• Software Tip
  Web Browsers
  
  
• Website of Interest
  Alternative Energy Sources
  
  
• Computer Parts
  CD/DVD Drive - Part 2
  
  
• Tech Tip
  Why is Drive Size Smaller?
  
  
• eScams
  Second Chance
  eBay Purchase
  
  
• Featured Discussions
  Maximizing open windows
  Used different Registry
      Cleaner; big mistake
  Computer speakers make
      a musical sound
  WinRescue XP - Windows
      Restore Points
  
  
• Questions on our
  Discussion Board
  
  
• Reader's Tips
  
  

Software Tip - Web Browsers

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        A web browser is a utility that displays web pages and web sites on your screen. In other words, when you are looking at websites, that program that shows them is a web browser. The most popular web browser is Internet Explorer which comes with Windows.
        For those who, for whatever reason, want a different browser than Internet Explorer, there are at least three other good browsers that are free. They are:

• Netscape Browser - www.netscape.com
• Mozilla's Firefox - www.mozilla.com
• Opera - www.opera.com

        When installing these browsers, it is likely that they will put themselves in the default browser position of Windows which is fine unless you later decide that you don't like the new browser and uninstall it. Then you will have nothing in the default browser position and may have a hard time surfing the internet. If you have this problem, find Internet Explorer and run it. By default, when it is run, it checks to see if it is in the default browser position. This feature can be turned off, but I recommend that you don't and hopefully you didn't. If you didn't, Internet Explorer will tell you that it is not the default browser and will offer to reset itself into that position. Answer yes and everything will be fixed.
        Happy surfing!


Website of Interest - Alternative Energy Sources

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        Do high energy costs have you down? Do you feel trapped by the big oil companies? Do you need another source for your energy? If so, here are some alternatives to petroleum energy sources.

• Wind Energy - www.AWEA.org. American Wind Energy Association is the official American wind energy website. There is a lot of good information here if you look hard enough. Try the Factsheets and FAQ/Tutorial links on the right side column.
  
• Solar Energy - www.solarelectricpower.org. This is the Solar Electric Power Association's website. A couple of things to check out on this website is a solar video on the left side called Solar Interactive and a link to FindSolar.com which gives you an idea of how much a solar system would cost (I found out that it would cost me twice as much for solar energy).
  
• Ethanol - www.E85Fuel.com. Ethanol is alcohol which is made from grain, like corn (a renewable fuel source). Most gas stations carry E10 which is regular gasoline with 10% ethanol in it and can be used in almost all cars. E85 is gasoline made up of 85% ethanol and can only be used in specially designed cars. 9 car manufacturers make E85 compatible cars and more are sure to come in the future. This website tells about E85. Check out the links under E85 101 on the left side. Find out if your car is E85 compatible and where E85 is sold in your area.
  
• Biodiesel - www.Biodiesel.org. BioDiesel is made totally from field crop oils (like, that from soybeans) and can be used in almost all diesel engines with little or no modification. Another way of making biodiesel is by using cooking oil from restaurants that normally would dump the oil in landfills (for more information go to www.biodiesel.com). It is specially processed so that it can be used like diesel fuel. BioDiesel is safer to handle, less toxic, and more environment friendly than petrodiesel.
  
• Nuclear - www.World-Nuclear.org - Nuclear energy has changed. It has become safe and has great potential for the future. Check out this website for more information on nuclear energy. Scroll down towards the bottom of the page for answers to controversial questions, like, What About Chernobyl? What About Waste? What About Nuclear Arms? and What About Renewables?
  
• Hydrogen - http://www.eere.energy.gov/hydrogenandfuelcells/. Hydrogen and fuel cells have the potential to solve several major challenges facing us today: dependence on petroleum imports, poor air quality, and greenhouse gas emissions. Even though this site is a US government site telling about the Hydrogen, Fuel Cells & Infrastructure Technologies Program, it is a good source for information about hydrogen fuel.

        The above websites are good places to start in learning about alternative sources of energy, but there is much more. To learn more, try doing a search on the internet for the term that you are interested in. Who knows, you may just end up with a wind mill in your front lawn and solar cells on your roof.


Computer Parts - CD/DVD Drives - Part 2

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        It was suggested to me that I discuss the DVD formats more in depth, so this article does that.
        To a certain extent DVD formats follow CD formats. DVD-ROM like CD-ROM are discs with the data stamped on them and cannot be changed or overwritten (when you purchase a movie on a DVD, it is a DVD-ROM). DVD-R and DVD+R like CD-R can only be written to once. DVD-RW and DVD+RW, like CD/RW, can be written and rewritten to many times.
        DVD-RAM is an alternative to DVD-RW and DVD+RW but many DVD drives do not support it. Instead of having one long spiral running from beginning to end (like a record), it has separate tracks. The advantage of DVD-RAM is that it holds more data and it can be treated more like a hard drive by your computer (usually not requiring extra software).
        Did you notice the plus (+) and minus (-) in the above DVD formats? They are important. They signify two opposing formats (sort of like BetaMAX and VHS). The minus formats are supported by Panasonic, Toshiba, Apple Computer, Hitachi, NEC, Pioneer, Samsung, Sharp, and the DVD Forum. The plus formats are supported by Philips, Sony, Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Ricoh, Yamaha and others. At one time DVD burners only supported one or the other. Now there are multi-format burners (also called combo or DVD-Multi) which handle both formats.
        Before you go to buy blank discs for burning on your DVD burner, check your drive to see which format it will handle. If you can't find this information, you can buy one and hope that either you have the correct drive for it or that you have a multi-format drive. It would also be to your favor to purchase according to who the manufacturer of your DVD burner is and which format they are listed with above. There are some people who prefer one format over the other, but there is not a noticeable difference and it is very unlikely that one format will be shut out in the future (like BetaMAX was).
        Added to the CD-like formats mentioned above there is also DVD+R DL and DVD-R DL (also called DVD+R9 and DVD-R9). DL stands for Dual Layer or Double Layer. These discs have two recordable layers giving more space for data. They are supported by a range of manufacturers including Dell, HP, Verbatim, Philips, Sony, Yamaha, and others.
        There is also the HD-DVD. These DVDs use a special burner with a 405nm-wavelength blue-violet laser (traditional lasers are red at 650nm-wavelength). This new type of laser can record to smaller spaces storing up to 23 hours of standard video on a double sided DVD. Two types of HD-DVD are Blu-ray Disc (BD) and Advanced Optical Disc (AOD). Since Sony, Samsung, Sharp, Thomson, Hitachi, Matsushita, Pioneer and Philips, Mistubishi, and LG Electronics jointly developed BD and Toshiba and NEC jointly developed AOD and since HD-DVD is a new technology, expect HD-DVD drives to handle only one or the other.
        Next month we will discuss the actual drive.


Tech Tip - Why is Drive Size Smaller?

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        This is a common problem. You buy a new large harddrive and install it on your computer, but when you start up your computer, it shows your harddrive as being much smaller than its actual size. What happened?
        One of the factors to this problem is that no one foresaw the expansion of harddrive technology to the extent that someday home computers would have 250gb harddrives. Another factor has to do with how big of a number it takes to express the size of the harddrive. A computer is limited in how big of a number it can use. A 16-bit number can only go up to 32767 or 65535 (depending on whether you use negative numbers or not) and a 32-bit number can only go high enough to handle a 4 gb harddrive. Operating systems figure out ways around this but usually their solutions are not that far ahead of the size of harddrives. Because of these factors, if you have a computer that is a few years old, it may not give you all of the space on newer harddrives.
        A third factor is the difference in binary and decimal numbers. Some places on your computer like to express the size of your harddrive in binary numbers and some places in decimal numbers. The difference is less than 10 percent. This is normal and there is nothing that you can do about this. Just know that a difference of less than 10 percent may exist.
        Please realize that you can still use the harddrive even if the correct size is not detected. You just will not be able to use the entire harddrive, but you will be able to use the part that your computer can handle. Also realize that if you want at a later time to figure out how to enable the rest of the harddrive, enabling it will destroy all of the data on the harddrive.
        When it comes to tracking down the problem, there are two general areas that can cause the problem: BIOS and the operating system.
        The first place to go is into BIOS (there are certain keys to press when the computer is starting which will get you into BIOS) and have it detect the harddrive. If the LBA option is off, turn it on. If the stated size does not come close to the actual size, your BIOS is probably not big enough to handle it. Some BIOSs can be upgraded with software to handle bigger harddrives. Check with the manufacturer of your BIOS (this is probably the manufacturer of your motherboard and/or computer) to see if this is possible and how it is done.
        If BIOS shows a size close to the correct size of the harddrive, then the problem is with the operating system. If you have Windows 95, 98, or ME, first you must check MSDOS. Try typing chkdsk, a space, the drive letter, a colon (:), and the Enter key at a DOS prompt and see if it lists the correct size. If so, MSDOS is OK. If not, you either need to update your MSDOS (WinME's DOS is the most up-to-date) or you need to update your file system (only NTFS can handle bigger sizes).
        The last place to check is Windows. The earlier versions of Windows have size limits. WinXP and Win2000 should handle any size, but even these may have problems. If you have an earlier version of Windows, you will need to upgrade to Win2000 or WinXP. If you have Win2000 or WinXP, do a search on Microsoft's website (http://search.microsoft.com) for an answer or check out these articles:

• http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;303013
• http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;305098

        Another place to look for information on this is at the harddrive manufacturer's website.
        If you can't figure out the problem from this article, ask your local computer repair shop.


eScams - Second Chance Ebay Purchase

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        If you bid on items at eBay watch out for this scam. What happens is that after you unsuccessfully bid on an eBay item and the auction is over, someone contacts you by email offering the same item for a certain price (usually the amount that you bid). This person may or may not pose as the original seller. When I was approached, the person claimed to be another company that had the exact same item that I had bid on (which was quite unlikely since I had bid on an assortment of used items). I corresponded with this person telling him that it was impossible, but he kept insisting that he did. He promised to send the items to me as soon as I had made payment to him. Later I received the same email from someone else with a different price for the item. I ended up sending the emails to spoof@ebay.com and they said that they would look into it. That was almost two years ago.
        A few months ago my son was bidding on a motorcycle on eBay but it went higher than he was willing to pay. A week or so later he called me excitedly on the phone and told me that the motorcycle did not sell and the seller was offering it to him at the price that he had bid for it. I mentioned this scam to him. A few moments later he sadly admitted that this offer probably was a scam because it had not come from the same address as the original seller.
        Recently, someone posted a message on our discussion board who had got taken by this scam. The fake seller had asked to be paid by a Western Union Money Transfer. This person paid him $1000 and got nothing for it.
        What happens is that these fake sellers watch auctions on eBay, noting the people who place bids. After the auction is over, they send out second chance emails with the description of the item to the unsuccessful bidders. Do not respond to these. You will lose your money. This is a scam.
        If you don't think it is a scam, at least, make sure that you do not use links in the email. Instead find the item or original seller on eBay and contact him through eBay. Also pay using a payment method that will refund your money when it does not work out, like credit card or PayPal. If the seller will not accept these, do not buy the item.
        The main thing that saved me from being ripped off by this scam was that I took the above precautions, I didn't believe everything the fake seller told me, and I had the sense to realize when it didn't make sense.
        If you don't want to get taken by scams like this, please be smart and cautious.


Featured Discussions

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Maximizing open windows

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Find this on our board at http://www.regvac.com/forum/m-1137187099/

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atives - Can someone tell me how to have Windows XP automatically open new windows maximized??? Thanks

Jogor - Open a window that you refer too, use the handles and stretch the window to the size you want, then hold down the Ctrl key and click on the Red X in the top ritht hand corner. Now reopen that same window and it should be maximised.

Elegant Kiss - I'd suggest getting the Freeware program "AutoSizer" from: http://www.southbaypc.com/AutoSizer/
        It automatically resizes any window you specify. For instance, some web browsers open up in a non-maximized window. Using AutoSizer, you can set those windows to automatically maximize every time they’re opened. It works with almost any program, including web browsers, Notepad, etc. AutoSizer stays running in the system tray (next to the time), so it stays out of your way while it works.


Used different Registry Cleaner; big mistake

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Find this on our board at http://www.regvac.com/forum/m-1138380073/

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kercella - I downloaded and used a Registry Cleaner which was supposed to back up my files; too late I found that I had deleted some important files and now I can't recover them. It is hard to even get online because I keep getting a message box that says "RUN AS". Inside this box it asks who I want to use this computer, and even locks me out. I tried to use System Restore but it won't allow me access. What can I do?

dlwolff0 - If you have an installation disk for your Windows version, boot from the disk. When the dialog comes to the choice of what you want to do, choose repair. This should fix the damage to the Windows installation. If you deleted files from your ISP installation, you may have to reinstall it also, assuming you have the disk they provided.

Ray - I often get calls from people who have used a program called Registry Cleaner and assume that it is our program, but it is not. Our program is called RegVac Registry Cleaner.
        From what these people have said, Registry Cleaner is not a good program and it's producers do not tell you how to get ahold of them.
        If you have a backup of the registry made before you ran Registry Cleaner, restoring that may correct your problems. Our programs, WinRescue and RegVac (see our website at www.superwin.com for more details), make backups and restore the registry.

Canning - I've used the same cleaner and lucky for me I keep a backup because registry cleaner cleaned out most of my .dll files.


Unwanted Spam

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Find this on our board at http://www.regvac.com/forum/m-1136780187/

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Northey - How do I get rid of unwanted Spam and other unwanted advertisements on my email. I use Outlook Express and have Norton AntiVirus. Should I upgrade to Norton Internet Security or is there some other ideas.

Jogor - I recommended that you just close any open Windows, of course with the installation of a lot of software you may need to stop your AV and Firewall as they can block installations, of course you need to go offline to do that so you don't leave yourself vulnerable. Rebooting after the installation will activate those again.

shana - Here are my thoughts/suggestions for you:

1. See if your ISP has a spam-filtering feature and set it to a filter level of your choice (Medium for starters, then check the spam folder in the webmail interface to see what 'good' mails might have been routed there).
2. Try a program such as the free Mailwasher at http://www.mailwasher.net I use the Pro version and it works wonderfully for my purposes.
3. Try the web-based solution at spamarrest at http://www.spamarrest.com I use this too! I have too many mailboxes, ha!

Also you can read-up on more about spam here: http://www.cauce.org/ CAUCE, The Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email is an ad hoc, all volunteer organization, created by Netizens to advocate for a legislative solution to the problem of UCE (a/k/a "spam"). CAUCE has a forum/discussion group too where you can find even more suggestions.

Northey - Thanks Shana...I'll try all of your helpful suggestions.

Elegant Kiss - As the others have suggested.. The best products in this class are in fact, shareware not free. That said, MailWasher is for most folks, the best free option.
        The advantage of this approach is that you can kill unwanted messages including spam, viruses and large attachments before they get anywhere near your computer.
        [ this response continues on for quite a long time, so I have not included the rest of it. If you want to read the entire response, please use the link above to go to our website and read it there in its entirety. -- Ray ]


Computer speakers make a musical sound

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Find this on our board at http://www.regvac.com/forum/m-1138995992/

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babe - Why is it that every once in a while a musical noise comes from my computer speakers? Sounds like when your cell phone gets a text message.

dlwlff0 - Probably a notification of some sort by a program installed on your computer. Go to the control panel and check under sounds and multimedia. Opening this should give you a list of sounds used by programs to notify you of some event.

Jogor - Or your computer might be like one I saw the other day, if the speaker wire plug was touched on the metal case the computer would act as an AM Radio Receiver for a local station here. Strange!

babe - Thank you for your help. Checked sounds in Control Panel. There aren't any set, so, that didn't work. The second answer to my question is interesting but, my speaker wires aren't touching anythin metal.
        Again, thank you both. I had heard that if the speakers make a little musical soung for no reason, that means that the computer needs cleaning...like using canned air. I will try that.

John W. - I read somewhere that, that might be an indication of a low bios battery.

babe - Will check out the bios battery. Thanks for the suggestion. Appreciated very much.


WinRescue XP - Windows Restore Points

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Find this on our board at http://www.regvac.com/forum/m-1137596287/

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GentleGiant - No Windows Restore Points are shown in WinRescue XP, but I understand from the Help screens that I must find out where System Restore files are kept and show this path accordingly. How please do I find out where System Restore files are sited? I have not done anything to change their whereabouts.

Ray - WinRescue XP looks for the Restore Points automatically. You can try to find them yourself too, but if WinRescue XP could not find them, you probably will not be able to either.
        If Windows is not set up to make Restore Points, you may not have any. That may be why WinRescue XP could not find any.
        The Restore Points are kept on one of your drives in a directory called System Volume Information. System Volume Information has a subdirectory in it that starts with "_restore{" and then has a bunch of numbers. The _restore{... directory has subdirectories in it that are rp and a number and these have a subdirectory called snapshot. The snapshot directory has the registry backup of the Restore Point and that is what WinRescue XP is looking for.

GentleGiant - Many thanks for the information.
        I cannot find System Volume Information on my hard drive, even when using 'Find' to check all folders, including hidden files. The odd thing is that Bold dates are shown in System Restore, both for manual restore point entries and the automatic ones made by the system.
        As I only have a DELL Recovery and Microsoft Windows XP SP2 Cds, is there any benefit in setting WinRescue XP to back up the entire drive? I am only using 10% of my 80GB hard drive.
        Currently I back up Registry, autoexec.nt, config.nt, cmd.exe, ccommand.com, ntldr, nt detect.com and boot.ini in Config 1, with these files again with Print Hood, Application Data, Desktop, Favourites and Net Hood in Config 2.

Ray - There is a setting which hides that folder. It sounds like you have that set. That is probably why WinRescue cannot find it. I am not sure which one it is. It may be hide protected system files.
        I suggest telling WinRescue in the Other Files section which folders are important and having it back up only those folders. If you back up the entire drive, it would take a lot longer and may run into problems. I also would not back up Print Hood, Application Data, Desktop, Favourites and Net Hood.

GentleGiant - Thanks again for the helpful thoughts Ray!
        I will uncheck the items you suggest should not be backed up, and just add some other files I would hate to loose.
        I will also try and find the setting which hides protected files so that WinRescue may work as intended.


Questions on our Discussion Board

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getting rid of icons in taskbar tray

Outlook Express wants authentication

Can I open OfficeXP in both of my WinXPs

windows 2000 pro computer does not shut down

XP won't load

Older Computer does not Shutdown

Red color gone on computer

how to set the mailto: default

XP System Restore vs Win98

Copy Folder Contents to Word Document

Network Printing

jpeg thumbs don't display in Win98

PROBLEM WITH REPAIR OR RESTORE

web pictures blank

Mailing to All Recipients in Outlook Express

Juno doesn't work with Guest logged in to XP

Hibernation wakes up

google autofill

minimized pages disappear

Outlook Express keeps shutting down

mouse problem

A1 PC Cleaner keeps bombing

remembering it was maximized

adding to WinRescue backup



Reader's Tips

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ebay and 2nd chance offers


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Thanks for reading,
Ray Geide