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The first way is the easiest way. Click on Start>>Run. In the little dialog box that appears, type msconfig. Now click on the tab Startup. Find the program name in the list and de-select it. Click on Apply and answer yes to restart windows. You have told Windows not to start that program automatically when it starts. At this point, you should be able to uninstall the program at next reboot.If that method does not work, let me know and I will recommend a few programs that may be able to help you further.

June 25, 2005 - I keep getting advertising popups on my desktop. I have a popup blocker up-to-date and installed. These popups look like Windows error messages. What do I do? I get about a hundred of these a day. I use Windows XP.

First and foremost, you need to have Service Pack two installed and up-to-date. If you already have it installed, you will have to shut off your workstation service through the Control Panel. Basically, there is a hole in your firewall that spam can exploit. To disable this service, do the following:

Go to Start >> Control Panel >> Administrative Tools (if you do not see Administrative Tools, click on switch to Classic View at the left and it will appear). Double-click on Administrative Tools and then double-click on Services. Page all the way to the bottom and click on Workstation. Under Startup type, switch it to manual and click Apply and then OK. Reboot your computer. The only warning with turning this service off is if you rely on connecting to a remote computer at work or receiving connections from other computers, you will most likely lose that ability once you turn this off. If that happens, just follow the instructions above and under startup type change it back to Automatic and all will be ok.

Like I stated, if you have Service Pack 2 installed and up-to-date, you shouldn't have to do anything else. You can always check under exceptions in the firewall rules to see if you have accidentally approved a spy ware program to bypass your firewall.

June 30, 2005 - How do you delete mail from outlook express BEFORE opening it?The way to delete email before opening it is to create rules for your incoming mail. You do this by clicking on Tools >> Message Rules >> Mail. A dialog box will appear for you to make rules based on incoming email parameters. If you want to create an email rule based on a specific email, click on the message and then go to Message >> Create Rule from Message. When the dialog box appears, it is very similar to the box for creating general rules. Unfortunately, the rules don't always work. Microsoft hasn't figured that one out yet.In order to not preview your emails, go to the View menu and select Layout. When the dialog box comes up, deselect Show Preview Pane. Click on Apply and then OK. This way the email has no way of executing unless you double click on it.I have discovered a program called QURB (http://www.qurb.com/). It is an amazingly effective way to filter junk email for you. It is $29.99 U.S. and it works with both Outlook Express and Microsoft Outlook. It catches 99.7% of all of my junk email. It learns as it goes and rarely does it miss one.

July 9, 2005 - I have received Emails with attachments.They tell me to click on the paper clip----then what? Download to ? Can you advise me?

Highlight the email that has the attachment you want to save/open noted by the paper clip. Click once with your left mouse button on the paper clip and a menu will appear. If you wish to view the attachment right away, click on the file name and it will open. If you wish to save the attachment to your hard drive (maybe for security reasons, you want to scan the file for viruses) click on Save Attachments... and a dialotg box will appear asking you where you want to save the file to. In the dialog box note the "Save To" line at the bottom where the file is going to be saved.

Click on Save in the Top right Corner of this dialog box. The dialog box will disappear and that will mean it is saved. Now go to the location or folder it was saved to (remember the Save To line) and double-click on it and it will open. At this point, you will be able to view the attachment someone sent you.

July 16, 2005 - Surge Protectors

I bought a brand new surge protector (a good one) and hooked my computer and speakers up to it. I even connected my phone line ot it to protect it. The other night before I went to bed, I turned off the surge protector (like I always do). But, when I woke up in the morning my computer din't work. Any ideas?

It sounds like you are a victim of a power surge or brown out. How can that happen? I bought a surge protector. Unfortunately, surge protectors only work when they are turned on. When the protector is turned off, so is it's ability to stop power surges. If you must turn your surge protector off at night, unplug it. It is the only guaranteed way of no surge. My advice is to keep it on always and just turn your computer off. If you are worried about loss of information, a good UPS may be in line for you.

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July 23, 2005 - Matt from Scotland wanted to know why his Internet connection would not dial unless he connected to the Internet first and then selected Outlook Express.

Many times this problem surfaces because of an incorrect password or a missing password when connecting to your ISP. A good way to check this is to open your Outlook Express and if it asks you to go online, answer no. Go to the Tools Menu and then select Accounts. Select your Internet mail account from the list provided under the Mail Tab. Select Properties and then select Servers. On the screen in front of you there is a section for the user name and password. Be sure that there is a password listed here. If it is blank, then no password is being sent to your ISP when you are trying to sign in. When you type in your password, it will not show up as typed. Instead (for security reasons) it will show up as dots or asterisks. After you are sure your password is typed correctly, click on Apply and then OK. Now click on Send and Receive. If it prompts you to go online, answer Yes and your dial-up or DSL connection box will appear. Now, click on Connect. If this does not solve your problem, contact your ISP. Some of the other settings may be incorrect.

My websites of the week are http://www.highlandcamping.co.uk and http://www.glenaffric.info. The first web site is the home site of the campground where we stayed. It is set is a picturesque settings with postcard views everywhere. The people are most hospitable and very friendly. They are located in the Scottish Highlands. The second site is a general information site for the area that we stayed. It contains the famous Loch Ness as part of its lure.

July 30, 2005 - Dave from Barrhill - Scotland asked: I used to be able to send and receive email with no problem. Now I cannot. How come? I asked Dave if he had recently installed any recent programs onto his computer. He said that he had recently installed the Mcaffee Personal Firewall. Since then, he has had his problem. Dave, what has happened is that you have accidentally told your firewall to not let your email program access the Internet. To fix this, you open your firewall program and go to the Tab called applications and look for Outlook Express. Chances are it says BLOCKED beside it. Right click on the Outlook Express entry and select Allow always. Now click OK and the program will close. Open your email program and try to send and receive. You should be able to send and receive with no problem. If you have Norton Internet Security, you could experience a similar problem. You would fix that similar to what we have just completed here.

Speaking of Norton Internet Security 2005, be careful not to install it on a computer that it too old or not enough resources (i.e. RAM). This program can bog your whole system down and make it take forever to open programs or go places on the Internet.

August 5, 2005 - How come every time I remove my jump drive from my computer, I lose information? I use Windows XP Home Edition with Service Pack 2.

When a jump drive is inserted into the USB port on your computer, the computer reads it like it is a new hard drive (storage space). When you insert it, a small icon with a green arrow should appear down by your clock at the bottom right of your screen. It is imperative that you click on this icon before removing your jump drive. When you click on this icon the message "Safely remove device" will show up. Click on it and then the message, "it is safe to remove your device" will appear. By doing this, you are telling Windows to finish storing the data on the drive and ready it for use in another machine or yours again when you return. By removing it without following this procedure, you risk losing information because Windows may not have finished with some of it.

August 13, 2005 - Is it ok to let files build up in your recycle bin or should I delete them from time-to-time?

Understand that by deleting a file and sending it to the recycle bin does not really delete a file. It merely stores it in another place on your hard drive. It still takes up hard drive space. Further, if you have too many files in your recycle bin, your hard drive might start reporting disk drive errors because of the clutter. By default, Microsoft Windows sets the recycle bin up to hold 10% of your disk space to use as the recycle bin. Do the math: Presently, I have a 160 GB Hard Drive in my computer. So Windows automatically reserves 16 GB of space for my recycle bin. That is a ton of space reserved for deleting files. That is about 160,000 pages of typed material. You can change the amount reserved by right clicking on your recycle bin and select Properties from the menu using your left mouse button. Move the slider to the left and select the desired amount of space you want the recycle bin to take up. If you do not want to use the recycle bin, select the check box beside Do Not move files to the Recycle Bin. Warning: It will permanently delete your files with no chance of recovery. Not many people use this option.

Sometimes you may want to bypass the recycle bin because you know you will never use the file again and do not want to go through the hassle of emptying it. Just press the Shift key while deleting a file and it will be deleted forever with no chance of recovery.

The next two methods for adjusting your recycle bin is for advanced users ONLY!! Doing one of these wrong can potentially mess up your whole system. If you do not recognize the terminology chances are you don't want to try these.

You can also modify the way the system handles file deletion via Group Policy. Follow these steps:

Go to Start | Run, enter gpedit.msc at the command prompt, and click OK.
Select User Configuration | Administrative Templates | Windows Components | Windows Explorer.
Find the Do Not Move Deleted Files To The Recycle Bin entry.
Change Not Configured or Disabled to Enabled.

You can also modify this behavior by editing the registry. Follow these steps:

Open the Registry Editor (Regedit.exe).
Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer.
Add a DWORD value named NoRecycleFiles, and give it a value of 1.
Close the Registry Editor, and restart the system for the change to take effect.

Note: Editing the registry is risky, so be sure you have a verified backup before making any changes.

August 20, 2005 - Jenny from Amherstburg asked if it is possible to disable her internet access on her computer but still let Microsoft Messenger work. The situation is that her daughter continues to go to chat rooms and places she does not belong. I approve of Microsoft Messenger and I have no way of policing it when I am at work. I am using Windows XP.

There are a couple of ways that you can disable your Internet Explorer while maintaining a connection to MS Messenger. Only users with Administrator privileges can make the following changes.

First, Select Start--All Programs. At the top of the list, you will see a tab Called "Set Program Access and Defaults". If it isn't located there, it should be located directly under your Control Panel icon in the Program list. Click the down arrow beside "Custom" in the list. Under the "Choose a default Web Browser Heading, deselect the check box beside Internet Explorer that says Allow access to this program. Make sure you keep the button beside Use my current web browser selected. By doing this, no one can use Internet Explorer until you turn it back on.

Second, you can try this method. It is a little more complex and a bit harder for kids to figure out.

Follow these steps:

In Internet Explorer, go to Tools - Internet Options.
On the Connections tab, click the LAN Settings button.
In the resulting dialog box, select the following check box in the Proxy Server section: Use a Proxy Server For Your LAN (These Settings Will Not Apply To Dial-up Or VPN Connections).
Enter 0.0.0.0 in the Address text box.
Enter 80 in the Port text box, and click OK.

There is a third way and more, but they are very complicated and involves networks that use domain controllers, etc. If you would like these solutions, just email me and I will provide them to you.

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August 27, 2005 - I had a question this week about MP3 players and how they interact with your computer.

MP3 stands for MPEG 1 (Motion Picture Experts Group) Layer 3. It's a digital audio compression format built from over 15 years of psycho-acoustical research. MP3 squishes down sound files 10-15 times smaller than a parent file. And yet that tiny .MP3 file retains most of the perceived audio fidelity by stripping out the waveforms that the human ear doesn't process. It is not nearly CD-quality but MP3 is nonetheless a tremendous breakthrough in terms of sound quality for a high compression rate.

Transferring files from a hard drive to an MP3 is relatively simple. First, you must connect your MP3 device to your computer using the USB cable that came with it (some have fire wire but most have USB). Now install the software that came with your MP3 player so that the computer will recognize the device properly (some players will have you install the software first and then attach the USB cable. Please read your instructions). After it is properly install, double-click on My Computer and your MP3 player should show up as a hard drive icon or a removable device icon. Now just copy and paste the file from your hard drive to the MP3 player or drag-and-drop to the player. To erase file from the MP3 player, just double-click on the device in My Computer (or go to the software that came with it) and delete the songs as if you were deleting a regular file. If you still want to keep the songs, cut and paste them back to your computer.

September 3, 2005 - Pat from Windsor emailed me to ask about the Real-Time Clock/ CMOS memory chip in his old computer. He has been getting an error when he boots his computer that his "Real-time/CMOS memory chip has failed". His computer will not finish booting to Windows. Pat's computer is about seven years old.

This chip holds the real-time clock that keeps the date and time on your PC, as well as the CMOS RAM that holds your PC's BIOS settings. It is powered by the PC's built in battery, which may in some cases be built into the real-time clock package itself. On older computers, the chips were designed to last anywhere from five to ten years. On newer computers, they typically last five to seven years. Unfortunately, in almost all cases, the Real-time/CMOS memory chip is soldered to the motherboard. Therefore, replacing it for 99.99% of computer users is impossible. Updating the motherboard is not an option because the CPU chip and Ram memeory in the old computer is not compatible with any of today's technology. What you have is a paper weight or a door stop. The good news is that all of the information stored on the hard drive in the computer is still there and can be copied to another hard drive if needed.

September 10, 2005 - Is your wireless safe ?

A lot of people now will have more than one computer in their household. Myself for example, I have 3. I have a 2 desktops and a laptop, all of them with wireless Internet capabilities. So how do I get all of them to share my DSL without getting into a hairy mess of wires? The answer is a wireless router. A lot of desktops and laptop computers come with a wireless network card and getting one is fairly easy to do. So using a wireless router makes things easier and more convenient. You can use your laptop on your porch for example to look up information whilst bird watching and find out all the neat things about the birds. But whats stopping your neighbour or someone parked outside your house accessing your wireless network ?

Most wireless routers come with a few nifty features to keep others out. One of them is encryption. Encryption on your wireless network is like having a key to your house. Only computers with the proper key can access the network Another way to keep others out is to only allow certain computers on the network based on the computers MAC address. The MAC address is a unique number on every network adapter. No two are alike.

All these features are able to be used by accessing your routers configuration. To do this you usually use a web browser and type in “http://192.168.0.1”. You will be prompted for your username and password, or just a password. If you don't know what it is, check your manual for what the default settings are. Read your manual on how to make your wireless network secure and away you go! No pesky neighbours stealing your Internet connection or accessing your shared files. With identity theft becoming more of a problem, having a secure network is important.

If you want to get really technical and bolt down your wireless like Fort Know, email me at dcabanaw@gmail.com and I'll tell you how to keep the outside world out for good.

September 17, 2005 - I just installed Norton Internet Security and now I cannot send email. How come?

In Norton Internet Security the default setting is to scan both incoming and outgoing email. For almost all ISP's this causes a problem. Most of us know that all the email we send does not have a virus so we can turn the "Scan outgoing mail off." To do this, open your Internet Security program and at the top of the screen that opens up click on Options -- Norton Antivirus. When the next screen pops up, click on Email. On the screen to the right, de-select "Scan out going mail". Now click OK and you should be able to send emails again.

September 24, 2005 - How come I see a warning at the bottom of my screen that says Done but with Errors when I open some web pages?

In today's web environment, almost all web pages use some kind of scripting in the background to make their pages come alive in front of you. Depending on your security settings in Internet Explorer, it may not let some of these scripts run because it thinks it may be a possible security threat (i.e. spyware, virus like). Normally, your pages should still work. If you want all pages to work all of the time without that error, you would need to turn the security feature off in Internet Explorer under the Tools -- Internet Option -- Security tab. I do not recommend this because of all the threats on the web.

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October 1, 2005 - I have gotten the Sober.P virus on my computer. How do I get rid of it? My computer has slowed right down and my friends are complaining about emails I am sending them that I didn't know were being sent.

Manually removing the worm is difficult and most users are safer using a removal tool (available from antivirus software vendor Web sites) or updating their antivirus software signature files and running an anti-virus scan. Before running a removal tool on Windows XP and Me, disable System Restore. Antivirus tools can't delete infected files in the Restore folder (don't forget to turn it back on when you are done).

ADVANCED USERS ONLYIf you do attempt manual removal, use the following steps. Warning: This requires editing the registry. You can permanently damage your installation by changing the wrong setting in the registry. If you are not 100% confident in what you are doing, have a professional edit your registry. Attempt this only if the removal tool from your anti-virus company does not work.

1. Reboot Windows 95, 98, Me, 2000, and XP in Safe Mode. Reboot NT4 in VGA mode. (Repeatedly press or press/hold [F8] during reboot or startup, or use the System Configuration Utility by clicking Start | Run and entering msconfig.)

2. Backup the registry.

3. Open Registry Editor.

4. Locate and double-click the following key:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE>Software>Microsoft>Windows>CurrentVersion>Run

5. Delete the following entry:WinStart = "%Windows%\Connection Wizard\Status\services.exe"

6. Locate and double-click the following key:HKEY_CURRENT_USER>Software>Microsoft>Windows>CurrentVersion>Run

7. Delete the following entry:WinStart = "%Windows%\ ConnectionWizard\Status\services.exe"

8. Exit the Registry Editor.

9. Reboot in normal mode.

10. Locate and delete the Sober.P files on your computer. There location and names are as follows:

%Windows%\Connection Wizard\Status\csrss.exe;

%Windows%\Connection Wizard\Status\services.exe;

%Windows%\Connection Wizard\Status\smss.exe;

%Windows%\Connection Wizard\Status\packed1.sbr;

%Windows%\Connection Wizard\Status\packed2.sbr ;

%Windows%\Connection Wizard\Status\packed3.sbr;

%Windows%\Connection Wizard\Status\sacri1.ggg ;

%Windows%\Connection Wizard\Status\sacri2.ggg ;

%Windows%\Connection Wizard\Status\sacri3.ggg ;

%Windows%\Connection Wizard\Status\voner1.von ;

%Windows%\Connection Wizard\Status\voner2.von ;

%Windows%\Connection Wizard\Status\voner3.von ;

%Windows%\Connection Wizard\Status\fastso.ber ;

%System%\adcmmmmq.hjg ;

%System%\langeinf.lin ;

%System%\nonrunso.ber

October 8, 2005 - Dennis from Windsor wrote: I used to be able to type in the name of the company address that I wanted to go to in the address line of Internet Explorer (e.g. microsoft) then hit Ctrl+Enter and the <www.>*<.com> would automatically be added. Now it doesn't do that any more. What happened?

First of all Dennis, I don't think many people know the shortcut you are referring to. It is a good time saver. To solve your problem, launch Internet Explorer, click Tools, click Internet Options, click the tab labeled Content and click the Auto Complete button. Under the first section titled “Use AutoComplete for”, ensure there is a check next to “Web addresses” and then click OK and then click OK once more. Chances are someone has accidentally turned it off on your computer by answering 'Yes' to turning it off when the message popped up in front of them. Sometimes Internet security programs don't recognize all of the autocomplete features of Windows.

October 15, 2005 - Is there anything extra I should know before burning CD's or DVD's?

For best performance when burning data to a CD or DVD, you should configure your computer to use a drive other than the one on which Windows is installed for temporary storage of the files during the write process. This requires that you have multiple disks or partitions available on the computer. Here's how to select a different drive or partition on which to store the temp files:

Click Start >> My Computer.
Right click the drive icon that represents the CD recording device.
Click Properties.
Click the Recording tab.
In the drop down box, select a drive that has at least 700 MB of free space.
Click Apply and OK.

If you do not have more than one hard drive in your computer, try to have at least 5 GB of free space. This allows the temporary files to be created by Windows, as well as, leaving room for the Windows swap file to keep your computer running smoothly. Remember, if you have an older computer, refrain from doing other activities while burning your CD/DVD because your resources will be taken up by the burning software and Windows just to keep it running. If you open Internet Explorer or MSWord, the computer may not have enough memory and you will create a Frisbee instead of a CD or DVD.

Unfortunately with dial-up you are at the mercy of the band-width on the phone line network. There isn't much you can really do because that is the nature of dial up. Things that might make a bit of difference is to turn your screen saver off as you surf, shut down Microsoft messenger (if enabled), web shots or anything else running in the background that might be taking up internet band width. Chances are you have a software, or winmodem, in your computer. They share your system resources in order to run properly. You can purchase a hardware modem (a reputable store will know exactly what it is) that runs completely on its own. This will take some load off your system. If you connect at 44K or higher right now, there is no cost benefit in going this route. If you are connecting around 33K, there may be some benefit in a hardware modem as it may get you up to around 44K. In my opinion, it is not really worth the cost.

There is another option. Our friends at PC Connection (located next to Zehrs) have satellite internet provided by Explorernet that provide much greater speeds than dial up. A lot of people in rural areas have found this to be a great solution to their dial-up woes.

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October 29, 2005 - How do I play an old DOS game in WIndows XP?

Running MS-DOS-based games on Windows XP is tricky at best. Windows XP was simply not made to run MS-DOS-based programs. But that doesn't mean all hope is lost. Many MS-DOS-based games will run on Windows XP and an Internet community out there is dedicated to you to help you along the way.

MS-DOS-based games don't have the friendly installers found in today's games. You should install DOS-based games from a command prompt.

To open a command prompt

•	Click Start, click Run, type cmd in the text box, and press ENTER.

A black box with white lettering opens, which resembles an DOS screen. From there, you can install the game according to its instructions.

Set the sound in the DOS game to SoundBlaster defaults. That's your best bet for getting audio to work without a special program, which we'll touch on in a few minutes.

Next, create a shortcut to run the MS-DOS-based game, by following these steps:

1.	Right-click the desktop, point to New, and then click Shortcut.
2.	Type or browse to the location of the game's startup program, and then click Next.
3.	Type a name for the shortcut, and then click Next.
4.	Choose an icon for the shortcut, and then click Finish.

Now you have a shortcut to your MS-DOS-based game, which you can tweak to make the Windows XP environment more hospitable:

•	Right-click the shortcut and click Properties.

You'll see a window with the following tabs:

•	General: Basic information about the shortcut.
•	Program: Location of the shortcut and a few other odds and ends.
•	Font: You can choose the font properties for the command prompt window that the DOS-based program runs in.
•	Memory: Some DOS-based programs require various types of extended or expanded memory. You can adjust those settings here. In most cases, you can leave the defaults alone, but if your program gives you an error indicating that it needs a certain amount of a certain type of memory, you can allocate that resource here.
•	Screen: Specify whether you want the program run full-screen or windowed (the former is usually better), and whether to use fast ROM emulation (you usually do) and dynamic memory allocation (you usually also want).
•	Misc: There are several options in this tab, including the option to allow the screen saver (I always disable this, because some DOS-based programs don't gracefully deal with it), and which Windows shortcuts to allow (I disable them all).
•	Compatibility: Leave as is or experiment as necessary.
•	Summary: You can enter notes about the shortcut here.

You may need to experiment with several of the settings in the shortcut's Properties dialog box to get the MS-DOS-based game to run happily.

TIP:

One of the trickiest parts of making DOS-based games to run on Windows XP is getting the sound to work. Some sound cards come with feeble emulation of legacy drivers, but they rarely work to perfection. They usually use the default SoundBlaster resource allocations (stuff like IRQ and DMA settings). You might find your DOS-based game's sound is skipping, cutting out, and having all sorts of problems.

I recommend a tool called VDMSound. VDMSound is a software sound emulator. After you install it, VDMSound integrates with Windows XP to make using it a cinch:

•	Navigate to the DOS game's Start program, right-click it, and then click Run with VDMS.

Then run your game with its audio resources set to the default SoundBlaster values.

November 5, 2005 - The question this week was: "How do I transfer all of my files and settings form my old hard drive to my new hard drive? I heard there is a special setting or something to do this.

There is a feature included in Windows XP called the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard — affectionately abbreviated F.A.S.T. It is one of the least known new features in Windows XP, but it is also one of the most useful features. If you have Windows XP already, you will find it by going to Start | All Programs | Accessories | System Tools | File Settings and Transfer Wizard.This wizard can be run on your old system from the Windows XP CD-ROM, and will pack up and save your files and settings for transfer to a new computer.

The neat thing is even that when one is upgrading to XP (rather than doing a clean install), you can use this as a “safety net” in case the upgrade does not go well. Of course an upgrade is not supposed to lose or change any of your files or settings, but one never knows what might happen — so you are doing the right thing by thinking ahead about backups. If you run F.A.S.T. and the upgrade installation fails for some reason, you can go back and clean install Windows XP, then import the saved files and settings.Of course, when you use F.A.S.T. while upgrading or clean installing on the same computer, be sure to store the export file created by F.A.S.T. in a safe place so it does not come up missing when you need it (for example on a second hard drive in your computer or a different partition). At the point when the wizard asks you “Select a transfer method,” pick

“Floppy Drive or other removable media” and burn it on a CD (F.A.S.T. can span multiple CDs on most burners);
“Other” and save the file to another partition or drive on the computer on which you are running F.A.S.T. (not the C: drive!); or
Best of all, if you have a network set up with drive space available on another computer, use the “Other” option and save the F.A.S.T. data file across your network to a hard drive on another computer. NOTE: To extend this concept just a little, one also can use F.A.S.T. as a backup utility. It stores most everything that is unique or has been added to the initial install of Windows XP. If you have a recent F.A.S.T. export file on hand, you can do a clean install of Windows XP on your system after a major crash, reinstall the major applications you use, then import all your settings, account information, and all files that you have added. This is possibly not as fancy as some backup utilities, and it does grab everything and that means a lot of potential fluff — so it will be a big file. But it does work, and it has twice in my experience been used to get people I work with back up and running with all their needed information intact.

F.A.S.T. Supports...

All Windows versions from Windows 95 (with Internet Explorer4) through Windows XP, though Windows XP is the only supported destination. It will migrate even if there is no upgrade allowed from the original system, e.g., from Win NT 4.0 to Win XP, or from XP Professional to XP Home Edition

CD-R/RW, providing it is supported by software to look like a “big floppy,” e.g., by Direct CD or InCD. One quick way to test if you can use CD-R/RW is to try to access the drive from a command prompt. If you can, it will work. Also, it normally will span more than one disk; but if you find that this doesn’t work, save the file on your hard drive and burn it to CD from there.

Multiple User AccountsConcerning the transfer of multiple User Account settings: F.A.S.T. transfers the files and settings that are visible from the User Account from which you initiate F.A.S.T. All the files move, but the private settings (from other User Accounts that may be visible, but are not the one your’re logged into) do not appear to “make the trip.” With some help from end-users with multiple User Accounts, I have come to the conclusion the only way to move multiple account settings is as follows:

Create a F.A.S.T. transfer file including all the files and settings you wish to transfer globally.

For each of the other User Accounts, create a separate “Settings only” transfer file while in each User Account.

Manually set up each User Account on the computer to which you are transferring.

From within each individual User Account, import the transfer file containing the “Settings only” for that account.
You cannot exclude a drive or drives from the selection process. F.A.S.T. will search all of your partitions for the type of information you have selected. Even hiding drives will not succeed in keeping these from F.A.S.T’s scrutiny. The only work around is to disconnect any drive you do not want to be scanned before starting F.A.S.T. Being able to exclude drives is a feature that I expect to be added to the next version of F.A.S.T.
You should make sure that you have the very latest version of F.A.S.T. The best way to do that is to apply the Windows XP Service Pack 2 after installing XP from the original CD. At least make sure that you install all the Critical Updates from the Windows Update Page. You can then make a wizard floppy disk to use instead of the original version from the Windows XP CD. This will ensure that you are using the latest code. Interestingly, this option does not appear on the screen when the wizard is run from the Windows XP CD, so you have to know about this option to use it. All you have to do to make a wizard floppy is run F.A.S.T. from Start | Programs | Accessories | System Tools. You will find the option to create this floppy at the third screen.

November 12, 2005 - A relative sent me a photo but it is too big to see at the same time, how can I make it smaller so it fits the screen? I know how to make mine small to send.

Save the picture to your hard drive. Now navigate to its location and right click on it and choose Open With.. Chooses Windows Picture and Fax Viewer from list. When it opens, it will probably still be too big. Look at the top of the screen to the zoom functions and zoom out (or just use the scroll with your mouse and you will see it zoom for you).

November 19, 2005 - We bought my mom a 19-inch flat-panel LCD monitor to go with her computer. How come everything looks so tiny on it. My mom is a senior and it is hard for her to see clearly. Do you have any suggestions? We have Windows XP.

I suspect your problem is with your screen resolution. The higher the resolution, the more that can fit on your monitor screen. Unfortunately, the more that fits on your screen, the smaller it will appear.

Most 19" LCD Flat panels standard resolution is 1024 pixels by 768 pixels. To compare, just a few years ago the standard was 800 by 600. For your mom I would suggest lowering the screen resolution to 800 by 600 to see if that improves her ability to see the screen clearly. The display may not be as good as at 1024 X 768 but it should be ok for your mom. The higher resolutions are usually the most beneficial to web designer and graphics professionals.

To change your setting to 800X600, right-click on the desktop and click Properties. Select the Settings tab. Under "Screen resolution," change the resolution with the slider. Lower numbers will make things larger on the screen. Some resolutions will distort the display; others should look OK. You should be able to get as low as 800x600.

Also, change to ClearType to improve the view. Type often appears blurry on flat-panel LCD monitors. Using ClearType should improve things.

To set ClearType, select the Appearance tab. Click the Effects button. If necessary, check the box next to "Use the following method to smooth edges of screen fonts." In the drop down box, select ClearType. Click OK. Then click Apply>>OK to exit the Display Properties window.

Many programs have their own features. For instance, press Ctrl and turn the scroll wheel on the mouse to change type size in Microsoft Word or Microsoft Excel.

Text size options are available in Internet Explorer under View>>Text Size.

You can also use Windows Accessibility settings. Click Start>>All Programs>>Accessories>>Accessibility>> Accessibility Wizard. The first option the wizard will present is text size.

November 26, 2005 - Cia from Essex asked me, "What happened to my computer? It just died in the middle of a program. It will reboot and it says Keyboard error, no keyboard found. Can you help?

After a little more investigation, this is what I found. Cia is running an AMD Sempron 2100+ and has it in an insulated case in a cupboard. She had two cooling fans, as well as, the fan on her actual CPU. Traditionally, AMD processors run hotter than Intel processors therefore, they need more air circulation. For optimum performance, an processor should be at 35 to 39 degrees Celsius. When I examined her unit (set up as it was), the temperature was hovering between 48 and 51 degrees Celsius. My assessment was that she had inadvertently overheated the chipset on her motherboard. Not only did her keyboard not work, but her mouse, sound, USB and Network adapter. The solution. Bottom line is that computers need good air flow and they need to be cooled. Because technology has advanced to the point that they can fit double the transistor on the same space as before is a recipe for more heat. The old fans of yesterday will no longer do the job. If you are going to put your case in a cupboard or on a shelf, DO NOT use an insulated case. That alone will not solve the problem. There are some new CPU cooling fans and case fans on the market. They are called Arctic Cooling Fans. They are silent and help your computer run about 10 to 15 degrees cooler. These coolers actually run near 30 CFM (compare that to a bathroom fan that runs at 90 CFM).

In your case Cia, you need a new motherboard because you cannot fix burned out boards. I suggest a non-insulated case and an Arctic fan for your CPU, as well as, two case fans made by the same company. They are available at PC Connection up town and Brian has lots of stock. Our initial analysis speaks only to success when controlling heat and keeping your computer quieter. An extra $50 to $60 investment when rebuilding your computer will go a long way to preventing heat related problems in the future.

December 3, 2005 - Joan asked: Scott, I have a Brother multi-function printer at home and it tells me that I am out of colour ink. I haven't printed a colour picture ever with my printer. I cannot find any way in any documentation to see what happened. Can you help me?

Joan, the reason you ran out of colour is from a built in function of the printer. All multi-function printers need to keep the ink jet heads fresh. how they accomplish this is by squirting a bit of ink onto the head to keep it moist. So, over the course of a year, the printer will use up the whole colour cartridge keeping itself ready. There is no way to turn this off. However, I have found something that works. If you don't ever want to use the colour, you can try the following. The printers use a visual sensor to detect the level of the ink. It is usually on the skinny back side of the cartridge (closes to you looking from the front). Take a very small piece of electrical tape and place it on the skinny side of the cartridge near the top. Now put the cartridge back in. The sensor will think there is ink in it because it cannot see through the tape. Now the printer can be used for just black. Go to your Control Panel >> Printers and select your Printer. Right-click and go to Properties and select Black Ink only check box and your printer will always want to print black only. Click OK and you are done.

If this works for you, it will save you a lot of money in the long run. The only danger I can see from this is that if you ever want to go back to colour, the ink head may be so dry, it will be unusable. So heed this advice with caution.

December 10, 2005 - Vic from Windsor called to day that his mouse and keyboard weren't working.

Vic had just bought a brand new wireless keyboard and mouse. He had followed all of the directions and was quite sure it was installed correctly. Some of the most recent wireless technology has advanced to having channels. Vic's problem was that the keyboard and mouse were set to the wrong channel and the wireless adapter would not see them. To fix it, you need to set it to the other channel. To accomplish this, you will need a paperclip or toothpick. On the bottom of the mouse and keyboard there is a tiny hole. Stick the paperclip in to the hole and you will see that by moving the tiny switch, you will change the channels. This should fix the problem and away you go. If it doesn't, reinstall them again (leaving the changed channel) and it should work.

December 17, 2005 - What is Linux?

Linux, in its simplest definition, is an open-source operating system. Open-source means that the source code is made available for anyone to examine and possibly modify – thus the term “open”. Source code is like a complex recipe written in a language only computer programmers (also called developers or software engineers) can understand. Source code then gets compiled into a machine-readable form that computers can execute. Source code reveals the human element in this high-tech world of ours. People write source code, therefore source code is not perfect. Every electronic gizmo with a microchip is backed by source code written by people – from the anti-lock brake system in your car to the latest “Furby” toy – all have in common this thing called source code. Most source code is closed and proprietary, no-one but an elite few have access to the source code – this is the opposite of open-source where all source code is made available to everyone. Open source software is inherently more dependable and secure, having been inspected and approved by thousands of impartial programmers. Oh, and perhaps I forgot to mention that open-source software is free. It literally costs you nothing.

Linux is an open-source operating system. What is an operating system or OS? An operating system is the software on a computer which manages the entire operation of that computer. It is what handles communication between all hardware and software components of a computer and it controls how other software programs are executed on the computer. At its core, every operating system has whats called a “kernel”. A computer cannot operate without an OS. It is perhaps the most complex piece of software that will ever run on your computer, and many decades of technological advancement is incorporated in modern operating systems. Linux can run on many different hardware platforms, from home PC's to supercomputers.

Linux is a an open-source operating system, that was initially created in 1991 by a young Finnish student named Linus Benedict Torvalds, while still a student at the University of Helsinki in Finland. Linux is a variant of UNIX, which was developed in the 1960's, and was primarily for operation of larger computers called mainframes. Linus Torvalds wanted a unix-like operating system that he could run on his home computer, and really had no intention or knowledge that it would become one of the worlds leading operating systems. That is exactly what linux is today – the fastest growing operating system in the world.. both in terms of new development or features and in terms of use. It started in 1991 with 10,000 lines of source code (about 160 pages of text), to 2005 where its latest release has nearly 6 million lines of code (about 100,000 pages of text).

Since linux was open-source from the beginning, developers around the world contributed to its growth – so although started by Linus Torvalds – it has had many thousands of people contribute to its success, therefore is not “owned” by any one individual, but by a community which believes strongly in free and open-source software. The source code of linux is licensed under the GNU General Public License or GPL. This is a software license which basically ensures that linux and all its derivatives remain free and open-source.

Starting around 1996, linux started making inroads into corporate environments – not on users desktops, but as “servers” - computers that provide specific services, for example, network printing, file storage services, web services, email services and so on. It is only in the last couple of years that linux has started impacting the desktop market or “home users”.

Linux wouldn't be much without application software to run on it. Today there are literally thousands of open-source software applications which operate on linux, as well as many commercial applications. There are many linux “distributions” which package linux and software applications together into one bundle. These distributions make it easier for people to install and use linux. The longest standing distributions include names like Red Hat, SUSE, Debian and Mandriva – which all have been around since the early days of linux. For the end-user though, perhaps the most popular and significant linux distribution has become Ubuntu. Ubuntu has been developed with a focus on the user and usability, believing that things should “just work”. There is a large user community available for support as well as commercial (“paid for”) support options. The fast and easy install as well as the full set of business productivity, internet, drawing and graphics applications, and games makes it immediately useful right out of the box. There are more than 16,000 software titles available with Ubuntu.

In summary, lets review this fly-by of what linux is. It is open-source. It is a unix-like operating system. Its creator was Linus Torvalds – thus the name “linux”, and it is typically packaged with application software in what are called “linux distributions”. I want to also emphasize what linux is not – it is not Microsoft Windows. Windows currently has the largest market share of desktop and home user systems. Application software written for Windows will not run on linux without some type of Windows emulation or virtual machine application. Although today, linux and linux-based software can satisfy the needs of most users. For the things it can't do – well just wait a while... its coming!

Bob Blanchard - linuxonly@gmail.com

December 24, 2005 - With Christmas coming, I started receiving questions about BlueTooth technology. So today, we'll try to answer; What is BlueTooth ?

When you use computers, entertainment systems or telephones, the various pieces and parts of the systems make up a community of electronic devices. These devices communicate with each other using a variety of wires, cables, radio signals and infrared light beams, and an even greater variety of connectors, plugs and protocols.

The art of connecting things is becoming more and more complex every day. Today, we will look at a method of connecting devices, called Bluetooth, that can streamline the process. A Bluetooth connection is wireless and automatic, and it has a number of interesting features that can simplify our daily lives.

When any two devices need to talk to each other, they have to agree on a number of points before the conversation can begin. The first point of agreement is physical: Will they talk over wires, or through some form of wireless signals? If they use wires, how many are required -- one, two, eight, 25? Once the physical attributes are decided, several more questions arise:

How much data will be sent at a time?
How will they speak to each other? All devices in an electronic discussion need to know what the bits mean and whether the message they receive is the same message that was sent. This means developing a set of commands and responses known as a protocol.

Setting up a conversation between multiple devices often means a large array of cables, connectors and adapters. In order to make home electronics more user friendly, we need a better way for all the electronic parts of our modern life to talk to each other. That's where Bluetooth comes in. Bluetooth is a standard developed by a group of electronics manufacturers that allows any sort of electronic equipment -- from computers and cell phones to keyboards and headphones -- to make its own connections, without wires, cables or any direct action from a user.

Bluetooth takes small-area networking to the next level by removing the need for user intervention and keeping transmission power extremely low to save battery power. Picture this: You're on your Bluetooth-enabled cell phone, standing outside the door to your house. You tell the person on the other end of the line to call you back in five minutes so you can get in the house and put your stuff away. As soon as you walk in the house, the map you received on your cell phone from your car's Bluetooth-enabled GPS system is automatically sent to your Bluetooth-enabled computer, because your cell phone picked up a Bluetooth signal from your PC and automatically sent the data you designated for transfer. Five minutes later, when your friend calls you back, your Bluetooth-enabled home phone rings instead of your cell phone. The person called the same number, but your home phone picked up the Bluetooth signal from your cell phone and automatically re-routed the call because it realized you were home. And each transmission signal to and from your cell phone consumes just 1 milliwatt of power, so your cell phone charge is virtually unaffected by all of this activity.

Bluetooth networking transmits data via low-power radio waves. It communicates on a frequency of 2.45 gigahertz (actually between 2.402 GHz and 2.480 GHz, to be exact).

One of the ways Bluetooth devices avoid interfering with other systems is by sending out very weak signals of about 1 milliwatt. By comparison, the most powerful cell phones can transmit a signal of 3 watts. The low power limits the range of a Bluetooth device to about 10 meters (32 feet), cutting the chances of interference between your computer system and your portable telephone or television. Bluetooth doesn't require line of sight between communicating devices. The walls in your house won't stop a Bluetooth signal, making the standard useful for controlling several devices in different rooms.

Bluetooth can connect up to eight devices simultaneously. With all of those devices in the same 10-meter (32-foot) radius, you might think they'd interfere with one another, but it's unlikely. Bluetooth uses a technique called spread-spectrum frequency hopping that makes it rare for more than one device to be transmitting on the same frequency at the same time. In this technique, a device will use 79 individual, randomly chosen frequencies within a designated range, changing from one to another on a regular basis. In the case of Bluetooth, the transmitters change frequencies 1,600 times every second, meaning that more devices can make full use of a limited slice of the radio spectrum. It’s unlikely that two transmitters will be on the same frequency at the same time therefore almost eliminating the chance of interference.

When Bluetooth-capable devices come within range of one another, an electronic conversation takes place to determine whether they have data to share or whether one needs to control the other. The user doesn't have to press a button or give a command -- the electronic conversation happens automatically and, with the way they are designed, they won't interfere with devices on another Bluetooth network; even in the same room.

BACK TO THE TOP

	March 11, 2005 - Connect Outlook Express to Hotmail account
March 26, 2005 - Setup a new account in Outlook Express	April 2, 2005 - Can't find ntloader	April 9, 2005 - My Computer, to turn it off or leave on
May 7, 2005 - System Restore question	May 13, 2005 - Burn a CD using Nero	May 20, 2005 - How to turn on automatic Updates for Windows
May 27, 2005 - Norton internet Security installation	June 4, 2005 - Tips for sending emails	June 11, 2005 - Are you your own enemy when you surf
June 18, 2005 - Usiing msconfig	June 25, 2005 - Popups on my screen	June 30, 2005 - Deleting email before you open it
July 9, 2005 - How to download attachments	July 16, 2005 - SurgeProtectors	July 23, 2005 - Dial-up Internet problem
July 30, 2005 - Configuring email around your firewall	August 5, 2005 - Using a jump drive	August 13, 2005 - Should I empty the recycle bin?
August 20, 2005 - Disabling Internet Explorer	August 27, 2005 - MP3 players and your computer	September 3, 2005 - Real-Time Clock CMOS battery
September 10, 2005 - Is your wireless safe?	September 17, 2005 - Configuring email with NIS	September 24, 2005 - Done but with errors on a web page
October 1, 2005 - Sober.P virus	October 8, 2005 - Ctrl+Enter	October 15, 2005 - Burning CD's and DVD's intro
October 22, 2005 - line speed and dial-up connections	October 29, 2005 - Playing DOS games in XP	November 5, 2005 - Files and Settings transfer wizard
November 12, 2005 - manipulating an image to view	November 19, 2005 - screen resolution	November 26, 2005 - Keyboard error. Keyboard not found.
December 3, 2005 - Multi-function printer and ink usage	December 10, 2005 - mouse and keyboard are no working	December 17, 2005 - What is Linux?
December 24, 2005 - What is Blue Tooth?