Dear Agony Uncle 'Mud'

[Bush Tucker Man]

I have an embarrasing problem, so it's taken me all day to get round to writing to you
:oops:  :oops:  :oops:  :oops:  :oops:

I daren't say....

[Wanderer]

Go on Richard....

Settle down in the chair and then we'll continue.

It sounds like the wife has bought you a BMW X5 for your birthday!

[Stormin]

Ahh! Go on. Do tell. Promise we won't laugh.  :)

[Jake]

Come on Richard, Confess
 :lol:

[Sooty]

Ahh! Go on. Do tell. Promise we won't laugh.  :)

I will if it is funny

[Bush Tucker Man]

Go on Richard....
Settle down in the chair and then we'll continue.
It sounds like the wife has bought you a BMW X5 for your birthday!

B*W :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

She knows better than that. I can't stand the marque at all (bar the early 70's  2002 Turbo)

No, I have a PC problem,and I will freely admit I'm a 'Techno-Luddite' & 'Computer-unfriendly'

Right, I use 'XP Home' & contribute to this 'barmy bunch' via AOL version 8.0 (don't like the current version 9.0)
AOL!!! Some will already have the garlic & crucifixes to hand :lol:

At the moment AOL is changing its access network, for want of a better phrase (I don't know the technical aspects)

So they've been posting a pop-up upon logging on to say (essentially)
'xx number of days left until we change & if you don't download this update, you'll be stuck with 128mb/s'

I'e downloaded the date, but upon trying to open it & let it overwrite (is that the correct phrase??) the current settings, all I get is a window saying
'Bitmap Problem. Cannot continue' (I think that's it)


So what can I do?


ALSO I don't know if it's related, but....

1 Now the PC won't go into 'Standby'. I have the timeout set for 10minutes, I can come back an hour later & it's still on

2. If I try to close down the PC & turn off, it gets as far as 'Saving Your Settings' & no further.
I have to turn it off at the power switch.

Help Me!!


I guess someone who is on AOL will know what I mean about the new network/ access/whatever they're doing


Suggestions in plain English please, not 'computer-ese'


And we're otherwise happy with AOL, so don't feel the need to swap

[Wanderer]

It's more than an agony uncle that's needed here Richard.....

Sorry can't help with A*L

I'm with you on the B*W the 2002 tii was outstanding. I wish I'd never sold mine. Worth a bob or two now.

[beast5680]

well i,m on AOL(yes yes i know before you all flame me) and thats a new one on me but i have updated when i received the new version each time(i dont like ver 9 either but i,ve got used to it) cant say i,ve had that problem but i believe sometimes it can conflict with internet explorer settings and such like

[woody]

AOL :lol:
don't worry if theres oil under your house george w will send some nice gentlemen round (in uniform) to help you with your problem :shock:

[TimM]

It might be time to call it a day and upgrade to A*L 9.0, in your case it might be best to get a version on CD 'available in all good shops' so they say, this would simplify the upgrade, but you would then need to re-enter your username and passwords.

Unless that would be too complicated and hence just downloading the new version online may be easier.

............ Not sure which is better now, it depends on your experience.  :oops:

[muddyweb]

I know this might be a bit of a contradiction in terms, but have you asked AOL Technical Support ?

[Hightower]

have you asked AOL Technical Support ?

I have a friend that tried that once.  Got routed to a very bad Indian support desk who would do nothing until he had confirmed his billing details, including credit card info.  He spent 2 weeks trying to get a problem sorted.
He is now with Force9/Plusnet and has never had a problem . . .  

[Simon_Doc]

Maybe I can shed some light on this matter.
You don't have to upgrade from Aol 8 to 9. The upgrade they mention is to the modem to take it to AOL's new broadband setup that uses a slightly different method of communicating with the modem (For the tech minded AOL are dropping PPPoA and going to PPPoE).

If you look at http://www.aol.co.uk/help/members/broadband/dsl_drivers_install.html
 you can select the correct driver for your modem and download it. **Note** In the case of the Voyager make sure you have the right one. The Voyager 100 modem is a bronzy - silvery colour and the 105 is black.

Installation:
Exit Aol 8. Unplug your modem. Double click the installation fils you downloaded from AOL. When prompted plug the modem back in. You may need to reboot as well, but probably not.

Setting up AOL 8 after:
Simply click the sign on button as usual and then let AOL detect the new AOL Broadband connection.

Don't worry. It's easy to do, takes 5 mins and all should be well again with your AOL 8.

Regarding the standby issue I think it's best to take one step at a time here, so let's get the AOL upgrade done first before we discuss that.

Regards,
Simon

(Computer Engineer and PC Service business owner.)

[littlepow]

got the same problem, got the updates to work after several attempts. Then the modem dissapeared. :shock:  
AOL sent a new version disk and now it's working, (for now) :)

[Bush Tucker Man]

Simon_Doc' & 'littlepow'

'LP'
Thanks, that's exactly what happened to me this afternoon. I lost the modem drivers.
Talked to a very nice lady in Bombay, or somewhere.
Between my regional accent & hers, we got a bit lost.

She's apparantly re-jigged my account to dial-up, but after a 'System Restore' (by about 3 months) everything seems okay, even opened on BB ....... for now

Even the up/down stream rate seems the same as before

'Simon'
I tried to reload from the KEyword list 'Broadband Drivers' & it kept telling me
'BITMAP ERROR'

Then today I got  
Key=software/globespan/virata/asdsl/value-driver type if Ican read my own writing

What's all that about??

[Simon_Doc]

Richard,
The web auto updates from AOL are notoriously flawed, which is why I directed you to the download page in my previous post.
The "bitmap error" you are recieving are from a botched update. The file bitmap which the compressed file is in is corrupted.
Download the correct one manually and install and all should be well.

The  Key=software/globespan/virata/asdl/value=driver type error did you get it before the system restore or when you couldn't connect? I am assuming that is was when you couldn't connect because that error says it can't find the modem details. Upgrading should fix this too.

Simon

[Bush Tucker Man]

I'll try it when I understand it

(computer-illiterate)

[landyman Ash]

Best way to sort AOL I find is with an angle grinder  

[Bush Tucker Man]

Richard,
.

The  Key=software/globespan/virata/asdl/value=driver type error did you get it before the system restore or when you couldn't connect? I am assuming that is was when you couldn't connect because that error says it can't find the modem details. Upgrading should fix this too.

Simon

That was when it couldn't connect

[Bush Tucker Man]

07:25, Wednesday
Same again on shutdown last night

'SAVING YOUR SETTINGS' for 30minutes before I got sick of it  &switched it  off  manually.
 :twisted:  :twisted:
(on wifes Lap-Top now)

I'm cheesed off

Will try tonight about 22:30 on mine

Edit @ 08:20 (wifes Lap=Top)

So do I throw the thing out of the window, or is it curable??? :roll:

Don't really want to turn it on, as I'm expecting the same problem.


Are there any good PC people in my area, willing to help??

[Bush Tucker Man]

Well...
MyPC fired up okay & has accessed AOL without an glitches (so far....)

Waiting to see what happens when I turn it off now :?

[landyman Ash]

Good luck mate!  Fingers crossed for you!  

[rolling thunder]

had all the same problems from aol when updating the drivers spent the last week sorting it all out. some good news we had an email from aol to say because of all the problems they are going to give us two months for free :D  better than nowt i suppose.

[thermidorthelobster]

In my limited experience, AOL is fine when it works, but when it breaks, it's a nightmare, because they try to be too clever.  I set it up for a friend recently, and it took me several hours to work around all the errors which came up - there's no way he'd have been able to do it himself.

One option would be to ditch AOL and get a more straightforward provider instead, which doesn't try to do everything.

Regarding the general problems with your PC, the obvious answer would be to get a Mac  8)  (trigger various people coming out of the woodwork and bashing Macs)

[Bush Tucker Man]

Going to try & shut it down now.

Fingers crossed.

See you all tonight, hopefully, about 22:30 (back to the purgatory of the  NHS   )

[landyman Ash]

Going to try & shut it down now.

Fingers crossed.

See you all tonight, hopefully, about 22:30 (back to the purgatory of the  NHS   )

If we dont, was good knowing you BTM  

[Manicminer]

http://www.wanadoo.co.uk

 

[Bush Tucker Man]

Going to try & shut it down now.

Fingers crossed.

See you all tonight, hopefully, about 22:30 (back to the purgatory of the  NHS   )

If we dont, was good knowing you BTM  

I have returned :D

And it was purgatory, after 6 days away  
Not a nice evening , we had some nasties


Still, I managed to watch the (videoed)last episode of 'The Batman' (SKY-621) when I came home, as 'Small-Child' didn't do her usual trick of crying & wanting to watch 'Little Bear' which is on at the same time.
And an excellent final episode it was too. Now I've got to wait for 'season 3' to commence.

PC functioning fine & closing down as normal
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
For now.
Watch this space

[Bush Tucker Man]

:?  :?  :?

Everything seems to be back to normal now, how long this will last remains to be seen
(I haven't intervened with any settings at all)

So, I'm at a loss to explain why it's doing it


Now I've got time to 'play' though, as I'm off work again. :roll:


Some kind patient broke my nose last night as we were trying to get him to leave.
Horrible nasty little smack-head scrote, that he is.
Still it was nice to see him thrown into a Police van head-first with a resounding thud :D
So I've got a swollen face, crooked nose, black-eye & a bloodied uniform


The only redeeming factor is that he hit me, rather than one of the female staff.
I was sent home by the duty Consultant & she told me she doesn't want to see me back at work until next Saturday

Can't really say too much about it, as he's in custody, & should be facing a (hospital driven) assault charge.

It's the first time I've been properly punched in 5years in A&E, I've been hit & threatened (as have most staff)

Oh, I bet that's cheered you all up now :lol: :roll:

Chocolate & cards to the usual address :lol:  :lol:

[Bush Tucker Man]

Best part of it??

Being fussed over by Alison (Consultant) 3 Sisters & another 2 Nurse.

What more could a man want??