FAQS! FACTS! FAX!  383 (30/09/03)

Q

Microsoft recently announced that it has ceased support for Windows 98. What implications does this have for W98 users?

H. Shields, Stevenage.

A

It’s not as bad as it sounds and we’ve known about this for some time. Microsoft makes no secret of its ‘support lifecycles’, which for consumer software like Windows 98 means free help for five years after a product becomes generally available and extended on-line self-help for up to 8 years. You’ll find a comprehensive list of ‘retirement’ dates for the Windows family at: http://support.microsoft.com/

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In practice this means that Microsoft no longer maintains a free helpline (it actually stopped on July 1st) but it will continue to provide paid-for support (at $35 per ‘incident’) until January next year. Web-based resources like downloads, updates and the Knowledgebase will be accessible until at least January 2006, after which they will be archived. However, the millions of users and countless non-Microsoft resources on the web will ensure that there will be plenty of online help for Windows 98 for many years to come.  

Q

Have you any info on how to prevent Spam faxes when using my PC as a
fax machine?

Neville Thomas

A

It doesn’t matter if you are using a fax machine or a PC; it is unlawful for anyone to send unsolicited marketing or sales faxes to individuals without prior consent. The first thing to do is register your number with the Government monitored Facsimile Preference Service (FPS) at http://www.fpsonline.org.uk. The database of ‘opt-out’ numbers is used by all members of the UK’s Direct Marketing Association. If you continue to receive junk faxes you can use the form on the FPS web site to file a complaint.

Q

I plan to buy a second-hand PC and need to be sure that it is 'child safe', which means nothing in the PC, on the hard drive, anywhere, which could cause problems or be in any way dubious or illegal! What can I do to ensure this, either by means of hardware or software precautions?

Tony Edwards, Norwich

A

The only certain way is to format the hard disc drive and start over. In any event it is highly unlikely that you will have the necessary rights and licences to use Windows or any other software that may be on the machine, moreover formatting will get rid of any viruses and other nasties that may be lurking on the drive. You might want to have a look at Boot Camp 99, ‘Removing and Re-Installing Windows.

Q

I keep getting a message that tells me I am missing a file MMVCP70.dll. What is it, where do I get, do I want it?

Karen F

A

This file appears to belong to an MP3 player called MusicMatch and there have been reports of it conflicting with the utility programs supplied with some MP3 players or ‘Jukeboxes’. Try uninstalling and then re-installing MusicMatch, or download the latest version from www.musicmatch.com.

Q

A particular collection of pop ups on my Windows XP has become an absolute pest.  Advertising a wide range of products, all have the general heading of "Save Now".  Google seems to be helpless against them as does Free Surfer.
Don Daverson

A

This is another example of abuse of the Messenger service in Windows XP, which is designed to allow network managers send text messages to users. By default it is switched on, to disable it go to Run on the Start menu, type ‘services.msc’, double click the Messenger entry, click the Stop button and on the Startup Type drop-down menu select Disabled. Click OK, close the windows and it’s done.

Q

Could you tell me the difference between an AGP and a PCI graphics card? My PC has both slots free, which would be the best to buy?

Brian Clarke

A

The Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) slot is a high-speed data bus that typically communicates with the PC’s central processing unit (CPU) and memory at 33MHz. In addition to graphics cards it is also used by other components, like modems, networks and sound cards. The Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) only works with graphics cards, with data rates of between 133Mb per second to 1Gb/sec so not only can it handle more information – to generate more detailed moving images -- it doesn’t have to share its resources with any other devices. The bottom lines is if you use demanding graphics applications, like CAD (computer aided design), video processing and the latest games then an AGB card is better but if you simply use your PC for word processing, web surfing etc., then stick with your PC’s built-in video adaptor or a PCI card.

Q

I have an HP CD-writer and Liteon DVD-ROM drive and both throw up "Internal application error" when I attempt to use them with the Windows Media player. Can you help?

Tony Plumb

A

This could indicate a problem with your PC’s Visual Basic and JavaScript files, which may be outdated or corrupted. The solution is to replace them with the most recent versions from the Microsoft web site. Unfortunately the addresses for the download sites are ridiculously long and would take up most of the rest of this column so just type ‘Windows Script 5.6’ into Google’s search field (www.google.co.uk), and the MS site should be at the top of the list, click the link to Script downloads, select your version of Windows and follow the instructions.