What is PalTalk?

PalTalk is an Internet chat service that allows for text, voice, and video chats as well as instant messaging between various instant messenger applications such as AIM, Yahoo, and ICQ while maintaining a single buddy list. PalTalk is also free though users must view advertisements as part of the deal.

Troubleshooting PalTalk

Unfortunately, problems can and do occur. First, PalTalk is only compatible with Windows 2000 and above. If you have an incompatible operating system, you will run into problems.

Once you’ve confirmed that your computer can run PalTalk, you’ll need to download and install their software and create a user name and password before you can begin using the service. If the installation went well but you cannot connect, then the most likely problem is with your firewall blocking communications.

Firewall Settings

Setting up your firewall for use with PalTalk will vary depending on which Firewall you are using. Most firewalls allow you to specify applications that can communicate through the firewall. For example, to allow applications through McAfee Firewall, launch the Firewall software, click on Applications, view the list of applications, and place a checkmark next to PalTalk. Another example would be Trend Micro Internet Security. In this application, you’d first click Personal Network and Firewall Controls followed by Settings. From there, you would select the firewall profile that you are using, select Edit, click on Program Control, click on Add, and then Browse to the software that you would like to allow. As you can see, the process varies depending on which firewall you are using.

Video Drivers and Formats  

Another common PalTalk issue involves choosing the appropriate video drivers for use with web cams. Generally, updating your video device and its drivers is recommended. If the drivers do not appear in the PalTalk window, try the Microsoft WDM Image Capture option.

The video format needs to be set to the proper capture size which is 160×120. In addition, the RCB color format is preferred, especially if your camera causes errors with PalTalk. Apparently IBM cameras are particularly troublesome with PalTalk unless the video is set to RGB color format.

Slow Performance when Video is Running

Another common issue involves slow performance when video capture is running. What happens is that video is taking up more than its fair share of your computer’s CPU. Fortunately, you can override this by going into PalTalk’s video window and choosing Options. Next, select Video Setup. Select both Slow Video Preview and Slower Frame Rate.

Getting Help

PalTalk has a support section on their main webpage with several options for help including a Contact Us form, FAQs, and Password Reset help.

In AIM program, on my buddy list, I have this group labeled “Underground.” I want to remove it, but each time I delete it, it comes right back. Is there anyway to permanently remove it?

I’m not entirely sure what is going on with your AOL Instant Messenger, so I’m going to give my answer in stages.

Removing Groups in AIM

The standard method for removing groups from your Buddy list in AIM is:

1. Click Setup in the Buddy List window.
2. Select the Buddy or Group name. If you are removing a group, it will remove all screen names that are associated with that group.
3. Click the Remove Buddy button.
4. Click Yes to confirm.

Viruses in AIM

If this doesn’t work, then you probably have a virus or Trojan on your machine. Is “Underground” a group you added, or did it just appear? If it just appeared and you can’t delete it, that is the sign of a virus problem. Although I didn’t find any instances of this particular problem in the AOL forums, there have been widespread AOL viruses that add messages to your mailbox or send emails with links included. They also set up things in AIM that you can’t remove. You may be getting an error message that reads something like: SSIE Exception - Error removing group from list.

Fixing the Virus or Trojan

The first thing you should do is to make sure you’ve downloaded the latest Microsoft updates. You can do that here:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/Search.aspx?displaylang=en .

Once you have done that, AOL has a security article that can give you step by step directions for removing a Trojan or virus from the system. This article includes very specific steps for fixing your system, so I’m linking to it here rather than transcribing the steps: http://www.aim.com/help_faq/security/trojan.adp

Downloadable Fixes

Several programmers have come up with downloads that should identify and clean viruses from your system. They will delete problem files and remove registry keys. One to try is AIM Fix: http://www.raymond.cc/blog/archives/2007/03/02/fix-aol-instant-messenger-related-viruses-with-aimfix/

You can also try standard downloads that identify and remove viruses from your system. Try Trend Micro Housecall: http://housecall.trendmicro.com/ , and Paretologic Antivirus: http://filetonic.com/tools/company/paretologic-products/antivirus-plus/ .

Hopefully, finding and clearing out any viruses will let you delete this group permanently. In the future, to avoid viruses, make sure that you:

1. Run good virus software often.
2. Install any Windows updates as they come out.
3. Use a good firewall.
4. Run an adware and spyware program for protection.
5. Be careful clicking on links that you aren’t sure are safe. Many viruses appear to come from people on your Buddy list. You will get an email that says “Check this out!” or something similar. By clicking on this email, you will be directed to a website that will download a Trojan or virus onto your machine. From there, it can easily infect everyone on your Buddy list.

After downloading the new google, I now get an “error downloading” window upon startup of my computer. [rndll]

Google Chrome

Google Chrome is a brand new web browser recently released in “Beta” mode. This means that Chrome has been tested in controlled environments and is “almost” ready. Unfortunately, it also means that Chrome Beta users can expect their fair share of errors and bugs. It’s impossible for software developers to dream up every possible scenario that their product will encounter including conflicts with operating systems, hardware, installed applications, and the countless configurations of computer systems. Currently, Chrome works with Windows XP SP 2 (or above) and Windows Vista.

Current Known Issues

As of this writing, over 30 known issues with Chrome are posted on the Google Chrome Help pages. None of the known issues describe your error downloading/rndll error though.

Uninstall and Reinstall

The first thing you can try is to uninstall Google Chrome and then reinstall the latest version. It’s possible that a glitch occurred during the first installation attempt. Of course, if Chrome never installed correctly in the first place, this may or may not be an option at this point.

Checking Your Installation

You can check to see if your installation has installed despite the error message by clicking Control+ALT+Delete and opening Task Manager. Click on the Processes tab and see if GoogleUpdate.exe is listed. If so, then the installer is on your computer and you can then manually complete the installation.

Now, go to the Start button, click on Run, and type in:

%LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Update\Download

Is there a file called “chrome_installer.exe” and a second file that begins with the word “gears” and a file extension of “MSI”? If so, their file sizes should be 7.34 MB and 993 KB respectively. If so, they were successfully downloaded.

Now what?

Google’s installation troubleshooter at this point tells you to try the download again while watching the Processes tab in Task Manager. If Chrome_Installer.exe appears in the processes list, then it is being run successfully - but something is interfering. Google wants users to then create a log file so that they can investigate further. This is a complex process. If you’d like to try the Installation Troubleshooter yourself, go to Google Chrome Issues: Troubleshooting. Another good resource is the Google Chrome Help Discussion Group.

Reporting Errors

While you may have to live with your Google Chrome issue for the time being, you should report the error to Google so that they can fix it. Known issues don’t become known issues until users report them. You can report your error at the Google Chrome Help Web site’s Support Options page.

How do I create or design my web site page to show off my catalog items and create a shopping cart for customers to place orders for the items once the site is completely automated or done? How do I go about getting traffic to the site to get residual orders for new or old product items listed in the catalogs?

Set up an Ecommerce Shopping Cart

Creating a Web Site Catalog

You have two basic options when it comes to designing your web site: simple and basic or intricate and complicated. If you are a novice at web site design, you might want to consider using a hosting service that will help you to set up your site with little technical input from you.

If you want to save money, you can use a website builder that allows you to create everything on your own. Website builders work simply with text and image input. This is the best option for a novice web site designer. For those who are either more ambitious or skilled with some web site design background, website design software will allow for the creation of more sophisticated web sites. Adobe Dreamweaver or ColdFusion are two of these more sophisticated programs that can be used to design a web site.

In particular, web site design software for eCommerce sites will be your best bet to assist you with creating the catalog. Before you purchase any software, make a list of all of the features that you want for your web site and look for software that offers all of this.

Creating a Shopping Cart

Designing a shopping cart for a web site is necessary when you aren’t using a hosting plan that features shopping cart program. Several software packages are available for purchase to help you with this task. Additionally, several tutorials are available at the following link that will show you how to build your cart: Shopping Cart Tutorials.

Creating a Shopping Cart with PayPal

If you do not want to go about setting up a merchant account, you can use PayPal’s shopping cart software. With a merchant account, you need to set up a business license so that you can accept credit cards. PayPal’s service processes the customer’s credit card for billing and deposits the money into your PayPal account. A small percentage of each order is charged by PayPal. The checkout for your web site will be set up on PayPal’s servers and you won’t need to install any software. Set up is minimal and involves a small amount of HTML.

Drawing Traffic to a Web Site through the Web Site

Increasing traffic to your web site can be accomplished in several ways. Incorporate strong Meta Tags for your website using keywords that have relevance to your web site. Meta Tags are used by search engines as well as people who are browsing the Internet.

Use SEO practices specific to the content of your web site. Important keywords can be used in your labels and descriptions of your products. Use a descriptive Title. Avoid overuse of keywords since this will go against you.

Register your web site with the major search engines: Google, AltaVista, Lycos, and Yahoo. The instructions to do so can be found on each search engine’s website.

Create links with other websites. This can be accomplished by trading ads, banners, and more.

Drawing Traffic to a Web Site outside the Web Site

Compose a newsletter to send to customers who sign up so that you can develop an ongoing interest in your products.

Advertise your website wherever you can, but in a legitimate way. Visit forums to see if anyone is looking to purchase any of the products that you sell. If they are, then you can point them in the direction of your web site.

Create a customized signature for your email and include the name and web address of your web site. Post business cards on public bulletin boards.

My Facebook and Myspace are all messed up. I’ve reformatted my computer and it hasn’t helped. Both sites randomly delete info, and delete friends. Neither site even allows me to add any friends. I’ve changed passwords, and run virus scans. I’ve heard that active X control errors might have something to do with it.

As it seems that only these two social networking sites are affected, the problem is most likely with something that you are running, either on your computer or with your Internet Service Provider. If you are receiving specific error messages, it might be easier to pinpoint problems with the websites themselves. Here are some suggestions that have worked with other users experiencing the same problems:

1. Switch computers or change your web browser. If you can access MySpace and Facebook from another system, it will confirm that the problem is with something you are running. Several users have reported an error called Transport Error #400 when using Firefox that disappears when they switch to Internet Explorer.
2. Delete your history and your cookies for both websites. To clear your history, log onto the Internet. From the toolbar, select Tools, then Clear Private Data. Make sure Cache is the only thing that is checked and then click on the Clear Private Data button. To clear your cookies for both MySpace and Facebook, log onto the Internet and click on Tools. Click on Options, then Privacy and then Show Cookies. Remove the cookies for Facebook and MySpace - don’t click on Remove All Cookies, because there is no way to undo it once they are removed.
3. Check your security software. This could be the result of java script being blocked by your security software, particularly Norton Internet Security. You can test for this by temporarily disabling your security software and see if you can access the websites without problems. Make sure that you only disable this temporarily because if you leave it off, you are vulnerable to many problems that will make your situation worse. You can set most systems to drop for a limited amount of time - an hour is probably the longest you want to go without protection. If this works, we can research ways to work around NIS permanently so that you don’t leave yourself vulnerable.
4. Check Parental Controls. You parental controls may have been set to block aspects of Facebook and MySpace - either on accident or on purpose by someone who is parental. IF you have access and can change the parental controls settings (such as if you are the parent), here is how to do it on Windows Vista. If you can’t change your parental controls, it’s time to go and talk to your parents about responsibility. Go to the Start button on your computer. Click on Control Panel, then User Accounts and then Family Safety. Click on Parental Controls. In the User Account Control Window, click Continue. Click on Parental Controls. Your Current Settings and Restrictions will appear on the right side of the screen. See if any of these include MySpace or Facebook. To check Parental Controls in Windows, go to My Computer then Control Panel and then Internet Options. Click on Content. Under the Content Advisor tab, click on Enable. Here you can adjust for acceptable exposure. It will prompt you to enter a password to save the controls.

I think that one of these solutions will work for your problem. If not, feel free to come back to us with specific errors, or contact tech support at: www.filetonic.com/support .

How can I recover any data or chat-related messages from a “Myspace” account?

Recovering myspace chat

Myspace.com (Myspace) is a popular social networking website giving registered users the chance to share information through uploaded files, chat, and email message formats.

The communication between members is all conducted through the Myspace website, and therefore the information is stored on server computers. There is very little, if anything, stored on the user’s personal computer other than a cookie to remember log in information.

Deleting Myspace data

If you need communications you deleted, try contacting Myspace’s technical support team.

The message or chat log may or may not be recovered depending on if it even still exists on the server and the reasoning behind the request. For legal proceedings, you should have appropriate documentation from an authority or court. Don’t count on cooperation without a court order for civil proceedings, like a divorce, especially if a profile is private.

Backing up chats on Myspace

One way to keep a “back-up” of your chats and messages is to use a key logging type program to “record” your keystrokes and other information sent across your Internet connection. However, the value of these files is questionable. The files are great if you just need a reference, but they may or may not be admissible in any formal proceedings. Also, the storage of these files on your computer open you up to others stealing any personal information you typed.

Monitoring activity of children

Parents can use monitoring programs to see what children are transferring across the family’s Internet connection.

For problems related to Myspace accounts of those under the age of 18, Myspace now has a special section for parents. Any parent can request a removal of their teen’s account, and work with Myspace staff to block any future attempts at registering with the site. While Myspace is able to give parents access to a teen’s account by resetting the password to one of the parent’s choosing, the site may not be able to recover any messages or chat logs the teen deleted.

Myspace wont help much

Overall, unless the data or messages are yours and needed for non-legal reasons, like say an old friend gave you their new cell phone number in a chat and you didn’t get to write it down, don’t expect Myspace to cooperate. For one, it is not easy to recover anything from a server, and especially not for a site as large and global as Myspace. In fact, there is nothing in Myspace’s FAQ or Technical Help section that gives any indication data recovery is possible. So the chief reason Myspace may not recover your message or chat log is simply an inability to do so.

You may need some legal pull

Assuming Myspace could recover the lost communication, even with a court subpoena, Myspace will probably try to fight the order since it jeopardizes their business. Myspace is free to users, but the site still makes a great deal of income from advertisers and endorsements. If users think their personal communications, and chat and email are generally thought of as private, are overly monitored or turned over to be used against them, they won’t participate. Without users to participate, Myspace loses advertising revenue. This is the chief reason why social networking sites, and even search engines, have fought recent court orders with crack legal teams, not as a protection of privacy, but as a protection of profit.