Who/what reconfigured my puter?

[kayofcircles]

I was in System Info recently while trying to troubleshoot another problem, and I saw that a good deal of the components were "reconfigured" on Oct 12, '99 at 2:23pm. Original config 25 Sept 99. Checked my puter journal..installed a game 4 Oct. and downloaded MSN Messenger 15 Oct. Nothing on the 12th. Checked my day journal..yeah, I know, I am weird..and I had gone to a chat room that morning, worked on some stuff, but wasn't even on the puter by afternoon. So who/what changed my configuration? Things like "IRQ Holder for PCI Steering", "Trident 3D Image" adaptor, the "TCP/IP"....and many more. (Remember reading about nefarious Chinese here in this forum somewhere. ???)

A related question is how did I change my "system board extension for PnP bios" a couple of weeks ago? Uninstalled a program that morning, but was reading at the 11:05 am time that Sys Info says I changed that.

[tjaymadison]

KAAAAY !!!! The journal thing? There's a name for that, and it ain't weird! I'm pretty sure it's called .......
A**L R*T*NT*V*! I guess life really is in the details. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif Geeking around in System Info too? And you said in
that SonyRW post that you weren't a 'tweaker'. A few too many clicks on The PC Guide site, and you're on
the road to perdition. You'll be an Ascendant Master Geek before you know it. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/wink.gif

Well anyway, that date thing's a bit of a puzzler. Have you always, always, had the exact same Windows version, or did you migrate along the upgrade path -- Win 95 > OSR1 > OSR2 > Win 98 > SE > Y2K fix?
If you took even one step there, that may explain it. If not, as soon as M$ updates individual Windows files,
they are released to hardware and software vendors, for inclusion in their installation software. You may
even get a quick pop-up message about "Newer/Updated version of garbage.dll found, update proceeding".
Sometimes you don't, or you miss it.

Did you ever visit Microsoft's Windows Update site, maybe inadvertently? You can get there by a click on
'Windows Update' in the top half of the pop-up when you click the Start button, or also at the bottom of
the list when you click Start > Settings. If you ever had Norton SystemWorks or Utilities, I think they have
an option to automatically go search in the background for OS and driver updates while you're online. If the
'feature' was enabled by default, you wouldn't have to do anything to put it into effect either. Other things
like McAfee might do the same.

Some of the portal sites like Yahoo or Excite, or the big help+download sites like CNet or ZDNet may offer
this 'service' too. Again, it could have been just a quick, accidental click. Please tell me you don't put
those in the journal. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/rolleyes.gif

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"I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question."
-- Charles Babbage, mathematician, computer pioneer, analytical engine designer (1791-1871)

[kayofcircles]

TJay: What is a A**L R*T*NT*V*?

Have updated 98 by downloading the service pack thingy, but think (am pretty sure!) I would have written it down if I had done it that day. Also, did upgrade to Explorer 5.0something which is way better than the 4.0something that 98 came with, but that was in December 99.

15 Oct downloaded MSN Messenger, 24 Oct installed a couple of games, 30 Nov was when I wrote that I downloaded the MSN setup program for downloads.

I wouldn't have necessarily written it down if I just went over to Update and "looked"..so that may be what happened. Wasn't too terribly concerned because that was a year and a half ago, and puter running along fine..usually.

I do want to learn..and we have friends who buy puters and puter parts (often down at the flea market!) and then come over here and need help. Not because we really know all that much, but because we have access to the Net and can find the info. Read something you wrote elsewhere that reminded me of a friend who is driving us nuts with the "I didn't know what that setting meant, so I clicked on it, and now my puter won't boot." or "It said something about running at 'optimum' so I clicked on it, and now my puter won't boot!" Argh! We don't know how to lock him out of his bios and such without locking him out of his puter.
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I yearn to pilot a Deskstar around cyberspace because when I say the word 'Deskstar', I hear Star Trek music playing.

[tjaymadison]

Missing letters in order -- NAEEIE. Just threw the N in to keep it from being too easy. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/wink.gif

You may be able to save yourself some aggravation, and your friend from himself at the same time.
Many BIOS setup programs do have a dual-level password implementation scheme. Supervisor and User
is the terminology used with mine, Award. User prevents access to the BIOS setup, but permits full access
to everything else. Supervisor can do it all. But from your perspective, the neatest part may be the fact
that they are independent. You could set a Supervisor password and leave the User setting disabled,
so there will no apparent change to him until he tries to tinker. Or you could play a little prank
with this by setting both without him knowing, and then wait for the phone call. If you want to try this,
you have to set the Supervisor password first, in order to be able to set a User. A minor potential drawback
is that you must clear the CMOS memory if you forget the Supervisor password, but that just involves
taking the back-up battery out for a minute two and replacing it. Not brain surgery. Have fun with him. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/cool.gif

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"I am not able to rightly apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question."
-- Charles Babbage, mathematician, computer pioneer, analytical engine designer (1791-1871)

[This message has been edited by tjaymadison (edited 05-06-2001).]

[kayofcircles]

Thanks for part...the lockout part. We'll try it! Not sure the other part is "nice".
Sorry about slow to respond here, but took me days to find my way back. I tend to get distracted by other interesting posts in here and wander/read for hours.

[sea69]

hey Kay http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/wink.gif

if you were to click "Track Topic", it will notify you of any new responses to any thread you're following........via email.


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sea1_69@hotmail.com

homepage (http://www.seanweb1.homestead.com/3.html)

[This message has been edited by sea69 (edited 05-10-2001).]

[kayofcircles]

I did the "track topic" thing at first, Sea, but got tired of cleaning out Hotmail box so now I just copy/paste a link into a "draft" and then can click from one subject to another. Or sometimes just click my way down the "Today's topics" page. Remember, I am learning to fish.