A new program installed - help!

We've just hit summer and a few days ago my PC kept switching itself off.

It turned out to be the heat, and I had to have new fans installed.

While this was being done they also installed Windows 7, and after some technical horror to try and get my life back to normal, I'm glad to be blogging again.

Earlier we installed an anti-virus program.

It took some fiddling to get back on ATS after this because it had some security feature for ads and whatnot, which I've hopefully now disabled.

Now my problem is that it opens every post in a new window, which gets annoying.

Not just that, but when I want to put text in italics or quotes (or any of those functions) it does nothing.
The captions don't appear, and instead explorer opens some little window.

I won't even try it, I want my captions with the brackets to insert text back!
Tried everything, and quite exhausted.

Please help!

Don't know much about computers myself, but, have you tried just dl'ing and using a different browser? google chrome, opera, firefox, etc?

sounds like java script problems
'internet options' or equivalent may be a good place to start

Well. without knowing the a/v program you installed it is tough to diagnose, but Microsoft makes a program called microsoft security essentials and it is a virus/maleware/firewall program which works very well. I don't know the specifics of its privacy stuff as I don't care who sees what on my pc, but it is free and works on windows 7 .
If you go that route, please uninstall any other virus software first as it will conflict and make your computer as slow as frozen molasses.

type in microsoft security essentials into the search engine and use I.E. to download it as it doesn't like other browsers.
once installed, use any browser you want.

Thanks for all the feedback!

I've just installed Firefox, and the italics do work, although one must fill in a letter or text to insert, (whereas previously the brackets would optionally appear in the text) but that's no biggie.
And hooray, my spellchecker is back too!

Now just to check how it goes with posts in new windows.
Mmm ... uncannily how it used to be before.


I mean honestly, these PC technicians are so wham, bam, figure out yourself these days.

reply to post by halfoldman

I've just installed Firefox

that was my second recommendation

reply to post by tinhattribunal

It's a start, but I'm still struggling to make Firefox my homepage, because the anti-virus program has planted it's butt somehow firmly on my starting page, and it refuses to budge.

Added to that it's gone full-screen, and it's a struggle to get to the tool-bars.
It also refuses to be deleted from the tool-bar.

I think I should have first installed the Fox and then the anti-virus program.
That's probably the the major error.
Oh well, at least ATS is back to normal for me.

I actually feel like deleting the entire anti-virus program, and didn't even realize it is now a browser in its own right.
Maybe tomorrow with renewed vigor and tech support. Too scared of causing more problems now.

Not sure what I did to make it go full-screen, but I think I hurt Firefox's feelings, because they asked if I would help them with feedback, and I clicked no because I was between windows at the time.

How do I get my task/toolbar at the top back without having to point at it all the time?

They can send men to fake a moon landing, but they cannot make a toolbar that lasts!

Originally posted by halfoldman
I think I should have first installed the Fox and then the anti-virus program.
That's probably the the major error.

I think the major error was the choice of anti-virus, it should be the anti-virus working for you, not the other way.

What anti-virus is that?

reply to post by ArMaP

It was an Avira program that I've previously used without any problems.

As long as my browser is set to Firefox at least ATS is normal, with the spellchecker and inserts.