>>>"Take me to the tech" is not a known Windows message and was undoubtedly 
>>>placed there by the shop.

Although this may not be a Windows message, I don't know that it was 
necessarily placed there by the shop. Just as likely that some sort of 
malware got on the machine, and as we know, their authors like to tweak the 
user.

There are 2 very possible sources of that malware. The first is that it was 
downloaded with new software from an other than authentic site. The other, 
which seems just as likely, is that a security hole on the computer was 
exploited, perhaps for lack of an up to date, functioning, firewall. Various 
articles I have read have indicated that computers are frequently hacked 
within minutes of going online. If all security programs were not in place, 
the computer was ripe for the picking.

Not to defend the shop, one way or another. But I don't know that the 
problem here can automatically be attributed to them.

William Closure


----Original Message Follows----

Date:    Wed, 14 Mar 2007 06:38:11 -0700
From:    Ann Reiling <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Tech lies?

Thanks for all the info.  I was pretty sure I was correct & having experts 
say the same thing makes me even more sure.

   We took it to the owner, who said that his assistant had done the work & 
promised he'd do it from now on.  He said that the drivers had not been 
installed when it was "cleaned."  He said that the black screen with "Take 
me to the tech" was not a legitimate screen & seemed to be indicating that I 
was wrong....the wording may have been a little different but that was the 
exact "message."  But he did fix it and promised he'd talk to his "tech" 
about what had happened.

   Those were all the programs I got on the computer before it locked up.  
At the "repair" shop they told me told never to download from the internet, 
which I know is bogus (my brother before he died wrote a lot of the programs 
used today and did a lot of government work, so he told me a lot of things 
that I trust) and I always go to the originator of a program to download.

   I agree with you on Norton; I asked him to take it off and he convinced 
me to try it since it was already on.  I'm not sure I should have but I did 
agree to try it.  But I won't renew it, and I think I may still write a 
letter outlining this, not sure to who all yet.  But I will find another 
supplier for any future computers or problems.  Thanks again for all,  Ann

Don Penlington <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
   I entirely agree with Tom. "Take me to the tech" is not a known Windows
message and was undoubtedly placed there by the shop.

It's unclear from your letter whether you installed any programs other than
the ones you mention, which should all be clean.

I'd take the computer back and demand a full refund of your purchase price
plus the "repair" costs, failing which threaten to take the matter to the
authorities. I smell a possible fraud here.

Loading Nortons would, in my opinion (others may disagree), be one of the
worst things you could do to any computer.

Don Penlington

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