Be sure to keep your virus DAT files up-to-date.  Infected e-mail  may contain a clean file in addition to an infected file, and it can also spoof the "From" address, so the address listed is a fake, or misleading. The virus will scan the hard drive to find an address and list it as the person who sent it. It can also copy itself to any network shares that are available to the user.

If you have not patched IE 5.01 or 5.5 to SP2, then you are vulnerable. Updating IE to 5.5 sp2 or 6.0 will eliminate the vulnerability. The patch will disable Outlooks ability to launch files with potentially dangerous file extensions.  The IE patches can be found here.  If you are running Windows 98, I strongly advise against upgrading to IE 6.0.  Although it CAN work, I have seen more problems created then fixed.  Stick with IE 5.5 SP2.  Windows XP users:  The IE your system came with is already at IE 6.0.

The infected filed can be detected by McAfee 4182 and above DAT files.  Click here to purchase McAfee or to download the latest DAT file.

Q:  I have my screen saver set to turn on in 1 minute, but I would like for it to turn on sooner then that.  Is there a way to turn it on manually?

A:  Yes, you need to create a shortcut on your desktop.  To do this, do a  FIND (or SEARCH) for your screensaver file.  Search on:   *.SCR    (the * is a wildcard, meaning that anything that has an SCR extension, will be "found").  Search the root of your hard drive - typically the   C:   drive.   Once found, RIGHT click the file, then click on SENT TO ... then choose DESKTOP     This will create a shortcut on your desktop.   Then go to your desktop, and click on the newly placed icon.  The screen saver should launch - take care not to move your mouse, otherwise the screen saver will not launch.  Have fun !!

Q:  From time to time, I see items on your web site that I would like to print.  I press the PRINT button on my browser window, and out prints the entire page.  I only really wanted a small portion - is there a way to print just the information I need, and not print the rest?

A:  I agree, and we can save some trees (not to mention ink).  :)   First select the text and images you want to appear on your printout. With your selection highlighted, choose File, Print. The Print dialog box appears. Now, click the Selection radio button, and choose OK. You get only what you want and nothing you don't.

Q:  Is there a way to clear the Internet Explorer address that the computer stores in its memory?

A:  The more recent versions of Internet Explorer kep track of URL's that you enter in the Address bar.  For example, click the downward-pointing arrow at the far-right side of the Address bar.  This will list the most recent sites you have typed in.  To clear these sites, do the following:  Click TOOLS,  Internet Options ....  then click the Clear History button - be aware that this will clear ALL of the entries.  Then close all Internet Explorer windows - then relaunch Internet Explorer - all entries should now be gone.

Q:  I am stuck with AOL for awhile, and am getting tired of hearing that "You've Got Mail" announcement.  How do I change it?

A:  It's a cute sound (sort of) but can get boring rapidly.  The method for changing it depends on your version of Windows, but basically, go to Control Panel ...  Double-click SOUNDS ... then go to the SOUNDS tab and scroll down the list until you find AOL_US ... then scroll down the list of sounds until you find You've Got Mail ... highlight the entry, and click BROWSE ... find a sound you like and click OK ... then click APPLY.  

Q:  I just installed a USB PCI card into my Windows 98 computer, but the computer does not recognize the new card.  HELP !!  

A:  I have had several situations where I've had to move the installed card, to a different slot.  I know it shouldn't make any difference, but it usually works.  After moving the card, power up the computer.  The system SHOULD recognize the device as new hardware ... if it does not, check the Device Manager for conflicts.   Sometimes cards will "fight" for IRQ "rights" - if that occurs, give me a jingle as the changing of IRQ's can be tedious.  (thanks to Freelancer's Cyndie and Ed for this one)   

Q:  I have Windows 98 and have noticed something called Online Services on my Desktop.   Do I need that?  If I don't, how can I get rid of it?  

A:  Yes, it only adds to the clutter and takes up space on the hard drive.  To removed Online Services:  Click START....SETTINGS...CONTROL PANEL... then open ADD/REMOVE PROGRAMS...click the windows SETUP TAB...scroll down until you see ONLINE SERVICES...and the double-click it.  Uncheck the boxes for the online services you don't use...then click OK

Q:  I recently installed a game for my son, which has caused me more grief than anything.  I un-installed it, but the computer still has problems. I was told that there is a way to "go back in time", to a point before I installed the game. How do I do that?  I am using Windows 2000.

A:  Yes, you are asking about a nifty utility called System Restore. Those of you running Windows ME or later editions of Windows have the option built into your system.

To run System Restore:

1. Go to Start/Programs/Accessories/System Tools/System Restore. The System Restore Wizard
   should pop up.
   
2. Choose to Restore your computer & hit Next.
   
3. Now you have to pick the Restore date. Choose the most recent date that you think the computer
   was behaving normally.

1. Go to Start/Programs/Accessories/System Tools/System Restore.
   
2. Click Undo my last restoration.

Q:  The other day, I wanted to save a file to diskette.  I found the file by doing a "search",
(I am using Windows 2000), I right-clicked the file, and chose "Send to".  But the diskette
was not listed as an option. How do I correct this?

A:  It's important to understand that the "Send To" menu is simply a directory on the
hard disk.  In Windows 95,98 & ME it is located in the C:\Windows\SendTo directory.
In Windows 2000 and XP, it is in c:\Documents and Settings\{username}\SendTo directory
Simply drag/drop any folders, programs, or drive icons into this folder to add their 
shortcuts to the Send To menu.

BTW,  if you create a shortcut to the Send To folder in the Send To folder itself, it 
makes it easy to add new objects later on!

Q:  I am new to the Internet, and have discovered many contests that I wish to enter.
It gets pretty monotonous to have to key in the same information each time.  I have heard 
about something called Gator and one other one called RoboForm.  Which one do  you recommend?

A:  Both programs will automate the tedious tasks such as contest entries, but be warned:
Gator tracks web sites that users visit, and thus configures pop-up ads to conform to 
your  "habits". For example, if you visit lots of contest sites where music is sold, 
Gator may very well pop-up an ad for you to visit a competing music store.
To me, this is an invasion of privacy which does not sit well at all.
  
My advice:  Use RoboForm - the options are exceptional, the time-savings is substantial,
and NO "shadow" following you around.

if you are currently using Gator, it's time to jump ship to RoboForm:

1.  Download Roboform
2.  Uninstall Gator
3.  Reboot your pc
4.  Install RoboForm
5.  Download SpyBot
6.  Install SpyBot
7.  Run SpyBot
8.  Start using RoboForm

Note:  SpyBot is intended to rid your system of unwanted residual spyware such as Gator. And YES, you must uninstall Gator to rid it from your system. 

Q:  How do I log onto the Freelancebyu Forum?

A:  These steps will have you on in no time !!   :)
 

Q:  After I log in to Windows, I am unable to print. I can see my report when I check the printer status window, but the report just sits there.  There are no errors and the Status indicator shows blank.  Help !!

A:  Unfortunately, this is one of those "bugs" in Windows. It seems that if you printed something from Internet Explorer, or Outlook Express, and then logout of the computer (as opposed to restarting or shutting down the 'puter), the condition you are asking about, would occur.  The work-around is to reboot your computer.  If that does not fix the problem, you will need to reload the print driver.  Wish I had a better answer - Microsoft is aware of the problem.  :(  

Q:  My husband and I recently broke up, and he is wanting the computer so he can look for his files, then copy them to a diskette/zip disk.  I am not wanting him to take the pc, as I will probably never see it again.  Is there a way to print a listing of all files on the hard drive so that I can then give him the list, so he can highlight which ones he wants?  That way I can find the files, copy them, and give him just the files, not the whole computer.

A:  You did not mention which version of Windows you are running, but yes, click HERE to download DirPrinter 2.10.  This easy to use program, which is compatible with Windows 95 and up, allows you to print the content of a directory including subdirectories with ease. You can print the content of a directory with or without subdirectories, user defined filters, print preview, etc.  You can even export the information into a TEXT file, which you could then input into WORD or a similar program.  That way, instead of printing the listing, you could copy the information onto a diskette, or even email it. Good luck !!

Q:  I  have MSN and my screen background is all bright white ... how can I change this ... the glare is unacceptable !!

A:  If you are using Windows XP, try re-applying XP styles.  Otherwise, navigate to the Control Panel - . Is "accessibility options" available?  If not, install it - note:  it is a Windows component.

Q:  I am concerned that my computer may have spyware on it.  How can I check my computer?

A:  There are several vendors who make software to combat spyware - my favorite, and most reliable is:  SPYBOT    The programs does a very good job of scanning for spyware, theftware, etc.  Once complete, you have the option of deleting selected  "finds", putting in "exclusions", etc.  And YES, the program is FREE !!  

Q:  I  use AOL and find that many of your links do not work.  If I switch to Internet Explorer, I am fine.  What gives?

A:  (A BIG thanks to RED for this one !!)     Your AOL browser security settings need to be changed ... here's how:

1.  Launch AOL
2.  Click SETTINGS
3.  Click PREFERENCES
4.  Click INTERNET PROPERTIES (WWW)
(The AOL Internet Properties window  is displayed)
5.  Click PRIVACY
6.  Move the vertical slider all the way down as low as it will go.  This will allow for all cookies to be written.
7.  Click APPLY
8.  Click on the GENERAL tab
9.  Click DELETE COOKIES
10.  Click OK
11.  Click OK

Steps 8 thru 11 are not necessary, but were included to show you how you can delete cookies.

Note:  If you are a regular Internet Explorer user, and are having problems clicking some of our links, do the following:

1.  Launch Internet Explorer
2.  Click TOOLS
3.  Click INTERNET OPTIONS
4.  Click PRIVACY
5.  Move the vertical slider all the way down as low as it will go.  This will allow for all cookies to be written.
6.  Click APPLY
7.  Click on the GENERAL tab
8.  Click DELETE COOKIES
9.  Click OK
10.  Click OK

Q:  When I receive mail (Outlook Express), and I have a link to a web site in the mail, I click the link but nothing happens.  I can right-click the link, copy, then paste in my Internet Explorer browser, but that's a pain ... how/what can I do to make my links click-able?

A:   First, try setting IE5 as your default browser. Go to IE tools/internet options/programs and turn on the check box for IE to check if it is the default browser. Shut down and restart IE. When it asks to be default browser, say yes.

Also have a look at this link:

Internet Shortcuts in Outlook Express Don't Start Browser (Q177054)
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q177/0/54.asp 

New window is blank or nothing happens when you click on a link - Q281679
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q281679

Incorrect Settings in the Dcomcnfg.exe Tool [Q274696]
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q274/6/96.asp

Internet Explorer Home Page Opens When You Click a Link That Is Pasted into an E-mail Message (Q291859)

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q291859 

Go to my computer, view/folder options/file types (or control panel, folder options depending on your operating system.

Scroll down to the  URL:Hypertext Transfer Protocols, click edit twice and make sure the following is in the application used to perform action box:

"C:\PROGRAM FILES\INTERNET EXPLORER\iexplore.exe" -nohome

The same applies for URL:Gopher

DDE should be set to:  "%1",,-1,0,,,,
Application should say:  IExplore
DDE application not running should be blank
Topic should be:    WWW_OpenURL

Q:  Occasionally, I receive email with funny symbols, large CAPTIAL letters, and "junk" I can't make heads or tails out of.  What is happening and how can I fix it?  I am using Outlook Express.

A:  This sounds like an email that is formatted as HTML, but that you are "reading" as plain text.  To fix this:  

1.  Launch Outlook Express
2.  Click TOOLS
3.  Click OPTIONS
4.  Click READ
5.  Turn OFF the option to "read all messages in plain text".

From this point forward, your HTML-formatted email will be presented as clean and readable.  Your text-based email will not change.
 

Q:  I often set my Windows 98 SE computer to go into Standby Mode.  When I move the mouse,
the screen comes back on, but only a blinking cursor. I end up resetting the computer, in order
to get it to come back on.  What am I doing wrong?

A:  This error can occur if:  1.) The 'puter is put into Standby Mode using the keyboard, 2.)  You
have an MS-DOS window open when the 'puter went into Standby Mode, or 3.)  Your 'puter is
using ACPI (advanced config and power interface) features.  To "wake-up" the pc, press 
ALT-TAB  This will resume your Windows session.

Q:  I am running Windows 2000.  My question is this:  when I lock my computer (CTRL-ALT-DEL,
Lock Computer), my power management settings (turn off monitor, go to sleep,
go into hibernation) will not work. If I don't lock the computer, the power management
settings work fine.  How can I get my computer to run power management while the
computer is locked?

A:  Yes, that is one of those tricky Microsoft bugs ...  You need to set a screen saver on -
I know, it does not make sense, but try it ...  it REALLY works !!   :)

Q:  I recently was given a pc by a friend.  Whenever I load software, my friends name comes
up.  I would like MY name to come up instead.  Please help!!

A:  You will need to change the registry value.
Click START/RUN ...  key in:  REGEDIT.EXE      then press OK
Open HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\ Windows NT\ CurrentVersion.
To change the values of the RegisteredOrganization, RegisteredOwner, or ProductId,
simply double-click on them.  This will change the user information for Windows.  This 
will NOT change the user info for your applications - the ones that are all ready installed.

Q:   I have friends who are visually challenged and so have a hard time reading many web sites.  Is there a way to make the font size on web pages more "friendly" for people who have problems reading smaller type?

A:   This may help:  In Internet Explorer, click TOOLS, INTERNET OPTIONS ...  then choose the GENERAL tab, 
click the ACCESSIBILITY button.  Check "Ignore Font Sizes Specified on Web Pages".    In Netscape 6 and 7, choose EDIT, PREFERENCES,.  Then select FONTS ...  then check Use My Default Fonts     You are effectively telling your browser to use the default font size - a VERY handy tool, especially for visually impaired.

Q:  I enjoy reading your newsletter and web site, and often find tips I want to print for safe-keeping.  How can I print off of your page, and not print the green color?  With the price of ink being what it is, I want to save anyway I can.  Please advise.

A:   In Internet Explorer, click:  TOOLS, INTERNET OPTIONS, ADVANCED ...  scroll down until you see the Printer section ... UNCHECK the "Print background and color"  box ...     The text you want to print, will now print, but without background color. 

Q:  I am new to the Internet  and email.  I am running Internet Explorer 6.0 and Outlook Express 6.0.  I was told that Outlook Express has a spell checker feature, but it is not working.  What do I need to do to get spell check to work?

A:  Yes, it's kind of funny ...  Microsoft puts out Outlook Express with the Spell Check option, BUT the option will not work unless you purchase either their Office Suite or the stand-alone versions of their Office Suite.  All are pretty pricey.  BUT, here's a link to a site that has instructions and some downloads, that will give you Spell Check in Outlook Express:  http://mywebpages.comcast.net/joeyr76/pc/oespell.html 

Q:  I have Microsoft WORD installed on computer, but when I go into Programs, it is not there.   Help !!

A:  Try doing a FIND or SEARCH, for:   WINWORD.EXE    If found, drag the icon to the desktop.   This will place a shortcut on your desktop, so you can more easily locate it.  If it is not found, locate your system restore disk.  If your system came pre-installed with WORD, the above file should be located on their CD.

Q:  I recently installed a Palm Pilot on my computer, but when I was done, all of my email disappeared.  How can I get back my email, and how do I correct this problem?

A:  Most likely, when the Palm was set to synchronize with the computer, the "Synch Computer to Palm" was chosen rather then "Synch Palm to Computer".  In other words, the system synch'd the computer to match the number of records in the Palm.  Unfortunately, the Palm was empty, sooooooooooooooo  it made the computer side empty.  To fix this, if you are running Windows ME or above, use the RESTORE function to effectively  "go back in time", to before you lost the email.

Q:  I have a Gateway computer and my keyboard has recently started acting up ...  some of
the keys do not work, some keys act as though I pressed another key !!  Help !!

A:  Some of the more common keyboard problems I run across are caused by:

1.  A foreign substance was introduced to the keyboard:  cokes, potato chips, salsa ...:)

2.  The keyboard was dropped ...  (no one EVER 'fesses up to this one).

3.  The keyboard was disconnected/reconnected by somebody who had Wheaties for breakfast
i.e. ...  they broke or bent the pins that connect the keyboard to the cpu.

BUT, when I see "Gateway", I immediately suspect that the keyboard has accidentally been remapped.  
Some Gateway 2000 pc's were shipped with AnyKey keyboards, which are programmable.
Most people do not use this feature, but many of those keyboards get accidentally programmed.

If your Gateway keyboard has the following keys, the keyboard is programmable:  extra cursor keys pointing
in diagonal directions and also extra keys such as PROGRAM MACRO, SUSPEND MACRO, REMAP,
and REPEAT RATE.

To clear all macros and remappings:

Press CTRL-ALT-SUSPEND MACRO.

The Program light on the keyboard will blink a few times for a few seconds and all macros and remappings
are then cleared.

If the Program light does not blink when pressing CTRL-ALT-SUSPEND MACRO, the CTRL or ALT keys
may be remapped. To reset them:

      1. Press REMAP once

      2. Press CTRL twice

      3. Press ALT twice

      4. Press REMAP once

      5. Press CTRL-ALT-SUSPEND MACRO to clear all macros.

Q:  I recently saw a computer at the library where I live, with the Task Bar on the left side of the monitor.
 How can I move my Task Bar around?

A:  By default, the task bar is at the bottom edge of the screen, however it can be "docked"
on any of the other three edges as well.

To move the taskbar from its default position along the bottom edge of the screen to any of the other three edges of the screen:

1. Click a blank portion of the taskbar.
   
   
2. Hold down the left mouse button, and then drag the mouse pointer to the place on the screen where you want the taskbar. For example, you may want the taskbar to be positioned vertically on the right side of your screen.
   
   
3. After you move the mouse pointer to the position on your screen where you want the taskbar, release the mouse button.
   
   

Q:  My credit union has started offering "Bank At Home" service.  When I tried logging into their 
system, it gave me an error - it said that I was not using 128-bit encryption, and to update my
computer system.   I am running Windows 2000.  I know Windows XP is newer, but I need to install
Window XP?  Is there someway I can get this encryption upgrade for Windows 2000?

A:  If you are running Internet Explorer 5.5 with Service Pack 2 on a Windows 2000 machine,
you will need to download the Windows 2000 High Encryption Pack   As an alternative, installing Windows 2000
Service Pack 2, will also fix the problem.

Q:  I REALLY enjoy reading the FREELANCE TIMES newsletter, but some of your links will not work for me.  HELP !!

A:  marsh note:  I included this question/answer because I have gotten several inquires about this issue.    

There seems to be three common reasons for links not working:

1.   Your email program is not set to accept HTML-type email.  Make sure you are using software that allows for HTML-formatted messages.  If your email programs does not support html-formatted e-mail, please write me:  marshall@freelancebyu.com  and we'll set you up on our non-html server.

2.  Your email program (such as Outlook Express) is not set as the default e-mail program) and/or your Internet browser (such as Internet Explorer) is not set as the default browser.  Set Internet Explorer and Outlook Express as your default programs.

3.  The Windows "host" file has been altered to decline pre-defined web sites.  Check your "host" file for changes ... modify as needed.  Doing so SHOULD once again allow you to click our html links.

marsh note:  There are MANY different email and Internet browser programs.  If you have specific questions about the above, please email me privately at:  marshall@freelancebyu.com  

Q:  Every time I start up my computer, the systems appears to be scanning the "A" drive - the light comes on, and a quick noise emits from the drive. Why is it scanning my "A" drive and how can I stop it?

A:  By default your computer system is scanned each time you boot up your computer.  In this case, the computer is looking for a new diskette drive.  To turn this feature off:  Click START/SETTINGS/CONTROL PANEL ... Double-click the SYSTEM icon, then click the  PERFORMANCE Tab, click on File System button, select the FLOPPY DISK tab. Turn off the "Search for new floppy disk drives each time your computer starts" option. Don't forget to turn this option back on if you add another diskette drive.

Q:  Can you tell me something about "Theftware"?  Is it dangerous to my computer?  I am running anti-virus software - is that good enough, or do I need another kind of software?

A:  Theftware is rapidly on the increase.  It does not  harm your computer, but instead it modifies links to the benefit of the thief.  Example:  Let's say you want to purchase something, and so browse to our SHOPPING page.  Something catches your eye, and so you click on the link.  If you make a purchase, a (VERY) small portion of that sale is credited to the Freelancebyu account.  If theftware is present on your computer system, the thief modified the link so that THEY get the credit, NOT Freelancebyu.  The legality of this type of action is still being debated, but the "moral" issue clearly shows that this type of action is not right.  If you feel that your computer system may be at risk, be sure to visit:  http://www.lavasoftusa.com/  And download AD AWARE !! 

Q:  I dial-up to the Internet, but I often have to re-dial several times before I get a 28.8 or better connection. Is there a way for me to dial into my ISP and not make a connection until the speed is at least 28.8?

A:  Yes, there's a Freeware program called ConnectPro:
http://yippee.i4free.co.nz/html/win/internet/title600.htm  that will re-dial if you don't get your specified minimum connect speed.  Very handy when you keep getting connections that are less then the speed you REALLY want.

 Q:  I have Windows 2000 - recently I turned on my computer one morning, and got the following error:
NTDetect Failed.  I have tried booting into Safe Mode and tried using a boot disk, but both did not work.
How do I fix this?

A:  The NTDetect file is either missing or corrupt - you will need to REPAIR your Windows 2000 system.  Here's 
what you need to do:

1. Start the computer from the Windows 2000 CD-ROM.
2. At the "Welcome to Setup" menu select R for repair.
3. Select Manual Repair.
4. Select only Startup Environment from the repair options.
5. When prompted, insert the Emergency Repair Disk (ERD). If you do not have an ERD you can proceed without one.
6. When the repair process is completed, remove the ERD from the floppy disk drive, and then press ENTER to restart the computer.

Q:  I am trying to use Outlook Express for the first time. I've entered data in all the right fields, and can even
receive mail ...  but when I go to create a new mail message, an error comes up. Something about a file missing. I am using Outlook Express 5.0.  HELP !!

A:  It would appear that you are missing parts of the Outlook Express program (or more likely, one or more files 
is either missing or corrupt).  In most cases, I would recommend re-installing the product, but in this case, it's
important for you to upgrade your current version to at least version 5.5.  Go to the Microsoft web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads    take #5 IE 5.5 SP2 , download, and install the software.  That will
replace your current IE and Outlook Express programs, will copy down fresh files, and most important, will
update your browser and email systems with the latest security updates and fixes.
  

Q:  Occasionally, my Internet Explorer program ( I have IE 6.0, running Windows XP) will come up with a "error reporting" window.  I always click "Do not send".  Is there a way to disable this feature?

A:   Yep I'm with you ... it sure can be an annoyance.  Here's how to disable it: 

1.  Hold down the Windows key (located at the lower left side of your keyboard) and press the Pause/Break key (in the upper right of the keyboard) which will open the System
Properties dialog box.

2.  Click on the Advanced tab, and then on the Error Reporting button at the lower right side of the Advanced tab.

3.  Click in the circle to the left of "Disable error reporting".  This will place a check mark in the box next to "But notify me when critical errors occur".

You can customize error notification to notify Microsoft just when errors in certain programs occur, or just when Windows errors occur, or ...  disable the feature entirely.
 

Q:  I downloaded Internet Explorer 6 with Outlook Express 6 and now I'm having nothing but problems. I want to go back to Internet Explorer 5.5 and Outlook 5.5. Is this possible to do?

Q:    I have Outlook Express 6.0 and wish to block all incoming file attachments on my email.  What is the procedure for doing that?

A:  This works great as long as you understand that ALL files will be blocked.  If you occasionally receive legit files, this procedure may not be for you.

1. Start Outlook Express 6.0,
2. Tools | Options | Security Tab,
3. Remove the check from the “Warn me when other applications try to send mail as me” check box,
4. Place a check in the “Do not allow attachments to be saved or opened that could potentially be a virus” check box,
5. Click the OK button.
6. Close Outlook Express

Q:  When I launch Microsoft WORD 2000, the program immediately opens up in full screen mode.  There are no toolbars, menus, icons, etc.  I pressed ESC thinking that was how to undo the full screen, but that did not work. HELP !!

A:  Yep, on occasion that does happen.  Here's what you need to do: 

Click START - RUN  ...  then key in:   WINWORD.EXE /A    (there is a space between the "E" and the "/")
then press ENTER

WORD will launch, with all toolbars, menu's, etc. per normal.  Close WORD, then reopen .. should open correctly.  The /A switch "Activates" (or in this case, Reactivates) the program so that it is fully functional.

Q:  I just recently started using cable-modem.  I had been on dial-up for years.  Someone told me that I needed a firewall - what is that, and do I REALLY need one?

A:  If you are planning on leaving your computer "on-line" in what amounts to an "always on" situation, then having a firewall is a MUST.  A firewall will protect your computer from wanan-be hackers and from the plethora of viruses that are navigating the Internet.  When your computer is always hooked up to the Internet, you are at far greater risk of having your privacy violated.  A good firewall (and FREE I might add) is ZoneAlarm  http://www.zonealarm.com   It can be a bit overwhelming at first to set up, but after you've run it for a few days, you will learn how to block and unblock sites and services (such as AOL's IM, or ICQ, etc.)

Q:  My pc has been running slow, and I'm sure it may have something to do with ALL the programs I'm running.  I want to get rid of many of those programs.  What's the best way?

A:  There are several options available to you:  Click Start,  Programs. Then look for the program you want to delete. Many times, you'll find an Uninstall program under it's program group.  Another way would be to click Start,  Settings, Control Panel. Then open the Add/Remove programs icon. You'll see a list of programs that Windows can remove from your system. Just click the one you would like to remove and hit the OK button.  If neither of the above work, you can always go to the program's folder and delete it. However, there is no guarantee that the program was confined to that folder. It could have other files distributed throughout your computer. 

You might also consider a program like Clean Sweep. Once installed, it watches which program files go where and can remove unneeded files for you.

Keep in mind that some of the files that get placed on your hard drive when you install a program are basically updates to some of your existing files. So if you are uninstalling something and get a message saying not all the files from a program could be removed, it may be due to the fact that other programs also use these files.

Q:  When my printer prints, I get black streaks across the words. What is causing this?

A:  It sounds like your printer's ink jet heads need to be cleaned. The procedure for this varies from printer to printer. Some printers (HP) have the ink jet nozzles built into the ink cartridge. Remove the cartridges and wipe their little bottoms with a soft, lint-free cloth. Make sure you clean both the color and black cartridges - sometimes a black streak can be caused by something sitting on a color cartridge.

If you can't remove the ink jet nozzle / head, you'll need to try to wipe them off using a lint free cloth. Getting to them can be difficult, so if they are unreachable or you're not comfortable messing around with your printer you may want to take to a repair shop for cleaning.

Finally, check with your printer manufacturer and see if they offer some kind of a cleaning kit. HP had one that came free with an ink cartridge, so I know they're out there. In addition, your printer help file may give some advice for recommended cleaning procedures.

Q:  Why does my monitor go black after about 15 minutes of not using the computer?

A:  Windows has a Power Management setting that will shut your monitor off after a specified amount of time. If you don't like when it's shutting the monitor off, you can change it by doing the following:

Win 95/98/ME/2000

1. Hit the Start button, Settings, Control Panel. Then open the Power Management icon.

XP Users

1. Hit the Start button, Control Panel, Power Options.

Everyone -

2. Look for the "Turn off monitor" drop box (it's towards the bottom). Select the amount of time you want the computer to wait before shutting off the monitor, or tell it not to shut the monitor off at all.

Q:  I've lost my product code for Office 97.  Would it be on the computer?

A:  Yes, it should be in the registry.  Here's what you need to do:  Click Start, Run. Type in regedit and click OK. Your registry editor program will start. 

Next, click to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\software\Microsoft

Make sure you open (double-click) the Microsoft folder.

Then, scroll down to the program you want to re-install. Double-click its folder and look for another folder called "Current Version".

Double-click that and look for an entry for "ProductKey" or "ProductId" in the right window pane. Once you find it, write it down and keep it for future use. 

Q:  I recently purchased a scanner, and am not sure what DPI I should use.  Help !!

A:  As a rule, the bigger the number, the larger the file and the larger the file, the longer it takes to download before you can see it.  For viewing, 100 dpi is fine, but if you are wanting to print it, use 300 dpi ...  if you are scanning a good quality photo, I would even use 600 dpi ... or higher if available.  But be advised that the higher the dpi, the longer the scan will take.  File types will also make a difference. BMP files can get very large, if you are going to send the scanned image by email you will want to save in the JPG format (it will be about 1/10th the size). 

Q:  My Microsoft WORD is not working - this is the message I'm getting:  "Winword has caused an error in Winword.exe  Winword will now close".  Do I need to reload WORD?

A:  Reloading WORD would fix the problem, but there is an easier way:  Search your hard drive for *rmal.dot and you should come up with 2 files. Delete both files and then try to start Word. The normal template loads each time Word is started and if it becomes corrupt or damaged this is the error message that you will receive. Don't worry about deleting it, Word will re-create it next time it is launched.

Q:  I recently uninstalled some software, but some of the programs are still showing in the add/remove list.  How can I clean up that add/remove list?

A:  There are several ways to do this:  You can edit the registry, or download one of many shareware programs that can accomplish this, or you can download Tweak UI Power Toys  free of charge.  I would suggest using the Tweak program, because it contains many other features in addition to it's ability to clean up the add/remove list.

You can find Tweak UI for Windows 2000, NT, ME, 98, or 95 at:  http://www.microsoft.com/NTWorkstation/downloads/PowerToys/Networking/NTTweakUI.asp 
Windows XP users will find their Power Toys at:  http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/powertoys.asp 

Q:  My husband's company provides a new laptop computer every three years.  My
husband spent days and days (literally) transferring files one by one  to a
CD and then reloading the files on the new computer.  Isn't there a "fast"
way to transfer hundreds of files from one computer to another?

Q:  I am thinking of buying a scanner, which only has a USB port.  How do I know if my computer supports USB scanners?  I am running Windows 98 SE.

A:  As a rule, if your PC was made during or before 1996, it probably doesn't support USB. If it was made during 1997, it probably supports USB. If it was made during or after 1998, it almost certainly supports USB.  Note:  I have a freeware program that will examine your computer and tell you whether or not your pc is USB ready.  Be advised that the program may say that your computer supports USB, but some manufacturers that misunderstood how to design USB into their products, forgot to add the sockets. If your PC has hardware support for USB, but you can't find any USB ports, you can optionally install USB hardware.  Email me:  marshall@freelancebyu.com   if you'd like a copy of the freeware program.

Q:  I have a lot of Word documents to print. Is there a way that I can send these files to the printer without opening them?  Any suggestions?

A:  Navigate to the folder where your documents are, highlight the documents you want to print, then RIGHT click one of the highlighted entries, and click "PRINT".  This will print all of the highlighted entries.

Q:  Where can I download the different languages modules for Windows XP?. In Win Me,  I could go to Windows Update and download - where do I go now?  XP update did not have them?

A:  Go to:  http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q292246 
an incredible number of languages are available!!

Q:  I enter MANY contests and basically enter the same data every time.  Is there a way to store that information, so that I can just pull it up as I  need it?

A:  I have found that Type-It-In is a great shareware program, that can save you MANY hours and MANY key strokes.  Try it - I think you'll find it QUITE useful.

Q:  Since I've joined Freelancebyu, my incoming email has grown exponentially.  I often miss important correspondence because everything comes to my Inbox.  I know there's a way to sort the email, but I don't know how.  I am using Outlook Express 6.0.  HELP !!

A:   Yes, know that you are not alone regarding this problem.  Many of our members have had the same question.  We need to make subfolders under your INBOX, create what are called "Message Rules", and we need to apply/activate them.  Here is how this is done (my example is based on Outlook Express 5.5, but should work with most versions of OE).  Remember:  Outlook Express is NOT the same as Outlook - if you have Outlook and wish to add Message Rules, please email me privately:  marshall@freelancebyu.com  

1.  From the menu click Tools > Message Rules > Mail

2.  From the Message Rules dialog box click the New button

3.  New Mail Rule dialog box

Under 1. Select Conditions for your rule: Place a checkmark in the box that says "Where the subject line  contains specific words"

Under 2. Select Actions for your rule: Place a checkmark in "Move it to the specified folder". (We are going to create a separate folder for FREELANCEBYU).

Under 3. Rule Description (click on an underlined value to edit it): Click "contains specific words"

Type FREELANCE and click Add then click OK  After clicking OK you will be returned to the New Mail Rule dialog box.

Under 3. Rule Description (click on an underlined value to edit it): Click "specified"

HIGHLIGHT the INBOX, then click NEW FOLDER.  Name the new folder FREELANCEBYU, then click OK.

Click OK  again.

Under 4. Name of the rule: Type the name of the message rule such as FREELANCEBYU.  Click OK

Congratulations! You have setup your first mail rule.

After you click OK, ensure that the new rule is highlighted, then click:  Apply Now

The computer will scan your Inbox and filter out (move the FREELANCE TIMES) to our new FREELANCEBYU folder.

If you receive lots of email, be sure to write a message rule for each list that you are on.  Also, if you receive the same junk mail from the same person frequently, you can write a message rule which will take the unwanted email, and move it to the Deleted items folder.  Take extra care ... we don't want to move legit email to the Deleted folder.  It is a good idea to get in the habit of reviewing your folders from time to time, to ensure that your email is being filtered correctly.

Q:  I often visit your Deal of the Day site, print out the page, and share them with friends.  But when I print them out, the blue background also prints.  Is there a way to print out the deals with out printing the background color?

A:  Yes, there is a parameter within Internet Explorer, that allows you print or not print background color.  The following is directions for Internet Explorer 5.5:

1.  Tools, Internet Options, Advanced

2.  Scroll down until you find the Printing section.

3.  Uncheck the Print Background Colors and Images box

4.  Click OK

This will allow you to print the text of the page, but not the color background.

Q:  When I forward or reply to email, I get those funny characters called carets ...  you know, like <<<<<<<<<  those things.   How do I get them to not appear other then deleting them?

A:  With outlook express open,

1. Click Tools /Options
2. Click the Send tab
3. Find "Mail sending format". Under that category,
click the Plain Text Settings and then the HTML setting and deselect the checkbox for indenting messages on reply.

Q:  My computer sometimes locks up, and always has an error message when I first start the computer.  I am running Windows 98.  Any ideas on what to do to make the sytem more stable?

A:  There are many things we can look at:  Recently installed hardware or software, are you performing scandisk and defrag's at least once a week?   What error messages are your getting?  For starters, lets try this:  Because Windows 98 does not install some VXD files by default, we will need to do those manually.  The following files need to be installed in both C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM|VMM32 and C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM folders

If you are using Windows 98, you will need to extract the files from Windows 98 CAB files #47 and #48 - if you are using Windows 98SE, you will need to extract from CAB files #53 and #54

The following files need to be extracted:

CONFIGMG.VXD

NTKERN.VXD

VCOMM.VXD

VDD.VXD

VDMAD.VXD

VFLATD.VXD

VMOUSE.VXD

Once these files have been extracted and placed in both folders, reboot your computer.

Extracting/copying these files and placing them in both folders has helped to fix lockups, error messages at start-up, VMM errors, erratic/slow mouse movement, and several other problems.

note:  if you need assistance extracting the files, please email me:  marshall@freelancebyu.com  and I will send them to you.

Q:  In Windows 95, when I clicked START/PROGRAMS, I would get multiple columns of installed software, but when I upgraded to Windows 98SE, the programs are listed in one long column.  Is there a way to revert Windows 98SE back so that I get multiple columns?

A:  Yes there is, but you will need to add an entry in the registry.  Be extra cautious when doing this procedure:

Click Start/RUN/REGEDIT

Navigate to the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINES\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

Add a new string value and call it:  StartMenuScrollPrograms   Make the Data field value:  false

The next time you open the Programs menu, it should be displayed in multiple columns if it won't fit in one column.

Q:  I just recently signed up with cable-modem.  Do I REALLY need a firewall?

A:  Absolutely !!  And there are several available for FREE download.  My personal favorite is  Zone Alarm:  http://www.zonealarm.com   Rated one of the best - after you first install the product, sit back and watch the hackers - you will be amazed at the amount of traffic where people are attempting to get into your computer system. Check here too for other freebie firewall software:  http://www.free-firewall.org/  

Q:  Need some help getting started. I have one laptop and one desktop, one running XP-Pro and the other running NT 4. I want to share files between them. I have NIC (network interface cards) cards in both. What do I have to do to share files? 

A:  Make sure you have the systems connected with the crossover cable. I prefer a hub so that I can monitor the activity and connections, but make sure you have link lights on each system. If you don't see them, buy a hub.

1) Check your protocols, load IP
2) In the IP protocol for your Network adapters, set the IP address to 192.168.1.100 on the first, and 192.168.1.101 on the second. The subnet is 255.255.255.0 for both. No Gateway, No DNS.
3) Each machine must have a UNIQUE name.
4) Each machine must have the SAME workgroup name

XP and NT require that the other user have an account setup on the opposite system. Make sure you type the name EXACTLY as you login.  The passwords have to be EXACTLY the same.

Finally, ,make sure you have at least 1 folder shared.

Q:  I am having problems clicking on the links in your newsletter, and someone suggested that I "copy/paste" the Internet address in Internet Explorer's address field.  I'm a newbie and so don't quite understand.  Can you explain please?

A:  Absolutely!!  

1. First, you'll need to select the text you wish to copy. You do this by putting your mouse cursor at the first character you want to copy and, holding down the left mouse button, drag the cursor to the last character you need copied. As you drag, you'll notice everything gets highlighted (selected).

2. Next, right-click the selected area. Choose Copy from the menu that pops up (or you can use CTRL-C if you like keyboard shortcuts).

3. Finally, right-click the Address field of Internet Explorer (or any browser).   Click Paste from the menu that pops up (For this, CTRL-V is your keyboard shortcut).

That's it. The steps are basically the same for any copy & paste procedure you need to do.

Q:  I'm not exaggerating when I say that I get hundreds of emails a day.  Is there ANY way of grouping them so that I can better manage my Inbox?  

A:  I too use Outlook Express, and like you, I received hundreds of emails.  I have set up what are called "Message Rules".  Here's a quick guide to get you started:

1.  Click on the Tools menu, select Message Rules and Mail.

2.  Click NEW

3.  Select the condition for your rule:  I use "Where the subject line contains specific words"

4.  Select the actions for your rule:  I use "Move it to the specified folder".

5.  In the Rule Description Box, specify the name of the "Subject" you wish to filter, and specify where you want the email to be sent.

6.  Name the rule

7.  Click "OK"

Do the above steps for each type of mail that you wish to filter.

Q:  I have many programs that start when I first boot the computer, but not on purpose.  I want to eliminate them from starting - what can I do?

A:  In Windows 98 and ME, you can click:  START/RUN   then key in:  MSCONFIG ... find the STARTUP folder and uncheck those programs that you do not want starting up.

NOTE: If you are running Windows 95 or 2000, please check this page:  http://www2.whidbey.com/djdenham/Msconfig.htm    You will find a downloadable file which will allow you folks with Windows 95 or 2000 to use MSCONFIG just like the Windows 98 and ME people do.

Q:  In Windows 2000 how come my NUM LOCK turns off every time I log off or restart my system?  I upgraded the BIOS flash, but it made no difference.  How can I keep the NUMB LOCK KEY on ?

A:  You will need to modify the following registry key:

     HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Keyboard

     For "InitialKeyboardIndicators": "0" indicates numlock turns off after login, "2" indicates numlock   

     turns on after login.

Q:  I would like to know if there is software available which will tell me which ports my machine is using and what it is using those ports for, and also which ports are open. Help !!

A:  Go to this site:  http://www.ntutility.com/freeware.html   and download  "ACTIVE PORTS"    You can also do the following:  click START, RUN  key in:  command   and press ENTER.   This will open up a DOS window.  Then key in:   NETSTAT -A   which will also show you port availability.

Note:  These programs/procedures are important for a couple of reasons: 1.)  When configuring modems, the "port in use" message is pretty common - these programs make child's play out of what once was a tedious procedure.  2.)  "ACTIVE PORTS" will also check your Internet port for detection of  trojans and other malicious programs


Jump to Kewl Sites !! 

Q:  I really enjoy all the information in The Marsh, and print out what I feel is valuable to me.  Here's my problem though:  My printer prints the words AND the green background.  I have a full sheet of green ink every time.  What can I do to avoid this?

A:  In Internet Explorer, there is an option to print/not print background color.  In IE 6.0, you would click TOOLS, INTERNET OPTIONS, ADVANCED ... then scroll down the list until you come to Printing ...  uncheck the "Print background colors and images" option, then click "OK".  Other versions of IE and most major browsers such as Netscape, should have the same option.  Color ink is toooooo expensive - change your option today!

Q:  I receive a lot of e-mail, many which have links ...  I want to be able to click the links and have it open to a new Internet window, rather then overlaying the current Internet site.  I am using Outlook Express.  Is there anyway this can be done?

A:  This takes a little tweaking, but can be done.  You did not indicate the version of Windows you are running, so I am including instructions for Windows 95 thru Windows 2000. 

WORKAROUND
To configure Outlook Express to always open additional URLs in a new Internet Explorer window, you need to change the file associations for Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) under the folder settings in Windows Explorer. To do so, use the following steps for the appropriate operating system.

Microsoft Windows 2000
Double-click the My Computer icon on the desktop to start Windows Explorer.

On the Tools menu, click Folder Options .

On the File Types tab, scroll down the list until you locate the N/A section in the Extensions column.

Click the N/A URL:HyperText Transfer Protocol entry, and then click Advanced .

In the Edit File Type dialog box that appears, click the OPEN entry in the Actions box, and then click Edit .

In the Editing action for type: URL:HyperText Transfer Protocol window, click to clear the Use DDE check box, and then click OK .

Click OK , click Close , and then quit Windows Explorer.

Quit all versions of Internet Explorer.

Now when you run Outlook Express, additional links are opened in a new Internet Explorer window.

Microsoft Windows 95 or Microsoft Windows 98

Double-click the My Computer icon on the desktop to start Windows Explorer.

On the View menu, click Folder Options.

On the File Types tab, click URL:HyperText Transfer Protocol in the list, and then click Edit .

In the Edit File Type dialog box that appears, click the OPEN entry in the Actions box, and then click Edit .

In the Editing action for type: URL:HyperText Transfer Protocol window, click to clear the Use DDE check box.

In the Application used to perform action box, type %1 at the end of the string so it looks like the following example (the drive and location of Iexplore.exe may be different):

"D:\Progra~1\Intern~1\iexplore.exe" -nohome %1
Click OK , click Close , and then click Close .

Quit Windows Explorer.

Quit all versions of Internet Explorer.

Now when you run Outlook Express, additional links are opened in a new Internet Explorer window.

Jump to Kewl Sites !! 

Q:  My monitor has turned into a rainbow of colors.  Actually, half the screen is ok, but the right side looks like a rainbow of color?  Help !!

A:  This is actually an interesting phenomena that can occur if something nearby causes a distortion of the magnetic field near the monitor.  The most common source is a telephone although any sufficiently strong magnetic source can cause the disruption.  Here's more info: 

Occasionally, a color monitor develops a discoloration or color purity problem on part or all of the screen.  Typically, the discoloration follows a semicircular pattern around one side or corner with several bands of different color distortions, like a rainbow.  Sometimes the discoloration involves the entire screen, but that is rare.

This rainbow may be caused by an externally induced magnetic field that has permanently magnetized some material in the monitor.  The three CRT electron beams are guided to their appropriate phosphor dots by a magnetic deflection system.  The beams pass through a shadow mask near the phosphor surface assuring that the red beam hits the red phosphor, the blue beam hits the blue phosphor, and the green beam hits the green phosphor.  If some nearby component has become sufficiently magnetized then the beams receive an undesired deflection, and will not land on the appropriate phosphor, or will land partly on one color and partly on another.  The result is an impure color that arcs around the magnetized component - a rainbow.

I know, MORE then you EVER wanted to know about rainbows !!  tee hee  :)    OK, so the bottom line here:  you need to "degauss" the monitor.  Most new (within the last several years) monitors have an option for degaussing - look for a button on the front of the monitor.  Some have a button specifically for degaussing, and some have a MENU button.  Will most likely be one of those two scenarios.  Note:  We once had a staff member take a magnet to his monitor ... would move the letters around ... this guy had WAY too much time on his hands !!  Luckily, degaussing fixed the problem .. ok, it fixed the MONITOR problem !!   tee hee

Q:  I have Windows 98 SE and accidentally hid a file by changing the "hidden" attribute field, and now I can't find the file.  HELP !!

A:  By default,. (and for security reasons), there are settings in Windows to disallow the viewing of system files and/or critical files that help keep Windows from crashing.  OK, I know it crashes anyways ...  tee hee    That's a subject for another day ...  :)     Here is how you can view the file:  RIGHT-CLICK the START button, Click EXPLORE, Click TOOLS, FOLDER OPTIONS, VIEW ...  you probably have the "Do not show hidden files and folders" option button marked.  Click the "Show Hidden Files and Folders" option button.  Click OK ... wait for the computer to process your request, then try looking for your "hidden" file.  Once you find it, be sure to change the setting back to "Do not show hidden files ...".  Especially if you have kids on the computer ...  files can accidentally get whacked if one is not careful.

Q:  I have a list of clients that I email once a week.  Each time I email them, I have to go through my address book, select each one individually, and add them to the "TO" field.  Is there a way to place these people in a "group" so that I only need send to the "group" rather then having to individually select each person?  I am using Outlook Express.

A:  Yes Outlook Express has a feature that will allow you to do this.  In fact this is how I send emails to the many subscribers of The Marsh:   First I create an address called:  "Undisclosed Recipients"      This will be placed in the  "TO:"  field.  Let's next create the group that will hold all of  your clients:  In Outlook Express, click:  Tools, Address Book, File, New Group ... then name the Group ... then click Select Members ...  highlight a member name and click Select ...  click OK when finished ...  Click "OK" again ...  then  close the address book.  Create your email as you've always done, but this time place "Undisclosed Recipients" in the TO: field, then select  your GROUP name and place in the BCC field.  This will afford your clients the privacy they need and deserve, and it will save you time.  Be sure to add/remove clients to your GROUP list, as necessary.

Q:  I recently pulled up a site at work (such as The Marsh), that has music playing in the background.  If I pull it up at home, it plays music, but if I pull of the same site at work, there is no music.   My speakers work fine otherwise (CD's, Windows sounds, etc.)  What gives?

A:  Your system administrator has the audio blocked via a firewall and/or filtering software, for two main reasons:  The file could me masquerading as a virus or internet worm, which could infect the client computer, and the file could take up significant bandwidth, thereby slowing down the rest of the network.   I might add that many firewall/filtering software programs are configurable. For example, if an Internet site decides to have a special program at a specific day/time, the software could be modified to allow for such events.  The software can be configured to allow for ONLY a specific client, on a specific computer, on a specific day and time, for a specific period of time. This flexibility can allow teachers/educators an opportunity to have access to valuable resources on an as-needed basis, with a minimum of disruption to the rest of the networked community. 

Q:  I am running Windows XP, IE 6.0, and Outlook Express 6.0.  When I try clicking on a link in IE or 'Express, nothing happens.  I end up having to copy/paste the URL's in ... This is getting old ... HELP !!

A:  This is a VERY common question from many of you.  The most common cause is that Internet Explorer is not set as your default browser, and the browser that was default, is no longer installed.  I am going to refer you to the Microsoft Support site:  http://support.microsoft.com/search/preview.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q177054 Where you will find explicit instructions for fixing this problem.  There are several steps to go through, but if you get confused or have questions, e-mail me for support:  marshall@freelancebyu.com 

NOTE:  The above question/answer is also applicable for those of you running Windows 98 and Internet Explorer 5.5 and above.

Q:  I have AOL and am unable to read your FREELANCEBYU Newsletter.  Please help.

A:  We too are concerned about the effectiveness of AOL email, so I called AOL tech support to help address this issue.  AOL is telling me that by default, all AOL customers are able to read HTML email through AOL's email system, including their web-based mail "AOL Anywhere"  The technicians feel that the problem may be surfacing because AOL customers can ALSO use Internet Explorer as their default browser.  It is being suggested to me, that the HTML feature may be disabled in Internet Explorer.  To enable HTML, open your browser and click TOOLS, INTERNET OPTIONS.  Click SECURITY, CUSTOM LEVEL, then scroll down the list.  Depending on your version you may or may not see an HTML option.  If you do, make sure it's enabled.  If you do not see that option, click CANCEL and then click ADVANCED.  Scroll down the list until you find the HTML option and make sure it's enabled.  TIP:  If you are running an AOL version under 6.0, you should seriously consider upgrading.  The HTML options in versions 6.0 and 7.0 are much better then their predecessors.  If all else fails, please call AOL Technical Support at:  1-888-346-3704 for Windows Support or 1-888-265-8807 for Macintosh Support.  They are more then willing to assist us with this issue.

Q:  I need to upgrade my virus protection.  Could  you recommend one? 

A:  I've only worked with McAfee as I find it reliable and effective at keeping virus from entering my computers, both at home and work.  Remember:  anti-virus software will only be effective if you download the DAT files on a consistent basis.  There are MANY new viruses each and every day.  Updating weekly should allow for adequate protection of your system.  Click here to purchase McAfee.

Q:  When I'm online, and someone tries to call, the person calling gets a busy signal but it still knocks me off line. Is there a setting somewhere in properties of the dial-up connection that will fix this?

A:  Try this fix:  Go to Control Panel, Modem, General tab, Properties, Connection tab, Advanced.  In the "extra settings", enter:  S11=50  This should give the connection more stability.

Q:  My husband downloaded GoHip and now I can't uninstall it.  HELP !!

A:  GoHip makes changes to the registry so is a tad harder to uninstall.  But here is a site (GoHip's own site) with directions for uninstalling their software:  http://www.gohip.com/remove_browser_enhancement.html  You will have to download a file, run it, then reboot your system.  They have a novel idea for browsing but I believe they are a bit restrictive as to setting home page/search engine etc.

Q:  I have many programs that start when I first boot the computer, but not on purpose.  I want to eliminate them from starting - what can I do?

A:  In Windows 98 and ME, you can click:  START/RUN   then key in:  MSCONFIG ... find the STARTUP folder and uncheck those programs that you do not want starting up.

NOTE: If you are running Windows 95 or 2000, please check this page:  http://www2.whidbey.com/djdenham/Msconfig.htm    You will find a downloadable file which will allow you folks with Windows 95 or 2000 to use MSCONFIG just like the Windows 98 and ME people do.

Q:  In Windows 2000 how come my NUM LOCK turns off every time I log off or restart my system?  I upgraded the BIOS flash, but it made no difference.  How can I keep the NUMB LOCK KEY on ?

A:  You will need to modify the following registry key:

     HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Keyboard

     For "InitialKeyboardIndicators": "0" indicates numlock turns off after login, "2" indicates numlock   

     turns on after login.

Q:  I would like to know if there is software available which will tell me which ports my machine is using and what it is using those ports for, and also which ports are open. Help !!

A:  Go to this site:  http://www.ntutility.com/freeware.html   and download  "ACTIVE PORTS"    You can also do the following:  click START, RUN  key in:  command   and press ENTER.   This will open up a DOS window.  Then key in:   NETSTAT -A   which will also show you port availability.

Note:  These programs/procedures are important for a couple of reasons: 1.)  When configuring modems, the "port in use" message is pretty common - these programs make child's play out of what once was a tedious procedure.  2.)  "ACTIVE PORTS" will also check your Internet port for detection of  trojans and other malicious programs


Q:  I really enjoy all the information in The Marsh, and print out what I feel is valuable to me.  Here's my problem though:  My printer prints the words AND the green background.  I have a full sheet of green ink every time.  What can I do to avoid this?

A:  In Internet Explorer, there is an option to print/not print background color.  In IE 6.0, you would click TOOLS, INTERNET OPTIONS, ADVANCED ... then scroll down the list until you come to Printing ...  uncheck the "Print background colors and images" option, then click "OK".  Other versions of IE and most major browsers such as Netscape, should have the same option.  Color ink is toooooo expensive - change your option today!

Q:  I receive a lot of e-mail, many which have links ...  I want to be able to click the links and have it open to a new Internet window, rather then overlaying the current Internet site.  I am using Outlook Express.  Is there anyway this can be done?

A:  This takes a little tweaking, but can be done.  You did not indicate the version of Windows you are running, so I am including instructions for Windows 95 thru Windows 2000. 

WORKAROUND
To configure Outlook Express to always open additional URLs in a new Internet Explorer window, you need to change the file associations for Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) under the folder settings in Windows Explorer. To do so, use the following steps for the appropriate operating system.

Microsoft Windows 2000
Double-click the My Computer icon on the desktop to start Windows Explorer.

On the Tools menu, click Folder Options .

On the File Types tab, scroll down the list until you locate the N/A section in the Extensions column.

Click the N/A URL:HyperText Transfer Protocol entry, and then click Advanced .

In the Edit File Type dialog box that appears, click the OPEN entry in the Actions box, and then click Edit .

In the Editing action for type: URL:HyperText Transfer Protocol window, click to clear the Use DDE check box, and then click OK .

Click OK , click Close , and then quit Windows Explorer.

Quit all versions of Internet Explorer.

Now when you run Outlook Express, additional links are opened in a new Internet Explorer window.

Microsoft Windows 95 or Microsoft Windows 98

Double-click the My Computer icon on the desktop to start Windows Explorer.

On the View menu, click Folder Options.

On the File Types tab, click URL:HyperText Transfer Protocol in the list, and then click Edit .

In the Edit File Type dialog box that appears, click the OPEN entry in the Actions box, and then click Edit .

In the Editing action for type: URL:HyperText Transfer Protocol window, click to clear the Use DDE check box.

In the Application used to perform action box, type %1 at the end of the string so it looks like the following example (the drive and location of Iexplore.exe may be different):

"D:\Progra~1\Intern~1\iexplore.exe" -nohome %1
Click OK , click Close , and then click Close .

Quit Windows Explorer.

Quit all versions of Internet Explorer.

Now when you run Outlook Express, additional links are opened in a new Internet Explorer window.

Q:  My monitor has turned into a rainbow of colors.  Actually, half the screen is ok, but the right side looks like a rainbow of color?  Help !!

A:  This is actually an interesting phenomena that can occur if something nearby causes a distortion of the magnetic field near the monitor.  The most common source is a telephone although any sufficiently strong magnetic source can cause the disruption.  Here's more info: 

Occasionally, a color monitor develops a discoloration or color purity problem on part or all of the screen.  Typically, the discoloration follows a semicircular pattern around one side or corner with several bands of different color distortions, like a rainbow.  Sometimes the discoloration involves the entire screen, but that is rare.

This rainbow may be caused by an externally induced magnetic field that has permanently magnetized some material in the monitor.  The three CRT electron beams are guided to their appropriate phosphor dots by a magnetic deflection system.  The beams pass through a shadow mask near the phosphor surface assuring that the red beam hits the red phosphor, the blue beam hits the blue phosphor, and the green beam hits the green phosphor.  If some nearby component has become sufficiently magnetized then the beams receive an undesired deflection, and will not land on the appropriate phosphor, or will land partly on one color and partly on another.  The result is an impure color that arcs around the magnetized component - a rainbow.

I know, MORE then you EVER wanted to know about rainbows !!  tee hee  :)    OK, so the bottom line here:  you need to "degauss" the monitor.  Most new (within the last several years) monitors have an option for degaussing - look for a button on the front of the monitor.  Some have a button specifically for degaussing, and some have a MENU button.  Will most likely be one of those two scenarios.  Note:  We once had a staff member take a magnet to his monitor ... would move the letters around ... this guy had WAY too much time on his hands !!  Luckily, degaussing fixed the problem .. ok, it fixed the MONITOR problem !!   tee hee

Q:  I have Windows 98 SE and accidentally hid a file by changing the "hidden" attribute field, and now I can't find the file.  HELP !!

A:  By default,. (and for security reasons), there are settings in Windows to disallow the viewing of system files and/or critical files that help keep Windows from crashing.  OK, I know it crashes anyways ...  tee hee    That's a subject for another day ...  :)     Here is how you can view the file:  RIGHT-CLICK the START button, Click EXPLORE, Click TOOLS, FOLDER OPTIONS, VIEW ...  you probably have the "Do not show hidden files and folders" option button marked.  Click the "Show Hidden Files and Folders" option button.  Click OK ... wait for the computer to process your request, then try looking for your "hidden" file.  Once you find it, be sure to change the setting back to "Do not show hidden files ...".  Especially if you have kids on the computer ...  files can accidentally get whacked if one is not careful.

Q:  I have a list of clients that I email once a week.  Each time I email them, I have to go through my address book, select each one individually, and add them to the "TO" field.  Is there a way to place these people in a "group" so that I only need send to the "group" rather then having to individually select each person?  I am using Outlook Express.

A:  Yes Outlook Express has a feature that will allow you to do this.  In fact this is how I send emails to the many subscribers of The Marsh:   First I create an address called:  "Undisclosed Recipients"      This will be placed in the  "TO:"  field.  Let's next create the group that will hold all of  your clients:  In Outlook Express, click:  Tools, Address Book, File, New Group ... then name the Group ... then click Select Members ...  highlight a member name and click Select ...  click OK when finished ...  Click "OK" again ...  then  close the address book.  Create your email as you've always done, but this time place "Undisclosed Recipients" in the TO: field, then select  your GROUP name and place in the BCC field.  This will afford your clients the privacy they need and deserve, and it will save you time.  Be sure to add/remove clients to your GROUP list, as necessary.

Q:  I recently pulled up a site at work (such as The Marsh), that has music playing in the background.  If I pull it up at home, it plays music, but if I pull of the same site at work, there is no music.   My speakers work fine otherwise (CD's, Windows sounds, etc.)  What gives?

A:  Your system administrator has the audio blocked via a firewall and/or filtering software, for two main reasons:  The file could me masquerading as a virus or internet worm, which could infect the client computer, and the file could take up significant bandwidth, thereby slowing down the rest of the network.   I might add that many firewall/filtering software programs are configurable. For example, if an Internet site decides to have a special program at a specific day/time, the software could be modified to allow for such events.  The software can be configured to allow for ONLY a specific client, on a specific computer, on a specific day and time, for a specific period of time. This flexibility can allow teachers/educators an opportunity to have access to valuable resources on an as-needed basis, with a minimum of disruption to the rest of the networked community. 

Q:  I have a laptop.  One day I turned it on, and all of my icons were gone !!  How do I get them back on the desktop?  I can click "Start/Programs" and get to them that way, but I need my icons !!  I am using Windows 98.   HELP !!

A:  In a corporate environment, your system administrator has the option of removing all icons off the desktop.  In a home environment, the Active Desktop appears to have been enabled.  If you do not want Active Desktop, RIGHT-click your desktop and click on Active Desktop and uncheck View as a Web Page.  This will fix the problem, but will not allow you to view your desktop as a web page.  If you wish to view your desktop as a Web page, to get your icons back, click Start/Settings/Control Panel, and double-click on the Display icon - click the Effects tab and UNCHECK the option:  "Hide icons when the desktop is viewed as a web page".

Q:  Is there anyway to import my IE favorites to Netscape bookmarks??  (thanks Alicia)

A:  Download Bookmark Magic v2.32:  http://www.cyber-matrix.com/downloads.html This will allow you to export/import from/to IE and Netscape both !!  Very kewl !!  (thanks Melissa).

Q:  I'm running Windows 98 - my pc goes into sleep mode and sometimes it will not come back on. All I have is a blank screen with a blinking cursor in the upper left.  How do I get it back on short of rebooting?

A:  This is usually caused by:  1.)  Having placed the computer in standby mode using the keyboard, 2.)  A DOS window was open when the computer went into standby mode, or 3.) your computer uses Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) features.  In either case, Press the ALT + TAB keys to resume from standby mode.

Q:  I have a CD stuck in my cd-rom drive.  I've tried pushing the button, but the light just blinks.  I tried going to "My Computer", right-clicking the CD Drive, and ejecting, but the tray is just sitting there.  Help !!

A:  This is one of those "tricks of the trade" fixes.  On most if not all CD drives, there is a tiny little hole, usually beneath the tray.  That hole is there as a safety measure in case you loose power to your pc, or as in this case,  your CD gets stuck.  I use a paper clip ... the larger kind ...  I find the small paper clips too weak/flimsy, but the larger ones work fine.  Unbend the clip so at least an inch or so is sticking out.  Now push the part sticking out into the hole ... gently ... as you push, the tray will slowly come out.  Grab the tray and slowly pull all the way out.  Now, you have your cd but your drive may or may not be useable.  I would first try rebooting.  As strange as it may seem, I've seen that work.  Once booted, try loading a different cd ... at least you know what to do should it get stuck !!  If you can press the cd eject button, then we know there is power to the cd-drive. Keep in mind that the CD that was stuck may be warped or damaged in some way - inspect it.  If you reboot and the tray still does not open, look for flickering of the cd drive in-use indicator light.  If the light comes on, the tray is either stuck or the mechanism that opens the tray is bad.  If the light does not come on, there is no power going to the cd drive.  There are several reasons for no power - if you get this far, contact me and we'll go from here.

Q:  When my Windows 95 computer comes up, that familiar Windows logo screen is first displayed.  Is there a way to change the picture?

A:  Yes, in fact you can change the Startup, Shutdown, and It's Now Safe to Turn Off Your Computer pictures. 

How to change the Startup and shutdown screen in Windows95
WARNING: Before you attempt doing this you need to make sure that the file you are modifying is backed up on a disk or another directory on your hard drive.

Now that you have backed up you can make your own pictures were ever you want just remember that the size of the picture has to stay the same. Below is the list of the different pictures you can change and the size of those pictures.
logo.sys = "Startup" 320 x 400
logow.sys = "Please Wait while Windows95 is shutting down" 320 x 400
logos.sys = "It is now safe to shut of your computer" 320 x 400

An easy way of opening this files is to go into your paint program by clicking on start/programs/accessories/paint, then going to file and opening c:\windows\logow.sys or c:\windows\logos.sys or opening c:\logo.sys.

Note:  In a school setting, we don't want kids changing these files but occasionally it happens.  When it does happen, I'll go to an unaffected pc, and copy these three files onto a diskette.  Then recopy onto the affected pc, overriding the compromised files..  One other tip:  Once the files have been restored, do a FIND or SEARCH ... RIGHT CLICK the file and set the attribute key to HIDDEN.  This will "hide" the file ...  at least until they figure out how to "unhide" it  !!  tee hee

Q:  I recently purchased a new pc and it comes with Windows XP.  I don't like the new Windows ...  is there a way to make it look like previous versions of Windows?

A:  In their infinite wisdom, Microsoft has indeed allowed us Windows veterans to go Retro ...

 Below is a listing of common requested features that users wish to disable and how to disable them. 

1.)  How do I get my start menu back to the old format?

Click Start / Control Panel / Taskbar and Start menu / click the Start Menu tab / select Classic Start Menu / click Apply and Ok.

2.) Can I set XP to look like previous versions of Windows.

Start / Control Panel / Display and under the theme select Windows Classic.

3.) How can I move my taskbar sections so they are positioned the way I want.

Right click the Toolbar and uncheck the option to lock the taskbar.

4.) How can I remove the option for a dropdown on a button on the taskbar.

Start / Control Panel / Taskbar and Start Menu / Uncheck the option for "Group similar taskbar buttons"

Q:  When I turn on my computer, a window comes up asking me for a password.  I click "OK" and it then allows me to see the desktop.  How can I get rid of that annoying window?  I'm running Windows ME.  (thanks Marylyn !!)

A:  There are a couple of possibilities:  First, do a "Search" for *.PWL files and delete them.  The next time you restart your computer, you will be prompted for a password.  Don't put anything in the password fields - this will be interpreted as a blank password.  The next time the computer is restarted, the "Enter a password" window will not come up.   If that does not work, try this:  Go into Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs, Add/Remove Windows Components. Then look in the Communications Section ...  there's a option in there for Networking - uncheck the option, Click OK, and restart your computer.  The computer should no longer prompt you for a password.

Q:  I am in the process of cleaning up old files, programs, etc, and wish to empty the "Documents" menu. How is that done?

A:  First of all, let's take a peek inside that menu:  Click Start and highlight Documents. This will display the most recently viewed documents/files.  To clear that list:  Click Start/Settings/Taskbar.  If you have Win 95/98, click "Start Menu Programs".  If you have Win ME, click Advanced.  In the lower half of that window, you will see a Recycle Bin.  Click the Clear button to clear the contents of the Document menu.   And don't worry, the contents of the menu are removed, but the files are NOT removed.  They're still on the hard drive.

Q:  My monitor has turned into a rainbow of colors.  Actually, half the screen is ok, but the right side looks like a rainbow of color?  Help !!

A:  This is actually an interesting phenomena that can occur if something nearby caused a distortion of the magnetic field near the monitor.  The most common source is a telephone although any sufficiently strong magnetic source can cause the disruption.  Here's more info: 

Occasionally, a color monitor develops a discoloration or color purity problem on part or all of the screen.  Typically, the discoloration follows a semicircular pattern around one side or corner with several bands of different color distortions, like a rainbow.  Sometimes the discoloration involves the entire screen, but that is rare.

This rainbow may be caused by an externally induced magnetic field that has permanently magnetized some material in the monitor.  The three CRT electron beams are guided to their appropriate phosphor dots by a magnetic deflection system.  The beams pass through a shadow mask near the phosphor surface assuring that the red beam hits the red phosphor, the blue beam hits the blue phosphor, and the green beam hits the green phosphor.  If some nearby component has become sufficiently magnetized then the beams receive an undesired deflection, and will not land on the appropriate phosphor, or will land partly on one color and partly on another.  The result is an impure color that arcs around the magnetized component - a rainbow.

I know, MORE then you EVER wanted to know about rainbows !!  tee hee  :)    OK, so the bottom line here:  you need to "degauss" the monitor.  Most new (within the last several years) monitors have an option for degaussing - look for a button on the front of the monitor.  Some have a button specifically for degaussing, and some have a MENU button.  Will most likely be one of those two scenarios.  Note:  We once had a staff member take a magnet to his monitor ... would move the letters around ... this guy had WAY too much time on his hands !!  Luckily, degaussing fixed the problem .. ok, it fixed the MONITOR problem !!   tee hee

Q:  I'm a teacher and often take my students to the computer lab.  All too often, students will find information on the Internet, click print, and print entire web sites, when all they really needed was a small portion of that site. Is there a way to print only part of a web page?

A:  Yes, its quite easy to do.  When the student finds appropriate data, ask them to hold down the left mouse button, and drag the mouse over the desired text.  This is called "selecting" the data.  Then, have them click: FILE, PRINT.  The printer window will be displayed - under "Page Range", choose "Selection".  Then click Print.  This will print ONLY what the student selected (highlighted).  Can save an enormous amount of time and material.

Q:  My brand new Dell is already loosing time.  I have to constantly reset the clock ...  there HAS to be a better way !!

A:  And there is !!  If you are running Office XP, do the following:  Right-click the Time/Display on the task bar, choose Adjust Date/Time, click the Internet Time tab, and check "Automatically synchronize with an Internet time server".  Choose one of the servers on the drop-down list, click "Update Now", click "Ok".  Windows XP will try to sync with the time server once a week, or at regular intervals if you are on at varying times. 

If you are running Windows 2000:  There is a way to automate the synchronization, but it can be tricky for the novice - ready?     here goes:  Click Start/Programs/Accessories/Command prompt window.  (We need to first set the default time server for our system).  Key in:  net time /setsntp:time.nist.gov    (then press enter).  Next, we need to automate the time sync'ing process - key in:  at 23:30 /every:Su "net time /set"   (which will schedule synchronization to occur every Sunday at 11:30 pm).

If you are running Windows 95, 98 or ME, I'd suggest downloading a shareware program called YATS32:  http://www.dillobits.com/   Then click "Downloads".  The program monitors your computer's clock and per your settings, will re-synchronize the time as needed.  Very nice program ... supports  Win 95 and up.

Q:  My pc (Windows ME) found a virus, PE_CIH. It has infected the following files: msiexec.exe and (3) files in the C:_\restore\archive\fs1753.cab, fs1915.cab, fs1913.cab, respectively. These 4 files are the only ones infected. Any solutions???

A:  I would suggest going to this site which will step you through the process of creating emergency antivirus diskettes:  http://www.antivirus.com/vinfo/virusencyclo/default5.asp?VName=PE_CIH     However, you may not have any option, but to reformat your drive and build up your pc from scratch.  The PE_CIH virus CAN be very destructive, damaging the BIOS, and rendering the pc useless. Not good at all if the virus triggers (typically on the 26th of every month).

Q:  I am running Win98SE -  usually when I need to copy any files from my HDD, all I need is to right click my mouse on the file and send to floppy. My problem now is the floppy option is gone.  Any idea where it went? 

A:  Not sure where it went, but it's easy enough to fix: use Windows Explorer and navigate to the "Send To" folder at c:\windows\send to

Once your in the "Send To" folder, Right click and select New>Shortcut. The command for the shortcut would simply be:     a:\

Q:  I want to copy some old cassette tapes to my hard drive so I can burn them to a cd. What's the best way to get them on my hard drive?

A:  To move from cassette to digital, nearly any audio recording program will do. Windows has built-in sound recording.  Just take the output of the cassette deck to the line in of your soundcard. Record... Play... Stop... Stop... you're done. Save it and give it a file name. I recommend using .wav 16 bit 44.1kHz since that's the CD standard. Don't be afraid to give it a second try if it's rough around the edges. I use a 'mastering' program called Acoustica 2.21, you can search for it at http://download.cnet.com/downloads/?tag=dir  . It will help you with removing tape hiss, cropping, normalizing, etc. It's free for 30 days.

Q:  I have two computers - ME and Win 98 SE.  I have a cable modem to the ME machine, but would like to share the connection with my 98 pc.  Is there any patch or other way to make Win98 share a cable modem that is attached to a networked Win ME machine? I don't want to have to spend a huge amount of money on a new OS for the second computer. Help !!

A:  Surf on over to:  http://www.pcworld.com  and search for a program called "AnalogX Proxy".  This program will allow you to network any Win 9.x computer.  Note:  For those of you wanting to network Win 9.x computers, and are struggling with Internet Connection Sharing, you may find this program easier to implement.  ICS can be a can of worms !!  :) 

Q:  I have an SCSI Iomega Zip drive and i was wondering if it's possible to connect it to my printer port?

A:  Yeah, but keep a fire extinguisher handy !!  :)   tee hee    All kidding aside, although the connections look like those of a printer, it IS NOT, I REPEAT, IS NOT the same.  The pin connections are different and thus will not work.  I've actually heard of someone trying this and smoking out the zip drive AND the printer !!   Not cool ... 

Q:  The other day, I turned on my computer and my start-up bar moved from the bottom position to the side of the screen without any prompting on my part. I have Windows 98 Second Edition. Is there a way to move it back to its original position?

A:  You can place the taskbar on any edge of your screen. To make it move, left-click on a blank portion of the taskbar and then slowly drag it in the general direction you'd like it to move: left, right, up or down. It should suddenly snap into place against the edge of the screen in whatever direction your cursor is moving. But be careful. If you shove the taskbar too low against the edge of the monitor, it will disappear and you'll have to tease the edge back up and drag it into the proper position.

Q: When my computer goes through the boot-up process, it immediately flashes the screen where you can choose to start Windows 98 in Safe, Normal or DOS mode. Any option that is selected sends the screen black with a script that says "VKD is missing."    Help !!

A:  VKD means virtual keyboard device. First, try booting with the keyboard unplugged. If you can get into Windows at this point, you might have a bad keyboard. If that doesn't work, your problem could be far more complicated, such as a bad port on your motherboard. But it's more likely that you've got a corrupted file on your hard drive.
     If you were able to get your box started in DOS mode, you could type "scanreg /fix" at the command prompt. This scans the system registry for you and automatically repairs errors in some cases.
     But since you can't, try this: Restart the box and hold down the Control key until the Windows 98 Start-up menu shows up. Select "Command prompt only;" this will load something called Himem.sys (things work differently when you're in Safe Mode and go for the command prompt). See if that will at least let you get in.

Q:  I'm trying to make a play list with Adaptec Easy CD Creator4, but now when I click Create CD...It says "Insert Disc with enough space. I have an Iomega Zip 650 CD-RW and am inserting a 650MB blank disc.

A:  Be sure to check for the length of the play list.  If it is over 74 minutes, it would prompt the computer for a disk that held more than 650 MB's.

Freelancer Kimberly brings us this important note ...

FedForms.gov - The citizens' single stop for Federal Forms, has added a new service: a single link to the Government's Top 100 forms. The new page consolidates the most popular forms for taxes, Immigration services, Visa applications and farm and Medicare programs.

VolunteerMatch - With over 33,000 available volunteer opportunities, VolunteerMatch makes it possible for anyone to find a way to make a difference. Interested volunteers simply enter their ZIP code on the VolunteerMatch home page to receive an up-to-date listing of local volunteer activities. Volunteers may also specify an interest-such as helping children, the homeless or the environment-to refine the list of available opportunities. Signing up is as simple as "point and click." 

Sibley Guide to Birds - The Online Sibley Guide to Birds gives birders the power to identify birds with speed and ease; keep field notes and bird sighting lists in one place; enhance birding knowledge with fascinating essays and family life histories; generate regional field guides and checklists; compare up to four birds side-by-side; and view full-color range maps, multiple plumage illustrations, and species descriptions.

CollegeLuv - An interactive new dating site designed specifically for today's college student. CollegeLuv's search system allows its over 500,000 members to search and find eligible singles by school name, major emphasis of study, city, zip code, or area code.

Free Office Suite Software ...

Ok, this isn't from Microsoft, but is compatible with many of Microsoft's suite of programs
Click:  http://www.openoffice.org/   This program can be run on many different platforms including Windows and Macintosh

This Day in History ...

Select the month and year of your birth, and up pops all kind of info ...   birthdays/deaths/world events, etc  http://www.scopesys.com/anyday/  

Follow the Rules ...

A fascinating look at rules for everything ... sports, card games, board games ... even TV game shows.  http://www.everyrule.com/   

COLLEGE BOUND ...

Do you have a son or daughter who will soon graduate from high school?
Help them find a college that best fits their needs and ambitions ...
http://www.collegesurfing.com/   
Find information on over 4,000 two-year and four-year colleges and universities !!

Give Thanks, America !!

Send video email to the troops !!
http://www.givethanksamerica.com/  
This site provides an opportunity for military families and the general public to record digital video messages and send them via e-mail to American heroes in every uniform: military, police, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians.

Pay at the Pump ...

Paying at the pump ... takes on a whole new meaning.
Check prices here:  http://www.gaspricewatch.com/
Key in your zip code for the latest  info !!

Remembering Those Simpler Times ...

Did you know that the first drive-in movie theater was opened in Camden, New Jersey in 1933?  Drive-Ins.com has a plethora of information on the evolution of the American drive-in movie theater.  You can search for drive-ins across the country by zip code, keywords, status (open or closed), and by geographical locale. Each entry contains detailed material about each drive-in, such as its automobile capacity, current status, address, and in many cases multiple photographs. Be sure to visit the Drive-In Museum, which offers a short online exhibit on the life of Richard Hollingshead, the founder of the drive-in, along with a timeline of notable events in drive-in history. 

Take Control of Your Downloads ...

Fresh Download has released their latest version of this very popular software.  Some of the primary features of the program include the ability to pause and resume broken downloads; the ability to use four simultaneous connections; and integration into Web browsers, such as Internet Explorer and Netscape Communicator. Additionally, users can schedule their downloads for low periods of Internet traffic.  Fresh Download 5.3 is compatible with all operating systems running Windows 95 and above.

Does THIS Look Familiar? ...

STOP MESSENGER SPAM NOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Take BACK control of your computer ...  Click HERE to download this FREE software today !!
Per the site:  Annoying messages similar to the one seen above, are infiltrating computers across the world. There are easy ways to combat and stop messenger spam and without spending any money.
This is FREE folks ...  well worth the trouble ... I don't know about you, but I've gotten far too many of these "spams" ... is bound to get worse !!

Teach YOUR Young Freelancer How to Save a Buck ... or Two ... or Three ... or ...  

U.S. Bancorp announces a national campaign to educate children about the importance of saving and investing. The site engages children through interactive games, printable materials, cartoons and an online book, while teaching them about money and saving.

A site SOOOOOO HOT, it's COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL  !!!!

Get Some Way Cool Cash for your Old Cell Phone ...

Click:  Cell For Cash   These folks will buy back your old
cell phone and pay you a small fee !!  This includes free shipping - they send you a
container to mail the phones in.  I did this awhile back ... they are very fair, quick,
and courteous.  Don't throw your old cell phones away ... save them and check
against their master list.  Remember:  They do not take all cell phones ...  
be sure to check their list for more info ..and for price info.

Super Ads ...

This site says 2002 Super Bowl Commercials, but the link to that site says they are
2003 Commercials ... Take a looksy tho .. always entertaining !!  :)
http://www.ifilm.com/superbowl  

The Eye's Have it ...

Take a quick test, and see if you're living a healthy lifestyle, and eating 
nutritious foods:  http://www.transceiver.com/eye/      Being pro-active NOW,
can help you live a more active life LATER.

Turbo Trouble ...

As if doing taxes wasn't enough of a headache, along comes the new Turbo Tax ...  with an anti-piracy enhancement.  Be aware of this - "the tax man a'come'ith  !!" http://www.usatoday.com/tech/techreviews/products/software/2003-01-08-turbotax-feature_x.htm
 

PRINT OUT THOSE REBATES, NOW ...

Do NOT Phone Home ....

Do telemarketers raise your blood pressure?  Would you rather deal with an out-of-control teenager then speak to a telemarketer?  If this sounds like you, register NOW for the National "Do Not Call" Registry !!
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/dncalrt.htm      It's about time !!   :)

Behind the Scenes at Virus Central ...

A unique look at the complexity of virus protection ...   an eye opener, for sure !!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28625-2003Jan8.html  

The Old Farmers Almanac ...

As the year comes to an end, new and exciting things await us in 2003 !!
Check out what the Farmers Almanac has to say:  http://www.almanac.com/index.php 

Everything Mac ...

Yes, for all of you Macintosh users ...  tons of info !!
http://www.everythingmac.com/

Surf ... Offline !!!!

Has anyone ever emailed you a file, that you were not able to open? 
Here's a site that will help clarify all those file extensions, what they mean, and what programs open them:  http://whatis.techtarget.com/fileFormatA/0,289933,sid9,00.html

This recently discovered security flaw in Windows, could potentially allow hackers to steal info off of your computer.  Be sure to download/install the patch, which can be found at:  http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/security/bulletin/ms02-050.asp

Microsoft Corp. will release the first service pack for its Windows XP operating system on Sept. 9, adding new security measures and features to comply with proposed federal orders making it possible to remove certain programs.

Microsoft said Windows XP Service Pack 1, which adds features and patches problems with the software, would be available either through download from the company's Web site or via a CD.

The company said the pack contains all the security updates, and folks, there have been 30,  count'em, THIRTY security bulletins for its software since the launch of that program.

This New Search Engine is giving GOOGLE a run for it's money ...

I watch the Super Bowl for the COMMERCIALS !! 

Ok, I'll admit it:  I like football as much as the next guy, but I REALLY like watching commercials during the super bowl.  The game may not always be exciting, but the commercials are  usually full of the unexpected.  Click here to see what I mean:  http://www.ads.com/ads/index.jsp       This site has some of the more memorable TV commercials.   Why watch TV when you can just watch the commercials !!  tee hee

Timex ... It takes a licking and keeps on ticking ...

Those folks at Timex keep coming up with new, clever ideas.  Take for example their Internet Messenger Watch ...  for just $99 you get a pager, email, toll-free phone number with voice mail, two time zones, date, stop watch, oh and a watch too!!   tee hee   And get this:  when I placed the battery in the watch, the time was incorrect.  But only for a few minutes ... the correct time suddenly displayed ... just like magic !!   :)   Awesome gift for that Dad or Grad in your life !! 

Having Problems with Your 'Puter?  You are NOT alone ...

Check out the following:  http://www.computergripes.com/      A plethora of gripes, attacks, nasty grams, etc.  Your 'puter may even look GOOD after reading this puppy !!   TEE HEE    :) 

Here's a FREE Virus Checker with a KICK !! 

Download your copy of Star Office ...  BEFORE the price goes up ...

Are you using Microsoft Office products at work?  Wish you had the same at home but can't afford the high cost?  Is the boss too cheap to buy you a license?  tee hee  Hey, why not down load Sun System's "Star Office"   For a VERY limited time, the software is FREE for the taking - Click HERE for details.  It's compatible with Microsoft Office products, allowing you to migrate your data to and from work.  Be aware that this download is extremely large:  76.66 megs for the Windows version. 

Do you listen to live Radio on the Internet?

My favorite Internet Radio listings site is: Radio Tower   KNIK out of Anchorage is the one I listen to the most ...  send me an email .. tell me what you listen to.  I'll post in a future edition of The Marsh.

Tired of having all those useless icon in your system tray?

Clean up your system tray !!  Click here for the 411 ... 

 

Virus Info

Is your antivirus software up to date?  The latest virus (as of press time) is:  W32/Klez.h@MM   You will find removal instructions here.  I can  not stress enough, the importance of keeping your computer protected.  There are over 60,000 known viruses and many more are discovered every week.  Update or purchase McAfee antivirus software here.

Free Online Virus Checkers:

http://www.grisoft.com/html/us_index.htm 

http://housecall.antivirus.com 

Gadgets -  Ahead of the Curve ...

Have you seen the new wireless monitor ?  ViewSonic's Air Panel 100  -  The product will be available in May and sell for a hefty $1195.  At least that should help push flat panel prices even further.  Those 15/17 inch panel monitors are ALMOST within reach !!  tee hee

Do you travel with a laptop and a cell phone?  APC has come out with a phone charger that plugs into the USB port on your laptop.  No more lugging around a phone charger.  And at less then $20, the price is very competitive.

Maintaining your Computer, 101 ...

To keep your computer performing at top efficiency follow these tips:

1.)  Use a surge protector. Turn off computer during a storm, surge protectors will not protect your computer against a lighting strike, only AC voltage variations which can also damage your computer.

3.)  Back up your computer data files on a regular basis.  This can be done to a tape or CD burner.  Keep the media in a safe place.

4.)  Keep your Windows system files updated per Microsoft.  Use the Windows Update feature, or use a service like Updates.Com

5.)  Clean your TEMP and CHK files weekly.

6.)  Keep dust and dirt out of your computer area. This includes smoking, which can cause damage to the computer and CD's.

7.)  Keep your CD's in their protective cases/sleeve when not in use, to keep them from getting scratched. 

8.)  Run scandisk and defrag weekly.  This will help keep the disk(s) in top form.

9.)  If you must move your computer, be sure to power off the system first.  Major damage can result if moved while the power is on - the hard drives could crash, making them unusable. 

10.)  Be sure to clean your mouse on a regular basis, or better yet, purchase an optical mouse which has no moving parts.  Get your  optical mouse almost FREE HERE.

Funnies ...

Subject: JESUS IS WATCHING YOU!

The burglar was creeping noiselessly through the darkened home, filling his bag with various valuables. As he reached his hand out to a box of jewelry, he heard a voice say, "Jesus is watching you."
Shaken, the burglar stopped.  For a full minute he didn't dare breathe.

Finally, he switched on his flashlight and carefully played it around the room, but saw nothing. Convinced that it must have been his imagination, he turned off  the flashlight & continued in his quest for 
another man's wealth.  He was busily unhooking a stereo set when he again heard,  "Jesus is watching you."
This time he nearly jumped out of his skin, he was so freaked out.

Beads of sweat popped out on his face,  and as he switched the light on again, the beam shook violently from his terror. he looked around the room, and noticed a birdcage in the corner. Upon closer inspection,  he
discovered a parrot in the cage.

"Are you the one that spoke to me just now?" asked the burglar.
"Yes, I am," said the parrot.
"Why did you say 'Jesus is watching you?'" asked  the man.
"Because I felt like you needed to be warned," replied the parrot.

By this time, the man was over his fright and was more than a little irritated at this smart-mouthed parrot that had tried to scare the living daylights out of him.

"What's your name?" asked the burglar.
"Moses," the parrot said. "Hah," the man said, guffawing. "What kind of people would name their
parrot Moses?"

"Oh, just the same kind of people that would name their Rottweiler, Jesus."

Thanks Jodie !!  :)

Try these ...  http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/7134/Love/kidscards.htm

http://akidsheart.com/holidays/valntine/valprint.htm

http://www.homeandoffice.hp.com/hho/us/eng/creative_projects.html
(my favorite - you'll need Acrobat Reader - you'll find the link on this same page)

Lots of  styles to choose from ... and like most printable cards, these are pretty much what I like to call "blank canvas" cards.  Limited ONLY by your imagination !!  :)

And While We're on the Subject ...

Free Greeting Cards from HP:  http://www.hp-at-home.com/offers/hhoCenter/valentine.htm

Receive: FREE HP greeting card paper (20, half fold, textured sheets and 20 envelopes). Allow 6–8 weeks for processing. If terms and conditions are not met, paper pack will not be sent. HP is not responsible for any lost, late, misdirected, returned or undelivered submissions.

submit: this online coupon between February 5, 2002, 12:00 am, CST and March 7, 2002, 11:59 p.m., CST. No other method of entry is acceptable. Only one request per email address.

Let the Games Begin ...

The official site for the 2002 Salt Lake Olympic Games:  http://www.saltlake2002.com/x/f/frame.htm?u=/news/slocmain_front.asp   THE source for Olympic coverage.

Checking for Email at Work?   ;) 

Many of us have multiple email accounts .. YAHOO, HOTMAIL, EXCITE MAIL ... the list goes on and on.  Some have what's called "web-based mail" while some are "POP3"  compatible (meaning that you can get in to your account with the appropriate parameters i.e.  server name, login name, login password) and retrieve your email.  But here's a site that may help minimize the effort:   http://www.mail2web.com/   I don't think they support AOL mail (sorry folks ...) but I do know they support YAHOO, Pac Bell DSL, and many others. Sure is convenient ... give'er a try !!

Volunteer for Your Country ...      

President Bush is calling on all Americans to volunteer for two years of service to our country ...  For more information, click here:  http://www.usafreedomcorps.gov/index.html  

And for you Windows 2000 People ...

Be sure to update your system with Service Pack 2:  http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/downloads/servicepacks/sp2/default.asp

And to ensure that you are running the absolute latest security patches, click here:  http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/downloads/critical/q311401/default.asp

On the Road Again ... 

Do you ever travel by car to some distant point?  As you travel, you scramble to find a radio station that appeals to you ... as you listen, the station gets "grainier and grainer" ...  before long it's faded out ... to be replaced by that annoying static "snow" ...  Then you search again ...  there HAS to be a better way ... and there is !!  :)     Check out:  http://radioroadtrip.com/ Just select a major interstate freeway, select "To" and "From" cities, and up pops all available stations along your route.  Pretty kewl, eh?  :)

Online Monitor Test ...

Is your monitor skewed in someway?  Does it seem out of focus?  Are you SURE it's your monitor?  :)  Try this online monitor test:  http://www.monitorsdirect.com/toolkit/  Test for:  Focus, Convergence, Color Purity, Screen Resolution, and more.

Varoooooooooooooooooommmmmmmmm  ..... 

Are YOU hooked up to a Cable-Modem provider?  Have you ever wondered if you're REALLY getting your moneys's worth?  Here's a site that will test that cable-modem connection:  http://www.cable-modem.net/features/oct99/speed.html  Mine was within the suggested speed - your mileage may vary.

Tired of Getting all that JUNK MAIL?

Are you finding it hard to be  removed from junk mailing lists?  Wish you could do something about it?  No guarantees folks, but here's a program I ran across that is worth trying:  Check out MailWasher:  http://www.mailwasher.net/   You can check and manage your email BEFORE you download them.  Blocks files suc has: infected files, large attachments, spam, etc.  And what is the cost you ask?  Donations are suggested but it is otherwise FREE.   I don't know about YOU, but I get tons of junk mail each and every day.  I'd pay if I can find a program that will give me peace of mind that my email is virus free and relatively spam free.  This program is worth checking out !!

Daylight Savings Time ...

Ever wonder why Daylight Savings Time was adopted?  No? Well neither did I !!  :)    Check this out:  http://webexhibits.org/daylightsaving/  a fascinating look into the history of DST, how it came about, where around the world DST is used and when.  I personally like DSL because it seems to make the days longer.  You know what I mean?  I guess I'm a warm weather sunshine kind of guy !!

For You West Coast Grocery Bargain Hunters ...

Look no further then the Grocery Outlet Center:  http://www.groceryoutlets.com/    You'll find online coupons to selected locations, recipes, store locations, games, and much, much more.  Be sure to visit the "Games" section where you could win a $10 gift certificate or try their trivia game where you can win a $1.00 off on your next purchase !!

(by the way, if you know of any similar stores anywhere, please drop me a line so we can let everyone know !!)

Because it's the RIGHT thing to do ...

You may have recently heard this story, but it's worth repeating:  two Florida businessmen went to Hi Chi Minh city, and found lost American dog tags for sale in a back-alley market.   They were so moved they bought all that were for sale, brought them to the USA, and decided to re-unite the 'tags with surviving relatives.  This site is dedicated to bringing together families that may have lost loved ones in the Vietnam conflict:  http://www.founddogtags.com/ 

WOOF, WOOF WOOF ...

This dog is like WAY CUTE !!  :   http://www.mrwinkle.com/      Take the "flash" option, and don't forget to turn on your speakers !!  :)

Weather or not ...  that IS the question ...

Ok, I'll admit it ...  I'm a newshound ...  I know CNN, MSNBC, FOX sites like the back of my hand ...  and I majored in Meteorology when in college, many, MANY years ago.  So I stay on top of the weather constantly (I've gotta admit though, it's pretty boring out West)  tee hee   Anyhow, The Weather Channel (yeah, you know the one ...) has software available that will display the current temp of your hometown (in the system tray - by the clock).  Here's the link:  http://www.weather.com/services/desktop.html?from=featuresoftheweek   Once you install it, double-click the temperature box, which will bring up info like barometer and wind speed.  Very kewl !!  

Recycle Those Greeting Cards ...

Gobble, gobble, gobble !!

Check out the FREE printable Thanksgiving turkey @:  http://papertoys.com/turkey.htm   Your choice of:  black/white, color, or hi-res.  Very kewl !! 

Say it with Pictures ...

Students ....  wanna jazz up those term papers?  wanna include pics of maps in your history presentation?  Check out:  http://classroomclipart.com/    Literally thousands of pictures to choose from. 

Animated Flag for your Desktop ...

One of the cooler patriotic themes, the Desktop Flag waves gently in the lower right of your desktop:  http://www.deskflag.com/    You can adjust the animation speed, and if you are using Win 2000 or XP, you can set the translucency ... effectively letting you see "through" the flag. 

Special Note !!

IE 6.0 Beta/Outlook Express 6.0 Beta

Ok, so you got a little curious ... wanted to see what was on the other side of the mountain ... so you go out and install Internet Explorer 6.0 ...  well, its not a pretty site !!  tee hee    Outlook Express is particularly painful.   If you're like me, you get a TON of mail.  To keep my sanity, I use message rules ...  HOWEVER, due to a bug in the new software, the Subject field is missing on perhaps 99 % of my incoming mail.  It's like flying blind ...    the message rules don't work, and all my mail is piling up in the Inbox ...  Just my luck, Ed McMann will pick THIS week to send me the  cool 10 million big-ones !!  LOL   

At any rate, I ended up reloading IE 5.5/Outlook Express 5.5.   Here is how I did it:

1.  Back up as you will be modifying system files.
2.  Run ie6setup and select Restore Previous Windows Configuration to
Uninstall
3.  Reboot and press F8 to get the boot menu and select Safe Mode.
4.  Find the file SFCLOG.TXT and if it exists, make a backup copy.
5.  Go to Start->Programs->Accessories->System Tools->System Information
6.  Click Tools->System File Checker
7. Click Settings
8. Click Overwrite Existing Log and Click Check For Changed Files
9. Click OK and then Click Start.
10.  A Screen will pop up asking you if you want to Update the file, restore
the file, or ignore the file, etc.  Check Ignore and press OK.  The easiest
way to do this is hit the letter I and press enter.
11.  Repeat until completed.
12.  Exit and reboot into normal mode.
13.  Using your favorite editor, open the file C:\WINDOWS\SFCLOG.TXT
14.  Search for the string 6.00.2462.0 and note the file names and if they
were added or ignored.
15.  Using the Windows Find Utility, find all files that were added and
delete them.
16.  For all of the files that were ignored, restart the system file checker
and select extract one file from installation disk and type in the name of
the file.  You should be able to accept the defaults and hit OK.
17.  Reboot the system
18. Run the ie5setup program and reinstall Internet Explorer 5.0 or 5.5
19. Reboot and everything should work. 

Thanks Paul !!

Fax Your Doctor !!

The Little Blue Book announced the launch of http://www.MDhub.com, a single web address for patients to communicate non-urgent requests to their physician. Now, every medical practice has a personalized web-based MDhub MessageCenter up and running and ready for their patients to use. With MDhub, anyone can send his or her doctor a message using the Internet. For those doctors who do not have Internet access, the patient's message is automatically sent to the doctor's fax machine.  

The Best of the Best !!

152 web site designs have earned "Creative Excellence Awards" for their designers in The 2000 International Web Page Awards. Each one of the award-winning sites/pages is eligible for the "Best of Festival" and "Best of Category" awards to be announced on April 26, 2001, at a black tie dinner in the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose. http://www.WebPageAwards.com

Home Sweet Home !!

Ever wish you could access your computer from the office?  Well,  now you can ... check out:  https://www.gotomypc.com Whatever your needs, GoToMyPC is the fast, easy and secure way to view and control your desktop from any Internet-connected computer.

Simply log in to the GoToMyPC secure Web site, select the computer you want to access and control your desktop as if you were sitting in front of it.  This works quite well ... and could be used for remote tech support issues !!   :)