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BOOT CAMP 303 (02/12/04)
TOP TEN TRAUMAS, Part 2
Here’s the final batch
of common PC maladies
5. DELETING GOOGLE’S SEARCH HISTORY
We’ve had a lot of
Google users writing in asking how to delete details of previous searches, which
appear when a new term or keyword is types into the Search window. It’s actually nothing to do with Google (or
any other search engine for that matter), but an Internet Explorer feature
called AutoComplete. You can selectively remove entries by right-clicking and
selecting Delete, or switch off AutoComplete by going to Tools > Internet
Options, select the Content tab, click AutoComplete, uncheck the option and
click Clear Forms. If you have installed the Google Toolbar you should click on
the Google logo then select Clear Search History form the drop-down menu.
6. INEXPLICABLE ERROR MESSAGES
‘A fatal kernel
exception has occurred in module 2X39 88FTG 2000000DLFJ and Windows will now
self destruct’. Mystifying and worrying
error messages like that might as well be in Sanskrit for all the help they give
the average user; even experts have a hard time deciphering some of them.
The next time you’re faced with a ‘BSOD’ or stream of
gibberish rest assured that you’re not alone. It is bound to have happened to
others and hopefully there’s a solution on the net. Get to a working PC and type
two or three keywords or phrases from the error message into Google’s search
window. Don’t type the whole message or long strings of characters, as these are
usually only relevant to your PC. With luck you’ll get scores of hits, linking
to the Microsoft Knowledgebase, hardware or software manufacturer’s support
pages and user forums. The answer is out there, usually, if not email
F!F!F!…
7. DISOBEDIENT DISCS
These days many new PCs
and laptops are fitted with CD-RW drives and the technology has proved to be
surprisingly robust but we get a lot of letters and emails complaining about
incompatibility and lost data. Either discs won’t work on other PC or they
become unreadable after just a few months. In most cases the problem is cheap or
unbranded discs. The solution is simple; your data is valuable so buy only good
quality branded products from reputable sources and don’t skip pre-recording
checks.
8. RESIZING INTERNET EXPLORER WINDOWS
Internet Explorer’s
habit of opening reduced size browser windows irritates many readers. Microsoft
reckons it’s a design feature but there’s plenty of fixes, including ditching
IE. Try Avant Browser, it’s based on IE, so it is very flexible, plus it has a
built-in pop-up stopper and ‘tabbed’ windows. It’s freeware and you’ll find it
at: http://www.avantbrowser.com/
If you want to stick
with IE here’s a selection of re-sizing tricks that you might like to
try.
Drag the sides of a
newly opened browser window to the edges of the screen then go the File menu,
click Close and press F5. Click the link again and the new window should open
maximised.
Resize the window using
the mouse then hold down the Ctrl button and click the Close Window
X.
Hold down the Ctrl +
Shift + Alt whilst using the mouse to drag the sides of the window to fill the
screen, keep the keys pressed then click the close window ‘X’
icon.
See Tip of the
Week
9. MS WORD PROBLEMS
Many Microsoft Word glitches can be traced to a file called
‘normal.dot’. It contains user preferences, document templates, macros and much
more besides. It is constantly being re-written so sooner or later errors creep
in and Word throws a wobbly. Find your normal.dot, (use Search or Find on the
Start menu), and rename it ‘normal.old’. Word creates a new normal.dot the next
time it opens and it reverts to its default condition. When Word is behaving
normally make a copy of your normal.dot and store it in a safe location for the
next time... You can also use normal.dot to transfer your Word preferences to
another copy of Word on another PC.
10. DEFRAG HANGS
Who amongst us hasn’t watched in despair as the defrag
progress bar creeps up to a few percent then resets as unseen programs like a
screensaver or virus checker kick in. Disable your screensaver, then shut
everything down; exit the programs in the System Tray by right clicking on the
icons. Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete and End Task everything except Systray and
Explorer and try again. Persistent defrag problems in Windows 9x (95/98/ME/SE)
can sometimes be cured by moving or deleting the ‘Applog’ sub folder in the
Windows folder or running defrag in Windows ‘Safe’ mode (press F8 at boot
up).
Next week – Windows Accessibility
JARGON FILTER
BSOD
Blue Screen Of Death –
appears when Windows crashes and needs to be rebooted
MACRO
Programming
function in Word (and many other programs) for automating frequently used
commands and functions
SYSTEM TRAY
The area next to the desktop clock displaying icons of
running programs that are usually loaded when Windows boots up
TIP OF THE WEEK
If Internet Explorer’s new browser windows still refuse to
open full size then try a freeware utility called IE Maximizer. It also closes
pop-ups, hide/show windows using a ‘hotkey’ and it works on email message
windows in Outlook Express. It’s compatible with all versions of Windows (from
98 onwards), the download is only 424kb and you’ll find it at: http://www.jiisoft.com/iemaximizer/index.htm
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