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Tips and Tricks as well as Help and Training Guides
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With the speed at which technology is warping by many users and new users are being left behind in a mumble jumble of terms and computer jargon that makes no sense what so ever to them.
This section will hopefully help to sort out many of these common termanology problems.
Access Time: The amount of time it takes a storage device to actually read or write information or time spent connected to the internet or toan on-line device.
API (Application Program Interface): A language and messsage format used by an application program to communicate with an operating system or other system program.
Archive: An archived file may be used to back up copies of currently used programs or files or to store data and material no longer in use. A type of file in which other compressed files are stored.
Asymmetric Modem: A full-duplex modem that transmits data at one speed while receiving data at a different speed.
Asymmetric Multiprocessing (ASMP): Instead of all CPU's functioning as a single resource, each CPU is assigned a particular program or part of a program to execute for the session.
Attachment: When sending e-mail, an attachment is any kind of file linked to and transmitted with your message.
Authentication: Verification of a user's identity when the user logs onto a network.
Auto-Answer: A feature in telecommunications equipment which responds to teh ring signal of an incoming call on a dialup telephone line that automatically establishes a connection.
Autodial: A feature in telecommunications equipment that establishes a connection by opening the phone line and automatically dials the telephone number of another extension or phone number.
Bandwidth: The transmission capaciity of a computer channel, communications line or bus. The difference between the lowest and highest frequency in a transmission signal.
BBS (Bulletin-Board Service): An online computer system used to distribute information, messages, shareware or vendor's software updates and program fixes.
Bit Rate: The transmission speed of binary-coded data.
Bookmark: A pointer to an Internet address kept in a file by a browser.
Bounce: Sent e-mail messages that are returned as undeliverable.
bps (Bits Per Second): The basic unit of measurement for serial data transmission capacity, stand for the number of bits transmitted per second.
BPS (Backup Power Supply): A device that switches to an alternative power source when the main source fails.
Broadband: A technique for transmitting data, voice and video over long distances using high frequency transmission over coaxial cable or optic fibers.
Browse: To view the contents of a file or a group of files. To view and edit a system created in a program specialised for visual system design.
Browser (or Web Browser): A program that receives information from the World Wide Web. Browsers range in complexity from the simple text based Lynx® to sophisticated graphical programes like Netscape® Navigator and Microsoft® Internet Explorer.
cc:Mail™: A widely used messaging system from Lotus® that runs on PC LANs.
CGI (Common Gateway Interface): The programming interface for executing programs on the Web (HTTP) serveers which defines the structure for passing data from the server to the server's gateway program.
Chat: A type of online interaction common on the Internet and many Bulletin Board Services an donline services in which two or more users type and send messages to each other in real-time conversations.
Chat Mode: An online communications option that enables users to type messages back and forth to each other.
Chat Room: A self contained area or location typically maintained by an onlineservice and usually devoted to a particular topic which users can access to type with each other.
Client: A workstation or a PC in a client/server envirnment. One end of the spectrum in a request/supply relationship between programs.
Client/Server: An architecture in which the client workstation is the requesting machine and the server is the supplying machine.
Client/Server Network: A communications network that uses dedicated servers. A network that is processing applicationsdesigned for client/server architecture.
Communications Program: Software that manages the data transmission between computers and terminals.
Communications Protocol: Hardware and software standards that govern transmission between two stations.
Com Port: A serial communications port on a PC.
Database: A set of related files created and managed by a database storage and retrieval system (DBMS).
Database Server: A computer in a LAN dedicated to a database storage and retrieval.
Data Communications: The process equipment or facilities used to transport data from a device at one location to a device at another location.
Data Encryption Standard (DES): An encryption technique that scrambles data into an unbreakable code for public transmission.
Data Transfer: The movement of data within a computer system. Data is transfered within a computer but it's transmitted over a communications network.
Data Transmissions: Sending data over a communications network.
Microsoft Internet Explorer - ORDERING! Changing order of favorites
Organizing the shortcuts on your Favorites menu. But what if you want to change their order? Unfortunately, IE doesn't let you to change the order of these items using the Organize dialog box. Items on the Favorites menu are displayed in alphabetical order.
Windows NT - Troubleshooting Replicator Problems
OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW
If one of your Windows NT servers is set up to use the Directory Replicator service and fails to properly import or export, here's what to do.
The easiest way to troubleshoot Replicator problems is to assign to the Replicator service a new name. Run User Manager for Domains. From the User menu, choose New User. Go to the Username field and type a user name. Now run Control Panel and select Services. Select the Directory Replicator service and, if the service is running, choose Stop. Make sure Directory Replicator service is selected and choose Startup. In the Log On As: section, click the browse button with the three dots to the right of the This Account Field. Choose the user name you just created and choose Add. The Add Name field will display as shown here:
<domain_name>\MyAcct
In this case, <domain_name> is your domain's name. Click OK twice. You'll get a dialog box that says:
The account <domain_name>\MyAcct has been granted the Log On As A Service right and added to the Replicator local group.
Choose Start to start the Directory Replicator service.
Windows 95 - Registry backups BACK IT UP
Lots of these tips involve editing the Registry. To be on the safe side, I recommend backing up the Registry before making any changes to it, just in case something goes wrong. Here's a quick review on making *full* Registry backups, so you'll have no excuse not to protect yourself:
1. Open the Registry Editor.
2. Pull down the Registry menu and choose Export Registry File.
3. Navigate to where you'd like to store the backup file, type in a name for the file, select All under Export range, and click Save.
When you back up the Registry, the result is a REG file. There are two ways to restore this information to the Registry:
1. Double-click the REG file.
2. Choose Import Registry File under Registry, navigate your way to the REG file, and click Open.
Windows 95 - Registry backups BACK IT UP
Lots of these tips involve editing the Registry. To be on the safe side, I recommend backing up the Registry before making any changes to it, just in case something goes wrong. Here's a quick review on making *partial* Registry backups, so you'll have no excuse not to protect yourself:
1. Open the Registry Editor.
2. Navigate your way to the branch you'd like to back up.
3. Choose Export Registry File under Registry. (Selected Branch will be selected under
Export range.)
4. Navigate to where you'd like to store the backup file, type in a name for the file, and
click Save.
When you do a partial backup, the result is a REG file. There are two ways to restore this information to the Registry:
1. Double-click the REG file.
2. Choose Import Registry File under Registry, navigate your way to the REG file, and
click Open.
Windows NT - Are You Sure Prompt - SAY YES
There are times when you need to get a reply to the ARE YOU SURE? (Y/N) question. The problem is that the CACLS.EXE command-line utility doesn't have a /Y switch that automatically answers with Y for Yes. However, you can use the echo command to pipe the character Y as the input to the ARE YOU SURE? (Y/N) prompt when you call CACLS.EXE using a batch file. Try this:
echo y| cacls /g :
Make sure you don't leave a space between y and the pipe symbol (|).
Microsoft Internet Explorer - HTML Document as Start Page - OUT ON A LINK
Pointing your browser to an HTML document on your hard drive, so you can place it in your shortcuts folder. You can use the same idea to use an HTML document on your hard drive as your startup page. Here's how:
1) Choose View|Options and click on the Navigation tab.
2) Select Start Page from the Page drop-down menu.
3) Type C:\\.htm, then click OK.
Click on the Home button to verify that your start page is the HTML document you wanted. Now, if you have an HTML editor, you can create an HTML page with all your favorite links on it. Then specify that document as your start page, and IE will start up with a page of your favorite links!
Windows NT - MAKE YOUR OWN SPACE
You can run Windows 3.x (16-bit) applications in their own memory space in Windows NT.
To do this, go to the Program Manager, click the program's icon, and choose
File|Properties. In the Properties dialog box, select "Run in Separate Memory
Space."
Microsoft Windows 95 - ClipBook Storage
GOOD STORAGE WITH CLIPBOOK
There's some amazing, little-known stuff on the Windows 95 CD-ROM--for instance, a better version of Clipboard. When you copy or cut something to the usual Clipboard, you lose the last thing that was there. Few people know it, but Windows 95 also has a ClipBook where you can save clippings and reuse them. To install it, insert the Windows 95 CD-ROM, and in the resulting window select Add/Remove Software. Go to the Windows Setup tab, click Have Disk, click Browse, and navigate your way to d:\Other\Clipbook (where d is your CD-ROM drive letter). With the clipbook.inf file the only thing in the file name box, click OK twice. Check ClipBook Viewer, then click Install. You'll now be able to open the program by selecting Start*Programs*Accessories*ClipBook Viewer.
Microsoft Internet Explorer - Bug in IE 3.0 - BUGGY LETTERS
If you're using IE 3.0 and you find that items in uppercase letters in list boxes are truncated, the solution is to upgrade to IE version 3.01. The new version is available free at: <http://www.microsoft.com/ie/download/>
Microsoft Windows NT - Sharing the Clipboard - CLIPPED CLIPBOARD
If you try to connect to a shared Clipboard on a computer running Windows for Workgroups, Windows NT may fail to make a connection. You'll probably find that the sharing computer's name is longer than 12 characters. The only way around the problem is to rename the computer using 12 or fewer characters.
Microsoft Windows 95 - Back Up Your Registry - BACK UP YOUR REGISTRY
All sorts of installation programs mess with the Windows Registry, so it's a good idea to make regular backup copies of the two files, user.dat and system.dat. Unfortunately, you can't use Explorer or DOS to copy these files. Buried on the Windows 95 installation CD-ROM is a program that lets you make up to nine backups of your Registry. Just copy Cfgback.exe from the CD-ROM's \Other\Misc\Cfgback folder to c:\windows, and then copy the Cfgback.hlp file to c:\windows\help. To make a backup, double-click Cfgback.exe and follow the detailed instructions.
Netscape Navigator - Global Sleuthing - GLOBAL SLEUTHING
Don't remember the URL of a site you visited two weeks ago? Want to find out what your unsuspecting children do when they use your system? You can find out where your browser has been in the past month by typing about:global in the address book. The resulting page may be saved by selecting File, Save As, so you can hold it as evidence -- or just keep referring to it in the future.
Microsoft Internet Explorer - New Features - NEW IN 3.01
In our previous tip, we talked about one of the bugs that was fixed in IE 3.01. If you're wondering about other reasons to upgrade, here's a list of some of the new features in the new version:
* Improved compatibility with the PowWow Internet Chat service.
* Improved support for PASV (passive) FTP transfers.
* Improved rendering of JPEG images with a 16-bit color palette.
* Improved compatibility with Novell NetWare 32-bit clients.
* Improved Java virtual machine; better integration with Windows 95.
Microsoft Windows 95 - Policy Editor
KEEP POLICY EDITOR OFF YOUR HARD DRIVE
Don't want someone else changing your Windows environment? Use the System Policy Editor, located on the Win 95 installation CD-ROM. Don't put the Policy Editor on your own hard drive or you'll make it too easy for others to change your configuration. When you need it, pop in the CD-ROM, select Start*Run, and run the command d:\admin\apptools\poledit\poledit.exe, where d is your CD-ROM drive.
Microsoft Windows NT - Incomplete FindFile Results - LOST AND FOUND
If you run Microsoft Office for Windows 4.3 in Windows NT 3.5, you'll discover that the FindFile utility doesn't always work correctly; the results are sometimes incomplete. This occurs on an intermittent basis, and you don't get a clue that something is wrong. If you'd like to check the results of a FindFile operation, you can compare the results with a File Manager search. If you run FindFile under Windows (or Windows for Workgroups), you'll get this message:
The path you specified contains too many subdirectories. Delete one or more directories or clear the Include Subdirectories check box.
The problem is that the Office 4.3 FindFile utility can search up to 15 subdirectory levels deep or 200 total directories. If you upgrade from NT 3.5, you'll eliminate the problem. That is, you'll get the error message so you'll know when you've exceeded the FileFind limits. If you need to stick with NT 3.5 for now, use File Manager to search for files.
Netscape Navigator - Gain Real Estate - GAIN REAL ESTATE
To make more room on your browser for, oh, Web pages, select Options, then click Show Directory Buttons to hide the row of buttons below the URL line. Repeat the step for hiding the Toolbar and the Location (or URL) bar. Still not enough? Press Ctrl+Alt+S to hide the status bar. You can undo all these options by repeating the steps.
Microsoft Internet Explorer - Transparent Windows - NAKED PAGES
If your Wininet.dll file is missing or you have the wrong version, something strange may happen to your IE window--it will be transparent! The problem may be caused by the Auto-Update program in many Sierra games, which replaces the Wininet.dll file and causes the problem.
To fix the problem, make sure that the Wininet.dll file exists only in the Windows\System folder, and that it is the correct version. To do this, click the Start button and choose Find|File or Folders. On the "Named" line, type Wininet.dll. Click the arrow next to the "Look in" line and select the root directory of your hard drive, then click Find Now. In the list that appears, right-click on the Wininet.dll file and select Properties. Then check out the Modified date on the General tab and the File Version number on the Version tab. If you're running IE 3.0, the file should say version 4.70.1157 with a Modified date of 8/24/96. If you're running IE 3.01, the file should say version 4.70.1215, with a Modified date of 10/15/96.
If you've got the wrong version, try running Sierra's Auto-Update program, which links to Sierra and downloads the correct version of the Wininet.dll file.
Microsoft Internet Explorer - Transparent Windows - NAKED PAGES
If your Wininet.dll file is missing or you have the wrong version, something strange may happen to your IE window--it will be transparent! The problem may be caused by the Auto-Update program in many Sierra games, which replaces the Wininet.dll file and causes the problem.
To fix the problem, make sure that the Wininet.dll file exists only in the Windows\System folder, and that it is the correct version. To do this, click the Start button and choose Find|File or Folders. On the "Named" line, type Wininet.dll. Click the arrow next to the "Look in" line and select the root directory of your hard drive, then click Find Now. In the list that appears, right-click on the Wininet.dll file and select Properties. Then check out the Modified date on the General tab and the File Version number on the Version tab. If you're running IE 3.0, the file should say version 4.70.1157 with a Modified date of 8/24/96. If you're running IE 3.01, the file should say version 4.70.1215, with a Modified date of 10/15/96.
If you've got the wrong version, try running Sierra's Auto-Update program, which links to Sierra and downloads the correct version of the Wininet.dll file.
Microsoft Windows 95 - Emergency Recovery Utility
EMERGENCY RECOVERY UTILITY, PART 1
There's a hidden program on the Windows 95 CD-ROM for creating a emergency boot disk that can restore your system to the way you've configured it. Before running the program, format a floppy, making sure to check the Copy system files option in the Format dialog box. Then place the CD-ROM in your drive, browse to the d:\other\misc\eru folder (where d is your CD-ROM drive), and double-click eru.exe. Just follow the directions from there. In case of disaster, reboot your system with the ERU-created floppy, and it will automatically restore some of your Windows 95 settings.
Microsoft Windows NT - Directory Corruption Repor
FILE MANAGER, DO YOU COPY?
If you have lots of files on an NTFS volume, you might find that File Manager reports directory corruption when you copy additional files to the directory using the COPY command. You'll get this message:
The file or directory <dir name> is corrupt, please run chkdsk.
The problem does not exist in Windows NT 3.51 and above. To correct this problem, you can upgrade or install the latest U.S. Service Pack for Windows NT version 3.51.
Netscape Navigator - One Image at a Time - ONE IMAGE AT A TIME
If you've turned off auto image loading to save time but would like to view a specific image, right-click its icon and select Load Image.
Lotus Notes - A Letter From the Editors
Dear Tip World Subscriber:
We apologize for the disruption in daily Tip World mailings. We're currently undergoing a transformation as PC World Online takes over the management and production of the Tip World mailings. We are working as expediously as possible to restore tip service and have plans to launch many more in the coming months. Please bear with us during this short transition period.
Microsoft Windows 95 - Emergency Recovery Utility
EMERGENCY RECOVERY UTILITY, PART 2
If you use the Emergency Recovery Utility found on the Windows 95 CD-ROM to create an emergency boot disk, be aware that some of the configuration files can be huge, making it impossible to fit them all on a floppy (and ERU can't handle multiple floppies). When ERU shows the files it will back up,click Custom to see the files it will skip. You can choose to skip other files,or you can make a note of the ones not being copied and back them up manually.
Microsoft Windows NT - Remote RegEdit - REMOTE CONTROL
Picture this: You run Regedt32.EXE and open the registry of a remote computer. Then you choose Save Key from the Registry menu to save the registry information of a specific key on the local computer. But instead of saving the key, RegEdit pops up this message:
Registry Editor could not accomplish the requested operation.
What happened? When the target directory of the remote computer is the same as the local computer, the registry key gets saved on the remote computer. This problem will also occur if you type in a local path. If a file with this name already exists, the local file is deleted.
To get around the problem, create a directory with a different name on your local computer and save to that new directory.
Netscape Navigator - What's New, Bookmark?- WHAT'S NEW, BOOKMARK?
To check which of your bookmarked sites have been updated since the last time you checked them, select Bookmarks, Edit Bookmarks, then select File, What's New. Click next to All Bookmarks, and Navigator will go scouting on your behalf.
Netscape Navigator - IN SEARCH OF A DOMAIN
You know there's a NASA bookmark in your Bookmarks file, but you can't figure out which one it is by the cryptic names? Select Bookmarks, Edit Bookmarks, press Ctrl+F (for Find), type what you're looking for (in this case, NASA) and press Enter. The pointer will jump to the first bookmark that contains that text.
CORRECTION
A few tips back, we explained how to view a history of the sites you've visited by typing About:Global in the address book. We meant to instruct you to type About:Global in Netscape's Location field (the same place you type in a URL to visit a Web site) instead of the address book. Sorry for the mistake and happy sleuthing.
Microsoft Windows 95 - LONGEST BATTERY LIFE
You can conserve battery power on a notebook PC by setting Windows 95 to do a minimal amount of disk caching. Right-click My Computer and select Properties. From the Performance tab, click File System. On the Hard Disk tab, make sure Mobile or docking system is selected under 'Typical role of this machine'. Your system won't be as fast as it was before, but it will last longer on a battery charge.
Microsoft Windows NT - BATCH FILE ECHOES
Batch files and PIFs
If you write a batch file such as this one:
@echo off
If not exist C:\test echo 1
and run it, it will display the "1" that you told it to echo if the directory does not exist. However, if you run the same batch file using a PIF file, the results are different: The batch file will return a "1" regardless of whether the directory exists.
Netscape Navigator - FRAMED!
When you're in a page divided into frames, it's hard to tell the URL of the active frame. What normally shows is the Location field is the address of the "menu" pane. To find out where you've ended up in your travels through frames, right-click the frame you're curious about and select Frame Info. There you'll see the URL. If you copy it and paste it back into the Location field, the same site will appear without frames.
Microsoft Windows 95 - SEVEN MEGABYTES RICHER
Looking to free up some disk space? Check your Windows\Help folder for AVI files--you could have as much as 7MB of them left over from Windows' tutorial. Unless you're using Windows 95 for the first time, you don't need them.
Microsoft Windows NT - Restoring backups with insufficient space
CROWDED QUARTERS
When you try to restore from a tape with NTBACKUP, you might this error message:
Catalog Information: Unable to load catalog data from tape.
Or you might get this message:
Catalog Error: Error writing a catalog file, check available space.
This is most likely caused by insufficient space on the target drive. This happens when approximately 99 percent of the drive's space is allocated. The only way around the problem is to delete some files or install a new hard disk.
Microsoft Internet Explorer - GET YOUR SECURITY UPDATE NOW
If you haven't installed the security update for Explorer 3.01, now is the time. Go to <http://www.microsoft.com/ie/security/update.htm>
Read all the information and then download and install the update. You never know.
Netscape Navigator - SHARE THAT IMAGE
See a cool image and want others to get it? Sure, you may download it (if it's allowed) then send it to others. But an easier and faster way is to right-click the image, select Copy Image Location, then paste that URL into an e-mail message by pressing Ctrl+V. Let them get their own images!
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This page was last edited on 19/03/99.
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