Proxy-OSS

Here is the story about Proxy-OSS that is on your computer Chris.

PROXY-OSS

This software is not a virus or a trojan. It is detected as a "potentially unwanted program." Proxy-OSS is distributed as an Internet Accelerator program, created by Marketscore. As advertised, the program is designed "to enhance the speed of the Internet while tracking user trends". It is a data gathering mechanism which collects personal information and internet usage statistics. The LSP (Layered Service Provider) stack is modified such that internet traffic is routed through servers operated by Marketscore. More recent versions of the software employ a local proxy, routing traffic through a process running on the host system instead of to remote servers. This local process then makes periodic transmissions to remote servers, presumably when data of interest is identified.

This software is installed via an ActiveX control downloaded from www.marketscore.com. Several files are dropped using an InstallShield installation package and many registry entries are created. A license agreement and privacy policy are displayed on the Marketscore website and must be agreed to (via selection of a checkbox) in order for the setup executable to be downloaded.

Although not observed during testing, it is possible that consumer surveys may be delivered via popup windows, as mentioned in the privacy policy.

Privacy

The Privacy Policy established sweeping rights for Marketscore to monitor internet traffic, collect user data, and establish correlations with other, personally identifiable data (version dated Feb 14, 2005)

Full Privacy Statement: http://www.marketscore.com/privacy.aspx
Full Membership Agreement: http://www.marketscore.com/MembershipAgreement.aspx

System Changes

Files Added

Note: Although created during the installation, the following files and folders appear to be standard components of the InstallShield installation packaging software, and not related to the functionality of the Proxy-OSS software.

c:\WINDOWS\Downloaded Program Files\setup.exe
c:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\Professional\RunTime\iKernel.rgs
c:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\Professional\RunTime\IsProBE.tlb c:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\Professional\RunTime\Objectps.dll c:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\Professional\RunTime\10\00\Intel32\ctor.dll
c:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\Professional\RunTime\10\00\Intel32\DotNetInstaller.exe
c:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\Professional\RunTime\10\00\Intel32\iGdi.dll
c:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\Professional\RunTime\10\00\Intel32\iKernel.dll
c:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\Professional\RunTime\10\00\Intel32\iscript.dll
c:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\Professional\RunTime\10\00\Intel32\iuser.dll
c:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\Professional\RunTime\10\00\Intel32\setup.dll

The remaining files appear specific to the Proxy-OSS software installation.

c:\WINDOWS\nsreg.dat
Size: 335 bytes

c:\WINDOWS\system32\mksc.exe
Size: 864,256 bytes
MD5: 09B44309B8CB641300D93458D9358ADF

c:\WINDOWS\system32\nsosscfg.exe
Size: 118,784 bytes
MD5: 46DC45B14503070FC8053CE75DBCCC0C

c:\WINDOWS\system32\okshook.dll
Size: 49,152 bytes
MD5: A8A11A2873C6A21AE8C0916DAD013F7C

c:\WINDOWS\system32\osmim.dll
Size: 303,104 bytes
MD5: F0BFFBA3F4C2EE36FA5229FF2C293657

c:\WINDOWS\system32\sporder.dll
Size: 8,464 bytes
MD5: 97F50C3E6EEB45CBE2413431F1BB52FB

Registry

Keys Added

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\InstallShield
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Netsetter
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{35B7E48B-9D81-4C6C-9578-5FD4F620D886}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{F4817E4B-04B6-11D3-8862-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{00345390-4F77-11D3-A908-00105A088FAC}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{00A0DBE3-B12E-4DC3-8C27-4197CA4DF76B}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{084A0737-26B9-4433-8007-A9161333B5FC}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{0BA4BA22-2EF0-11D3-88C8-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{0C8D0880-1AC4-11D3-A8FF-00105A088FAC}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{0E67BBC9-18CB-4B22-BACD-687CDF6387B6}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{112EB4F0-5A48-11D3-A90A-00105A088FAC}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{1169A235-14D9-4488-8B56-58ECE9C57002}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{16344B6E-52E1-4BBC-AA79-E08B10B7BAB9}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{17773851-7FF4-44C1-B084-1E1EDB2BFD4D}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{1AE441C6-2C13-49CE-909A-57A81F74F38E}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{1B1B8830-C559-11D3-B289-00C04F59FBE9}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{1ED19966-1493-4539-B9F5-97A6556CE8F8}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{1F1ABEE7-FEDB-45AF-A01B-0B4DE6887573}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{1F9922A2-F026-11D2-8822-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{21D98482-146C-4EBF-AF1E-B04395110005}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{229A85A7-2F77-42A2-8CBD-01DD1C09BC88}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{230FFDDA-4771-42D0-9383-42547833224B}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{251753FA-FB3B-11D2-8842-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{2583251F-0A04-11D3-886B-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{348440B0-C79A-11D3-B28B-00C04F59FBE9}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{39040274-3D36-11D3-88EE-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{3D8B6331-D8B1-11D2-80C5-00104B1F6CEA}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{3D8B6332-D8B1-11D2-80C5-00104B1F6CEA}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{3DFE4F8F-A5A1-4ECA-9A50-E5CF9BA836E9}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{3EDC2C10-66FE-11D3-A90F-00105A088FAC}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{3EE77D8B-40C1-4A2A-9B77-421907F02058}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{3FB92AF0-B9EE-4C30-8D36-93495070CCA1}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{44D61997-B7D4-11D2-80BA-00104B1F6CEA}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{4C5C8B37-CCB7-11D5-ABEC-00B0D0238DF5}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{4D08A70C-42E4-4238-AF79-7A7485C66EE2}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{4E26CAD5-1B59-4D1D-9063-2D91314C9E45}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{5331F72D-17F1-4D16-A17A-F190461343BF}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{5469EE67-1493-402F-8E2C-99936C9E4983}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{54DADAB2-28A6-11D3-88BA-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{54DADAB3-28A6-11D3-88BA-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{61892D50-28EF-11D3-A8FF-00105A088FAC}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{6494206F-23EA-11D3-88B0-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{65D37452-0EBB-11D3-887B-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{6B15A454-9067-4878-B10E-B9DFFE03049D}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{6D0A2C7B-875F-40E7-B7BE-2E909A3A9026}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{6FFDEFD7-3EC4-4E5A-9EFC-AD04E14A9934}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{761C8359-55AF-4E7B-9C83-C1A927E0F617}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{787D0980-F63F-462C-86BC-FC23847C70F4}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{78A47147-ACE5-46F8-BA85-BEAF37827CF4}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{7B288F47-79AB-43A8-8494-D9F4D5985B29}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{7BB118F1-6D5B-470E-82D0-AFB042724560}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{7D795704-435D-11D3-88FF-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{7FA3F3D3-7B9E-4F51-9448-3642B544CEBD}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{80FDE82A-2CAA-11D3-88C3-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{83755DD1-086B-11D3-8868-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{8415DDF9-1C1D-11D3-889D-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{8415DE38-1C1D-11D3-889D-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{8C3C1B10-E59D-11D2-B40B-00A024B9DDDD}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{8C3C1B11-E59D-11D2-B40B-00A024B9DDDD}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{8C3C1B12-E59D-11D2-B40B-00A024B9DDDD}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{8C3C1B13-E59D-11D2-B40B-00A024B9DDDD}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{8C3C1B14-E59D-11D2-B40B-00A024B9DDDD}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{8C3C1B15-E59D-11D2-B40B-00A024B9DDDD}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{8C3C1B16-E59D-11D2-B40B-00A024B9DDDD}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{8E156322-57D4-448B-BAB4-35DC0C7ADF53}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{91814EBF-B5F0-11D2-80B9-00104B1F6CEA}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{91814EC1-B5F0-11D2-80B9-00104B1F6CEA}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{91814EC3-B5F0-11D2-80B9-00104B1F6CEA}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{91814EC5-B5F0-11D2-80B9-00104B1F6CEA}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{91CD1F51-7199-46FA-9629-9C89D2F1AE22}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{94F4A332-A2AE-11D3-8378-00C04F59FBE9}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{9AEE3F7A-A79F-4B41-BC48-E7946FFEAB35}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{9B697780-DBBC-11D2-80C7-00104B1F6CEA}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{9BD0749C-12DC-4D2B-A4F6-9E52F0F38A6C}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{9CFCFE67-0BB8-43E0-8425-378D0A02ACE4}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{9D1BC05A-7056-458F-B605-A6298C8BD4B1}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{9E274DCA-9B35-4B99-904F-76F2C5B59F76}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{A36ECFBE-FAAA-417D-9D41-7FEF98FDE554}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{A74C06E4-12DF-4060-9AA7-83CFAA66D604}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{AA7E2060-CB55-11D2-8094-00104B1F9838}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{AA7E2061-CB55-11D2-8094-00104B1F9838}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{AA7E2062-CB55-11D2-8094-00104B1F9838}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{AA7E2064-CB55-11D2-8094-00104B1F9838}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{AA7E2065-CB55-11D2-8094-00104B1F9838}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{AA7E2066-CB55-11D2-8094-00104B1F9838}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{AA7E2067-CB55-11D2-8094-00104B1F9838}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{AA7E2068-CB55-11D2-8094-00104B1F9838}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{AA7E2069-CB55-11D2-8094-00104B1F9838}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{AA7E2084-CB55-11D2-8094-00104B1F9838}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{ABF74802-8E5B-44EA-880E-8E128A06A113}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{AF57A6F0-4101-11D3-88F6-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{AF57A6F1-4101-11D3-88F6-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{AFED5DD0-0694-11D4-A934-00105A088FAC}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{B0D1DB92-DE05-4926-A5DC-01F3F9857587}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{B12A5014-0AA8-451A-B621-F717998B0B53}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{B310295D-E006-4E5A-9CBE-FA7C092F2FC3}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{B4D3EAE5-8A3A-4376-8B65-6A81293EDB1D}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{B964AF40-4AB7-11D3-A908-00105A088FAC}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{BA24E1DA-9E87-4502-9AF0-B5DDFA6D6B23}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{BD307C4E-6FC9-40FB-B15E-BEC6851EF52C}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{BE0B3F76-166A-4DA5-A97C-318595E3D15C}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{BE6115A1-7DE5-48DC-AD2A-25060E00FCE2}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{C4143914-2238-40F8-A74C-67C4B8ACB27A}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{C4AAC3B1-C547-11D3-B289-00C04F59FBE9}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{C8D5B971-D521-4113-82D6-869817B452DE}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{CC096170-E2CB-11D2-80C8-00104B1F6CEA}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{D2A3A842-FBA3-49D4-8806-7734716364A2}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{D4FF39B9-1A05-11D3-8896-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{D4FF39BB-1A05-11D3-8896-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{DAB9BF17-267D-11D3-88B6-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{DBBBE57D-A05D-43EC-8408-ED3EAA713963}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{DED5FEEC-225A-11D3-88AA-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{E1B9357F-24B9-11D3-88B2-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{E3CD7A86-04E4-4B47-88E8-3EE03A3DEE56}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{ECBE1E54-3649-4287-9888-D9FB133CAE0D}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{F4817E4B-04B6-11D3-8862-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{F8CB9A40-3665-4D33-B239-32CA4C7B8DEA}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{FEBEC920-1849-11D3-A8FE-00105A088FAC}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Setup.Player
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Setup.Player.2K2
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\TypeLib\{94636247-BC39-4B8B-A728-2D1FBEBFA76A}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\TypeLib\{BC44B51D-1A01-4B50-92F2-E7D736F75DA8}
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\comScore Networks, Inc.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Code Store Database\Distribution Units\{35B7E48B-9D81-4C6C-9578-5FD4F620D886}
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SystemCertificates\ROOT\
Certificates\A32C2B8361CA79FB7DCD14CBDA793D0DF855991C
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SystemCertificates\ROOT\
Certificates\F8D953700E84F3945390C81A1A3BF929C8A29EB7
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
ModuleUsage\C:/WINDOWS/Downloaded Program Files/setup.exe
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
Uninstall\{a71b1608-0de3-445d-afc1-16cc74422a9e}
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Enum\Root\LEGACY_RASMAN\0000\Control
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Enum\Root\LEGACY_TAPISRV\0000\Control
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\Root\
LEGACY_RASMAN\0000\Control
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\Root\
LEGACY_TAPISRV\0000\Control

Values Added

Over 600 registry entries were added.

Network Impact

Possible performance impact due to delays relaying data through the Marketscore proxy network.

Removal Instructions

Instructions on Enabling/Disabling Detection and Removal of Potentially Unwanted Programs

Gift Ideas

Every year I post my Holiday Gift List. These are things that are sure to please any guy who has an interest in technology. Sorry ladies, I still have trouble coming up with good technology presents for women. However, the iPod's or the Flat Panel HDTV's might be appropriate. Guys, whatever you do don't buy her an iRobot. Unless you want a very cold shoulder. That is a present for YOU since your place always needs vacuuming. My ex-wife said it best guys "nothing that plugs in for a present that shows you really care. Try the jewelry store instead of the computer store. Unless she is truly excited by plug-in devices".

Nexxtech Ultimate Portable Speaker $19.99 at Circuit City. I love this thing. I use it for my car radio so I can play my iPod on the road. It's small and has a really big sound. It hooks up to every device imagineable. I had to buy it when I saw it so don't send me one for Christmas ;o)

iRobot Roomba $119.96 at Circuit City is an incredible robotic vacuum cleaner.

Vonage Digital Phone System Wiring solution for your entire house. With Rebate it pays you 1 cent ($149.99 purchase price). Need I say more ;o)

Vonage wireless router $34.99 with $70 rebate pays you $35.01. Really what are you waiting for?

Vonage Digital phone System costs $69.99 and gives a $70 rebate pays you 1 cent again!!!!

Laptop Coolers $34.99-$39.99 shows you care. For those overheating laptops that you can't really use on your lap unless you want to feel singed.

Kill A Watt and Kill A WattEZ by P3 International $49.99 monitor your electrical equipment and find where your power is going. This helps point out where all your electrical power is going.

iPod Shuffles and other mini-MP3 players are now as low as $47.99

19" LCD HDTV Flat Panels are going for as low as $299. I live in NYC so I'm always looking for more compact TVs. No room for the wall of TV.

26" LCD HDTV Flat Panels are going for as low as $499. I'm tempted this year.

After Turkey Day Recipes

Okay, I'm a big lover of re-using all of the Thanksgiving Dinner components as sandwiches and leftovers but also the Turkey Soup and the Turkey Pot Pie are of primary importance to me as well. Here are the recipes I'm using this year...

Alton Brown from Food Network has a video
http://www.foodnetwork.com/videos/turkey-soup/27749.html

However I like the written recipes and less of the add-ins and more of the actual dinner ingredients so I'm going with this one...

This looks yummy
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/michael-chiarello/next-day-turkey-soup-recipe/index.html

Here's the Turkey Pot Pie I'm making this year...
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/turkey-pot-pie-recipe/index.html

Happy Thanksgiving!

CD Question! HELP

On Fri, Nov 21, 2008 at 6:08 PM, claire wrote:

Hi Ed,

I'm having trouble trying to get software for printing CD labels. Avery won't downloadthe software for labels18160 which I bought. I guess because I don't have Office: microsoft word, excel snd etc.

I would like to be abel to print CD labels ( have the templates). I need step by step instructions and

software. thanks Claire

Answer: I was in a seminar all weekend. I would recommend using avery or memorex labels for CDs. For printing you can download OpenOffice ir StarOffice for free. Once you load them open up their writer program and choose File->New-> Labels from the top menubar. For download locations check out this site http://FreeSoftwareSecrets.com. Their free report gives you information about downloading both office products.

Free Software Is Everywhere

I've been following a blog now for a few weeks. It's FreeSoftwareSecrets.blogspot.com. Whoever this person is has been posting some great software on their blog that has no end-user cost. You should definitely check this out for some great free software ideas.

"Borrowing" Wireless Routers

Laura asked: Can other people tell if you're using their wireless network?

Ed answered: Yes

Laura replied: Well, those bastards! Can they see into my computer when I'm on their network?

Ed Smit wrote: Only if you're shared and have no password.

Laura: Say, I don't understand. If I sneak on someone else's network from my'puter, does that give them access to me? I'm not shared; they're just some dope who didn't password-protect their network. See what I mean?

Ed: Only if you're a big enough dope to not have a password on your computer and you've shared folders on it.

Laura: yes, I have a password but I only have to use it to update software, etc. Not every time I turn it on. Is that safe?

Ed: You just have it automatically logging in when you start up. The password is there you just don't have it set to ask every time. You can see this setting under the apple menu under preferences in the user info.

Uninstalling Office 97

On Mon, Nov 10, 2008 at 10:55 PM Claire wrote:

Question: I'm trying to uninstall office 97.I downloaded eraser97.exe but it does'nt work. Nobody helps me. How do I do it?

Answer:

To uninstall any software from your PC...

Click on Start
Click on Control Panel (if you have Windows 2000 click on Settings first)
In the Control Panel select Add/Remove Programs
Scroll down the list of programs until you see the software you want to remove
Click on the name of software (in your case it should say Microsoft Office 97)
Click on the button that says remove
Follow the on screen instructions to remove all of the program

Once that step is complete you can then reboot your computer and remove the directory where Office was stored.
Double Click on the My Computer icon
Double Click on the C: drive
Double Click on the Program Files folder
Find the Microsoft Office folder
Right click on it and choose Delete

If you still have residual program info in your system after those two steps you might try a registry cleaning program to get rid of extra entries on your system.

Hope this helps,
Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net
For more answers to your computer questions check out my blog at JustAskEd.blogspot.com

Follow up:
Thanks Ed for answering! I've tried your way several times but it does'nt work. When I click on
remove it asks to insert the #1 disc which I don't have and it won't do anything. I've tried google,
yahoo, microsoft etc. of those three I've been told to download eraser97.exe, this i've done but it does'nt do anything to erase the program.

Thanks! Claire ps I'm 85 yrs old with very little memory left.Thanks again

My Reply:
Try this utility http://www.easy-uninstall.com/. You need to download the program to your computer. Open the .exe that you download and install the program. Once it is installed it will automatically run and choose Force Uninstall if the regular Uninstall doesn't work. If that doesn't work try the Special Uninstall. Last thing to try is Clear It.

Let me know if this works for you. It's a $35 dollar shareware that has an expiration date but it should work for 30 days for free.

Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net
For more answers to your computer questions check out JustAskEd.blogspot.com

P.S. This one is definitely free http://www.revouninstaller.com/revo_uninstaller_free_download.html I tested it on one of my PCs and it worked great. You should try the Advanced Option for removing the software if you don't have the original CDs.

Claire's Reply:
THANKS ED!!!!This one worked!!!Office 97 is
now off in the sky someplace. Thanks ever so Much...Claire

Email Garbage

On Sun Nov 9 10:45pm, Phil asked:
Question: some of my emails are unreadable garbage letters how do i solve this problem? thanks

Answer: Some emails come thru looking like garbage because they come from China, Russia or some other country that uses a different alphabet. When that happens you can download the language pack for that country and try reading the email then. A lot of SPAM is coming out of these countries so it looks like garbage in the email program and most of the time, it is.

Just a side note, you shouldn't click on these emails unless you know the sender because it could be virus filled email as well. At least make sure you have your virus protection up to date before you open them.

Hope this helps,
Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net
For more answers to your computer questions check out my blog at JustAskEd.blogspot.com

Slow Computer Problem

Question submitted by peggy on Thursday, November 6, 2008 at 00:09:53
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question: my computer is slow and shuts down

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Answer: Join the club Peggy ;o)

I have noticed that seems to be the trend in user questions these days. Most users think that they can use their computer indefinitely without doing any maintenance and it will always work the same. Unfortunately, because of updates to software (such as windows, java, flash, adobe) your computer over time will begin to slow down just from the updates. The only cure for this is increasing your RAM by adding a memory chip into your computer

Another thing that slows down a computer is spyware. If you go to my blog and lookup articles on Spybot http://JustAskEd.blogspot.com. One of those articles gives download info Download Spybot-Search and Destroy here. This helps with 80% of the users I've helped complaining of a slow computer.

Viruses can also slow down a computer so you should check that your virus protection is current and working. If you don't have good virus protection you can download AVG Anti-Virus and install that to check for viruses and protect your system.

If you're still having problems it could be a hardware problem. Computers can have malfunctions. You can check your maufacturers site for warranty information and repair services.

Hope this helps,
Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net
For more answers to your computer questions check out http://JustAskEd.blogspot.com

Office 2007 File to Convert

Question from Arlette submitted Wednesday, November 05, 2008 6:04 PM

Subject: The File to Convert

I'm proud of myself for knowing when to contact you, but I still have to work on doing it sooner than taking 1/2 a day trying to get something to work that I know nothing about. ERRR...I'll learn sooner or later. I have a Word 2007 file that I need to convert. How do I do that if I have Word 2000. Thank you!!!

ps. I tried to open it, and it was gobbly-gook. I hope I didn't mess up the file. If so, I have another copy on a zip drive. Let me know.

Arlette

---

ANSWER:

Here is a link to the converter for Office 2007 files....

http://www.microsoft..com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=941b3470-3ae9-4aee-8f43-c6bb74cd1466&displaylang=en

Once you download and install the converter you must open word and choose File Open. At the bottom of the file window is a drop-down menu that says "Files of Type". Choose that drop-down arrow on the right side of the box and scroll through the list until you come to the Word 2007 choice (it says "Word 2007 Document (*.docx)"). Switch to the folder where the file is stored and click on the file and click Open. This will convert the file. Make sure you save it as a real Word document after by choosing File, Save As and choosing the Word Document file type from the same drop-down list. You have now avoided paying Microsoft for another useless upgrade to a software that hasn't truly been improved since Word 97.

Happy typing,

Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net
For more answers to your computer questions go to JustAskEd.blogspot.com

Charging Battery

Question submitted by kathleen on Monday, October 27, 2008 at 02:28:43
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Question: When charging how do I know when it is fully charged.

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Answer: Well kathleen that is the mystery of this decade. There is usually an indicator that tells you if you are fully charged but they usually lie. On Windows PCs the indicator is down in the right hand corner next to the time. It usually looks like a little battery when you unplug your laptop from the power cord and if you move your mouse onto the icon it will tell you if you're fully charged or just partially charged. MacBooks and other Mac laptops have an indicator up on the top of the main desktop on the upper right.

If you don't see an indicator then you have to delve into the Control Panel on a PC laptop. One of the options in the Control Panel is Power Options. In this control panel you can check out your battery charge and an "estimate" of how long it will last. Usually, it's a guesstimate that isn't very accurate. I've had the meter tell me I'm at 30% of the battery and then suddenly shutdown because it decided the battery was drained. On a Mac you can look in the System Preferences for the Power controls.

With newer PCs and MacBooks they are coming out with longer lasting batteries that claim 6 hour battery life. The best I've been able to get out of my older laptops is about 2 hours (if I'm lucky).

I hope that points you in the right direction.

Ed Smit

Questions@JustAskEd.net

For more answers to your Computer Questions check out JustAskEd.blogspot.com

HP OFFICE 6210 ALL IN ONE

Question submitted by salvatore on Thursday, October 23, 2008 at 00:07:41

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Question: HOW DO I REMOVE OLD PRINTER DRIVER NOT ABLE TO ITEMS APPEARING ON COMPUTER .THANK YOU

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Answer: If you are using a PC you go into the Control Panel and choose Add/Remove Programs and remove the printer drivers from the list.

If it is a Mac you delete the printer from the Printer Manager that is located in your Applications folder under Utilities (unless it's Tiger and then you

have to go into System Preferences and Printers to remove you printer.

Outlook Express not working

Question submitted by Nanette on Saturday, October 18, 2008 at 00:14:31
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Question: My outlook express is telling me server can't be found

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Answer: This means that your internet connection is either not working correctly or your settings in outlook express are not correct. This could be caused by Spyware or a Virus or an ISP switch. First download Spybot - Search and Destroy and scan your computer. If that doesn't help check with your ISP. Sometimes, if you have an Internet Service Provider (ISP) that changes servers they send an email telling you they will be changing your settings. This can also cause email to not pull correctly. If the problem persists I would contact whoever is hosting your email and ask them if they've changed anything for your account. If they haven't then I would check with your internet connection provider. There could be a problem with your connection to the internet.

Hope all this helps.

Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net
For more answers to your computer questions check JustAskEd.blogspot.com

Acer Aspire L3600

Question submitted by sarah on Wednesday, October 15, 2008 at 00:47:25
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Question: hi just wondering does the acer aspire L3600 come with a DVD burner drive coz we just bought one thought it did but cant seen to get windows media player and windows dvd burner to recognise it

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Answer:  Unfortunately Acer is one of the worst brands to deal with.  When I looked at their site they don't even list your model to check the specs.  The best I can say is look at the cover of the Drive and see if it says DVD anywhere on it.  It might only be a DVD player and a CD-RW.  That's the cheapest kind of drive that you usually get these days and that would fit Acer's MO.  Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but Acer Laptops are selling that cheap because their components are cheap and often faulty.  I hope you bought an extended warranty with that one.

Good luck,

Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net
For more info about all your computer questions check out JustAskEd.blogspot.com

Password Fiasco

Question submitted by Angela on 10/10/08 5:22 PM

Question: fiasco

I changed my password on my computer and can't remember it.

(It never occurred to me to leave both fields blank when changing it--the
computer belonged to a small business in another life so was password
protected.)

Any thoughts? My brother suggested Trinity Rescue Kit but it looks very
scary, like I might blow up my computer at work.

Answer: What operating system are you using? If it's XP or 2000, usually you can boot up your computer in safe mode and reset the password. Hold F8 when you turn on your computer use the arrow keys on the keyboard to hightlight Safe Mode and Hit the Enter key. If it asks for a username type Administrator and leave the password blank. This should startup and you can go into the control panel and change your user password if it comes up.

Good luck,
Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net
For more answers to your computer questions go to JustAskEd.Blogspot.com

Rebooting windows HP

Question submitted by michelle on Sunday, September 28, 2008 at 00:31:49
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Question: my computer is running very slow and it's not excepting any commands when requested to go on any sites and i would like to start my computer from the very begining when i had first purhase windows hp

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Answer:
HP has a wonderful recovery system that works most of the time for reclaiming your original factory settings. Make sure you backup all of your data before doing this because it can destroy data.

When you first boot up your system a message flashes on your screen to hit several F-keys for different options. You want to choose the F -key for Recovery. This lets you start from scratch on your computer. There are usually two choices when starting over. One just replaces your operating system and tries not to destroy your data (this helps 80% of the time). If you're really having trouble you should choose the advanced option of formatting your hard drive and reinstalling fresh (this is a sure fire way to clean up a system that has corruption in the operating system from a virus or other annoyances). If this doesn't work then you have a problem with your hardware and it needs to be serviced.

Good Luck,

Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net
For more answers to you questions check out JustAskEd.Blogspot.com

DVD/CD-ROM drive

Question submitted by Stephanie on Saturday, August 30, 2008 at 00:50:44

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Question: My cd-rom drives cannot read any disc. When I insert disc it tells me please insert disc or there is no disc. My 1 and only driver is MITSUMI CR-4804TE. In device manager it states its working properly but no other evidence to back that up that I have seen. I have been working on this for days, PLEASE HELP ME!!!!!! Thx Steph

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Answer: There could be a spyware or virus problem on your system that is causing the drivers to malfunction or a software incompatibility (I even read that AVG virus scan has a known problem with some cd-devices that causes them to malfunction).

However, usually when the CD drives stop working there is a hardware failure on the drive itself. I would try a replacement drive in one of the bays if your system is clean. A new CD-RW drive is about $30-40 and is pretty easy to install in a desktop. If you're talking about a laptop you can try an external drive for a little more (the external would also work on the desktop as well if you have an available USB port). When hardware goes it sometimes doesn't report errors correctly to the motherboard so windows can't detect a problem.

Happy burning!

Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net
for more answers to your computer questions go to JustAskEd.Blogspot.com

Address book loss

Question submitted by
Ed Smith on Wednesday, August 27, 2008 at 05:17:23
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Question: After switching from 98 se to xp I lost my address book and all my pictures . Is there any way to recover these items ?

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Answer: Windows 98 had a different file structure than Windows XP. You're old files should be on the C: Drive in a My Documents folder. This is different than clicking on the My Documents on the Windows XP desktop. To find your lost files double click on My Computer, Double Click on C: and look for My Pictures and My Documents in the root directory. Your old files should be in those folders. (I'm making an assumption that you did a software upgrade to your old PC to make it run XP.)

Happy Hunting!
Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net
for more answers to computer questions go to JustAskEd.blogspot.com

What a Nasty Virus CNN Top 10 Stories Spam Virus

I have been spending way to much time cleaning off a virus that is spread through email and starts sending spam from your computer when it gets infected. It's hard to protect against unless you just don't open the email that says it's from CNN. The email is very convincing so beware. I have not been having any luck with standard virus protection or spyware protection with this one yet. However, if you do get infected you can manually clean it off by following these directions. Please, if you don't already own virus protection get AVG and save yourself the pain.

Find and Stop CNN.com Daily Top 10 Processes:
c:\WINDOWS\system32\CbEvtSvc.exe
c:\WINDOWS\system32\pphcjkrj0etfg.exe
c:\WINDOWS\system32\lphcjkrj0etfg.exe
c:\Program Files\rhcnkrj0etfg\rhcnkrj0etfg.exe
c:\Program Files\rhcnkrj0etfg\Uninstall.exe


Find and Unregister CNN.com Daily Top 10 DLL Files:
c:\Program Files\rhcnkrj0etfg\MFC71ENU.DLL
c:\Program Files\rhcnkrj0etfg\MFC71.dll
c:\Program Files\rhcnkrj0etfg\msvcp71.dll
c:\Program Files\rhcnkrj0etfg\msvcr71.dll

Find and Remove CNN.com Daily Top 10 registry values:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\rhcnkrj0etfg
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Sysinternals\Bluescreen Screen Saver
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\rhcnkrj0etfg
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\CbEvtSvc
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\54c70b2e
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Enum\Root\LEGACY_CBEVTSVC
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\Root\LEGACY_CBEVTSVC
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\CbEvtSvc
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\54c70b2e
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run "lphcjkrj0etfg"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run "SMrhcnkrj0etfg"
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System "NoDispScrSavPage"
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System "NoDispBackgroundPage"



Find and Delete CNN.com Daily Top 10 Files:
c:\WINDOWS\system32\CbEvtSvc.exe
c:\WINDOWS\system32\blphcjkrj0etfg.scr
c:\WINDOWS\system32\pphcjkrj0etfg.exe
c:\WINDOWS\system32\lphcjkrj0etfg.exe
c:\WINDOWS\system32\phcjkrj0etfg.bmp
c:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\54c70b2e.sys
c:\Program Files\rhcnkrj0etfg
c:\Program Files\rhcnkrj0etfg\rhcnkrj0etfg.exe
c:\Program Files\rhcnkrj0etfg\rhcnkrj0etfg.exe.local
c:\Program Files\rhcnkrj0etfg\Uninstall.exe
c:\Program Files\rhcnkrj0etfg\database.dat
c:\Program Files\rhcnkrj0etfg\MFC71ENU.DLL
c:\Program Files\rhcnkrj0etfg\MFC71.dll
c:\Program Files\rhcnkrj0etfg\msvcp71.dll
c:\Program Files\rhcnkrj0etfg\msvcr71.dll
c:\Program Files\rhcnkrj0etfg\license.txt
c:\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Application Data\rhcnkrj0etfg
c:\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Application Data\rhcnkrj0etfg\Quarantine
c:\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Application Data\rhcnkrj0etfg\Quarantine\Autorun
c:\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Application Data\rhcnkrj0etfg\Quarantine\Autorun\HKLM
c:\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Application Data\rhcnkrj0etfg\Quarantine\Autorun\HKLM\RunOnce
c:\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Application Data\rhcnkrj0etfg\Quarantine\Autorun\HKCU
c:\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Application Data\rhcnkrj0etfg\Quarantine\Autorun\HKCU\RunOnce
c:\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Application Data\rhcnkrj0etfg\Quarantine\Autorun\StartMenuCurrentUser
c:\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Application Data\rhcnkrj0etfg\Quarantine\Autorun\StartMenuAllUsers
c:\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Application Data\rhcnkrj0etfg\Quarantine\BrowserObjects
c:\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Application Data\rhcnkrj0etfg\Quarantine\Packages
c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Desktop\Antivirus XP 2008.lnk
c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Antivirus XP 2008
c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Antivirus XP 2008.lnk
c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Antivirus XP 2008\Antivirus XP 2008.lnk
c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Antivirus XP 2008\Register Antivirus XP 2008.lnk
c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Antivirus XP 2008\How to Register Antivirus XP 2008.lnk
c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Antivirus XP 2008\License Agreement.lnk
c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Antivirus XP 2008\Uninstall.lnk

If these instructions don't make sense to you. I have found that Spybot - Search and Destroy has helped remove most of the problem. Download Spybot, clean your system, then delete all of the files from your computer in the last list titled "Find and Delete CNN.com Daily Top 10 Files:"

You can find Spybot at...Click Here

If you don't have any virus protection you can get real virus protection here...
AVG

Quicktime Error 46

Question submitted by Corrine on Friday, July 25, 2008 at 00:13:59
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Question: Why is my itunes telling me that quicktime failed to initialize (error 2096) and quicktime tells me could not load or find the quicktime active x control?

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Answer: You need to first try removing and reinstalling Quicktime from a fresh download on the apple website. If that doesn't work try removing both iTunes and Quicktime and downloading new versions. If that doesn't work try installing an older version from a site called oldapps (look it up on google). Still not working, I offer online support and phone support.

Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net
646-373-8640

migrating netscape bookmarks

Question submitted by Arthur on Tuesday, July 1, 2008 at 12:50:44
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Question: How do I migrate Netscape 8.1 bookmarks (& other settings?) to a new installation on my notebook?

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Answer: In the Manage Bookmarks menu there is usually a way to Export the Bookmarks. It creates a file that you can transport to your other computer as an email attachment or on a USB memory stick, CD or other transfer method.

WOW! An IBM wheelwriter 3500

Submitted by antoinette on Wednesday, June 18, 2008 at 11:58:28
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Question: how do i save text to print it on several documents?

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Answer: Wow! I haven't seen a wheelwriter in 20 years. If it has a display screen there were commands listed under help for saving and printing. Usually if there is an F1 key on the keyboard this activates the help feature and F10 usually saves files. Also, you might find a manual on IBM's website ibm.com. It might take a little digging through their archives. I honestly didn't think there were any wheelwriters still in service.

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change to default icon

On 6/2/08, Eileen wrote:
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Question: Every icon goes to windows media player. Even windows explorer and the internet. How do I get my original icons back so I can play games and get into my documents?
Thanks

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Answer: There are a lot of complaints about Windows Media Player on
the Internet. Did you recently upgrade it or your virus protection?
Try uninstalling Windows Media Player to see if the icons switch back
to normal (Start/Control Panel/Add/Remove Programs/Remove) and use
iTunes or something else a little less buggy for your media. If you're
trying to download library media then you can't do it without some
version of WMP but try an older version than the one you currently
have. Also, check to make sure that your virus protection is current
and up to date. If it isn't, correct that right away. There are
viruses that take control of your icons and do strange things with
them.

Everun & HSDPA

Question from Mark on Monday, May 12, 2008 at 07:28:36
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Question: Where can I order an Everun that has the integrated HSDPA? Its not clear to me from most of the websites that sell it if the unit comes integrated with HSDPA already. Thanks! -mark
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Answer:
It looks like it will someday have HSDPA from the RAON site।
http://www.raondigital.com/fnt_english/ev03.asp

They say Future Support for HSDPA for your Car Docking station but
nothing about current support for it. Here's the text from the site.

Future Support:
Docking station (Fast battery charger, VGA out, Audio out, Optical
SPDIF, CVBS and SVHS TV output, 3 USB Hub, 10/100 EtherNet)
Docking station for Car
Wireless WAN: integrated HSDPA modem or WiBro (WiMAX)- Optional model

Have you talked with these resellers yet?

Dynamism Tel : 800-711-6277
AirGator Tel : 914-666-5656
BuildYourUMPC Tel : +1(866) 535-8813

They are listed on the RAON site as resellers of the device in the
USA. Raon only lists WiFi and Bluetooth options on the Specs Sheet.

Looks like the technology is ahead of the connectivity but it looks
like a fun bit of technology if they get the bugs out. Personally,
I'm still using a Pocket PC from Sprint and having no trouble with
bandwidth or surfing on their network.

Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net

Screen colors

G5 Screen Colors Have Gone Negative

From: Mark
Date: Mar 14, 2008 10:17 AM
Subject: Screen colors
To: Questions@JustAskEd.net

Below is the result of your feedback form. It was submitted by
Mark on Friday, March 14, 2008 at 11:17:09
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Question: The colors on the screen of my I Mac G5 spontaneously switched to negative. How can I get them back to normal?

Answer: Check the connection of the video card to the monitor. There might be a bent pin inside the connection or you might have a short. Also check the card itself inside the G5 it might have gone bad or need to be reseated. If you want to check your display settings they are in the Apple menu under Preferences and Display but it doesn't sound like a simple display settings problem. It sounds like a connection or hardware problem.

Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net