A thread for boring computer questions.

http://arstechnica.com/articles/paedia/malware.ars

It might make things clearer.

If you're *really* stuck, Windows does have a Unix-style /etc/hosts file hidden away in the depths; you might be able to hack that about to get it to work.

(on my work box, which is running XP Pro, it's C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc\hosts)

But, as Ed said, you're probably better off going dual-boot and running Apache on Linux.

Anyway, my Windows machine is an inferior piece of crap, part MMLXXXIV.

Start->Run

Type cmd

and type: ipconfig

and you'll get a line that says something like: IP Number: 192.168.0.2

If this changes after a reboot, then you've been assigned a new one (this gets more complicated if you're on some sort of wireless network or internal network).

I wouldn't worry too much about being hacked. Whilst it is possible, the media makes it seem much more likely than it actually is. Taking sensible precautions (firewall for example, not running executables you get in emails) is usually good enough.

Windows only allows IP addresses for the DNS servers, and not FQDNs, unlike UNIX TCP/IP stacks which can use both forms.

http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;1784110589;fp;2;fpid;1277378924

Well, that's stupid.

If this changes after a reboot, then you've been assigned a new one (this gets more complicated if you're on some sort of wireless network or internal network).

You can also try to force them to reassign you by typing: ipconfig /release

(although they may well just reassign you the same address right back)

Does being able to do this win you anything? Surely it's not going to work unless you have the FQDN mapped to the IP number in /etc/hosts, which kind of defeats the point unless I'm missing something.

Maybe this article will help; it all seems quite possible:

http://www.desilva.biz/apache/virtual.html

http://www.grisoft.com/us/us_index.php

I think it's on one of the advanced tabs on Control Panel->Windows Firewall.

Right. So I downloaded all of the above. The only one that would even run was AVG, but that froze after 10 minutes. The others wouldn't run at all, as the PC did its usual "not enough active memory, please close some applications and try again" trick - EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE OPEN AT ALL.

What I'd really dearly like to do, is reformat my hard drive and start the whole thing from scratch. But I don't have a Windows disc. Any free alternatives to Windows? I've been considering Firefox, but that's just for tinternet, right? How does Linux work?

Ug.

If this sort of fannydangle is anyone's bread and butter - any help gratefully taken.

(people here have had the same problem)

so, you're right, i'd have to get someone else to d/l it for me, but i couldn't actually *use* it, could i? it's just a demo, right? hmmm.

with every passing day, i realise how little i actually know about computers is in inverse proportion to how much my family thinks i know. gah.

I usually hate reccomending people do this due to the amount of unscrupulous PC shops there are out there taking advantage of people lack of knowledge.

A knoppix CD would get you up and running for most things but in the long term having your PC back with an installed OS is reccomended.

Boot your PC in Safe mode

Run the aforementioned programs.

Now make sure you have some kind of software firewall that starts up when windows does and restart your machine.

aha! now that sounds more than plausible. it seems to be trying to run various things on start-up, then not being able to find the executable files, and thus getting confused and crotchety (or is that me?).

Now, how do I run msconfig? Where/what is it?

Haha I ran AVG on Friday. It found 1,002 - that's ONE THOUSAND AND TWO, folks - viruses on my PC! Mainly trojan horses, but a handful of dialers too.

I've deleted the lot, natch, and done the msconfig thing, and still there are pop-ups on start-up, and problems finding applications (especially the defrag button), and now I've just installed my digicam picture viewer and suddenly AOL won't connect to the interweb anymore! Argh!

Or - can you justify buying a new one?

*Blushes*

Express is a smaller and slightly slower wireless transmitter, but it does something Extreme doesn't do, it allows you to play music wirelessly into any old stereo (and it plugs right into the electrical socket in your wall).

I think this is right.

What is the difference in speed between the two?

A little backstory-I currently have my Powerbook anchored to cable modem in the corner of my house, but considering long-term costs I am thinking of getting Airport (our only phone jack is in the kitchen) and switching to DSL. I just worry about everything slowing down.