Dennis Faas

Infopackets Reader Juanita S. writes: " Dear Dennis, How do I make my address bar smaller or shorter? My address bar goes completely across (and beyond) the top of my page ... there is no room on the right side of the screen [for me to input a new ... web address]. Can you please help? " My response: At first, I wasn't sure what Juanita was referring to, so I asked her to send me a screen capture. After viewing the picture, I noticed that the URL in her address bar continues beyond the frame of the screen -- and this is completely acceptable. There is a way to reposition / shorten the ... (view more)

I've got some good news and some bad news. First, the bad news: I've just received word that my favorite privacy protection / cleaning utility (Window Washer) will be increasing in price starting January 5th, 2004. The official word from David Dunn ... @ Webroot is: " ... We have raised the price of Window Washer to $39.95. This updated pricing actually rolled out on Webroot.com with the release of Window Washer v.5.0 ... The added functionality of this new release [has been] combined with the addition of a free copy of My Personal Favorites [an innovative tool for securing and organizing ... (view more)

Seasons greeting s! I don't normally send out the Gazette on the weekend, but I have a number of important issues to discuss which are time sensitive. Let me be brief. Issue #1: Changes to the Infopackets Web Server The infopackets fund raiser was a ... success and I will be putting an order in for the new web server as soon as the setup that I want becomes available (most likely after the new year). In the past few weeks I have been making modifications to the newsletter delivery program in preparation for the new web server. Once the new server is online, the newsletter delivery program will ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Bob B. writes: " Dear Dennis, Thank you for the newsletter! I read it with interest because you discuss so many useful things that PC users struggle with sometimes. I have a very peculiar problem with my PC: I recently visited the ... Microsoft Windows Update Website and installed numerous hot fixes and critical updates; when I launch a new task, all of my new active windows launch behind (instead of in front) of the window that is already open. For example, if I launch Outlook Express and check for new email by clicking on the Send / Receive button, the Send and Receive ... (view more)

Recall -- Two weeks ago, I asked Infopackets Readers to send me their picks for a reasonably-priced economy class printer that has refillable ink cartridges with the print head built onto the cartridge. " ... There are in fact many bubble-jet / ... ink-jet printers on the market today that sell for under $50 dollars. The printers are priced low because ink is consumable -- and in many cases, the name brand cartridges cost almost as much as the printer. I have owned my Canon Bubble Jet BJ-200 printer for over 10 years now and it prints as good as the first day I bought it. The reason for this ... (view more)

This may be old news for some of you -- but, the Kazaa Lite web site has been shut down. I haphazardly stumbled across this fact over the weekend when I visited the main Kazaa Lite web site. The official word from about.com is that the Kazaa Lite ... project "has apparently been shut down under pressure from the company [Sharman Networks, which] manages the official Kazaa Media Desktop. [All 'hacked' versions of Kazaa Lite] have been removed from the primary download location [ http://kazaalite.tk ] and many mirror sites. For now, pre-installations of Kazaa Lite remain functional." ( ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader 'CusterCr' writes: " I have been away from home for quite some time. A friend of mine went to use my computer recently, and now she has to hit F10 on the keyboard to save the time and date every time the computer turns on. Any ... ideas what might be wrong? " My response: It is most likely that your CMOS battery has faded away and now your BIOS settings have been lost. The BIOS settings will keep resetting every time power is lost or the computer is unplugged because there is no way to save the information (which is done with the aid of a CMOS battery). Put in Simple ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Madelaine M. writes: " Lately, when I am trying to connect to the Internet, I get a message saying, 'Brute Force Server Error'. When I click the window, the error message disappears. I use Norton Anti-virus 2002 and Spy Sweeper to ... scan my system for viruses and Spyware. What else should I do to avoid this problem?" My response: I can say that I have never heard of this error message before. I did some research using Google, but wasn't able to come up with anything conclusive. However, what I did find is that the term "Brute Force" refers to a form of ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Brian P. writes: " Hello Dennis, My Epson printer has just given up on me and I suspect it may have a lot to do with the fact that I refilled my empty cartridges with generic ink, rather than replace them with cruelly expensive ... name-brand cartridges. As a result, my print head has gummed up to the point where I need to buy a new printer. Having re-read your article regarding your printing experience with your Canon BJ-200 , which is no doubt well out of date now [December 18, 2002], I wondered if you could recommend an inexpensive printer that's available on the market ... (view more)

Last week, I announced that the infopackets web server is stressed and needs upgrading. Since it is not within my budget to rent an additional dedicated web server, I launched a fund raiser in hopes that Infopackets Readers would contribute enough ... to help cover the spiraling cost of maintaining this web site. To rally support desperately needed from Readers, I provided three methods of contribution: Donate money via PayPal or by Credit Card . Purchase one or two of my supplemental eBook and Video learning tutorials (now up to 65% off, with an additional 25% off if you buy more than 2 ... (view more)