no stupid questions? ...are you sure?

[mamie]

I use Outlook Express. Every time I hit *DELETE* the program deletes two emails instead of just the one that is highlighted. It deletes the highlighted email and the one directly above it in the list on top.

I've been over the settings a million times - there seems to be nothing that controls that problem.

edit: could the problem be with my mouse?

[Yogi]

I doubt there would be settings for that situation. I'm very curious about why two items are deleted when only one is highlighted. Either the program itself is corrupt, or possibly some hardware (keyboard?) has an issue. If you select two consecutive e-mails on purpose, does a third one also get selected? Or does it only happen when you select a single e-mail?

[mamie]

hm.... when I highlight two at once and hit delete, it deletes just those two - nothing else.

I think corrupt is the word I'll work with. Time for a new computer?

[Yogi]

LOL - this is not the kind of thing that would indicate a need for a new computer. But, far be it from me to discourage you from following your dreams.

I'm guessing Outlook Express is the culprit. It's an ancient application that has outlived it's usefulness. OE has come a long way, but not even Microsoft is supporting it to use with their Hotmail services. One thing you might want to try is using a different e-mail client on your computer. Try out something like Thunderbird ( http://www.mozillamessaging.com/en-US/thunderbird/ ) for a desktop application to see if the problem exists in there too. I'm guessing it doesn't. Or, if you want a web based solution, there are a number of free ones out there. The one I like best at the moment is GMX ( http://gmx.com/ ). It's loaded with features and easy to configure.

[mamie]

Now I'm noticing some new, bizarre happenings - when I hit the BACK button (IE), the program takes me back two (2) pages instead of one. On some websites some Proper names are hightlighted in either blue or rust.

It think I heard Spybot giggling as it wove though the morass that is my hard drive. Sometimes I practically have to punch my mouse to get it to take a command. Every now and then my computer makes a noise like a jet engine just before it takes off.

Where is the button that resets defaults in OE? I saw it once but forgot where.

[Yogi]

OK - now it's sounding like more than a corrupt e-mail program. The erratic behavior extends over more than one program and the noises from your hard drive cannot be a good thing. That usually happens just before a mechanical failure where it crashes and burns, but it can also be caused by a program thrashing your hard drive. If thrashing is the problem, a thorough cleaning out of extraneous files will help free up disc space and possibly eliminate the problem. I can try to walk you through the cleanup, but it is pretty geeky and may require more effort than you want to put into it. However, if a shortage of disc space is the problem, that in itself can cause many programs to act flakey.

As far as resetting Outlook Express back to its factory defaults goes, I've not used that program in so long that I've forgotten where those settings are myself. However, I do know that OE and IE are intimately related. You can go to your system Control Panel and open up the Internet Options applet wherein you will likely find more than one place to return to a default condition. This, of course, only applies to your network connectivity and assumes you have OE configured to use your IE settings.

[mamie]

Yogi, I am such a dunce when it comes to fixing anything my computer throws at me!

Now I find that when I try to connect to a link that is in a drop-down box, the computer goes to whatever was UNDER the drop-down box - completely ignoring the box! As these things keep piling up, I think I am headed for a meltdown of untold proportions.

I always try to go around any problem that I find - now I just delete all my mail and go to the DELETED items to read it. At least that still works. This is my fourth Dell but it does have a bit of age on it. I'm thinking a nice new HP Pavilion would fill the bill nicely.

Thanks for the offer to help! (feel free to make some suggestions about what I may need for new computer - I surf a lot, play online games, email, download and store pictures, print boarding passes and recipes and still after 14 years don't know what a folder or a file are for nor how to use them)

[Yogi]

Ahhh mamie - I hear you loud and clear. The sad truth is that every Windows operating system I ever heard of, with the possible exception of their servers, will self-destruct if not hacked at some point in it's life. I'm using the word "hack" in a good sense here because it takes some technical know-how to keep things running smooth, and people like yourself don't want to have to do that. You may have the right strategy after all. Run the machine until it dies totally, then simply replace it. I'd do that myself but I can't stand wasting all that time trying to find work-arounds a flawed operating system.

Your needs are pretty typical. I'd recommend that you buy the best computer out there using whatever funds you have available - HP is an excellent brand. Get the fastest one you can find and the one with the most memory. You will get the latest and greatest from Microsoft, Windows7, and from what I hear it has a lot of self-healing software built into it. I would recommend that you consider only one additional piece of equipment that you may or may not already have. Get yourself an external hard drive that you can plug into your computer. Save all your downloads to that external drive instead of the usual C:\ drive that all programs tend to use. The idea to keeping your stuff in a separate box is that you will not have to replace any of it when your computer dies the next time. Just plug the external drive into the new computer and Bob's Your Uncle.

[mamie]

Thanks Yogi.

Yesterday the mail brought the new Consumer Reports and this month they are recommending - wait for it - COMPUTERS! Naturally, I don't understand all the gibberish about memory, hard drives and other features that need to be understood. However, I can read the ratings which are listed properly from top to bottom at the end of the articles.

I can't believe a Gateway is at the top of the list for desktops - most of the people I talk to use them for boat anchors. Then there are a couple of Dells, followed by two HP Pavilions, one of them even highlighted as recommended. That model is the Elite HPE-112y. The processor is the Phenom IIx4 925; memory 8 GB's; hard drive 1000 GB's; it's price is in the range that I would expect to pay for a decent computer (plus I'll shop around for a better price on the same model!). The Dell with roughly the same specs costs about the same. But my computer guy (local tech) has been warning people about Dells lately.

So I will keep schlepping along with this old thing until I see a great Back To School sale and maybe get to see what the college kids are buying this year. If all else fails I'll take my thirteen year old grandson shopping with me -

[Yogi]

I know that Consumers Union claims to have no patrons or agenda, but their recommendations frequently turn out to be highly suspect. They use criteria that the average shopper would not consider, and they rely on databases of repair records that are in themselves suspect. A computer is going to be a lot of money out of pocket so that you will have to make your own decision and suffer the consequences. All I can do is add my urgent recommendation to stay away from Gateway products and be leery of anything from Dell. That doesn't leave a lot of brand names to choose from, and HP is not without problems.

Your best approach would be to decide how much you want to spend, then go out and find a computer that looks pretty. If there is more than one that appeals to you, pick the computer with the highest numbers for processor speed and memory. The model you quoted is perfect for what you want to do, and might actually be more than enough. But, there are a lot more like it out there, so go for what looks good to you. And, ignore the snickers and hooting from your grandson. After all, he is only 13

[mamie]

I never thought I would ever hear you recommend that someone just go out and buy a "pretty" computer. But it's worked for me so far.

[mamie]

Actually, I ran CCleaner this morning and things have improved vastly - as opposed to half-vastly!

[Yogi]

Actually there is more to it than looks. However, narrowing your choice down in terms of technology that would satisfy your requirements best would be more trouble than it's worth to you. Just about any computer (not netbook nor notebook) off the shelf will do what you need it to do. Brand names might be an indication of quality and mean time between failure, but given that you do little or no maintenance even that does not weigh in heavily when making a choice. So ... what do we have left?
Personally, I think your present choice is perfect. I can't see why you would want to upgrade it.

[Yogi]

Actually, I ran CCleaner this morning and things have improved vastly - as opposed to half-vastly!

There you go That suggests you are short on memory and probably would benefit from more RAM or a larger hard drive. Giving your computer a thorough cleaning of useless files will help a lot, and using CCleaner is a step in the right direction.

[Ice.Maiden]

Have you heard of NCleaner Yogi, which does a similar thing, and if so, do you rate it?

[Yogi]

I'm not familiar with NCleaner. Tell us about your experiences with it.

[Ice.Maiden]

Haven't tried it, although it was used on my old computer. Then everyone started talking about how good CCleaner was. Wouldn't know how to use any of them.

[mamie]

I don't know how to use anything, Icey! But CCleaner has "hold your hand" instructions all the way through. All you do is download it and follow the directions - it's mindless (which is just what I need!!).

[Yogi]

:vrysad: Haven't tried it, although it was used on my old computer. Then everyone started talking about how good CCleaner was. Wouldn't know how to use any of them.

I think running CCleaner is an essential part of keeping a Windows based computer running smoothly. It's the equivalent of dusting or washing your floors. Your house will function without a periodic cleaning, but eventually it will be mired in dirt. I'd be glad to put together some detailed instructions regarding how to use CCleaner. PM me if you'd like some assistance.

[Ice.Maiden]

Thank you very much. Sounds like a good idea, even though I've only had my new computer for a matter of weeks. I think I was always scared of these cleaners removing something permanently - something I wanted to keep, I mean.
If I need to run something now Yogi, just tell me, and I'll pm you if I need any help. : )