Beginning Jan.  1, 2010, Microsoft is discontinuing security updates for its Windows 2000 operating system.  As a result, Scottrade will no longer be able to offer support for this operating system.

Please note that users of Windows 2000 may still be able to access the Scottrade Web site and tools such as ScottradeELITE® and Scottrader (streaming quotes); however, if difficulties arise and clients use the Windows 2000 operating system, we will be unable to provide technical assistance.  

Scottrade is providing advance notice to allow existing customers to upgrade their operating systems and/or hardware before Jan. 1, 2010 to continue using Scottrade tools as effectively as possible.

There are several reasons that Scottrade can no longer support Windows 2000:

1. Microsoft stopped supporting the Windows 2000 operating system on June 28, 2005.  As of 2005, Microsoft no longer issues updates.
2. Microsoft is discontinuing security updates for this product as of Dec. 31, 2009.  In order to make sure our clients are protected, we can no longer safely recommend using this operating system after Dec. 31.
3. To provide as much value to our customers as possible, Scottrade must use new technology, which in most cases may not be compatible with Windows 2000.

To determine which operating system you currently use, do the following:

1. Left click on the Start button in the lower left hand corner of the screen
2. Left click on “Run”
3. Type in “winver”
4. Left click on “OK” to view a pop-up window displaying your current operating system

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. 

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I've gotten more than one personal message in the Community asking how someone can tell when I (ELITE Deuxd), The ELITE Trader, Elite Broker, and screamerstreamer007 post in the Active Trader Group or elsewhere.  The easiest way is to "friend" us, or make us your online friend.  I generally try to friend new clients I see in this group, but the growing size of the Community is making it more difficult to do this as thoroughly as I've been able to in the past. 

 So what can you do?  Left click on each of our names when we post to get to our profile pages, where you can then left click on the"Add as Friend" button below our pictures.  Then you'll be able to see when we post by keeping an eye on the "What's New? column on your profile page.

In fact, to make things easier on you, I've added links to our profile pages below.  Feel free to click the links and add us as friends if you haven't already.

The ELITE Trader

ELITE Deuxd

Elite Broker

screamerstreamer007

So who do you have in the NCAA Tourney? 

 

Who are you rooting for? 

Who's going to get upset in the first round? 

Who's going to win it all?

 

Let's see if Scottrade clients can predict the winner!

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All,

I had Mod Mike create a new poll for ELITE users asking which Operating System you use.  Please take a moment to fill this out when you get a chance.  Your choices are:

Windows 2000

Windows XP 32-bit

Windows XP 64-bit

Windows Vista 32-bit

Windows Vista 64-bit

Macintosh

Feel free to let us know here as well in the form of a reply, especially if you use multiple computers and several Operating Systems. (more)

Since we are so close to Christmas, I thought I'd see what favorite Christmas movies the Scottrade Community members have fond memories of.  I'll start off with my list and give some brief reasons for my choices.  Feel free to join in!

1. It's A Wonderful Life - I'm a classic movie fan, what can I say?  TCM is on more than HBO at ELITE Deuxd's house.  Jimmy Stewart steals the show, and this movie features Donna Reed as well before she starred in the Donna Reed Show in the late 1950s to early 1960s.  Although the movie is widely considered to have a happy ending, have you noticed how one particularly nasty individual gets away with theft?

More Christmas movies listed after the break!

2. A Christmas Carol (1938 & 1951) - Again I'm sticking with the classic versions of this timeless Dickens classic, though I'll throw out a nod to Bill Murray's Scrooged and Disney's cartoon version of the story as well.  I preferred Reginald Owens' 1938 performance as the miserly grouch Scrooge, but more people prefer the 1951 version as a whole.

3. Meet Me In St. Louis - I know what you might be thinking.  This Judy Garland starring vehicle is about the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis.  It's not a Christmas movie!  Well, for whatever reason, my family loves to watch it on Christmas Eve, mainly for the scene where Judy Garland sings "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" to her younger sister, who is distraught because the family is moving to New York.  If you haven'[t seen this one, I highly recommend it whenever you decide to watch it.

Honorable mentions:

*National Lampoon's Chrsitmas Vacation

*Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (with Burl Ives as the voice of the snowman narrator)

*A Charlie Brown Christmas

 

Most Hated:

* A Christmas Story - I hate this movie with a passion.  Why?  Maybe because TNT plays it for 24 hours straight.  AAAAAGH!

 

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I just wanted to let the Online Community know that I will be attending the Ontario, CA Trade Show next week from Wednesday, June 18 through Saturday, June 21.  I look forward to meeting some of you.  See you there!
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Hello, everyone. I'd like to start off my (probably infrequent) blogging career here on the Scottrade Online Community by expanding a little on the items mentioned on my profile page. In addition to online trading, I have a lot of other personal interests.

First, I absolutely LOVE military history, with a main focus on the American Civil War. I've got a personal library with over 1,000 books, the majority of which pertain to the Civil War. I'm also very interested in other military history as well. I am the main blogger at TOCWOC - A Civil War Blog. If you share my interest in history, I encourage you to go check it out.

I'm also a HUGE St. Louis Cardinals fan. I can often be found using my season tickets in the left field bleachers at Busch Stadium. Two great Cards' sites are Gateway Redbirds and Viva El Birdos.

Feel free to PM me if you want to discuss either of these topics. I'll be posting more on my position here at Scottrade and my areas of expertise in a later blog entry.

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