Dennis Faas

Now that my XP Service Pack 2 Fail-Safe Installation Guide has been completed, I've started working on a few new projects in addition to revamping the layout of our web site (an enormous endeavor that began approximately 5 months ago). One of the ... new projects I started last week is an affiliate-tracking system that allows Infopackets Readers to resell our supplemental eBook and video tutorial guides. For example: if you refer someone to our web site and they buy a supplemental tutorial (such as the Service Pack 2 Fail-safe Guide), you can generate 30% on each sale. At the introductory price ... (view more)

I have finally finished my latest eBook, entitled, "Windows XP Service Pack 2 Install Guide: A fail-safe guide for new and intermediate computer users." Reminder: What is Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2)? Service Pack 2 is Microsoft's latest -- major ... -- update to Windows XP. It's not just a collection of security patches; it is also a significant upgrade to the operating system itself and contains elements which cannot be obtained as separate downloads via the Windows Update web site. The Buzz surrounding the Release of XP Service Pack 2: Do or Don't? Service Pack 2 (SP2) began ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Katia E. writes: " Hi Dennis! I need your help in solving a little dilemma. I created a simple Excel spreadsheet to calculate the employee work hours from a time card. The problem is that I just cannot find a formula that will add ... the total hours worked everyday, in order to get a total of hours worked for the week. For example, the time card contains the following information: SAT --, SUN --, MON 8:31am, TUE 8:33am, WED 8:43am, THU 8:12am, FRI 9:00am. Any help you can give me to leave this frustration behind is greatly appreciated! " My response: This is actually ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Elizabeth K. asks: " I want to read my Yahoo email using Outlook Express. Can you please tell me how to do this? " My response: Outlook Express only supports POP3 and IMAP mail server protocols. In not-so-techy-terms, a protocol ... is simply a method of communication between computers (such as your computer and the yahoo mail server). The web version of Yahoo email doesn't use POP3 email protocol because it operates over the browser. If you want to use POP3, you can: Sign up for a free service offered by Yahoo which allows you to use POP3 protocol with any email ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader 'Dak59' asks, " I've read quite a few different things about Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), but some of the comments I read are varying. Is it safe to install? Would you advise to download SP2, or not? " My response: I would ... recommend installing SP2, as it offers many new security features that are not otherwise available as a "patch" or "hot fix" using the Windows Update web site. I am not alone in this opinion, as they are countless reputable web sites that are promoting the usefulness of SP2 (including: updateXP.com , winSuperSite.com , ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Bruce J. writes: " Dear Dennis, I am writing to you about a rather strange problem that appears in my System Configuration Utility. When I click on the Startup tab, there is a column area labeled 'SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ ... CurrentVersion \ Run'. There is nothing listed in this column and I'm really not sure what this is, or if it's a virus of some sort. I was hoping that maybe you could help me identify this? Thanks for your time and consideration on this issue. " My response: You didn't mention what program you're using to edit your Startup preferences, ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Ron H. writes: " Dear Dennis, I enjoy your newsletters, as they are very helpful. I would like to know if there is a way to password protect a web browser (MS Internet Explorer in particular) to prevent access to the internet for ... unauthorized persons? This is a plant security problem where some off-shift personnel have access to the computer for e-mail but do not need to have access to the web browser. Any help with this matter would be appreciated. " My response: In this case, your best bet is to get in touch with your IT guy at the plant and tell him to restrict ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Linda K. writes: " Dear Dennis, I am running Windows 98 and would like to know what 'Direct X' is? I have trouble playing some games because there are system requirements (namely, Direct X 6.0 or greater). How can I solve this ... problem? " My response: Direct X is a "pre-requisite" software package made by Microsoft that allows you to play games. In a nutshell, Direct-X defines the gaming 'foundation' for the games you play via Windows (consisting of sound, and video specifications, among others). You can download Direct X from Microsoft's web site: http ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Denise A. writes: " Hi Dennis, First let me say that I thoroughly enjoy your newsletter. What a wealth of information it is! I just finished reading Tuesday's Gazette article, ' restricting access to portions of the start menu ', ... for the sake of security. My question is this: can a folder or certain file be password protected? I am running Windows XP. " My response: If you own more than one computer and have a local area network, you can can restrict who has access to what by setting the "share" privileges on Folders. On the other hand: if you only own 1 ... (view more)

Recall -- Yesterday, Infopackets Reader Don R. asked if I had any suggestions for running old DOS programs in a Windows environment. In my response , I provided some links to sites with helpful DOS / Windows information (especially for games), but ... then asked Infopackets Readers for additional info. DOS-enthusiast Mike K. writes: " You're welcome to 'steal' anything useful from my website (KennedySoftware.ie). In particular, you might take a very quick look at LesSpace, PatchCRT, and some long-winded notes on running 'Old-Apps' in newer OSes and PCs. If you or any of your Readers have ... (view more)