windows

Since writing this newsletter, I have come across a handful of noteworthy applications aimed at streamlining a Windows PC. Some of the programs I've reviewed are very particular in nature and focus primarily on one task, while others are ... multi-utility oriented. What is System LifeGuard v2.0? System LifeGuard v2.0 is a Swiss Army Knife of essential PC maintenance. Developed by NeoByte Solutions, System LifeGuard v2.0 includes a comprehensive collection of utilities designed to dramatically improve the performance of a Windows PC by safely removing junk files and folders and invalid System ... (view more)

I spent much of this weekend going over the emails that I've received from Readers concerning a new eBook that I'm working on, a Windows XP Service Pack 2 'failsafe' installation Guide. The consensus from the majority of Readers is that XP Service ... Pack 2 has caused some confusion (with respect to new security features), problems connecting to the Internet (related to the new Windows Firewall) and in some cases, failed to install properly (requiring the user to erase the C drive and reinstall Windows). As I mentioned earlier, the pros of Service Pack 2 outweigh the cons (in my opinion), even ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Jospeh D. writes: " Dear Dennis, Your newsletters are the greatest! I've installed Windows XP Service Pack 2 *twice* on my machine, and both times, it told me that I didn't have a virus program installed. I've tried Grisoft ... AntiVirus and also tried AVAST32. Still, Windows XP is not recognizing them. Every time I start my computer there is a reminder for me to install a virus program. Am I protected or not? " My response: This one had me stumped, too. If your antivirus program is sitting in the tray (next to the clock), then chances are that it's working. It's a ... (view more)

Imagine this: you're sitting in front of your computer, writing an email -- and all the sudden, you forget how to spell a word -- or worse yet, you need to find another way to express yourself in a thought-provoking or entertaining manner. It ... happens to me all the time. Like most folks, I use Outlook Express to read and compile my emails because it's free and comes bundled with Windows. Unfortunately, the MS Spell Checker isn't part of Windows or Outlook Express by default (you'll need to install MS Office or similar ) -- and to top it all off, Outlook Express doesn't offer a thesaurus. What ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Ron E. 'fiftylakesfox' writes: " I recently ran Safe Mode (under Windows ME) and after restarting my computer, almost all my Desktop icons showed up with the blue big "E" (as in Internet Explorer). I used the Microsoft 'System ... Restore' feature, but it didn't help at all. I've contacted Microsoft about this problem but haven't received a response in over two days. You or your readers are probably best source to help me get my hijacked icons back. Any suggestions? PS: Thanks very much for providing such an excellent newsletter. " My response: This has ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Ed C. writes: " Dear Dennis, I look forward to read your newsletter each week. When I insert a disc in my CD ROM drive, it won't start automatic like it once did. In order to get it to work, I have to right click 'My Computer', ... then select 'CD-ROM' to get it to play. I'm running Windows XP. Is there any way around this?" My response: The feature you are referring to is called AutoStart, and can be enabled or disabled using Microsoft's free utility, called PowerToys (or 'TweakUI'). Take a look at this picture here which shows you exactly where the feature is ... (view more)

With so many different audio and video formats circulating the Internet, keeping track of which media player plays which format is almost a next-to-impossible task. For example: .MOV files are made with Apple QuickTime, and won't play in Windows ... Media Player; QuickTime player (which plays .MOV files) won't play DivX movies, and RealAudio and RealVideo files won't play in either QuickTime or Windows Media Player. To top it all off, none of the above mentioned formats will play on a portable .WMA (Windows Media Audio) device. Confused yet? Audio and video files generally contain content meant ... (view more)

Does your computer seem slower than the first day you brought it home and plugged it in? Does it report strange error messages when launching program -- or worse yet, does it periodically display the infamous Blue Screen of Death? Typically, these ... symptoms are a result of a poorly configured or un-optimized System Registry . How the Windows Registry impacts system performance and stability Over time, programs are installed and uninstalled to Windows, and the Registry becomes bloated with incorrect and outdated information.(1) Many of the attributes contained in the Registry database point to ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader 'Margie100' writes: "Dear Dennis, You've probably have answered this question a million times, but I am having trouble finding the right answer for me. I am running XP and lately this PC just freezes up when I open just about ... everything. Pressing CTRL + ALT + DEL usually fixes it but I know that this is a temporary fix and it usually locks up again shortly after that. I've scanned my system for viruses, cleaned my hard drive using the defrag utility, and use scandisk to check for file-system errors. I know from your newsletters that it may be possible that there is ... (view more)