Are we having a problem?

I'm having numerous problems tonight.

The site is very very slow loading.

I can't post pictures to my journal

I can't post pictures to PF

When trying to post pictures to Plant Files, it either times out and says server cannot be found, or says it's been submitted. If it says it's been submitted, it doesn't show as being submitted under 'My Info'.

When trying to post pictures to my journal, it takes me back to the journal entry that last worked. But the picture I'm trying to put in my journal doesn't show up anywhere.

If you run across 6 Igor poppy submissions from me for PF, please ignore 5 of them. I couldn't get it to take.

Things are fine here Joan...and I'm on dial-up. I haven't noticed anything amiss.....maybe I'll get lucky this time.

I'm on dial up too, but I cannot get a picture to post, and the pages are loading super slow. I can go get more iced tea, and come back and it's still not loaded.

I'm also on dial-up and just completed a photo submission for the PlantFiles in what I consider 'normal' time. Sometimes, a good ole healthy reboot often speeds things up for me... and gives me an excuse to do the dishes that piled up in the sink. ;)

That's what happened here about a year ago. My dial-up server, or whatever they call them, discontinued service & sold out to another company. They did not have the capacity to handle the volume, so very, very slow. That's when I switched to wireless. I hope you have an option there.
Bernie

I *think* I just got an image to post to PF. But it took a really long time.

Nope, I don't have the option of getting wireless here. I would have it already if I could.

However, I can reboot and see if that helps.

Rebooted and I think it's even slower than it was before.

I still can't post an update to my journal. After I hit submit, it hangs there for a long time and then I get "Page cannot be displayed"

I give up. I think I'll go to bed.

I didn't go to bed after all. The forums seem to be loading a little faster now, and I can post details in PF. I still can't post a picture to PF or my journal though.

sounds like he/she needs to reboot here, to me. or there is something wrong internally with that operation.

I've gotten a couple photos to upload tonight, but it's taken numerous tries for each one, and lots of patience and perseverance.

Maybe a post to the computer forum is in order. I'm sure they'd have all sorts of good suggestions. Unless you clean it off regularly, it sounds like spyware may be involved.

Ran spybot, nortons and the cleaner. Nothing makes any difference. Now I'm going to call my ISP and see if they have any ideas.

I haven't tried to load any photos, etc., but I had to login when I came to the site. Usually it just takes me to the home page where my favorite forums are. Very Strange!!

My ISP said it's not a problem on their side.

I now have a brand new dell computer in front of me that I'm working on. I'm waiting for Norton's 2005 to finish downloading, and then I'll try uploading a photo again. I don't want to do much until I get Norton's running.

I assumed the problem was on my end, not DG's, and I have done everything I can possibly think of, including taking my old computer down to the bare bones by taking off all other programs etc. Still not working like it was a week ago.

Joan I loaded some pics earlier and didn't have any trouble. I know you have added lots of pics to PF before so I don't think it would be the picture size.

I can't figure out what the problem is. I'm still waiting for Norton's 2005 to finish downloading. It's at 82% now, so soon I can try again. Without Norton's installed, I'm not doing anything but reading forums here.

I have had trouble uploading photos to PF and my journal in the last week. Hopefully all will be well with the new computer. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Well, I now have the new computer online and norton's configured.

I have since uploaded 2 pictures to PF and several to my journal. In no time at all.

I have no idea what the problem was, but the new computer fixed it.

Just for a little history here. Our house took a lightening strike about a week ago, and it took out the phone line we have dedicated to the internet/fax machine. We got that fixed and then the computer wouldn't work. Took it in to have it looked at as per our insurance company request, and they said nothing was wrong with it. After talking to them after they determined nothing was wrong with it, they decided that the modem was no good and changed it. Granted, that did fix a couple of issues, however, it was not the same computer, and wouldn't do a lot of things it would before. So, I decided to just order another one and forget about the insurance company since we couldn't get the fix it shop to do anything.

In the meantime, I tried repeatedly to get the computer to work and tried everything I could possibly think of to make it work, and tried to eliminate every possible reason for the problems. (That's why I posted here to see if DG was having some problems, talked to my ISP, ran every spyware and virus program I could find, eliminated most every other program on my computer...etc....)

Now, I'm thinking that the computer had more damage than the fix it shop can see, but don't know how to convince them of that. So, I guess I'll just be happy with a new $944 computer that actually works. :)

Yay for you, Joan! It's a bummer when you do everything you can possibly think of and even call in the experts and the system is *STILL* toast. I was (and still am) impressed at everything you thought of trying in order to isolate the problem. Doggone lightening strike!

Hope you have fun with the new computer. ;)

I'm so glad it's working for you! I work at an ISP and that sort of thing can be so daunting. I cringe at the word "lightening". It usually means that we won't be able to get a connection straigtened out no matter how hard we try (most ISPs have no idea what to do). Modem diagnostics all check out and all the settings are great, but then maybe something else is going on in the computer or phone line that just can't be isolated without throwing a bunch of money at it. Next time you see a storm brewing, unplug!

Disconnect your phone line!! Lightning struck a tree in our front yard a year ago & it came in over the phone like, took out the modem & fried several things in the PC - Tech said it was too hard to determine everything that was wrong with it, so the insurance co. had us order a new one, but it isn't as good a pc. The old one had more things on it, but they would only pay so much. It also took out 3 TVs & 3 VCRs that were on the same wiring in the house & a portable phone.

I usually do disconnect the phone line when I know something is coming. This one came in the wee hours of the morning, and there was no warning at all.

I can't convince the fix it guy that there's something wrong with that computer. He thinks it's fine, therefore won't write a letter for the insurance company. Therefore, the insurance company won't pay anything towards a new one.

Sigh....

We had a strike a few years ago. The surge protector company had a deal where they covered up to $35,000. I can't remember what we lost on the computer anymore, but I sent the surge protector to their place in Calif. They reembursed me for my lose & sent a new & better surge protector. You might want to check that out too.
We lost a couple TV's & all the sattelite equipment that time also. The lighting struck one of the dishes directly.
Bernie

That's a great idea, but I don't have the paperwork for the surge protector anymore, and it wasn't the kind that you could plug the phone line into. I have one of those kinds now though, and I kept the paperwork too. :)

Hindsight is great, eh? Good thing you have a surge protector that works with the phone line... phone lines aren't grounded and when there'e an electrical spike, your PC becomes the ground. Having a surge protector on the phone line can slow your connection and doesn't always save your modem, but at least you have a little insurance now.

Yeah, sometimes I just gotta learn things the hard way. LOL

I really haven't noticed that having the phone line plugged into the surge protector is slowing my connection down any. Seems to be zipping along now, and I can upload photos and everything.

When the phone company guy came out he said he put a ground rod in. I was assuming that was for the phone line? Maybe not though. I don't really understand all that stuff.

Ground rod for the phone line? Cool! Must be something I haven't heard about. Off to Google...