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Offline Will-i-amTopic starter

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a foolish inconsistancy
« on: September 03, 2006, 03:26:35 PM »
I wasn't sure where to put this question so if it has to be moved, that's cool with me. I have this Sony running WinME at the moment because it was a hand me down from my sister and my buddy died before he could upgrade it for me. I don't yet have an external HD to back up my files and switch to XP. Nevertheless it is a slow silly machine that I get to use because everybody else here has nice laptops with wireless connectivity. Since I'm the least techy I get the oogy box.

I know ME is nasty and all but shouldn't computers be consistant in their actions, especially in the start up? When Larry got this thing working he had a password requestor come up at the begining, mostly, he said, out of habit for security, but we always just cancel it away. I've never been able to find out how to make it go away at startup. This morning I turn the box on and the various black and white screens pop up with the lists of cards etc. Then it says that Setup is updating the configuration files and asks me to wait. Nobody in the house admits to having done anything to it to change any kind of configuration file. I've only seen it do this when I added something, so I'm confused about this. Normally it would go from the black and white startup screens to the password box. This time it cheerfully skipped the password requestor and went right to the desktop. Can anybody here come up with an explanation? We have firewalls and anti-virus protection with up to date files. The machine was powered down last night so should not have been even vulnerable, but here we have a real variant startup. I can only think of bugs and worms, yet the protection we have says the machine is clean, and besides, what kind of bug cleans up your startup for you?

Do we have a ghost in the machine? Has Larry manifested to finish the job he started? Any ideas?
 

Offline Will-i-amTopic starter

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Re: a foolish inconsistancy
« Reply #1 on: September 04, 2006, 12:55:56 AM »
Thanks. I actually understand that part. What I can't figure out is why, if I am the only person using this machine, would it occasionally start up without asking for a network password? Not suddenly stop asking forever after, just sometimes it doesn't ask and most of the time it does. I was (perhaps foolishly) under the impression that computers are so useful, in part, because they always spit out the same answer to the same question. There is no randomness in the computer universe, it's all controlled by finite numbers. Thus when you power up a computer, if you have not added a program, file or hardware, it will always act the same upon startup. This silly box occasionally fails to request a password. Now, in the larger scheme of things it doesn't matter a rat's behind, except I wish it would never ask for a password and so far doing what you suggest has failed to eliminate the requester. But I really want to understand what determines the inconsistant nature of the startup? Assuming that no one has changed things after I turn it off and go to bed, why would it boot up in a unique manner the next day? I've actually had people suggest my wife is trying to drive me crazy, but anyone who knows me knows it's way too late for that, and I don't think she'd bother. Still, it wrinkles my frontal lobe that a logic machine would act in an illogical manner.

Is there a program that would keep a list of what is happening inside the machine upon powering up and thus enable me to compare daily startups? Maybe even with some clue as to why it is doing those things? That might give me the answer I seek.

Yeah, I know it doesn't matter and it won't change the way it acts, but except for the growing belief that computers are living beings with wicked senses of humor I have no clue as to why what should be a very fast, very complex abacus turns out to be more of a dice roller with infinite sides to the dice.
 

Offline Will-i-amTopic starter

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Re: a foolish inconsistancy
« Reply #2 on: September 04, 2006, 02:30:58 PM »
Well, perhaps some program has upgraded itself without me noticing. Personally I find that presumptuous but I did not set this machine up. As far as I know it was set up to ask me first, certainly the virus program asks first and many of the others as well. Since it's an ME POS there aren't any more upgrades available. Now it's starting up with the password requester but I suppose at some random time in the future it will start up without it. Maybe some incense and a prayer is in order.

Re the foreplay suggestion. More than unlikely. Not only is my wife an ultra-geek who does not sully her hands on this crappy machine, I have degenerative disc disease and foreplay is nothing but pain for me followed by days of pain and meds. So that's unlikely indeed. Besides, in my universe frustration and anger is not conducive to thoughts of happy bed time play. You must be younger than I am or maybe haven't been married as long as I have. 8-)