Dennis Faas

Infopackets Reader Linda K. writes: " Dear Dennis, I am running Windows 98 and would like to know what 'Direct X' is? I have trouble playing some games because there are system requirements (namely, Direct X 6.0 or greater). How can I solve this ... problem? " My response: Direct X is a "pre-requisite" software package made by Microsoft that allows you to play games. In a nutshell, Direct-X defines the gaming 'foundation' for the games you play via Windows (consisting of sound, and video specifications, among others). You can download Direct X from Microsoft's web site: http ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Denise A. writes: " Hi Dennis, First let me say that I thoroughly enjoy your newsletter. What a wealth of information it is! I just finished reading Tuesday's Gazette article, ' restricting access to portions of the start menu ', ... for the sake of security. My question is this: can a folder or certain file be password protected? I am running Windows XP. " My response: If you own more than one computer and have a local area network, you can can restrict who has access to what by setting the "share" privileges on Folders. On the other hand: if you only own 1 ... (view more)

Recall -- Yesterday, Infopackets Reader Don R. asked if I had any suggestions for running old DOS programs in a Windows environment. In my response , I provided some links to sites with helpful DOS / Windows information (especially for games), but ... then asked Infopackets Readers for additional info. DOS-enthusiast Mike K. writes: " You're welcome to 'steal' anything useful from my website (KennedySoftware.ie). In particular, you might take a very quick look at LesSpace, PatchCRT, and some long-winded notes on running 'Old-Apps' in newer OSes and PCs. If you or any of your Readers have ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Judy R. writes: " Dear Dennis, I am looking for a laptop that would support an online business. I have a decent computer at home, but would like to have a separate computer for the business. I was thinking of a laptop; are there ... any you would recommend? I would need some ability to back-up. We have DSL High Speed Internet at home and would like to go wireless. We're a little lost on how to do that, though we have the parts. PS: I enjoy your newsletter -- some of it is way over my head, but I am getting some good basic information. Keep up the good work. Thank you. ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Don R. writes: " Dear Dennis, I run some old DOS programs on my new XP PC and am running into memory problems. I have tried all the memory manager options I see, but they have no result. Any suggestions? " Side note: MS DOS is the ... predecessor operating system to Microsoft Windows. Unlike Windows, DOS operates from a command line. For example: to load a program, you would typically need to navigate to a program folder (by issuing DOS commands) and then execute a program by typing in its name. A sample MS DOS Window can be seen here . My response: I get asked this ( ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Joseph B. writes: " Dear Dennis, Is there a way in XP Home to remove access to programs from other users? For instance, I have Quicken that I use, but I do not want my 8 year old son to have access to the program. Can you give me ... any suggestions? " My response: As you may already be aware, user accounts can be assigned using WinXP (Control Panel -> Users). Noting this, some programs give you the option to specify that "All" or "Some" users have access to a program -- but only at the time of the install. If this option is not available, you ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Susan C. writes: " Dear Dennis, First I want to say that I love reading your newsletter because you always have very interesting topics. My question today is in regard to Outlook Express blocking access to my email attachments. As ... per your instruction, I have disabled the option in Tools -> Options -> Security tab -> 'do not allow attachments to be saved or opened that could potentially be a virus.' However, Outlook Express still blocks access to some of my files (.PDF, for example). I don't know what else I can do to get around this problem? Any help you can ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Peter S. writes: " Dear Dennis, I'd like to add my two pennyworth to your recent article on XoftSpy . I have recently tried out the software and so far have been pleased ... I [also] run Ad-Aware and Spybot regularly and I have ... SpywareBlaster running in the background on my machine, plus a firewall and AntiVirus software. I downloaded XoftSpy in an attempt to get rid of a persistent nasty worm (Dumaru-AM) which the other software failed to solve. I am pleased to say that XoftSpy worked well and picked up several other bugs ... This is not to say that the other programs ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Linda G. writes: " Dear Dennis, I just read your article on the free Spyware scanning software, ' XoftSPy '. It reminded me of a similar experience I had with a program called PC Bug Doctor. The PC Bug Doctor web site promised to ... scan and repair 'every error on your Computer anytime you need it.' I admit, I was a bit skeptical, but figured it would be worth a shot. Boy was I wrong! Although the program reported over 200 errors on my computer, I had to register it in order to fix them ($40). Mind you, I would have gladly paid the registration fee if I knew what the ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Diane D. writes: " Dear Dennis, I recently found a program called 'XoftSpy' while browsing the 'net. The web site offered a free download to check my PC, so I tried it. After it ran a check, it came up with 97 registry faults, and ... 10 file faults. Can you tell me if you have heard of this program, or even given it a try, and what the results were? I am considering purchasing the full program, but would like to know if there is anything similar that does the same job, and comparisons please. " My response: To be honest, I have never used or heard of "XoftSpy ... (view more)