> First, you may want check out your system with the latest version of an anti-viral program like Norton's. Your problems may be caused by a trojan, or some other ilk, that got triggered by April Fool's Day according to your time/datestamp.
>

Ok, I'll see if I can download something like that. I hope so - I've got absolutly no anti-viral software on my computer....nor did I ever, for that matter.

> Secondly, what the error message means. A Socket is a software object that connects whatever application you're using to a network (like the Internet). For example, Netscape Communicator 4.7 and IE 5 (your web browser) sends and receives TCP/IP messages by opening a socket, and basically reading and writing data to and from the socket. A Notification Sink is... um, well... well I think that must be an observed-event notification, given by the Receiver Object (i.e., the Sink) that tells the Initiator Event (i.e., the Source) that the sent-data was actually received by the Sink (I think that's right... *whew*). So, to make the long story short, a "Socket Notification Sink" is a wait/end task error, meaning _something_ on your computer is waiting for a signal that says "the socket's been closed, it's ok to go ahead now and shutdown the OS, dagnabit!"
>

Hmmm...that's kinda what I was thinking too, but what I'm wondering is why this error message occurs not only while I'm on the net, but while I'm off it as well, which makes very little sense, since the program seems to be internet-related only.

> Anyway I've never gotten that error myself. Still, there's a standard way to handle freezes and stuff that won't shutdown in any Windows PC version. You give your keyboard the 3-fingered salute. In other words, press together and hold down the Control-Alt-Delete keys, and wait until the Task Menu comes up. It shows a list of the currently open Tasks (programs) in memory. Sometimes you will see a Task that reports itself as "(Not Responding)", so just click on that Task, and tell the OS to "End Task" to shut that program down. Be patient and give it some time to terminate the process, like 20 seconds. Even if you can't see an application task that is frozen in the menu, click on whatever you think is likely to have caused the Socket Error -- like your web browser, probably. Always try selecting "End Task" before choosing "Shut Down"... You've more likely to succeed with the first one.
>

Ah yes, the ctrl+alt+del commands....I think those buttons are probably going to be among the first to wear out on my computer. Now, while this error is in progress (the socket notification error one, with the 'ok' button), I can still use the ctrl+alt+del keys and end any task I want, however the error itself isn't considered a task and I can't just turn it off (too bad). Anyway, I've taken out everything to do with the internet, followed by everything else, and until finally I'm left with the error and a blank task screen before. Of course, no matter what programs are running, the pressing of the 'OK' button causes multiple blue screen errors including "System has become unstable", "System is Busy" "Error in module FFFF66 (or something like that)" and, as a end result, I have to restart.

> If that doesn't work in the long run: flush your cache, Use "Add/Remove Programs" in Control Panel to uninstall your web browser from the System Registry, then *delete* the actual Netscape or Iexplorer directory, and reinstall your web browser. *Delete* it -- don't just reinstall on top of it! And make sure to save your web links in Bookmark.htm or Favorites first, before you start. You may also want to do the same uninstall/reinstall bit with your WinSock driver.
>

If all else fails, I guess I'll turn to this. I really hope that it won't some to this though. Many people have said that if I try to delete IE5, it completely screws up Windows, and I don't have a Windows CD without the install file for all the Packard Bell stuff on it too (I don't want to have to mess with THAT ever again). The second problem with not having a 'real' windows CD is that It's hard to re-install drivers. Last option, I guess....

> I hope that helps. If someone has a better idea with what's causing this "Socket Notification Sink" error -- like, perhaps, simple bad code in NS Comm 4.02 or whatnot -- well, go for it 'cause I'm just plain out of ideas.
>
> Wolfspirit

Thank you for this information Wolfspirit. I'll try to get it working ASAP. If everything works, I'll be in Rinkchat tomarrow. If now, well, Let's just not get into that right now.

-Ka"Here, little virus scanner, where are you?"z!