toke
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posted on March 29, 2001 06:20:49 AM
I'm getting a strange banner at the top of my pages...intermittantly. It's about 3 3/4" across, and 1" high. The background is yellow, with a 2-ended green arrow on a blue ground. There's a red circle on the far left, that's half filled in with red. Occasionally, it flashes red on the right end of the arrow. The number 252, in black, shows at the bottom.
It goes away by itself after a few seconds...nothing I do seems to affect it.
What the heck is this thing? I'm seeing it fairly frequently. Is this a sign that something is seriously wrong with my system?
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eventer
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posted on March 29, 2001 06:24:23 AM
toke,
Have you been surfing anywhere that might have had one of those horribly annoying popup banners that you might have accidentally minimized?
I do that occasionally, then when the damn thing pops up, it's startling.
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toke
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posted on March 29, 2001 06:27:05 AM
I don't think so... No advertising of any kind...no messages...just the stupid number.
This thing will even pop up on my photo editor while I'm working. Very spooky.
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abacaxi
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posted on March 29, 2001 06:31:02 AM
It's the homing beacon for the (pick one):
A. Black Helicopters
B. CIA
D. Space craft
E. Chupacabra
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toke
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posted on March 29, 2001 06:32:12 AM
I was afraid of that...
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smw
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posted on March 29, 2001 06:53:21 AM
Did you look to see if there is something strange running in the background?
Enlighten me please,....what is Chupacabra ?
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reddeer
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posted on March 29, 2001 06:56:05 AM
Sorry Toke, this is one problem I haven't had yet? Good Luck!
Have you tried dumping your cookies & rebooting?
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vidpro2
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posted on March 29, 2001 06:58:21 AM
Hmmm, why does "dumping my cookies" and "rebooting" take me back to my college days...
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rancher24
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posted on March 29, 2001 07:03:43 AM
Toke, it could be an ad...There's a club around here called "252", heard the commericals on the radio last night while painting...They talk about the club, but keep saying "252" thoughout the ad....
~Rancher
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cdnbooks
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posted on March 29, 2001 07:05:10 AM
...my first ever off-topic post on AW !
Toke, I got my gallery to work finally, thanks for your help
Bill
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RM
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posted on March 29, 2001 07:05:36 AM
Uh oh toke, I think your computer has "boot and mouse" disease. (sorry)
Seriously though, have you done a virus scan lately? I've never heard of the symtoms you describe but a virus scan couldn't hurt.
Ray
[ edited by RM on Mar 29, 2001 11:46 AM ]
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toke
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posted on March 29, 2001 07:07:42 AM
Morning reddeer, smw & all...
This has been going on for a few days...I've only kept password cookies etc.
I wonder if this could have anything to do with the Windows System Monitor? I added that, not too long ago, so I could check my swap file.
I've tried left and right clicking on it...nothing happens. In fact, my mouse arrow disappears when I try to click on it. Tried to take a screen shot...wouldn't show.
Dunno how to check what's running in the background...just the stuff in my tray, right?
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toke
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posted on March 29, 2001 07:12:00 AM
Bill...
Great! What was the problem?
RM...
Yes, I did virus check, scandisk, defrag...the whole nine yards. Norton 1 button checkup said everything was peachy.
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smw
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posted on March 29, 2001 08:42:27 AM
Hit control, alt, delete, in that order and a window will appear with a list of stuff that is running in the background.
Sounds like you have something like a comet cursor that installed itself since your cursor disappears.
Does this thing appear when you are off line too?
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toke
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posted on March 29, 2001 08:53:01 AM
smw...
Yes, I've done the C>A>D... It surprised me to see Explorer at the top. Is that just Windows itself?
I rebooted...didn't open my browser...that little bugger showed up on my desktop. So yeah...offline too.
I called the service tech where I bought my computer...he didn't know what was happening, but told me about the C>A>D.
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reddeer
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posted on March 29, 2001 09:05:43 AM
Toke ....... Yes, seeing Explorer is normal.
Try deleting one item at a time, until all that is left is Explorer and your Sys Tray.
Pause between each program you close off, and take note of what it was. If the freakin thing goes away, you'll at least know what it is that's running in the background.
[ edited by reddeer on Mar 29, 2001 09:06 AM ]
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toke
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posted on March 29, 2001 09:15:20 AM
oops
[ edited by toke on Mar 29, 2001 09:16 AM ]
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toke
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posted on March 29, 2001 09:16:05 AM
You mean close the programs right from the little Close Program screen that you get from C>A>D??
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reddeer
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posted on March 29, 2001 09:17:24 AM
Yes, one at a time. But not Explorer, or your Systray.
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toke
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posted on March 29, 2001 09:21:00 AM
Okay...thanks reddeer. I'll give it a try...
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toke
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posted on March 29, 2001 09:57:48 AM
I'm still plugging along...
What about "Starter"? Is that the start button? Should I delete it?
Ahem...I meant close...not delete 
[ edited by toke on Mar 29, 2001 09:59 AM ]
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reddeer
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posted on March 29, 2001 10:00:47 AM
Starter? I have no idea what that is???
Do you run a program called Starter?
I'd close it off as well. The only 2 you need to leave up are Explorer & Systray.
Damn, I wish Blanche was here.
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reddeer
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posted on March 29, 2001 10:01:29 AM
Yes, don't go deleting anything.
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cletusray
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posted on March 29, 2001 10:06:33 AM
Isn't chupacabra the goat eating monster?
[ edited by cletusray on Mar 29, 2001 10:07 AM ]
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MUSICMAN12533
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posted on March 29, 2001 10:09:25 AM
"boot and mouse disease" ROFLMAO!
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toke
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posted on March 29, 2001 10:12:07 AM
I tell you reddeer...I dunno what Starter is! There are several programs on this list that are total mysteries to me.
I plan to close the little beast anyway, thanks...
This sure points out to me how very little I know. Teaching myself with books and such has left great gaping holes in my computer knowledge...
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reddeer
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posted on March 29, 2001 10:18:14 AM
Toke, well I'm probably the last person in the house who you want teaching you anything computer related.
BTW - When you get everything closed off [except Explorer & Systray] go to Start - Settings - Control Panel - System - Performance, and check what % you are running at. Sometimes when system resources get VERY low strange things can happen.
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reddeer
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posted on March 29, 2001 10:53:40 AM
Calling Toke, testing 1-2-3
What's happening?
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AnonymousCoward
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posted on March 29, 2001 11:24:02 AM
starter.exe seems to be usually associated with a sound card driver. Do you have an ensoniq AudioPCI, or Creative SB PCI 128?
Do a search on Google for every program running and see what you can come up with. You might identify which is running the 252 banner.
[ edited by AnonymousCoward on Mar 29, 2001 11:25 AM ]
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toke
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posted on March 29, 2001 11:31:48 AM
Hey, reddeer...
I'm back. Closed all one by one, except systray & Explorer. Each time, it came back. Closed my browser...still popped up. Did a complete Norton computer antivirus...popped up DURING the scan!
Restarted...it came up again...even before the network password box loaded.
&*&$@$%*!
So, it's not my browser, it's not a virus, it's not one of the programs running in the background... It seems like it must be Windows?
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