[Ina]

I know this has nothing to do with smallholding... But still: I know there are many talents represented here, and who knows, somebody might be able to help!

Since yesterday, I can't access my e-mails. Both my hotmail and yahoo accounts come up with "Connection untrusted". After clicking around a bit, hotmail comes up with a version which lets me see what emails I have received, but I can't open them. Both work fine on the computer at the library, so I know it's not just hotmail and yahoo. Any other internet site works as per normal.

I know my computer is getting on a bit in years (got it second hand - a work cast off - more than 5 years ago). Is it just that? Do I need to invest in something new? I do depend very much on contact via email for the little jobs I do to keep myself above water...

[SallyintNorth]

It sounds as though your security software has detected something it's not happy about.

Do you know what virus-checking / firewall software you are running?  If so, there should be some sort of control panel for it, you may be able to find some 'issues awaiting resolution' or 'actions' it wants you to decide about.

[Calvadnack]

Before you buy anything start by trying a different software application to access the internet, eg if you're using Chrome, try Microsoft's or Mozilla's firefox.  If one of these works, then implement updates on your favourite app and your virus software.


Or you could briefly disable your virus checker, see if you can access and if it is your virus checker run updates and do a full system check.

[Ina]

Thank you, thank you - I think I have detected the problem, thanks to your suggestions!

I had already tried IE and opera, but the same problems. And while checking the security thingies, I realised that the date on my computer had changed itself to 2002  (How can it do that by itself?), and the security wasn't valid that long ago... So just for now it seems to work. Keep fingers crossed it was just that! (In future I know to check the date first!)




Now I don't suppose any of you technically talented people would know why a fire alarm keeps going off in the night, without provocation? 

[shygirl]

i know very little about computers but when i couldnt access my email, it was because id tried to access it via my mobile phone for the first time and it had got hacked immediately (sorry to those who got a dodgy email), every contact was spammed and my provider (btyahoo) closed my temporarily account.

[shygirl]

Now I don't suppose any of you technically talented people would know why a fire alarm keeps going off in the night, without provocation? 

i have the same problem with my car alarm. 
replace the fire alarm - they are only £10 - mine used to do it all the time and new batteries never helped.

[Ina]

And while checking the security thingies, I realised that the date on my computer had changed itself to 2002  (How can it do that by itself?)

To answer my own question: I now remembered why it might have reset itself... I had turned the power off at one point. So it seems that when that happens, the date goes back to the original one when the computer was first installed.

You learn something every day! 

[Ina]

Now I don't suppose any of you technically talented people would know why a fire alarm keeps going off in the night, without provocation? 

i have the same problem with my car alarm. 
replace the fire alarm - they are only £10 - mine used to do it all the time and new batteries never helped.

Thanks for that tip - probably cheaper than getting the council people out... I'm quite happy to live without fire alarm, but I suppose my landlords (i.e. council) wouldn't be; nor would the neighbours.

[Foobar]

And while checking the security thingies, I realised that the date on my computer had changed itself to 2002  (How can it do that by itself?)

To answer my own question: I now remembered why it might have reset itself... I had turned the power off at one point. So it seems that when that happens, the date goes back to the original one when the computer was first installed.

You learn something every day! 

That means your internal battery has run out and it fails to remember the date/time.  It'll be a little button one.

Don't know about fire alarms, but I know smoke alarms can go off when they are too cold (believe it or not!).

[shygirl]

Thanks for that tip - probably cheaper than getting the council people out... I'm quite happy to live without fire alarm, but I suppose my landlords (i.e. council) wouldn't be; nor would the neighbours.

or get the landlord to replace it...tell them its faulty.

[Ina]

That means your internal battery has run out and it fails to remember the date/time.  It'll be a little button one.

Don't know about fire alarms, but I know smoke alarms can go off when they are too cold (believe it or not!).

That sounds likely - about the battery, I mean... But where would I find that? Before I start taking the PC apart... (Good at taking things apart, but don't have a manual to put it back together again!)

I don't think it's too cold here at the moment. In winter now, that could have been true...

And I'd rather not have my landlord (the council) snooping about the house to replace a fire/smoke alarm. I'd rather spend the money and fix it myself.

[RUSTYME]

The internal battery going sounds likely Ina .
It may be a button one or it could be like a short AA or AAA battery on the motherboard .
 It powers the basic start up procedure , the cmos memory that dates back to the beginning of pc's .
Some mother boards have easy to get at ones but all the ones i have had are  soldered in position .
As long as the pc has power going into it , you can usually get away with this , but pull the plug out and then try to reboot when you put power back on and the cmos basic start up can't be accessed and at first things like the date go wrong , but you may end up with a black screen and the pc speaker going beeeep bip bip , and then nothing .
It is possible to change the battery , i have used watch batteries even AA ones , but it may be time for a new m/board or another second hand pc . You should be able to take out the hard drive of the present pc and put it in a new s/h one as the master or slave h/d , a 5 minute swap job .
Save any info you want asap just in case , save to memory stick or card via usb/reader . 

[Foobar]

Alternatively, if you can't be arsed to fiddle with the computer insides, just reconfigure your computer to pick up its time from the network. (NTP)  THat way it should automatically correct itself.

[RUSTYME]

Not if the cmos battery has gone . Nothing starts , zilch , zippo , nadda !

[Ina]

Thanks for all your wonderful ideas - I think the easiest will be to just remember next time after a power cut to check the date again! (The solution for the not-so-technically minded.  )

I think I will have to do something about my PC anyway - it's simply not able to deal with a lot of newfangled stuff that's taken for granted these days (like opening info for job adverts etc). Maybe I could get updates for all sorts of things - but that might well be more expensive than getting a new one (and passing this one on to somebody who just wants it for simple things). Ho hum - might have to accept this will be a major outlay this year.