Problems with computer - not technically minded!!

[sandyhaynes]

Hi. New to this site, and hoping for some help. I am not very good with computers, so plain English would help! Computer started playing up about 2 weeks ago. When I log onto internet or e mail (e mail is the worst) it comes up with 're dialing' and sometimes then logs me out, sometimes doesn't. I can be writing an e mail and it will log me out after about a minute of typing.
I've got Norton and have scanned for viruses every week (ish). I did a defrag, don't know what it is but someone told me to do it and how to so I did. Also disk clean up. Norton says system is ok. Sometimes when I log on it says the speed is maybe 14.2 Kbps, where it always used to be 45.2. By the way, we have Windows XP. As I write this its running at 30.5. But even if its on its normal speed, its really slow to do anything. Today I tried to do Norton live updates and after about an hour, logged me off - it had only done 6 out 10 of whatever it is that it was doing!! See what I mean about not being technically minded!
Any help appreciated. Thanks.
Sandy
PS Forgot to say, I did open an e mail which, once opened, looked like it might be dodgy. It said it was from customer services and said you can earn money from your computer, or something. I didn't really read it, just deleted it straight away, but Norton says we have e mail scanning on in and out mail....

 

[Becky]

Hi sandyhaynes, welcome to the site

I'm just going to move your thread to a more appropriate section, you will get a better response.

 

[TECHGUNS]

Do ya have Nortons with everything.
If it has a firewall you should turn off the XP firewall.
Disconnection about every 15 minutes sounds like it.
2 firewalls will conflict. Go to Start-Control-Panel-Windows Firewall

This happens alot when someone does a Windows update because it installs SP2.
XP without the update the firewall is off by default but with SP2 it is on by default, then it conflicts with other firewalls.

 

[sandyhaynes]

Hi Techguns. Thanks for that. Not sure I understand it, but I'll try! What's SP2? Don't know if I have Norton with everything, I only know its Norton 2005.... and I haven't been doing the updates, and someone said I should do them everyday. So will have a go at doing those as well.
Thanks again>
Sandy

 

[Me__2001]

SP2 is a service pack from microsoft, it contains all of the major fixes and improvements, if you run windows update from the start menu it will check for any updates, download all of the important ones.

if you want to update norton, open it up and at the top of it there should be a button saying 'live update' click on that and a window should pop up, click next and let it search for updates, then install what it lists

 

[TECHGUNS]

Please keep all your security updated or you will be back at this forum asking for help.

Thier is more malicous stuff on the Internet than ya hear about. Most people think they dont have to worry about it cause they dont have anything a hacker wants.

Those people sooner or later end up formating the drive and loosin everything.

I know someone that only goes to one or two sites, she doent surf the net, she was hacked.

Keep reading these forums cause you can add multi-layers of extra security for free and if your the average person ya dont have enough.