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OCTOBER 2005 29/10/05 Harry Jones is has just upgraded from Windows ME to XP, and Word 97
doesn’t like it… AWKWARD ADOBE Every time I open Word 97 I get the warning "The Create Adobe PDF
monitor cannot be found. Please reinstall Create Adobe PDF" and I have to
click OK to get rid of it. This never happened with Windows ME. Why should it
happen with XP SP2? A. My guess is your new PC came with Adobe Acrobat ready installed, or
you installed it yourself and then installed Word. The chances are it happened the
other way around on your previous PC and Adobe Acrobat was installed after
Word. The solution is simple, all you have to do is uninstall then re-install
Adobe Acrobat, the missing files will be loaded in the correct location and the
two programs will start talking to one another. If you fancy a tinker you can
manually shift the files and the full procedure is explained in Adobe Support
Knowledgebase Document 323749
28/10/05 For reasons best known to Bill Martin he wants to take greater control
over his PC’s boot up, and why not? BOSS OF THE BOOT Good to see you back in the DT as well as on your own excellent website
- we're spoilt with the best of both worlds.
Programs on my PC (using Windows ME) launch from Registry (Machine Run),
Registry (Machine Services). the Startup Group and God knows where else. I can't find anywhere that tells me the
order in which they all launch, and wonder if you could advise. Is it the same as listed in Msconfig/Start? By the way, many thanks for your own website tip yesterday about
colour-coding incoming email messages.
Very, very useful. It's all
there, isn't it, but we just don't bother to investigate! A Thanks for that Bill and glad you like the site. Now for your question,
as far as I am aware there is no particular rationale to the order in which
programs are loaded after Windows, I suspect it’s simply a case of first in
first out though there is a way to trick programs listed in the Startup folder
into launching in a specified order. All you have to do is right-click and open
their shortcut properties and rename the shortcut, putting a number ahead of
the application name, e.g. 1Word 2Outlook Express 3Firefox and so on. However,
controlling programs that launch from the Registry (and which appear in the
msconfig Start list) obey different rules and to change the sequence would
involve editing the Registry. I have found a freeware application that purports
to be able to do just that; it’s called Emsa Win Startup Manager. I must stress
I haven’t tried it so you use it at your own risk and you should set a System
Restore point beforehand, just in case. Let us know how you get on.
27/10/05 Ken Cheesley has
managed to get his Wi-Fi network up and running but he’s having a bit of a
problem with Outlook Express OUTLOOK
PROMISING This is
probably a simple problem but is defeating us so far! We have a desktop
computer and laptop linked by a Linksys Wireless-G Gateway. The desktop is the
server linked by cable to the telephone socket. We have no problem using the
laptop for Internet purposes and to access files on the desktop. What we
cannot do is access Outlook Express emails from the laptop. Is it possible to
replicate the Outlook Express Account onto the laptop and send and receive
emails from the laptop? We have looked at several computer magazines and web
sites but have not found the answer to this. A. Hopefully you
need look no further, Ken so let’s have a go at sorting it out. It would have
been useful to know a little more about the PCs in your network but I’ll work
on the assumption that you are using Windows XP and take it from there. The
good news is the problem should be simple to resolve. Most networking glitches
are caused by the actual connection, or rather the lack of it but since you say
Internet and file sharing are all working we can rule that out. That leaves two
possibilities and the first and most likely one is your Firewall or anti-virus
program is blocking Outlook Express’s attempts to access the Internet. The way
to find out is to temporarily disable one or both programs, and if that turns
out to be the cause you will have to have a poke around their configuration and
‘blocked application’ menus to free up Outlook Express, Incidentally OE
probably won’t be listed as such so look for its process file, which is
‘msimn.exe’. The second possibility is Outlook Express configuration. Since OE
shares its settings with Internet Explorer it’s worth re-running the Setup and
connection Wizard again and you can do that by going to OE’s Tools menu, select
Options than the Connections tab. Click the Change button then on the Internet
Properties box that appears click Setup and follow the prompts. If that doesn’t
resolve the problem and the Internet is still live) then the OE Port settings
may be incorrect, to check them go to Tools > Accounts, highlight your
default email account then click Properties and select the Advanced tab. The
normal settings should be Port 25 for SMTP (outgoing mail) and Port 110 for
incoming (POP3 mail) and check these are correct.
27/10/05 Ken Cheesley has
managed to get his Wi-Fi network up and running but he’s having a bit of a
problem with Outlook Express OUTLOOK
PROMISING This is
probably a simple problem but is defeating us so far! We have a desktop
computer and laptop linked by a Linksys Wireless-G Gateway. The desktop is the
server linked by cable to the telephone socket. We have no problem using the
laptop for Internet purposes and to access files on the desktop. What we
cannot do is access Outlook Express emails from the laptop. Is it possible to
replicate the Outlook Express Account onto the laptop and send and receive
emails from the laptop? We have looked at several computer magazines and web
sites but have not found the answer to this. A. Hopefully you
need look no further, Ken so let’s have a go at sorting it out. It would have
been useful to know a little more about the PCs in your network but I’ll work
on the assumption that you are using Windows XP and take it from there. The
good news is the problem should be simple to resolve. Most networking glitches
are caused by the actual connection, or rather the lack of it but since you say
Internet and file sharing are all working we can rule that out. That leaves two
possibilities and the first and most likely one is your Firewall or anti-virus
program is blocking Outlook Express’s attempts to access the Internet. The way
to find out is to temporarily disable one or both programs, and if that turns
out to be the cause you will have to have a poke around their configuration and
‘blocked application’ menus to free up Outlook Express, Incidentally OE
probably won’t be listed as such so look for its process file, which is
‘msimn.exe’. The second possibility is Outlook Express configuration. Since OE
shares its settings with Internet Explorer it’s worth re-running the Setup and
connection Wizard again and you can do that by going to OE’s Tools menu, select
Options than the Connections tab. Click the Change button then on the Internet
Properties box that appears click Setup and follow the prompts. If that doesn’t
resolve the problem and the Internet is still live) then the OE Port settings
may be incorrect, to check them go to Tools > Accounts, highlight your
default email account then click Properties and select the Advanced tab. The
normal settings should be Port 25 for SMTP (outgoing mail) and Port 110 for
incoming (POP3 mail) and check these are correct.
26/10/05 Bob Buchan is one of the many readers who has followed my advice and
switched to Mozilla’s Thunderbird email program and he likes it so much he now
wants to move it to another PC THUNDERBIRD
TO GO As you have advised the use of Mozilla and informed how
to build one's own computer, would you consider an article how to transfer all the Thunderbird data from one computer to a new one? A. Absolutely no
problem Bob and thanks for a nice easy one (it is midweek after all…). One of
Thunderbird’s many virtues is that it uses a plain text format to store email
messages so they can be easily moved from one PC to another simply by copying
and pasting the store folder into the same location on the second PC. We
covered this a short while ago but since you’re still finding your way around
the site clicking HERE will take you straight to the relevant item.
25/10/05 Dial up Internet still suits a lot of people, like
Chris Bocock, but his connection is proving difficult and won’t hang up when it
is supposed to. STICKY DIAL-UP Hi and thanks for a super site. My problem is my
dial-up connection seems to have a mind of its own. Sometimes the Disconnect
box appears and sometimes it doesn't, although it always works after I've
re-booted. The search facility in XP has failed to find it for me too. Can you
help please as I would like it to appear every time that I come out of OE or
Internet Explorer? A Glad you like BootLog and stay tuned because it’s
getting bigger and better all the time. Now to your problem, a sticky dial-up
connection can be a real pain as you can easily rack up a hefty phone bill if
you stay connected after you’ve closed down your browser and email program. A
box should appear asking you if you want to stay connected but as Chris has
found it’s not reliable. The trick is to make sure the Auto Disconnect facility
is enabled. To do that Go to Start > Control Panel and double-click Internet
Options. Highlight your ISP entry and click the Settings button. Next click the
Advanced button and the ‘Advanced
Dial-Up’ dialogue box appears. Check the last item ‘Disconnect when connection
may no longer be needed’ and click OK. To make the setting stick you need to
close all open browser windows, Outlook Express and anything else that may be
accessing the Internet (automatic virus program automatic updates and so on)
then re-boot the PC and the next time you access the Internet it should be
activated.
24/10/05 I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, one of the
most useful PC accessories you can have is a shoebox, if Geoff Reeves had one
he might have avoided this little predicament… LOST CAUSE? My elderly Time PC has become increasing erratic of
late - error messages, lock-ups, boot-up and closedown failures, programs not
responding etc. I would like to clear
everything and start again from scratch, but the instruction booklet, which
came with the PC, refers to a re-load CD that I have mislaid and I can't
remember where it is. Is what I want to do possible without it? If so, how?
I've found a web site offering a free program, which claims to fix everything.
Is it safe to download and does it work? A The shoebox, in case you were wondering is to keep all
of your discs in, but it’s obviously too late for Geoff and it sounds as though
as full re-install might be the best option. As for downloading programs from
the Internet to fix your PC problems, if you run out of options, you’ve backed
up all of your data and it is free then it’s worth a try since you’ve nothing
to loose, but don’t get your hopes up I’m not optimistic, though because there are simply
too many things that can go wrong on an old and well used PC, particularly on
Windows 95, 98, SE & ME systems, which are notorious for slowly grinding to
a halt under the weight of the crud left behind by uninstalled programs. Your
best option is to buy a Windows installation CD; there are plenty of
unregistered copies to be found on ebay selling for less than £20. For a
step-by-step guide to re-installing Windows have a look at Boot Camp 099.
21/10/05 No one likes it but some Internet Service Providers
persist in annoying their customers by ‘Branding’ or putting their names in the
Internet Explorer and Outlook Express title bars, and Peter L wants to get rid
of it. BRAND DISLOYALTY I seem to remember you mentioning before about how to
remove the broadband supplier’s name from the Internet Explorer and Outlook
Express but I can't find the article. What
I mean is when I open either IE or OE the top part it says "Microsoft
Internet Explorer provided by XXX". have just changed to a new broadband supplier that does not stick
their advertising all over the place so how can I remove it? I have uninstalled
all the previous ISP software but it’s still there. A. Over the years we’ve looked at several ways of
removing branding, including editing the Registry (definitely not for novices)
to running visual basic scripts, however. The most painless one I’ve come
across to date is a small utility called ISPunbrand. It’s basically a Registry
fix but it has been safely packaged so you don’t have to do any tinkering, just
download and run. It’s very small (only
8kb) and you will find it here. If you are feeling bold you can try one of the manual removal procedures we’ve recommended in the past. All you have to do is type the following in Run on the Start menu: rundll32 iedkcs32.dll,Clear though to make sure there are no mistakes
I suggest that you copy and paste it from the page:
21/10/05 In these uncertain times it’s difficult to know who to
trust. Brigid Owen is concerned about an unfamiliar program she has found on
her new computer A LOAD OF BULL? Do you know anything about an anti virus and firewall
called Bullguard? It came with a new computer, which I purchased recently. It is
on a 3-month trial that ends in a few weeks. It seems easy enough to use and
claims to have an online backup facility.
have never heard of it before. I
believe you recently published details of a website where one could check if anti
virus and firewall programs were safe? A. As far as I’m aware Bullguard is a perfectly
respectable anti-virus program, though the firewall element has come in for
some criticism. A couple of reviews I have read claim that it contain an
embedded adware component that generates a pop-up advertisement. The only thing I would say is that there are at least
two excellent freeware anti virus programs, Avast and AVG, which I and many
others have used for several years - -on many different PCs -- and to date
neither has failed me despite being subject to constant attack. I’m also happy
to recommend the freeware firewall Zone Alarm, which provides the same level of
protection as many commercial offerings. The web site you refer to is Sypwarewarrior and it exposes
rogue Spyware and Malware cleaners so it’s definitely worth a visit before you
buy or download anything.
20/10/05 It takes time to find your way around a new Windows
PC; Alistair Scott is having trouble with the sound on his one… TWINKLE GOES I have a simple question, and there's probably a ridiculously simple answer, but I can't find it. I really don't want Bill Gate’s 'twinkly' music every time I start up or close down Windows. I find it intensely irritating. Of course, I could always switch my speakers off or turn the volume down but often I forget and, anyway, why should I? Is there any way I can switch these musical phrases off ... permanently? A It’s okay, you’ll quickly learn where everything is and the first place to look for anything to do with basic setup and
configuration is the Windows Control Panel. You will find it on the Start menu,
and for future reference if you ever loose it, just type ‘control’ (sans
quotes) in Run on the Start menu. Anyway, once Control Panel has opened double-click the ‘Sounds and audio devices’ icon, select the Sounds tab and scroll down the ‘Program Events’ list to Windows Start. In the Sounds box underneath select None then OK if you never want to hear a startup tune again.
However, before you do why not have a quick poke around and see if there are any other sounds or jingles that you do like. Simply highlight a selection and click the triangular Play icon to hear what it sounds like. You can also create your own Windows Start sound, or sounds for any other Windows ‘event’. You can use snippets of music 'sampled' from a CD or even the sound of your own voice. There’s some simple to follow instructions in the Top Tips Archive here.
19/10/05 It’s said that you are either disabled or temporarily
able-bodied… Ian Pizer in Switzerland has a friend in the former category and
he would like to help him to use a PC VOCAL SUPPORT My friend suffers from Parkinson's disease so his hand
(and body) is very unsteady. He would like to learn to use a PC but unless
there are tricks, gadgets, gimmicks, programs he will surely fail. Any ideas? A There are several possibilities Ian, depending on the
severity of your friend’s condition, but if he has a reasonable amount of
control over his hands then I would suggest a trackball type mouse, with the
acceleration and sensitivity reduced to compensate for involuntary movements
and possibly a large button keyboard such as Big Keys. Failing that the best
alternative would be voice control and the best-known package is Dragon Naturally Speaking. It’s
primarily designed as a text to speech input device but it can also be trained
to control just about any other function on a PC, from opening applications to
sending emails without going anywhere near a mouse or keyboard. You might also
want to have a look at Realize Voice,
which is more of a PC voice control program, and there’s a shareware program
called e-speaking, which you can try
before you buy, to see if voice control is a practical solution.
18/10/05 Julie E. writes in with a postscript to a recent query
on the subject of Windows XP recovery discs. CONSOLE YOURSELF I was interested to see your advice about repairing
the master boot record on a Windows XP computer, but a lot of us now don't get
XP CDs or even recovery disks when we buy a new PC. Do you have any advice,
should a similar event occur? A The Windows XP Recovery Console is similar to the old
Windows 95/98 Emergency Startup Disc and it can be used to carry out repairs --
like fixing the Master Boot Record -- extract files and all sorts of other
things so for that reason I recommend that Windows XP users install the
Recovery Console on their PCs so that it appears briefly as an option every
time you boot up. In the event of Windows XP refusing to boot the
Recovery Console will be instantly available without having to dig out your
Windows installation CD -- assuming that you have one. The procedure is
outlined in Boot Camp 337, along with one or two simple Recovery Console tips
but you may have spotted the fatal flaw in this idea. You need a Windows XP
installation disc in order to install the Recovery Console, or do you? In fact the Recovery Console installation files are
often loaded with Windows and hidden deep inside an XP system folders. The way
to find out is to go to Run on the Start menu and type ‘%windir%\i386\winnt32.exe /cmdcons’
(without the quotes). This should start the installation process, if not then things start to
get a little complicated and you will need to create a set of XP Startup discs,
which will let you install the Recovery Console from DOS mode. There’s full
details on how to make a set of disc on the Microsoft web site.
If all else fails then I suggest that you get in touch with your PC supplier and pester them for a set of installation discs. Although not obliged to do so you may find they will help out, if only to shut you up… As a last and final resort I recommend cloning your hard drive, so in the event of a catastrophic failure you can be up and running again using your backup drive -- see Boot Camp 352 ad 353 for details.
17/10/05 When your Windows 98 PC runs out of puff what do you
do? Tom Fletcher’s solution is to upgrade, but how straightforward is it going
to be? BOARD GAMES I wish to upgrade my motherboard from Pentium II
(Celeron) running Windows 98 - to a Pentium III model. Can I just change boards
and not upgrade any other components, such as the hard drive? A There shouldn’t be any problems with the hard drive Tom,
though you might want to check your new motherboard uses the same type of
memory modules as your current one. But it’s not the hardware components you
need to worry about, but Windows 98, which may object strongly to the change
and you will probably end up doing something close to a full re-installation,
by the time you’ve responded to all of the error messages and re-loaded all of
the drivers and other stuff you will be asked for. I’m not trying to put you
off, but be warned that it can be a long and tedious business. Whilst upgrading the motherboard and processor can be
a good way of pepping up a sluggish Windows 98 PC I wonder if you have
investigated some cheaper and often more effective options, such as increasing
your RAM memory to the maximum your system will support, (Boot Camps 22 & 23) and clearing the
clutter from your hard drive (Boot Camp 164), or even re-installing Windows (Boot Camp 099) -- well worth doing
at least once a year. However, in the end unless you are absolutely wedded
or stuck to Windows 98 I would question the wisdom of upgrading a PC to use
what is technically an obsolete operating system. Why not make the transition
to XP? Very few Win 98 programs wont work on XP and by the time you add up the
cost of the new motherboard, processor and quite possibly some new memory then
you are probably between a third and a half of the way towards the cost of a
new budget XP computer.
15/10/05 John Clark has an interesting query about installation discs, which raises the question, do you really need them?
THE ROAD TO RECOVERY Congratulations on the web site and I hope that it
goes from strength to strength. In common with the majority of PC users my
Windows XP Home edition was pre-installed. Can I purchase a CD of Windows XP
Home and install it over the OEM version? Would I encounter any problems
regarding registering it with Microsoft. I want to do this as so often
computing hints and tips start off with "load the Windows CD”!! In the
event of problems it also provides me with options less drastic than the
"recovery" disc, which would revert my set up to the factory
condition. Any advice on potential pitfalls would be most welcome.
A. Thanks for that and please keep clicking those ad-links to keep the coffee flowing. Buying a copy of XP is certainly an interesting solution and although I haven’t actually tried it, I can’t see any reason why Windows wouldn’t let you install it over the top of the existing system. If anyone has actually done it please let me know. However, it seems a bit drastic and although your recovery discs may well wipe the drive if you ever need to use them, it shouldn’t be a problem if you’ve been following my
advice all these years and backed up all of your irreplaceable data. I
cannot stress how important that is so do it today! You should find that XP won’t be asking you to insert an installation disc anything like as often as previous versions of Windows. In fact most if not all of the files it will ever need to access should already be stored on your hard drive, any others should be on the recovery disc or downloadable from the Internet.
14/10/05 Firefox is gaining ground fast and Howard Galloway
wants to know how to make better use of one of its best features, tabbed
browser windows KEEPING TABS ON FIREFOX I might be wrong about this but I seem to remember, a
few months ago seeing something about an extension for Firefox, which, when
downloaded and installed, automatically opened another tab when an icon was
clicked - thereby preserving the original page instead of over-writing it. Have
you have encountered such an add-on? A My guess is you picked this tweak up from Boot Camp 341 and it doesn’t involve any add-ons or downloads, it’s all built in. The idea is to add a New Tab button to the toolbar so if you click on it a new browser window opens with the existing window remaining. All you have to do is right click in to an empty area of the toolbar, select Customise then drag and drop the New Tab icon on to the toolbar, it’s also worth adding the New Window icon as well -- this open a completely new instance of Firefox and comes in handy if you need to be able to access a lot of web pages. While you are there you might also want to add the Printer and Bookmark icons to the Toolbar.
Incidentally, there's also a feature in Firefox Tools > Options > Advanced (under Tabbed Browsing) that lets you specify what happens when you click a link on a page and the choices are to replace the current window (default), open a new window or open a new tab.
13/10/05 Ron Barrack likes to keep things neat and tidy and his
query highlights a common problem for newcomers to the wonderful world of
Windows ALPHABET SOUPED Is there any way of arranging my Outlook Express
address book in alphabetical order? New
addresses are recorded chronologically and it is tiresome to have to run down
the page to find the person you want.
The MailWasher "Friends" list does this automatically, why
can't Outlook Express? A Outlook Express, in common with virtually all Windows
applications lets you view and arrange items in file lists and Explorer windows
in a variety of different ways, alphabetically, chronologically, file name,
type, etc. etc. The trouble is Microsoft and most software companies simply
assume that everyone who uses their products knows this, or somehow picks it up
as they go along. That’s all very well but it’s just not that obvious, so
here’s the low-down on file viewing and sorting. Windows Explorer and all standard dialogue boxes
(Open, Save, Save As and the OE Address Book etc.) show files in a number of
different ‘Views’, the three most common ones are List, Details and Icons,
additionally some dialogue boxes also show picture files as ‘thumbnails’ and
there may be other options but these are the important ones. To change the View
click the View icon and this either displays a drop-down menu, or steps through
the different views. The view that lets you change the order files are
displayed is Details, when this is selected at the top of each column there is
a label or heading. The wording changes according to the application but in
most applications it is usually (from left to right) Name, Size, Type, Date Modified, or something similar. Now this
is the bit nobody tells you, if you click on the column label the items in
that column will be sorted in one of several different ways. If you click the
‘Name’ label the items are sorted alphabetically, click once and the order is
A-Z, click again and the list is sorted in reverse order, Z - A, click again
and it’s back to A - Z. Similar things happen when you click the other column
labels. The Type label groups items according to file type and Date Modified
arranges the items on the list in chronological order; click once and it’s the
most recent first, click again and the oldest files are at the top of the list.
This trick works on pretty well all Windows dialogue boxes and your chosen View
and list sort criteria will normally be remembered each time you open that box.
12/10/05 This query from Sean Toner takes us into geek
territory so please excuse us as we tackle a Windows XP boot problem Congratulations on your new site, and keep up the good
work. Could you help me with a problem? Several months ago my PC (Packard Bell)
stopped working. The screen froze and despite several attempts to reboot,
Windows would not start. Different things happen when I switch the PC on.
Sometimes I get an error message: along the lines of 'Grub disk error' (the PC
was previously a dual-booting machine with Linux and Windows installed). Other
times I just get a flashing cursor and occasionally I get a Packard Bell splash
screen giving the option to press F2 for BIOS (sometimes the F2 key takes me to
the BIOS, sometimes not), but usually, I get nothing I have run the Packard Bell recovery disks, but even
after resetting to factory settings, the problem is still there. I have tried
booting the machine with a Linux live-CD and did once manage to get Linux to run from the CD, enabling me to
browse files on my hard drive so it appears the hard drive is functioning. Any
suggestions? A Everything appears to stem from the time you installed
Linux and the Grub bootloader program. Bootloaders can be tricky customers and
can cause all sorts of problems when they go wrong. I wouldn’t recommend trying
to fix it as I suspect it is probably too far gone by now. The simplest thing
to do is to create a new Master Boot Record (MBR) on the hard drive. The
current Windows installation and the files on your PC should all be unaffected
and this procedure is normally quite safe but you try it entirely at your own
risk -- consider yourself duly warned! Load a Windows XP installation disc (this may also work with a recovery disc) and at the prompt press R, to start the Recovery Console. Select the XP Installation from the list and if necessary enter your Administrator password. At the DOS like prompt type ‘fixmbr’ (without the quotes, click Y and the PC will reboot and hopefully Windows will load as normal. There's more on the incredibly useful XP Recovery Console in Boot Camp 337.
11/10/05 Assuming that Derek Fudge is not an absent-minded Time
Lord we need to look elsewhere to explain a problem with random time shifts on his PC TEMPORAL DISPLACEMENT My 6 month-old computer occasionally, at random, jumps
forward a day. I have, as suggested by the manufacturers, changed the clock
battery but it has still happened since the change. There appears to be no
regular time period between 'skips' and I am completely puzzled. All forums I
have searched refer to clocks losing but I have not found any referring to
calendar gain. Any ideas? A It helps to know that there are two clocks on a
Windows PC. The most important one is the hardware or Real Time Clock (RTC),
which lives on the motherboard. It’s basically a digital clock, powered by a
small battery that runs all the time, even when the PC is switched off or
disconnected from the mains. The other clock is Windows itself. When you boot
up the time and date display is taken from the RTC and from then on Windows
calculates time independently. The clock on older PCs using Windows 3.1 and 95,
could slow down depending on the PC’s workload but this problems disappeared as
PCs got faster. Windows XP has a further enhancement in that it can be set to
automatically check the time on the Internet from one of a number of web ‘time
servers’.
The first thing I would do is disable this facility by double-clicking the clock display in the System Tray, click the Internet Time tab and deselect ‘Automatically Synchronise…’ and see what that does. I can’t see how a low RTC battery would cause the date to jump forward but since you’ve eliminated that possibility it is possible there is a fault with the RTC. If so there’s nothing you can do, it’s not repairable or replaceable. Could software running on the PC be interfering with the date setting? Offhand I can only think of two type of program that might do such a thing and that’s a component installed with ‘Gator’ or GAIN advertising software called ‘Precision Time’, the uninstall instructions are here. I have also come across automated bidding or ‘Sniping’ tools, which use international web time-servers to make timed bids, or display information and these can tinker with the Windows clock. If you have any sort of software that relies on external timing cues -- stock or share monitors for example -- uninstall or disable it and see what happens.
10/10/05 Microsoft’s AntiSpyware ‘malware’ has been generally
very well received but as Derek Greenaway proves, there are exceptions… STICKY CLEANER I'm having problems with MS Anti Spyware.
During installation, it gave an error message regarding 'gcasInstallHelper.exe'. MS are particularly unhelpful. I have
downloaded another version but it recognises that a copy is half installed and
then gives me the error message again. I've typed the message into
Google and it seems I'm not the only one with a problem. A In Microsoft’s defence AntiSpyware is still in its
Beta testing phase and it makes it very clear that you download and use it at your own
risk and it provides only very limited technical
support. That said the program has turned out to be reasonably reliable and quite good at
tracking down and eliminating malware that other cleaners haven't caught, though it
misses some types of infections so it’s not a complete solution
and is best used in conjunction with other cleaners like SpyBot and AdAware. I suspect the file that’s being flagged up by the
error message is corrupt so try once again to uninstall the program from Add/Remove programs in
Control Panel then check in C:\Programs and make sure that the Microsoft
AntiSpyware folder and its contents have been deleted, If the program's uninstaller isn't working then you can delete the AntiSpyware folder, but only after you've backed up all of your essential data (just in case...). Afterwards you should run a
Registry cleaner (RegSeeker does a good job and it’s free but read the
instructions!), and when that has finished reboot and if you feel so inclined then you can try a fresh
installation.
08/10/05 D. L. Jeffries has been seeing one of those
infuriatingly unintelligible error messages. This one’s a doozy, inviting users
to ‘debug’ their PCs… I keep getting a message saying ‘A runtime error has
occurred. Do you wish to debug. Line 298 error’ I would welcome some help as I
do not know how to stop it. I have opened up the debug page but I am at a loss
about what to do… A I am not surprised and I doubt many experts know what
to do with this one, let alone the average PC users who’s closest brush with
debugging procedures is the occasional use of a tin of fly spray. Fortunately
this message is not serious and you’ll be pleased to know that it doesn’t
indicate any sort of fault on your PC. In fact the blame lies with clumsy or
careless web site designers and the message you are seeing is usually the
result of a glitch in a security patch that has changed a setting in Internet
Explorer. To banish the message once and for all go to IE’s Tools menu, select
Internet Options and the Advanced tab then scroll down the list to ‘Disable Script
Debugging’, uncheck the item and while you are there uncheck ‘Display a
notification about every script error’.
07/10/05 Do you find yourself typing the same piece of text --
your email or postal address for example -- over and over again? Clive Moody
does, and he wants to know if there’s an easier way. REPEAT PERFORMANCE I run Windows XP home/SP2 and having just changed ISP
I'm forever having to type in my new email address. Do you know if I can make a
single key shortcut to insert my email address, if so how can I do it? By the way I love the
new site, a fantastic resource - well done 10 out of 10!! A Thanks for those high marks Clive, we aim to please, and I hope provide you with a satisfactory answer to your question. I suggest a little freeware utility, which we’ve mentioned once or twice before, called ShortKeys. There’s a new ‘lite’ version, which works with all versions of Windows and you can download it from: www.shortkeys.com/lite.htm. It’s really simple to use, just type in a memorable key sequence and then the text that you want to appear and it’s done. It works in any open application, word processor, email, web browsers etc, and all you have to do it tap in your key sequence and the pre-programmed text will magically appear.
06/10/05 We all get a bit forgetful now and again and mislay
things -- I know I do -- so have some sympathy for A. Moore NOT SO GLOOMY OUTLOOK I have lost Microsoft Outlook (not Outlook Express). I
believe the driver is the problem. Can I get it back or can you suggest a free
shareware that will give me a calendar and contacts etc? A I remember many years ago, when learning to fly, being told by my instructor that you should never admit to being lost, you are just temporarily unsure of your position. I feel sure that your copy of Outlook hasn’t been lost. Unless you deliberately uninstalled the application -- which I doubt -- it is still on your computer and you are just temporarily unsure of its location. I suspect that you have accidentally deleted the desktop or Start menu shortcut, but rest assured this doesn’t affect the actual program. You can easily make a new shortcut by opening Windows Explorer or My Computer and work your way to C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office. Scroll down the list of files shown in the right hand window until you get to th |
