Issue 88 - June 14, 2000

ISSN 1488-3163; PC Improvements (c) 2000
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Welcome to the 88th issue of the PC Improvement News. PCIN consists of news, tips, thoughts, and contests. There is something for everyone, and if this is your first issue, I'm sure there will be something for you. I am willing to discuss any computer topic. Email me at mailto:editor@pcin.net with any suggestions. If you give me two or three issues, I know that you will come back for more!

Recommend PCIN to others and be entered in a monthly draw. The June prize will be Software602's 602Pro Lan Suite Lite, a program that lets you connect several computers to the Internet. Recommend PCIN at http://www.pcin.net/recommend.shtml

OPENING THOUGHTS

Is it just me or has the news over the last several months been the same thing over and over. It always seems like there is some report about a MP3 lawsuit or an update of the Microsoft case. The government says that Microsoft stifled innovation, but it seems that all of these lawsuits are stifling innovation.

This is officially the last week that I will be including the Smileys and Acronyms of the Week. If you have any ideas for another little thing to put at the top of the newsletter, email me at mailto:editor@pcin.net with your suggestions. Otherwise, starting next week I will go right into the news.

SMILEYS and ACRONYMS of the WEEK

:-()  Big Lips
:-9   Licking Lips
TIC   Tongue in Cheek
WRT   With Regards To

Get the WWW. Smileys & Acronyms book for the PCIN special price of $7.00 Cdn (around $5.00 US). You can only get this price by visiting http://www.pcin.net/help/books/reviewed/smileys.shtml

The NEWS

Underwater Email

"Using underwater sound waves, e-mail has been sent longer distances under the ocean than ever before.
It was also the first time a submerged and moving submarine was able to communicate without giving away its position by surfacing or raising an antenna.
In tests last month, the US Navy used equipment developed by technology company Benthos to send e-mails from a submarine off the coast of California to a naval base in San Diego and to other underwater modems.
While cruising at a depth of 130 meters (400 feet), the USS Dolphin was able to transmit data up to a distance of five kilometres (three miles) to a relayer buoy. This then transferred the messages to land, according to Benthos chief executive John Coughlin.
He said that underwater e-mails had been sent before but the new method improved the distance, speed and reliability of the transmission."

For more info:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_789000/789125.stm

More Napster Problems

This past week, The Recording Industry Association of America asked a judge for a preliminary injunction to shutdown Napster. Napster has responded by saying that it is perfectly legal to swap MP3s. "Hank Barry, CEO of Napster, himself an attorney, went much further, saying that music listeners are "confused about their rights" owing to various lawsuits against Napster. He added that people have a right to use various digital and computer technologies, some of which he said companies in the music industry helped fund. He also said people were trading, and not selling, music files over Napster."

For more info:
http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/tech/2000/jun/13/061300863.html
http://www.msnbc.com/news/420376.asp?cp1=1
http://www.salon.com/tech/log/2000/06/14/napster/index.html

MP3.com Goes Yahoo!?

Although MP3.com has denied it, rumours are flying that Yahoo! wants to purchase the struggling online music site. If they don't buy it, the rumour is that there will be at least be some sort of partnership. Yahoo! has been trying to get into the media side of things since AOL and Time Warner merged.

For more info:
http://www.nypost.com/business/6036.htm

PlanetRx.com Lays off 70

"Troubled online drugstore PlanetRx.com quietly laid off about 70 employees last week, or about 15 percent of its workforce, hoping to reduce its losses as the company explores alternatives for remaining in business in the long term." The company stock recently closed at $2.75, well below its 52-week high of $36.50.

For more info:
http://www.thestandard.net/article/display/0,1151,15941,00.html

MONTHLY CONTEST RESULTS

Congratulations to ALE52532 (I haven't gotten a full name yet) who was randomly chosen as the winner of last week's contest. (S)He wins a copy of Software602's 602Pro Lan Suite Lite.

The responses were as expected. Virtually all of the 15 entries in one way or another said that they didn't need a network, but it is fun to hav eone. You can read all of the responses at http://www.pcin.net/contests/20000614.shtml

I NEED HELP

I offer a free help service via email. If you have a question, you can email me and I will try my best to answer them. I can answer about most of them, but there are things that I have never tried or experienced so I don't have an answer. I post those questions here and see if any of the readers have any suggestions. I will include all reasonable suggestions with credit to you.
These are NOT my own questions and they are NOT my answers. I will NOT check the validity of these comments. That is up to you. If you do try one of these tips, please let me know how the suggestions worked out. Did they work or not? Please send in your questions or results to mailto:freehelp@pcin.net

Previous Question 1
Since I had Mindspring for a Internet service provider for one month my browser says "Mindspring Internet Explorer" How can I get rid of the Mindspring header and all of Mindspring files?

Answers to Question 1
Rob said, "Installing a new version downloaded from MS should overwrite that customized copy. If not, and the custom version shows up in the Remove Programs in Control Panel - then do an uninstall first. Otherwise more drastic measures are in order."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kenneth Aspinwall said, "There's a fix at http://powertips.tc3x.com/ that may do what you want about the IE title, I haven't tried it myself though. Click on Quick Fixes on left side, then scroll down to Customize/Restore Window Title."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Will Chatham said, "Probably the easiest thing to do would be to completely uninstall the Mindspring version of IE, then download the latest version from Microsoft and install it (Don't worry, it's free). This would ensure that no more unneeded Mindspring files are left on your computer, and that you have all of the most recent bells and whistles with your new browser."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chris Wheatley said, "Branding IE5 is a royal pain, it can be removed by editing the registry; but be careful to make a back-up first! Run REGEDIT (type it in the RUN box from the start button). Navigate via:
HKEY_local_machine
Software
Microsoft
Internet Explorer
Main
And then look in the right-hand panel for the key WINDOW TITLE
Modify the key (Right-click the key) and delete the offending message - you can add your own name if you prefer. Quit Regedit to save and re-boot.
Failing that take the easy route: Go to http://www.xteq.com/ and download the freeware program X-setup as recommended by .Net magazine in the UK and moi! It will allow you to do the same, also with Outlook Express and Media viewer and change the System properties computer plus user names (handy if the former user has left the area) and also change all sorts of lovely thingy's. The dangerous stuff has a warning and is bright orange -don't go there! Its better than Tweak UI for the initiated users."

Previous Question 2 (Two Weeks Ago)
Task bar! It has elongated itself, to the left and to the right. I can view only 1/4 of the start button over on the left, and the clock is out of view - on the right. Nowhere in the literature can I find mention of how to rectify this. I think I should be able to correct it without resorting to the monitor's controls - which, by the way, do not correct the problem.

Answers to Question 2 (Two Weeks Ago)
Chris Wheatley said, "Your monitor is probably displaying the screen image 'too wide.' Use the on-screen VDU setting buttons to narrow the screen and possible shift the horizontal axis left/right as well until the Windows screen fits back onto the visible area. Look for the borders of the toolbar! You'd me amazed at the number of new monitors I have to do this with straight out of the box!"

Previous Question 2
I only have 1 game port. Is there any way for me to connect 4 controllers to this one port so I can play a 4-player game?

Answers to Question 2
Simon Duffy said, "Why not get USB controllers. You can connect lots with no hassle."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Will Chatham said, "All I know about this is that I tried hooking up two gamepads to my soundcard's gameport, and it didn't work. I think it depends on the capabilities of your specific card. I know they do sell adapters for joysticks that split up into four plugs, but whether or not this will work on your system may be a trial and error procedure. I suggest first contacting the manufacturer and getting the specs on your gameport. If that is of no help, go buy everything you need from a place you can return the stuff to if it doesn't work. Plug it all in and try it."

New Questions
Q1) Today when I tried to open my Word Perfect 7.0, I kept getting a message "PerfectFit dlls cannot be loaded". What does this mean and how do I fix it?
Q2) Yesterday I inserted some more RAM for my computer. But when I restart it, there was a error: "NLTD (or something like that, I can't remember) not found." Then I start my computer with the other disk. And I can not use the command "dir" with drive C. There's a error "invalid media type..." What can I do now?

If you have an answer to these questions or have a question of your own, please email me at mailto:freehelp@pcin.net

THE TIPS and OTHER STUFF

Cheap Trick of the Week

**Can't remember your Windows password? Fugeddaboddit!**
If your Windows computer has been set up to require a password when you log on, there's a good chance you may not recall which to use. But this need not be a disaster.
Upon being asked for the password, click on Cancel. You'll end up in Windows anyway, although not with your personalized settings. Click on Start, Programs and MS-DOS Prompt. In the DOS window, type DIR *.PWL (with a space after DIR only) and press Enter. You'll get a list of files ending in .PWL, one of which probably starts with a reasonable facsimile of your name, like SANDYMIL.PWL if you're Sandy Miller. Delete it with the command DEL followed by a space and the filename, as in DEL SANDYMIL.PWL.
Close the DOS window and restart. You'll be asked for a new password.

You can get the Little Black Book of Cheap Tricks yourself for only $9.95 Cdn (about $7.00 US) at http://www.pcin.net/help/books/reviewed/cheaptricks.shtml
(Please mention that you heard about it from PCIN)

Microsoft Online Seminars

I was looking around the Microsoft site this week and found out that they have online seminars. All previous seminars are available online using some streaming video and some slides. The seminars cover a wide variety of topics. Check them out for yourself at http://www.microsoft.com/seminar/

Digital Video Help

I am not really into multimedia other than listening to CDs. But I came across a site the other day that gives all sorts of information on various digital video formats (MPG, ASF, AVI, MOV, and more). If you want to learn more about video on your PC, or what the different formats are best for, then visit http://www.vcdhelper.com/

DISCLAIMER and OTHER STUFF

PCIN is brought to you by PC Improvements. The opinions expressed are those of the editor, Graham Wing. PC Improvements and Graham Wing accept no responsibility for the results obtained from trying the tips in this newsletter.

  1. If any of the links are too long to fit on one line, you may have to cut and paste.
  2. You can only win one contest every 30 days.
  3. To subscribe another address or unsubscribe, please visit http://www.pcin.net/ and follow the appropriate links.
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Graham Wing can be reached at mailto:editor@pcin.net
Copyright 1998-2000, PC Improvements and Graham Wing. All rights reserved. This publication may be reproduced in hole, or in part, as long as the author is notified and the newsletter is presented as is.

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