Windows Tips

Infopackets Reader Josh T. writes: " I was wondering if your could help me. I just burned some MP3s using Windows Media Player [WMP] onto a CD-RW disc. The CD seems to play in my computer's CD drive using WMP, but when I try playing the CD in my ... stereo's CD player or on my portable CD: neither will detect the disc. Is there any advices or tips you can give me to solve this problem? " My response: The reason why your .MP3 CD won't play in your stereo or portable CD player is simply because neither of these devices can read your CD-RW [re-writable] disc. The disc you burned can only ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Frank B. writes: " I need help! When I try to forward a picture to my friends, all that they receive is a box with a small red X. This started happening to me about 8 months ago. I have tried everything I could think of and even ... had a computer repairman try to fix it. It doesn't happen all the time, but more often than not. How can I correct this? " My response: Believe it or not, I get asked this question quite a bit ... and it's worth addressing (briefly) once more. This problem deals with Outlook Express 6 -- specifically: Anyone who has recently upgraded to, ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Berlin B. writes: " Dear Dennis, As part of my stringent preventive maintenance plan, I recently ran AdAware 6.0 and Norton AntiVirus software on my PC. Norton reported a number of 'at risk' files on my system. After I ran AdAware ... 6.0, the document files listed in the My Documents folder now show a .DOC extension with no associative icon. When I try to click these files, a window appears and asks me to select the appropriate file extension. It also warns me that if I select the wrong type, the file may become unusable. I was unsure what to do, so I ran System Restore ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Ed M. asks, " I seem to have lost Java script support for my computer. Could you please advise me how to re-install it?" My Response: The first thing you should do is check to see if Java has been accidentally disabled on your ... machine (Solution #1). If you have recently upgraded to Windows XP and have not visited the Windows Update website to update your system, skip to Solution #2. Solution #1: Check to see if Java has been Disabled If you use Internet Explorer 6, you can check to see if Java has been disabled by scrolling through your Internet Options. Load ... (view more)

Over the weekend, a fellow named Bernie Madigan from Australia sent me a quick email to let me know of a nifty freeware utility he's recently developed. Bernie's new program is called FileMap and it helps users to identify whether or not Spyware has ... been installed on their machine. He writes: " I have just published FileMap version 3.0.1, which discloses files added to your system without your knowledge. The program is ideal for serious computer buffs, or for people who want [early warning incase their systems are ever hijacked with Spyware]. I would also like to thank Bob Helmer of ... (view more)

Recall -- A few weeks back, Infopackets Reader Ian B. asked if there was a way to make his Windows 98 computer shut down and power off: " I have a win 98 computer that used to shut off the power after a Start -> Shutdown command was clicked, but ... now it just stops at that the 'It is now safe to shut down your computer' screen. Can you advise if this is a hardware or software fault, please?" I responded to this question by writing 2 articles. In part 1, I commented on a number of reasons why Windows 98 might not shut down (I.E.: BIOS, device drivers, Power Management, and APM) and ... (view more)

Another hot topic in the Gazette is our discussion regarding Windows XP, and whether or not it can be installed on more than 1 PC using the same activation key. Infopackets Reader Steve S. writes: " In response to your recent discussion concerning ... re-activating WinXP after substantial hardware changes, I just wish to add that the process is done pretty simply in terms of 'setting things right' with Microsoft. When Microsoft detects that your computer's hardware components have substantially changed -- (as in my case: I had simultaneously added more RAM [memory] and installed a faster ... (view more)

Recall -- Infopackets Reader Marie 'ChameleonsGirl' asked if it was possible to use the same copy of Windows XP that came with her new computer and install it onto her second computer. My response was that Microsoft has designed Windows XP so that ... it can only be activated on 1 computer (per copy). This is a form of copy protection and is aimed at stopping software piracy, and works something like this: You buy Windows XP on CD (or it comes with your computer) and includes a registration number. The Windows XP activation program looks at each hardware component inside your computer, gathers ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Marie 'ChameleonsGirl' asks: " I have a new computer that came with Windows XP. I would like to know if it is possible to register the same copy of Windows XP on my other computer, or do I have to go buy another XP disc? " My ... response: Microsoft has designed Windows XP so that it works only on 1 computer. This is a form of copy protection and is aimed at stopping software piracy. As far as I understand, the Windows XP activation works something like this: You buy Windows XP on CD (or it comes with your computer) and includes a registration number. The Windows XP ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Terry from PlanetSave.com writes: " Dear Dennis, I am running XP Professional. I have a large amount of background images listed in my Display Properties -> Desktop tab. Do you know how I can shorten this list? Happy Holidays. ... You have great newsletter! " My Response: I searched google.com for a utility that could modify / remove the list of entries found in Display Properties -> Desktop, but wasn't able to come up with anything. However, I do happen to know that a Windows will list .BMP picture files in the Backgrounds menu if there are .BMP picture files ... (view more)