SUPPORT
This page is designed to help you to help yourself. You will find a list of some common problems and advice on how to solve them. Some of the information is drawn from our newsletters and guides which can all be found on this web site. If you cannot find the answer you are looking for please ask us using the feedback form provided.
We are constantly expanding this section so check back frequently.
For support information regarding web sites hosted with us please refer to Hosting Support
There are many things that can cause internet connection problems:
1. Wrong area code causing computer to dial in-correct number.
2. Bad cables, extension leads or other devices using the same line.
3. Call Waiting causing the connection to terminate.
4. Message bank preventing your computer from dialing. (No dial tone)
Most internet problems can be fixed with a phone call to your service provider or, if you think you have a hardware problem, contact the manufacture
Slow connections.
Most dial-up internet connections is Australia, using a 56Kbit/s modem should be able to connect at (on average) around 48Kbit/s to 52Kbit/s. Depending on your circumstances, including those mentioned above, this speed could be lower. In some suburbs, due to the local Telstra exchange, your speed may be limited to 28Kbit/s. The Commonwealth Government of Australia has a mandate that guarantees a minimum connection speed of 19.2Kbit/s which is considered sufficient for basic email, chat and web browsing.
If you suspect that your internet connection is slow, check out the following modem/connection speed test sites:
The following site was setup by the Commonwealth Government of Australia and Telstra to assist users achieve the mandated minimum connection speed of 19.2Kbit/s. It contains instructions for adjusting your modem and connections settings.
The following site is a privately run modem speed test page and can be used to test both dial-up and broadband connections.
http://homepage.eircom.net/~leslie/testpage.htm
"Fatal Exception" and "Illegal Operation" errors.
These error messages are usually caused by corrupt software or temporary files. Deleting temporary files (.tmp files), re-installing the application or running a recovery should fix it. If the problem remains after a recovery then you may have a hardware problem.
Virus prevention, detection & cleaning
The short answer to virus problems is anti-virus software such as Norton Antivirus, McAfee VirusScan, Vet Anti-Virus or any other similar application. We have prepared a quick start guide which covers this subject in more detail, refer to Quick Start Guide 11: Computer Viruses for more information. Also be aware of hoaxes, these are emails warning about new viruses that do not exist. They are harmless, intended only to alarm users. For more information visit: http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/hoax.html
Updating your anti-virus software
The method used for updating your anti-virus system will vary depending on what software you are using. Two most common programs are Norton Anti-Virus and McAfee VirusScan.
Norton Anti-Virus uses a system called Live Update, click on your Start button, go into Programs, Norton Anti-Virus, and load the Norton Anti-Virus program. The main program menu should appear and one of the buttons will be "Live Update". Click on this and follow the step by step instructions.
McAfee VirusScan uses a similar system and the easiest way to access it is from the icon in the system tray. (The system tray is the small area with the clock in it, usually located at the bottom right hand corner of your screen.) Click on the red M using the right-mouse button to open the pop up options menu. One of the menu items should be "Check for updates".
For all systems you will need to be connected to the internet for the update feature to work. Most programs only have a limited period for free updates, if your free updates have expired you may have to purchase a new subscription. These instructions may vary slightly depending on which version of the program you have but the procedure will be similar. If you have any problems please call me on 0411 301 569
1. Delete temporary files, use Windows Explorer (Start, Programs, Windows Explorer) to locate the folder C:\Windows\Temp. Delete files with a .tmp extension.
2. Run scandisk. Scandisk checks your hard drive for errors and corrupt files. Click on Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, ScanDisk.
3. Run disk defragmenter. Defragmenting won’t fix anything but it can improve performance slightly especially if the drive hasn’t been defragmented for some time. Once every six to twelve months should be sufficient.
Using your credit card on the internet
It is well known that using your credit card on the internet is not safe, but how dangerous is "not safe"?
Frankly, using your credit card anywhere is not safe. Everytime you hand out your credit card number, giving it out over the phone or even handing your card over at a restaurant, you are potentially exposing yourself to credit card fraud. A person only needs your card number, name and expiry date to process a transaction on your card. It's up to you to check your statements and question any suspicious transactions. The merchant must then provide proof to the bank that you did actually make that purchase.
Most internet sites now use secure, encrypted systems to process your credit card which makes them safer than many other forms of credit card purchases. If you use a professional, secure payment system you can be reasonably confident that your credit card details will not fall into the wrong hands. You should never give out your card details via email, instant messaging or any other system that is not secure. Secure online systems usually display a small padlock icon at the bottom of the screen where you can click to obtain details about their security certificates. Your browser can also tell you when you are moving in and out of a secure system.
If you trust the company and they are using a secure online system you should have no concerns about using their online payment system. Always check your statements, whether you use the internet or not, as that is the only way to stop a fraudulant payment. If you still have concerns, get a second credit card with a small limit and only use that card for internet payments.
Online or Internet banking has been around for a few years now and most of the major banks offer this service but what is it exactly and what are the benefits for us? Some of the most common and usefull features of internet banking are:
You can view current balances and recent transactions for your cheque, savings and credit card accounts, download transactions to your accounting program or spreadsheet or transfer funds between accounts. You can even pay your bills using BPay including most major companies such as Telstra, and Energex. The best part is you can do all this 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!
I use the Commonwealth Bank’s Netbank system so I only need to go into a branch to deposit cheques ( using the quick deposit envelopes - no queues!). I could also deposit cheques via an ATM so I really only need to go into a branch when I have cash to deposit, everything else can be done through an ATM or NetBank.
Some banks require you to install special software but many are now turning to web based services which means you can use them anywhere that has internet access. The latest 128bit encryption ensures security and you can access them from anywhere in the world making it easier to stay on top of your finances.
Many banks also offer a business service which gives you more features such as transferring funds to any account in the world. You can pay all your suppliers in one transaction which reduces fees.
Internet banking features do vary from bank to bank so ask them for more information. At the very least, it’s handy to be able to check the balance at any time. Internet banking can also reduce your fees as electronic transactions are typically much cheaper than over the counter fees.
Talk to your local branch or visit their web site for more information.
New computers are getting cheaper and cheaper so upgrading your old computer is becoming less and less economically viable. To make your computer faster you usually need to change the motherboard, processor and ram. This little lot can easily set you back several hundred dollars. If you need a bigger hard drive, that’s another hundred or so and if you want a bigger monitor too the budget is well and truly blown. You can buy a brand new system for under $1000 these days so spending more than $500 on your old PC is just not really a viable option. However, $1000 is still a lot of money so what can you do to speed up that old PC without breaking the bank?
Increasing the RAM can make a performance difference but finding RAM chips for older computers is getting difficult and expensive as the new pc’s use a different type. Depending on your current configuration, upgrading could give you a reasonable performance increase for around $150. It’s very much a case by case basis though and often the difference in performance is marginal.
A bigger hard drive can make a difference, not just with more space for installing programs but newer drives are actually quite a bit faster than their ancestors and that can help in the performance stakes. When Windows has used up all the available RAM, which it does most of the time, it turns to the hard drive for more memory using hard disk space as virtual memory. Disk access speeds are much, much slower than RAM access so whenever this happens, performance goes down. So by installing a newer, faster drive you can indirectly increase performance even with a small amount of RAM.
I haven’t made a very good case here for upgrading but unfortunately that’s the way the industry is, it’s usually just cheaper to buy a new system. However there are still a few things we can do so if you would like more information please call for a free quote. Also, see Performance Boosters below
CD Burning Problems - Buffer Underruns
Buffer Underrun errors are caused when the computer cannot "feed" data to the CD burner quick enough. A CD burner (or CD writer) uses a laser to burn into a chemical layer on the blank CD but it burns at a constant rate. If the computer cannot get the data to the burner fast enough the burner cannot write the track and the buffer underrun error occurs. The resulting CD is generally un-readable and becomes yet another coffee cup coaster! The easiest way to prevent this problem is to reduce the write speed from the burning software. Modern CD burners can burn at up to 52X but many computers may not be able to feed them fast enough. If you are having problems, drop the speed down to 4X, 2X or even 1X. If you still have problems you may have too much software running in the background or there may be other factors affecting your computers ability to transfer data fast enough.
Newer CD burners use a technology sometimes called "Burn-Proof" which alleviates the buffer underrun problem and allows you to burn at the maximum speed. However, some applications, notably car CD players, sometimes have problems with CD's burnt at the higher speeds. If you are having difficulties, try burning at the lowest speed.
If you must burn at high speeds you may have to consider upgrading your hardware. A faster hard drive, CPU and more RAM will all help. See Upgrading your computer
The following article describes techniques which may cause unexpected results. Use these at your own risk, we accept no responsibility for loss or damage caused.
If your computer is slowing down try some of the following tips to boost performance:
1. Shut down background programs
Many programs load automatically and run in the background, this takes processing power away from your foreground applications and uses precious memory. Some of these programs perform vital tasks such as anti-virus software and firewalls. Some are simply waiting for you to go online such as messenger and chat programs. If you want to shut these down temporarily, so that you can play your favourite game or run some other intensive application, you can usually do so by clicking on the taskbar icon using the right mouse button. (The task bar is the group of icons immediately next to the clock, usually in the bottom right corner of the screen.) When you right-click on the icon a pop-up menu should appear with an option to either disable or exit the application. Not all applications will have this option but many will.
To remove these icons permanently you may have to un-install the application or use other tools to remove them from the startup group. (See below)
2. Un-install applications.
Programs that you no longer need or use can be un-installed. The procedure will vary depending on the application, some have an un-install icon under their program group in the start menu. Click on Start, Programs and the sub-menu for your application. Look for an un-install icon.
If there's no un-install you can try using the Add/Remove Programs icon from the Control Panel. Click on Start, Settings, Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs. Locate the program in the list and click "Add/Remove"
If you still cannot un-install it you may have to refer to the instruction manual. Never delete program files manually as they may be critical to the system or at least cause error messages to appear during startup.
3. Using MSCONFIG to disable startup items.
Windows 98 and later comes with a tool called MSCONFIG which you can use to disable startup programs. MSCONFIG is design primarily as a diagnostic tool to identify problem applications but you can use it to temporarily prevent programs from loading at startup.
Click Start, Run and type in MSCONFIG, click OK. The program will load and you can click on the "Startup" tab to see all the applications which load at startup. Remove the ticks to prevent an application from loading. When you click OK Windows will restart and those applications will not load. To return the system to normal, run MSCONFIG again and select "Normal Startup" from the "General" tab. When you click OK your system will restart again normally.
4. Add extra RAM
Extra RAM can indirectly increase performance as it prevents Windows from swapping memory to and from the hard drive. See Upgrading your computer
5. Upgrade your hard drive
A bigger hard drive may help especially of your current drive is nearly full. A new hard drive will not directly increase performance but new drives are generally quicker than older drives so you may see a small performance boost. See Upgrading your computer
There's not a great deal you can do to block junk mail but there are a few simple steps you can take to prevent some of it getting through.
1. Block senders from your email program.
Using Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express you can block specific senders and/or domains. You still receive the email but Outlook automatically moves the messages to your deleted items folder. Similar functions are available in most email programs, following are examples for Outlook and Outlook Express. Blocking the sender is not guaranteed to work as senders tend to utilise several email addresses to get around such blocking...it's better than nothing though,.
Outlook
To do this in Outlook, click on an offending message click the Actions menu, click Junk Email, then click Add to junk senders list. You can also use the Rules Wizard under the Tools menu to block messages from entire domains or containing certain words. The Rules Wizard is also useful for automatically sorting/filtering your incoming mail into folders. (Look out for a future article on this!)
Outlook Express
To do this in Outlook Express, click on an offending message click the Message menu, click Block Sender, then click Yes to remove any offending messages immediately. You can also use the Message Rules under the Tools menu to block messages from entire domains or containing certain words. Message Rules are also useful for automatically sorting/filtering your incoming mail into folders. (Look out for a future article on this!)
2. Don't respond to junk mail
Most junk mail includes an "opt out" link somewhere in the message, this is supposed to remove your address from the senders mailing list. Unfortunately many unscrupulous spammers simply use this to confirm live email addresses. Spammers will often use special software to send there junk mail out to random email addresses. Many of these addresses are invalid and bounce back to the sender but if you reply to the message or click on the opt out link you may just simply be verifying your address for them. It's usually best to just ignore junk mail, add the sender to your junk mail list (above) and delete the message.
3. Set up alternate email accounts to collect junk or un-addressed mail
The best way to avoid junk mail is to not give out your email address at all. However this is almost impossible and eventually they will get hold of your address. You can put off the inevitable by creating an alternate email account for general use and reserve your primary account for only trusted contacts. Most service providers allow you to setup multiple email accounts, or you can setup a Hotmail or similar account. Use this alternate account when you have to provide an email address on a web site or anywhere that you would rather not use your primary account.
If you have a domain name you may find that any mail addressed to a non-deliverable account automatically goes to your primary account. This is called a "catch-all". For example, you may have accounts for Tom (tom@mycompany.com.au), Harry (harry@mycompany.com) and Jill (jill@mycompany.com.au) If your mail server receives a message for sales@mycompany.com.au it may be automatically transferred to tom's account. Set up an account for junk or other mail, this can still be received on Tom's computer but you can setup folders and automatic filtering (using Message Rules) to prevent the junk mail clogging up Tom's account. Talk to your service provider or network administrator about setting this up.
Anti-Spam Related Links
http://ninemsn.com.au/support/hotmail/junkmail.asp
