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FAQS!
FACTS! FAX! 215 (08/06/00)
PICTURE
THIS
Is
there a way of creating your own icons and then transferring them to existing
programmes or new folders?
Tristam Jones
Windows
95 and 98 will let you use any bitmap image (file extension *.bmp) as an icon.
Simply open the Windows Paint program (Start > Programs > Accessories)
and use Open to display your selected image. Make any changes, or create your
own image from scratch, when it is finished use SaveAs to rename the file with
the extension *.ico, and save it in the folder of your chosen program. To
change a program’s desktop icon right click on the current icon and select
Properties, click on the Change Icon button and use Browse to locate the newly
created *.ico file and it’s done.
SHARED EXPERIENCE
My current Internet service provider (ISP) uses Netscape Communicator and
Navigator. I'm familiar with this browser and have had few problems with
it. I am contemplating signing up with
another IAP for cheaper online access but I would like to continue to
send/receive e-mails with my present service provider and use the second ISP
for web surfing etc. However, the second ISP uses Internet Explorer as its
browser. I am frankly nervous about having two different browsers. My question
is: will I experience any problems if I use two browsers at different times?
David
Hawke
Netscape
Communicator and Internet Explorer usually coexist quite happily, but there’s
almost certainly no need for you to install or use a second browser. Netscape
can be used to access any number of different ISPs by setting up additional
dial-up connections. Go to My Computer, open Dial Up Networking and
double-click Make New Connection. You will be asked to give the connection a
name and enter the new ISP’s dial-up number. When you next open Netscape
Navigator and the Dial-up Connection dialogue box appears select your new Dial
Up connection from Connect To drop-down menu and configure it with your user
name and password.
ON
THE RIGHT TRACK
I listen to a lot of music when I am working on my computer but changing CD
gets repetitive. I would like to store the music files on my computer but they
take up an enormous amount of enormous space. I understand there’s a file
format called MP3, which compresses CD tracks to around one tenth their
original size, can you suggest a program that can convert CDs to MP3 format?
Peter Garnett, Manchester
MP3,
otherwise known as Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG) Audio Layer 3 is a
highly efficient data compression system that discards information in an audio
file that either cannot be heard, or is masked by louder sounds. Because MP3
music files are relatively compact they can be easily transported around the
Internet, downloaded into PCs and then transferred to pocket sized MP3 players.
These function much like personal stereos, except that there’s no moving parts
(music files are stored on solid-state memory cards) so there are no stability
problems. Programs that convert CD tracks into MP3 files are generically known
as ‘rippers’ and they are normally included with MP3 players, however there are
plenty of shareware and freeware rippers on PC magazine cover mount CD-ROMs and
available for download from the Internet. Good places to start would be the
software library at www.mp3.com and under MP3
in the audio section at www.tucows.com.
ROUTE
CAUSE
Can you recommend a good CD ROM for working out road
routes? I
have Microsoft AutRoute Express Europe, which is very good, as far as it goes.
I find however that many towns which I consider of importance are omitted and
furthermore there appears to be no method of updating since it was first issued
four or five years ago. Although the Europe facility is useful on occasions
I am most interested in Britain.
Ron Bowler, Petersfield
We’re quite impressed with Route Master from Isys
Software but if any F!F!F readers have a route finder program they’d like to
nominate please let us know.
EASTER CHARADE
Your
Easter Egg tip (Boot Camp Tip of the Week 25th May) was interesting
and with the help of an atlas I succeeded at about the 6th attempt. My
success was satisfying, however one wonders what other rubbish Mr. Gates and
his staff have planted on my hard drive. How do I get rid of the Easter
egg software and other similar items of which you are aware?
Wayne
Porter, Derby.
You
asked the significance of the three cities Memphis, Cairo and Redmond, in the
Windows 98 Easter Egg. Well as I am sure everyone and their dog will tell you, Cairo and Memphis were pre-release code-names for Windows and of
course Redmond is the home of Microsoft
Bob
Dunkley
Well
done everyone who got the Easter Egg to work and congratulations to Bob Dunkley
for being first out of the hat with the correct answer to our little teaser.
Most Easter Eggs take up only a few kilobytes this particular one is quite
large however, occupying almost one megabyte. It can be found in the Windows
folder under Applications Data/Welcome; do with it as you will…
LOST
LAUNCH
Having just had the motherboard replaced on my PC, I
now can't find the setting to add the Quick Launch Taskbar. Can you
advise?
Kevin
Smith
Replacing
the motherboard shouldn’t have affected the Quick Launch facility. Assuming
that it has been accidentally disabled it can be restored by right clicking on
the taskbar, select Toolbars on the drop-down menu and click Quick Launch.
I
am running Internet Explorer on a Gateway G6-400 Celeron PC. Over the past few
weeks, I have noticed vast slowdown in Internet use as well as in general
running of programs. Sometimes it won't even connect to the net. I have freed
up a lot of memory in both C and D drives (I have about 6GB spare) and yet, the
PC is running as fast as sloth on crutches. Any suggestions?
Trevor Jones
The
general slow down in your PC’s performance and sluggish Internet connections
are probably unrelated; in any event freeing up space on the hard disc drive
wouldn’t make any difference, not that you’re in danger of running short with
6Gb to spare. Unless you have made any changes to the PC’s configuration
recently the slow down is almost certainly due to a cluttered or ‘fragmented’
hard disc drive groaning under the weight of programs loaded on the machine.
Try giving it a spring clean, run Scandisk and Disc Defragmenter a couple of
times, use the version on Start>Programs>Accessories> System Tools,
click Settings and check the item ‘Rearrange Files so that my Programs start
faster’. If that doesn’t help try a housekeeping utility like Norton
CleanSweep, which can remove unused programs, bits of old software and
redundant files clogging up your hard disc. Internet speeds vary enormously and
assuming that you haven’t changed phone company or installed a new line, it
could be that your ISP is running low on capacity at peak times. The simplest
way to find out is to try it very early in the morning, if you get a fast
connection then it’s time to have a word with your ISP, or change to a new one.
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