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               Search the Page - on top menu  bar, Click Edit, Find and type the word !     click  New for most recent tip.                                                                                                                                       

 Tips   Click on the titles below. 
Bugs   Find   How-To  Humor   Hardware  Information  Metric  Security  Software   Year2000  click  New for most recent tip.  Bottom of Page Top  
 Please note changes to PCWorld Find:Instead of older procedure in some items below use for e.g. Go to www.pcworld.com (takes a few seconds) On top menu bar DblClick USE Find.PCWORLD.COM and then type for e.g. 33173 to download your copy.

Bugs
  Bad System Files - if your computer tells you a certain DLL file or another system file has been corrupted, you can extract these files from your Windows CD or IE setup CAB files. For more detailed information, see Microsofts' Web Page "How to Extract Original Compressed Windows Files"  at http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q129/6/05.asp  

PC World magazine, Jan./99, has listed some useful URL's for bugs : http://www.spanbauer.com/bugs.htm
A page with links to all of PC World's recent Bugs and Fixes.
http://www.bugnet.com
A clearinghouse of bug-related news and information.
http://support.microsoft.com The place to start digging for known issues and bug fixes regarding Microsoft's programs. Requires registration. To get the latest Internet Explorer updates, choose Help-Product Updates from the IE menu bar; Office updates are at office- update.microsoft.com; for Windows service packs and patches, see www.microsoft.com/windows/downloads, or pick Start-Windows Update in Windows 98.
http://help.netscape.com From here you can check for the latest patches in Netscape's File Library or read about other problems in the Knowledge Base. To update your copy of Communicator, select Help-Software Updates from your browser.  http://www.corel.com/support/ftpsite/ftpindex.htm Corel software patches come with descriptions of problems that they will fix.
http://www.intuit.com/support/updates/index.html Good for finding out how TurboTax might miscalculate your taxes, but Intuit generally directs you to the program's own update feature.
http://www.symantec.com/techsupp/index.html Choose the File Downloads option to find patches for Symantec software, or go to the Knowledge Base to find out what problems users have experienced.
http://www.support.lotus.com Start looking here.          Bottom of Page Top

Windows 98 Bug- in the operating system that affects the program's clock rollover January 1, 2000. Microsoft said it would post a fix on its Windows 98 Web site.(Courtesy of Matt Hines, Special to Computing Canada.) Also Microsoft has a fix for Access 2.0, 7.0, and 97. When you make a change in a form record, you find that the changed data is saved to the wrong record. See Article ID:Q191883 at Microsoft's knowledge base support.http://support.microsoft.com/support/c.asp.

FFor Windows Bugs try - http://www.winfiles.com/bugs

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Find      

    OpenOfficeOrg a competitor of Microsoft Office, get the latest version free at:  download.openoffice.org  (copy and paste into your Explorer Address bar and Click Go).

  Forgot your admin. password - go to Login Recovery site at: find.pcworld.com/54274  This will take time but for $20.00 fee you can get it back in 10 minutes.

http://earth.google.com/   See the world.

Pretty good privacy ( find.pcworld.com/19742 ) personal encryption for privacy.

Help optimize your PC's performance: www.pcpitstop.com 

Map Quest - maps and driving directions:  www.mapquest.com

more websites that can help you  www.citysearch.com (what's happening in most of your cities); DSL reports on broadband information & news www.dsireports.com  Courtesy PCWorld

http://www.slaughterhouse.com is full of the latest in software and shareware.

What's happening on the web with calendar to use?   http://www.webtimes.com

How to get the most out of your search engines, go to http://www.searchenginewatch.com

 
  Two good sites to contact former school chums and classmates http://www.gradfinder.com   and http://www.Alumni.net  Courtesy NetLife Magazine.com

  Direct Hit   http://directhit.com is a search engine that ranks sites that match your search to give more useful and accurate results on first try. Courtesy NetLifeMagazine.com

Lots of Windows Tips at http://www.fileworld.com/magazine

To seek and find others online  - for free to download, go to http://www.icq.com  (Courtesy of   PC World magazine, June 1999).

Try http://www.worldpages.com    for millions of white and yellow pages of addresses, e-mail addresses, URLs, links and a mapping feature which you see a map for the location after entering an address. Courtesy of Windows magazine http://www.winmag.com

New site which rates "on-line shopping sites" using past customer ratings. http://www.bizrate.com

Find people, business, reverse lookup(put in phone number), toll free and websites at http://www.anywho.com

new2 A Great Search Engine this is a "stand alone" search engine that simultaneously uses all of the main search engines. Go to: at http://www.copernic.com/download/  and this is for free! Download from this site Copernic 2000.

Best Search Tool for your hard disk is Free - AltaVista Personal 97 Utility -source WINDOWS Magazine, Aug. 1998, P. 255 (www.winmag.com) see: http://www.altavista.com    .yellowpages.com      .au/av/content/searchpx.htm

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How To  

   Use the Windows tools not shown by using the command line as follows: 
1. In  Start, Run type cmd.exe (Windows 2000 and  XP) and command.com (98 and me) which opens the command window.
2. One of these tools recovers files lost to a corrupt sector on an NFTS disk and recovers as much of the data as possible. 
3. The tool is recover.exe  - type  recover  in the command window followed by a space and the full path and name of the file you want to recover.
4. No wild-card characters can be used and only one file can be recovered at a time.
Courtesy PCWorld - go to find.pcworld.com/31607 for more.

   Delete file or folder and Windows says can't do! Try downloading ForceDel and WhoLockMe (Windows 2000 and XP) at find.pcworld.com/47728  Go to www.pcworld.com (takes a few seconds) On top menu bar DblClick USE Find.PCWORLD.COM and then type for e.g. 47728 to download your copy.

   If your PC has slowed down since installing Windows XP Service Pack 2 try a driver update: Go to www.pcworld.com  On top menu bar DblClick USE Find.PCWORLD.COM and then type 45308.

How to speed up boot times - see if this helps: http://techrepublic.com.com/i/tr/downloads/netadmin/book_chapter/xp_speed_up_boot_times.pdf 

Password Safe program - It generates random passwords no one can guess and it's encrypted. Go to www.pcworld.com (takes a few seconds) On top menu bar DblClick USE Find.PCWORLD.COM and then type 45176.

Destroy duplicate files i.e. useless copies of the same file.  find.pcworld.com/45014  Go to www.pcworld.com (takes a few seconds) On top menu bar DblClick USE Find.PCWORLD.COM and then type the number.

   Perk up PC performance - first check if your Intel chipset is eligible go to find.pcworld.com/43732 www.pcworld.com   If it is eligible go find.pcworld.com/43730 www.pcworld.com

Tune up earlier versions than Windows XP, go to find.pcworld.com/40907   www.pcworld.com 

        Clean out unneeded files in Windows XP - go Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk Cleanup and Select the drive you want to clean. XP will analyze your files and show a list of which ones to remove. Check the boxes next to the categories you want to discard.

     Conduct searches from your desktop without your browser - Google's Deskbar utility allows you to conduct searches from your desktop and use keyboard shortcuts. The free program can be found at www.pcworld.com (takes a few seconds) On top menu bar DblClick USE Find.PCWORLD.COM and then type 39095  . 

Recover lost files not in Recycle Bin: Go to www.pcworld.com (takes a few seconds) On top menu bar DblClick USE Find.PCWORLD.COM and then type 37805 to download demo DTI Data. Note you have to register.

The Ultimate Backup Guide - Go to www.pcworld.com (takes a few seconds) On top menu bar DblClick USE Find.PCWORLD.COM and then type 30719 .

Downloads - at Go to www.pcworld.com (takes a few seconds) On top menu bar DblClick USE Find.PCWORLD.COM and then type 36923 .

Your hard drive may have a lot of patches that you do not know if they are still required. To determine a specific patch's purpose go to www.support.microsoft.com then enter the letter q followed by the six-digit number in the Search the knowledge base box. 

Stay up-to-date: The Windows update feature automates downloads of the latest security patches and other fixes for your OS from the Internet. You can review the downloads before each one is installed e.g. don't download Internet Explorer 6 if you have version 5. Automatic checking is built in to Windows 2000 (Service Pack 3), Windows Me, and XP. For other Windows versions, go to download and install Microsoft Windows Critical Update Notification.  

If Google watch scares you (it keeps track of every search you perform, identifies you with an unique ID, and has links to the US Dept. of Defence) then give the site's anonymous search proxy a try at Go to www.pcworld.com (takes a few seconds) On top menu bar DblClick, USE Find.PCWORLD.COM button and then type for 34979 .

When all else fails contact www.ontrack.com  to restore your PC's data. 

In your Word documents use these tips to add foreign punctuation:  for acute accent, Press <Ctrl>-' (apostrophe) at the desired letter; for grave accent or left leaning accent, Press <Ctrl>-` (the left single-quotation mark on the key located above the <Tab>key); for letters with a circumflex accent, <Ctrl>-<Shift->-^ (the ^ is above the number 6 key); Courtesy PCWORLD magazine.

Destroy data on your hard drive - the only sure way is to overwrite the data! Access Data's $40 WipeSrive creates a floppy boot disk that you use to overwrite your hard drive and operating system.  Go to www.pcworld.com (takes a few seconds) On top menu bar DblClick USE Find.PCWORLD.COM and then type 34562 .

Clean up your hard drive and get more space and speed -  Go to www.pcworld.com (takes a few seconds) On top menu bar DblClick USE Find.PCWORLD.COM and then type 34187 .

Travelling with a laptop then you won't need to pack your cell phone charger. You can use a simple USB adaptor to charge your phone like APC's USB mobile phone chargers at www.apc.com or www.smc.com  (SMC's EZ Connect USB Phone chargers). Cost $10 to $30 and they are easier to coil and carry than a regular phone charger.

For speed save your camera images as JPEG files. Everyday shots use medium resolution 1024 x 768 is sufficient for great-looking 5 by 7 prints. Courtesy PCWorld magazine.

 Save time use <Ctrl>-D to create a book mark in Internet Explorer. 

Prevent your computer from slowing down by using JV16 Power Tools to cleanup your Temp Folder and find invalid and obsolete Registry entries.   Go to www.pcworld.com (takes a few seconds) On top menu bar DblClick USE Find.PCWORLD.COM and then type 32684 .

On the internet if you get "404 Not Found' error message or 'the Page cannot be found' then try Press <Backspace> key, until the URL you want is displayed in the browser's address window, then Press <Enter>.

Find  out how to speed up your PC boots by downloading BootVis which show why your booting system takes so long,  Go to www.pcworld.com (takes a few seconds) On top menu bar DblClick USE Find.PCWORLD.COM and then type 32681 to download your copy. Then create a Folder named ptools and install the utility in to it. Launch the programand choose Trace.Next Boot + Driver Delays. When the dialog appears, choose four repitions. It takes quite awhile (looks like screen is frozen) but don't interupt it! Once it is done, select Trace.Optimize.  Courtesy of PCWorld magazine. 

Before installing new software use RegShot to take a snapshot of your system so you can see how the installer altered it.  RegShot freeware views the changes to your registry.  Go to Go to www.pcworld.com (takes a few seconds) On top menu bar DblClick USE Find.PCWORLD.COM and then type 33461 to download your copy

How to handle passwords - Roman Lab Software's Any Password www.romanlab.com a free easy to use download. Encrypts and stores all of your passwords and user names in a simple tree format. Courtesy PCWorld Magazine.

Keep anyone who snoops out of your PC when you are not there. DeviceLock from SmartLine is a handy software program that does this: Download your free copy at  www.pcworld.com On top menu bar DblClick USE Find.PCWORLD.COM and then type 32216 to download your copy

Too many files in your PC's Temp folder can slow your system down! Window's disk cleanup utility will remove those more than a week old. But to empty the folder completely and find invalid/obsolete registry entries use JV16 Power Tools as recommended by PCWorld Magazine - free utility! Go to www.pcworld.com On top menu bar DblClick USE Find.PCWORLD.COM and then type 32684 to download your copy. 

Start your PC automatically if it freezes. WatchDog monitors your OS and reboots the PC if it stops responding, ensuring that any critical PCs you have will remain up and running while they are unattended. Download a copy:  Go to www.pcworld.com On top menu bar DblClick USE Find.PCWORLD.COM and then type 33494 to download your copy. Limited time free! Courtesy PCWorld magazine. 

Can't find one of your Bookmarks/Favorites  - view them either as text strings or as thumbnail screenshots see www.6bytes.com/visualmarks.html   free. Courtesy PCWORLD magazine.

Track your package deliveries, Packtrack offers a single site for tracking your packages from 56 carriers such as Airborne, FedEx, US Postal Services. Purolator etc.   www.packtrack.com 

Download and install Google Toolbar and you can run searches without going to the Google site first - it even translates foreign languages!  go to toolbar.google.com  

Decipher computer terminology go to www.webopedia.com/quick_ref  Courtesty PCWORLD magazine.

Filter spam e-mail: MailWasher says it works with any POP 3 e-mail client  to filter spam, free download; Go to www.pcworld.com scroll down left side to Find-It Number and type 31559 to download your copy. Courtesy PCWorld magazine. 

Improve Your View on your PC - short of purchasing a new graphics card, the best way to improve your computer's graphics and multimedia performance is to get the latest DirectX drivers. Go to pcworld.com/30222, go www.pcworld.com  scroll down left side to Find-It Number and type 30222 to download your copy. Courtesy PCWorld magazine. 

Automatically clean-out Temporary Internet Files to improve performance and security. In any version of Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 (if you have another version or have Netscape Navigator and want instructions Click on Contact Us ): 
1. From browser menu select Tools
2. From View drop down menu select  Internet Options
3. From Internet Options window select Advanced
4. From Advanced scroll-down window, look for the Security section title. From this section, select o Empty Temporary Internet Files folder when browser is closed . Then Click OK at bottom of window.

Track hidden changes to your PC system from downloads etc. - get Tianwei's RegShot utility to get a report on any changes to your computer. Click 1st shot to get a before snapshot of your registry and after installing a new application etc. Click 2nd shot. Click compare to see differences. Go to  find.pcworld.com/23421  www.pcworld.com  scroll down left side to Find-It Number and type 23421 to download your copy. Courtesy PCWorld magazine. 

Just deleted a file, can you get it back?  It's probably in the Recycle Bin. Double Click the Recycle Bin on your desktop. Find the file.  Then right-click it and Select Restore. Left-click on it.  

Icon-editing shareware at find.pcworld.com/23241  www.pcworld.com  scroll down left side to Find-It Number and type 23241 

Jump the Print queue: If you have sent several documents to your print queue but the one sent last is the one you want to print first, do this: Double Click on the Printer icon in your system tray and drag the last document to the top of the list of files in the queue. It will print immediately after the file currently being processed. Courtesy PCWorld magazine www.pcworld.com 

Uninstall unwanted or problem programs - if the program does not have an Uninstall feature try using Windows, Start, Settings, Control Panel, Add/Remove programs. If this does not work, consider 4Developers' Add/Remove 4Good at www.pcworld.com  scroll down left side to Find-It Number and type 26562   . This is a $13 shareware program that let's you completely remove up to 7 programs during the Free Trial period.

Block spam in Microsoft Outlook 2000 and XP  (Outlook Express compatibility is on the way) with free SpamNet at find.pcworld.com/30336  try www.pcworld.com    then look down left side for Find-It Number and type 30336.

How to Find Articles from a variety of Publications www.FindArticles.com   

  Find an User Group in your vicinity, Association of  Personal Computer Users at http://cdb.apcug.org/loclist.asp  and http://easyrsvp.com/ugotw  many of these are ordinary folks; others are IT execus/consultants.   

Get your System Properties quickly hold down <Windows > key and simultaneously press <Pause> key. Courtesy of PCWorld magazine.

Repair corrupted Office file: software available at www.ontrack.com and www.officerecovery.com

Change the default date in Word 97 and 2000; Select Insert, Date and Time, select a format and Click Default and Yes. In future you can insert a date by pressing <Alt>-<Shift>-D   Courtesy PCWorld magazine.    

Navigating windows - to access System Properties without Control Panel, right click My Computer and choose Properties.

In Word or WordPerfect, if a document has a line or two extending onto another page you can easily fit to the same page. Select File, Print Preview, Click the Shrink to Fit button. The shrinking is accomplished by slightly reducing font size. Courtesy PCWorld magazine. 

 Faster highlighting of text in word processing: To select a single word double Click it. To select a sentence, hold down <Ctrl> key and Click anywhere in the sentence.  For a paragraph, Double Click the left margin. ( but not if the lines are double spaced). Courtesy PCWorld magazine. 

Internet Explorer puts new items at the end of the list of Favorites. To put in alphabetical order, Choose Favorites, right-click any item and select Sort by Name. Netscape Navigator - Press Ctrl + B, Choose View, By name or View Sorted by name. Courtesy PCWorld magazine.

Remember phone numbers, names, dates, etc - here's some helpful hits

http://www.mindtools.com/memory.html   Be sure to explore the site to get it's full potential!!

A quick solution to remove unwanted Pop-Ups on the Internet is to Press <Ctrl>-W.

This may Stop Internet Explorer from opening pop-up windows  - use a freebie Proxomitron at www.pcworld.com  Downloads.  Use Search.

To control Cookies from the Internet go to: To download a free 30-day trial version of Cookie Crusher, please select the site below.   The approximate file size is 1 MB. http://www.thelimitsoft.com/cookie.html#download

If you know a file is in a folder currently open, it's faster to press F3 in any folder or Explorer Window than go to Start, Search and include parameters.  Or Ctrl + E in Windows 2000 or Ctrl + F in Windows Me. 

This site provides an easy way to select books to suit your mood http://www.branching-out.net/forager  

Need to get into shape and are short of cash? http://www.workoutplan.com Courtesy NetLife Magazine

Auto repairs advisors including tips on maintenance and common reasons for breakdown.  At  http://www.autorepairadvisors.com      Courtesy NetLife magazine.

Merriam Webster Online http://www.m-w.com Look up words fast. Also see encyclopedia Microsoft Encarta http://www.encarta.msn.com   (faster than the CD-ROM). Courtesy NetLife Magazine.

Health matters:  http://www.medbroadcast.com  

Canadian and US white and yellow pages and links to foreign phone directories; also reverse look-ups of US phone numbers( enter a phone no. and get a name and address) http://www.infospace.com   Others are http://www.411.com  http://www.anywho.com   http://www.bigfoot.com  Courtesy NetLife magazine.

Want to try computer graphics and/or animation? http://www.sketchpad.net   Courtesy NetLife Magazine.

 Demystify physics for the curious of all ages http://www.colorado.edu/physics/ then Click on 2000/  

Web acceleration for faster surfing: a free download at http://www.web3000.com

Index your CDs  contents (and search) -  with Mike Monti's free CDScan utility, go to http://www.fileworld.com/magazine    and download it. Use Search and Utilities.

Sending Files - If you would like to send a file to the floppy drive, desktop or email recipient, right click on a file you would like to send, choose Send To, and select the destination from the expanded menu.

Learn the Indentity of the Individual or Company behind the Website with a national domain suffix (.com, .net, .org) for global domains:  http://www.allwhois.com
Courtesy NetLifeMagazine.com

Backing Up the Registry  can save time if Windows crashes! Create a "Recovery" folder or with other name. Copy the Hidden files System.Dat ,System.Dao, User.Dat, User.Dao to the folder. If Windows crashes with error message "Error in Explorer.exe you must re-install Windows". Reboot your computer in DOS mode or command prompt only and replace corrupted registry files from the "Recovery" folder. Courtesy WinFiles.

In Outlook Express: Create a custom signature for emails
http://www.microsoft.com/insider/mi/pfoutsig.htm    Courtesy of  Microsoft Insider Update.

Create an icon in Windows - select a bitmap file that you want to use and rename its extension from .BMP to .ICO --.

Repair your CD-ROMs   smudges or scratches can impair them. Try cleaning with a soft cloth and mild soapy water. Wipe gently from center outwards. Do not use a circular motion! Also try http://www.cdrepair.com  , http://www.discdoctor.com , http://www.cdessentials.com                                                                              Bottom of Page Top

Mem Viewer (Freeware)  will tell you which applications hog your memory!
http://gene6.idegrif.com/index.html   Click on Software, Download, MemViewer.  It is a small bar graph window which you can place anywhere on your desktop. Courtesy of PC World.

Open one file type in many applications with OpenExpert (free to home users, $20.00 for businesses) http://baxbex.com  Courtesy PC World magazine May 2000.

  Turn-off Tool Bars on the Internet Page to see a Full Page Press <F11> then to go back to the normal look Press <F11> again. This should work with Internet Explorer 4 or later. Courtesy PC World March 2000.

Word vers. 7 and later - to see how text or graphic objects are formatted, press <Shift>-<F1>. The mouse pointer turns into a question mark. Click any text  or graphics object to see details on formatting. Press <Esc> to disable it. Courtesy PC World magazine.

Useful site of the day       www.incrediblyuseful.com
House hints & how to fix-it        www.Todayshomeowner.com
Helpful house hints         www.learn2.com
Better Homes & Gardens      www.bhlive.com

The fast and easy way to find out how to do just about anything. And get the stuff you need to do it!    http://www.ehow.com/home/home.asp                                               Bottom of Page Top

Slow Internet Connection? - a website to start checking causes is: http://www.computingcentral.com/topics/bandwidth/speedtest500.asp    if you cannot get to the website(in fact any website) with the full address shown above, try using only the address up to and including"com".

Personalize Browser Toolbars   In Netscape Communicator, drag a link from the webpage to the personal toolbar. In Internet Explorer drag folders, or links (URLS) and drop them onto the Links bar. Courtesy PC World Magazine, and Randy Chang.

  Favorites on the Web -  to quickly save them right click mouse on a blank space on the desired page.

Microsoft Download Wizard(Windows 95) will look at your files and suggest patches and updates. You can specify which to download. Go to http://support.microsoft.com/support/downwiz (Courtesy The Cobb Group )

If you suspect a problem with a program that is open, do this. First Save the data. The use Ctrl + Alt + Delete to bring up the Task List(programs running) and see if any programs are causing a problem i.e. "Not responding" . High Light it and click End Task. Repeat Ctrl + Alt + Delete  to see if it is gone. Often it takes 3 times to close it/end task.

You can save to a floppy diskette and/or share your Favorites from the Web - Insert floppy disk in A drive. Click Start, click Explorer, go to C:\Windows\Favorites folder,  select/highlight all the folders/icons you want to copy. Right mouse click on the highlighted folders. Go to "Send To" and A drive and left mouse click.                          Bottom of Page Top

Make your Browser perform with a free test at http://www.browsertune.com courtesy of Windows magazine.

FAT 16 or 32 (File Allocation Tables) - Open My Computer click on C:(hard drive) and select Properties. Alongside File System under General you will see FAT 16 or 32. You can free up disk space converting to FAT32 but you will also have to buy some new 32-bit software e.g. Norton Utilities.

Which Windows do you have? Right click on My Computer and select Properties. Under System on the General Tab, you will see the Windows version number. These mean:
4.00.950 is Windows 95
4.00.950A is Windows 95 plus the Service Pack 1 Update or OEM Service Release (SR) 1
4.00.950B is SR2.0 or 2.1 (SR2.1 has "USB Supplement to SR2" in Add/Remove Programs)
4.00.950C is SR2.5
4.10.1998 is Windows 98 (The two items above are courtesy of Windows Magazine, Winter 1998, www.winmag.com)

Cookies - Karen Kenworthy' article in Windows Magazine Sept./98 shows how to sniff out cookies received on the internet. See http://www.winmag.com/Karen to download Cookie Viewer. While you are there download shareware from WinMag's Software Library http://www.winmag.com

Defragmenting - some programs for defragmenting may delete long file names and corrupt data. Make sure the defrag program can handle long file names before using. See http://www.winfiles.com/tips/diag.html

Opening Windows Explorer - optional to going through the Start button to get to Explorer, click the right mouse button on My Computer icon and then click Explore.
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Registry Files - your registry files are too large to backup to diskettes but you can backup to your hard drive. Create a folder and copy the hidden files in Explorer(change attribute to unhidden) system.dat, system.daO, and user.dat to the folder. You can find these files by: click Start, Click Find, type in the file name. When Windows 95 crashes and the message "Error in Explorer.exe You must re-install Windows appears then do the following. Boot up in DOS mode(Command Prompt Only) and replace the corrupted files with the backed up files you made. Changes made on your system after you backed up the files will be lost, but Windows data will be restored.

Preventing Computer System Problems-
Scandisk weekly on your hard drive then if necessary - it may advise hard drive does not need defragmenting -Use System Agent(from Microsoft Plus Pack) to Defrag your hard disk weekly.
Or click on Start, then click on Run. Type Scandisk. Click OK. For Defrag, do the same except Type Defrag.

Virtual Memory is space on your hard drive that is used for memory and if the space you have on your hard drive gets low you may run out of memory. Make more memory available by reducing the number of applications open at one time.

Take a Snapshot of the window you are using, press [Alt] + [Print Screen]; open a word processing or spread sheet application; Click on menu bar Edit, click on Paste; and the window's contents will be shown. Then print the page if you want a hard copy.

If you delete icons from your desktop, the files are not deleted but remain in Windows explorer.

Not Connecting to a site on the Web- try clicking on Refresh on the Browser menu bar above, sometimes it helps. Also if there are too many / ..../ .... items after the .com , delete them and then try again.

Check your root directory C:\ - I found the internet had filled mine with over 2,000 text files e.g. file245.txt. This can really destabilize your system!                         

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Maximize any document or application in the Window- by double clicking on the title bar.

Website articles or information- you do not have to print the whole article! Use your left mouse and highlight the part you want to retain.  Then  right mouse and click Copy. Then Paste in Word and print it (minimize the web screen and go to Word.)

Cluttered Desktop- make groups by Clicking the Right Mouse on a free space on your screen. Go to New, Folder and Click on it. Then Click on it and Right Mouse for Rename- give it a group name. Then click on and hold and drag the appropriate icons into the folder.

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Humor     

Tech Support:  technicians conversations with computer users, reported on www.rinkworks.com such as - Customer: Can you answer a question? ....see the recycle bin? Does someone come around and empty it?

Funny mail  http://www.funnymail.com  and Top five http://www.topfive.com

new3   Know Your Competition Two fellas in the bush ran into a bear. The first man started putting on his running shoes. The second fellow said that won't save you. The bear will out-run you. The first fellow said I don't have to worry about out-running the bear. I only have to out-run you!   Also see the next one.

April 1999 from The Assoc. Prof. Eng. Of Manitoba

Salary Theorem

The "Salary Theorem" states that "Engineers and scientists can never earn as much as business executives and sales people".

This theorem can now be supported by a mathematical equation based on the following postulates:

Postulate 1: Knowledge is Power

Postulate 2: Time is Money

As every engineer knows:

Power = Work/Time

Since:

Knowledge = Power

Time = Money

Knowledge = Work/Money

Solving for Money, we get:

Money = Work/Knowledge

Thus, as Knowledge approaches zero, Money approaches infinity, regardless of the amount of

work done. Conclusion:

The less you know, the more you make!

For a change of Pace - a little humor, courtesy of The Globe & Mail , Smile Fax: " I am no longer young enough to know everything!" by Al Capp.

How about a chuckle - "The factory of the future will have two employees, a dog and a man. The man will be there to feed the dog; the dog will be there to keep the man from touching the machines!" Courtesy of Brad Keith, Toronto; Your morning smile, The Globe and Mail.                                 Bottom of Page Top

For a change of pace - Despair Inc., Dallas, TX, has some top selling posters :
PROCRASTINATION: Hard work often pays off after a time, but laziness always pays off now!
MEDIOCRITY: It takes a lot less time and most people won't notice the difference until it's too late!
APATHY: If we don't take care of the customer, maybe they'll stop bugging us!

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Hardware      
Laptops Battery safety - Don't use cheap 3rd party batteries; use only the charger supplied; Avoid the hot sun; a faulty latch from dropping the laptop may damage the battery; do not carry a battery pack in a bag that has metallic objects! Courtesy PCWorld. 

Defragmentation Tools
Avoid using a defragmentation program that isn't aware of long filenames. You can not only destroy your long filename space, but you might also end up corrupting the drive's data as well,
especially on volumes that are less than 2GB in size. Try below for more info, but you may not connect.
http://two.digital.cnet.com/cgi-bin2/flo?y=eBRN0ZGBR0Bo03Tf  , Courtesy Winfiles

  Get all the information on your hardware - Click Start, Click Run, and type in on command line: hwinfo /ui   Click Okay. Be sure to leave a space between hwinfo and /ui. Courtesy WinFiles.

   Insufficient Memory Message -    Even though your PC may have 32MB of RAM or more, there maybe a memory leak. When some software programs close they do not release the memory they were using. The only way to correct the problem  is to reboot your PC.  If you can determine which program is hogging the memory, you might want to re-install it, in case it has become corrupted over time. Courtesy PC World magazine, Aug. 1999.
  Deleting is not enough to remove personal or sensitive data from a hard drive if you want to sell or donate your computer. If you have Norton Utilities use the WipeInfo utility(wiping free space, Speed Disk) or go to fileworld http://www.pcworld.com  or http://www.jetico.com for the free BCWipe(bcwipe.exe)   Courtesy PC World magazine January 2000.

  If your computer shows a message "CMOS Checksum Error" or similar message, it is likely your computer battery is low. CMOS means Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor" and all the hardware configuration information is contained in this chip which is backed up by a battery.   The information is vital so if you have not already printed it, you should do so before the message shows on your screen.  On boot-up press the key for Setup before Windows starts loading. Often it is <Delete> or it will say on the screen.  Go to each screen of the program and press <Print Screen> to make a copy or write it.   The message also could be due a virus or an one-time error.   You can restore CMOS on getting the message by rebooting from an emergency disk and then type in the CMOS settings.  Visit PC World April 1999, at http://www.pcworld.com/heres_how
  

PC Mechanic covers hardware and inside components with info on how to upgrade and repair. http://www.pcmech.com                                                          Bottom of Page Top

If you need advice on the pros and cons to decide on PC hardware selections try these sites: www.pcworld.com , www.winmag.com , http://www.pcguide.com/ref/video

Protect your computer - thunderstorms   or lightening storms can cause power surges down electrical or telephone lines that can ruin your modem and harddrive. Before travelling unplug the phone cord and your computer.

CD-ROMS Drives - rotate at boot-up, if a CD is in it. Speed-up performance both at starup and during regular operations by taking out unused disks.

See Tom's Hardware Guide to check whether your sytem can use more RAM http://www.sysdoc.pair.com

For Hardware trouble-shooting tips see http://www.fileworld.com

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Information         

  Enter starting and ending addresses in maps.google.com    and receive a 2D map and driving directions plus often the latest zoomable satellite image of your destination. 

TechTarget's search site scours specialized tech sites that offer extremely useful tips:

find.pcworld.com/40592 i.e. Go to www.pcworld.com (takes a few seconds) On top menu bar DblClick USE Find.PCWORLD.COM and then type in:  40592

     Answer every question about wines www.epicurious.com  Courtesy NetLife magazine.

Interested in wines - try these sites www.wineaccess.com    www.wine-lovers-page.com 

A good source for Windows information www.annoyances.org

Cut the hype, this site will call a bad movie a rotten tomato or name the good ones in a list of 86,000 movies!  www.rottentomatoes.com  Courtesy NetLife magazine.

Pollution Watch let's you know what is going on in your city http://www.scorecard.org/pollutionwatch   just enter your postal code.

Fact Monster http://www.factmonster.com

About the inner workings of a modern car  in simple language http://library.thinkquest.org/19199/index.html

Automotive Recalls and other related information   http://apps.tc.gc.ca/roadsafety/Recalls/recintro_e.htm , http://www.chariots.com , http://www.flamingtowncars.com/d    Courtesy NetLifeMagazine.com 

    Microsoft has just launched a new site that covers the fundamentals of safety on the Internet. Read practical information on sending email, DSL and cable modems, and downloading files so you can learn what you need to do to protect yourself from the dark side of the Internet.
http://www.microsoft.com/insider/mi/pfsafety.htm  

Want help with home computing  http://accesswave.ca/~mcse911 

for Inquisitive minds of all ages  http://www.howstuffworks.com   Courtesy NetLife Magazine.

  Find the route used to link your computer to this website http://www.neoworx.com

Encrypt the data stored on your notebook hard drive, making all but impossible for thieves to read or use it. Click here  http://www.nai.com/     Courtesy Wall Street Journal.

An exciting site is http://Britannica.com which gives you the entire contents of the standard print copy free! A great search engine and a download for using Palm.  Courtesy PC World magazine, August 2000.

Glassbooks' free e-books http://bookstore.glassbook.com        /store/free_title_list_list.asp

For  car buying research try http://CarsDirect.com You can spin cars 360 degrees etc. plus there are good links re costs etc.  Courtesy PC World magazine.

For a good accurate search try http://www.google.com   Courtesy PC World magazine.

Tutorials on most everything http://www.Learn2.com

The best music site http://www.ubl.com Courtesy PC World magazine .

Consumer Guide - help me find the right product - almost any product at:
http://Deja.com   

http://www.myplant.com   MyPlant.com is your online source for comprehensive resources, services and knowledge-based solutions to improve operational performance and solve plant problems. Membership is free.

See for listings of professional, trade and other groups  http://www.ipl.org/ref/AON
Associations on the Net.                                                 Bottom of Page Top

To Reduce Pressure and be more efficient - first thing in the morning make
all your telephone calls! Then you can do your work without this hanging over your head!

BioSpace  http://www.biospace.com has a daily summary of news from the biotechnology world, company profiles, stock info and more. Courtesy Inform April 2000 J. Endres.

For the latest breaking technical news   http://www.slashdot.org 

More Health - http://www.canadian-health-network.ca

Health websites - nutrition http://www.navigator.tufts.edu    health information http://www.netwellness.org   health links http://www.healthfinder.gov   Courtesy Inform magazine Feb. 2000, Joe Endres

Successful individuals -"have a sense of urgency and always do more than is expected of them"!

Great Dictionary site at http://www.onelook.com

Canadian Information by Subject - National Library of Canada  http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/caninfo/ep037.htm

Visit PC World  at http://www.tipworld.com for e-mail news letter with new tips.

Windows tips index http://www.chami.com/tips/windows 

Have you visited these websites: http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov  (astronomy site for children 4-14yrs.); www.imdb.com (exhaustive filmography database); www.mayohealth.org (Mayo Health Clinic - in layman's terms).

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Metric 

Our Metric Conversions Page  click here Unit Conversions

Link to Chemical Engineering magazine -U.S. Metrication: The Time is Now!! by permission of Peter Silverberg, Associate Editor, "The longer we delay conversion, the more it will cost us in labor, service, and global prestige. Let Washington know it's time for a change." (on their Home page, lower right, guest book and ask for full article.) Also for excellent logical reasons to go metric, see Articles, Opinions & Commentaries, scroll down to Letters, Metrication(from May, 1997, Page 14).

Link to U.S. Metric Association, Inc. for Metric Today        Bottom of Page Top       

SI indicates the International System of Units.

Metrication is official in Canada, Australia and the U.K.

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Security    new

Tips for security: 1. Used trusted download sites such as: www.download.com www.snapfiles.com 

www.tucows.com 2. Guard against identity theft & what to do if theft occurs:

 www.consumerinformation.ca 3. When using public networks - disable your system 

"computer to computer connections" 4. Erase files or Recycle Bin contents or entire drive permanently 

with software at www.heidi.ie/eraser  

Upgrade to free Adobe Reader 8 as version 7 has bugs allowing criminals to access your system.

find.pcworld.com/56308

 Windows XP firewall only monitors inbound connections, but there are free firewalls available so try the one that does not conflict with Windows XP firewall. The free programs are Kerio Personal Firewall, Outpost Firewall Free, Sygate Personal Firewall or ZoneAlarm, all are claimed to be effective. 

 Webcam peeping tom's - Rbot-GR can send video from your Webcam and audio from your microphone back to a voyeur. For virus removal instructions go to www.pcworld.com  On top menu bar DblClick USE Find.PCWORLD.COM and then type 44138

  PivX's Qwik-Fix at  www.pcworld.com  find.pcworld.com/43092 is said to be successful in preventing malicious scripted web pages from forcing internet Explorer to load worms or spyware - while you download patches.

       Divorce and other records on the internet - go to your local county clerk's website (USA only?). 

  New flaws with Internet Explorer - take Secunia's test at find.pcworld.com/39980 -  e.g. Go to www.pcworld.com (takes a few seconds) On top menu bar DblClick USE Find.PCWORLD.COM and then type 39980 .

Tip: If you cannot stop spam e-mails by other means, try changing your e-mail address and be very selective as to who you give it!

Microsoft has addressed a number of security issues at this site re: Antivirus Software, Automatic Windows updates and Firewalls: www.microsoft.ca/protect 

Visit one of these to find chinks in your security: http://bcheck.scanit.be/bcheck/  and http://browsercheck.qualys.com/  (if you have a problem opening these go to search engine Google and type in the name bcheck.scanit or browsercheck.qualys )

Backup your Registry before you make any major changes to your computer: Go to www.pcworld.com (takes a few seconds) On top menu bar DblClick USE Find.PCWORLD.COM and then type 33470 to read Care and Feeding of the Windows Registry..

 For testing whether hackers can get into sensitive information on your site, go to
http://grc.com  

The Microsoft Security Notification Service is a free e-mail notification service that Microsoft uses to send information to subscribers about the security of Microsoft products. Anyone can subscribe to the service, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
http://www.microsoft.com/security/services/bulletin.asp

Microsoft security issue involves how e-mail software handles file attachments with extremely long file names. When users attempt to download, open or launch a file attachment that has a name containing more than a certain number of characters, their action can cause the program to shut down unexpectedly. It is possible - although difficult - for a hacker to cause malicious code to be executed on a computer as a result of this problem. However, this cannot be caused accidentally, and to date Microsoft have received no reports of users being affected. More information on this issue can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/security/bulletins/ms98-008.htm

Are you worried about theft of your Notebook: obvious prevention includes guard it as you would your wallet or purse. But there are security devices available that may help such as a cabling device that attaches to the computer and around a table or chair etc. Maybe one of the best is an alarm in a key-chain transmitter for your purse or wallet and with a wallet-size receiver in your notebook case. Weight is less than 6oz in your notebook case. If the notebook is leaving without you or vice-versa an alarm in the case goes off. www.trackitcorp.com Courtesy Carla King and PC World.

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Software       

    Ultimate Boot CD including 46 utilities to help figure out what's wrong! Visit www.pcworld.com  Click Find.PCWorld.COM button and type 41600 to download to burn to a CD.

   Security Scan  - http://www.symantec.com/techsupp/  Click Security Response; Then scroll down to large icon and Click Check For Security Risks; Then form shows Security Scan ; Click Security Scan. Also can later do a virus  check.

Protect your computer with free download Zone Labs'  Zone Alarm 3 at find.pcworld.com/30950  www.pcworld.com 

FileMon - Sysinternals tells you Who's been editing my files? and lots else.  Go to   www.pcworld.com (takes a few seconds) On top menu bar DblClick USE Find.PCWORLD.COM and then type 39767 to download your copy.   

  Super Shredder - even if you empty your Recycle Bin others can recover files deleted. To get rid of this possibility Go to   www.pcworld.com (takes a few seconds) On top menu bar DblClick USE Find.PCWORLD.COM and then type 39770 to download your copy.   

Outlook Personal Folders Backup - Go to www.pcworld.com (takes a few seconds) On top menu bar DblClick USE Find.PCWORLD.COM and then type for e.g. 33914 or 33917 to download your copy.

Power Menu has all kinds of helpful functions. It's free!   Go to www.pcworld.com On top menu bar DblClick USE Find.PCWORLD.COM and then type 35906 

Cumulative patches problem, some IE 6 users may not be able to log to certain websites that require authentication. Microsoft has released a fix for this problem.  Go to www.pcworld.com (takes a few seconds) On top menu bar DblClick USE Find.PCWORLD.COM and then type for e.g. 34289 for the patch.

  Handy Windows utilities - read about them in website news letter:  Go to www.pcworld.com On top menu bar DblClick USE Find.PCWORLD.COM and then type 25821   

Your PC can read to you! Find ReadPlease2003 a text-to-speech utility that enables you to listen to long blocks of text while you work on something else: Go to www.pcworld.com On top menu bar DblClick USE Find.PCWORLD.COM and then type 33173 to download your copy. The world's most popular text-to-speech software- and still free !Courtesy PCWorld magazine. 

Free Windows freebie, this utility does many things! Go to find.pcworld.com/20781

The route is: www.pcworld.com then scroll down; on left hand side Find It Number; type in the number.

Free utility mentioned in PCWorld Feb. 2002. Free Download Accelerator Plus Go to www.speedbit.com

 
Ad-aware is a free multi spyware removal utility that scans your memory, registry and hard drives for known spyware and scumware components and lets you remove them safely. It is updated frequently.
If you are new to Ad-aware, we recommend you read the getting started tutorial.
     http://www.lsfileserv.com/index.html 

Search the Internet with these two different approaches www.vivisimo.com  or
www.wisenut.com  Courtesy Informa Magazine.

Upgrading to Windows XP ? It might be a problem for computers more than 2 years old because there are apparently compatibility issues with older hardware and BIOSs. And if hardware is OK still some of your applications and peripherals may not work. Take PCWorld's test at
www.pcworld.com/xpready

Learn Typing quickly  go to: http://www.almenamethod.com   the new typing method on the web; Extreme Left - Click For Home and below see: "Who needs …."; Read it.

Hands free browsing by voice - only for Internet Explorer - http://www.edu-media.com/hfbdownload.htm   Be sure to enunciate!

Solitaire Games - new ways to play card and tile games  http://www.pagat.com/patience/patience.html

See http://download.cnet.com/ for lots of free downloads of games etc.

Freeware - this website states that " PGP® or Pretty Good Privacy® is a powerful cryptographic product family that enables people to securely exchange messages, and to secure files, disk volumes and network connections with both privacy and strong authentication." http://web.mit.edu/network/pgp.html
 

New technology terms are defined here at the Academic Press Dictionary of Science and Technology  http://www.harcourt.com/dictionary

Start-up Items i.e. automatically start when you boot-up your computer - first to view them Click Start, then Run and type in msconfig. This utility allows you to customize which files load at startup. Click on the Tab Startup to see what starts and remove Checkmark to stop it starting. Also see   http://update.winfiles.com/cgi-bin2/flo?x=dAuEmuohhEwomAYuu     Courtesy of Winfiles.

FOR WINDOWS 98 SECOND EDITION
Screen out inappropriate material with Content Advisor
http://www.microsoft.com/insider/mi/pfcadvise.htm
Design your own icons
http://www.microsoft.com/insider/mi/pfownicons.htm
Use your own voice, children's voices, even your dog's bark for audio prompts
http://www.microsoft.com/insider/mi/pfaudprompt.htm
 
   Not enough Help in your help file? Click Start, Find.  Search C:\Windows for FAQ.TXT, MOUSE.TXT, PROGRAMS.TXT, README.TXT and GENERAL.TXT ; each of these contains help and troubleshooting tips for specific problems.

   Interested in your family tree  - try these websites  http://www.familysearch.org also http://www.Rootsweb.com 

  Installing new software - when you read the message "shut down all programs in use....." one should do more than the obvious. Bring up the Task List, by holding down Ctrl + Alt buttons and Click on Delete Button. Highlight each individual task in turn except: Explorer(Windows), setup, and the program name(one you are installing). Then Click on End Task button. Repeat until done. Sometimes it will take several tries to End a particular Task.

  If your Browser crashes repeatedly  write down the error message, then search the tech support web Web sites at http://support.microsoft.com/support    or http://help.netscape.com for help in understanding the error codes. Fixes are also available for problems.  Courtesy PCWorld Sept.99 , http://www.pcworld.com

Sun is offering Star Office 5.1(compatible with MS Office Word) for US$10.00 only or download (65 MB will take hours & if you are kicked off-line, you will have to start again). Information is at http://www.sun.com   Courtesy John Sloan, London, Ontario  writer. 

Visit TerraServer and see high resolution satellite images of earth! http://www.terraserver.microsoft.com

 Find utilities for improving performance or solving problems at http://www.zdnet.com/swlib   Courtesy John Sloan, London writer. 

This viewer can view and print, copy etc. any Excel(version 2.0 and greater) spreadsheet   http://officeupdate.microsoft.com/downloadDetails/xlviewer.htm

Improve your Character Map Utility - download Extended Character Map, for free! Increases the size of all characters, has italics formatting as well as bold. Go to http://www.fileworld.com/magazine 

Free: http://www.updates.com will scan your PC harddrive and show a list of  recommendations for updates for most all applications. Just click on Download and the latest change from the manufacturer website will be installed. Also this site will notify you of  future updates.                                                             Bottom of Page Top

If you have math or trig problems you can download a free demo of MathCad Explorer at http://www.mathsoft.com and it is very good for a demo.

Experiment with colors at http://www.paletteman.com

Create an icon in Windows: select a bitmap file of your choice; rename its extension from .BMP to .ICO . Courtesy of WinFiles.  http://www.winfiles.com/tips/customize.html

Sources for Software drivers - http://www.driverguide.com and http://www.driverfinder.com
and http://www.windrivers.com  

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TechEng Designs' software applications were designed by a chemical engineer.

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list                      Software under Development

More engineering applications are under development.