Dennis Faas

Infopackets Reader Christine R. write s: " Dear Dennis, I do not know a lot about Internet Explorer, so I wanted to know why is it that my firewall will not let me browse the Internet unless I give permission to Windows Explorer to access the Net? ... If I say "No" when permission is requested, it comes up 'unable to connect to that site', which leaves me with the only way to browse the site by clicking on "Yes." I have uninstalled and reinstalled the firewall and tried everything I know, but to no avail. So now I'm asking your opinion, as I am worried that if my Windows ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Judy W. asks, " Is there a way to upgrade my old Pentium-1 computer with a motherboard or a new processor chip? I really like this computer, but I need something faster so that I can use my digital camera. " My Response: It may be ... possible to get an adapter for your motherboard to make it run (at most) 500 MHz. Your CPU is most likely a Socket-7 type motherboard, so I'm pretty sure you can use this adapter: http://www.powerleap.com/Products/k6iii.htm I'd advise you get at least 128 meg of RAM with your upgrade -- but most likely you're using 72 pin SIMM RAM or ... (view more)

Do you trust Microsoft? Is Bill Gates the Antichrist? While a new computer user may not know a thing or two about Microsoft, its trustworthy practices, Bill Gates, and the Windows operating system -- the usual response from most experienced computer ... users is: "no way," and "yes!" I guess the first thing that comes to my mind regarding antitrust and Microsoft is the Netscape scandal: most people refer to it as the browser war . I suppose this antitrust scandal is most pertinent because of all the media attention it received at the time. It pretty much set the wave for other ... (view more)

Woops! It looks like Microsoft has goofed again. If you haven't been watching the news lately (maybe you don't get CNN?) -- Microsoft has released a security bulletin ( Q320920 ) regarding a critical flaw in Windows Media Player which can allow an ... attacker to gain unrestricted access to your system. Who is affected? Anyone who is using Windows Media Player version 6.4, 7.1 or Windows Media Player for Windows XP (version 8) should download a software patch to their system immediately. Side note: A software patch is piece of software that fixes a program (which is also software). In this case, ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Dennis B. writes: " Dear Dennis, I was interested in installing a free version of the Linux operating system (OS) on my rebuilt computer with a 2.5 GB hard drive that I just love and seem to being Ok with. I'm running windows 98 ... and would very much like to keep that. Would it be possible to have both OS's and switch back and forth? I remain an admiring reader and fan. " My Response: Yes, it is possible to have 2 operating systems installed on a single system. The new OS * should * be able to detect that you already have Windows installed and provide you with a ... (view more)

Last week's issue of the Infopackets Gazette was about the importance of using msconfig. The article also reviewed some third-party msconfig replacements for Windows 2000 users. I received a lot of feedback regarding the issue since the last ... newsletter was mailed. If you were unclear about how msconfig works, be sure to check out the revisions made to the article online. I have provided a few extra steps and a screen capture for clarity. One more note: I received email with regards to msconfig and the Klez Virus. Denise R. writes: " Dear Dennis, In reference to the recent newsletter, ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader John A. writes: " If I did not try this, I would not believe it. This Sunday's local paper has a Tech Editor that submits regular articles weekly. This week the article caught my interest - as on many Computer Group forums -- the ... defrag utility, which comes with all versions of Microsoft Windows, is plagued with many problems. For example: defrag sometimes hangs/re-starts; won't complete; you have to run in Safe Mode; run ScanDisk first; close all programs; close anti-virus; close screen savers, etc... So I went to his Web Site which has about every conceivable ... (view more)

Last week I wrote an article which touched on a useful utility called msconfig. To recap what the program does: msconfig is a program that comes bundled with all version of Microsoft Windows, except Windows 2000. One of the most useful functions of ... the msconfig program is its Startup Tab which allows you to select / deselect programs from launching at the Windows Startup. Why is that so useful, you say? Well, I guess the answer to that question depends on what you have installed on your system. Sometimes, when a program is installed, it copies an instance of itself to the Windows Startup. ... (view more)

Whether you know it or not, Microsoft has a previous track-history for releasing sub-standard software that is known to be less than computer-friendly. What do I mean by "less than computer friendly?" Quite simply: either there are lots of bugs ... present in Microsoft's software, or their software has been known to make systems run sluggish . The Story Recently, I was visiting my brother and decided to hop on his system and surf the Internet. His machine consists of Microsoft Windows 98, has 128 meg of RAM, and is powered by a Celeron 600 MHz processor. Certainly, this system is not ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Sarah M. write s: " Dear Dennis, Alas, I left my boyfriend home alone with the computer and he downloaded Morpheus to find some songs. He then uninstalled it because he knew I didn't like the 'spyware' that comes with it from ... Brilliant Digital and figured I could clean up the residue it left. Well, I don't know what's going on, but running in our system tray is a little icon that looks like a gold coin with a $ on it. The coin says that it is the Morpheus Shopping Club. If you click on it, it will take you to a website for the club. You can also right-click and choose ... (view more)