Cursor arrow Problem

When on broadband my cursor arrow freezes if :
1.When I click the 'Talktalk Welcome to Assist & Go' icon on the desktop.
If not on broadband and I press the icon, the cursor disappears.
2. Freezes when on Talktalk website if I click 'My Account' or click 'Check e- mail'
3. If I click 'Check e-mail' When on Yahoo website.
4.When on Yahoo website I am composing an e-mail.
5. I suspect there is also a ime element but only if I am on the Internet.
I do have virus and ad-aware protection plus a firewall.

The problem only started two days ago when I logged onto 'Talktalk' broadband for the first time. Yesterday after spending £8 on phone calls at the very reaonable rate of 10p per minute the Talktalk technical expert based in the Middle East simply took me through the same procedure for setting up Outlook Express as I had used the first time on my own. He the told me he could help no further because as had happened to many of Talktalk's customers, Microsoft had placed a 'blocking pop-up' on MS Outlook Express which prevents one setting it up for a new ISP. He gave me the phone number 0870-6010100 for Microsoft and asked me to phone and ask for the block to be lifted. I telephoned the number and a lady answered and asked what version of Windows did I have? I told her 'Windows ME' and she said that MS had withdrawn all technical help for this version but if I was prepared to buy the latest version of Windows she could help me. I said I needed no technical help but only wanted MS to remove the 'blocking pop-up' on Outlook Express. She dismissed me with the words, Sorry I am unable to help and put the phone down!

I reported the incident to Talktalk customer services' but they were uninterested and advised me to contact 'technical services' thus sustaining what had proved to be a very unproductive circle. I cut my losses and successfully set up a Yahoo e-mail service but was thwarted when trying to use it. (see above)

Incidentally when setting up the Outlook Express e-mail, after receiving the usual cogratulations for successfully setting it up it later said some errors had occurred whilst processing the requested tasks and to review the list errors. It said 'mail.talktalk net' could not be found, nor could the Account 'mail.talktalk net', Server
'mail talktalk.net' Protocol POP3 Port 110, Secure (SSL) No.Socket Error 11001, Error Number 0x800CCC0D ----Whatever that all means. Can you please make any sense out of it and what might you think is causing the Cursor arrow problems?

Kind regards,
Pat Alley

 

I thank you Pete. I did as you said and fully re-installed the CD Talktalk sent with its 'Assist and Go'. It passed tests 1 and 2 first time, but the 3rd one (can't remeber its name) took two attempts before it said it was successful. I can get broadband but although it tells me it was successful in setting up E-mail on Outlook Express, when I actually select 'My e-mail', the 'LogIn' box keeps reappearing each time I select OK, even though I try every combination of 'User Name' and 'Password' I can think of starting with the ones supplied by Talktalk. If I then click 'Assist and Go' the cursor arrow freezes and the only remedy is to re-boot and start all over again.

I am now told that by an 'Expert' that Windows ME is incompatible with Broadband and that my only solution is to buy and instal XP which he is quite willing to do for me (at a price). However I don't want to change from ME for personal reasons and I cannot help feeling that if ME was incompatible with Broadband this fact would be well known by most people. To my knowledge Talktalk have never mentioned this fact and I would imagine given its millions of customers, use of all versions from Windows 98 through to XP.are used. Also I cannot help feeling that Talk talk's technical people are sending me on a 'wild goose chase' and whilst Microsoft have withdrawn all Support from ME I don't think it would place "Pop-up blockers" on Internet to deliberately prevent ME users using Broadband or Outlook Express for their e-mail. I'm stumped. Like most people I would go to sleep reading Talktalk's 'Conditions of Sale', not that I would understand all the legal jargon in any case; so I clicked the 'I agree' and no doubt would find myself in a cleft stick if I now wish to pull out of the 18 month agreement. Can you throw any more light on the subject Pete?

Kind regards,
Pat Alley

 

Thankyou for the reply Pete in spite of your long journey. That truty is dedication. I will cuninstall 'Assist and Go' then check the Google lead.

'Check my e-mail' on Talktalk's website is only one way of bringing up Outlook Express quickly. In the meantime until I can sort it out (I am using OE6) I have set up an e-mail account on Yahoo.

I was sent the 'Speedtouch' modem but when I first boot up the computer I cannot get onto broadband. It was then I found the two leds in the modem, which I had placed behind the computer, had not lit up and found the only way to achieve this was to unplug the modem lesd for 10 seconds then on plugging it in again they lit up. After that I can get onto broadband and that still is the current situation. Following your suggestion I will now check out the Thompson site.

There is no doubt iabout it Pete. To use a computer you have to have a sense of humour. Glad I don't have to do it for a living!

Kind regards,
Pat Alley

 

Hi Pete,
I really cannot understand my computer. I am happy as a sandboy for months then along comes a big job like moving from Ntl Dial-Up to broadband which Talktalk tells you is easy. However for me no computer wizardry ever goes according to plan. Then magically in spite of everything I do proving non-effective, the computer deigns to put itself right a bit at a time. Perhaps that is why my C folder has 10 AUTOEXEC files all 1kb and 30 Recovered File Fragments ranging from 34KB to 3000KB. Thi magic seems to be happening again:

When booting up I no longer have to disconnect the USB for 10 seconds to get onto bradband. I still cannot setup Outlook Express for e-mail but have managed to setup e-mail with Yahoo.which TalkTalk's Accounts program accepts. However if I click the 'Assist and Go' icon the cursor still freezes into a bottle. I folloewed your lead on the 'Thomson site' but all it mentions in passing was that some ISP's have their own CDs. I have now got TalkTalk to send me another CD because it does say that besides having Help files, in some cases it can automatically solve some broadband problems. Obviously I can easily uninstall the present 'Assist and Go' through Control Panel but so as not to tempt providence will it be possible to install the new 'Connect & Go' CD without having to re-setup the broadband connection?

Kind regards,
Pat Alley