PC Problem - I Can't Open My Netscape Mail Box

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Eyeball
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PC Problem - I Can't Open My Netscape Mail Box

#1 Post by Eyeball » Mon Jan 08, 2007 10:35 pm

I know this is not the pc fix it forum, but you guys are really sharp so maybe someone can help me.


Today all of a sudden I clicked on my desktop shortcut for my NS e-mail program and I cant open it. Period. The shortcut won't open the mailbox.

The only thing that happened was when I logged on, I got a big window from NetScape that asked if I wanted to create a user profile. I x'ed it out, b /c I have a user profile, I guess. I had gotten that window before a few times since the EL mess-up mentioned below.

Then I went to open the mail box and the desktop shortcut does not function. It is like a ghost w/o a connection to a solid entity

NS has been a little weird on my PC ever since the clowns at E/L told me to do something which wound up completely emptying all my mail and burying it in the pc. It took one of the few bright bulbs at E/L to find it and get it back in a readable form.

Since then, though, I have gotten previously unseen pop-up windows from NS asking me if I wanted to do this or that.

Right now, I cannot access any of my e-mail and my new e-mail seems to be going to the E/L web mail site and not going over to my NS mailbox which is no good for me.

All my personal and business mail is in there, including resumes and job contacts, so I have to get it.

The only thing I tried to do was use the option to create a new short cut where you press control & alt, plus a letter of your choice. I tried that and I could see the NS mail window flickering faintly as if it were trying to open, but it did not.

My NS mail is stored on my C drive.

OK...that is just about all of note that I can think to tell you.

If anyone has a clue, please let me know.

Thanks!
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lipi
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#2 Post by lipi » Tue Jan 09, 2007 1:05 am

ugh, this could be an ugly mess, and what we can do for you over the forum will remain to be seen. i haven't used netscape in ages, but perhaps someone else here will have mad skills.

some questions first:

1) is this your computer at home or at work? if the latter, do you know whether it's on a domain or in a workgroup? (your home computer is unlikely to be on a domain, unless some clever chap set up some pointlessly complex stuff for you.) chances are this means nothing to you, in which case: what version of windows is it? 2000? 98? me? watch the splash screen as it boots, or right click "my computer", select "properties", and it will say on the first tab.

(for the clued: i'm wondering whether john ended up logging in as a different user. for example, if the computer is on a domain and he usually logs into the domain but does not now...you get the picture.)

2) do you know whether you used pop to get your mail before? if that just sounds like magic to you, perhaps you can share with us the steps your isp (el) suggested you take.

(could his isp have changed his pop username? would that prompt for a new profile? i don't know. netscape mail was always a bit dodgy. could his isp have disabled pop and moved strictly to imap? why? and would that cause such havoc?)

3) you say that when you logged on you got a window asking you to create a user profile. can you be more specific? was this when you logged onto windows (you may not have to, of course; it depends on your configuration) or when you connect to the internet with a username/password (again, you may not have to; only likely if you use a modem); or when you tried to login to your mail (unlikely, since netscape would have prompted for a profile when starting, before asking for a logon)?

4) can you try rebooting the computer and starting netscape, not from the shortcut on the desktop, but from the start menu -> programs -> netscape communicator (or similar)?

er. yeah. no other inspirations for the moment.

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Eyeball
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#3 Post by Eyeball » Tue Jan 09, 2007 1:15 am

lipi wrote:ugh, this could be an ugly mess, and what we can do for you over the forum will remain to be seen. i haven't used netscape in ages, but perhaps someone else here will have mad skills.

some questions first:

1) is this your computer at home or at work? if the latter, do you know whether it's on a domain or in a workgroup? (your home computer is unlikely to be on a domain, unless some clever chap set up some pointlessly complex stuff for you.) chances are this means nothing to you, in which case: what version of windows is it? 2000? 98? me? watch the splash screen as it boots, or right click "my computer", select "properties", and it will say on the first tab.

(for the clued: i'm wondering whether john ended up logging in as a different user. for example, if the computer is on a domain and he usually logs into the domain but does not now...you get the picture.)

2) do you know whether you used pop to get your mail before? if that just sounds like magic to you, perhaps you can share with us the steps your isp (el) suggested you take.

(could his isp have changed his pop username? would that prompt for a new profile? i don't know. netscape mail was always a bit dodgy. could his isp have disabled pop and moved strictly to imap? why? and would that cause such havoc?)

3) you say that when you logged on you got a window asking you to create a user profile. can you be more specific? was this when you logged onto windows (you may not have to, of course; it depends on your configuration) or when you connect to the internet with a username/password (again, you may not have to; only likely if you use a modem); or when you tried to login to your mail (unlikely, since netscape would have prompted for a profile when starting, before asking for a logon)?

4) can you try rebooting the computer and starting netscape, not from the shortcut on the desktop, but from the start menu -> programs -> netscape communicator (or similar)?

er. yeah. no other inspirations for the moment.
HI-

1) home pc

2) pop - yes...it is in the Earthlink coding for my mail routing.

2A) Earthlink had some problems today around the same time I began to have problems. I tried logging on with IE on my EL home page and it was taking forever and finally a mesage appeared that said they were having problems.

3) I had gotten that user profile option before recently for no good reason, and I have simply declined or x'd it out.

3A) I got the 'profile option' when I clicked on my desktop icon shortcut to my mail. I x'd it out and, as it has done recently when I have gotten that window, my mailbox icon needed another click to open...but this time it did not open.

I don't remember the wording and various options the window was offering.

I got the window only after I clicked on the desktop shortcut.

4) I will try rebooting tomorrow...right ow I will go see if I can access my mail from the start menu programs.

Q - what do you make of the faint flickering of the usual window I get just as NS mail begins to open? I got this when I hit control/alt/and the letter I had chosen as per a suggestion for a short cut.
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#4 Post by Eyeball » Tue Jan 09, 2007 1:29 am

I pulled up the NS options from the start menu and all but 2 are not functioning...meaning they dont do a damn thing. They are as inoperative as the desktop icons.

BTW - I am still using NS 7.1
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#5 Post by Eyeball » Tue Jan 09, 2007 10:07 am

Using "restore system" option on my pc-

Tried it twice with no luck. Set it back a day, then reset it and then set it back 4 days. All it did was put my desktop icons back where they were and restored my previous wallpaper.

Still not working.

All my mail is stuck over in my EL mail box and it doesnt seem to be going over to my NS mail box.

The oddest thing is that I should at least be able to access my old mail, but I can't get the NS stuff to open, even using the start menu and going into the NS options for NS 7.1
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lipi
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#6 Post by lipi » Tue Jan 09, 2007 5:18 pm

Q - what do you make of the faint flickering of the usual window I get just as NS mail begins to open? I got this when I hit control/alt/and the letter I had chosen as per a suggestion for a short cut.
do you mean the netscape window flickers a bit and then disappears, or flickers a bit and then remains?

if the former, right after the window disappears, can you check task manager (ctrl-alt-del, then select task manager) and see whether netscape is listed under "applications"? if not, check "processes", too.

some more questions:

did you install any new software recently?

how full is your c drive? my computer -> right click the c drive -> properties -- how much free space is listed?

do you run a virus scanner/shield, and, if so, is it up to date?

it's worth running a spyware scanner & remover. something like adaware from lavasoft. i don't use windows much, so perhaps someone else can chime in with a better suggestion?

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Eyeball
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#7 Post by Eyeball » Tue Jan 09, 2007 11:12 pm

lipi wrote:
Q - what do you make of the faint flickering of the usual window I get just as NS mail begins to open? I got this when I hit control/alt/and the letter I had chosen as per a suggestion for a short cut.
do you mean the netscape window flickers a bit and then disappears, or flickers a bit and then remains?

if the former, right after the window disappears, can you check task manager (ctrl-alt-del, then select task manager) and see whether netscape is listed under "applications"? if not, check "processes", too.

some more questions:

did you install any new software recently?

how full is your c drive? my computer -> right click the c drive -> properties -- how much free space is listed?

do you run a virus scanner/shield, and, if so, is it up to date?

it's worth running a spyware scanner & remover. something like adaware from lavasoft. i don't use windows much, so perhaps someone else can chime in with a better suggestion?
Yes...it flicked during one event as if it were trying to connect and then never apepard. And the flickering image has not returned.

I have noticed that when I use the control+alt+hot key short cut, the cursor will flicker and the task bar locks up at the bottom of the screen until each tap of that series of keys has failed.

Yes - I did install a new software program - rapid share. I have uninstalled it - no change.

11 GB of space left on C drive.

I have run Norton. I used to run TrendMicro, but it began to not want to work when I tried to start it up.

I run adaware now and then and it usually picks up only dataminers - had 7 the other day after not running iot for a month or so.

Let me go check the flickering screen thing and see if the task manager lists it under apps or prtocesses. The TM is open now as I type this and NS is not listed in either tab.

Someone told me that FF/Mozilla tends to somtimes cause problems with NS. Yes? No?
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#8 Post by Eyeball » Tue Jan 09, 2007 11:27 pm

Ok....flicker effect returns very faintly. The first tie was readbale as my usual NS mail opening window, now it is just a shape...barely.

task mgr - cpu usge spikes for a moment to 40 - 50 percent, then drops in a momemt to near nothing. Memory usage shows at about 1K. NS appears in processes for a moment or two, then vanishes. Does not appear in apllications tool bar window.
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zzzzoom
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#9 Post by zzzzoom » Wed Jan 10, 2007 7:54 am

I think it might be time for you to call the Geek Squad.

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Eyeball
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#10 Post by Eyeball » Wed Jan 10, 2007 1:21 pm

Lipi -

Anything else?

Where are Reuben and Jesse from SLO when you need them? Those guys are computer gods.

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#11 Post by GemZombie » Wed Jan 10, 2007 1:28 pm

I'm here, but haven't used dial-up, in ages, and I've never used netscape mail, so I'm not sure how useful I could be. if you are running XP, and want to try a Remote Assistance, I might be able to help you, but no guarantees.

lipi
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#12 Post by lipi » Wed Jan 10, 2007 1:35 pm

Eyeball wrote:Ok....flicker effect returns very faintly. The first tie was readbale as my usual NS mail opening window, now it is just a shape...barely.

task mgr - cpu usge spikes for a moment to 40 - 50 percent, then drops in a momemt to near nothing. Memory usage shows at about 1K. NS appears in processes for a moment or two, then vanishes. Does not appear in apllications tool bar window.
sigh. could be anything. perhaps it's dumping core. you can check control panel -> administrative tools -> event viewer. look at the application and system tab. it may give you a little something to go on.

i don't know of any netscape/firefox/mozilla incompatibilities, but i don't use windows much, and i've certainly not used netscape in ages. they may very well exist.

i wonder whether rapidshare messed with your registry enough to make netscape unhappy. i wouldn't be surprised if it ties into the browser somehow, and an older browser like navigator 7 may confuse it and cause no end of trouble.

one thing you can try is re-installing netscape. if you go this route, you should back up your mail first, though. probably somewhere in documents & settings -> username -> ...

wish you were running linux or mac os x. i'd have a much better idea of how to help you.

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#13 Post by Eyeball » Wed Jan 10, 2007 3:40 pm

Thanks, guys.

Jesse - yes, I will take you up on that offer. If you send me your number and a good time to call you, I will call. You have my e-mail. All my addresses are 'trapped' in my NS mail box.

I am going to call EL now....I dread it b/c they are morons.

Also - in the task bar processes there are like 46 processes running at any given time. Seem s like a lot of stuff running the in b/g to me.

Thanx
John
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lipi
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#14 Post by lipi » Wed Jan 10, 2007 5:08 pm

46 does seem awfully high. i powered on xp in a virtual machine just now to take a look, and i have 23 processes running (with itunes up and running).

are you sure your norton virus scanner is up to date?

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#15 Post by Eyeball » Wed Jan 10, 2007 7:35 pm

No, I am not sure Norton is up to date.

Some of the processes seem easy to determine what they are, but some of hem are coded and I don't know what they do or stand for. Some are using a lot of memory, more or less - svchost - 15K SYSTEM. All have .exe extensions

I think I will run Spybot now. (Found 102 problems, mostly cookies from advertisers.)

I called EL and the guy was confused from the first moment. ESL at EL did not help.

I wanted to check the mail routing but I could not b/c I cannot open NS at all to check the type of mail connection and if is out of order.

I am still getting the flickering of the NS window as if it were trying to start. If it is flickering, it must be there. I sense corruption of some sort.

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