Windows Tips

Infopackets Reader Fran K. writes: " Dear Dennis, I have used some of my DVD-R disks to copy some of my old family movies, a couple I messed up on and won't let me copy anything else to them. Is there any kind of program that will let you recover or ... reuse the DVDs? " My response: Good question. The simple answer is that it is not possible to reclaim space on DVD-R or DVD+R media. However, providing that the disc you made is multi-session (IE: you specified that you can write more than once to the disc the first time you wrote to it) *and* you have a considerable amount of space ... (view more)

Recall -- Last week , Infopackets Reader Paul H. had problems accessing his Kodak camera after upgrading to the latest revision of Kodak Easy Share camera software. Paul wrote: " I have a Kodak DX3600 camera equipped with a 'docking' unit. I ... upgraded the camera software (from version 1.2 to latest revision), but can no longer transfer pictures from my camera to the computer (I am using Windows 2000, by the way) ... Are you aware of any fixes, or should I just use this thing for a fishing weight? " In my response, I suggested that Paul upgrade his USB driver in hopes of resolving the ... (view more)

Recall -- Yesterday , Infopackets Reader Bill 'Mr Full Service' asked if there was a way to search for text inside of multiple documents (stored in multiple areas) on his computer: " I have a question for you about bookmark managers, or similar ... software. Do you know of any program that can search MS Word documents on your computer for web links (URLs) [or any text, for that matter]? Any help you can provide is greatly appreciated! " In my response , I suggested Bill use the built-in Search function in Windows XP, which has the capability to locate certain text in document files. I ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Paul H. writes: " Dear Dennis, I have a Kodak DX3600 camera equipped with a 'docking' unit. I upgraded the camera software (from version 1.2 to latest revision), but can no longer transfer pictures from my camera to the computer ... (I am using Windows 2000, by the way). To resolve this dilemma, I sought a local computer 'expert' to contemplate my problem, but he could not produce a solution. I have done everything that Kodak has suggested over at their web site with no luck. I am one of several people in my area who has the same problem with their Kodak software. Are you ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Bill 'Mr Full Service' writes: " Dear Dennis, Great newsletter! I've enjoyed it for a couple years now. I have a question for you about bookmark managers, or similar software. Do you know of any program that can search MS Word ... documents on your computer for web links (URLs)? Any help you can provide is greatly appreciated! " My response: If you own Windows XP, you can search for text in documents by using an advanced option in the Search dialogue menu. To do so, click Start -> Search -> Files / Folders -> Documents -> use Advanced search options - ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Ted B. writes: " Dear Dennis, I'm stumped! An elderly lady recently came into the shop and needed help with wireless networking (802.11) between her older Hewlett Packard computer (running Windows 98SE) and her XP notebook. ... Unfortunately, we could not get the connections working. She had opted for a wireless network because she did not want to run a long cord from her bedroom to her living room to connect the two computers. The representative at the Motorola help-desk told me (several times) that we had to buy a router as a source point before the two computers could ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Lee C. writes: " Ever since I installed XP Service Pack 2 on my system, all I get is blank boxes where pictures used to be in emails, every time I launch Outlook Express. Do you know why this is happening? I installed Service Pack ... 2 onto a clean system. Please help! " My Response: This is another frequently asked question. With Windows XP Service Pack 2, a new security measure has been put into place that -- by default -- will now block pictures that are embedded into emails. The reason for this is because some spammers use picture files as 'web beacons' to verify ... (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 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 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)