Win Xp Update Question

[JetsetBkk]

Update:

Did install final SP3 and all appears to be working okay, updates come down as they should.

Initially had a minor problem with most international web-sites and auto-updates of AVG and BoClean (servers could not be found)...

Do you have any problems with BOClean?

I find BOClean to be a pain in the ar5e. It - BOC427.exe - runs at maximum CPU for about 2 minutes after it starts at boot-up, and then intermittently for 5 - 20 seconds at various times I am working. I have added every single process that is running on my PC to the "Excluder" program so that BOClean is supposed to ignore them, but still it chews up CPU time periodically. So I have lowered the priority of both BOC427.exe and BOCore.exe as a temporary fix.

[JetsetBkk]

I have one more question which may or may not be related to the SP3 issue.

After I installed SP3 RC1 on one PC some time ago the fonds in web forms (items to be entered, the forms itself were okay size) and OE6 became VERY small, also menues of some other M$ software became micro size...

What a coincidence! I too have had this problem appear in my Basic programming software in the last week - here's a picture:

Normally the fonts (with a 't' ) in all the three panes are the same size, not like those small ones in the lower pane.

I think maybe M$ have screwed up with one of their updates, but it would take a lot of work and un-installing of updates to find out for sure.

[opalhort]

Reimar,

all settings I can find are the way they should be and have always been this way. No change has been made over the years.

I do have the legit OEM Win XP Thai version but everything is installed in English and I never see a menu in Thai.

As I said the change in font size occured around the time when I installed the SP3 RC1 version.

So far this problem appears in OE6, IE6 (only a few web sites!!!) and M$ Access. Word and Excell have no problems in this regard.

Here is one more screen-shot:

Please note the difference in font size (upper part and lower part of form). All font settings in the form design are identical for field titles and data.

Don't think this is relevant but the screen resolution is 800x600 dpi, the resolution this db was designed for.

JetsetBkk,

I do not have any problem with BoClean (also ver. 4.27) but I do not use the file excluder. It only blinks green from time to time for a fraction of a second.

I think the file excluder may be the problem. Just tried to open the file excluder (nothing listed) and the CPU went up to 80% so I exited it and all is back to normal.

As for the small fonts, if it was a M$ update which caused it, then why is only one PC affected and not others?

Probably I'm to dumb but I can't find a place where I could adjust global font settings for menues and forms.

Note: I did try to change font sizes in Access and yes the micro fonts were then slightly bigger but the fonts that were already okay before became jumbo size. So this is obviously not an option.

opalhort

[JetsetBkk]

...JetsetBkk,

I do not have any problem with BoClean (also ver. 4.27) but I do not use the file excluder. It only blinks green from time to time for a fraction of a second.

I think the file excluder may be the problem. Just tried to open the file excluder (nothing listed) and the CPU went up to 80% so I exited it and all is back to normal.

As for the small fonts, if it was a M$ update which caused it, then why is only one PC affected and not others?...

Re. BOClean - the "excluder" is supposed to tell BOClean to not bother checking the files in the excluder's list. That is what Comodo's forum says here: http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=188880

Re. the small fonts - I've asked about it on the relevant forum and will let you know if someone comes up with a solution. I'm tempted to boot up my old C: drive and see if the problem is there and, if not, let the M$ updates get applied a few at a time to see if the problem occurs. But I'll wait for any other ideas first.

[opalhort]

Re. BOClean - the "excluder" is supposed to tell BOClean to not bother checking the files in the excluder's list. That is what Comodo's forum says here: http://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=188880

Re. the small fonts - I've asked about it on the relevant forum and will let you know if someone comes up with a solution.

Thanks for the BoClean link, I know what the exluder is about but don't understand why my CPU goes into overdrive the moment I open it even though nothing is listed.

Note: I use for security AVG, Avast, BoClen, Spybot S&D and Zonealarm(Firewall only) all at the same time and no problems.

Will try to enter something in the excluder and see what happens and report back.

Re. small fonts, yes please let me know what you can find out - Thank you very much

opalhort

[opalhort]

Will try to enter something in the excluder and see what happens and report back.

Just did that. listed IE6 and OE6.

started up and all is still okay. only when I started the excluder the CPU ran at 85% but after finishing all was clear.

here is the configuration of BoClean I use:

opalhort

[JetsetBkk]

Will try to enter something in the excluder and see what happens and report back.

Just did that. listed IE6 and OE6.

started up and all is still okay. only when I started the excluder the CPU ran at 85% but after finishing all was clear.

here is the configuration of BoClean I use:

opalhort

Your BOClean configuration is similar to mine. The big difference is that I start it manually (in my startup folder) so I don't have the "Automatically start at Boot-up" checked. I do it that way so I can start it at low priority, which means it runs longer but with less effect on everything else. I also have to set BOcore.exe low manually as it also runs when you start BOClean.

You shouldn't be using AVG and Avast together as they are both anti-virus programs (unless one of them is doing something different). I used to use AVG but switched to Avast some time ago. Can't remember why.

My small fonts problem is very strange. The help window displayed by my Basic program is almost unreadable, so I restored an old system backup from the end of July, and the problem is not there.

I checked various Windows files from the old system with the latest system and didn't find any differences. The "Winhlp32.exe" file is the same in both systems - it is that program that runs to display the help window.

I even installed the program again - into a different folder in Program Files, and the problem is in the new version too.

So something has changed between July and now, and it must be software - but nothing to do with the Basic program itself. It may be that another program that I installed recently has replaced a Windows system file with its own version.

I'll investigate more.

[opalhort]

Thanks Jetset for your report.

BoClean:

I don't know what the problem may be, all I can say is that I left the default installation the way it was offered apart from 2 or 3 items like 'don't shut down shares' and auto clean of HOSTS file and cache.

BoClean is working fine on all our PCs (3 XPs and 1 Vista)

AVG <-> Avast:

I'm aware of the potential problems. But so far they got along well on all PCs even though they run on auto monitor at the same time. It does slow down e-mail downloads and web sites some times but this is minor. I run AVG and Avast once a week on all PCs and nothing, apart from tracking cookies, has been found for the past two years. (My son's PC (Vista) occasionally detects a trojan in a strange game .rar file he downloads but AVG blocks it.)

Small fonts:

I haven't got a clue where to look for the problem. For me a system restore is not possible because it would probably foul up the recent un-re-install of SP3.

You mention help files; something I can not check because the PC in question has lost the help system two years ago. No idea why. I have instructions about how to get the help back but it looks complicated. Anyway the help is working on other PCs and there is always Google and ThaiVisa where help is available.

The small fonts problem is a mystery to me. I can't recall the exact time it occured but it was around the time I installed SP3 RC1.

What I don't understand is why it does not only affect some local software like OE6 and Access but also forms of SOME wbsites but not all!?!?

There must be a file somewhere in WinXp which is responsible for this, but which file is it??????

Regards

opalhort

[JetsetBkk]

Hi opalhort,

re. AVG and Avast: Nearly all the advice I have read is to use only one A-V program, but if they're working together OK then that's good news.

re. small fonts: files with the extension .hlp are normally opened with Winhlp32.exe. If you find one (try searching "Program Files" folder) and click on it, Winhlp32 will run. It appears to access a huge number of ".nls" files, such as "c_20936.nls". These files are "Code Page National Language Support" files - so I think I'm on the right track.

FIXED IT! I wrote the beginning of this post about 1/2 an hour ago and have now fixed my problem. I decided to change my "Regional and Language Options / Advanced / Language to match non-Unicode programs" to "Thai" rather than "English".

My small fonts have now gone away.

The clue was in the .NLS files that Winhlp32.exe uses. "Code page tables" are also mentioned in the Advanced tab of "Regional and Language Options". So now I will check if there are any differences in which tables are used when Thai and English are selected for the non-Unicode program language.

Fun isn't it!

[opalhort]

FIXED IT! I wrote the beginning of this post about 1/2 an hour ago and have now fixed my problem. I decided to change my "Regional and Language Options / Advanced / Language to match non-Unicode programs" to "Thai" rather than "English".

My small fonts have now gone away.

The clue was in the .NLS files that Winhlp32.exe uses. "Code page tables" are also mentioned in the Advanced tab of "Regional and Language Options". So now I will check if there are any differences in which tables are used when Thai and English are selected for the non-Unicode program language.

Fun isn't it!

THANK YOU VERY MUCH Jetset

Yes it worked. My language setting was 'Hungarian' - haven't got a clue how this got into there (could it have been caused by a bad web-site?). For me its either Thai, English or German.

For now OE6 and Access are okay. Have not yet tried web-sites. Will do so tomorrow, but guess it will be okay as well.

You call this fun? These days I spend more time trying to figure out what is wrong with our PCs than using them to do actual work.

Thanks again

opalhort

[opalhort]

Since I uploaded a screen shot of micro fonts in post #33 here is how it looks now thanks to JetsetBkk

opalhort

[Rice_King]

... I spend more time trying to figure out what is wrong with our PCs than using them to do actual work.

Installing "beta" versions of anything on your "production" machines is just asking for trouble don't you think?

[JetsetBkk]

...You call this fun? These days I spend more time trying to figure out what is wrong with our PCs than using them to do actual work. ...

I know what you mean! Bl00dy marvellous that your problem was the same as mine! Great news!

[opalhort]

I guess the reason why we can't find info about this kind of problem online is that it may be related to only Win versions issued in Asia.

Thanks again Jetset for your hard work.

Now here is a new question (unrelated to SP3) which I will put in a new topic unless you or someone else has a quick answer:

All XP PCs (2with final SP3, IE6 and one with SP2 IE7) have problems loading pages. Need to click 'refresh' 3-5 times before the site loads. It can't be a time-out since the error message appears instantaneously (this affects only some sites, Google for example is okay, our own website takes 2-3 refresh clicks to show up). Our Vista PC with IE7 does not have this problem.

I flushed the DNS, deleted the IE cache and reset the router (Billion BIPAC 5102G supplied by TRUE) but nothing helped.

Here is the error message I get:

Any idea?

opalhort

[Guest Reimar]

I guess the reason why we can't find info about this kind of problem online is that it may be related to only Win versions issued in Asia.

Thanks again Jetset for your hard work.

Now here is a new question (unrelated to SP3) which I will put in a new topic unless you or someone else has a quick answer:

All XP PCs (2with final SP3, IE6 and one with SP2 IE7) have problems loading pages. Need to click 'refresh' 3-5 times before the site loads. It can't be a time-out since the error message appears instantaneously (this affects only some sites, Google for example is okay, our own website takes 2-3 refresh clicks to show up). Our Vista PC with IE7 does not have this problem.

I flushed the DNS, deleted the IE cache and reset the router (Billion BIPAC 5102G supplied by TRUE) but nothing helped.

Here is the error message I get:

Any idea?

opalhort

Maybe you try to use Crtl + F5. The deletion opf the IE cache and Redset of the router didn't help much.

It maybe would be a good idea to manually delete all Cookies and .tmp files from all computers.

One more thing: Your Billion 5102 from TRUE! This odem/Router has an TRUE modified firmware which has some limitation programmed. I would suggest to spend around max. THB 2,500 and buy an virgin Modem Router. That one you can program top your own use and benefit and will also bypass the TRUE limitations.

Cheers.

[JetsetBkk]

...

Here is the error message I get:

Any idea?

opalhort

The only time I have seen that error message recently was when I had a problem with my internet banking web site. You can read about it here: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Increase-Rou...ti-t164562.html

In laymen's terms, my PC was sending packets of data that were too big for the equipment at Maxnet to accept. The problem went away when I reduced the maximum size of these packets, so my computer sent smaller packets, but more of them.

But my symptoms were different from what you describe - in my case the web page NEVER loaded, it always timed out, so I don't think this is likely to be the problem you have.

It might be worth trying if you are going to buy a new modem/router which is what Reimar suggests and what I would do if all else fails.

(My modem/router is a "ZyXEL Prestige 660R-61C" and I got it years ago with my ADSL contract. I've never had any problems with it and it is currently connected at 4 mbps, although I rarely download at more than 3.5 mbps. I've seen similar models in several IT shops.)

[opalhort]

Thanks Reimar and Jetset for your suggestions.

This is a rather minor issue and since the CTRL+F5 works on the first try I think I leave things for now the way they are.

I doubt that the modem/router is at fault since the VISTA PC has no problem. Also my son is using Nintendo WII and Sony PSP to go online via WiFi, even to our web site and others which have loading problems in the XP PCs, but he has no problems.

That's why I expect it is an XP issue, could be some settings are not to the taste of the router or TRUE.

Anyway, two extra key strokes won't wear out my fingers to much.

regards

opalhort

[JetsetBkk]

Thanks Reimar and Jetset for your suggestions.

This is a rather minor issue and since the CTRL+F5 works on the first try I think I leave things for now the way they are.

I doubt that the modem/router is at fault since the VISTA PC has no problem. Also my son is using Nintendo WII and Sony PSP to go online via WiFi, even to our web site and others which have loading problems in the XP PCs, but he has no problems.

That's why I expect it is an XP issue, could be some settings are not to the taste of the router or TRUE.

Anyway, two extra key strokes won't wear out my fingers to much.

regards

opalhort

Ah, so you have more than one PC accessing the Internet through the same router? That helps diagnose the problem a little.

I've just re-read your original post about this problem and it's quite fascinating: 3 XP PCs show this error msg immediately (no timeout) but the Vista one is OK.

I'd be interested to know how they are all connected to the same router. My own two PCs are connected via an Ethernet switch - they and the router are plugged in to 3 of the 5 ports. I don't think it matters which ports they are plugged in to - the router sorts it all out.

But because you get an immediate error, it feels like your XP PCs are not actually connected to the Internet by the router. The immediate response you see is "Web page not available", but at the same time the router has "woken up" and connects the PC to the Internet. So when you then hit ctrl-F5, the web page loads OK.

Well, that's my theory anyway! If you are interested in pursuing this further, you could describe your local network set-up. It could be that a simple change to your router configuration would sort it out.

[opalhort]

Hi Jetset,

We have 3 PCs (2XP SP3 and one Vista) connected to the router-modem by cable and the one other PC (XP SP2) connects via WiFi. Plus WII and PSP via WiFi.

As I said it is a very minor issue. It occurs only after I start IE, once I've used the CTRL+F5 on any site that produces this error no more error occurs on any site unless I close IE and start it again.

I'm quite sure it can't have anything to do with WIN updates since the XP-SP2 PC can't be updated for "certain reasons", yet shows the same symptoms.

Guess it is a setting somewhere either in WIN or the router that has been fouled up somehow.

Will have a closer look at it some time soon and report back should I find the 'problem'.

regards

opalhort

[JetsetBkk]

...As I said it is a very minor issue. It occurs only after I start IE, once I've used the CTRL+F5 on any site that produces this error no more error occurs on any site unless I close IE and start it again...

Hmm, curiouser and curiouser! Let us know if you ever get to the bottom of it!