Replies

“You may well be too young…”

Nicest thing that’s happened to me all week!

Cheers.

kbr

“You should only have one software firewall, and one antivirus program, running…”

That’s not in question: my point was that the Windows firewall can so easily be turned off by another peice of software, without even a by-your-leave, never mind a warning.

As for which is the best firewall/AV/Anti-spyware…etc, I firmly believe that a large part of one’s preference is governed by familiarity and the “comfortable-with” factor: I have ZA Pro and, although I seasonally upgrade to v.7.x, it is a given that I will revert to v.6.1.7.4 within a very short time, even going so far as to restricting that to the “free” configuration, simply because it is familiar and comfortable.

Having said that, it would be nice to have firewall and anti-spyware versions of AV-Comparatives available.

Cheers,
kbr

Good morning.

“… the new version came with a firewall that automatically turns off the Windows firewall”

Is it just my paranoia showing, or am I right in thinking that a firewall that can be automatically turned off by another piece of software doesn’t inspire confidence?

kbr

Hi.

My approach to this subject is simple:

– working files (docs, etc) are irreplaceable, so should be backed up or copied regularly.

– Software (programs, and even the OS) are replaceable simply by reinstallation: the only problem there is hassle, but you can also, if necessary, buy a replacement copy: something you can’t do with your latest tax spreadsheet.

I regularly make a data disk of my Documents folders (and anything else I wish to include) using, eg, Nero.

As for the system…
My experience with free programs has been disappointing.
Acronis is good, dependable and comprehensive (I believe – I never got past the Help files, but then, I’m sometimes very impatient, and it seems to do a gazillion things extra to my need, which is a simple image of my system).

I have Backup MyPC (‘BUMP’) from Roxio. It simply and easily makes a compressed copy of the C: drive, and System State, (plus or minus whatever I wish to include or not…).

I make a backup of the OS and installed programs, excluding document folders. So I can restore my PC to, say, last month… last week… (whenever I made the backup).

If disaster strikes (as this very morning – I do tend to play around a little…) my last resort with an un-bootable PC was:
– reinstall WinXP (over-write, NOT reformat), without bothering with custom settings or anything, just a working system; then I immediately,
– installed BUMP (it was already there, of course, but the reinstalled Windows couldn’t see it)
– used BUMP to restore the whole shebang to how it was last month (or whenever I made the backup).

All my documents and other folders were still in place.

My version of BUMP, unfortunately, will only make a Disaster Recovery set on floppies! Hence the roundabout approach.

But it works – every time! (As I said, I do tend to play around, and “Oops!” can happpen quite often – twice this year, so far).

BUMP can be scheduled, and will make differential backups as required.

Last word: we all have our favourite programs and methods, usually (and mostly) based on habit and familiarity: chacun a son gout…

Hi, Argus.

Thank you for your reply.

That’s a good point about “should something go wrong…”

And isn’t it the most obvious answer that is always the least noticeable? Why didn’t I think of just doing a “Disable-Enable” toggle at the end of an in-depth scan and clean exercise?

I have image backups, but they’re at fixed dates – SR tends to be my quick fix, usually after, e.g., an install/uninstall of something I wanted to try.

Thanks again.

Regards,
kb-r

Hi, Doc.
A good point.
In fact I had copied both folders (All Users, and my specific user one) to a cd before I started playing around.
(35 years as a scientist and engineer in aviation safety makes for an automatic belt and braces approach.)

But thanks for your interest and concern.
Regards,
kb-r

Hello, Hans.

Thank you for your response.

” The Start | (All) Programs menu is the result of merging the Programs folders for All Users and your login user… ” pretty well solved my conundrum.

I cut and pasted the Start Menu folder from my user account to the All Users folder, thereby merging them (I’ll deal with any inconsistencies which might arise, as they arise…).

So now I only have one Start Menu/Programs folder, under All Users, which was easy to organise, and I’ll make sure that future installations will be for “All users” (should the option be offered).

In any case, I now know how to tidy things up.

Thanks again for your interest and help.

Regards,
kb-r

Solved…

Uninstalled the Sigmatel device, fitted a Soundblaster Audigy card, for £16 – everything works fine, now.

Thank you all for your interest.

Regards,
kb-r

Hi, again.

I’ve done just about everything: removed and reinstalled all associated software, drivers, updated drivers, (including forcing Windows to select the Intel AC 97 Audio Controller…) in all variations and permutations…

Back where I started. At least with, eg, Audacity, I can apply a level boost, but the quality is not good.

It looks like the only thing to do is to change the sound card.

Thank you for your interest.

Regards,

kbr

I did the following:

1. Tried to uninstall the device, “SigmaTel HD Audio CODEC” in safe mode. Uninstall failed (PC hung).
Restarted PC.

2. Found an uninstall path for the SB Audigy software when I checked “Show updates” in Add/Remove programs.
Uninstalled SB Audigy.
Restart.

Mic. level unchanged (maybe even lower, but that could be imagination…)

3. Uninstalled device,”SigmaTel HD Audio CODEC” in normal Windows mode.
Restart.

4. Windows didn’t suggest a generic driver, but looked for the SigmaTel software. Cancelled the process.

5. Installed the downloaded Sigmatel driver (R114282.EXE).

Restarted and tested the system: mic. levels still very low – again, they seem even lower that with the SB software installed. I will experiment further, perhaps installing the SB Audigy again (now that I know how to uninstall it).

I will report anything significant .

kbr

OK – I shall do a brut-force uninstallation of the Creative software as part of the exercise.

It should be interesting, if nothing else.

kbr

Hi, John.

Thank you for that. Neatly summed up!

I shall go that route, sometime in the next day or so, and report the results.

Might that remove the pseudo SB software (the which I’d quite happily do without)?
Or, perhaps, should I try to manually remove it before uninstalling the audio device in device manager?
(I think I’ll try that, just to see what happens – I do indeed have a CD for the “Integrated Sound Blaster Audigy ADVANCED HD”, so I can always re-install it if things go awry without it.

Whatever – I’ll report the outcome(s).

Regards,

kbr

Hi, Joe.
Yes – been everywhere, done everything:
– Control Panel | Sound and Audio Devices | Volume | Advanced.
– Start/Programs/Accessories/Entertainment/Volume control/Options/Recording/Advanced (leads to the same place…)
– Start/Programs/Creative/Creative Sound Mixer (a fancier version of the above)

…etc.

I have found pages on the web that talk about an incompatibility between the SB software and the SigmaTel device. It seems that it might be a universal problem. I’ll try asking Dell about it.

Cheers.

kbr

Hi.
Oops… Sorry. I used the Dell links and then tried the Creative source.
None would install.
I’ve emailed Dell Support – the ‘phone queue seemed endless, but I’ll maybe try them again tomorrow during the day.

Cheers,
kbr

Hi.

Thank you for your reply.

That driver, however, is for a SB X-Fi sound card, and not the Audigy.
Nonetheless, I downloaded it and opened it, secure(?) in the assumption that I could stop any installation along the way.
(I am wary of all this Creative stuff, there being no note on the Dell page about being able to uninstall, nor, as I said above, no apparent means of uninstalling what is already installed.)

The result was “No supported device…”.

I downloaded what appeared to be the equivalent for the Audigy card, from Creative, and had the same result.

This goes a long way in confirming what I had come to suspect: there is, in fact, no Sound Blaster sound card installed in the PC, merely a set of interface and control tools that makes it look as if there is.

Aida and Belarc show only the following multimedia ‘devices’ fitted:
– SigmaTel High Definition Audio CODEC
– Unimodem Half-Duplex Audio Device

Under “Software”, the following is shown by Belarc:
– Creative Labs Licensing Service Version 2.65.10.2
– Creative Restore Defaults Version 1.0.0.0
– Creative Speaker Settings Version 2.0.0.0
– Creative Surround Mixer Version 3.0.0.0
– Creative Technology Ltd – Graphic Equalizer Version 1.0.0.0
– Creative Technology Ltd. – EAX Console Version 2.0.0.0
– Creative Techology, Ltd. – SFBM Application Version 3.0.1.0
– Creative Volume Control Version 1.0.0.0
– Creative WaveStudio Version 6.0.0.0.

With no means of uninstalling all this pseudo-SB stuff, it seems that the only route is to clean reinstall XP and hope that the Sigmatel device functions normally without the possible Dell injected software mods. Or live with it.

Meanwhile, I shall try speaking to Dell Support, but I don’t have much faith in that system, and Sigmatel states: “SigmaTel does not support end-user products, please contact the manufacturer of your device…”

Regards,
kbr