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#1
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Avast fraud
Does anyone know of an "ombudsman" type of person or site where I could upload my problems with Avast.
They sold me a policy to "fix anything wrong on computer". Not only do their techs not know their *** from their elbow, but their hours and hours of unsuccessful efforts have ****ed up my computer so badly I have lost valuable programs and documents. They do not answer Certified Mail and emails, so it looks like they are blowing me off. Maybe if some entity more powerful than Consumer Sucker leans on them? I understand such "ombudsman" or whatever you call them, do exist, so maybe you resourceful people can direct me. TIA HB |
#2
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Avast fraud
Higgs Boson wrote:
Does anyone know of an "ombudsman" type of person or site where I could upload my problems with Avast. They sold me a policy to "fix anything wrong on computer". Not only do their techs not know their *** from their elbow, but their hours and hours of unsuccessful efforts have ****ed up my computer so badly I have lost valuable programs and documents. They do not answer Certified Mail and emails, so it looks like they are blowing me off. Maybe if some entity more powerful than Consumer Sucker leans on them? I understand such "ombudsman" or whatever you call them, do exist, so maybe you resourceful people can direct me. TIA HB Hi, I wonder what kinda issues you have with your computer? |
#3
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Avast fraud
On Tue, 19 Aug 2014 22:10:59 -0600, Tony Hwang
wrote: I wonder what kinda issues you have with your computer? Me too. We know absolutely nothing about it. Nothing about hardware, operating system version, symptoms, behavior, nada... Saying Avast is a "fraud" is a stretch of the imagination. If I had to guess, I would say there is a malfunction between the chair and the keyboard or an ID 10 T error. -- Somtimes you just have a bad day at the dungeon |
#4
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Avast fraud
Oren wrote:
On Tue, 19 Aug 2014 22:10:59 -0600, Tony Hwang wrote: I wonder what kinda issues you have with your computer? Me too. We know absolutely nothing about it. Nothing about hardware, operating system version, symptoms, behavior, nada... Saying Avast is a "fraud" is a stretch of the imagination. If I had to guess, I would say there is a malfunction between the chair and the keyboard or an ID 10 T error. +1 |
#5
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Avast fraud
On Wed, 20 Aug 2014 12:27:08 -0500, "ChairMan"
wrote: Oren wrote: On Tue, 19 Aug 2014 22:10:59 -0600, Tony Hwang wrote: I wonder what kinda issues you have with your computer? Me too. We know absolutely nothing about it. Nothing about hardware, operating system version, symptoms, behavior, nada... Saying Avast is a "fraud" is a stretch of the imagination. If I had to guess, I would say there is a malfunction between the chair and the keyboard or an ID 10 T error. +1 That isn't a virus, it's a bugger on the screen |
#6
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Avast fraud
On 08/20/2014 04:34 PM, Oren wrote:
That isn't a virus, it's a bugger on the screen Did you gradate hi skol? http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bugger http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/booger |
#7
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Avast fraud
On Tuesday, August 19, 2014 9:10:59 PM UTC-7, Tony Hwang wrote:
Higgs Boson wrote: Does anyone know of an "ombudsman" type of person or site where I could upload my problems with Avast. They sold me a policy to "fix anything wrong on computer". Not only do their techs not know their *** from their elbow, but their hours and hours of unsuccessful efforts have ****ed up my computer so badly I have lost valuable programs and documents. They do not answer Certified Mail and emails, so it looks like they are blowing me off. Maybe if some entity more powerful than Consumer Sucker leans on them? I understand such "ombudsman" or whatever you call them, do exist, so maybe you resourceful people can direct me. I wonder what kinda issues you have with your computer? Tony, first I must apologize for being unclear about my problems with Avast. There are TWO completely separate issues. 1. When I purchased Avast virus protection, I experienced a lot of problems with the phone and on-line people about registering my purchase properly. 2. I bought a "policy" for lack of a better word, from what now appears to have been a salesman for an outside vendor. Not an uncommon phenomenon, but one which completely fooled me, since I thought I was talking to AVAST. Salesman DID say very specifically that for $179 a year, they would take care of ANYTHING -- I emphasize ANYTHING |
#8
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Avast fraud
On Thu, 21 Aug 2014 12:06:53 -0700 (PDT), Higgs Boson
wrote: Salesman DID say very specifically that for $179 a year, they would take care of ANYTHING -- I emphasize ANYTHING ANYTHING?! Are you sure he was only talking about Avast? Is there a twelve-year-old in your neighborhood? He might help just for the experience. Depends on what "anything" means. Maybe he won't. Unless you provide three paper bags. |
#9
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Avast fraud
Oren wrote:
On Thu, 21 Aug 2014 12:06:53 -0700 (PDT), Higgs Boson wrote: Salesman DID say very specifically that for $179 a year, they would take care of ANYTHING -- I emphasize ANYTHING ANYTHING?! Are you sure he was only talking about Avast? Is there a twelve-year-old in your neighborhood? He might help just for the experience. Depends on what "anything" means. Maybe he won't. Unless you provide three paper bags. That statement alone would send a red flag to any rational person that they were fixin' to get screwed. NOTHING!!!!! fixes everything, not even duct tape : ) Simple regular cleanup of your puter and defragin' can do more than most "payfor" utilities |
#10
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Avast fraud
On 08/21/2014 12:06 PM, Higgs Boson wrote:
Salesman DID say very specifically that for $179 a year, they would take care of ANYTHING -- I emphasize ANYTHING You were a victim of a dishonest salesman |
#11
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Avast fraud
On Thu, 21 Aug 2014 12:45:37 -0700, Todd wrote:
On 08/21/2014 12:06 PM, Higgs Boson wrote: Salesman DID say very specifically that for $179 a year, they would take care of ANYTHING -- I emphasize ANYTHING You were a victim of a dishonest salesman Imagine that! What happened to all this promised hope and change, eh? Some people vote so they can be victims. |
#12
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Avast fraud
Todd wrote:
On 08/21/2014 12:06 PM, Higgs Boson wrote: Salesman DID say very specifically that for $179 a year, they would take care of ANYTHING -- I emphasize ANYTHING You were a victim of a dishonest salesman no, she was a victim of her own stupidity |
#13
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Avast fraud
On 08/21/2014 10:21 PM, ChairMan wrote:
Todd wrote: On 08/21/2014 12:06 PM, Higgs Boson wrote: Salesman DID say very specifically that for $179 a year, they would take care of ANYTHING -- I emphasize ANYTHING You were a victim of a dishonest salesman no, she was a victim of her own stupidity Fool me once: shame on you. Fool me twice: shame on me. I think this was her first time. |
#14
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Avast fraud
ChairMan posted for all of us...
And I know how to SNIP Todd wrote: On 08/21/2014 12:06 PM, Higgs Boson wrote: Salesman DID say very specifically that for $179 a year, they would take care of ANYTHING -- I emphasize ANYTHING You were a victim of a dishonest salesman no, she was a victim of her own stupidity She(it) proves it again and again. I haven't k/f it yet because it amuses me at times. Cheap thrills. -- Tekkie |
#15
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Avast fraud
On 21 Aug 2014, Higgs Boson wrote in
alt.home.repair: 2. I bought a "policy" for lack of a better word, from what now appears to have been a salesman for an outside vendor. Not an uncommon phenomenon, but one which completely fooled me, since I thought I was talking to AVAST. Salesman DID say very specifically that for $179 a year, they would take care of ANYTHING -- I emphasize ANYTHING This is a well-known scam, and you have been taken. Kiss your money goodbye - there is no chance in Hell that you will get it back. They have already "fixed" your computer as much as they ever will... and there's a good chance that they have installed malware on your computer in the process. I'm serious. I get two or three of these calls a week. I recognize them for what they are by their Caller ID, and I don't answer the phone. |
#16
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Avast fraud
"Higgs Boson" wrote in message
On Tuesday, August 19, 2014 9:10:59 PM UTC-7, Tony Hwang wrote: Higgs Boson wrote: Does anyone know of an "ombudsman" type of person or site where I could upload my problems with Avast. They sold me a policy to "fix anything wrong on computer". Not only do their techs not know their *** from their elbow, but their hours and hours of unsuccessful efforts have ****ed up my computer so badly I have lost valuable programs and documents. They do not answer Certified Mail and emails, so it looks like they are blowing me off. Maybe if some entity more powerful than Consumer Sucker leans on them? I understand such "ombudsman" or whatever you call them, do exist, so maybe you resourceful people can direct me. I wonder what kinda issues you have with your computer? Tony, first I must apologize for being unclear about my problems with Avast. There are TWO completely separate issues. 1. When I purchased Avast virus protection, I experienced a lot of problems with the phone and on-line people about registering my purchase properly. 2. I bought a "policy" for lack of a better word, from what now appears to have been a salesman for an outside vendor. Not an uncommon phenomenon, but one which completely fooled me, since I thought I was talking to AVAST. Salesman DID say very specifically that for $179 a year, they would take care of ANYTHING -- I emphasize ANYTHING So you have maligned avast! for something with which they had nothing to do. Can't comment about registering the paid version of avast! as I have always used the free version; registering it is simple...open avast!, enter the registration number. BTW, did the salesman have a heavy accent? -- dadiOH ____________________________ Winters getting colder? Tired of the rat race? Taxes out of hand? Maybe just ready for a change? Check it out... http://www.floridaloghouse.net |
#17
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Avast fraud
dadiOH wrote:
BTW, did the salesman have a heavy accent? No, he was one of the telemarketers that work out of the state prison. Maybe a slight Bronx accent... |
#18
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Avast fraud
On Tuesday, August 19, 2014 9:10:59 PM UTC-7, Tony Hwang wrote:
Higgs Boson wrote: Does anyone know of an "ombudsman" type of person or site where I could upload my problems with Avast. They sold me a policy to "fix anything wrong on computer". Not only do their techs not know their *** from their elbow, but their hours and hours of unsuccessful efforts have ****ed up my computer so badly I have lost valuable programs and documents. They do not answer Certified Mail and emails, so it looks like they are blowing me off. Maybe if some entity more powerful than Consumer Sucker leans on them? I understand such "ombudsman" or whatever you call them, do exist, so maybe you resourceful people can direct me. TIA HB Hi, I wonder what kinda issues you have with your computer? Must have hit "Send"? Will watch if post shows up. I was separating two issues that may have confused you good folks: 1. Anti-virus purchase. Bad customer service. 2. CURRENT PROBLEM: Months later, I purchased a "policy" -- for lack of a better term -- from an online salesman who promised -- his EXACT WORDS -- that for $179 per year they would fix ANYTHING -- repeat -ANYTHING |
#19
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Avast fraud
On 08/21/2014 12:11 PM, Higgs Boson wrote:
is EXACT WORDS -- that for $179 per year they would fix ANYTHING -- repeat -ANYTHING Dishonest salesman. There is no such thing for $179 per year. You would be in the thousands for such a thing. |
#20
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Avast fraud
On Thursday, August 21, 2014 3:47:13 PM UTC-4, Todd wrote:
On 08/21/2014 12:11 PM, Higgs Boson wrote: is EXACT WORDS -- that for $179 per year they would fix ANYTHING -- repeat -ANYTHING Dishonest salesman. There is no such thing for $179 per year. You would be in the thousands for such a thing. Anything? Does that mean they'd fix the monitor if it failed? The MB? The printer? Or was it just phone support? It would be interesting to see a link to this anything service. |
#21
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Avast fraud
On 21 Aug 2014, trader_4 wrote in
alt.home.repair: Anything? Does that mean they'd fix the monitor if it failed? The MB? The printer? Or was it just phone support? It would be interesting to see a link to this anything service. Maybe they'll fix the CD drive my kid just shoved a piece of bread into? |
#22
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Avast fraud
Todd wrote in :
On 08/21/2014 12:11 PM, Higgs Boson wrote: is EXACT WORDS -- that for $179 per year they would fix ANYTHING -- repeat -ANYTHING Dishonest salesman. There is no such thing for $179 per year. You would be in the thousands for such a thing. OK, so he sucked as a salesman. |
#23
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Avast fraud
On Thu, 21 Aug 2014 23:37:12 +0000 (UTC), Red Green
wrote: Todd wrote in : On 08/21/2014 12:11 PM, Higgs Boson wrote: is EXACT WORDS -- that for $179 per year they would fix ANYTHING -- repeat -ANYTHING Dishonest salesman. There is no such thing for $179 per year. You would be in the thousands for such a thing. OK, so he sucked as a salesman. Oh stop. You're killin' me Red. What would she pay for Duct Tape on an annual basis? |
#24
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Avast fraud
On 08/19/2014 11:40 PM, Higgs Boson wrote:
Does anyone know of an "ombudsman" type of person or site where I could upload my problems with Avast. They sold me a policy to "fix anything wrong on computer". Not only do their techs not know their *** from their elbow, but their hours and hours of unsuccessful efforts have ****ed up my computer so badly I have lost valuable programs and documents. They do not answer Certified Mail and emails, so it looks like they are blowing me off. Maybe if some entity more powerful than Consumer Sucker leans on them? I understand such "ombudsman" or whatever you call them, do exist, so maybe you resourceful people can direct me. TIA HB Do you have a link to this amazing product? |
#25
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Avast fraud
On 8/19/2014 10:40 PM, Higgs Boson wrote:
Does anyone know of an "ombudsman" type of person or site where I could upload my problems with Avast. They sold me a policy to "fix anything wrong on computer". Not a policy, a package or a program. How did this initial contact with Avast take place? Ordinarily, you just download their free product. If you want to upgrade to the paid version, you just go to their website and make the purchase online. I ask because I'm wondering if you dealt with the third party company that does Avast's phone support for them, and not Avast itself. Not only do their techs not know their *** from their elbow, but their hours and hours of unsuccessful efforts Efforts at what? Your lacks enough detail to make sense. have ****ed up my computer so badly I have lost valuable programs and documents. Avast's own user support forums strongly discourage people from contacting Avast's third-party phone support, because their quality of service is so very poor. Instead, users are encouraged to seek assistance directly from Avast and from other users via Avast's online support forums. https://forum.avast.com Any time you decide to install a piece of software, first look for and bookmark the company's website, and also the support forums for the product. Then, if you have questions or issues, you'll be able to easily find where to get help. They do not answer Certified Mail and emails, so it looks like they are blowing me off. Maybe if some entity more powerful than Consumer Sucker leans on them? I understand such "ombudsman" or whatever you call them, do exist, so maybe you resourceful people can direct me. See the Avast forum link. There are many threads where people post issues and have Avast support directly address them. |
#26
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Avast fraud
On Wednesday, August 20, 2014 7:38:33 AM UTC-4, Moe DeLoughan wrote:
On 8/19/2014 10:40 PM, Higgs Boson wrote: Does anyone know of an "ombudsman" type of person or site where I could upload my problems with Avast. They sold me a policy to "fix anything wrong on computer". Not a policy, a package or a program. How did this initial contact with Avast take place? Ordinarily, you just download their free product. If you want to upgrade to the paid version, you just go to their website and make the purchase online. I ask because I'm wondering if you dealt with the third party company that does Avast's phone support for them, and not Avast itself. Not only do their techs not know their *** from their elbow, but their hours and hours of unsuccessful efforts Efforts at what? Your lacks enough detail to make sense. have ****ed up my computer so badly I have lost valuable programs and documents. Avast's own user support forums strongly discourage people from contacting Avast's third-party phone support, because their quality of service is so very poor. Instead, users are encouraged to seek assistance directly from Avast and from other users via Avast's online support forums. https://forum.avast.com Any time you decide to install a piece of software, first look for and bookmark the company's website, and also the support forums for the product. Then, if you have questions or issues, you'll be able to easily find where to get help. They do not answer Certified Mail and emails, so it looks like they are blowing me off. Maybe if some entity more powerful than Consumer Sucker leans on them? I understand such "ombudsman" or whatever you call them, do exist, so maybe you resourceful people can direct me. See the Avast forum link. There are many threads where people post issues and have Avast support directly address them. I don't know anything about Avast specifically or what this "policy" is supposed to cover. But I would bet that if it's really a phone support contract, that somewhere in there they say that they can't guarantee to be able to fix everything and anything. There are some problems that can't be figured out, identified, fixed, without essentially starting over by re-installing the OS or "as shipped" image. For example, a friend of mine has an issue right now where about every 5 or 10 mins, his PC momentarily stops accepting input from the keyboard and just sits there for 20 or 30 secs. There is only so much anyone can do to try to resolve something like that. You can try to go back to previous restore points, remove any recently installed programs, etc. But that may not resolve it. Over years, more and more software gets added, updated, removed, etc and eventually it's not unusual for there to be some kind of issue that's impossible to identify. To expect them to be able to fix anything is like expecting a doctor to be able to cure any illness. On top of that, the tech support may not be that good anyway. They may be more suited to helping grandma find control panel. The solution is to make sure you know where all your user files, photos, etc are. They should be regularly backed up somewhere other than the system hard drive. Make sure you have them backed up, make note of the apps you have installed, then restore the PC to it's "as shipped" image. I think the vast majority of PCs shipped today have the image right on the hard drive, in a separate partition. They also bug you for a long time when the PC is new to make a set of DVDs from that image so that the PC can be restored from those, if the HD fails. Doing it from the image is faster and easier, if the drive is still working. The help files on the PC or googling a bit should reveal the procedure. Essentially it's pushing a key on bootup to bring up the restore menu. Having done that, then the PC will need to install all the updates that have come out over the years. The whole process can take a couple of hours, but when it's done, you have a clean PC. And people are usually shocked at how fast the PC runs, because a lot of crap is gone. Then you have to copy back your saved user files. |
#27
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Avast fraud
On 8/20/2014 7:54 AM, trader_4 wrote:
I don't know anything about Avast specifically or what this "policy" is supposed to cover. But I would bet that if it's really a phone support contract, that somewhere in there they say that they can't guarantee to be able to fix everything and anything. There are some problems that can't be figured out, identified, fixed, without essentially starting over by re-installing the OS or "as shipped" image. For example, a friend of mine has an issue right now where about every 5 or 10 mins, his PC momentarily stops accepting input from the keyboard and just sits there for 20 or 30 secs. That's a good point, and ties in with the fact that Avast is an antivirus/antimalware package. It is not a product designed to address other issues with one's pc. If Higgs believed that it was an inclusive pc repair product, then either the person who sold it to Higgs lied, or Higgs misunderstood what the product is used for. There is only so much anyone can do to try to resolve something like that. You can try to go back to previous restore points, remove any recently installed programs, etc. But that may not resolve it. Over years, more and more software gets added, updated, removed, etc and eventually it's not unusual for there to be some kind of issue that's impossible to identify. To expect them to be able to fix anything is like expecting a doctor to be able to cure any illness. On top of that, the tech support may not be that good anyway. They may be more suited to helping grandma find control panel. Both true, and again, the best one can expect from the support for an antimalware product is help getting the product to perform its intended purpose. If there are other issues with the pc unrelated to detecting and removing malware, Avast can't address them, and neither will the support tech, since it is out of the product/support contract's scope. Since Higgs' account is so short on details, we don't know if the problems she was having were connected with malware/its removal, or if they were unrelated to it. We don't know if the problems arose as a result of an attempt by the phone support tech to do something with her pc. We don't know if a backup was performed prior to the phone support tech's efforts. Thus, we have no idea what was wrong, when it went wrong, whether it was anything Avast was designed to deal with, and if there is any backup that Higgs could restore her pc back to. Higgs: a number of us on this forum do computer support/service work either as a living or as a sideline. First point that is constantly made to pc users is that data protection is primarily the user's responsibility. It is your data. If you value it, back it up regularly. At a minimum, set up Windows backup to create regular backups. I'd also use external storage - a flash drive or an external hard drive - as a secondary backup. If you find all of this too confusing, there are subscription-based data backup and recovery services such as Crashplan that will, once it is installed, automatically back up your data and store it on the service company's servers, where it is available for you not only in the event of a computer crash/data loss, but also if you are away from your pc and need to access anything stored on it. Second point: don't buy or install anything on your pc - even if somebody recommends it - until you've read up on it and understand what it is used for and how *you* will use it. That includes reading up on competing products that perform the same function. You will then be armed with the knowledge you need to determine if the product will be useful for you, and know what to expect from it. |
#28
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Avast fraud
On Wed, 20 Aug 2014 05:54:48 -0700 (PDT), trader_4
wrote: For example, a friend of mine has an issue right now where about every 5 or 10 mins, his PC momentarily stops accepting input from the keyboard and just sits there for 20 or 30 secs. I've seen erratic behavior in keyboards due to the driver. Another place to look / try is Keyboard Properties in the Control Panel. - Character Repeat - Repeat Delay - Repeat Speed -- Somtimes you just have a bad day at the dungeon |
#29
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Avast fraud
On Wednesday, August 20, 2014 11:35:33 AM UTC-4, Oren wrote:
On Wed, 20 Aug 2014 05:54:48 -0700 (PDT), trader_4 wrote: For example, a friend of mine has an issue right now where about every 5 or 10 mins, his PC momentarily stops accepting input from the keyboard and just sits there for 20 or 30 secs. I've seen erratic behavior in keyboards due to the driver. Another place to look / try is Keyboard Properties in the Control Panel. - Character Repeat - Repeat Delay - Repeat Speed I didn't quite describe it right. It's not just the keyboard, the whole PC appears to just suddenly stop for 20 or 30 secs. For example, if a video is playing, it too stops. I think it's just that it's most noticeable when typing something, because the typing suddenly stops appearing. It happened after having some issue where Java kept wanting to update. Even though we tried to let it update, it would still keep popping up, wanting to update, so intrusively that I wondered if it was really Sun Java or some malware. We removed Java, re-installed, that didn't fix it. Finally went back and did a restore point from a month ago, and that fixed the Java thing. But now it's doing the pause stuff. There are no older restore points to try. So, I think the only solution is to do an OS restore. The PC is about 3 years old, so that may not be a bad idea anyway. |
#30
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Avast fraud
On Wed, 20 Aug 2014 09:16:46 -0700 (PDT), trader_4
wrote: On Wednesday, August 20, 2014 11:35:33 AM UTC-4, Oren wrote: On Wed, 20 Aug 2014 05:54:48 -0700 (PDT), trader_4 wrote: For example, a friend of mine has an issue right now where about every 5 or 10 mins, his PC momentarily stops accepting input from the keyboard and just sits there for 20 or 30 secs. I've seen erratic behavior in keyboards due to the driver. Another place to look / try is Keyboard Properties in the Control Panel. - Character Repeat - Repeat Delay - Repeat Speed I didn't quite describe it right. It's not just the keyboard, the whole PC appears to just suddenly stop for 20 or 30 secs. For example, if a video is playing, it too stops. I think it's just that it's most noticeable when typing something, because the typing suddenly stops appearing. It happened after having some issue where Java kept wanting to update. Even though we tried to let it update, it would still keep popping up, wanting to update, so intrusively that I wondered if it was really Sun Java or some malware. We removed Java, re-installed, that didn't fix it. Finally went back and did a restore point from a month ago, and that fixed the Java thing. But now it's doing the pause stuff. There are no older restore points to try. So, I think the only solution is to do an OS restore. The PC is about 3 years old, so that may not be a bad idea anyway. Personally, I'd try a couple things first. - Disk Clean up - Def rag the drive - Increase the size of the Page File (As a best practice, you need to set page file "1.5 times" the RAM or memory available...) I made my Page File bigger than that "best practice". Windows 7 does a good job of adjusting the size, but I changed the minimum - maximum and you'll see the recommended size. I saw a big increase in speed. Just a thought to consider. *** Change the size of virtual memory If you receive warnings that your virtual memory is low, you'll need to increase the minimum size of your paging file. Windows sets the initial minimum size of the paging file equal to the amount of random access memory (RAM) installed on your computer, and the maximum size equal to three times the amount of RAM installed on your computer. If you see warnings at these recommended levels, then increase the minimum and maximum sizes. Click Control Panel System and Security System In the left pane, click Advanced system settings. Administrator permission required If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation. On the Advanced tab, under Performance, click Settings. Click the Advanced tab, and then, under Virtual memory, click Change. Clear the Automatically manage paging file size for all drives check box. Under Drive [Volume Label], click the drive that contains the paging file you want to change. Click Custom size, type a new size in megabytes in the Initial size (MB) or Maximum size (MB) box, click Set, and then click OK. Note: Increases in size usually don't require a restart for the changes to take effect, but if you decrease the size, you'll need to restart your computer. We recommend that you don't disable or delete the paging file. |
#31
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Avast fraud
trader_4 wrote:
On Wednesday, August 20, 2014 11:35:33 AM UTC-4, Oren wrote: On Wed, 20 Aug 2014 05:54:48 -0700 (PDT), trader_4 wrote: For example, a friend of mine has an issue right now where about every 5 or 10 mins, his PC momentarily stops accepting input from the keyboard and just sits there for 20 or 30 secs. I've seen erratic behavior in keyboards due to the driver. Another place to look / try is Keyboard Properties in the Control Panel. - Character Repeat - Repeat Delay - Repeat Speed I didn't quite describe it right. It's not just the keyboard, the whole PC appears to just suddenly stop for 20 or 30 secs. For example, if a video is playing, it too stops. I think it's just that it's most noticeable when typing something, because the typing suddenly stops appearing. It happened after having some issue where Java kept wanting to update. Even though we tried to let it update, it would still keep popping up, wanting to update, so intrusively that I wondered if it was really Sun Java or some malware. We removed Java, re-installed, that didn't fix it. Finally went back and did a restore point from a month ago, and that fixed the Java thing. But now it's doing the pause stuff. There are no older restore points to try. So, I think the only solution is to do an OS restore. The PC is about 3 years old, so that may not be a bad idea anyway. Hi, In that case, first thing I'd do is open the PC up and clean it right out. Many times over heating is an issue producing many different symptoms. Or run quick diagnostics(like Dell has it available for Dell users) Also make sure the drivers and updates are up-to-date. Logic is the keyword in trouble-shooting. |
#32
Posted to alt.home.repair
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Avast fraud
As others have said, you don't provide any information
about exactly what you signed up for, nor about what was wrong with your computer in the first place. Many things are not fixable by reomte tech support. The only links I see online are for a free "PC repair" tool. Those kinds of tools are generally unnecessary at best. There are hundreds available. Some people swear by many of them, like the popular CCleaner, but if you occasionally clear your Recycle Bin and delete TEMP files, there's nothing else of value that those programs do. So-called Registry cleaners are risky programs that also do nothing worthwhile. Again, some people swear by them but the facts just don't support that view. A Registry cleaner removes maybe 100 or 200 outdated Registry settings that are doing no harm. When Internet Explorer starts up it typically makes about 5,000 calls to the Registry in about 1 second. (You can confirm that with tools from sysinternals.com.) The Registry is a database. Removing perhaps .1% of the values in a database that can handle thousands of accesses per second is clearly not going to have any affect on performance. But that kind of software ia appealing because it makes people feel like they're treating their PC well -- like the satisfaction of waxing one's car. If you really need tech support I'd suggest that you ask around to friends and find someone local. Big companies that do tech support (Staples, for instance) generally just have unskilled workers who are trained to run scripts and software, like anit-virus. Most of what they do you can do yourself. "Higgs Boson" wrote in message ... | Does anyone know of an "ombudsman" type of person or site where I could upload my problems with Avast. | | They sold me a policy to "fix anything wrong on computer". Not only do their techs not know their *** from their elbow, but their hours and hours of unsuccessful efforts have ****ed up my computer so badly I have lost valuable programs and documents. | | They do not answer Certified Mail and emails, so it looks like they are blowing me off. Maybe if some entity more powerful than Consumer Sucker leans on them? | | I understand such "ombudsman" or whatever you call them, do exist, so maybe you resourceful people can direct me. | | TIA | | HB |
#33
Posted to alt.home.repair
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Avast fraud
Higgs Boson wrote:
They sold me a policy to "fix anything wrong on computer". That should be a red flag right there. I've had several boxes that went flaky when the video adapter started to fail. The symptoms don't necessarily point to the card, and replacing it, while easy, isn't something they can do over the phone. We've had clients, supposed 'IT professionals', that have managed to fubar systems. The last part of that acronym is 'Beyond All Repair'. |
#34
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Avast fraud
On 08/20/2014 07:10 AM, rbowman wrote:
Higgs Boson wrote: They sold me a policy to "fix anything wrong on computer". That should be a red flag right there. I've had several boxes that went flaky when the video adapter started to fail. The symptoms don't necessarily point to the card, and replacing it, while easy, isn't something they can do over the phone. We've had clients, supposed 'IT professionals', that have managed to fubar systems. The last part of that acronym is 'Beyond All Repair'. I wonder if Higgs didn't get a hold of one of those fraud criminals that clam to be from this of that company and charge you to fix what isn't wrong. They like camp on type'ed phone numbers similar to legitimate companies. The rule is that only 10% of professionals actually know what they are doing. A good way to tell computer professionals apart is if they are arrogant or they refuse to share information. |
#35
Posted to alt.home.repair
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Avast fraud
Todd wrote:
On 08/20/2014 07:10 AM, rbowman wrote: Higgs Boson wrote: They sold me a policy to "fix anything wrong on computer". That should be a red flag right there. I've had several boxes that went flaky when the video adapter started to fail. The symptoms don't necessarily point to the card, and replacing it, while easy, isn't something they can do over the phone. We've had clients, supposed 'IT professionals', that have managed to fubar systems. The last part of that acronym is 'Beyond All Repair'. I wonder if Higgs didn't get a hold of one of those fraud criminals that clam to be from this of that company and charge you to fix what isn't wrong. They like camp on type'ed phone numbers similar to legitimate companies. The rule is that only 10% of professionals actually know what they are doing. A good way to tell computer professionals apart is if they are arrogant or they refuse to share information. Hi, I tried Avast anti-virus program. It is memory hog, finding that out I dumped it. Did not cost any $$. Worst is they try to come into your computer with your permission of course saying they need to get in there to fix the problem. Then god only knows what they are upto. Any thing is fixable but it is a matter of economics. I help all my friends, neighbors, family with their questions and issues when it comes to with their computer of any sort. After all that was my career for ~40 years.....(in super large scale systems) |
#36
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Avast fraud
On 20 Aug 2014, Tony Hwang wrote in
alt.home.repair: I tried Avast anti-virus program. It is memory hog, finding that out I dumped it. Did not cost any $$. Worst is they try to come into your computer with your permission of course saying they need to get in there to fix the problem. I've been using Avast Free for years and nobody had ever tried to do any such thing. Memory use is on par with or better than most other anti-virus solutions I've used. Right now, Task Manager reports that it's using about 35 MB or RAM. I don't think you know what you're talking about. |
#37
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Avast fraud
Nil wrote:
On 20 Aug 2014, Tony Hwang wrote in alt.home.repair: I tried Avast anti-virus program. It is memory hog, finding that out I dumped it. Did not cost any $$. Worst is they try to come into your computer with your permission of course saying they need to get in there to fix the problem. I've been using Avast Free for years and nobody had ever tried to do any such thing. Memory use is on par with or better than most other anti-virus solutions I've used. Right now, Task Manager reports that it's using about 35 MB or RAM. I don't think you know what you're talking about. Hi, Speak for yourself. Ido myself. |
#38
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Avast fraud
Nil wrote:
On 20 Aug 2014, Tony Hwang wrote in alt.home.repair: I tried Avast anti-virus program. It is memory hog, finding that out I dumped it. Did not cost any $$. Worst is they try to come into your computer with your permission of course saying they need to get in there to fix the problem. I've been using Avast Free for years and nobody had ever tried to do any such thing. Memory use is on par with or better than most other anti-virus solutions I've used. Right now, Task Manager reports that it's using about 35 MB or RAM. I don't think you know what you're talking about. Hi, That is for you, not me.Most of real important work is done using Linux here. I have at least half dozen boxes in the house, monster desk top, lap tops, even old DOS box, etc.All doing it's dedicated tasks. |
#39
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Avast fraud
On 08/20/2014 05:52 PM, Nil wrote:
On 20 Aug 2014, Tony Hwang wrote in alt.home.repair: I tried Avast anti-virus program. It is memory hog, finding that out I dumped it. Did not cost any $$. Worst is they try to come into your computer with your permission of course saying they need to get in there to fix the problem. I've been using Avast Free for years and nobody had ever tried to do any such thing. Memory use is on par with or better than most other anti-virus solutions I've used. Right now, Task Manager reports that it's using about 35 MB or RAM. I don't think you know what you're talking about. Hi Nil, I do not agree. I think Tony is on to something. Avast and AVG are not the sharpest tacks in the box. Check out page 8 of http://www.av-comparatives.org/wp-co...t_2014a_en.pdf Boy, Ahnlabs really sucks! When I hits places with AVG and Avast, I cringe a little because I know I am going to be in for a ride. System with Avast just run a little funny -- can't put my finger on why, though. Most of the time when I hit business with free AVG, I remind them the free version is only for personal use. They get a bit ****ed at me. And, it explains why they are in trouble. They have CABs (Cheap Assed ******* disease). -T |
#40
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Avast fraud
"Higgs Boson" wrote in message
Does anyone know of an "ombudsman" type of person or site where I could upload my problems with Avast. They sold me a policy to "fix anything wrong on computer". Have you a link to whatever it is you bought? I've used avast! for many years...AFAIK, they have no such product. They deal in software, not "policies". -- dadiOH ____________________________ Winters getting colder? Tired of the rat race? Taxes out of hand? Maybe just ready for a change? Check it out... http://www.floridaloghouse.net |
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