EMERGENCY--Yahoo! Online Protection question

[tgharris]

My best friend has a Windows Me system with SBC/AT&T/Yahoo! DSL.

The last couple times I tried to update her Online Protection suite I got a warning message about how Microsoft pulled their support last year and they will not provide any up-to-date scanning engines after this month.

I cannot get a plain answer anyplace else, so I'm asking it here:

I can understand YOP not upgrading her scanning engines, but could she still get definitions updates, or will I have to install new AV and antispyware?

Her daughter has told her it is up to Yahoo! to maintain her protection. That is not the message I got from them. Before I do anything drastic, and possibly scare her off computers forever, please tell me where we stand..

Tony H.

Tony Harris

 

[vacunita]

I think that means, They will no longer be providing up to date virus definitions, or updates to the program itself. And as such she will be unprotected.

You have to realize Windows ME is a a very Old Operating System, and Microsoft has stopped providing support for it.
Yahoo can then determine it will no longer provide updates for software that runs on an old operating system Microsoft no longer supports.

If i were you, i'd check whether her machine can take Windows Xp or at least 2000, and upgrade to that. You can also change her Anti Virus to somethng else.
AVG is pretty good, and has a free version for Personal Use.
chek here for it:

http://www.grisoft.com

----------------------------------
Ignorance is not necessarily Bliss, case in point:
Unknown has caused an Unknown Error on Unknown and must be shutdown to prevent damage to Unknown.

 

[tgharris]

Thank you. I was afraid of that but I had to try.

Tony Harris

 

[nei1]

Before or after upgrading to WinXP:

Recommend making sure the computer has the maximum amount of RAM memory that will fit onto the old motherboard.

There is an on-line tool that will probe the innards of the computer, and tell you how many memory slots exist on the motherboard, and what's the maximum size memory module that will fit into each slot.

Go to

http://www.powerleap.com.

At the top of the homepage, follow links for Upgrade Configurator or Check Compatibility Manually. These tools will tell you what hardware is in your system, how much further it's able to be upgraded and with what, etc.

You might find that the existing memory inhabiting your memory slot(s) is not the maximum size. Been there, got the tee-shirt. In order to max, take the old, small-size memory and toss it into the garbage, and then replace it (them) with max-sized module(s).

WinXP likes a gigabyte (GB) of ram. My computer can hold 3 ram modules of 256 MB (1/4 GB) each, max, which is a little shy of a gig. But it works very well, anyway. Nice and stable, especially with XP, which was like dying and going to heaven after futtsing with WinME.

It might be worth maxxing the memory in the computer, as they advise. Instead of buying the memory they suggest, I would go to

http://www.crucial.com

to make the actual purchase.

256 MB of my memory (PC100/PC133) is $35. Your mileage may vary. For three modules, you'd might over $100.

Powerleap will also offer info regarding what microprocessor upgrades, and others, are available that will fit into your computer. I would not recommend any upgrades besides RAM, since it's certainly not cost effective.

For instance, TigerDirect.com, in their "Built to Order" section is selling a Systemax Venture H356, with a 3 GHz Celeron, Win XP Home, 500 GB ram, for $400. Add $50 to upgrade to a full 1 GB (installed), and $5 to include turning the CD writer into a DVD writer (installed). They offer CA eTrust antivirus, which I use and like a lot, free for a year.

So, you're up to $500 for a modern computer that will be good for another 10 years, at least. Or $200 for the old computer to max its memory and the Windows XP Home Upgrade software. You can't get a copy of XP from a friend -- modern technology [Windows Genuine Advantage] requires you to purchase your own copy. Maybe you can find a copy of old Win 2000, but its useful lifetime is close to running out, too.

Tiger sells refurbished computers for less. If you have someone who can donate hardware support, you might try to save some money with this type of gamble.

Point is, for a few times the price of maxxing out your present computer, you can get a whole 'nother computer with a 3 GHz Celeron. With a modern LGA 775 socket, the microprocessor is upgradable to a Core-2-Duo or Core-2-Quad, and the RAM (on this particular Tiger motherboard) is upgradable to 4 GB of ram, which means this computer will be upgradable as required for a long time to come.

3 GHz Celeron, WinXP, and 1 GB of RAM will be a delight. As you need your old files, you could transfer them from your old computer to the new one with a USB Flash Memory.

I never purchased from Tiger, but they're pretty famous. Instead, I'm slowly working on building my own. I get parts from newegg.com. I can recommend them, but they don't generally sell built computers. They should be good for memory: find out what memory you need from Crucial or Powerleap, and then compare prices from Crucial and Newegg.

I suppose anyone who posts in the WinME section of tek-tips forum will need the same advice.

Oh yeh, I almost forgot. If it turns out that your ram is RAMBUS RDRAM, then you're sunk. This memory is extremely expensive, and spells curtains for your computer. You might find some used on eBay, but it won't be pretty.

RD-RAM and WinME are twin nightmares that happened at about the same time. God bless people who purchased this combination. May you have easy transitions to new computers.

Ciao,
-Neil-

 

[mattjurado]

Long story short, if the PC was a retail that came preinstalled with ME, save your money. Don't buy XP and try to install it, it will run poor.

Tell them to save up for a new PC, and when the ME machine finally dies, buy a new one.

As said above, just pop in AVG.

Matt

Please always take the time to backup important data and verify that backup, before making any changes suggested.