Dennis Faas

Infopackets Reader Jimmy B. writes: " Dear Dennis, I'm running windows XP and use Webroot Spy Sweeper and Norton Anti Virus. Sometimes I'll be using my computer when -- all of the sudden -- I get this very strange error message that reads 'Windows ... Form Parking Window' error and it shuts my computer down. What is Windows Form Parking Window and how can I stop it from appearing? I've done a Spyware and AntiVirus scan of my computer and haven't come up with anything. Can you help? " My response: From what I read via Google, the "Windows Form Parking Window" or " ... (view more)

Protected mode (sometimes abbreviated pmode) is an operational mode of x86-compatible CPUs of the 80286 series or later. Protected mode has a number of new features designed to enhance multitasking and system stability, such as memory protection, a ... paging system, and hardware support for virtual memory. Most modern x86 operating systems run in protected mode, including Linux, FreeBSD, and versions of Microsoft Windows 2.0 and later. The other operational mode of 386 and later CPUs is real mode, a backwards compatibility mode that disables these features, designed to allow old software to run ... (view more)

Synopsis: Enjoy countless hours of card-game fun with Pretty Good Solitaire! Awarded 2005 People's Choice Award Winner for Best Non-Action Game, Pretty Good Solitaire includes *610* (that's six-hundred ten!) different solitaire card games that you ... won't find anywhere else in one complete package! Pretty Good Solitaire includes classic games like Klondike, FreeCell, and Spider, Pyramid, Cruel, Gaps (Montana), Crescent, Diplomat, Indian Patience, and even original ones such as Demons and Thieves, Aces and Kings, and Double FreeCell. Whether you want an easy, mindless game or an intellectually ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Wayne B. writes: " Dear Dennis, Can you please tell me how I can Print the Titles of all the songs I have in Windows Media Player Library? I have a ton of songs listed here and I'd like to have a hard copy for my reference. " My ... response: What you're referring to is a printing a PlayList. According to Microsoft.com, you have two options. Option 1: You can "use the 'Media Info Exporter PowerToy' to export your library to Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Access, or even to an HTML or XML file, and then you'll be able to print. Note that this tool only ... (view more)

Windows Media Player is a free software media player used for playing audio and video on personal computers running Microsoft Windows. Microsoft has also made available versions for other operating systems including Pocket PC, Mac OS, and Solaris. ... These tend to lag behind the Windows versions in features, software update frequency, and the number of file formats supported. The basic file formats are WMV (Windows Media Video & Audio), WMA (Windows Media Audio), and ASF (Advanced Streaming Format). Windows Media Player replaced an earlier piece of software simply called Media Player, adding ... (view more)

Synopsis: Just in time for Hallow'een! Witchy Wins is a 5 reel, 20 payline slot machine simulation game that works just like the real thing! You can't win any real money (darn!), but you can win plenty of virtual money to impress friends and family ... (and what a confidence booster that is)! If you like playing the 'pokies', then you'll agree that Witchy Witch is a haunting good time! In fact, Witchy Wins is so addictive that you'll be placing bets, clicking the 'spin' button, and howling at the moon until the break of dawn! Witchy Wins: Screenshots Click to view: Page 1. Witchy Wins: How to ... (view more)

DEFRAG or ' Disk Defragmenter ' is a program included with most versions of the MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows operating systems since MS-DOS 5.0, ca 1989. Defrag.exe defragments a file system such as a hard drive. Disk optimization is, briefly, a ... method of optimizing the efficiency of disk caching to minimize head travel and maximize effective speed: Move all the index or directory information to one spot. Move this spot into the center of the data, e.g. one third of the way in, so that head travel to data is halved compared to having directory information at the front. Cluster files around ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Jim M. writes: " Dear Dennis, I always have problems running Microsoft Windows defrag because it continually restarts and takes forever to finish. A lot of the time I have to restart my computer in Safe Mode and run defrag just to ... get it to finish properly -- and most of the time it takes 2 to 4 hours to complete and I cannot use my computer! I am writing you today because I just finished reading your latest article on PowerUp XP Platinum 2 , and noticed that you briefly mentioned a program called Magic Defrag. Can you please tell me how this works? I've never heard of ... (view more)

Synopsis: Discover the most realistic game of Checkers available -- with hundreds of game options at your fingertips! Popular variations include: Flying Kings, American, Russian, and many others. There's plenty of options for game play, including: ... game time limit, scoring, and piece movement. Plus, you'll get to learn to play checkers in 'basic play' and 'strategy mode' using the built-in our tutorial. Improve your skills, gain experience, and have plenty of fun -- whether you're an expert or a beginner, Championship Checkers is sure to please! Championship Checkers Pro: Screenshots Click to ... (view more)

In the context of administering computer systems, defragmentation (or defragging) is a process that eliminates fragmentation in file systems. It does this by physically reorganizing the contents of the disk in order to store the pieces of each file ... close together and in order (contiguously). It also attempts to create large regions of free space using compaction, to impede the return of fragmentation. Aims of defragmentation Reading and writing data on a heavily fragmented hard drive is slowed down as the time for the heads to move between fragments on the disk surface can be substantial. The ... (view more)