GO down to the message to David, this is serious, and it's AOL and Viewpoint Media Player!
You ARE at risk on this one.

Old message:
Not getting e-mail again, so please post anything for me to check if I fixed it.
Thanks everyone,

Sorry, Sheila. I would help but we can't get member's email addresses anymore.

write to me at:
jtreiman(at)att(dot)net and I will respond
(fill in (at) with @ and (dot) with .)

What I mean is, post here and I will see if I get the message about a post.

I didn't get any e-mails from the recent posts I made, and they were answered, so I should have gotten a notice.

Debbie,

Well, after talking to you guys, I realized that COMCAST didn't fix my problem after all!!!!

The Board had nothing to do with any of it!!!!

I had them on the phone for 2 days helping me get things worked out, and just when things were getting better, and I thought it was fixed, it starts all over again.

Thank you for letting me know about this, and I have since found out, that all the fixes I made to my computer because of Comcast, are right back where they were!!!

So, needless to say, the board didn't do any of it. Turns out that I have missed almost all of my e-mails for 4 days, and only received junk mail! Wow, pretty bad since it was supposed to be blocking the Junk and not my mail huh?

COMCAST Customers! You may never be able to use your internet connection the same way again. I am of the opinion that they are trying to ruin us all, and they are doing a good job too.

Oh, and get this.... the last time I talked to them, they say I don't exist!!!!
How's that for service?

Sounds like its time for a change.

David,
Your right, and after spending half the night going over my computer with an IT pro, I found that it is also AOL's Viewpoint Media Player too. Seems AOL is collecting information on everyone, and they can't even detect it, and that it's believed to be some of the problems that are popping up for Comcast too!

Viewpoint is invading everyone, without their knowledge, and it's causing a real stir.

It collects information from your computer and sends it all around. It interferes with many servers, and jams them up and changes some of their program functions.

I would suggest that everyone get their security current, and keep it off their computer.

I had just installed my new version of Norton and it kept popping up with a notice that Viewpoint Media Player was trying to download from my computer!!!
Even without permission, it messed with my mail, and I have since found out that it is doing it with more and more programs and internet connections.
It's a serious problem, and has been found to be more, than what was previously known about it.

Once on, you can't get it off because it hides files all over your computer.

Take notice eveyone, this one is going to be hard to get off.

It DOES NOT harm your computer, but you can't stop the downloads or stop it from hiding, and sending information about what you look at back to many many venders and those who collect it for spam purposes.

Link to a small rundown of the problem.

http://www.experts-exchange.com/Security/Q_20881523.html

Just one more reason I'm considering a Mac.

Good Luck Everyone!

Sheila,
Do you actually need AOL? I have broadband through Comcast and get my mail through them and have no problem getting to anything else on the web I want to see or use. I did make a change to the mail so that I can use Outlook to read and send messages but I set the preferences box so that the mail is available through Comcast also. I am no expert, but unless AOL offers something great and wonderful, paying for it on top of what Comcast charges is overkill.

John,
Actually, you don't even need to have AOL on your computer! This program will put a link on your computer just because you are in a site that has the Viewpoint connection on it, and it's everywhere.
The reason I mention Comcast is, it has caused a problem with the Comcast connection and changes the Comcast e-mail without you even knowing it, and without any AOL on your computer.

I used to use AOL and now I use Comcast, I deleted all AOL on my computer long ago, and it has changed my computer at least 3 times that they can tell. And did it without me finding out about it until I installed my new version of Norton Antivirus.

It is the only way to tell that it is even working on your computer. Your Antivirus should tell you about it, but some don't.

I asked my kids to check their computer, and 3 of them had hidden files too! and they don't use AOL, and never did! So it's more complicated than was thought before.

I'm not real computer savy so I plan on getting the IT guy to make my computer do what I want it to do and NOTHING ELSE, or change to a Mac, which I understand is better at not getting all of these problems.

I just want a computer that lets me write a letter and store pictures, and that's it. OK, maybe be able to play Free Cell too, but it sure would be nice to own one that does what YOU want, and not let ANYTHING in to change your preferences.

Is this stuff ever going to end?

Hello Sheila, It sounds like you may have some problems that Norton is not finding. I have had problems with Norton in the past and have discarded it in favour of Vet. I only use the virus protection part.
For the rest you might like to try this adware which is a free program. Commercial versions are also available the most popular being add-aware or spy bot. I use the latter. A look at their webb sights will also give you a lot of interesting information about what is going on inside your computer that many do not realise.

Stephen,
It was only when I installed the Norton that I got a notice of all of the times that Viewpoint was trying to get into my computer!

I had not used it for some time, and I went ahead and got the latest version and installed it, and WOW, the first time I went online, Norton notified me that Viewpoint wanted to download the Player. After that, on EVERY page I went to, it was there, trying to download.

I had no idea it could also mess with my e-mail until I posted here, and then asked a IT guy that my friends know about my e-mail, and he said that the Viewpoint could indeed mess with my e-mail, especially Comcast.

I don't know how it all works, but it likes servers, and even gets into them and places things on them to pass around, but it also jams them up.

What is so crazy to me is, that none of my kids knew that they were getting hit with it either, and none of them have AOL, and never did, and yep, they did get the download and didn't even know it until I told them to look.

Computers and their programs are getting so crazy these days, and I just want them to stay away from my computer. However, I don't think this is going to happen any time soon.

Just going online makes us a target. Poo......

Stephen,
I forgot, I did look at the Adware page and it looks interesting, I will check it out a lot more this evening, cause I sure could use something better. I like the new NOrton, but it's so confusing.
Thanks for the link.