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Unicom Computers User's Tips
Here are some great tips on using different applications and improving your pc's performance. If you have something you'd like to share, please email to us. We'd be happy to include it here. Thanks! Note of caution: Some of these tips may require deleting files or uploading programs and applications to your computer. Do so carefully! We are not responsible for anything that may result by executing the advise listed below. You do so at your own risk. We offer expert assistance if you want is to do this for you (for a fee). Thank you!
Stop Auto Reboot -
Vista -
XP -
That's all there is to it. The next time you get updates, you will see a notification in the task bar (at the bottom right on most computers). Click on it to install updates. And don't forget to do this since might be important security patches. Or you will also see a notification to install updates when you shut down your computer (install updates and turn off computer).
Large file extension list and file types resource website. A huge file extension
list including easy-
Audio & Video Tools:
Windows Media Player -
RealPlayer -
QuickTime -
Macromedia Flash -
Macromedia Shockwave -
Windows XP PowerToys and Add-
PowerToys and Add-
Stop Windows Messenger from Auto-
Simply delete the following Registry Key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\MSMSGS
REMEMBER TO: Make a backup of your registry file before altering it.
Lost Your Windows Product ID?
The Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder is a freeware utility that retrieves your Product Key (CD key) used to install Windows or Office from your registry. It has the options to copy the key to clipboard, save it to a text file, or print it for safekeeping. It works on Windows 95, 98, ME, NT4, 2000, XP, Server 2003, Office 97 and Office XP. Unfortunately, it does not appear to support Office 2000. The Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder is available here or at: http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder.shtml.
Change Drive Letters in Windows XP
Windows XP makes it fairly easy to change drive letters, as long as you're not trying
to change the boot drive. Launch Control Panel from the Start menu, and double-
To swap DVD drives D: and E:, right-
Bought a new evga e-
Good question! You're right, evga didn't have updated drivers for this card on their
website, and in fact, said to use drivers that came with card. There is a possibility
that the video card has some bad memory on it, but before you go thru the trouble
of replacing the card, try this. If your motherboard had VIA chipset on it, go to:
www.viaarena.com. What we found is that even though your motherboard is new, the
4in1 drivers were outdated. At top of page, select Drivers, then Microsoft Windows.
Then select Windows XP, then Chipset or Platform drivers. This will take you to
Via Hyperion 4in1 drivers. Download this file, extract and install. You won't need
to remove any previously installed drivers, as this will overwrite them. After you
install, reboot computer and problem should be gone. If not, try evga.com for what
they call 'reference drivers' for this card. If that fails, call evga's tech support
for further information. Also, evga.com offers a community bulletin board with faq
on program issues, esp. specific games & program fixes. For nVidia driver issues
access here (http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-
Having a problem with Outlook loading normally? I did! Seems that everything on my computer was loading/running with no problem...and then out of the blue, Outlook took FOREVER to load? Why? It seems that the problem occurs when you disable Windows Messenger. Now, I've never disable Windows Messenger (to my knowledge), but I figure that a recent program I loaded did it for me. Anyway, after looking around Internet for an answer, I found one. Do the following:
RUN gpedit.msc
SELECT:
computer configuration/
administrative templates/
windows components/
windows messenger
SELECT Properties, then:
set first item on "disabled" (disabling an disabled function = enabled)
Apply and Save, then reload Outlook. It should load normally at this point.
If that didn't work, try this (do so at your own risk, since you will be editing your registry file. Make a back up first to be on the safe side:
Here is another way to fix the slow loading in Outlook Express.
Sometimes removing or disabling Windows (or MSN) Messenger causes Outlook Express
to open slowly. This will shown by an entry in the system error log: The server {FB7199AB-
To fix this, run Regedit (Start > Run) and navigate to this key:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
\CLSID
\{FB7199AB-
\InProcServer32
In the right-
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT
\CLSID
\{FB7199AB-
\LocalServer32
Once both (Default) values are empty, Outlook Express will open normally.
Disabling Blue Screen Of Death Auto-
When you are running Windows XP, you may have noticed that every so often (rarely)
that Windows reboots without you asking it to. This tends to be caused by a Blue
Screen error. If you want to see what this error is, you will have to check the error
log list because Windows reboots too quickly for you to read what happened. Well
with this tip you can disable the Auto-
Go to Start -
Go to Advanced
Under the Startup and Recovery section, click Settings...
Under System Failure un-
Create Bootable CD or Floppy
Here are a few options available for free:
Knoppix -
BartPE -
MenuetOS -
Hard Drive Tips
Always back up. Keep current copies of important data off site. Always quit your programs before shutting down your computer to avoid data loss and program corruption. Directory damage can be caused by turning off peripheral devices (printer, scanner, etc.) while computer is on or when drive is active. Test your back up before reformatting a hard drive. If you use tapes, be sure you're familiar with the backup software before archiving important data. If the hard drive is operating, do not move or jar your computer/drive. Always use a padded container when transporting a hard drive. If shipping a drive, use original container or pad drive with at least 3" of packing (foam, bubble, peanuts, or other cushion material), and make sure no part of the drive touches the box. Do not block airflow or put external drives on carpet. This can create static electricity and could not only damage the drive but cause a fire. Generally, if you're comfortable, the climate should be okay for the drive. Allow the drive to warm up to room temperature if previously in a very cold environment. Use high quality surge protectors or line conditioners on all computer equipment.
Microsoft Critical Patches.
With the continuous security issues and vulnerability of Windows, it's necessary to check Microsoft's web site for operating system and program updates. Make it a habit to check at least once a week. BE CAREFUL not to fall prey to emails that states it has "attached" files with MS fixes or patches. Use your operating system's link "Windows Updates" to access Microsoft's web site only. Software fixes address a wide range of products.
When was the last time you lost important data?
Maybe it's time to consider an online file and storage backup service. This special report from Unicom Computers presents an overview of 13 different companies offering a valuable service. Some offer free trial periods so you can experiment with what works best for you. Sleep at night
Open In New Window While Browsing On Internet
Have you ever been at a site and saw a link you wanted to follow? Almost clicking the link, you then decide to finish looking through the web page you're currently on, but would like to click on the link without loosing your place. What should you do?
Next time you're faced with the question above, right-
annoying. Since the rest of your search results ready and waiting for you when you're finished exploring a link, simply close that page and you're right back to the search engine, and you know exactly where you left off.
Back up all your files from Outlook Express, follow these instructions:
1, To save your account settings you need to back up a registry key, do this by clicking 'start' then 'run', type regedit in the box, hit 'ok'. Using the folder list on the left hand side navigate your way to find this key and highlight it by clicking on 'Accounts':
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Account Manager\Accounts
Click on 'File' and select 'export' save this file as 'accounts' on to a floppy disk. When you have finished installing windows xp chuck the floppy in the drive and double click 'accounts' to import the key back to the registry.
2, To make a backup copy of your e-
Start Outlook Express.
On the 'Tools' menu, click 'Options'.
On the 'Maintenance' tab, click 'Store Folder', click to select the path, press CTRL+C to copy the path, click 'Cancel', and then click 'Cancel' again to close the dialog box.
Click 'Start', click 'Run', click in the 'Open' box, press CTRL+V, and then click 'OK'.
On the 'Edit' menu, click 'Select All'.
On the 'Edit' menu, click 'Copy'.
Paste the files into another folder, burn on to a CD if you have a writer.
When your installation of Win XP is complete restore or import your e-
On the 'File' menu, point to 'Import', and then click 'Messages'.
In the 'Select an e-
Click 'Import mail from an OE store directory', and then click 'OK'.
Click 'Browse', and then point to the folder that includes the files you exported in the last bit.
Click 'All folders', click 'Next', and then click 'Finish'.
More than 512MB Memory Work-
If you install more than 512MB of memory, and you are running Windows 95 thru Millennium, you will get an "Out of Memory" Error Message. A special THANK YOU to Jay Bachman for this tip on how to fix the problem!
"Out of Memory" Error Messages with Large Amounts of RAM Installed
The information in this article applies to: Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition
Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition
Microsoft Windows 98
Microsoft Windows 95
This article was previously published under Q253912
If this article does not describe your hardware-
SYMPTOMS
If a computer that is running any of the versions of Windows that are listed above
contains more than 512 megabytes (for example, 768 megabytes) of physical memory
(RAM), you may experience one or more of the following symptoms: You may be unable
to open an MS-
There is not enough memory available to run this program.
Quit one or more programs, and then try again.
The computer may stop responding (hang) while Windows is starting, or halt and display the following error message:
Insufficient memory to initialize windows. Quit one or more memory-
CAUSE
The Windows 32-
On computers with large amounts of RAM, the maximum cache size can be large enough
that Vcache consumes all of the addresses in the system arena, leaving no virtual
memory addresses available for other functions such as opening an MS-
WORKAROUND
To work around this problem, use one of the following methods:
1) Use the MaxFileCache setting in the System.ini file to reduce the maximum amount
of memory that Vcache uses to 512 megabytes (524,288 KB) or less. For additional
information about how to use the MaxFileCache setting, click the article number below
to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 108079 32-
2) Use the System Configuration utility to limit the amount of memory that Windows uses to 512 megabytes (MB) or less.For additional information about how to use the System Configuration utility, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 181966 System Configuration Utility Advanced Troubleshooting Settings
3) Reduce the amount of memory that is installed in your computer to 512 MB or less.
STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.
MORE INFORMATION
Vcache is limited internally to a maximum cache size of 800 MB.
This problem may occur more readily with Advanced Graphics Port (AGP) video adapters
because the AGP aperture is also mapped to addresses in the system arena. For example,
if Vcache is using a maximum cache size of 800 MB and an AGP video adapter has a
128-
Last Reviewed:
7/30/2002
Keywords:
kbDiskMemory kberrmsg kbprb KB253912
You’ve Got Spam: How to "Can" Unwanted Email
Do you receive lots of junk email messages from people you don't know? It's no surprise
if you do. As more people use email, marketers are increasingly using email messages
to pitch their products and services. Some consumers find unsolicited commercial
email -
See More Web Page with Internet Explorer
If you'd like to see more web page with less MS Internet Explorer toolbars, here's
a little trick. Hit the F11 key when you’re on a web page. It'll put you into "full
screen" mode. Go back to normal mode by hitting F11 again. An issue some have with
full screen mode is the absence of things like your address or menu bar. In this
case, you can. Simply right-
To transfer either Records (vinyl) or Cassette Tapes to CD's:
1) You need to have a tape deck to play the Tape (preferably a Stereo Component Tape Deck). OR a Turntable of some variety to play the record. Any device you use to play the original Music or Voice playback will need an Audio out or aux out port and Cable. This is to get the music into your PC.
2) You need to have a Soundcard (some PC's have the sound Chips built into their
motherboards) that has an Audio IN Port. This is a must have to be able to do this
job! (SoundBlaster Live Value Cards will do this and they go for around $39.00) You
may also need an adapter to change the cable end from your tape deck into the proper
plug-
3) You need to get a software program that allows you to a) Record the original audio
and b) hopefully to edit the sound quality (clean up the hissing). Some software
programs will do it all including burning the Audio CD as well. You can get a trial
or freeware software program that will record and edit your original music at http://www.download.com
or http://download.com.com/3120-
Just do a search for audio transfer or audio recording programs (or some such heading). Of course, then you will have to burn the CD yourself, so you had better practice up....GOOD LUCK!
AND HERE'S ANOTHER SUGGESTION...
Some systems also have a "line in" port that is the same size as a stereo headphone plug.. you can adapt your earphone from the original player to this .. probably get the adaptor at a "Radio Shack" or "Circuit City" or similar stores. Tell them you want to "patch" from a stereo "headphone plug" to the "line in" on your computer.
Once you can "feed" the computer from this source then you can use some programs to record "burn" a cd by selecting "line in" as source .. of material, data in your "Nero" or other program. I am sure somewhere there is a step by step to this procedure. If I come cross it I will post.
Then any media device.. phonograph, tape player, etc with an stereo earphone plug can be hooked direct to your PC and it would be found on "Line In" as source.
If your older phonograph for vinyl records has the larger headphone plug the same stores should be able to provide an adapter from those to the "line in" plug.
Recovering space on your hard drive. Listed below are some of the files you might want to find and remove to clear out some junk and help Windows get back up to speed. These files are safe to remove. To find these files or folders, go to 'start' then 'search'. Use the asterisk '*' in front of the file type or name you are searching for, and this will find the files with the extension for the file(s) you want. An example would be: *.bak. If you have partitioned your hard drive, be sure to search all your drives. Once the search is finished you can delete the files easily by highlighting them all and then hit the 'del' or 'delete' key. If you hold the 'shift' key down while you hit 'delete' the files will be removed completely without sending them to the 'recycle bin' first. If you aren't sure about a specific file, here is a website that can help, called FILExt. Go there first if you aren't sure.
Files to look for:
.tmp -
.gid -
.chk -
.~?? -
.bak -
.old -
Bad clusters on your hard drive? This may or may not be fixable. It really depends on how bad and how many of the clusters are bad. But a low level format could help, or it may just prolong the agony. What you need to do is run a partition removal debug script on the hard drive. This will ERASE EVERYTHING on the hard drive, so backup your data first or its gone. You will need a windows 98 or ME boot disk on floppy for this to tool to work. Debug Script. This is just a basic run through of debug. After you do the debug then you need to reboot and run fdisk and reboot and format the hard drive. If these steps don't work then you will probably need to replace your drive. Get it here
Your computer won't handle Windows XP or certain software applications. When it's
time to make a worthwhile upgrade, you may find your computer can't handle it. Maybe
the microprocessor is too old. Perhaps you don't have enough memory, or your hard
drive is too slow. This could be a problem with Windows XP, or demanding applications
such as games. Let's look at Windows XP. Microsoft has hawked successive Windows
systems as "exciting," "fun" and "absolutely necessary" for years. Operating systems
are never exciting or fun; they are the digital equivalent of a carpenter's toolbox.
And upgrades rarely have been absolutely necessary. However, Windows XP takes reliability
to a whole new level. I would argue that it is necessary if you're using Windows
ME, 98 or 95. Those operating systems were based on DOS, and are much more crash-
If you boot up, and the computer cannot find the C: drive, you might have a bad hard
drive. If you have another computer, swap hard drives to diagnose the problem.
If your computer boots with the other drive, yours is probably bad. Sometimes, a
reboot will work. Your drive might have enough life to spin up occasionally. If this
works, transfer your data to another drive, pronto. According to techie lore, you
can seal a nonworking drive in a bag and put it in a freezer overnight. That could
shrink things enough to free them up. I've used this trick a few times and it's worth
a try. A regular backup regimen will save you in case of hard-
If you regularly get the "Blue Screen of Death," you may have a random access memory (RAM) problem. Note the message on the blue screen, especially the numbers. Check it in Microsoft's Help and Support Knowledge Base. Also, put it in a search engine and check the Internet. Assuming you can diagnose it, a memory problem is easy to fix. If you can't find the diagnosis information you need online, you can try swapping out memory sticks from another computer. But that memory must be the same type. If all else fails, take the old memory to a computer store. The people there may be willing to test it. Sticks of memory go in slots near the microprocessor. They're about four inches long. Remove the old memory and match it at the store. Memory prices are all over the map, depending on type and speed. Be sure you get the same type. Unplug your computer before removing and installing memory. When you press the new memory into the slot, you will probably have to use some force. The clips on each end will snap into place when the memory is seated properly.
Wondering what all those things are on your startup lists, what they're for and if you really need them or not? Using up precious resources and memory, programs won't run correctly? Here's a link to very resourceful web page that will help answer these, and more, questions. Find out here
Let's say you have a video camera and would like to put your tapes onto CD. Perhaps you are thinking of purchasing a DVD burner and you want to make DVDs of you tape. In either case, the place to go to learn about video CDs or DVDs is VCDHelp. Here you'll find guides to help you make VCDs and DVDs and how to locate and use the necessary software and hardware tools. Click here to go to VCDHelp.
Would you like to get the latest consumer news? We all need to determine the best prices for the best quality of goods. There are a number of consumer magazines and web sites available, Consumer Reports being the most famous, but we're somewhat partial to Consumer World. You'll find information about products as well as the latest news at this site. To see what you think, click here to go to the site.
Do you work with MP3 files? Simple MP3 Maker is a free CD Ripper, MP3/Audio Encoder, MP3/Audio Player and MP3/Audio Decoder . Click here to download.
Fast, faster, fastest. Internet connections: they're all about speed. If you want practical info on Broadband Internet connections, Windows, overclocking, patches and registry tweaks that enhance your connection speed, and more, you'll find it at SpeedGuide.net. Calling itself "the Broadband Source," this site has a little bit of everything dedicated to connection speed. A large section of the site is given over to cable modem and DSL technology and stresses improving TCP/IP performance over high speed/latency networks. If speed is what you need, click here.
Do you enjoy video gaming? If so, the Patches Scrolls site may be what you're looking
for. The site describes itself as "the Internet's premier source for bug-
If you want to have replies to your Outlook Express messages sent to some address other than the one you used to send the messages, you can change the reply address. To do this, choose Tools|Accounts. When Internet Accounts opens, click the Mail tab. Select the account name you're interested in modifying and click Properties. With the Properties dialog box opens, click the General tab (if necessary). Click in the "Replay address" entry box and type in the reply address that you want to use and click OK. Back in Internet Accounts, click Close. Any mail generated by a recipient clicking Reply will go to your specified Reply address.
If You're Having Problems With Scan Disk and Defrag Your Hard Drive, Try This...
Starting your computer in safe mode simply means that all the extra programs that normally run in the background are bypassed and only the bare essentials are loaded. The scandisk and defrag will run much faster in safe mode without having to restart each time one of those programs writes to the disk. It helps also if you turn off your screen saver till you're done.
To start in safe mode, click on the "start" button and click "shut down".
Click on "restart" and hold down the "ctrl" key while the computer restarts. (on some, you need to use the "f8" key) Keep holding the key down until the menu comes up that asks you to choose the type of start up you want. The one you want is plain "safe mode", usually #3. You will type in the number and hit "enter".
When it finishes loading, your colors and your desktop will look strange, don't worry, that's normal.
Now click on "start">"programs">"accessories">"system tools">"disk defragmenter".
It will ask which disk to defragment if you have more than one, just choose your main hard drive, usually called "C". Then hit "ok" to start it.
If it's never been done, then it will still take a while, even in safe mode, so be patient.
When it's done, close the defragmenter and go back to "system tools" and do the "scan
disk". Also do a "disk clean-
When you're all done just click on "start">"shut down">"restart". Your computer should now start back in the normal mode.
Now that the back-
Note: Run the "Scandisk" BEFORE you run the defrag because if you have errors on your hard drive, defrag will keep restarting. Errors on your hard drive are most commonly caused when you have to manually shut down your puter instead of using the normal shut down procedures. When you run the scandisk, make sure the box is checked that says "automatically fix errors. You should always run scandisk first, then defrag.
Filtering Spam in Outlook Express
An easy way to filter spam in Outlook Express is to use Outlook Express' message filtering. To check this out, choose File|Folders|New. Select Local Folders and type "Spam" into the "Folder name" entry box. Click OK to continue.
Now choose Tools|Message Rules|Mail. Click New and then select the check box labeled "Where the To line contains people". Next, select the check box labeled "Move it to the
specified folder".
Next, under Rule Description, click "Contains People" and then type in your e-
not contain the people below" and click OK.
Back in the New Mail Rule dialog, click "specified" under "Rule Description" and
double-
Outlook Express will now send all e-
Printing from Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 -
To turn off background printing in IE 6, choose Tools|Internet Options. When the dialog box opens, click the Advanced tab. Scroll down to Printing and deselect the check box labeled "Print background colors and images". Click OK to close the dialog box and save you selection.
Finding the Microsoft Internet Explorer Cookies -
In Windows 98 the cookies are located at c:\Windows\Cookies\. However, Windows XP is a different story because of the logon name requirement. Let's say your logon name is Eli. Your Microsoft Internet Explorer cookies are located at C:\Documents and Settings\Eli\Cookies
Opening Files in Microsoft Internet Explorer's Temp Folder -
To do this, choose Tools|Internet Options. When the Internet Options dialog opens, Click the Security tab and then click Custom Level. Select the radio button labeled "Enable" under "Launching applications and files in an IFRAME". Click OK to close the Security dialog and then click OK again to close Internet Options and apply your new selection.
Disabling Animated Gifs In Microsoft Internet Explorer -
Using BCC in Outlook Express 6 -
Finding Domain Information -
There are times that you click a link and the page doesn't open. Don't give up too soon. We find that trying a link immediately after it fails often brings up the page. Even if you can't access a page immediately, you may be able to reach it later. Don't assume that a page is down. It may be simply a case of an overworked web server. And sometimes the web is just too slow. When you try again, you may get a better route to the site.
Using JavaScript in Netscape 6 -
Pinging a URL -
The HP Learning Center -
Using the Outlook Express Preview Pane -
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