problems setting up new dell on xp,settings etc

[nik]

hiya pc people...
i really need some help with a new pc i have just bought.
its a new/refurbished dell dimension 3100c which i purchased in the hope that i will be able to use if for music production as well as for internet usage etc.

to get to the point,,,,as soon as i set it up,following the norm procedure etc...i installed my blueyonder disc for my internet and at end of installation i got a macafee msg saying it had found and supposedly cleaned a trojan..and there were then error messages on the pc at end of installation of the disc.i have used this disc before and never had any probs...and it had installed the drivers etc for blueyonder internet which i use as homepage etc.

but....soon as i look on homepage,display of text is really small (xp by the way) on the screen which ive never had before also,as my optiplex before was fine with all display,graphics etc...also the internet pages have a 2 inch gap down either side,homepage included.

this is first apparant problems i was aware of,and not being an expert much at all with all features of xp and or pc terminology etc,i had no idea what could be wrong..please help...i phoned dell,they told me to restore to fac settings,so i did but makes no difference,also i instantly registered with macafee online,but then the pc will not let me loggin or change my password to the macaffee site,...and i managed to change text size for some pf the display on advanced settings in the "display" option in comtrol panel,but it still isnt really what it should be ...really,and still this annoying 2 inch gap on sides of pages on net...and its running really slow,even slowere than my much smaller spec and p3 optiplex ...and main reason i bought it is cos its a p4,should be faster,3 ghx processor etc..also it has frozen a bit,not loading pages properly etc..the list goes on.

i really need it for work etc,and dell are now saying they want me to reinstall all software etc..so theyve sent me a bunch of discs...and say theyll go through it with me.. i just want normal xp,running smoothly as it should on an as new pc like this..with no graphic problems,text size,internet display,and possibly trojans or spyware on it.. i hope some1 knows about this and can please help me to some degree..im despeerate here..:x:

 

[Karanislove]

at end of installation i got a macafee msg saying it had found and supposedly cleaned a trojan..

First of all, ditch McAfee and install Avast or AVG antivirus, they are free and better than McAfee...

soon as i look on homepage,display of text is really small

Press and hold control key on your keyboard and now sroll your mouse simultaneously... On one side size will increase and will decrease on the other side of scroll... Also if you go to View > Text Size, you can change it from there...By the way, it will only work in Internet Browser..

Another tip: If you are using Internet Explorer then ditch it and use Firefox or Opera, they are free and better than IE...

but then the pc will not let me loggin or change my password to the macaffee site

I didnt understand this question properly:confused:
You cant login into your PC? or you can login but cannot change the Password on McAfee website??

i managed to change text size for some pf the display on advanced settings in the "display" option in comtrol panel,but it still isnt really what it should be

Do you mean to say that whole OS's text is very small??
For this you can try this, RightClick MyComputer > Properties(Display; its the same place where you been through control panel) > UnderSettings Tab reduce the screen resolution and press apply...

...and its running really slow,even slowere than my much smaller spec and p3 optiplex

It also depends on the processes you are running on your computer as well...

i just want normal xp,running smoothly as it should on an as new pc like this..with no graphic problems,text size,internet display,and possibly trojans or spyware on it.

I would suggest you to go through [link=http://www.hardwareforums.com/windows-xp-security-guide-9738/]Windows XP Security Guide[/link] for this....

 

[nik]

hi....

im deffo planning on ditching macafee...as soon as its all sorted..as i was always using avg before on old pc..but even after i did a restore to fac settings as advised by dell i put my anti spyware on it first before installing the blueyonder this time...and that also said it had detected something,spyware or something..which it said could affect things in internet explorer etc...

and i dont understand..the minute i connect to net on the new pc,the security programme saying it has detected some bad crap on it...then as i say...or maybe o fogrgot to mention.....my search bar on my homepage is covered by a tab which shouldnt be there..and never was before on old pc (also xp and a dell)..and it will not allow me to click my cursor into the search bar to type anything...so i cant use my blueyonder search bar on homepage...ok,i can install firefox etc...wghich i would anyhow..as had both before..but i still want my blueyonder homepage working as it should...

and also this problem of size of internet pages...does any1 know anything about this....as ive yet to find an answer to this problem...the 2 inch gap down sides...never had this problem before...and i want normal full screen display..for internet pages again..as had on old pc...it doesnt make sense why it should be like this...not to me anyhow..i was lucky enough to get a second hand dell before which had perfect display etc...

 

[nik]

..the text issue....

yea..really it was the whole os text display which was terrible ...on this new dell..

but especially the internet pages...was unreadable...so tiny....i mean why the heck would you set up a new pc and the display text etc would be like this...it seems ridiculous.surely thats not right.

i did go to control panel as mentioned and changed the size there...but it still appears smaller on some internet things ...and is no where near as consistent as it was on the optiplex i bought second hand which has xp on it too...so i dont get it.

it would seem it has come with some kind of spyware or trojan already on it...nice of dell...very thoughtful,unless im missing something...but they now want me to reinstall the whole lot...so theyve sent me loads of cds..so that should be fun....:( ...mmm.

but i have a file of stuff i need to save somehow too..i want to transfer it to my sons pc in his room..which is running off this pc's wireless router...then ill do this dell reinstall thing...

oh yes..and at moment i have hardly anything running on the pc..as i say..its NEW....and i havnt even put my music progs onto it yet...ive next to nothing on here..its as was when bought...but its running very slow....and its a p4..........my old optiplex 20 g hd pc was performing faster than this..and thats a p3..and much smaller .....i mean i got this cos i needed a faster pc..and i thought p4 was faster than p3...know what i mean...:eek:

 

[Karanislove]

...but it still appears smaller on some internet things ...

Press and hold control key on your keyboard and now sroll your mouse simultaneously... On one side size will increase and will decrease on the other side of scroll... Also if you go to View > Text Size, you can change it from there...By the way, it will only work in Internet Browser..

I think u r not reading my reply properly...

they now want me to reinstall the whole lot

Its good to have windowz installed by yourself coz u can put only those programs into it which are required not all the extra stuff which comes out with the Dell cds like itunes etc etc....Unless u require them.. As you said that your new system was installed by Dell then it means u must have lots of useless stuff on it. Also, as you are comparing it with your old system, which windows you have got in your old system?

 

[nik]

hi..yes..hooray..last night dell phoned and helped me to reinstall from scratch with their xp cds...and its alot better..no more tab obscuring my internet search bar etc..( btw this want a pop up..but was something else..)
..and also the graphics seem alot better..and i havnt got any excessive progs i dont need now..

but........................................

i still have the same problem with my internet pages on IE being 2 iches thinner than they should be..which as i say i never experienced on the older optiplex pc..which was on win xp pro as well...as you asked...

the only thing i can think of which may have caused it..is that i had my anti virus etc all on when i was installing my blueyonder cd for internet set up etc..and maybe somehow..it has stopped some feature of the IE whilst setting up etc...as i just read somewhere that you should turn your anti virus etc off while setting up IE...but im not 100% sure....i was thinking i could try to uninstall the blueyonder...from IE..and do it again with the anti virus off..and see if it sorts it out...but im not even sure how to do that properly either...as blueyonder doesnt apprear now in my programmes list in control panel...only the blueyonder support tool is there as a prog...but its my homepage now...and set to it in internet options....

if you could tell me if you think this might sort the display thing out..pls tell me..and how to do it for best..thanks

 

[nik]

oh...and btw..i did read what you said...but at the time it didnt work..but now..as i say..with the clean reinstall..the graphics and display is alot better...just a bit weak on colour i notice...esp on the new lcd screen...hmm

also...lol..i clicked on "accessibility " in the accessories menu...just out of curiosity..and although i didnt purposely change anything..it automatically changed the size of my top bar..you know the title bar.whatever its called..right at top of pages.....@?*(.....so i tried going bk to origional..but it wouldnt..and i dont know how to restore to defaults..just for display setting etc ....which is not good...so ive had to do a restore point already.....so im back to yesterdays point now...and id just downloaded some progs i need too.....any ideas how to sort that 1..???