Heed pop-up: Someone else is using your computer

Q: I am the only one using my computer. I turn off my computer around 11 p.m. For the past month I have been receiving a pop-up that says: "Other people are logged onto this computer. Shutting down Windows might cause them to lose data. Do you still want to continue shutting down?" I have McAfee security and I'm running Windows XP. Do I have anything to be concerned about?

— Barbara Logue

It's a little difficult to diagnose your specific problem, since there's a lot of information I'd need that's not in your letter. You don't say what specific McAfee product you're using and whether you're also running a firewall. And you don't mention whether you're connected to a network or the Internet.

But let's stick to the basics. The message you're getting tells you that someone has logged in to your computer using a user account other than the one you used to log in with. That person could be logging it at your keyboard, elsewhere on your network or over the Internet.

The first thing I'd suggest is going to the Control Panel and clicking on the User Accounts icon to see what user accounts are listed for your computer. You should change passwords for all user accounts, though remember that you'll need to be logged in a system administrator to do so. You may want to delete any accounts other than the one you use.

Even if this step solves the problem, however, you'll want to make sure you've got a firewall running since cracking passwords is not a major hurdle to a hacker. Firewalls are designed to prevent other users from doing such things as connecting to your computer remotely.

Q: Please tell me how to rid my Hewlett-Packard model F380 printer of two annoying habits. I use the printer infrequently to print a few pages or a few pictures.

A month or so after I install a new ink cartridge I get a pop-up box telling me the cartridge-ink level is low. The box continues to pop up (and must be clicked on to close) for three or four months whenever I use the printer until the cartridge runs out of ink. How can I (a) stop the pop-up box or (b) change the printer's program to tell me when the cartridge's ink level is actually low?

Also, the printer uses a No. 21 black-ink cartridge and a No. 58 color cartridge, which must be exchanged, depending on the printing to be done. Each time I change cartridges, the printer automatically prints out a page of lines and boxes for realignment and pops up an instruction box, which I have to click off every time I use the printer. The procedure is a bother and wastes paper and ink. How can I disable the automatic alignment nonsense?

— Pete Petersen, Bellevue

A: You've raised one of my pet peeves about inkjet printers: the so-called ink-monitoring software.

The ink-monitoring software for most inkjet printers doesn't monitor ink levels in the printer. Instead, it makes an estimate of the amount of ink remaining based on the number of pages you have printed.

In my experience, in most cases you can print a lot more pages than are estimated. Which makes sense. If you're going to estimate ink levels, any errors won't be noticed if the cartridge is replaced too early. If the estimate is off the other way, however, consumers will know it right away.

Fortunately, you can uninstall the monitoring software.

As for swapping ink cartridges, you shouldn't be having to do that. The F380 has slots for a black-ink cartridge and a color cartridge. Both slots should be filled with the appropriate cartridge.

Questions for Patrick Marshall may be sent by e-mail to pmarshall@seattletimes.com or pgmarshall@pgmarshall.net, or by mail at Q&A/Technology, The Seattle Times, P.O. Box 70, Seattle, WA 98111.

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