for those who are knowledgable about retarded computers...

[Tash]

my computer is being retarded in the form of internet- i normally use msn explorer except when i go to sign in it is unable to do so. so then i go to internet explorer and it's partly fine except it won't go to my unimail or hotmail inbox. so then i go to mozilla firefox and it's fine. why??! would this suggest that i have some annoying hacker in my computer or is it just being naturally stupid?

[xvimbi]

Hmm, let me see if I can figure that one out...

MSN, which doesn't work, is made by what company?
Explorer, which doesn't work, is made by what company?
You are probably running Windows, which doesn't work, and which is made by what company?
Firefox, which does work, is made by what company?

Do I see a correlation?

[Tash]

so i'm just going to go abuse the hell out of microsoft now...

[Dazzer]

probably spyware clogging up your msn and explorer.

unfortunately, while all software suffers from bugs, and vulnerabilities, microsoft takes the blunt of the effects, namely because people hate microsoft, and also because it has a larger market share. Hence people who want to write viruses, would spread it via a medium with a huge population.

So don't let the statistics fool you... MACs may seem invulnerable, but that's only because noone bothers.

----------------------
i recommend spybot

https://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html

use it to check your computer for anything that might be hikjacking your explorer.

and update yoru antivirus.

next, reinstall internet explorer.

all else fails, format your computer and clean it

Dazzer

[xvimbi]

So don't let the statistics fool you... MACs may seem invulnerable, but that's only because noone bothers.

That's what MS wants to make people think to feel more important , but it's only partially true. The Mac OS is a bone fide UNIX operating system. UNIX is inherently much more secure (and stable) than Windows. So, even if one wanted to create viruses/worms/etc. for UNIX, it would be a lot harder. Linux has been on the market for quite some time with a large user base, so the argument about neglected operating systems doesn't really hold up.

[Dazzer]

but who cares.

let bill gates do whatever the *** he wants... *shruG*

[yamagal]

That's what MS wants to make people think to feel more important , but it's only partially true. The Mac OS is a bone fide UNIX operating system. UNIX is inherently much more secure (and stable) than Windows. So, even if one wanted to create viruses/worms/etc. for UNIX, it would be a lot harder. Linux has been on the market for quite some time with a large user base, so the argument about neglected operating systems doesn't really hold up.

I second that -- turn your computer into a Linux box and forget Microsplat.  I like S.u.S.E. Linux the best.

[Siberian Husky]

the cookie settings may be different on all of your different explorers with mozilla being the most giving and allowing most cookies...

cookies are what allows you computer to reidentify familiar pages..thus allowing you to login and stay logged in..if an explorer doesnt allow cookies..its as if you never typed in the password..some settings may have it so that you rid of cookies faster than others..make sure theys tay in your history for atLEAST a few hours...

[prometheus]

I read: "for those who are knowledgable about retarded composers."

[odsum25]

Just a guess, not knowing your surfing habits, uses, etc. but I would say a large part of it would be spyware. Download at least two spyware programs, run them and don't use IE or MSN again. Firefox is really the most secure Windows operated browser and I would suggest sticking with it.

[leahcim]

Heh, Let's rewrite the thread in piano terms

"My retarded yamaha won't let me play this chopin piece - is it broken or is it stupid?"

"Try a steinway - much better piano"
"Yeah I've got a steinway, it sounds better than a yamaha"
"That's what yamaha want you to believe - I've got a bosendorfer - it's a bono fido  piano underneath"
"Get a tech to see if it's broken. Failing that try replacing all the strings"



You didn't post enough information to help. I'd avoid linux though - at least don't use it on the premise that it's a panacea for problems you might hit.

[Tash]

Heh, Let's rewrite the thread in piano terms

"My retarded yamaha won't let me play this chopin piece - is it broken or is it stupid?"

LOL that's the funniest thing i've heard in ages!!

i'm thinking the problem may be related to the fact that my norton antivirus subsrciption expired like 4 months ago and i haven't bothered renewing it yet, and now it's saying that it's unable to start 'email protection', which could be why i can't get into my email thingys. so i should probably go get a new subscription and see what happens before some crazed person reads this and attempts to kill my vulnerable computer...haha i'm such a ditz sometimes!

[e60m5]

So don't let the statistics fool you... MACs may seem invulnerable, but that's only because noone bothers.


Dazzer

Factually inaccurate, sorry Dazz. 

You'd think that with a growing market share and userbase, there would be more and more viruses (or virii if you are so inclined) written for Macs, OS X in particular. But why do OS X users still not bother with any anti-virus and anti-spyware protection, even as their market share grows?

OS X runs on a *NIX core of which Darwin is basically the "distro", in terms of other *NIX-based operating systems. To cut short what would be an otherwise lengthy post, I'll simplify a little. To make any significant changes to the system under OS X, the user must either be logged in as or authorised as root. Root is disabled by default under OS X, and any time that root authorisation is required, manual password entry is prompted via the GUI. This limits the effect that any malicious code can do to an OS X system to local damage at most to the account in use; systemwide changes are rendered impossible. The resultant damage that any virus can do to an OS X box is absolutely feeble.

Windows, on the other hand, is an operating system designed first and foremost for the personal computer, and not the computer network. It is basically a straw hut with security tacked onto it. XP is not a new rewrite of the OS; it is an improvement of previous versions of windows, all the way back to 95. (Conversely, OS X is a completely different OS than OS 9 and its predecessors, from the ground up.) Back in the days of Windows 95, security was not as large a priority as it is now. As a result, security in Windows is merely tacked onto the OS build, as opposed to being an integral part of the software's design (as is the case with any *NIX system).

The argument "Oh well Macs have less users so less people write viruses for them" is one often-used by PC folk, but is factually wrong. 

[leahcim]

Oh c'mon, if the Mac userbase has doubled over night without us realising [did it?] it's still miniscule compared with windows. Or are you counting ipod sales?

The fact it's now based on unix [and soon intel processors] just compounds what everyone with a PC, who commented, said all along about Macs doesn't it? If the future of Mac is running unix on a PC in a pretty shiny plastic case for 1.5x-3x the price, let's hope he makes money from iTunes and Pixar

As for root accounts and where XP comes from - afaict my windows XP install has an administrator account and separate user accounts and afaict the NT 3.51 / NT 4 / Windows 2000 base that it comes from is different from the dos-based Windows 3.1/95/98 et al.

afaict, it prompts for the password [run as...] and it doesn't allow significant changes to the system under normal user accounts. [But since your normal user account might have your CC number and various other sensitive data that's fairly moot if you run applications that access an untrusted network] Good point though - does the Mac have applications yet? I guess it has all the ones that would run on linux ...oh and photoshop

OTOH, I'll concede that it's not trivial to ensure that the security protection on the file system / registry et al are good nor that there aren't applications that don't have problems if you go too far. But then, your average user isn't likely to be a unix-security expert either.

Afaict, there are rootkits written for unix based systems as well as viruses et al for windows systems and security bugs are found [and exploited] in them all - in applications, in the OS, in macs and pcs.

There's no magic OS or browser to install that removes security as an issue.

[i_m_robot]

One and only one problem with linux self had


couldnt find a driver for selfs wireless usb (thought theres probably one now) and not patient enough to learn how to make one

sadly self just formated HD along with linux partition and is too lazy to part it and reinstall

[i_m_robot]

my computer is being retarded in the form of internet- i normally use msn explorer except when i go to sign in it is unable to do so. so then i go to internet explorer and it's partly fine except it won't go to my unimail or hotmail inbox. so then i go to mozilla firefox and it's fine. why??! would this suggest that i have some annoying hacker in my computer or is it just being naturally stupid?

there are no retarded computers

only retarded people who use them

*kicks sensitive computer "work darn it"...*

*strangely it does not*