PC FLU

[David H. Lipman]

You have alternatives such that your project is NOT affected.

The problem is the identification of a HP G72 Notebook only indicates a HP notebook family.

There are many sub-models in the G72 family.

HP G72-120##

HP G72-110##

HP G72-101##

HP G72-150##

Where ## = SO, SB, EO, SA, SG, etc, etc...

Not knowing the EXACT HP G72-XXX## model means I can't be more specific so I don't know if they support PCMCIA. However, they should all support USB v2.0. Therefore you can get a USB 2.0 to Ethernet interface.

They look something like the following...

This way you can use Ethernet during your project and POSTPONE sending the unit out for warranty repair.

Stores such as; BestBuy, OfficeMax, Staples and other Brick & Mortar locations may have such devices on their shelves and they can also be obtained through the mail (albeit time may be a limiting factor).

[KPP]

David,

I have now nominated you for Sainthood status. What a terrific solution!

I'll search for the specifics on my HP, and with a little/lot of luck I can find out more details.

Well, I looked and all I could find is what I already said: HP G72 Notebook PC. If you can point me in a direction, my PC may have a file somewhere with more details. I do recall PC/MCIA listed as part of my PC.

Btw, I run MBAM & Avira, which is promo'ing a free download of Mask-Me that purportedly masks your email address. Have you heard of?

[KPP]

Search for Ethernet Port Adapter

I started looking at products at companies ala Best Buy, Circuit City, and even Walmart. They all had one thing in common: pretty pricey. So I thought I'd check online at Amazon, where I can get their "Free SuperSaver Shipping."

Amazon - USB Ethernet Port Adapter

The search in Amazon was filtered for best reviews and came up with a variety of products and a great disparity in prices ... from .99 cents to $50+. That brings me to ask what should I look for? Certainly, I don't want to spend more than I have to on my limited budget. Then again, I don't want to toss money at junk products. Could you take a look at this page and tell me what you think?

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Delectronics&field-keywords=usb+ethernet+port+adapter#/ref=sr_st?keywords=usb+ethernet+port+adapter&qid=1362559320&rh=n%3A172282%2Ck%3Ausb+ethernet+port+adapter&sort=reviewrank_authority

Many thanks,

Kate

[AdvancedSetup]

This should work for you. You certainly don't want one too cheap as that can introduce problems of its own.

Plugable USB 2.0 to 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN Wired Network Adapter for Windows

Or this one. Cisco is a good name brand but on this level of device their is no guarantee of quality

Cisco-Linksys USB Ethernet Adapter

David can provide you with more details once he comes back online.

Cheers

[CWB]

the ethernet to usb adapter is an excellent work-around to get you back up and running for now .

stay in close contact with HP ... tell them you have a vital project and are implementing the suggested e-net to usb workaround until you finish your project ...

this will extend the "open end" time of your case and ticket number .

as for believing whether or not they will throw it up on the bench as soon as it arrives ... much depends on the specific repair center and individuals involved .

when i was warranty repair for sony and the head field tech-rep called me and said i had a "hot one" coming in that had immediate priority that is exactly what it meant .

i called the rep just after the item (with or without the customer) arrived and was logged in . i started work on the equipment immediately , worked up a diagnoses and repair/finish date and called the rep back .

depending on the specifics , the repair time could range from several hours to several days (parts in stock vs. ordering up parts , burn in time , etc .) .

he in turn contacted the customer and either put them in direct contact with me for further information or handled it all himself .

sooo ... i personally have no reason to not believe what HP told you ... time will tell .

"Gone are my dreams of HP swooping in and taking away the bad, bad laptop and giving me a new one."

nope , there aint no prince charming riding up on a white horse .

laptops are different than a boxed up computer ... accessibility and mechanical construction being the biggest pain .

with a boxed up machine , it is pretty simple to get to the guts ... with a laptop it is a much more involved process .

sure , with a laptop you can easily swap out a bad dvd/cd drive (one or two small screws removed and it slides out) , with ethernet ports (RJ-45) and other items , tear-town is required .

this is why , with your specific problems (and some other technical things) , the "fix at home" does not apply .

[David H. Lipman]

Kate:

I know Avira AntiVir. I have a special license for its command line scanner which is included in my Muli-AV Scanning Tool. I do NOT know of "Mask-Me" and my immediate reaction is to ignore its offering.

As for the EXACT model of your HP notebook, it would be on the bottom of the notebook and may be denoted by the word MODEL on some sticker. It may also be on paperwork showing the actual purchase of the product (bill of sale).

How Do I Find My Model Number or Product Number?

CWB's notes about communicating your need to postpone warranty shipment due to a high priority project is a very good point.

If your notebook supports PCMCIA then that provides another option, a PCMCIA to Ethernet adapter. However without knowing if your notebook supports PCMCIA I don't want you to go on a Red Herring search for a device when I know your notebook supports USB v2.0. Below is a sample PCMCIA to Ethernet adapter...

I believe you noted that your project starts the 8^th of March. If yes then is mail order the best way to go about this ?

I think you should go to your local BestBuy (and other office supply stores that I previously listed) and get a USB 2.0 to Ethernet adapter off the shelf so you have it and know its working PRIOR to the onset of your project.

BTW: I like Ron's (aka;AdvancedSetup ) Cisco-Linksys USB Ethernet Adapter solution.

Another is by Belkin USB 2.0 Ethernet Adapter

Based upon your going on Amazon... TRENDnet USB to 10/100Mbps Adapter TU2-ET100

FYI: The retail division of Cisco is Linksys and Belkin recently acquired the Linksys division from Cisco Belkin buying Linksys

[KPP]

Excellent advice! You guys rock!

Question: Since there is no way to get back to the HP rep I talked to, how would you suggest I go about apprising them of my project? DO I dare say, I will be using a temporary USB to Ethernet port?

Answer: As to why order online ... The main reason I looked online was price. I was seeing $35+ as a standard rate, and hoped to pay less. I figure I can jerry rig the e-cable/port by duct-taping the cable to the laptop until the adapter arrives.

Answer: David, I would bet money that I have the PC/MCIA feature. In searching for something else, I did run across my original receipt, but haven't yet had a chance to study it. I have several other hot forest fires that require immediate attention. Also, the correct name of the Avira product is MaskMe (no hyphen).

CWB says no white horse will arrive. But like Trigger, known as "the smartest horse in movies," all of you are racing to solve my problem atop a herd of Palominos.

Yippee Ki Yay!

[CWB]

or . as frank zappa wrote in the song "moving to montana" ; "just me and my pygmy pony ..." .

there is also the line "yippie - ti - yo - ti -yay ..." near the end of the song .

(see how associations work in the mind ?)

you should be able to contact HP via their "customer services" or such . you should have been given a ticket/case number and a couple of phone numbers .

by all means tell them of the e-net to usb workaround ... this is a perfectly legitimate procedure and should not be detrimental to your warranty as you are not physically modifying the machine in any manner .

your machine is not the first one to suffer a blown or malfunctioning e-port ... HP needs to make sure that it was not wiped out by a voltage spike on the incoming connection .

it is also not the first time they have had a customer delay shipment due to pending needs of the customer .

the explanation will leave a paper trail that you can fall back on if needed .

as for "duct taping engineering" ...

my personal opinion , based on many years of experience , in a word : "no" .

by "messing around" and depending on the exacts of the mode of failure of the RJ-45/e-net connector/port , which you nor anyone else can ascertain with a reasonable degree of certainty without closer examination , you can actually "make matters worse" , and this would not be covered by your warranty .

by analogy ...

you buy a new car and it has a full warranty .

about 1000 miles down the road the "check oil" and "check engine" lights come on (they don't call them "idiot lights" for nothing) .

you pull over, stop and turn off the engine, and then call the dealership where you bought the car .

they explain to you that they will send a tow truck out asap to drag your car back to the shop .

you say to yourself : "but i just have to go to the store and buy food and then run over to the widget emporium and buy an ounce of certified unicorn dung ..." .

you put down the phone , fire up the car and go to the store (hmmm , what's that clicking noise) ...

when you pull up in front of the widget emporium , the clicking has increased to a mild clanking sound ...

after you have purchased your ounce of unicorn dung , you get into the car and start the engine ...

there is a very loud "CLUNK !" and the engine stops turning ... as you step out of the vehicle you notice that you are standing in a small puddle of oil .

you call up the dealership and tell them what happened ...

shortly thereafter you find out that your "gold plated" warranty has turned into the same thing as the stuff you just purchased .

using an adapter will not void the warranty of your laptop ...

poking , prodding , prying an already troublesome and noted/reported problem/part/chunk will (not "may") exacerbate the problem and give HP cause to void your warranty .

[Firefox]

I second the "NO" on using duct tape to jimmy rig the cable to get it to work. This can open a can of worms in itself. If you keep messing with that e-port you will further damage the system up to and including possibly shorting out the mother board.

Best use the USB to Ethernet adaptor to finish your project, and then send it out for repair.

[KPP]

OK, no monkeying around ... sorry, mixed metaphor ... was trying to avoid "jacking around." lol

CWB - Your creative musings are only slightly overshadowed by your rock star tekkie status. By the way, I have an HP G72B60.

Bye bye duct tape.

I will be getting the adapter from Walmart. PLEASE TELL ME WHICH ONE TO BUY. I don't think they have any of the ones you mentioned.

http://www.walmart.c...constraint=3944

OR main link http://www.walmart.com/index.gsp

Shout out to Advanced Setup, you trained me well - I ask first, listen and follow the alpha geeks advice vs. winging it as I might have done before.

#'s - No - HP only gave me the ticket number.

Alone in my ivory tower,

Kate

p.s. Just fwi, I spent about an hour with Frankie back in 1977, when I used to promote Rock Concerts. A very smart and charismatic Dude!

Edited March 8, 2013 by KPP

[David H. Lipman]

Walmart - Arghhhhhhhhhh !

D-Link High-Speed USB 2.0 To Ethernet Adapter

HP G72B60 no PCMCIA

[KPP]

David,

Walmart is reasonably close and has what I need. Others either didn't or were quite a distance.

I'm fine with the D-Link but wondered why vs. the Cisco?

Thanks,

Kate

p.s. Good to see you change your rhetoricical style, depending on circumstances. Quite creative and graphic, with words that make you go ...

p.p.s. What about the G72 B20?

[David H. Lipman]

DLink and Cisco are both fine.

G72 B20 no PCMCIA

BTW: If you make a post such as you did at 1444 hrs and you have new information, please don't go back 6 hrs later and change the content. Sure you can go back and edit a post for clarity, spelling, grammar or structure but not for new content. New content should be made in a new post.

[KPP]

David,

The B20 was a typo. I have a HP G72B60.

[KPP]

David re: editing. The main reason I edited vs. created a new post is because no one had responded to my post. Consequently, I thot it was fine to add to a post that was, essentially, unread. The only changes I made were to insert the model number and to ask for a response.

Kate

[CWB]

"OK, no monkeying around ... sorry, mixed metaphor ... was trying to avoid "jacking around."

but ... "jacking around" would have been apropos .

and it has inference on at least two levels .

shakespeare was a punster , as was george washington .

i am glad that you are biting the bullet and going the adapter route .

(musical interlude : "rubber bullets" ; FZ w/flo and eddy , or , 10cc)

an hour with FZ ... in the green room perhaps ?

hmmm ... no foolin' .

as for the HP ticket number ...

you can can contact them (via customer service or such) and reference the ticket number .

keep us posted as to the progression of the situation .

[KPP]

OK, you caight me ... I might have been exagerrating ... It was either 45 min or 30 min. Frank had this really tall and huge bad ass bodyguard. He entered the room, and most everyone just fled. He did kinda look like a linebacker. He would decide when the interview was over, walk in the room, and everyone we scatter. Now Zappa was a real class act. Open, honest, welcoming, happy to answer all questions. I became a fan that night. I was so sorry to hear he died .l.. such a loss!

I met a lot of big names , Bob Dylan, ELP, Dolly Parton, Heart, John Denver ...you name it. It was a wild and crazy two yers until I realized my life was in some ways mimicing the hard core metal heads

[David H. Lipman]

Kate:

It's a faux conclusion to think that just because you have had no reply, a post had not been read. If you edit a post with new content it will not generate an email alerting followers of added information. You can make such changes within a 15 min. period, maybe even within 30 minutes, but 6 hrs is way too long to go back and insert new content.

OT:

Frank is not dead. He is in outer space represented by the celestial body called 3834 Zappa Frank and he has "always been out-there".

As for Robert Zimmerman (aka; Bob Dylan) he almost got arrested on on our boardwalk in the summer of '09. He looked like sh!t and was acting like a peeping tom looking into some houses just off the boardwalk. One was For Sale and the owners looked at him thought he looked like a bum and called the Police. The Police officer, Kristie Buble, didn't know who he was and he couldn't produce ID. He said he was staying at a local Hotel and the Police took him there and his band had to vouch for him. I remember that incident well.

[melboy]

Excuse me for "butting in"

I can't see it mentioned in the topic previously, but there's signs of the Sirefef rootkit (ZeroAccess) in the original DDS log.

I would repost in the Malware Removal forum.

http://forums.malwarebytes.org/index.php?showforum=7

[Firefox]

Good point melboy, I had mentioned to him back in post #6 here http://forums.malwarebytes.org/index.php?showtopic=123338&view=findpost&p=652658 to have his computer checked out....

[KPP]

David,

I was looking at the content -- not an email alert -- from the time I posted until I edited. No one had written a response.

It's always good to know if one commits a faux pas. I've been trying my best to be a good poster, responding promptly to all posts. I had no way of knowing that my post had even been looked at. Yes, lesson learned, but I prefer having my hand slapped in a kinder, gentler way.

Of course Bob Dylan's name is Bob Zimmerman. Who doesn't know that? In fact, I had a cat named Zimmerman. Dylan was a scruffy mess from the get go. So your comment comes as no surprise. It's a relief that 3834 Zappa Frank is still out there. With regard to being recognized I did a huge faux when I searched out Dave Mason backstage one night. I asked Kenny Loggings manager who replied, turning to his left, Dave's right here. In my research, I had only pictures to refer to. I was using his "Let It Flow" album that had a caricature of him on the cover.

[KPP]

belkin USB 2.O Ethernet Adapter - Radio Shack

After an exhaustive search at no less than 5 stores, Radio Shack had this adapter and I purchased it

Now, how can I get it to work? I found a reference to what my network may be called, and I saw fV9Wn16HC4, which is unlike any of the other networks listed on my available networks.

Apparently, it is not detecting my network. What do I do?

Btw I used the USB port my speakers were plugged into, so I know the port works.

[David H. Lipman]

Based upon the interjected post by melboy, I'll defer until at such point other problems are resolved and the issue still exists.

[KPP]

David,

You're deferring???? I'm supposed to start my project NOW.

Kate

[exile360]

Hello Kate

I would highly recommend following up with the offer to get your PC cleared of malware first. If you are infected, the sooner you get it cleaned up the better. You may follow the above instructions provided by Melboy or if you're in a hurry, you may contact Consumer Support directly as receiving help there on the helpdesk should be more prompt.

I strongly recommend against trying to do any sort of workarounds or repairs on a PC which appears to be infected prior to dealing with the infections themselves, but the choice is of course up to you and if David or anyone else is comfortable with assisting you prior to getting the system cleaned up, then you may proceed with that if you wish, though I again strongly advise against it.