OT Things that go bump

BillyBoy wrote on 8/16/2003, 11:58 AM
Why I love to HATE Windows.

I was doing my ususal thing. Crash. Windows reboots. It comes back up, says recovered from serious error. OK fine... I go back to the forum where I was in the middle of writing a reply. I notice right way the Edit Account line is missing, which means the password cookie got blown out. So I ask for a reminder... I check my email or try to, and I get an authentication error. Can't get to my email. So I call Wide Open West. They assign a new password. Ok fine, right? No, it doesn't work. Call back. They do it again. This time works.

What happens with most if not all broadband providers is since you're always "on" they like to reassign your IP address every so often. Ok fine. The problem is this is a totally transparent event you don't know is happening or when it will since it is randomized.

IF and its a big if you happen to be doing certain things with your computer as your broadband provider sends the refresh to change the IP assignment Windows being the piece of crap everyone with computer experience KNOWS it is, is subject to crash.

So while Windows claims it "recovered" from a serious error it doesn't totally. For me I blew out a whole bunch of cookies, some that have passwords meaning I get to do the same dance I just did with SoFo over and over, on top of who knows what else I haven't discovered yet.

Thanks Billy G, who wasted more of my time. Again.


Comments

Jessariah67 wrote on 8/16/2003, 3:45 PM
The rub is, for evey hour of your time that Gates has wasted, he's saved you three days. ; )
TheHappyFriar wrote on 8/16/2003, 4:41 PM
That's wierd. At my weekend job all the computers are on 24/7, includeding an FTP server. When the IP address assigned to the cable modem changes, nothing happens. We have 2 routers hooked up though, maybe that's the difference.
craftech wrote on 8/17/2003, 10:21 PM
The reassignment of the IP address should only occur if you restart your cable or DSL modem or your computer. Winipcfg will tell you your IP address if you are the only one connected to the cable modem. If you are attached to a router, check here:

https://grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2

or here:

http://www.pcflank.com/

Those sites will tell you your true IP address.



Disclaimer: The above post is in no way intended to defend the Windows OS.
jeffy82 wrote on 8/19/2003, 2:22 AM
Billyboy,
Is it possible that it has nothing to do with your IP, but rather the OS creating a new user? I wonder if you might be experiencing the following scenario.

1. A serious event occurs, one deemed a System Failure, the cause may be difficult to pin down exactly, but blaming Ohio seems to work (until you find a better scapegoat).

2. For the "safety" of your Hardware & Software the OS triggers a System Failure & either does and immediate restart or shutdown.

3. In it's attempt to minimize potential hardware & data damage, the OS does not follow the standard shutdown procedures, its just shuts off and/or restarts. As a result, any in use files can be left in a precarious condition. Since XP always seems to always leave the User data hive open, corruption to the user registry hive often occurs.

4. Upon reboot, if the User Registry hive is determined to be corrupted, it will try to recover it, however in reality, it seems more like it creates a New User instead. This could explain why you lost all your cookies. They may actually still be there, but in a different user directory.

5. To recover the data, don't count on system restore, cause it probably won't work. All the times I've tried, it seems that the System Restore index was also lost, so it was like system restore was turned off and then turned back on, all restore data gone. MS does offer a laundry list instruction sheet on how to recover some of your data, but most of the steps take place in dos, so it's a drag.

Conclusion: I really hate the method by which XP handles mutiple users and the dynamic folders. It would be nice if MS implemented some sensible saftey/backup features like having multiple backups of the registry hives (both user & HW hives). This way, you wouldn't lose everything, just a day or so. Would that really be so diffcult? Win98 used to do it.
Begbie wrote on 8/19/2003, 4:59 AM
winipcfg? Who is using win98 here?

Cant really blame bill gates - you have MANY MANY alternatives and most of them are free, more robust and more secure, and are almost never the target of groovy virus.

BillyBoy wrote on 8/19/2003, 8:24 AM
Duh... we ALL use Windows BECAUSE its required to run Vegas. So for anyone to suggest use something else is pretty lame.

And Billy Gates IS TO BLAME. Windows has more holes in it than a pound of Swiss Cheese. The issue is it is so poorly written there are many, many ways for someone playing malicious tricks to cause harm. Example, the current MSblast worm. It wouldn't hurt a thing IF Windows wasn't so porrty written.

Since Microsoft is a giant company with litterally tens of billions of dollars just sitting in the bank you would think they would spend a few buck to truly fix Windows. My guess is the hackers are smarter (in some cases FAR smarter) than the high paid Microsoft engineers that constly end up with egg on their face.