Genealogy Chat

Hi. I changed over to AVG on Friday - seems to be doing all the things I want...scanning mails, updating re latest threats etc. I have found two things that I need help correcting.....this site now has ads (that jumpy one at the top is driving me crazy!!!) though I haven't found ads on any other sites as yet. The other thing is my emails don't come with graphics anymore, just plain text and all the ones I had have now disappeared. I tried looking in the drop down boxes on the task bar to see where I could fix it, but nothing jumped out at me. Any suggestions?

Hi Margaret, glad you got it downloaded ok in the end. If you were using Norton before (cant remember) then that. I believe has a 'blocker' to stop the adverts, AVG as just an anti virus does not have this. If you go to start/control panel/Internet options/Advanced, there is an option in there under Multimedia to 'play animations in webpages'. If you untick that, it will stop the advert animation. BUT it also stops ALL animations on the page, so if you can live with that fine. Good luck Keith

Are you using Outlook Express? If so you may need to change a couple of settings.

Thanks Keith and Errol. Keith - I was using Norton and I do know that they stopped these ads. Does AVG not have an ad stopper I could get? Errol - yes, I'm using Outlook Express 6. Could you guide me through changing the settings please?

I'm just on my way out for an hour or so but I will send you some simple step by step instructions I use with clients as soon as I get back.

Many thanks Errol. I have one other hiccup that I need help with regarding the change over from Norton to AVG - maybe you could give your thoughts on that too.

Keith - I went and unticked the box and reset the computer, but the flashing/jumping of the ads is still there. They are not too bad if they just sit there and don't move, but all that movement is making me dizzy!!

Margaret I'm really sorry - I've only just got back in so will try to post the instructions either tonight or first thing tomorrow.

No problem Errol. Take your time - I don't get on the computer before 8am which equals after lunch over there. The other problem I have happened after I deleted Norton/Symantec to install AVG. I went through unistall, but some of the stuff I had to delete manually. I may have gotten carried away as the message below appears every time the computer is started/rebooted. I have checked in msconfig and there is a listing of 386Enh on the System.Ini tab. When I do a search for files that start 'sym' there are two - symevent.log and symevent.lgc - when I click on them they both go over to 'open with...' Hope you can help. Cannot find a device file that may be needed to run Windows or a Windows application. The windows registry or SYSTEM.INI file refers to this device file, but the device file no longer exists. If you deleted this file on purpose, try uninstalling the associated application using it's uninstall or set up program. If you still want to use the application associated with this device file, try re-installing that application to replace the missing file. C:\PROGRA~1\SYMANTEC\SYMEVNT.386

Margaret, You are almost there with removing the pervasive Nortons software. The error you are seeing relating to 'Symantec' is also Nortons. Symantec is the company behind Nortons. As you already know about MSCONFIG just click on the STARTUP tab there and scroll through for any line that contains 'SYMANTEC' and un-tick it. Apply the setting and restart your computer. You will get a message saying something like 'You have changed startup etc etc' just click the OK and 'Dont show this message again' and you should be fine. The original error message is not a problem, just an annoyance. Paul

Paul, I just checked and there are no listings for Norton, Symantec or NIS in the startup tab. As you said, a bit of an annoyance, especially as the computer won't finish loading until after you hit enter once you reach that page.

For starters try the following: 1. In Outlook Express click on 'Tools' and then 'Options...'. 2. Click on the 'Security' tab. 3. Under 'Virus Protection' put a tick next to 'Warn me when other applications try to send mail as me'. 4. Remove the tick next to 'Do not allow attachments to be saved or opened that could potentially be a virus'. Although this is less secure your anti-virus software should protect you and you should be fine if you exercise a little common sense and caution. In other words, don't open an email from an unknown source. 5. Under 'Download Images' remve the tick next to 'Block images and other external content in HTML e-mail' (same caveat as above). 6. Now click on the 'Send' tab. 7. Under 'Mail Sending Format' select 'HTML' and then click the 'HtML Settings...' button. 8. Make sure there is a tick next to 'Send pictures with messages' then click 'OK'. 9. Click 'OK' again. 10. Next, in Outlook Express click once on 'Local Folders' on the left hand side. 11. From the 'View' menu at the top select 'Layout...'. 12. Make sure there is no tick next to 'Show preview pane'. 13. Click 'OK'. Try this for starters and see what, if any, difference it makes.

Did you uninstall Norton under 'Add or Remove Programs' in Control Panel?

Also, precisely which Norton product were you trying to uninstall, including version number? I'm assuming you are running Windows XP.

Hi Errol. I was using NIS2004 (includes NAV) that they gave me an extension on. I am using Windows 98 and Norton no longer makes a version that is compatible - hence the change to AVG. I went into Add/Remove in the control panel to remove the program. Once that was done I then did a search under Start>>Find for anything related to Norton, Symantec or NIS and the ones that came up there I just deleted. I have followed your instructions from the note above - most of them were already set at what you wanted me to change them to. I did the pane one, but switched it back as I prefer to have the preview pane there. For #5 I have no mention of Download Images in the tab you referred to. But on the 'Read' tab I found 'read messages in plain text' - so I unticked that and it seems to have done the trick. Don't know how it got mixed up to begin with - but now I'm all set - can see my graphics again. That just leaves me with the message when I start the computer and the ads.

I have a tool which should totally remove NIS2004 from a Windows 98 computer. However, it will mean you have to give me your email address. If you are happy to do this please PM me.

The reason for removing the Preview pane in OE is because of security issues. If you use Preview you are effectively opening emails.

I have the following selected: Mark message read after displaying for 10 seconds. I always thought that meant that as long as the message stayed highlighted, it wasn't opened (and therefore not read). I just made sure I transferred it to the 'deleted items' file before it 'opened' if it was something I didn't want. I will PM you - would like to make sure I have gotten rid of the programs entirely.

It is still possible to get a virus or worm with that setting. The only other way round it is to go back to viewing your messages as plain text again.

I've emailed the file and instructions.