FAQS! FACTS! FAX!  298 (22/01/02)

Q

Until recently, if I closed Internet Explorer whilst still connected to the internet, a message appeared warning that I was still connected and asking if I would like to disconnect now.  Infuriatingly this prompt no longer appears.  I am running Windows ME, is there a way to restore this facility?  Would doing a System Restore help?  I had the same problem on my old Windows 95 system and never solved it.
Jenny Hartley

A

For some reason this useful feature is buried deep in several layers of menu in Internet Explorer. I have no sensible explanation as to why it should have stopped working – it may have happened spontaneously or possibly someone has been having a fiddle  – but to switch it back on in IE version 6 (the one included with later releases of Windows ME) go to Tools, click Internet Options and select the Connections tab. In the Dial-Up window highlight your connection and click Settings and a new dialogue box opens, at the bottom, in the Dial-up Settings section click Properties and yet another dialogue box opens, now select the Dialling tab and finally, at the bottom of the box there should be an option labelled ‘Don’t prompt before disconnecting’, which you should uncheck. In IE 5 the procedure is basically the same except that you should click on the Advanced button in Dial-Up Settings and uncheck ‘ Disconnect when connection may no longer be needed’.

Q

The "sent items" in my Outlook Express are listed in alphabetical order. How can I change this so that they are displayed in chronological order?

Anthony Fisher

A

File sorting in Windows confuses a lot of people and it’s rarely explained but there is a common convention in virtually all dialogue boxes – and not just Microsoft programs -- that shows lists of files and folders, with ‘Name’ and ‘Date’ (or Modified) column headings. You can sort the files in these columns simply by clicking the actual headings. So, for example, if you click the Name heading the files will be sorted alphabetically, click once and it’s A at the top, click again and the listing starts with the last letter first, if you see what I mean. The same applies to the Date column, click it once and it’s most recent first, click again and the order is reversed.

Q

I have a PC and Modem with Windows 98, and all the necessary software for the telephone interface, how can I send or receive a normal telephone fax?

David Launchbury

A

Most versions of Windows come with fax utilities, though they are not installed by default and can be quite troublesome to install and use so I suggest using third-party software. Most modems come with fax programs so it’s worth checking through the utilities and driver discs that came with your PC, otherwise you’ll find a good selection of shareware and freeware fax software at www.tucows.com.

Q

My computer runs Windows 95 with Ms Office for Windows 95 installed. I often receive .doc, .pps, .xls files most of which refuse to open. What is wrong?

Richard Danik

A

My guess is Word (file extension ‘.doc’), PowerPoint (‘.pps’) and Excel (‘.xls’) programs in Office 95 are simply unable to process files created on later versions of those programs. Various upgrades, filters and converters are available from the MS Office Home Page (http://www.microsoft.com/ office/previous/default.htm) but it’s going to be a long hard slog to get it to read every file, and it’s only going to get worse as newer versions of office are released and support dries up. If you are likely to be receiving a lot of files of this sort this may be a good time to upgrade both your PC and Office suite.

Q

Can you please tell me the function of file, sulfnbk.exe, in the Windows\Command folder and if it is essential to the OS I deleted it after warnings that it may have been infected and inadvertently passed on to my machine via the mailing lists.  However, since the file seems to be a regular part of Windows 98, I now wonder if it was all a hoax I would be grateful for your opinion
H. Hobbs

A

It was a hoax – the second time this one has been perpetrated in less than a year -- and it caught a lot of people, judging by the number of warning emails we received at Connected. Fortunately deleting sulfnbk.exe does no serious damage, it’s used to restore certain types of files that may become damaged or corrupted and Windows runs quite happily without it. Nevertheless, it’s there for a reason and it’s as well to have it on your system, just in case. Full details of the hoax and how to restore the file can be found at:

http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/

venc/data/sulfnbk.exe.warning.html

The obvious way to avoid this kind of thing happening in future – and next time something really nasty could happen – is not to panic when you receive virus warning emails and never delete files without thoroughly checking first. Virus software companies maintain up to date alerts on their sites, and make sure that your virus scanner’s signature file is always up to date.

Q

Once again, in Boot Camp of January 15th, you print the warning to "never delete a program’s file folder in Windows Explorer". Please can you tell me how else one is to delete all those many programs that:

1. Do not appear under Add/Remove.

2. Do not have their own uninstall routines.

3. Make no changes to the Registry.

4. Make no changes to any System folder.

5. Have all the files needed to run the application located in the same folder.

Examples are many classic DOS games (Wolfenstein, Ultima Underworld), Supercalc (still regarded by many as the daddy of all Spreadsheets), GWBasic, lots of small utilities (timers of all kinds, clock synchronisers), word games, dictionaries, Winfax, etc, etc.

If one is not allowed to delete these folders using Explorer, how are you suggesting it should be done?

David Hodson

A

The warning not to delete files and folders in Windows Explorer is meant for inexperienced users and those who may not be able to determine whether or not a program makes changes to the Windows Registry, or will have any impact on other programs if it is removed. It’s true that a lot of programs can be safely deleted through Explorer, but how do you tell? My advice is to leave anything alone you are not sure of. Better still, install a software monitoring program, like CleanSweep, that tracks each new installation by noting where each file is stored and logging every change made to system files, so that when the time comes the program can be safely removed. If you are feeling lucky and remove files or folders through Windows Explorer always wait a day or two, or at least half a dozen boot-up/shut-down cycles, to make sure there are no glitches, before you empty the Recycle Bin.