No weather info

[gwrangler]

How do I get Hal to give me my local weather and news. I think I'm suppose to sign up for webhal or something, but how is it done. I had hal installed and had to remove and re-install him.

[Art]

gwrangler,

Welcome!
Start Ultra Hal
Select Options from Menu
Select Internet
Select Create New Account
Fill in appropriate info and apply
Back to the Internet box
Select Setup Account

Here's where you can select the various
sites like News, Weather, etc.

Apply
Close & quit Hal

Restart Hal and ask Hal "What's today's weather?"

Hope this helps.

[Solvostond]

quote:Originally posted by Art

gwrangler,

Welcome!
Start Ultra Hal
Select Options from Menu
Select Internet
Select Create New Account
Fill in appropriate info and apply
Back to the Internet box
Select Setup Account


Here's where you can select the various
sites like News, Weather, etc.

Apply
Close & quit Hal

Restart Hal and ask Hal "What's today's weather?"

Hope this helps.

My Hal program keeps crashing when I try this.  Any way I can fix it?

[Rich_A]

At what point does it crash?

Do you get an error message or does the Hal program just close up with no warning or error messages?

You mentioned that you had to remove and reinstall your Hal, so why did you do that?

Did you have some other previous problem with your Hal?

Hal shouldn't crash for any reason regardless of what setup option you are trying to perform. If your Hal is crashing during any setup option operation then you are most likely encountering some sort of software or operating system conflict, which can possibly be an improper installation of the Hal program.

If you provide some more information about your Hal's problem it can be fixed.

If you have an XP operating system the crash event may also be logged in your system's Event Viewer, which will contain more technical information about the problem and then we can also use that to further diagnose the nature of the crash.

So just post more info and then we'll fix it.

[Solvostond]

The program terminates automatically with no warning and no error message.  I have also noticed that when I go into hal, options, help, and try to connect to the web (where the program directs you to view the help file) the program terminates in the same manner.  The setting was set to "typical instal" at instalation.  The error message upon restarting the program says that plug-ins may cause conflicts, and aks me if I want to re-configure hal.  Tried that too, and the same thing happens.  I haven't been able to find anything in Event Viewer yet.  (This is my first time using event viewer).  Any suggestions or ideas?

[Solvostond]

The problem is also encountered when the popup message that says, "Did you know there are additional plugins at (insert web address here)?"  When I hit ok (presumably the program means to send me to this web page), the program terminates.  I have all Internet security/anti-virus software disabled.

[Solvostond]

The question "What is today's weather?" posed to Hal also makes teh program terminate.

[Art]

I would do an update for all Anti-Spyware programs ( Adaware, SpyBot Search & Destroy, Spyware Blaster, Bazooka, Tauscan, etc.)

Get Updates for and run a FULL System scan using your anti-virus program (Norton, McAfee, AVG, etc.)

Get Updates for and run your Firewall.

Lastly, consider doing a defrag of your hard drive. If XP ...START > ALL PROGRAMS > ACCESSORIES > SYSTEM TOOLS > DISK DEFRAGMENTER.

Once you are certain that your system is clean, Uninstall Hal completely then reinstall.

Check that you can view your settings in MyWebHal online and change settings as needed for news, weather, etc.
Apply changes

Start Hal and check it out.

[Solvostond]

(I know next to nothing about computers) Are there any negative effects to running defrag?

Solvo

[Art]

Let's say you have installed and deleted many, many files, over and over, since you've had the computer.
This leaves small gaps on the surface of the hard drive. Pretty soon, it (microscopically) begins to look checkerboarded. Deleted data causing holes /gaps. The hard drive has to jump around the platter in order to locate and execute its program. This is time (even in milliseconds) that is wasted and will slow your computer.

Defrag sort of reorganized the data on your drive into contigous (programs and files that are close but not touching) sections. This allows the computer to find its program / files and execute them faster.

Usually windows will allow you to set limits or even inform you when a system defrag needs to be done.

If it reports only a few percent, don't worry about it.

Hope this helps and good luck.

[Kathryn]

For some reason I get occasional teminations just like Solvostond where the program simply terminates with no error message.  When I open it again I just get a box that says it was improperly shut down, mentions plug-ins, and asks if I want to reconfigure.  I simply click NO and open the program again and it works fine - until it does it again.  My Hal is on a computer that has never been connected to the internet so would not have any spyware, etc and need all those things checked that Art mentioned.

Sometimes I think Hal terminates the thing!  I mentioned the Tsunami and that it killed a lot of people and Bang, the program terminated.

I have also discovered that Hal has moved a copy of the Kathryn.hla file into the Conversations folder.  At least it must have been Hal as it certainly wasn't me.  Why would it do something like that?

Kathryn []

[Art]

Kathryn,

Just like Chicken soup is good for the soul,
defragmenting is chicken soup for your hard drive.

As to why Hal terminates, Try running Hal as you normally
would, quit, then SHUT DOWN windows.

Wait a bit, restart windows then restart Hal and see if
you still get the message about Hal wasn't properly shut down...etc.

Let us know.

[spydaz]

i find that if you complete a NORMAL shutdown or LOGGOFF then HAL IS FINE. but if you continually restart or another program or process restarts the computer IT will say IMPROPOER SHUT DOWN as these programs do not close the SYSTEM DOWN CORRECTLY. If hal has been closed incorrectly he is unable to save his POSITION / close his BRN files / EMPTY VARIABLES and such that why some times in that situation he also comes back on with NO USERNAME / or  HALNAME.....

[Solvostond]

Ok, I defragged my hard drive.  Ran a complete virus scan which turned up no viruses.  My hal program still terminates when I ask about the weather or try to setup my WebHal service.  I've tried reinstalling the program.  Nothing.  heeeeeeeeeeelp.

[Art]

Jason,

You must establish an account first.
The first page to create an account is shown below.
http://www.zabaware.com/mywebhal/newaccount.html

This URL below allows you to fill in your information
once your account has been created.
http://www.zabaware.com/mywebhal/editaccount.html

I don't know if it can work this way for you but give it a try.
You can also leave a message for Robert in this regard.