HELP! I'm a computer illiterate!

[Cashodeen]

I don't know how this happens. I seem to do SOMETHING wrong from time to time: My font size on the internet gets totally screwed up! Right now the font is SO huge, and I can't get it back to normal. Usually when this happens I just use system restore (which sucks). But, I have had it turned off lately because of that blaster virus I had so I have no restore points to go back to. Well, I guess now is a perfect time to learn the right way to get ithe font back to normal!

(And a minor question: how come my home page will change sometimes. I never remember clicking on anything to make it change. It's always a pain getting my regular home page back! UGH... COMPUTERS!)

[~LadyJess~]

To change the font, go to the View menu on your browser and go to text size and you can change it back to normal. If your homepage changes go to the Tools menu and click on Internet Options. Your homepage address should be on there and you can change it back.

[Cashodeen]

Oh, LadyJess, you are the best! That was too easy. How could I not know about the view menu. STUPID STUPID!! LOL. And I knew how to change the homepage back to normal. I just don't get how these get screwed up. As long as I know how to fix 'em, I'm cool. THANKS!

[~LadyJess~]

I don't know how they get screwed but either, but I can fix them. And glad I could help you.

[Kitt]

Originally posted by Cashodeen
I knew how to change the homepage back to normal. I just don't get how these get screwed up. As long as I know how to fix 'em, I'm cool. THANKS!

The site that is taking over your homepage is probably in your computer. You might be able to find it in your programs file. Just look for a progam that you don't recognize then click properties and see what date it was put into your file. That might give you a clue that you didn't purposely download it. Then go to your add/remove program and see if the name of the program is listed there. If so, click 'add/remove. Just be careful that you're quite sure that the program you're removing is the one you mean to remove. I had what is happening to you happen to me and that -- or something else that I will explain in a moment -- is what I had to do. If the program is in your computer, re-typing the homepage you want is only a temporary fix.

There is another possiblility. You might not be able to remove it or even locate it at your add/remove. You might need to type the mame of it on google and then you'll see that that site, or group of sleezeball thingys, has been installing itself into lots of people's computers. Google will direct you to a site that will give you step-by-step instructions on how to get rid of it . It's all a pain, of course, to have to deal with the slimers on the internet but it's best to try and learn the battle plans whenever possible.

[Cashodeen]

Originally posted by Kitt
The site that is taking over your homepage is probably in your computer. You might be able to find it in your programs file. Just look for a progam that you don't recognize then click properties and see what date it was put into your file. That might give you a clue that you didn't purposely download it. Then go to your add/remove program and see if the name of the program is listed there. If so, click 'add/remove. Just be careful that you're quite sure that the program you're removing is the one you mean to remove. I had what is happening to you happen to me and that -- or something else that I will explain in a moment -- is what I had to do. If the program is in your computer, re-typing the homepage you want is only a temporary fix.

There is another possiblility. You might not be able to remove it or even locate it at your add/remove. You might need to type the mame of it on google and then you'll see that that site, or group of sleezeball thingys, has been installing itself into lots of people's computers. Google will direct you to a site that will give you step-by-step instructions on how to get rid of it . It's all a pain, of course, to have to deal with the slimers on the internet but it's best to try and learn the battle plans whenever possible.

Thanks a whole bunch, Kitt! I'm going to do that. Luckily, I haven't had an sleezy pages. This last one was a page from microsoft.com.

[Kitt]

Originally posted by Cashodeen
Thanks a whole bunch, Kitt! I'm going to do that. Luckily, I haven't had an sleezy pages. This last one was a page from microsoft.com.

Okay but bare in mind what I meant by sleazy. I don't mean porn. I mean that they take over without your permission or at least by fooling you into giving them your permission. Good luck.

[Cashodeen]

Originally posted by Kitt

Okay but bare in mind what I meant by sleazy. I don't mean porn. I mean that they take over without your permission or at least by fooling you into giving them your permission. Good luck.

Okay, I thought you did mean that kind of sleazy.

Microsoft.com IS sleazy then! Garsh darn website!

[Penny Lane]

Originally posted by Cashodeen
Thanks a whole bunch, Kitt! I'm going to do that. Luckily, I haven't had an sleezy pages. This last one was a page from microsoft.com.

Isn't ChitChat terrific? I have learned so much about computers by just reading threads like these! Don't fret, I think most of us have had questions. Thanks to all you genius's out there!

[robyrob]

Originally posted by Cashodeen
I don't know how this happens. I seem to do SOMETHING wrong from time to time: My font size on the internet gets totally screwed up! Right now the font is SO huge, and I can't get it back to normal. Usually when this happens I just use system restore (which sucks). But, I have had it turned off lately because of that blaster virus I had so I have no restore points to go back to. Well, I guess now is a perfect time to learn the right way to get ithe font back to normal!

(And a minor question: how come my home page will change sometimes. I never remember clicking on anything to make it change. It's always a pain getting my regular home page back! UGH... COMPUTERS!)

- The font size changing thingee - if you have a wheel mouse, you can accidentaly change the fontsize by holding down CTRL while you roll the mouse wheel

- The changing homepage thingee could be two things:
- something in your IE is corrupt and making it lose the settings - I'd say that depends on what you've added or changed and may be hard to fix but I'd start by resetting everything to defaults
- you have a browser hijacker which can be fixed :

My best suggestion is to:
- first get HijackThis download the prog, then open it, click on the "Misc Tools" button, then the "generate StartupList Log" button. This will scan your system and create a list of everything running with Windows in a notepad file. Copy the contents and paste them here (or PM me if you prefer) then close the program.
- i may not get to it for a day or so, so in the meantime get Spybot (i use both that and AdAware 6
- make sure you have updated antivirus and run a full check, you can get AVG antivirus for free or you can do a free, online scan at trendmicro's housecall
- see if you can get into safemode to see if it runs any faster, it will be low resolution, and will have only the essentials running. While you are in there, do a disk cleanup (on the start menu under Accessories), and scandisk(not a thorough scan). [/B]

there are great instructions on the HijackThis page but Spybot may be able to fix it automatically, which may be an easier solution... and something that you should have installed anyways

[Cashodeen]

Originally posted by robyrob

- The font size changing thingee - if you have a wheel mouse, you can accidentaly change the fontsize by holding down CTRL while you roll the mouse wheel

YES! Now, I know that is exactly what happened! LOL. Thanks to both you and Kitt, I will figure out the homepage change.



Penny Lane, you are so right. Chitchat is the greatest! I knew I would be able to get answers, and really quicky! I posted my question and already had an answer in less than a minute.