Severe display problems--please help, folks!

[bluenoter]

Update: Read on if you like, but Hallelujah! The problems are gone!
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Folks--

I've PMed Lois, who I know is busy, and also Kevin Bresnahan, who I know is computer savvy, but please help if you can!

I'm having exactly the same problems when not logged in. I'm screwed!!!

I'm in Hybrid display mode and I can't get out. Whether I'm logged in or not, the Thread Tools Cookie for choosing display modes won't hold, even from page to page of the same thread. (When I'm logged in, my User Options are set for Linear mode.)

Some posts, usually in large threads, won't display at all--nothing but a blank white screen. Once in a while, there's an error message related to memory allocation and Threaded mode.

No problems with any other site, including another jazz board that uses a vB version too--a later one.

All this started after I came out of the JC Archives last night.

I'm on a PC, Windows 98SE, IE6. That's my only browser and I don't want to switch!

What I've done:

--Logged out and in again.

--Switched display options in User Options, then switched back to Linear again.

--Restarted my computer, "warm" and "cold."

--Went back into the Archives and returned to the active board again.

--Tried other boards that use vB, including another jazz board. Everything is fine there.

--Ran a virus check.

--Followed the steps in the thread "I'm Verified But I Still Can't Post" for changing my IE6 Internet Options, namely:
-------In Privacy: Removed jazzcornertalk.com from the list, then replaced it as a site whose Cookies I want to Allow.
-------In Security: Unchecked the https:// button, removed jazzcornertalk.com from the "Add to trusted sites" list, then replaced it.

--Removed and replaced my Favorites ("bookmarks") Cookie for JC Speakeasy's URL.

--I even got onto the Internet using a different ISP.

--Did a Scan-Reg-Restore, setting my Registry back to two days ago (the problems began yesterday). That's usually my last resort. I'm screwed!

--Edit: Ran Spybot and Adaware.

--Edit: In Temporary Internet Files, clicked Delete Files/Delete All Offline Content.

--Edit: Changed my Windows display settings, then changed them back again.

--Edit: Ran CCleaner, a Registry cleaner.

--Edit: In unknown order, revisited the Archives, cleared all my Cookies, logged in and out a few million times, reset my JC display preferences a few million times, and

Hallelujah! The problems are gone!

Thanks so much to everyone who made suggestions or simply read the thread, wishing to help!

[bluenoter]

IE6 users--

Could you please tell me whether you're having the same problems?

For example, can you still view posts in the biggest threads?

(Please see #1!)
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Just wanted to repeat that my problems began immediately after I left JC's Archives and returned to the active board.

[bluenoter]

Originally Posted by John P. Cooper

You can use more than one browser on your oc.

I use 3 - IE, N/S and Mozilla...dpending on what sites I am looking at from which point of entry.

Thanks, but I do not want to use any browser other than IE6. I've been using it (and earlier IE versions) to view JC for years without any problems until I returned from the JC Archives last night!

[Ron Thorne]

Originally Posted by bluenoter

IE6 users--

Could you please tell me whether you're having the same problems?

For example, can you still view posts in the biggest threads?

(Please see #1!)
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Just wanted to repeat that my problems began immediately after I left JC's Archives and returned to the active board.

bluenoter-

I'm posting this using IE Version 6.0.2800.1106. No, I'm not gonna ask you to try another browser . . . yet.

I just visited the JC Archives and viewed some posts from The Alley then returned to the Active Board with no incident.

I'm not the one who will likely be able to diagnose and/or offer suggestions to correct your problem, but wanted to report on my recent use of IE for your information.

Question: Are you seeing some posts but others are blank or appear missing randomly? Are the JC graphics visible? I'm a bit confused as to what, if anything looks normal on JC to you now. Based upon what you've stated, I'm frankly surprised that you could create this thread, read or respond to posts.

[Scott Dolan]

Very odd, indeed. I've had no problems whatsoever.


Rita, do you keep your anti-virus and anti-spyware updated?


Sounds to me as though you may have picked up something. Possibly some sort of variant on a hijacker?


Do this. Download Webroots spyware program called Spy Sweeper. Run it. Restart.

http://www.download.com/3000-8022_4-10192729.htm


I don't care if you already have SpyBot S&D, Ad-Aware, etc.......They can't touch this program. There is a free trial version at the link I provided. I was so impressed with it that I bought the damn thing. And I NEVER do that.

Good luck, and let us know how things progress.

[Ron Thorne]

Scott, the link you provided above doesn't seem to be correct. I tried it and got to Download.com but not to the site to download a trial version of Spy Sweeper. I believe the "l" missing from the end of the hyperlink caused the problem.

Here's the full address:

http://www.download.com/3000-8022_4-10192729.html

[Kevin Bresnahan]

Bluenoter, I'm in Taiwan right now on business and I won't be able to help much. It sounds like you've done a lot of the stuff you should do anyway.

Something to try:
In IE, click Tools>Internet Options.
In Temporary Internet Files, click Delete Files but make sure that you check the box that says "Delete all off line content" before you click OK.
Clear all you cookies as well.

It may also be good to go into your video display properties and change the resolution to a different one. If you're using 800 by 600, try 1028 by 768. See if this change on display helps.

Kevin

[bluenoter]

Thanks a million to everyone who has replied (with special thanks to Kevin, checking in from Taiwan)! I'm fried. I'll try some of your suggestions.

Edit: Please see #1 for ongoing updates on what I've done to try to solve the problems.

[Scott Dolan]

Originally Posted by Ron Thorne

Scott, the link you provided above doesn't seem to be correct. I tried it and got to Download.com but not to the site to download a trial version of Spy Sweeper. I believe the "l" missing from the end of the hyperlink caused the problem.

Here's the full address:

http://www.download.com/3000-8022_4-10192729.html

Thank you, Father Thorne!

I did not check my own link.

shameful

[bluenoter]

Hallelujah! The problems are gone!

Thanks so much to everyone who made suggestions or simply read the thread, wishing to help!

Special thanks to Kevin, who checked in all the way from Taiwan and whose suggestion "Clear all your Cookies" may have been the winner.

And special thanks to Ron, who braved the Archives and IE as a test.

[Scott Dolan]

Yay!!!


Rita, you should still check out Spy Sweeper. I'd be willing to bet that you have some nasty shit hiding on your hard drive.

[bluenoter]

Originally Posted by Scott Dolan

Yay!!!


Rita, you should still check out Spy Sweeper. I'd be willing to bet that you have some nasty shit hiding on your hard drive.

Thanks, Scott. I'm satisfied with Spybot and Adaware (as well as a Registry cleaner, CCleaner). I know you said that Spy Sweeper finds a whole lot more, but I choose to quarantine only "critical" bad stuff in Adaware anyway.

I'll probably try Spy Sweeper, but not for a while. I just want to enjoy the status quo right now. (And I never buy anything after the free trial.)

[Scott Dolan]

I never buy anything after the free trial either, Rita.

I actually went to the store and bought this program. It's that good.

Listen to me very closely, there is new and advanced adware out there that can fuck your system up just like a virus. Virtumundo and all the variants of the "winfixer" monster(trust me, you don't ever want to have to deal with that bastard).

Try Spy Sweeper, if you like it, I'll send you a copy of mine for nothing. Adaware and Spyot don't even deal in rootkit spies. nd those are the most advanced and nastiest of them all. SS has even taken care of some nasty's that my antivirus hasn't been able to quarantine, remove, or heal.

Trust me, don't argue this one. Just try it.

[Scott Dolan]

http://www.webroot.com/consumer/prod...c2261a8ac68b24

Check here for more info, Rita.

[Scott Dolan]

Awards



http://www.webroot.com/company/award...c2261a8ac68b24

[bluenoter]

Scott--

Thanks again. I get the message, and I'll check it out as soon as I'm ready to deal with even the simplest new application.

[Scott Dolan]

Some interesting tidbits from a PCWorld review of the top anti-spyware programs:



"Webroot's $30 Spy Sweeper 4.0 removed 90 percent of the spyware components--the highest score--which helped make it the Best Buy among the stand-alone applications. We recommend this product if you already have antivirus, antispam, and firewall software. Of the three all-in-one suites, we recommend Panda Software's $50 Platinum Internet Security 2005. Our pick as Best Buy among the suites, Panda scored the highest of the three in total spyware removal and second-highest among all products, removing 86 percent of the spyware components. Panda also removed spyware without forcing us to make case-by-case decisions."


"Spy Sweeper did the best job of detection and cleanup, removing 100 percent of the BHOs and toolbars embedded in our test PC's browser, as well as reversing all of the browser start- and search-page changes. Panda and McAfee removed 100 percent of the BHOs and toolbars, but they failed to reverse any changes to browser start and search pages. Trend Micro and the ZoneAlarm suite also did not reverse start- and search-page changes, but they did remove 50 percent and 86 percent, respectively, of the BHOs and toolbars. Symantec reversed all page changes but removed just 79 percent of the BHOs and toolbars."


"Besides removing all BHOs and toolbars, Webroot's Spy Sweeper was the only anti-spyware application to detect and remove a particularly nasty variant of Look2Me. This tenacious program hooks into the Windows Logon and tracks the Web sites you visit while also downloading additional spyware and adware."


"Many anti-spyware products try not only to clean up known spyware but also to prevent as-yet unidentified spyware from landing on your machine. To do this trick, they monitor areas of the system that malicious software targets, identify suspicious behavior, and stop it......CounterSpy, McAfee, Spybot, Spy Sweeper, Spyware Doctor, Windows AntiSpyware, and the ZoneAlarm suite all offer some behavior-based protection. Spy Sweeper proved to be the most effective. For more details on how these features stacked up, click here.
"

[bluenoter]

Am I really logged in?



test

[Scott Dolan]

yep

[Scott Dolan]

Of course, nobody's avatar is showing up on my screen now.

[bluenoter]

Hi, Kevin!

My display problems are all fixed! See #1 and other early posts in this thread. And thanks a million again!

However, we got a vB software upgrade today, so now we're all dealing with the glitches that arose from that.