
> What kind of router is that?
>
> --
> Tim Slattery
> MS MVP(DTS)
> EMail@HideDomain.com
> http://members.cox.net/slatteryt
A 4-port ADSL router is really three devices in one box:
- An ADSL modem
- A router
- A four-port switch
Some manufacturers offer them without the switch, perhaps
to price them more attractively.
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HeyBub
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| Posted: Tue Aug 07 17:46:38 CDT 2007 |
Top |
Windows XP >> How to share Internet ?
Pegasus (MVP) wrote:
> "HeyBub" <EMail@HideDomain.com> wrote in message
> news:EMail@HideDomain.com...
>> Peter wrote:
>>> I just get a 1 port ADSL modem router from the ISP. From the
>>> specification, it says that I can use it for Internet sharing.
>>>
>>> However, as there is only 1 port (1 port for connecting ADSL signal
>>> and 1 port for Ethernet), I would like to know why they say that
>>> modem is a router ? From my basic understanding, a router should
>>> connect more than 1 machine.
>>
>> Use an external "router" or, better, a "switch" (a "switch" in this
>> context is a super router).
>
> No, a switch is not a router. Routers will perform some IP address
> translation but switches won't: What comes in goes out.
A "switch" (in this context) "is used interchangably with router, but
'switch' is really a marketing term without a rigorous technical definition
(though a switch is commonly understood as a network hub with switched
ports, which might or might not also perform additional routing functions)."
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Peter
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| Posted: Wed Aug 08 07:00:56 CDT 2007 |
Top |
Windows XP >> How to share Internet ?
Dear all,
Many thanks for your advice. The ADSL modem router I get from ISP is
"Netcomm NB1 ADSL2+ Modem Router".
Regards
Peter
"Pegasus (MVP)" <EMail@HideDomain.com> wrote in message
news:EMail@HideDomain.com...
>
> "Tim Slattery" <EMail@HideDomain.com> wrote in message
> news:EMail@HideDomain.com...
>> "Pegasus \(MVP\)" <EMail@HideDomain.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>> It sounds like you have an ADSL modem that is not a router.
>>
>>>Not necessarily. I have seen several ADSL modem/routers
>>>with just a single port.
>>
>> Sounds strange to me. As OP said, a router allows multiple computers
>> to connect to it and switches packets among them. This thing has only
>> one ethernet connection, so you can connect only one computer to it.
>> What kind of router is that?
>>
>> --
>> Tim Slattery
>> MS MVP(DTS)
>> EMail@HideDomain.com
>> http://members.cox.net/slatteryt
>
> A 4-port ADSL router is really three devices in one box:
> - An ADSL modem
> - A router
> - A four-port switch
>
> Some manufacturers offer them without the switch, perhaps
> to price them more attractively.
>
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Gordon
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| Posted: Wed Aug 08 09:43:24 CDT 2007 |
Top |
Windows XP >> How to share Internet ?
"Peter" <EMail@HideDomain.com> wrote in message
news:EMail@HideDomain.com...
> Dear all,
>
> Many thanks for your advice. The ADSL modem router I get from ISP is
> "Netcomm NB1 ADSL2+ Modem Router".
>
If you want to share Internet access without using ICS then you need to buy
an switch as well. Plug your PCs into the switch, and plug the ethernet
cable from the Router into the switch. it's as easy as that...
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Andy
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| Posted: Wed Aug 08 15:18:44 CDT 2007 |
Top |
Windows XP >> How to share Internet ?
On Tue, 7 Aug 2007 21:39:07 +1000, "Peter"
<EMail@HideDomain.com> wrote:
>I just get a 1 port ADSL modem router from the ISP. From the specification,
>it says that I can use it for Internet sharing.
>
>However, as there is only 1 port (1 port for connecting ADSL signal and 1
>port for Ethernet), I would like to know why they say that modem is a router
>? From my basic understanding, a router should connect more than 1 machine.
>
>Thanks
>
<http://www.netcomm.com.au/ADSL/NB1_new.php>
The NB1 can be used to connect a single computer (Windows or
Macintosh) or with the built-in router can share a single Internet
service to multiple computers (a separate networking switch is
required).
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Index ‹ Windows XP ‹ Windows XP |
- Next
- 1
- Windows XP Network >> Incorrect modem installsI bought a HP Pavilion notebook and upgraded XP Home to XP Pro. Since then my Conexant 56k ac link modem does not work for internet connections but does for e-mail connections. I uninctalled it then rebooted the notebook at which time it reported it had detected and installed a new modem however it reports it has installed a PCI device. Could this be why I am unable to create a dial-up connection? If so how would I correct this problem? My modem is an internal device and I believe it should not configure as a PCI device. Is this a result of upgrading to Pro? Lots of questions - anyone got any pointers?
- 2
- Windows XP >> MI5 Persecution: Dirk Gently on the Toronto CaseDirk was on the West Coast when he got the call. An old
friend at the Toronto police department thought he would like
to fly up and take a look at a homicide which had occurred
the previous evening. He decided to skip the last day at the
World Holistics conference and take the next plane out of
San Francisco.
The flight was bad; Dirk had been hit on the back of the head
by the Newspaper trolley, the drinks trolley, the dinner trolley
and now the gift trolley. When the hostesses weren?t trying to
tear his arm off they pestered him to stop leaning into the aisle
- ignoring the fact that the guy next to him was taking up one and
a half seats. Air Canada used to be the flight which was so
good you just didn?t wanna get off - on this occasion Dirk
would be glad to see the back of the plane and the over sized
alternative comedian wedged into the window seat.
After breathing in a couple of lungfulls of crisp Canadian air
Dirk took a taxi into town. There was a small group of
demonstrators outside the MacDonalds and the taxi driver
insisted on stopping on the opposite side of the street. ?Don?t
Eat Meat? the placards read and the demonstrators chanted. A
couple of policemen where stopping the crowd entering the
restaurant itself - one held up his arm and challenged Dirk. A
wave of the fax he had been sent and the policeman pushed
open the door.
There were few customers in the restaurant. Not surprising
really with a demonstration going on outside, half the dining
area roped off with tape and a dead body seated at one of the
tables. ?Mr Gently sir? the officer in charge called out as he
peeled one end of the tape off a column ?We were told not to
touch anything til? you got here?.
The body of the man slumped awkwardly in a chair. Then
even a dead body would start getting uncomfortable in a
MacDonalds chair after twenty minutes - and this one had
been there for at least eighteen hours. Two back legs and the
tail of a cat hung out of the man?s gaping mouth. Dirk turned
to the officer, ?I suppose you are going to tell me this is the
darndest thing you ever saw??
?Ain?t this the darnd...?. The officer seemed annoyed that Dirk
had second guessed him. ?We?re removing the body in a few
minutes, so if you can get through as quick as possible?
?Many people eat cats in fast food restaurants?? Dirk asked
and without waiting for an answer leant over the table to pick
up an untouched burger. ?And what?s this?? he asked waving
it in front of the officers face.
?It?s a Vedgie Burger? The waitress, who was cleaning one of
the adjacent tables, shouted across. She walked over to Dirk.
?We started doing them because of that lot out there? she
nodded towards the protesters who were pressing there faces
against the windows ?They?re called Linda McCartney Vedgie
burgers - ever heard of them??
Dirk suddenly felt faint, perhaps a combination of hunger and
jet lag. ?This is deja vu all over again? he thought to himself.
He glanced at policemen - at the badge on his shoulder ?OPD?
but this wasn?t Ontario this was Toronto. OPD - Officially
Pronounced Dead. It dawned on Dirk what was happening, he
knew what he would see if he looked out of the window. Sure
enough, there it was, the Volkswagen Beetle parked across
the road - number plate 28IF - 28 IF Paul McCartney had
lived. And amongst the lyrics of the song blaring out into the
restaurant he could pick out the words ?I buried Paul?. Now it
was though Dirk was viewing the whole scene though a TV
screen. This was conspiracy. Not -a- conspiracy, or -the-
conspiracy, but just plain conspiracy.
?You look faint - are you OK mister? The waitress asked.
Dirk shook his head ?Probably a bit hungry? Then to
economise on dialogue took out a pack of cigarettes and held
it out towards the girl. She was about to take one but Dirk
snatched the pack away, held it up to his mouth and drew out
two cigarettes. He lit both then passed one of them to the girl.
It was the closest he had come to a sexual encounter in three
months.
?Want a Burger?? the waitress asked.
Dirk looked down at the Vedgie Burger on the table. ?No
thanks - just a plate of fries?
The waitress walked away and Dirk looked around the room.
Apart from a family seated in the far corner there was only
one other person in the restaurant - and he wasn?t eating. The
guy was about mid twenties and had straggling, shoulder
length hair. On the table in front of him were lots of pieces of
paper cut into squares. Every so often he would pick up a
camcorder and pan it around the room and then, when he was
finished, speak into a microphone which was attached to a
tape recorder. Dirk walked over to where the man was sitting.
The small pieces of paper had paragraphs of text written on
them and were stuck to the top of table with blobs of mustard.
Lines had been drawn, some solid some dotted, on the table
top with a marker pen. The lines ran from one piece of paper
to another.
?What are the lines for?? Dirk asked, realising straight away
that ?What the hell are you doing?? would be more
appropriate.
?You see? The man replied nervously ?The dotted lines are
weak links and the solid lines are strong links. The dotted
lines are things which are happening in the rest of the world
and the solid lines are things which are happening to me. Now
you see I draw over a dotted line, replacing it with a solid line,
when I can link something back to me. Like this? The pen
squeaked over the Formica and before Dirk could interrupt
the man added. ?You see I lost my short term memory and, as
a consequence have a very short attention span. I write down,
record and film everything then put it all together later?
?So? Dirk interrupted. ?You filmed what happened here??
?Yes, yes, it?s here on this tape? The man pushed the cassette
across the table. On the label the words ?Grassy Knoll? had
been crossed through and replaced with ?MacDonalds?.
Suddenly the man sprung from his seat. Dirk turned and saw
that the body was being removed on a stretcher. As it passed
the man picked a small object off the edge of the stretcher
itself. ?This is important? he said, laying a blood stained bullet
on one of the small pieces of paper on the table.
Suddenly the room was filled with a deafening throbbing
sound as a Black Helicopter landed in the street outside. Two
men in United Nations uniforms got out and collected the
stretcher. Back at the table the long haired man was replacing
all the dotted lines with solid ones. Dirk panicked and began
to walk backwards at some speed. Barging through the swing
doors he stumbled into the kitchen, tripped and felt himself
sink slowly into a large vat.
?The guys fallen into the batter? Dick heard someone shout
before he sunk below the surface. He came to sitting in a chair
with the batter solidifying all over his body. He surveyed the
room through two eye-holes someone had cut. Suddenly the
chair on which he was sitting was picked up carried through
the restaurant and out of the building. As the chair was being
lifted and put into the back of a van, Dirk caught a glimpse of
the waitress following him. ?Your fries mister, your
plate o...?.
The doors of the van shut and Dirk tried desperately to steady
himself as it sped across town. Eventually the doors flew open
and Dirk was flung into the road at which point the solidified
batter shattered and set him free. Standing up he found
himself outside the international departures terminal of
Toronto airport.
In the departure lounge Dirk had time to reflect on the day?s
events. He had got caught up in the conspiracy theories and
the haphazard welding together of pieces of irrelevant
information. It was time to catch the person who was
operating the bizarre cognitive engine which appeared in
front of him like a fairground mirror, distorting any flaw it
could find in his own, fragile, map of the real world.
Dirk leant into the aisle of the plane as it took off for London.
The oversized person next to him swung his arms violently as
he complained about every thing from the supper in a plastic
tray to the state of British politics. With a shaven head and a
badly fitting suit the man looked as though he could have
worked behind the reception desk of the Kremlin. However
when he spoke he did so in a Liverpudlian accent. ?Me I
blame the Con-serv-a-tive government, me. The Tour-rees.
That-cher. Me. They need a good kicking? He jerked his feet
forward and struck the seat in front with his Doc Martins.
?With these. Me Doc Martins. Doctor Martin?s, Doctor
Martin?s, Doctor Martin?s Booots!? The phrase was now
being sung over and over again as the man writhed in his seat
and clicked his fingers.
Dirk looked down at the boots and thought of the reaction
most people used to deal with the paranoids at the end of the
wire. A nice quick kick. ?Oi nutter - get some therapy?. This is
the easy way out and perhaps the safest. After all there you
are sat, alone, in front of the screen. No body language
between you some paranoid. No way of telling if he really is
some gibbering psycho. Look at it too long and you be drawn
in. Fall into the tangled database of weird links with him. Who
knows he may be watching you, reassembling and linking your
experiences with his. How sure are you of you own cognitive
threads. After all cognition is only a bug fix for a neurological
system which was designed in a hurry - it?s abused by
everyone from politicians to advertisers. If people really can
convince each other that a bottle of washing up liquid is as
exciting as an orgasm using just television God knows what
they can do with a computer. Better to avoid the risk. A swift
kick. After all if you?re Homophobic you put the boot in
because you are scared of any ambiguity in your own sexuality
- why not be Nutterphobic as well.
Although Dirk would have liked to devoted time to tracking
the culprit down he decided to let it rest. The Internet
changed over the next twenty odd years. A lot of the people
who used it went out and got lives. And those who already
had lives burnt them away. The number of users had dwindled
after someone had invented a C++ program, with truth as a
variable, to deal handle politics and government. Dirk had
already retired from finding old ladies cats with the help of
obscure science when he got another call from Toronto.
It was 4th March 2025 when he booked onto the Air Canada
flight from Heathrow. The silver haired woman in the seat
next to him painted bright red lipstick around her mouth. ?Of
course it was no surprise to be offered the job after Claire
Raynor retired? she sneered? After all I used to be a
psychiatric nurse... Now if Blokes had periods they would
understand...?
By chance the taxi ride to Toronto mental hospital took him
past the MacDonalds - where the whole thing had started. Of
course it was barely recognisable having become a Church Of
Scientology Vedgie Bar. Police in riot gear kept the two sets
of demonstrators apart. Dirk didn?t really know what to
expect when he got to the hospital. The girl at the reception
desk directed him to a row of chairs in a wide well lit
corridor. There was a strong smell of disinfectant, the
furniture and the carpets were immaculately clean and behind
the rows of teak veneer doors the ?nutters? were all safely
locked away. For some reason Dirk started thinking about
CompuServe forums.
A tall blond woman in a white coat approached. ?Mr Gentle, I
assume?
?Yes? Dirk replied shaking her by the hand. ?You?re the nurse
who...?
?Doctor? She interrupted, ?Doctor Killfile? She led Dirk across
the corridor towards one of the doors then stopped with her
hand resting on the handle. ?Now you know about this person
don?t you?? and after Dirk nodded she continued ?Don?t tell
him anything about yourself - don?t let him get into you head.
If he does he?ll screw it up?
The door opened to reveal a frail man sitting in from of a TV
screen. He had a keyboard on his lap and next to the television
was a computer screen. Dirk glanced at the walls of the room
and remembered that his settee at home need upholstering.
The nurse left the room and the man looked up ?So you come
to my daughters wedding and ask me to kill a man? he said in
a dry cackling voice. ?Look? he continued, pointing at the
screen, ?I know that man. They?re talking about me now -
listen?. The man stared at Dirk. ?What?s your name? Are you
one of my friends from the Internet? - Are the lambs still
screaming Dirk??
Dirk, at first recoiled in horror, then felt a sense of anti
climax. So this is what they hyped up to superstar status on
the back of their own fears of madness. Dirk was reminded of
the film ?A day on The Beach? where a submarine had set off
to search a post nuclear World to track down a signal coming
from a remote military base - only to find it was being sent by
a Coke bottle half balanced on a Morse tapper. Outside the
room the nurse waited for him. Because his nicotine craving
had returned - and to avoid an awkward piece of dialogue -
Dirk turned to her and asked . ?Patch??
Dirk took two nicotine patches from his wallet the first of
which he stuck onto the inside of his arm. Stepping closer to
Doctor Killfile he opened her white coat and slid his hand
into the opening at the front of her dress. He pressed the
patch onto her leg as close to the top of her inner thigh as
he dare. She took a deep breath and then slowly breathed out.
?What Bogart could have done with these things? Dirk
thought to himself.
?Is he crazy?? Dirk asked tilting his head back to towards the
door.
?Who knows? Doctor Killfile replied ?We let him type away.
He sees something on the TV in the morning and it keeps him
busy all day. What he types doesn?t go anywhere it just stays
on a mainframe in the basement. It can be read by anyone else
in the building but that?s it. We got them all in here conspiracy
theorists, racists, nationalists. They?ve created a world within
a world really...? Her voice trailed away and she stared down
the corridor for a while then added ?So long are two things
are different neither will come to be in the other and so
become at once both one and two.?
Dirk gave her a puzzled look ?You mean their brains are
fried??
?Fried?? Killfile smiled at Dirk ?No that was Plato?. Then the
smile fell from her face. ?You must remember, mister, plate
o...?
801
- 3
- Windows XP Hardware >> fontsI had someone work on my pc helping delete thing off that
was not needed. I don't know what happened but I lost all
my fonts. I have tried to reinstall them but when I try to
open the fonts folder it showes no fonts in the folder and
I get a message stating, program not responding and when
they do load and you close the folder and reopen it they
are ngone again. Don't know what to do except mybe
reinstall windows XP.
- 4
- Windows XP Support >> Infected fileMy son is running WinXP and has an infected file that Norton says they can't
cleanup.
The file is C:/Windows/System32/AOLClient.gen.
He no longer uses AOL so I told him to delete it but XP won't let him.
I'm not familiar with XP and don't know how to tell him how to get around
the problem.
Do you have any ideas?
Thanks,
Doug
- 5
- 6
- Windows XP Security >> Security patch MS03-026I have downloaded this program several times and it shows
my PC has recieved the data. However, when my PC goes to
auto update it still shows I need the update. It's
allmost like it's installed but my PC doesn't know it.
Any suggestions.
- 7
- Windows XP Update >> Repeating UpdatesHi,
I am running Windows XP Home Edition (SP2) and it has developed the annoying
habit of telling me that I need to download and install the same updates
everytime I run the update programme. This is despite the fact that I have
downloaded and ran the updates 4 or 5 times now!
Any ideas how to solve this?
Alan
- 8
- 9
- Windows XP >> Partially Deinstalling AIM/YIM etc.?Hi Experts,
I've installed AOL and Yahoo Instant Messenger awhile back, but both have a
behavior where they install themselves into every user's account. So when
other users log into their accounts the AIM and YIM initiation screen pop up
and it's very annoying to users who don't use those IMs.
How can i deinstall programs from other users' accounts while keeping them
accessible in mine?
Thanks,
GettingByOk
- 10
- Windows XP Support >> WIn XP pro and dual CPUI am pretty sure that WinXP pro will work with a double CPU board.
I am pretty sure that WinXP pro will work with a dual chip
Will XP work in a 940 board (Two CPUs) and a dual chip ? ie- 4 processors.
the gnome
- 11
- Windows XP Network >> ICS causes poor performance on Internet connected machine?THis is a new one to me. Since some of the security patches last week, our little home network has had some issues. Here's the scenario: 2 computers running Windows XP Professional (SP1). #1 has a DSL connection that is shared via a 5 port hub. When computer #2 is online, there are no problems until #2 starts surfing the internet. When #2 clicks a link, the browser is loading a web page or it is downloading e-mail it causes performance on #1 to degrade to the point where the mouse is jumpy, keys struck on the keyboard may be delayed in getting to the screen, windows opening wait for whatever is happening on #2 to finish. It's as if any traffic going to #2 is being filtered and processed by #1.
I have the WinXP Internet Firewall running on #1, but not #2. Both machines are running Norton Anti-virus and #1 also has Spybot S&D resident.
These performance issues are new as of about July 7 or 8 when I grabbed the first round of recent security updates.
Anyone else run into this and have a solution? I'm asking here because I'm too lazy to take the time to chase this down any farther than I have at the moment.
Thanks!
- 12
- Windows XP >> Missing GraphicsI might be posting this in the wrong group but any info
anyone can give me is much appreciated. I am having a
problem with some graphics loading. For instance when I
am in Yahoo! chat and try to view a cam I get a box with
a red "x" in it. I use to be able to view things like
that and all of a sudden I can't. I don't know what
happened. It happens on pages other than Yahoo! also. In
a place that a graphic is suppose to be I just get a box
with the red "x" in it. Please help me. I'm not real good
with computers and still learning.
- 13
- Windows XP Network >> Cannot find Web Page or DNS ErrorI have a website that I can no longer access from my home
pc but all other PCs i've tried can. XP srvpck 1. I
ususally use IE 6 but when it didn't work I tried Opera
and it failed too. ISP says its a windows problem. I
turned off my Norton Internet Security and still no
luck. Have run numerous parasite, virus scans (ad-aware,
spybot, cwshredder, etc.) IE has 128 cypher. Thanks
- 14
- Windows XP >> XP security problem I thinkI have an Olympus DS4000, a digital recorder.
In May, the digital recorder module stopped recognizing the recorder so that
a file no longer automatically downloads.
I have a dell optiplex GX620. I use XP provided from the university.
I was told that the problem may be a security patch.
I wonder if this rings a bell for someone.
- 15
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