Problems with your computer

Please allow me to introduce myself:

I am a computer problem expert. I have served as an administrator at 2 other sites, but I do not want to work as an administrator at any site again. If you follow my instructions I may be able to help you.

At my previous sites I installed a path to search a database for free on Opening moves while logged into the chess site. I have been able to find (and usually fix) any problem that members may have; I prefer to work 'under cover'. But first of all, you need to realize that computer Technology keeps advancing and so your OS keeps changing. This is both good and bad because although Microsoft tries to maintain compatibility with older operating systems, they can not continue to support your favorite games. I personally was disappointed when the new OS by Microsoft would not play my favorite games.

However, you must make a choice: Keep your old OS such as Windows 98, or Windows 7 and be able to run your old games, or move on for the new stuff that is coming.

So, regarding the problems one faces with this new
Technology, I will help you adapt to it.

To begin with, I have great admiration to the administrators working here at chess.com . They are continually asked the same question over and over again. While the most of the answers are shown to you in print!  Before you ask an administrator for help you should read the "Help & Support" page at the bottom of your screen.

Of course they cannot cover everything and that's why I occassionally post in the forums to help people. I'll show you a few tricks that are not listed in the "Help & Support" section.

Slow connection:

Chess.com had a setback recently from one of their computer bases which caused a time delay. I believe this problem has been fixed now at this site. So let's talk about what can cause you all kinds of grief due to your own computer.

1) If you are using a wireless Internet connection it is imperative that you do not have 100+ spyware programs running on your computer. They all run in the background, keeping tabs on everything you do, and they all try to use your wireless connection as you are trying to play chess here. The result is a SLOW connection. To get rid of this problem you can read some of the posts I wrote over a year ago - OR you can simply go to the main site of www.superantispyware.com and d/l their free program. Make sure you have the latest upgrades and run the program. It will remove all those background programs that are spyware and sapping your connection speeds.

2) No sound while making your chess moves:

I prefer to use FireFox after having so many problems with Microsoft's versions of browsers. But if you use Firefox (or any other version browser) you have to update Java, enter the security section and make sure that you change your selection from Http//www.chess.com to Https//www.chess.com . I've been told that they have included the "s" because it stands for 'a secure connection'.  Unfortunately, after you do this you will have to reinstall your sound driver.

But, I for one, can not enjoy playing speed chess w/o hearing a sound after each move.

Yeah, there are a lot of other things that members may run into. Just read the Forums and several gifted people will tell you what you need to change to make your system work.  I cannot express how important it is to get rid of all that spyware though.

Cheers, Don

The only thing on Chess.com that uses Java is the v2 Play vs Computer. Version 3 of the site doesn't use Java on the client side.

I tried version 3 and didn't like it. It was not "CLEAN". If you want to have your members use the newest version I suggest you hire a programmer who can produce a 'clean looking screen'.

Seriously

If I had 100+ pieces of malware on my system, I wouldn't even try to remove all of them. I'd just do a clean reinstall of my OS, because I'd never really know if I got all of the malware removed. Next, I'd ask myself how I managed to get all of that malware in the first place. A good start to avoiding malware would be to not be running Java in your browser, and also removing Adobe Flash Player. There are other things that must be done, but if you're running those two programs, you have no chance against malware.

Only browse with any and all scripts disabled in incognito mode run sandboxed through a virtual firewall on a virtual machine operating on a VPN run through a physical firewall and bounced across 7 proxies with 16384-bit encryption.

It's the only way to be sure.

I bought the program Malware Bytes Anti-Malware.

It's caught malware every time their was an attemp to install it.

Tell me if I'm missing something?

Don

Malwarebytes is pretty good. I use the free version, along with the free Microsoft anti-virus package. (Of course, the paid version of Malwarebytes is better, because it's real-time protection. Kudos to you for that.) However, with all of the zero-day exploits being created these days, anti-malware software alone just isn't good enough. You have to try to prevent the malware from getting on your machine in the first place, and you do that by modifying your behavior and hardening your system to close down as many paths of infection as possible (safe computing and safe internet surfing). The more paths you can close, the lower your chance will be of getting infected. The only discouraging aspect of this approach is that there are many, many potential infection paths.

Java-in-the-browser and Adobe Flash Player are probably the two worst offenders of being vulnerable to new zero-day exploits; Hence the advice of removing these two pieces of software if you can live without them.

heh, sounds work just fine on qutebrowser.

I almost forgot; you'll want to remove your fingerprints completely before you touch any hardware, too. Pressing your fingertips against a piece of hot iron for one second every month should do it.

Martin_Stahl  I've been thinking of getting rid of Adobe Flash Player. But if I do some of the games I bought will not run - still, it might be worth it. Do you know if this 'older' version (version 2) on Chess.com would still support the sound for moving pieces if I get rid of Adobe?

Here's an article that discusses living without Flash Player. It's over a year old, but most of the information is still valid. The article includes a link to an in-between strategy called "click-to-play".

http://krebsonsecurity.com/2015/06/a-month-without-adobe-flash-player/

Do people really use Flash ? my browser doesn't even support them.

Some people do. You'd be surprised how many people are still using Windows XP. (As of July 2016, over 6 %.)

It looks like even now it's still just over 5.5%

http://gs.statcounter.com/#desktop-os-ww-monthly-201609-201609-bar

I'm not a windows user and despite everything I'm not using flash, I'm forcing html5 videos instead of flash when supported by the site.

But - I need the Flash Player to watch the free chess videos on U-Tube!  :(

I think there should be a YouTube setting to specify html5. Try right-clicking on the video area. Is there a "About the html5 player" link?

I'm sorry to say that "html5" is new to me. I can google it and find out what it is and how to use it, but if you explained it here then everyone would benefit. Cheers, Don

Apparently, since January 2015, YouTube has defaulted to HTML5 usage. So if you get rid of Flash Player, I'd think that YouTube should work without Flash Player with no other modifications needed.

Youtube most certainly uses HTML5 , if you use firefox there is an extension to force it.

i'm using qutebrowser and i just use a script to open youtube links on mpv, my video player.