Computer
Info – January 16, 2002
(** obtain handouts at http://www.hdprint.co.uk/ftp/florida **)
This Week’s Program
Alright, if nobody received any new
software for Christmas that they want to discuss – how about hardware? Did you get any scanners, cameras, printers,
computer memory – maybe you can share this information with the rest of the
group. Check out the web site for
determining which memory chips you need for your computer. Maybe we can download Trillian and take a
look at it. Of course, we will have
plenty of time for questions – this is a good way to share with the group.
Windows XP
After Windows XP has been installed,
the first time you check your e-mail with Outlook Express, an alarming pop-up
tip tells you that you will need a .NET Passport account for Internet
communication features like instant messaging.
It then encourages you to use a wizard that creates a Passport account
if you don’t already have one. Savvy
users will know that they don’t need Passport accounts, but many first-time
users will no doubt sign up, thinking that it is required.
Trillian
Trillian is a multi-network chat
client that currently supports IRC, AIM, ICQ, MSN, and Yahoo Messenger. It
supports all of the features you've come to expect from a good IM (instant
messenger) client, including but not limited to docking, multi-line edit boxes,
buddy alerts, multiple connections to the same medium, a powerful skinning
language, easy importing of your existing contacts, logging, "global"
away/invisible features, and a unified contact list.
Trillian is completely free with no
nag screens or built-in ads.
Version 0.70 features a new and
improved interface, direct connection for AIM, support for user profiles,
complete type formatting, buddy icons, proxy support, emoticons and
emotisounds.
It adds encrypted instant messaging
to ICQ and AIM, AIM group chats, improved support for firewalls, rewritten
Yahoo engine, shell extensions for file transfers, bug fixes, and more.
It is CNET’s popular pick and can be
downloaded free from
http://download.cnet.com/downloads/0-10060-100-8244961.html
Web Sites
Veterans’
Benefits – Click Burial & Memorial Benefits. Click on the link to Burial Benefits to see if you or a family
member is eligible for assistance.
Click the link to Cemeteries to find out if there is a Veterans
Administration National Cemetery in your state.
Links to
absolutely everything
What
chips do I need to buy to increase my RAM?
ScanDisk and Defrag
ScanDisk should always be run
whenever you have had to improperly shutdown your computer – and it should
definitely be run before you do a Defrag.
There are many ways to get to the
ScanDisk feature. (1) – from the START
menu – choose PROGRAMS – ACCESSORIES – SYSTEM TOOLS – SCANDISK. (2) from the MY COMPUTER window – rightclick
on your hard drive (C:) and choose PROPERTIES.
Click on the TOOLS tab and press the CHECK NOW button under ERROR
CHECKING STATUS.
When running ScanDisk, you only wish
to do the STANDARD not the THOROUGH scan.
Normally when you are running ScanDisk, you are doing it to check your
file structure. When you run the
THOROUGH mode, you will be checking the file structure, but you will also be
checking your hard drive surface. Of
course, if you ever think that your hard drive is failing, then run the
THOROUGH mode.
If ScanDisk constantly starts over
or never completes, it could be because you have another application running
that is interfering with it. For some
reason, many times it is a scanner driver that is causing it. If ScanDisk has problems completing, then
try this.
Press CTRL-ALT-DELETE to display the
CLOSE PROGRAM window. You can do an END
TASK on anything that is running by highlighting it and pressing the END TASK
button. There are two items in the list
that you do not wish to end – EXPLORER and SYSTRAY. You will find that once you press the END TASK button, the CLOSE
PROGRAM window will close and you must again press the CTRL-ALT-DELETE keys to
repeat the task..
Defrag should probably be run every
month or so. It really depends on how
many programs you install and uninstall and how many documents and pictures you
write and edit.
The DeFrag program can be run from
the START menu – PROGRAMS – ACCESSORIES – SYSTEM TOOLS – DEFRAG or
by right clicking your hard drive (C:)
and choosing PROPERTIES. Click
the TOOLS tab and then the DEFRAGMENT NOW button. How long it takes to do a defrag depends on the size of your hard
drive and how much information you have on it.
Reinstalling Windows
It time to reinstall Windows when
your computer works unreliably, and not just with a single application but
across the board. If your computer
frequently locks up, or if you are seeing the BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) or
Windows protection fault errors on a regular basis, it’s time to reinstall.
Before you begin, be sure to have
Your
Windows installation CD
Your
Microsoft Windows installation key code
Driver
diskettes or CDs
All
your information about your Internet connection, such as dial-up phone number,
username
and password, etc.
Ample time and patience.
Option 1: Reinstall over the existing operating
system. This is the fastest method and
you won’t have to reinstall any of your applications or data. But this method is the least likely to fix
serious problems.
Option 2: Delete the C:\WINDOWS directory before
reinstalling your operating system.
This will create a new Windows Registry, which can clear up many common
problems. The good news here is all of
your data will remain intact. You will
have to reinstall your applications (although they will still be on the hard
drive) so that Windows recognizes that they are there. This method will not remove a boot-level
virus or a corrupt kernel. Empty your
trash folder – insert your Windows installation disk in your CD drive and run
Setup.exe.
Option 3: This is usually the best choice – a clean
installation. This means erasing the
hard drive completely and reinstalling everything. BE SURE TO BACK UP ALL OF YOUR DATA. Boot to DOS from your boot disk floppy or Windows installation
CD-ROM. Run FDISK. Delete all the partitions on the hard drive
and create a new partition. Exit
FDISK. Format your hard drive by typing
FORMAT C: and wait.
Reinstall Windows by inserting the Windows installation CD and run
Setup.exe.
Be sure to visit the Microsoft
website at
http://www.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/
and click
Product Updates. Download the Critical
Updates, which have security enhancements and other essentials.