BeeCeeBee

As a Yank living almost full time in Europe and a bit tired from watching a debate that started at 2 AM I just want to know if anyone would like to contribute to a thread about the BIG RACE. I am as opinionated as hell but have no particular desire to go on a rant if no one is interested.

Thanks, What I have done in the past is about once a month I would download documents to a dvd using Sonic Record Now that comes with the computer. I began to notice that while the disks were fine the program seemed to be causing some problems, Sonic never quite shut down and seemed to interfere with my overall operation of the computer. I wish I could remember exactly what it did. The same program is now in the computer because of the reformatting and installation but I have yet to use it. I am not a big dvd maker just simple stuff as described. Are there any know issues with record now as it is easy enough to use and maybe my problems (which I usually solved with a restart) was just a quirk of the original installation.

Fair enough i guess that is all I can do. Thanks barry

Thanks Randy, I think I understand but let me pose a question because your responce did hit close to home. My computer became infected when I was extracting a file although I am not sure it was .rar. It also included something called installer or the like and I, like an idiot, didnt scan in time. My avast (at the time) went so crazy that I actually thought it was repeating itself. I blew it and I know it. Therefore never again. I think I have an unextracted .rar on the portable (although I may have deleted it out of fear.) While I don't think I am going to play with that one at all I assume I will get other .rar files in the future. Therefore is the a safe way to handle them (or safest) 1. download to the poratable hd. 2. Scan the unextracted file using your recommended security programs. 3. extract the the same folder and rescan. 4. If all is clear either move the extracted file to the computer or run directly from the still attached portable. And, by the way, I am not looking for a safe way to do an unsafe thing. When I said never again I meant it.

To quote or paraphrase Michael Corleone "juat when I think I am out they draw me back in" It never occurred to me to use that portable drive as if it were an integral part of my computer. I save word documents to any number of different folders in my documents (just as an example) Once everyday or two I have been adding newer stuff to the same file in the portable. Keep in mind that I have only had the thing for a short while. I figured that if it is not connected it is safe from the world and forever available to me. Is there a better way?

It is just USB. From what I gather it is probably made a few years ago since most references to it are from a number of years back. This is a laptop so I cant plug it in all the time. It is not even with me now. Am I wrong in thinking that if it is detached my data is better protected??

I will read this evening and hopefully learn something new. Since this drive is only attached for a few minutes on days when I want to back up new corresponence etc. And since it worked for a major problem I assume it is fine just to leave it as is. Right??

Thank you. I must have missed the little box before. I did follow Randy's advice for each kind of file listed and said take no action. I noice that now autoplay no longer runs when I connect the drive although I looked and it still lists it as a Hard Disk and not removable storage under "my Computer." Since no-one has said this is anyhting but a quirk I assume that is unimportant. I do not know the difference between a FAT32 and a NTFS. Do I need to? When I use the little remove hardware icon it show as mass storage and external USB device.

OK Thanks

I just did a little test of my own. I opened my computer and plugged in a flashdrive and it did show under devices with removable storage. I then removed it and plugged the WD portable into the same USB port and it did show up under hard disk drives. I let it load itself (autoplay) and it suggested Media Player. So I said OK and it played "A Horse with no Name"."I assume it would pay my whole music library since it kept adding it to the playlist. All I want is a place to keep my old files safely like a big flah drive. I only asked this question because I thought with all the extra software I might be missing something useful. My intitial reaction was to jsut delete it all. By the way the safely remove hardware program certain recognises it as removable storage. Frankly my computer is working fine and as long as it isn't doing any harm I don't care what it wants to call itself. My uneducated opinion is that this software is making it or my laptop to think it is something else. That is the full extent of what is going on here!!!

Bob it is me that does not know what is going on. The screenshot that I gave you shows 3 disks Disc 0 is my internal hardrive, Disk 1 the E drive called MyPasspot is the Portable hardrive. 149.05 GB fat 32 and it is listed as healthy. Other than the empty D drive I do not anything else. All I asked is whether I need the additional software loaded on that disk. It just seems that you are trying to catch me out on something and I dont know why. By the way the drive is a WD Passport and I assume it names itself.

OK this is the second time I am trying this. I dont know what I am doing wrong but it comes out far to big for this box.

OK right after dinner BUT if you think that I remember everything I saw while looking around all I can say to you is "wait a few years."

Bob I think you have me confused with someone else. I don't think I ever saw or gave you a disc management screenshot and am not sure what you want me to do ot how to do it.

PS All of my personal files have been move over to the laptop.

All that is on it of mine are documents, photos and a lot of old music. Basically it is now just being used to backup and store files. There is also a folder where i put all the .exe for what I have installed since the restart.

I have no idea except that it has all this software in it WD setup files WD SYNC set up, JStart etc. When I plug it in the little flashlight on my screen searches through it and then asks me what I want to do. Personally I am just as happy to have it sit there and shut up. Can I just dump all that stuff?? And is it safer to download programs to it for scanning first or is that accomplishing nothing?

:o There is no urgency to this question but just an attempt to fill one the many gaps in my personal knowledge base. Prior to reformatting my laptop I purchased a small WD portable hard drive (usb) with the sole intent of using it as a large flashdrive. Since my computer has a 60G capacity and it was only half full at most I figured a 160G portable was almost a monster. Anyhow I successfully used it for that purpose and now use it if I am going to download anything at all. I even downloaded the malware you suggest and scanned THEM before installing. I don't know if that is making me any safer? The WD came with a manual that said little and meant nothing to me. Calling it a manual is stretching it. The pdf manual included was exactly the same. Since the drive contained a number of related files that had nothing to do with my intended use I just created a folder for them and put them out of the way. My main question is am I missing something that is going to make my life easier, safer or more fun by not having any idea what else to do with this thing. AND If I do not need to bother with it how can I stop it from autorunning itself whenever I plug it in? Should I keep the included software or just delete it? Thank for any insight you can impart.

Since this seems to have nothing whatsover to do with a browser cache anymore and my problems seem to be resolved. I will just end this thread myself with a "lesson learned" and hopefully just use this site to browse and see what else I can learn. If you see me around say hello. :D Warmest regards Barry

So you've been to Ireland. The truth is that this thing has been good to me for years until some idiot (or eejit over here) suggested a way of getting TV programs that I missed. Just plain old free TV shows. Actually I'm the eejit for doing it. (figured I'd say that before you did.) That worked well for me for weeks (about 20 tv shows) until I ran into one malicious SOB that uploaded a really vicious bug that I should have caught. To me that means that the odds favour that I will run into a similar problem once for every 20 downloaded. Not very good odds. So anytime you run into someone who thinks torrents are a good thing please feel free to refer them to me. I did find a great way to get these shows though. I have my daughter Tivo them for me. I'll watch them over there. You have been really great Bob and that goes for all of you. I am not easy and always know better. That being said, I am not a rich man but will be making a donation. ( I have money transfered over here every few weeks to cover my bills over here but I will not forget.)

OK then I will give it a try. I have no problem paying for something that works. It is just that everything claims to work. By the way I never considered for a moment that you were anything other than straight up or I would not have asked. ;) Besides Avira I now have both the Malwarebytes and SUPERspyware installed. Is there any need to go further. :eek:

Well, No malware, No Virus, No warnings and no actual problem so unless you think otherwise I will just assume that google was fooled and if it was anyhting I cought it in time. Is the paid ESET AV Software significantly better than Avira?

I will do but am becoming a bit paranoid perhaps. I can assure you that I have taken everything to heart and there is no p2p software or programs at all and no poker site. For the last few days I have been reviewing different threads looking for new issues and trying to learn from others. I just hope that I am not becoming one of these people who read medical journals to find disease that fits. Everything seems to be fine and have continued using google to search because I need the information for business. That is the reason for the red face icon. I think I may be becoming a laptopcondriac!!

OK, hope I don't have to do either very often. But I do wonder what would cause a simple google search about supermarkets in the US to direct me to a site like that. If we can't trust Google who can we trust? Except you guys of course. !!!

Hi Goku many thanks again. I think I understand the cache now. I did clear the temp internet files. When I say physically all I meant was that I hit the switch that disabled my wireless. Since I am not connected via an ethernet or LAN and the site I was directed to would not close down so I just figured that if I shut down the wireless and lose my connection I could stop anything from continuing to get in. I just waited a little bit and reconnected. It seemed like the fastest thing to do.