Can't access Ancesty or Emoticons!

speleobat2 · Post by **speleobat2** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 1:19 am

Last evening McAfee download some security updates into my computer and instructed me to do a restart. I did. Oops! Now I can't log in to Ancestry, can't use emoticons in this post, and the real kicker--can't contact McAfee! When I click on their icon on my computer, I get a blank window. When I go to their website and click on Support, I get a paragraph of introduction, then click on Continue and get nothing.

Imagine me smashing my computer-- since I can't use the smiley! Later on I will try to uninstall McAfee (have already done the cookie clean up thing including internet explorer). If that doesn't work or proves disasterous, tomorrow I'll drive into town and use my friends computer to contact McAfee and then take this laptop back where I bought it and their extended warranty (for once). If I disappear temporarily, it's just that I'm caught on a computer mobius strip!

In the meantime, if you have McAfee, keep your fingers crossed and their telepone number handy!

Carol

LesleyB · Post by **LesleyB** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 1:26 am

Hi Carol
If you are running Windows XP maybe you could just try a System Restore to travel back in time to yesterday when everythng worked fine!

Start> All Programs> Accessories > System Tools > System Restore

Best wishes
Lesley

Post by **AndrewP** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 1:33 am

Hi Carol,

It sounds like your security updates may have blocked pop-ups. The emoticons appear in a pop-up window. Normally if pop-ups are disabled, when you select something that calls up a pop-up window, a bar will appear across the top of the webpage telling you that a pop-up has been blocked. normally one of the options given there is to allow the pop-up to open - as a once off, or permanently from that website.

All the best,

AndrewP

speleobat2 · Post by **speleobat2** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 2:36 am

Thank you both!

Andrew, the scary thing is nothing was working! There weren't any notices about pop-ups. There just was nothing when I clicked on the smiley.

Lesley,

I have Vista but the System Restore worked!

As far as I can tell, the only thing I lost was the little trashcan icon that goes with Recycle Bin on my desktop! Now I just have to decide whether or not to dump McAfee or wait and see what happens when it updates next. At least, now I know how to do a System Restore!

Carol $\:D/$

Currie · Post by **Currie** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 7:51 am

Hello Carol,

Here’s what you do.

1. Dump McAfee Get AVG (Free program – free updates)
2. Dump Firewall Get ZoneAlarm (Free program – free updates)
3. Dump Internet Explorer Get Firefox (Free program – free updates)
4. Dump Outlook Express Get Thunderbird (Free program – free updates)
5. Dump Windows Get Linux (Ubuntu) (Free Operating System – free updates)
or
6. Dump PC Get-a-Mac (Not a bit free)

I’m about halfway through 5.

The only reason people have all those Dumpable programs on their computer is because they were there when they purchased it and they’ve become accustomed to the pain. All the replacement programs work perfectly although Linux is possibly not for the faint-hearted.

Over and out,
Alan

Bob Haining · Post by **Bob Haining** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 11:20 pm

Hi Carol,

Just to let you know that I’d had a problem with McAfee in 2001 after one of their “up-grades”. I was one of those people still using WordPerfect and the whole system would “lock-up” while I was attempting to write something. I finally gave up on McAfee and went to Norton. Everything was fine until one of their up-grade in 2004, again the whole computer would lock up for no apparent reason, and I must add, no support from Norton. That’s when I changed to AVG (and here I am sitting here with fingers and toes crossed), have not had any problems since.

PS-I still use WordPerfect, but finally am starting to use Word.

speleobat2 · Post by **speleobat2** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 11:55 pm

Thanks Alan and Bob,

I'm still sitting here with my fingers crossed myself. Since the systems restore yesterday everything has been working, but McAfee has been downloading every time I go online. We'll see what happens when it comes time to install! If I have problems again, I'll do another restore and then contact McAfee and let them know what I think. After that, I'm out of there even though I'm only half way through my year's subscription. I had Norton before, but like Alan said, McAfee was on this computer when I bought it....

I did get my trash basket icon back after I restarted to install some Windows updates.

Carol

Post by **emanday** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 12:25 am

Hi Carol,

I got McAfee with my new laptop's Vista program, but it caused so many probelms that I finally simply uninstalled it.

I'd done the same thing on my desktop with Norton which came with it.

AVG is the only one that seems to work fine with everything, gets updated regularly, and seems to find and remove stuff that McAfee and Norton simply don't seem to see as a threat.

Am I an AVG fan? You Bet!

speleobat2 · Post by **speleobat2** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 12:42 pm

Thanks Mary,

I'll probably end up going that route. Last evening McAfee finished downloading so I did a restart just to see what would happen. Sure enough I was back to all the blocking so I did another System Restore, then downloaded their Virtual Technician and started the scan. I guessed that it wouldn't find anything because of course the system restore took me back to a point previous to the troublemaking updates, but I never got there. Some telemarkerter called which interupted my phone connection with the scan! It was late so I closed up for the night. I'll run the scan today, then go to McAfee's online chat option and tell them what is going on. It will be interesting to see what they have to say!

Picture me complaining--can't use smileys!

Carol

Post by **emanday** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 12:48 pm

speleobat2 wrote:I'll run the scan today, then go to McAfee's online chat option and tell them what is going on. It will be interesting to see what they have to say!

From past experience with these bigger organisations, don't be surprised if you get the "it must be something wrong with your system" line of excuses