Computer Issue--HELP!!

[x-g.o.p.er]

I keep getting this annoying message that says:

"Data Execution Prevention--Microsoft Windows"

To help protect your computer, Windows has closed this program.

Name: CTF Loader
Publisher: Microsoft Corporation

Then I close the message, and I get a send error report dialog box. It's happened about 15 times in the last 5 minutes, and it's about to drive me insane.

How do I fix this and get my computer back to normal?

Thanks in advance.

[Duer 157099]

1. Try this

http://www.computing.net/windowsxp/wwwboard/forum/164198.html

[cbayer]

2. GET A MAC!

[x-g.o.p.er]

17. I am on the verge

All my MS Word, Excel, and Power Point are convertable, right?

[cbayer]

18. Yep,

I have MS Office for Mac and have never had a problem with anything.

I occasionally run into a download that won't run on mac (games, mostly), but that is becoming quite rare.

I love my MAC and will never go back.

Oops, my husband's VAIO just crashed (again). Need to go help him (again).

[x-g.o.p.er]

19. Is spyware, adware, pop-ups, etc, any problem?

I've got some nasty adware on this computer that I'm havig a helluva time getting rid of.

[cbayer]

20. I spend all day on the internet.

Both for fun (well, if you can gd:p fun) and work and i have had no problems.

My pop-up stopper (through firefox) works flawlessly.

And so far (keeping fingers crossed and a low profile) spyware is not being targeted to macs. Or if it is, I have never experienced it.

I get brief adware programs from time to time, but none have ever stuck around.

Most mac users have a lot less protective programs (many have none at all). Not that that will last forever. But for now, the evil ones pretty much ignore us.

[Kali]

3. also try the DU computer group - they are great in there

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=242

As well as this: http://forums.majorgeeks.com/ it is a good place to get real computer help and information, however they are a little snippy if you do not follow instructions and post stupid questions. You have been warned! Start with this basic set of maintenance instructions: http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=106650

If you already have some sort of infection this is a good set of removal instructions:
http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=35407 Warning: they will tell you to do the basic maintenance from the link in the preceding paragraph first, so do that now.

[azmouse]

4. A hammer. A really big hammer.

:hi:

[Kutjara]

5. If you're using Vista, there's a "security" feature...

...called "Data Execution Prevention" that's supposed to stop malicious software from tampering with important parts of your system. Of course, all it really does is stop you from being able to use your computer. If you go into the "Advanced" settings in the "System" control panel, you can turn DEP off.

[Redstone]

7. Man, I appreciate that information. I bought MrsR a Windows laptop for Christmas

because she's starting a bookkeeping business and the Mac version of QuickBooks is so dreadful...and found out that Vista is unbelievably horrible. I run XP Pro in emulation on my Macs, and it's almost tolerable, but Vista is just unbelievably bad.

What other OS makes it an arcane, three-step process to SHUT THE FUCKING COMPUTER OFF?

Redstone

[Kutjara]

8. Vista sits in its own (tiny) partition on my MacBook Pro.

I like playing around with OSes (yes, I am that tragic), so I tinker around trying to make Vista run quickly and reliably. I haven't had conspicuous success with either goal. I must have spent two days tweaking services, startup items, partitions, registry settings, and assorted other "features," but it still takes longer to start up, shut down, and run programs than OS X.

What's hilarious is that Vista actually runs a lot faster on my MBP than it does on a similarly specced HP laptop at work. So Apple have, without trying, made a better PC than the leading PC manufacturer. According to PC World magazine, for two months last year, the MBP was the fastest Windows laptop in the world. That makes me chuckle whenever I think about it.

[Redstone]

9. Want to know something? XP Pro starts and runs faster in Virtual PC on my System 9 Macs than

it does on actual Windows computers.

As you said, hilarious. Though somewhat pathetic.

Redstone

[Kutjara]

11. I haven't used Parallels or Virtual PC, but...

...I'm not surprised to hear that. I think so much PC hardware is just hurled together by people standing at opposite corners of the factory, it's a wonder any of it works at all. It's certainly not optimized in any way, which is why Windows is so huge and clumsy, desperately trying (and often failing) to make heterogenous collections of parts work together.

[laconicsax]

12. How does it take three-steps to shut down the computer?

I have Vista and to shut down the computer, I click the start button, then click the button with a box in the middle of a circle--it looks like a boob with a tall nipple. The computer then shuts down and switches off.

What faster way is there on a Mac? If memory serves, you click the Apple icon on the bar at the top, then click "shut down." Same number of steps.

[Kutjara]

13. Using the onscreen buttons...

...with Vista you click Start, then Shut Down, then confirm it in the "Sleep/Hibernate/Logoff/Shutdown" dialog. On the Mac, it's Apple/Shutdown and then confirm. With both, however, you can configure the power button to shut the machine down, so it can be reduced to one step.

[laconicsax]

15. What box is that?

I don't think I have that, then again I probably disabled it within the first week I had this compy (over a year ago). I have a little menu that comes up if I click the little arrow in the lower right of the start menu. It has 'switch user,' 'log off,' 'lock,' 'restart,' 'sleep,' hibernate,' and 'shut down.' Is that what you're talking about?

[Kutjara]

16. I use the "classic start menu" on XP.

I've reduced all the eyecandy to nearly zero, so my XP installation looks pretty much just like Windows 2000. Set up that way, it takes three clicks to shut down. With the full XP menu, I think it takes two ("Turn off Computer" and then "Turn Off" in the confirmation box). I've mapped turn off to the power button in the power management settings, though, so I just switch the machine on and off using the power button.

[petronius]

14. I just push the power button and walk away. I guess that is three steps:

1) Push button
2) Walk away
3) Do something else.

(I'm using XP on a bunch of Dells, by the way...)

[Hand]

21. LOL "A boob with a tall nipple..."

Wotta pev!

[Redstone]

6. So, Microsoft is protecting you from Microsoft software. Ready to buy a Mac yet?

Redstone

[sammythecat]

10. Just put CTF Loader in quotes and google.

I learned a lot and took care of many a troubling issue just by quoting a pertinent sentence or name and googling it. Whatever happened to you happened to a whole bunch of other people and they've been talking about it. I usually get someone else who has asked about my problem on a forum and someone has replied with the solution.