Previous way of posting pics

[Mavin1]

Hi Bryan, I don't know what has changed with how we post pictures now, but ever since the site has been brought back up I am having an awful time posting them.
Before I could just download them off my picture package, to WS, threads, or my personal section. Now I can only sometimes get them to load to the threads or WS. I have been using paint now, but keep getting errors on size or failed. Some some pictures load and some don't, it is very frustrating now considering how simple it was previously.
Can this be fixed?

 

[kauphy]

same here can,t put pic on ws anymore keeps saying they r 2 big no matter how small i make them

 

[Mavin1]

Yep, either to big or just failed. I posted my simulation of my WS for today. Not as much fun as looking at the actual pic. But I am beyond frustration trying to post them.

No wonder we aren't seeing a whole lot of screenshots, obviously others are having trouble posting pics too?

 

[rockycatt]

host them from photo bucket there you can save for free ton's of pic's more than you can take free

 

[silcnlayc]

Yes, Bryan had it set where it automatically resized your photos which was a great help. When his site got hijacked it went away..I guess it is taking time to fix it all.

.

 

[Mavin1]

I was going to try Photo bucket, as per mentioned before, but when I went to the site, my pc was taken over by a parasitic Anti-virus program and it blocked everything. I wasn't able to even access my home page or email.
So after ripping out my hair for several hours and doing several clean ups in safe mode, I finally got the anti virus off my computer and won't even go back to that site.

 

[incrediblestuff]

i dont like those free photo services really, and wanted to upload some pics a few times already, but gave up thinking i must be an idiot
off topic:
what was the reason for the hijack, and did anything get really damaged?
were peoples personal info targeted?
is there a thread on it?
cheers

 

[maxd]

As I'm sure some of you are aware, Bryan has been at CAC the last few days. So if you feel like you're getting a slow response on this that's likely why. He'll be back soon and will, I'm sure, respond to the issue you've raised here.

Photobucket.com __should__ be a reasonable off-site photo storage place for you to use though it will, or course, be best when whatever is amiss here at CM is ironed out. FWIW I started using Photobucket several weeks ago and am currently having no problems with it.

@Mavin1's virus experience is indeed disturbing and has (apparently) been confirmed as a virus that was pushed out by one of their advertisers. I think I may have been hit with something too when I signed up at Photobucket and that was about a month ago give or take. It was a nasty one, apparently delivered via Firefox and IE but not Safari, and seemed to have worked by hijacking all your executables. I don't know what the longer term effects are because I quickly reverted to a full system backup I had made a few days before and thereby dodged the shitstorm.

FWIW the Photobucket attack apparently came in via something that disguised itself as a spyware scanner or somesuch: I've seen "antispywareprolivescan" mentioned several places but can't personally confirm that was the source. If you're looking for info on this just google "photobucket virus" and you'll have more hits than you'll know what to do with.

In any case the word seems to be that the threat at Photobucket has passed. It goes without saying that a good firewall/AV system and extreme prejudice when dealing with advertiser's pop-ups is always a good thing.

 

[Mousey]

These sites with rotating banner advertising are dangerous. I personally know of and have experienced malware attacks on 4Shared, Photobucket, Imageshack, and Pando. The nasty at Imageshack completely hijacked hubby's computer without him clicking on anything. Took hours and hours to get the thing up and running again.

Hackers find a way to insert malicious coding into ads, or insert their own ads carrying malware at these sites. The websites are also victims -- but then again, they must find a way to make their webpages and ads more secure from outside hackers.

The problem seems to be resolved at all of the above sites I mentioned -- for now.

 

[silcnlayc]

I find paint the easiest.

1. Right click on photo to resize
2. open with paint
3. edit/stretch/skew
4. enter 50/50 in top two boxes and hit ok, and continue entering a number until you see the pic the size of a 5x7 and remember how many numbers you entered like 50/50...20/20...5/5...until you see the 5x7 on your screen, add them together (this is the first pic only....) which gives you 75/75 and use that number for the rest.

You don't even have to close paint but I do..it is quicker just right clicking on the photo to resize once you got the right number..

The upload will tell you if you hit your mark or if you need a little smaller...if you do, add that to the other numbers for the rest of the pics and remember it for all your other photos until Bryan gets it fixed OH! and don't forget to save after each finished tweak...you do not need to save as, just save.

I do not like the free programs either, so I use paint which is already on my computer.

.

 

[Mavin1]

Thanks for the advice, all. Personally I won't go to an outside source again for my pics. I don't use any Anti-virus on my pc and haven't for the last 2 years now, but am cautious as to what sites I will visit.

Thanks Silc for your detailed explaination of sizing, I will study it and see if I can get it. I do the stretch/skew, but no matter how small I have made the pics they were still getting rejected. So I will see if there is a step I have been missing.

I will be hopefully waiting for Bryan to give us back the auto sizing at it was just easier.

 

[vinylweatherman]

One of the kids here for 2 weeks knocked out my gambling PC with a virus that sounds very much like the "photobucket virus" concept. It was designed as a fake spyware remover called "security tool", but blocked access to most executables except those needed to pay the ransom for release of the computer.

Ransom NOT paid, but it took a few days to get things partially back to normal, AND I am using AVG free, so clearly this did NOT protect against this one.

On the subject of posting pictures though, Photofiltre was mentioned a while ago, and by resizing to 640 x 480 all pictures in JPEG format have posted fine, even AFTER the site hijack.

 

[chayton]

One of my clients was looking for a photo resizer so people could upload to their website, so I did some research and testing of some of the online tools for him. I found a downloadable freeware program that they ended up going with - it does batch processing and multiple files, etc. If anyone's interested in it, it's called FastStone Photo Resizer and you can dowload it at

You do not have permission to view link Log in or register now.

 

[maxd]

... I don't use any Anti-virus on my pc ... I will be hopefully waiting for Bryan to give us back the auto sizing at it was just easier.

Personally I wouldn't turn on my computer without a good anti-virus package in place, not to mention a decent firewall, etc, but I understand that not everyone has the time to spend/waste keeping abreast of such things.

My wife says if I didn't take care of the computer and all it's insane problems/hassles/crap she'd just turn it off and dig out her typewriter. Personally I don't think she'd last two days without her Twitter feed.

As to the auto-resizing thing I think that must have been turned off site-wide. I see it's no longer working in the photo albums either.

And that's a fine point someone made about using the freebie photo sites: if you look at it from the hackers point of view it's just too tempting for them not to go all out to push their nastiness out to the world using these kinds of services. Must rethink the Photobucket thing.

... sounds very much like the "photobucket virus" concept. It was designed as a fake spyware remover called "security tool", but blocked access to most executables except those needed to pay the ransom for release of the computer.

Yup, that's the one alright. Nasty POS that one was. Reason your AV didn't catch it -- nor did mine -- is you (someone) needed to click on the pop-up to allow the "scan". Once that's done you've pretty much circumvented your AV and said "yeah, do me".

One of my clients was looking for a photo resizer .... I found a downloadable freeware program that they ended up going with ... FastStone Photo Resizer ....

FastStone stuff is great! I use three of their apps and love'em all. Top grade stuff!

 

[Mavin1]

I used to have several different anti-virus programs at one time or another. What I have found, but don't recommend my thoughts to anyone, is that while I had these AV's, I was always getting virus threats in my spam and such constantly. Plus paying out the nose for it.
Well my last was Norton, I was getting 35 to 45 or more virus quarantines in my spam, daily sometimes. When I dumped the AV, they also went away.
Now I use Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, Spybot Search and Destroy, Ad-Adware SE, which I run regularly and have never had a probem, these are free.

My thoughts on most AV services, it's like the Mafia protection, they keep setting fire to your store or shooting your pets so you will see that you need their protection. Of course they have to continue doing this to keep you paying for the protection.
It's the order out of chaos theory.
But this is just my opinion of course.

 

[Mousey]

For a viewer and a quick resizing tool... I don't think you can beat IrFanView.

For resizing loads of pics/graphics files at one go... you're right, Faststone rocks!

And FWIW, I couldn't use a couple of avatars I used to use because they're too 'big' now. So I must take some time (one day) to see if I can get them properly sized down... since the forum doesn't do it for me anymore. LOL

 

[maxd]

I used to have several different anti-virus programs at one time or another. What I have found, but don't recommend my thoughts to anyone, is that while I had these AV's, I was always getting virus threats in my spam and such constantly. Plus paying out the nose for it. ... Well my last was Norton ....

Just adding my thoughts here, not arguing or any such:

I hear what you are saying about being deluged. As it happens most of the decent AV packages have options to dial down the notifications you get, tweak the sensitivity, train the filters, etc. But it all takes time and often a little 'user training'.

But then I saw you mentioned Norton. Ugh, that was once a fine thing but then got taken over by some real chunder-heads in the software department who dragged it straight down the bog hole. I used it for years but it became such a bloated pig that it caused WAY more problems than it solved. Norton AV should be flagged as malware, IMHO.

That said, sounds like you're using some other tools which are quite good. Bottom line is one needs to find what works for them and gets the job done. If you're good with what you've got then you're doing the right thing.

 

[incrediblestuff]

ok now im going to budge in with my two cents:
i used to have the same issue, got a virus once messed up my pc, got another one , and another one:
got really sick and went to all the number 1 antivirus fora, hijack this and the likes, downloaded all the "best" antivirus, antispam and antimalware, rootkit protection, active firewall and browsing protection.tried everything, really to the point that i knew every feat of those programs.
still got notifications of, or viruses that got through.
controlling and checking the safety of my pc, would cost me at least three hours a week, mostly more.

my latest pc, very good machine, and up to date virus free, is without any protection, firewall turned off.
the only thing i use, is ccleaner, free proggy, most of you might know.
cleans up all the temp crap after browsing the net.
and ill tell you that that is your only time of danger: internet.
offline pc's dont have any prob, ever, unless you insert a floppy or cd with malicious software, but still mostly useless if you dont have internet, for the virus/trojan/backdoor to fulfill its function.
trust me, in most cases your ten times better off w/o any so called protection.
i am talking about your common user now, not about online business or proffessional websites.
just dont go to banner farms, porn sites or the cheats/hacks sites.
and dont use networking sites such as facebook, netlog and such.
and even on messenger, never click on any link unless your 100% sure your actually talking to your friend, never offline messages etc.
youll be fine 99% of the time.
after every browsing session use ccleaner, and youll have a ball with your pc.
if its about hacking: you cant stop it, unless your willing to invest all your freetime in learning how to, and the best always will crack you: the point is you dont have anything to offer for those elite ones.
only smalltime crooks, phishers, spammers and such are trying to get your info, lure you into clicking this or that.
only experience and attention can save you from this, no antivirus thats out there for free, can.
and even the ones you pay for are mostly outdated as soon as you install them.
take this info as you like it, im not saying its a fact, even if i believe it is
just my tip/opinion

 

[Mavin1]

Thanks Max and yes, Norton sent me over the edge, I'm sure they will never want me to call them again.

Yep, well said Incrediblestuff! I haven't had any anti-virus protection for 2 years and am cautious about what I go too when surfing, links and attachments. The items I mentioned as having that are free are just like cccleaner, Reg cure is another good one, just dumps the garbage off your computer. I have only had a problem twice and that was once on Google videos and then Photobucket, but like I said they're gone.

I had taken an old lap top to our local computer service person and she had told me also that anti-virus protection actually attracts viruses. Kind of why I liken it to the Mafia protection.

 

[KasinoKing]

On the subject of posting pictures though, Photofiltre was mentioned a while ago, and by resizing to 640 x 480 all pictures in JPEG format have posted fine, even AFTER the site hijack.

That's the key, as I have found since the change;
Before the max was 680 wide, now it's only 640.
I know each person's PC could be slightly different, but for me that means I have to reduce my screenshots to 70% before posting, instead of the 75% I used before.
I do that with "paint" & have no problems.

@ Mavin: Make 100% sure your pictures are saved as JPEGs - other formats may be too big memory-wise.

KK

 

[Casinomeister]

I'm on my official full fledged first working day after dealing with Amsterdam for the past several days.

I'm on it.

i dont like those free photo services really, and wanted to upload some pics a few times already, but gave up thinking i must be an idiot
off topic:
what was the reason for the hijack, and did anything get really damaged?
were peoples personal info targeted?
is there a thread on it?
cheers

The site was not hacked, penetrated, or hijacked in any form. We had a DDoS attack that lasted for a few days that prevented people from visiting. We moved servers and some of the forum functions got a little tweaked.

 

[skiny]

I gave up trying to protect my computer a year ago. I have a paid subscription to McAfee but I never felt safe anyway.

The only way to truly protect your computer is to buy a second hard drive and back up software such as Acronis and once a week let your computer back it up on a seperate hard drive.

If I get a virus now I don't even try to remove it. I just copy the image I had of last week's hard drive back and forget it happened.