Computer Science Canada

M$ Madness

Author:  MysticVegeta [ Sat Mar 11, 2006 10:20 pm ]
Post subject:  M$ Madness

Ever notice how MSN and Explorer sometimes stop working? And then after a couple of days/hours suddenly back to work again. There have been several of these issues and the error code generated by it is 80072efd. The error shows its a problem with your firewall blocking them but we really know whats causing the problem dont we? Wink Any thoughts or comments?

Author:  Mazer [ Sun Mar 12, 2006 12:10 am ]
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I haven't really had any problems with MSN or Explorer in over a year.

Author:  timmytheturtle [ Sun Mar 12, 2006 12:16 am ]
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Coutsos wrote:
I haven't really had any problems with MSN or Explorer in over a year.


Do you even use them?

Author:  Justin_ [ Sun Mar 12, 2006 1:31 am ]
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From time to time their server goes down and no one can connect to msn. But its like all things, every server needs its maintenance

Author:  Mazer [ Sun Mar 12, 2006 8:33 am ]
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timmytheturtle wrote:
Coutsos wrote:
I haven't really had any problems with MSN or Explorer in over a year.


Do you even use them?

No, actually, that was my point. Wink

Author:  person [ Sun Mar 12, 2006 2:46 pm ]
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MysticVegeta wrote:
The error shows its a problem with your firewall blocking them but we really know whats causing the problem dont we?


Actually, I don't know what the problem is when IE just crashes randomly at random times. Please explain.

Author:  MysticVegeta [ Sun Mar 12, 2006 3:39 pm ]
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What I meant was that IE and MSN says that the firewall is blocking the their display but its really a bug in THEM and not the problem of firewall Razz

Author:  codemage [ Mon Mar 20, 2006 8:51 am ]
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I also hadn't had any problems with IE, but now I get to have some again.

Seems the IT overlords have now blocked all non-conformist browsers at the application level. (So I can't even bring it in on a USB key).

You will use IE and you will like it.

(Damn you, non-tabbed browser!)

Author:  Tony [ Mon Mar 20, 2006 9:56 am ]
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codemage wrote:
(So I can't even bring it in on a USB key).

You can't run Firefox from a USB drive? How'd they block that?

Author:  codemage [ Wed Mar 22, 2006 8:56 am ]
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I think they put the application executable in a block list of some sort.

Apparently, portable firefox has a different file signature - so it runs, for now. I feel like I'm working in communist China a lot of the time here. It takes extra time & effort to covertly accomplish the simplest tasks that I should be able to do legitimately.

Author:  Tony [ Wed Mar 22, 2006 10:10 am ]
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yey for open source! you could always recompile Firefox yourself with a different signature Laughing

Author:  Mazer [ Wed Mar 22, 2006 10:47 am ]
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If that's the case, might as well try Swiftfox (depending on the architecture of the computers in question).

Author:  Imm0rtal [ Wed Mar 22, 2006 6:22 pm ]
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codemage wrote:
I think they put the application executable in a block list of some sort.

Apparently, portable firefox has a different file signature - so it runs, for now. I feel like I'm working in communist China a lot of the time here. It takes extra time & effort to covertly accomplish the simplest tasks that I should be able to do legitimately.


What Operating Systems/Distro's are they running? Do you have access to your Bio's ?

If you don't have access to your bio's. By default which piece of hardware is booted first?

Author:  Mazer [ Wed Mar 22, 2006 7:33 pm ]
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I'm not one to call people noobs (except for my professors), but Imm0rtal, you REALLY need to get your terminology straight. I'll slip up once in a while too, but "BIOS" and "Bio's"? Nerds would kill you over that!

Author:  Andy [ Wed Mar 22, 2006 8:14 pm ]
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LMAO... it's a college, so obviously there is going to be an admin password on the BIOS, and HDD would be booted first. Even if he had access to the BIOS, what do you want him to do? boot in to live cd?

Author:  Imm0rtal [ Fri Mar 24, 2006 1:11 am ]
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Coutsos wrote:
I'm not one to call people noobs (except for my professors), but Imm0rtal, you REALLY need to get your terminology straight. I'll slip up once in a while too, but "BIOS" and "Bio's"? Nerds would kill you over that!


I don't imagine that nerds would be doing alot of killing. I feel somewhat obliged to return the favor (Make senseless jabber because there was a typo and I forgot my CAPSLOCK) but unfortunatly I have better things to do with my time. As you apparently do not.. can you please check all my posts and make corrections as you see fit! Thanks!


Andy wrote:
LMAO... it's a college, so obviously there is going to be an admin password on the BIOS, and HDD would be booted first. Even if he had access to the BIOS, what do you want him to do? boot in to live cd?


1)You would be surprised and 2) maybe. Depends what hardware is booted first. That could be an option if it happens to be the CD ROM.

ALSO: Are the towers locked? Twisted Evil

Author:  Martin [ Fri Mar 24, 2006 3:16 am ]
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Coutsos wrote:
I'm not one to call people noobs (except for my professors), but Imm0rtal, you REALLY need to get your terminology straight. I'll slip up once in a while too, but "BIOS" and "Bio's"? Nerds would kill you over that!


My Bio's bigger than yours!

Author:  Mazer [ Fri Mar 24, 2006 8:50 am ]
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Martin wrote:
Coutsos wrote:
I'm not one to call people noobs (except for my professors), but Imm0rtal, you REALLY need to get your terminology straight. I'll slip up once in a while too, but "BIOS" and "Bio's"? Nerds would kill you over that!


My Bio's bigger than yours!

My Bio's shoots lasers.

Author:  codemage [ Fri Mar 24, 2006 9:38 am ]
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1 - Towers are locked
2 - BIOS has a password
3 - The internet only runs through a secure proxy

Each of those things can be bypassed or broken with time & effort. However, I'm not a corporate saboteur - I shouldn't have to (and don't really want to - and won't) hack everything over just to accomplish something mundane, particularly when there are less conspicuous ways of doing so.

I just want to teach what I'm supposed to be teaching.

Author:  Andy [ Fri Mar 24, 2006 9:47 am ]
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haha! which college do you teach at codemage? i've always wondered that

Author:  wtd [ Sat Mar 25, 2006 4:07 pm ]
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codemage wrote:
1 - Towers are locked
2 - BIOS has a password
3 - The internet only runs through a secure proxy

Each of those things can be bypassed or broken with time & effort. However, I'm not a corporate saboteur - I shouldn't have to (and don't really want to - and won't) hack everything over just to accomplish something mundane, particularly when there are less conspicuous ways of doing so.

I just want to teach what I'm supposed to be teaching.


It's amazing the (ultimately futile) lengths large institutions go to turn full-size, expensive desktop PCs into dumb terminals, and yet they would never consider actually using thin clients that are designed for that role.

Author:  md [ Sat Mar 25, 2006 4:41 pm ]
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UW has many dumb terminals; and many of the towers running windows are really only little more then dumb terminals with HDs for a local copy of windows.

Strangely enough the windows machines are in labs that are always open, whereas the thin clients that _need_ a back-end server to run are in locked labs that are only open some of hte time and are protected by alarms. 'Course that might also have something to do with teh huge LCDs... that might not even be locked down...


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