THE BEST INTERNET TIP YOU'LL EVER GET! (IMHO)

Post by **Mick_Anik** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 9:25 pm

There is no free lunch!

You may know how sneaky the big internet players are.....putting little extras in with the free stuff, without your knowing - toolbars, specifically.

I just upgraded a free anti-virus programme, which I cannot fault. But I've just spent all day trying to get my browser to move, following said upgrade.

The solution, in the end, was simple.

In Internet Explorer, just go to: Tools....Manage Add-ons....Enable or Disable Add-ons....................and disable them all!

Everything's jollying along at the speed of light again, since I turned them all off!!

You don't need any of the things listed, as far as I can see. They just mess the whole system up.........it's as if they are all fighting for attention amongst themselves.

In the meantime, the hapless user is left wondering if a major computer attack has taken place!

EDIT: Yep, what was a 'slow connection' is now so fast I can hardly keep up!

Post by **millerman** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 9:44 pm

Or try Firefox

Post by **d_harris** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 9:55 pm

and Linux!

Post by **Dean** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 9:59 pm

I use Firefox now and my pc is so much quicker.. but I agree to much running in the background on pc's these days!

Post by **Mick_Anik** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 10:00 pm

I have tried Firefox, but there were issues with access to some sites I need to use.... those that had been constructed with Internet Explorer in mind.

I tried Opera - a very sleek browser indeed - but it wouldn't get me into (or was not allowed to get me into) my (paid for!) email account with one of the big boys.

The 'big boy' that was putting the brakes on Opera was in fact the same 'big boy' I had given money to for the email account!!!!!!

In the non-virtual world, all these 'big boys' would be in jail, or cowering away from their enemies in a tent in eastern Siberia!

Disgraceful, the whole kaboodle, really. But what can we do? Install three browsers?

Edit: Linux? This has been recommended to me more than once.....are there any drawbacks/limitations in comparison to Windows?

Post by **Dean** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 10:04 pm

Search firefox's "add-ons" from their web page, it's on your tool bar. You can download bolt on bits to allow access to almost anywhere. Sadly Microsoft still hold a rope around the smaller fish.

Post by **d_harris** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 10:09 pm

Think of Linux in a similar vein to mac os.

Both Linux and Windows operate in a similar manner (but not quite the same) and different software is available for both platforms - although there are a lot of crossovers too.

Most windows programs can be made to run on Linux without problems though through a system called 'WinE'

My personal choice is Ubuntu - installs easily from the download (burn the ISO to CD) and works straight off the bat

Post by **Mick_Anik** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 10:11 pm

I might give Firefox another go. I'm not using as many sites as I used to, so it might not matter so much.

I use Windows because of all the free programmes I can use.....but maybe it's time to make this laptop "internet only", and do other work on my real computer (nothing special, but compared to my first computer in 2002..............).

Edit: I will google 'ubuntu'...thanks.

Post by **d_harris** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 10:13 pm

Pretty much all the programs for Linux are free financially and EVERY program is free intellectually!

Post by **pfgiz** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 10:14 pm

With windoze 7 out now if you choose to stay Microsoft you'll have to learn a new OS anyway. They have probably used the upgrade as an excuse to move all of the icon and check boxes around like they did with Vista....

Now may be the perfect time to move to a different Operating System. Lots of different Linux versions to choose from all with pros and cons. I did it about 9 months ago and haven't looked back. I now run a bit of everything, Linux, SUSE and Slackware, MAC OS and XP, even got a 98 box for the old games. I had been toying with using Linux for a while and after seeing Vista thought, if they've moved all of the menus and buttons about what is the difference between it and Linux... Great choise, wouldn't go back....

Have fun whatever you do......

linearaudio · Post by **linearaudio** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 10:18 pm

Mr Anick!! You are a marvel, sir! I have been struggling with a slower and slower laptop, coincidentally as my frustration peaked, I saw your tip, acted on it, and hey prestwich!

But..... it's a useful tip, shouldn't it be under useful tips?

Post by **LouiseM** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 10:23 pm

Nope, the useful tips forum is for useful tips relating to Morris Minors:

http://www.morrisminoroc.co.uk/index.ph ... pic&t=9509

Post by **Mick_Anik** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 10:23 pm

I am googling around right now. Linux is next. For Ubuntu, I'd need to order a CD from them....the download if 698MB!! The grass would be shooting up again by the time I'd downloaded that

.

Post by **Mick_Anik** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 10:30 pm

Well.....this is a very active thread indeed! Of course, we need a system in order to access the forum here, so I don't think it's too far off-topic, really.

I heard that Microsoft withdrew a programme that could read minds.....they weren't enamoured with the results

!

I shall continue by investigating Linux. Would Opera work with Linux.....I rated Opera, and I got a nice UI with one of the free downloadable......whotsits....appearance thingy.

Skins!

Post by **Mick_Anik** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 10:32 pm

Linearaudio....

I just went to a site and got a message......"This site is requesting an add-on which has been disabled"....blah blah....

Just cancelled the message.......and carried on!

????

I think these people think we're all really stupid!

Post by **d_harris** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 10:33 pm

Pretty sure opera have a linux release, but I've never really investigated it. I'm a big fan of firefox

Post by **Mick_Anik** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 10:40 pm

Probably just as well that winter's setting in - once the snow's up to the window sill (just kidding!),(hopefully), I'll have plenty of time to sort all this out.

Keep it coming , though, for me and anyone else who wants to get a bit more savvy about the virtual megalomania that's going on.

Post by **nigelr2000** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 10:59 pm

Tried Ubuntu lovely except didnt want to work with the wireless network. Spent ages fiddling with it them went back to XP which works fine. Perhaps I should have given it more time but as I had something that already works why mess with it.

Post by **Mick_Anik** » Sun Oct 25, 2009 11:10 pm

I suppose I'm not messing with XP, more with all the bits and bobs that build up as you install the essentials (firewall, anti-virus, adobe reader, Word, unzippers, etc etc etc).

As I wrote, it may be better to have a computer just for the internet. But not everyone can afford the luxury of two computers. I got mine in the UK, from a recycling centre............Pentium 4, 2.6G processor (something like that), a giga of RAM, two hard discs totalling hundreds of gigabytes - twenty five quid! Flat screen monitor for a tenner.

Post by **MarkyB** » Mon Oct 26, 2009 8:30 am

Anyone who fancies giving Ubuntu Linux a try should have a look at the Wubi installer:http://wubi-installer.org/
It lets you install Ubuntu like any other Windows program. Then, if you change your mind just go to add/remove programs and remove it.

A useful add-on for Firefox is called IE tab:https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1419