Tech Talk

[geolarson2]

I'm not sure if anyone has addressed this before elsewhere in the forum (I looked, didn't see it, but there's a lot left for me to go through). Does anyone have a preference of DVD editing software with which to splice the FTVGirls/Danielle/Lia/Alison videos together with? A few years back, I bought copies of Alison's first DVD, as well as Kim meets Nikki and wanted to create something similar that I can watch on my TV. My ol' peepers ain't as good as they once were, and my TV is set further away so there's less eye strain than sitting here at the 'puter. Here are the programs I have to work with: Nero, Steeper 12 & Windows Movie Maker. Does anyone have a preference or suggestions on how to edit, &c.? Just as I'm fresh to the world of the big, bad forum, I'm just as new to creating DVDs or using a DVD-R/W (I have used CD-R/W though, so I'm not a complete novice, I hope, but we'll see).

[mart]

I have Windows XP and i use the Windows movie maker. I create tribute videos of Alison and Lia. To burn them on dvd i have a Freecom external burner. I find the the Windows movie maker easy to use.I just import a video into the maker which imports it into 2 or 3 minute clips then drag them on to the timeline or storyboard which ever you have set. Extend or shorten the clip to suit the next scene and add music the same way. Then save to documents or to my computer. One tribute video created. All burner programmes are simular. I have Nero startsmart for cd's or dvd's. I call up Nero then i click video or cd then add the videos or tracks and set burn to Freecom external. I not sure if this is of any help Geolarson2. I'm not very good at explaining things lol. But if it's not i'll try again lol.

[geolarson2]

Yeah it does help some. I'm using XP, too, so I'll give Movie Maker a try, then try using Nero to burn. Thanks & cheers--

[EricRC]

I personally find that Nero Vision works best for me. Vision will make all of the major formats like DVD, DVD-HD, VCD, SVCD etc. To me it seems like it's also a lot faster rendering videos then Roxio or Windows movie maker.

[mart]

Originally Posted by EricRC

I personally find that Nero Vision works best for me. Vision will make all of the major formats like DVD, DVD-HD, VCD, SVCD etc. To me it seems like it's also a lot faster rendering videos then Roxio or Windows movie maker.

Welcome to the forum EricRC!. I couldn't agree more Nero is a good burner programme and i've never had any trouble with it. I hate Roxio. I tried it and it just screwed up my computer lol. As for the Windows movie maker. For me the best programme for creating movies and i use it a lot.

[geolarson2]

Thanks again, guys, for the recommendations! Its much appreciated. Now all I need to do is actually take the time to sit down and play with Movie Maker to learn how it works . Cheers & welcome to the newbies!

[mart]

Originally Posted by geolarson2

Thanks again, guys, for the recommendations! Its much appreciated. Now all I need to do is actually take the time to sit down and play with Movie Maker to learn how it works . Cheers & welcome to the newbies!

If your ever stuck with the Windows movie maker geolarson. I use the movie maker quite a lot. So i'm very familiar with all it's functions and a few faults. I'd be only too happy to help.

[geolarson2]

Originally Posted by mart

If your ever stuck with the Windows movie maker geolarson. I use the movie maker quite a lot. So i'm very familiar with all it's functions and a few faults. I'd be only too happy to help.

There's a good chance I'll be posting more questions for you, Mart. I just need to find the time to sit down and tinker a bit. Thanks & cheers--

[WhyYou]

If you want to ask questions from a specific person, please use either private messages or visitor messages.

Thank you for listening!

[geolarson2]

Originally Posted by WhyYou

If you want to ask questions from a specific person, please use either private messages or visitor messages. This forum is for FTV related postings.

Thank you for listening!

No worries, WhyYou, just saying thanks. I probably should have gone directly to Mart's page to do that.

While I'm here I have another general tech question: Yesterday when downloading from the more recent updates, I was able to save as WMP from Windows Media Player; today, for whatever reason, while Player comes up and I'm able to save, my choices of save as type is limited to "Any file." It looks like things download fine, and it looks like the files are being saved as WMP, but does anyone have any idea what would cause this little glitch? I'm inclined to put it down to yet another in a string of hiccups in the system. Also, does anyone have another recommendation for a media player that supports WMP but can also save? I used GOM Player and PowerDVD to view, but neither supports actual downloading of WMP files. Suggestions?

[laranger]

Originally Posted by geolarson2

Also, does anyone have another recommendation for a media player that supports WMP but can also save? I used GOM Player and PowerDVD to view, but neither supports actual downloading of WMP files. Suggestions?

I have used this one at times; http://vlcplayer-download.info/?gcli...FQQCagodoihNiA

[geolarson2]

Originally Posted by laranger

I have used this one at times; http://vlcplayer-download.info/?gcli...FQQCagodoihNiA

I'll give that one a try too--cheers

[WhyYou]

This is from the Replies To Danielle's Journal thread. We got a bit off topic so I decided to merge these threads together.
================================================== ========================
geolarson2

Originally Posted by WhyYou

svdhost.exe - Dangerous
svdhost.exe
Svdhost.exe is W97M.Mupps.
W97M.Mupps is Trojan horse that opens a back door to a remote location on the compromised computer.

Looks like you need to install a good virus scanner on your laptop. I recommend AVG Anti-Virus Free. It's found at Grisoft.com and it's free of charge. They also have a more featured version that you can buy.

I use AVG myself and it works quite well. I also have Avast installed now as a back up. I also have 2 firewalls (Windows plus Zone Alarm), and a couple spyware removers (Spybot & Ad-Aware). I also have a couple utilities programs here (CCleaner, Iobit Advanced System Care & Glary Utilities, the last of which I use daily at start up). I'm paranoid about bugs, especially since not long after I got my first PC back in 96 I got hit by a virus. On the plus side, I had Norton already installed and it took care of the monster fast, but the memory of that skull & crossbones coming up to let me know still haunts me so maybe I'm a little too paranoid (although Dr. Johnny Fever did say that when everyone's out to get you, paranoia's just good thinking, and if you can't trust the opinion of a fictional character from a late 70s/early 80s TV show who was really a disc jockey and not really a doctor, who can you trust?). Anyway, do what WhyYou says, download AVG, run it and it should take care of that Trojan. You can also find AVG at Download.com, as well as other free utilities, spyware removers, &c. Until recently I also had Avira installed which, like AVG & Avast, works just as well it seem as the costlier Norton & McAfee, both of which I've used in the past.

================================================== ========================

WhyYou

Originally Posted by geolarson2

I use AVG myself and it works quite well. I also have Avast installed now as a back up. I also have 2 firewalls (Windows plus Zone Alarm), and a couple spyware removers (Spybot & Ad-Aware). I also have a couple utilities programs here (CCleaner, Iobit Advanced System Care & Glary Utilities, the last of which I use daily at start up). I'm paranoid about bugs, especially since not long after I got my first PC back in 96 I got hit by a virus. On the plus side, I had Norton already installed and it took care of the monster fast, but the memory of that skull & crossbones coming up to let me know still haunts me so maybe I'm a little too paranoid (although Dr. Johnny Fever did say that when everyone's out to get you, paranoia's just good thinking, and if you can't trust the opinion of a fictional character from a late 70s/early 80s TV show who was really a disc jockey and not really a doctor, who can you trust?). Anyway, do what WhyYou says, download AVG, run it and it should take care of that Trojan. You can also find AVG at Download.com, as well as other free utilities, spyware removers, &c. Until recently I also had Avira installed which, like AVG & Avast, works just as well it seem as the costlier Norton & McAfee, both of which I've used in the past.

I use Comodo firewall. It runs well out of the "box" but is easily configured for tighter security. It includes an excellent defense net that watches all files for changes, notifies when protected files change in any way, has the ability to change modes during program installation to facilitate the installation (as long as you authorize the change of mode), sets up files (that are new) for you to review (you can send them in to Comodo if they're unknown) and/or approve, and you can identify files/folders that you want it to watch carefully. I don't think two firewalls on a home PC is necessary and could cause problems. Also, it's not good to have more than one virus scanner running at the same time. They have a tendency to conflict with each other and could cause some system problems. More than one spyware scanner is recommended. Each checks for different thnigs in different ways and the good ones are compatible with each other. My AVG is both an Anti-Virus and an Anti-Spyware (it has a "live" scanner that keeps memory and running processes clean plus checks incoming and outgoing emails and checks web pages). I also use Ad-Aware, SpyBot S&D (has a "live" scanner and watches running processes as well as other internal areas), and SpywareBlaster for spyware control. Other utilities are Sweepi (for junk file control), RegSeeker (for cleaning out the registry files, not to be done by the general population), and AusLogics Registry Defrag (for defragging the registry files). I use Windows Disk Defrag regularly (before it's necessary) to keep from having the possibility of crashing. I've been using this computer since 2002 and the only time it crashed was when the power was cut off last winter when we had the big ice storm. That crash wasn't the computer's fault.

================================================== ========================

[grande351]

In the last few days my computer has really started acting up. It slows down for no reason, it locks up at startup, and the strangest thing is when I do searches on Google or MSN or Yahoo, I click the links and it takes me to ads!!! The search pages look strange too. I tried to update my ad-aware, but it comes up as having no connection to the internet even though my connection is fine.

I ran a hijack this scan and saved the log file. It's too long to post here but if someone thinks they can help. I'll PM or e-mail it to them.

Any help would really be appreciated!!

[geolarson2]

Originally Posted by WhyYou

I use Comodo firewall. It runs well out of the "box" but is easily configured for tighter security. It includes an excellent defense net that watches all files for changes, notifies when protected files change in any way, has the ability to change modes during program installation to facilitate the installation (as long as you authorize the change of mode), sets up files (that are new) for you to review (you can send them in to Comodo if they're unknown) and/or approve, and you can identify files/folders that you want it to watch carefully. I don't think two firewalls on a home PC is necessary and could cause problems. Also, it's not good to have more than one virus scanner running at the same time. They have a tendency to conflict with each other and could cause some system problems. More than one spyware scanner is recommended. Each checks for different thnigs in different ways and the good ones are compatible with each other. My AVG is both an Anti-Virus and an Anti-Spyware (it has a "live" scanner that keeps memory and running processes clean plus checks incoming and outgoing emails and checks web pages). I also use Ad-Aware, SpyBot S&D (has a "live" scanner and watches running processes as well as other internal areas), and SpywareBlaster for spyware control. Other utilities are Sweepi (for junk file control), RegSeeker (for cleaning out the registry files, not to be done by the general population), and AusLogics Registry Defrag (for defragging the registry files). I use Windows Disk Defrag regularly (before it's necessary) to keep from having the possibility of crashing. I've been using this computer since 2002 and the only time it crashed was when the power was cut off last winter when we had the big ice storm. That crash wasn't the computer's fault.

Good point Why you, re: the anti-virus scanners. I actually have AVG up, but usually just keep a second in my back pocket, right now Avast, to run if my PC starts acting funny (the rest of the time its disabled). A few years back I wound up with a virus on my PC (maybe it was a trojan or a worm--I forget), and when nothing turned up with the anti-virus I had installed, I ran a second anti-virus program which did find the culprit. Since then I've had one that is running and one that is in reserve. And good point about the firewalls--I shut down one and left the other up (and use a router, too), and my PC is working better than it was just a week ago--smoother, faster, and all for less than $6 million (take that Steve Austin!). After getting burned twice in the past, I'm maybe a little overcautious where PC and security are concerned ()).

[CK1]

In my real life, i am a computer tech. have been for over a decade. Let me start by saying that since i cannot look at your computer, run tests, etc. i am making assumptions and giving you some general advice. a good tech is like a good mechanic. once you find one, keep him/her.

it seems that you have a virus or spy ware that has infected your computer. some of the worse programs out there are these "free" anti virus programs. there are some (anti virus 2009, Winantivirus 2009 anti virus xp, 360 anti virus) that are fake programs, will tell you that your computer is infected and that it needs to clean it... but since you only have the trial version, it can't do anything about it. once you buy the full version, then it will be able to fix your problems. however, this programs CAUSE the problem. then there are legitimate free programs that do not do active scanning. meaning, they only scan when you tell them to scan. so you can get a virus, get infected and they won't do a Darn thing about it.

NOTE: Anti virus is like a vaccine. great to lower your chances of getting infected (even when you get a flu vaccine, you can still get the flu) but useless after the fact.

the best thing to do and the only way to be 100% sure that there is no virus on your computer and it works 100% is to back up all your personal data and restore your computer. depending on the type of computer either it will take disks that came with the computer or a built in feature. but it will ERASE EVERYTHING AND LEAVE IT THE WAY IT WAS WHEN YOU FIRST TOOK IT OUT OF THE BOX. all your pictures, videos, music, files, etc will be gone. you will also have to re-install all the programs you installed after you setup your computer. so make sure you have all the disks you need for that. so back up first. so you would want to do things in the following order.

1- Back up all important data.
2- VERIFY YOUR BACK UP (also this will give you a chance to see if you forgot anything)
3- run restore/recovery partition or disks (this can vary depending on brand of computer)
4- after system has been restored, install all critical updates.
5- update your anti-virus/security software.
6- install your programs.
7- run updates for programs or download upgrades.
8- Scan your back up for viruses.
9- copy data back to your computer and you are back in business.

Now i know that seem like a lot of steps but from years of doing this, that is the only way to make sure that it gets done right and that you give yourself enough room to catch mistakes or prevent from re-infecting your computer. you can send me a private message if you have any questions.

CK
PS. i was thinking of starting a My Space site just for tech advice... any thoughts?

[WhyYou]

Originally Posted by CK1

In my real life, i am a computer tech. have been for over a decade. Let me start by saying that since i cannot look at your computer, run tests, etc. i am making assumptions and giving you some general advice. a good tech is like a good mechanic. once you find one, keep him/her.

it seems that you have a virus or spy ware that has infected your computer. some of the worse programs out there are these "free" anti virus programs. there are some (anti virus 2009, Winantivirus 2009 anti virus xp, 360 anti virus) that are fake programs, will tell you that your computer is infected and that it needs to clean it... but since you only have the trial version, it can't do anything about it. once you buy the full version, then it will be able to fix your problems. however, this programs CAUSE the problem. then there are legitimate free programs that do not do active scanning. meaning, they only scan when you tell them to scan. so you can get a virus, get infected and they won't do a Darn thing about it.

NOTE: Anti virus is like a vaccine. great to lower your chances of getting infected (even when you get a flu vaccine, you can still get the flu) but useless after the fact.

the best thing to do and the only way to be 100% sure that there is no virus on your computer and it works 100% is to back up all your personal data and restore your computer. depending on the type of computer either it will take disks that came with the computer or a built in feature. but it will ERASE EVERYTHING AND LEAVE IT THE WAY IT WAS WHEN YOU FIRST TOOK IT OUT OF THE BOX. all your pictures, videos, music, files, etc will be gone. you will also have to re-install all the programs you installed after you setup your computer. so make sure you have all the disks you need for that. so back up first. so you would want to do things in the following order.

1- Back up all important data.
2- VERIFY YOUR BACK UP (also this will give you a chance to see if you forgot anything)
3- run restore/recovery partition or disks (this can vary depending on brand of computer)
4- after system has been restored, install all critical updates.
5- update your anti-virus/security software.
6- install your programs.
7- run updates for programs or download upgrades.
8- Scan your back up for viruses.
9- copy data back to your computer and you are back in business.

Now i know that seem like a lot of steps but from years of doing this, that is the only way to make sure that it gets done right and that you give yourself enough room to catch mistakes or prevent from re-infecting your computer. you can send me a private message if you have any questions.

CK
PS. i was thinking of starting a My Space site just for tech advice... any thoughts?

I have been running this computer since 2002 and I have only had to restore it once (during the first year that I had it). I use many free programs that do an excellent job keeping my computer safe and both my anti-virus and spyware programs have LIVE scanners that check web pages, email, and my processes. My firewall also has a defense net that watches protected files, command files, registry files, etc. for modifications. I have caught innumerable spywares and viruses before they had a chance to attack my computer. I don't see the value of restoring a computer just because there MAY be a problem. I would do it only if I continued to have problems after running all my scanners.

BTW...I am currently attending college and majoring in Computer Science with concentration in Web Design & Web Administration.

[CK1]

like i said, without seeing the machine, it was an educated guess. having more information there are other ideas i can give you.

From experience my original answer is the most common solution. and actually, would fix any software issue (since everything is getting reset back to factory specs).

if you want to verify if you could have a virus without going through all the steps i mentioned and not loose your information (providing that there isn't something else wrong with the computer like a bad drive) you could plug the drive to a working computer with an up to date anti-virus and let it scan it. it can find and remove any virus, however, not undo any damage or changes it made.

the machine getting slow could be caused by heat. if your fans are not working correctlly or are dirty the machine could run hot and it could affect performance. but the drive could also be part of the problem or bad memory. if software is not an issue and your computer did not come with some diagnostics software (some brands like dell actually have a dedicated hidden partition with diagnostics that will check your hardware and does a good job of finding problem.) you might want to take it to a repair place where they can run tests on everything. most at home diagnostic software will do an okay job of detecting problems but aren't always the best.

[Anoree]

Originally Posted by Geezer

I signed up for the 90 day option today, got my user name and password, and tried to download some media. So far, I've tried to download two videos, several times, and a photo set. In every case, one of two things happen: (1) the very second I start to download a video, it shows it's done but.... nothing transferred. (2) It appears that a video or photo set downloads but, at end, shows "99% done/transferred" and won't finish. I've tried on both AOL and on IE with no success. In fact, IE sends "error messages" back to Microsoft.

I tried to watch a streaming video but, after five minutes, only 3% had buffered. It is obvious my DSL is too slow and my computer too old to handle Hi Def media. At least on FTV, we are given both Hi Def and lower def options. For me, personally, being a member of D's site is a waste of my retirement savings.

I'm fed up and want my $49.95 refunded!!!!!

For me that sounds to be a (likely) local problem.

Those HD video files are quite huge, up to nearly half a GB, with an average of about 300 MB. Downloading those files means they're stored in the IE's (or AOL's I think) Cache and then copied to the destination directory - which means, TWICE the space is needed for a successful download.

Do you have enough free space on your system drive (where the Temporary Internet Files folder sits) and your destination drive (if that differs)?

I recently had to free up some memory on my laptop's system drive because I had run out of space, resulting in aborted downloads like you described. (Apart from Vista telling me my harddisk was full.)

Other possible causes would be filtering at the Internet Provider (AOL does some filtering, I heard) or problems while analysing the downloaded data by your systems antivirus / antispyware software.

I'd suggest checking the hard drive for errors, clearing the temporary files, running Defrag, and then trying again. (If you haven't done that already, that is. )

And for the download speed, I saw big differences in that downloading at different times.
Sometimes the download rate was somewhere at 200 to 300 KBit/s only. At other times the download rate was at about 3.000 KBit/s.
I guess we're clogging up the server's line at times.

[Geezer]

Hey Anoree!

Thanks for the many suggestions. I will try as many as I can. I just wish Rob considered everyone when he chose to ONLY provide Hi Def. For some, it takes FOREVER to download and not all computer video cards can handle it.

Personally, I download videos and photos but might take weeks before watching them. Hi Def files fill up a hard drive very quickly. I recently bought a 160 GB drive and it's half full already. And with only the smaller format - NOT Hi Def.

WHY does FTV offer smaller formats and not D's site???? Rob! Help us slow pokes out!

[FTVGirls_Rob]

Like I mentioned, the usage of the divX is now down to 3% on ftv-- with more and more people on broadband, its almost a relic. It stays consistent with FTV but in new sites its pointless now. Take note that the HD videos aren't as extreme as FTV ones, that is they are of a slightly lower resolution and bitrate.

[Anoree]

Originally Posted by Geezer

Rob, I wasn't talking about the divX option. But, on FTV, you offer .WMV files in both HD (8000 KB/sec) and a lower res (3000 KB/sec). Why not offer this on D's site?
[...]

What I'm saying is, Rob, I signed up for D's site, paid my $49.95/90 days, and it's worthless to me. I can't watch the videos so why be a member? Would you PLEASE consider the lower res option on .WMV files?

You know, not everyone has a high speed broadband connection. I think DSL is considered "broadband" but then there are slow and super fast DSL speeds.

I wasn't thinking about the DivX videos either.

I'm not having as much dificulties as Geezer, being able to download and watch Danielle's videos, but I would be very gratefull if the videos would also be available in an 3000 Kb/sec option.

I don't usually store the videos, but would like to watch them repeatedly. Having to wait for up to half an hour for the HD videos to start doesn't make it as much fun.

Edit:
It seems there won't be a 3000 Kb/sec option.
Rob says "No", and I can live with that, happily.
Danille's site is great, with or without that option.

Case closed for me.

[grande351]

Does anyone have any idea what I can do to fix this! Please!

I started having an issue last night while trying to access an external USB HD. The drive is a Western Digital - My passport essential 320GB formatted for NTFS. It was (is) about 2/3 full (around 100G left) mostly with photos.

Here's what happened, as well as I can remember:

1. I was on the computer, with the HD opened, when a box popped up in the lower right corner of the screen which said something like "USB Device not recognized" the open drive window then closed.

2. I immediately disconnected the drive and reconnected it. It opened fine, but was very slow accessing pages and opening thumbnails. The light on the drive was flashing a lot, almost like there was a program running or something.

3. I shut the computer down and restarted it with the drive disconnected (the computer would never boot with the drive connected)
once again, there was a lot of flashing so I left it go for about 20 minutes. When I opened the drive, it worked better, but one file gave an error like "disc in drive F is unformatted, would you like to format?" Knowing that formatting would erase all my data, I clicked "no". All other folders seemed to work ok. the properties for the "bad" folder showed 0 files, even though I didn't delete them.

4. I had some success repairing "lost" files before with chkdsk/f so I tried running that from the command prompt, but only on the folder that had the problem, not the whole drive. It came up with a lot of unreadable sectors and after 30 min, phase 1 was only 27% completed. Being impatient, I closed the command prompt and restarted the computer.

5. I then downloaded and ran the WD diagnostics from WD's site. I did a complete scan, which lasted only a few minutes, and found errors, which I clicked "repair".

6. Now, I can't access the drive at all!!! It comes up in "my computer" as "Local Drive F" instead of "My Passport F:" like it always used to. there is again a lot of flashing, but when I click on the drive, "My computer" is either "not responding" or I get and I/O error reading the drive.

Can I save the drive? and more importantly, can I save the data from it? Is it the drive at all, or is it a computer problem? Is there a utility I can uses to rescue it? Given what's on it, I'd rather not send it out to a shop. The drive does run, and doesn't make any strange noises.
Pleeeeeeeeese don tell me that my 200+ Gigs of photos are gone! This is the second time this has happened to me, (The first time was my stupidity and I'd rather not talk about it. )

[WhyYou]

Originally Posted by grande351

Does anyone have any idea what I can do to fix this! Please!

I started having an issue last night while trying to access an external USB HD. The drive is a Western Digital - My passport essential 320GB formatted for NTFS. It was (is) about 2/3 full (around 100G left) mostly with photos.

Here's what happened, as well as I can remember:

1. I was on the computer, with the HD opened, when a box popped up in the lower right corner of the screen which said something like "USB Device not recognized" the open drive window then closed.

2. I immediately disconnected the drive and reconnected it. It opened fine, but was very slow accessing pages and opening thumbnails. The light on the drive was flashing a lot, almost like there was a program running or something.

3. I shut the computer down and restarted it with the drive disconnected (the computer would never boot with the drive connected)
once again, there was a lot of flashing so I left it go for about 20 minutes. When I opened the drive, it worked better, but one file gave an error like "disc in drive F is unformatted, would you like to format?" Knowing that formatting would erase all my data, I clicked "no". All other folders seemed to work ok. the properties for the "bad" folder showed 0 files, even though I didn't delete them.

4. I had some success repairing "lost" files before with chkdsk/f so I tried running that from the command prompt, but only on the folder that had the problem, not the whole drive. It came up with a lot of unreadable sectors and after 30 min, phase 1 was only 27% completed. Being impatient, I closed the command prompt and restarted the computer.

5. I then downloaded and ran the WD diagnostics from WD's site. I did a complete scan, which lasted only a few minutes, and found errors, which I clicked "repair".

6. Now, I can't access the drive at all!!! It comes up in "my computer" as "Local Drive F" instead of "My Passport F:" like it always used to. there is again a lot of flashing, but when I click on the drive, "My computer" is either "not responding" or I get and I/O error reading the drive.

Can I save the drive? and more importantly, can I save the data from it? Is it the drive at all, or is it a computer problem? Is there a utility I can uses to rescue it? Given what's on it, I'd rather not send it out to a shop. The drive does run, and doesn't make any strange noises.
Pleeeeeeeeese don tell me that my 200+ Gigs of photos are gone! This is the second time this has happened to me, (The first time was my stupidity and I'd rather not talk about it. )

It is possible that one (or more) of the original files on your external HD, the files that identify the drive as a My Passport drive, have become corrupted or are missing (this could be due to running the chkdsk/f). Try reinstalling the software. Go HERE to find instructions for obtaining the original software for the drive and installation instructions. You may be able to fix the drive without reformatting it. You may also want to contact Western Digital. There are contact numbers on that web site.

[grande351]

Thanks for the reply WhyYou.

I'm afraid that might not work. The drive was originally formatted as FAT32 and I reformatted it as NTFS prior to using it. I did this primairly because the Seagate Free Agent drives I'd been using were NTFS, and someone told me that FAT32 was slower. I don't really know the difference between the two.

I scanned it with a trial version of EasyRecovery Pro and it was able to find many of the files. Of course, being a trial version, I wasn't able to copy any of the files out to my C: drive. to do that, I need the full version, for $199.00
I was hoping there might be some freeware out there that I could use.

[CK1]

http://www.download.com/Pandora-Reco...html?tag=mncol the program is a free program. its not as detailed as Easy Recovery Pro but it will get some of your files.

as long as the computer can recognize the drive it should work. if it does not, then you might have to get pro version.

[WhyYou]

Originally Posted by grande351

Thanks for the reply WhyYou.

I'm afraid that might not work. The drive was originally formatted as FAT32 and I reformatted it as NTFS prior to using it. I did this primairly because the Seagate Free Agent drives I'd been using were NTFS, and someone told me that FAT32 was slower. I don't really know the difference between the two.

I scanned it with a trial version of EasyRecovery Pro and it was able to find many of the files. Of course, being a trial version, I wasn't able to copy any of the files out to my C: drive. to do that, I need the full version, for $199.00
I was hoping there might be some freeware out there that I could use.

CK1's suggestion is a good one. I would also suggest that you burn as many files as you can access onto discs. Then reformat the drive using the original software along with the NTFS utility. The original problem may have been a fault in your USB controller. There is a way to check the connectivity of the USB system but it's deeply technical and should be done by a qualified technician. Do you know if you have USB 1.1 or 2.0? You should have 2.0 for your MyPassport drive but it will run with 1.1, just slower.

[grande351]

First of all, thanks to everyone for helping me through my computer issues of late. That drive is still messed up, but I've downloaded Pandora and I'll give it a try.

I just installed a DVD burner last night and I've been playing with it a bit. It came with Nero 8 (trial version, of course ) Using this, I was able to import some videos, In this case the two Zeba videos, which were 3000 kb/sec wmv files. I burned these to a dvd and much to my surprise, it actually played in my dvd player, which I'm really happy about. The only problem is, I'm getting letterboxing at the top and bottom of the screen, which makes the picture seem "smushed". How do I get the videos to fill up the entire screen? My TV is a 26" flat screen and I'm using an ordinary standard def dvd player. When I recorded the dvd the target video settings were: 720x480 with a 16:9 aspect ratio. The only other setting I could use is a 4:3 aspect ratio. I could probably play with the TV settings, but I'd have to do it each time, because "normal" dvd's don't have this problem.
I am a complete moron when it comes to video and everything I read has me more confused!!!

[Geezer]

Originally Posted by grande351

First of all, thanks to everyone for helping me through my computer issues of late. That drive is still messed up, but I've downloaded Pandora and I'll give it a try.

I just installed a DVD burner last night and I've been playing with it a bit. It came with Nero 8 (trial version, of course ) Using this, I was able to import some videos, In this case the two Zeba videos, which were 3000 kb/sec wmv files. I burned these to a dvd and much to my surprise, it actually played in my dvd player, which I'm really happy about. The only problem is, I'm getting letterboxing at the top and bottom of the screen, which makes the picture seem "smushed". How do I get the videos to fill up the entire screen? My TV is a 26" flat screen and I'm using an ordinary standard def dvd player. When I recorded the dvd the target video settings were: 720x480 with a 16:9 aspect ratio. The only other setting I could use is a 4:3 aspect ratio. I could probably play with the TV settings, but I'd have to do it each time, because "normal" dvd's don't have this problem.
I am a complete moron when it comes to video and everything I read has me more confused!!!

Well, if all else fails, you should find an "aspect" button on your TV controller. Repeatedly pressing it might fill up your screen with the video clips. Good Luck!

[grande351]

Originally Posted by Geezer

Well, if all else fails, you should find an "aspect" button on your TV controller. Repeatedly pressing it might fill up your screen with the video clips. Good Luck!

Thanks Geezer, you're correct. I checked my remote and there's an "aspect" button. If I set it to "Zoom" I get the whole screen, which looks a lot better. I still think there has to be a way around this though. Just have to keep foolin with it. The quality of the video surprised the hell out of me. Even using the 3000 kb/sec wmv's! I'm going to try another today where I saved the 8000 kb/sec and see if it's any better. I wanted to put some videos from Danielle's site on a dvd, but all of the ones I downloaded are now trapped on a failed hard drive and the recovery program costs nearly $200, which I don't have. (By the way, I tried Pandora last night and it did not recognize the drive, for some reason. EasyRecovery did recognize it.) Now I have to download them all over again.

[CK1]

that is the $200 difference. i thought that the drive was at least recognized.

[CK1]

I just wanted to let everyone know that i started i MySpace page for tech advice and questions. its a work in progress and i am still adding blogs discusing different common issues (viruses, back ups, how to pick a computer, etc.) and will post blogs answering questions that people send in. its just an advice site. it doesn't represent any brand of computer, store, repair shop, etc. it is just a personal site where i can give advice without having to censor what i say because you don't want to upset a client. since i have no clients, i can speak freely. i am still trying to figure out how to format to get things to look just the way i want it so you might see changes in the next 30 days. so if you are interested, feel free to take a look. right not i only have a couple of articles posted but will have more posted this month.

www.myspace.com/everydaytech

[Geezer]

Originally Posted by CK1

I just wanted to let everyone know that i started i MySpace page for tech advice and questions. its a work in progress and i am still adding blogs discusing different common issues (viruses, back ups, how to pick a computer, etc.) and will post blogs answering questions that people send in. its just an advice site. it doesn't represent any brand of computer, store, repair shop, etc. it is just a personal site where i can give advice without having to censor what i say because you don't want to upset a client. since i have no clients, i can speak freely. i am still trying to figure out how to format to get things to look just the way i want it so you might see changes in the next 30 days. so if you are interested, feel free to take a look. right not i only have a couple of articles posted but will have more posted this month.

I have my own Myspace Profile but... I'm not sure how I would find yours if I wanted? Can I just search for "CK1?"

[CK1]

sorry forgot to add the link. www.myspace.com/everydaytech. i don't want it to be another one of those ubber tech sites where i discuss the refresh rates of monitors or other things like that. i just want to give the average user good advice that is coming from a neutral person. not someone who is trying to sell either a new computer or a bunch of repair work.

[Geezer]

Originally Posted by CK1

sorry forgot to add the link. www.myspace.com/everydaytech. i don't want it to be another one of those ubber tech sites where i discuss the refresh rates of monitors or other things like that. i just want to give the average user good advice that is coming from a neutral person. not someone who is trying to sell either a new computer or a bunch of repair work.

Just so everyone knows, what, exactly, are your "qualifications" for giving advice?

here is my own personal test: many web sites ask if you want them to "remember" you and, often, your password. Even this forum has a box to check. So, WHY aren't MY user names and/or passwords being saved?

Every site I use frequently has a box for "remember me" but each time I visit I have to reenter my information. I suppose it's possible my virus checker is blocking the cookies necessary to save the info but I can't find how to turn off that feature. I use PCTOOLS' spyware doctor.

Interestingly enough, for D's pay site and FTV's pay area, my user name and passwords ARE Saved. Go figure!?!?!?!

[CK1]

That is actually a very good question. And the reason I say that is because i have had to deal with the aftermath of someone's "Computer Guy" repair that went wrong. just to find out that their "Computer Guy" is the neighbors 15 year old who "knows" computers. I have been working as a computer tech for over 15 years... wow, has it really been that long... anyway, i have worked for retail stores, independent repair shops and currently for a major university in Central florida. all those jobs i was a tech. not a manager, receptionist, etc. i was a computer tech. i have done repair for your average home user as well as large companies like the United Way, University of Miami (they didn't have a printer repair tech), etc. and at my current job i have repaired everything from student computers to the president of the school. (talk about someone who holds your fate in their hands).

Yes, it has to do with cookies, but more than that it has to do with how they are programed. some sites to make themeselves more secure are written with fail safe system that 1- will not allow your to save your password (there is a way around that i will get to it later, works SOME of the time) or 2- will only save it for a short period of time. since i am not sure what sites you are refering too this is an educated guess but i will give you an example. eBay will keep you logged in for a day. after that you have to enter you user name and password again. my bank requires that i enter both user name and password. it will not save it on my system. but there is still a cookie on my system that identifies it as being me. if the cookie is missing i am asked a third question to make sure that i am the correct user.

a way around the password issue is to use a different web browser. web browser is the program you use to see webpages. Firefox does a much better job and storing passwords. the reason it can get around some of the security is that a browser is basically a translator (not exactly but its close enough as an analogy) that takes the code that is written and turns it into a page with pictures, animation, etc. Since Internet Explorer comes built in with every windows machine, it is the most popular. so when they write the code, they write it for Internet Explorer. since Firefox "translates" the information is a slightly different way, it is able to do things that I.E. can't do. but it can also cause sites to look a little different. the fonts (style of the letters used) can be different as well as their size.

you can't really do much about how a site is written. other than try a different browser. (you can download firefox for free at www.download.com )

by the way, i am or have been certified tech for Apple, Dell, Hp, Compaq, Toshiba, IBM, eMachines, Gateway and some brands that don't even exist anymore. some of the certifications are only valid if you work for an authorised repair center. where i currently work is not HP/Compaq certified, my certification is not valid. however if i was to switch jobs for a place that was certified, then i would be back in business.

Sorry for being so detailed but i rather give too much information than not enough.

[Geezer]

Hey CK1,

I asked to be your "friend" on Myspace.

The sites I am specifically concerned with are : myspace, facebook, THIS site, Classmates.com, Plentyoffish.com, and snapfish.com.

ALL have boxes to check for "remember me" but none of them work for ME. I use both IE and AOL for my browsers and my user name/passwords are not saved after I "check" the boxes. I don't mind the passwords not being saved but I get tired of entering my user names on each site visit.

[CK1]

that is strange. it is possible that one of your programs (maybe even your anti-virus) is deleting some of your cookies because it does not recognize them as valid cookies. the problems is that there are so many programs out there (differnet utilities, anti-virus, etc.) that its hard to tell what exactly could be causing that on YOUR computer. you might have different programs, settings, etc. than i do. right now i have Explorer, Firefox and Chrome (google's new browser) and all three remember my MySpace name but not my password. are you using AOL as your service provider? that could be the reason. i have not had to log into this site.

when you start to type your screen name, does it auto fill it for you? or does do you have to write all of it? i am trying to get more information to see if i can figure out what could be causing the problem.

One last thing, Go to Internet Explorer and from the pull down menus select tools and click on internet options. then select the tab listed content and under the option for auto complete click on the settings button. make sure all the options are checked on.

[Anoree]

Hello,

I'm experiencing problems downloading Alexa Loren's videos today (even the midres videos stop downloading), Danielle's video page pics get aborted, and even the forum runs exceptionally slow. Other sites seem to work normally.

Is it just my end of the line that has problems, or does anybody else have these problems, too?

[captnjack]

I was not having any problems this morning downloading AlexaLoren and Danielle's forum is loading fine. Try resetting your modem. if you can't reset your modem, shut your system down and then unplug the power supply to your modem.

[CK1]

that is one of those cases that you really have to be there to figure it out. but here are a few things that can cause the problem.

* There is a possibility that servers could be having trouble or there was too much traffic. causing things to run slow and reset. i find that the day the updates are released, i have a harder time downloading than waiting a day or two. i can still download them, they just move faster.

* if you were having problems with more than once site then i could guess that it is either you connection or your computer since its only having problems with that site i would guess is one of the reasons listed above.

* you can always restart your computer. although i usually recommend a full shutdown and then start the computer. if there was some time of issue it could have been resolved by this.

[grande351]

I'm having a problem. I've, so far, burned two DVD's using Nero-Vision and they've turned out pretty good. I have since tried to burn another, the Danielle/Leslie update, which I had downloaded at 8000kb/sec. Even though they would be compressed to fit on one disc, I still thought the quality might be better. (besides, I'm saving the hi-res updates for when I get a Blu-ray burner and player, that's gonna be sweet!).
For now I can't see even the DVD version because I can't seem to get the damn thing to complete a burn. At some point during the "transcoding streams" portion, I get the dreaded "Nero-vision.exe has encountered a problem and needs to close" message. At which point all I can do is close it and start over. A huge problem since it takes over THREE HOURS to complete the burn. It doesn't occur at the same point either. The first time it happened 25 minutes in, the second time was after it ran for 2.5 hours. What the heck is going on? I disabled Nero Scout because it was slowing my machine to a crawl. Could this have caused my issue? Nero doesn't respond to my e-mails and I was considering upgrading to the full version, but if this one doesn't work, I don't have much confidence in Nero 9 being better.

[Anoree]

Originally Posted by CK1

that is one of those cases that you really have to be there to figure it out. but here are a few things that can cause the problem.

* There is a possibility that servers could be having trouble or there was too much traffic. causing things to run slow and reset. i find that the day the updates are released, i have a harder time downloading than waiting a day or two. i can still download them, they just move faster.

That was my first guess. I've had that before, too, but this time it was extreme.
Gauging by my problems, Alexa Loren seems to be reeealy popular.

* if you were having problems with more than once site then i could guess that it is either you connection or your computer since its only having problems with that site i would guess is one of the reasons listed above.

It was just with FTV related sites and on more than one computer, but on the same connection. Hence my question.

* you can always restart your computer. although i usually recommend a full shutdown and then start the computer. if there was some time of issue it could have been resolved by this.

With some computers it might even require pulling the power cord, because the network card is still powered for wake on lan.

This morning (we've got 07:30 AM in Germany) the problems seem to have gone.
So either the server load on FTV has gone down, or the daily reset of my DSL line at 04:00 AM solved it.

Thank you for your response. (captnjack, you too.)

[Max]

To splice movies I use imovie. The audio will not import in the given format, so it must be converted with a program I use called Audacity. It is free, however, the audio will not sound very good, but you can still edit that.

[Jeffrey99]

Does Windows Movie Maker affect the quality at all? Wouldn't mind joining the ones that go together but I'd also want the ability to edit out the still shot photo at the very beginning of each video. Is that possible with Windows Movie Maker?

[mart]

Originally Posted by Jeffrey99

Does Windows Movie Maker affect the quality at all? Wouldn't mind joining the ones that go together but I'd also want the ability to edit out the still shot photo at the very beginning of each video. Is that possible with Windows Movie Maker?

I use the Windows Movie Maker a lot. Yes it is possible to edit out the photoshoot and you won't lose any quality. The W.M.M is a very good editing programme. Good luck!.

[Geezer]

Can anyone answer this question?

Is there anything different, protection settings, for example, on this thread: Picture (or screenshot) of the Day?

I log onto the forum and breeze through all of the new thread posts until I click on this one. Then, I get logged out and every attempt to log back into this particular thread is useless. But, if I click on my browser's back arrow, I am once again logged into the forum.

It is annoying because my preferences cause the latest posts to appear at the top. When I get to this thread, since I get logged out, the newest posts are buried deeply at the bottom.

WHAT is DIFFERENT about the "Picture (or screenshot) of the Day" Thread???

[CK1]

It might be a problem with the browser itself or the user account or the operating system. lets see if we can narrow it down.

1- try downloading another browser like Firefox or Chrome. install it and try seeing the same thread. if you can, then it is a problem with the browser. instead of re-installing Windows (which would be time consuming) just use another browser. i actually find chrome to be very quick and can take me almost everywhere i want to go.

2- Create a new account through the "user" option and log into that account and try using the browser. if it works there has been some damage done to your user account and is causing the problem with your web browser. Just had a case where a computer user could not print. tested the printer on another computer and it worked fine. even after un-installing and downloaded the latest drivers it would still not print. created a new account and installed the drivers and it worked fine. transfered all the setting to the new account and now its working fine.

3- If all else fails then it maybe time to re-install windows. files can be lost, damaged or corrupted over time and cause the computer to act up, freeze, etc. i usually perform a clean installation of windows about once a year. it takes me a while but i know that my computer will be at 100% when its done.

Again, let me know if you have any questions.

[Geezer]

Originally Posted by CK1

It might be a problem with the browser itself or the user account or the operating system. lets see if we can narrow it down.

1- try downloading another browser like Firefox or Chrome. install it and try seeing the same thread. if you can, then it is a problem with the browser. instead of re-installing Windows (which would be time consuming) just use another browser. i actually find chrome to be very quick and can take me almost everywhere i want to go.

2- Create a new account through the "user" option and log into that account and try using the browser. if it works there has been some damage done to your user account and is causing the problem with your web browser. Just had a case where a computer user could not print. tested the printer on another computer and it worked fine. even after un-installing and downloaded the latest drivers it would still not print. created a new account and installed the drivers and it worked fine. transfered all the setting to the new account and now its working fine.

3- If all else fails then it maybe time to re-install windows. files can be lost, damaged or corrupted over time and cause the computer to act up, freeze, etc. i usually perform a clean installation of windows about once a year. it takes me a while but i know that my computer will be at 100% when its done.

Again, let me know if you have any questions.

Hey CK1! Thanks for all of the suggestions. Reinstalling Windows would be a bit drastic, I think. And, I don't have the disks to do it, anyway. As I wrote in my question, it was only one thread creating a problem. I could browse ALL of the other threads without being logged out.

I use AOL as my default browser and it always gives me the problem. I just logged in using both IE and Safari and was able to see the thread in question just fine. So, I will assume it's an AOL problem and NOT my computer. Thanks again.