C C C C N E W S L E T T E R
CENTRAL COAST COMPUTER CLUB
Santa Maria, California
VOLUME XV: NUMBER 4 APRIL, 2000
NEXT MEETING: APR. 18, '00 7:00PM KNOLLWOOD VILLAGE 4012 S. BRADLEY
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| CONTENTS |
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(1) Officers, Helplines, S.I.G.s
(2) President's Corner Charles Barney
(3) Editor's Comments Jerry Miller
(4) Allan Hancock Computer Class Schedule
(5) Everything...About Modems Dick Trissel
(6) Review: NeoTrace Dick Trissel
(7) March Internet S.I.G. Dick Trissel
(8) Browser Cache Dick Trissel
(9) Web Wonders Mal Plambeck
(10) Spring Cleaning...Your PC Kim Komando
(11) Humor--Beer Troubleshooting
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Officers Helplines
President Juno
Charles Barney 937-1240 Gilbert Smith 925-3743
cbarney@lightspeed.net colgil1@juno.com
Vice President Windows 95
Frank Maciel 922-2318 Amy Malicki 925-5780
frm1@juno.com amymal@juno.com
Secretary Hardware & DOS
Barbara Godwin 934-9885 Ray Isenson 937-6938
yungbag@best1.net risenson@juno.com
Treasurer Voice control & Input/Output
Gerald Miller 934-1396 Amy Malicki 925-5780
gmiller33@excite.com amymal@juno.com
Librarian Desktop Publishing & scanners
Sharon Allen 928-2209 Don Harelson 934-3926
sallen4060@aol.com qef1@juno.com
Publicity Software User Identification
Bob Allington 937-9841 Fred Adams 934-1128
rwa@thegrid.net fred421@juno.com
Newsletter Editor Visual Basic
OPEN Gerald Miller
Gmiller33@excite.com
Program Chairman
Ray Isenson 937-6938
risenson@juno.com
Special Interest Groups (SIGs)
Windows 95/98 Specialties Internet
Amy Malicki Bob Allington Dick Trissel
amymal@juno.com rwa@thegrid.net rtrissel@slonet.org
CCCC Membership is $15 for twelve months. For this you receive:
Monthly newsletter
Access to the clubs software library
Disk of the month (usually for $1)
Helpline support
Monthly presentation
Valuable door prizes
Question and answer sessions
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CCCC Page 2 April 2000
President's Corner
Thanks to all who came out for the March 21st meeting of the Central Coast
Computer Club. An exact count was not taken, but it was undoubtedly one of
the best attended meetings I've seen at the clubhouse. We are not that far
from the 100 mark, so keep spreading the word about our club and encourage
others to check us out. Don't forget that your paid membership will be
credited 2 months for every new sign-up that names you as their sponsor.
We had no less than 11 new members join the club at the last meeting! I
would like to extend a hearty 4C's welcome to Bob Virgin, Al Paquette,
Cynthia Isorda, James Miller, Al Cooper, Rita and Frank Nagy, Doris Valle,
Barbara Tucker, Diane Hughes and Joe Magnusson. We are thrilled to have
you all aboard and hope that your experience with the club is a most
rewarding one. There are many benefits available to you now as members.
Some of these include attending special interest groups (SIG's), guest
presentations, club library of books and software, free materials table,
door prizes, monthly newsletter and help line. We are a friendly group and
collectively have many years of diverse computer knowledge between us.
Sharing and helping are what we are about. Also, if you have any ideas for
the club or have a particular skill you would like to share, please let me
or another officer know.
Several of you have inquired about computer classes. Past member Gil Vela
returned to give a very timely presentation at the March meeting on the
many different computer classes offered locally by Allan Hancock College.
The classes are varied and quite affordable (see separate article in this
newsletter for class listings). Gil passed out materials during the
presentation giving detailed information, but if you missed it or need to
find out more, you can call Hancock at 922-6966.
We are again in need of a newsletter editor! Current editor Gerald Miller
has done an excellent job stepping in to keep our vital publication going
starting with the February 2000 issue. But he has informed us that he will
be going away on vacation for 2 months (and deservedly so) during May and
June. That leaves a big vacancy and need for some one else to fill-in and
try their hand at it for a while. Keep in mind that you do not have to
write the newsletter. It is a collaborative effort of several people. A
number of contributors, including myself, usually email their articles to
the editor for inclusion. Gerald has said that it only takes him a couple
hours to put it together in the newsletter format using Microsoft Word and
then he prints out a master copy ready for reproduction. I'm sure that a
number of other programs and formats could work as well (the editor has
creative license). If any of you would like to give it a try, please speak
up. Remember, we are not seeking perfection here, and you will have the
support of others to help you. Give it some thought, won't you?
Hopefully all of you will have your tax returns out of the way and will be
able to attend the April 18th meeting. I'll see you at the clubhouse. -
Charles
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CCCC Page 3 April 2000
Editor's comments:
SETI@home is a scientific experiment that uses Internet-connected computers
in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). You can participate
by running a free program that downloads and analyzes radio telescope data.
This is the disk of the month that Sharon had for us last month. I have
installed mine and am in the middle of processing data from the Areicbo
radio telescope. The program works as a screensaver. You can watch your
computer's progress in the graphs that the program provides. The
coordinator for this experiment is Berkley college and the funding is from
corporate sponsors. I remember reading that the federal government no
longer funds SETI as a program. Perhaps one of our members has more
details on this. My data is almost 50% complete as I write this and I have
left my computer on for 67 hours to get this far.
Jerry Miller
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CCCC Page 4 April 2000
Allan Hancock Computer Class Schedule
Business Skills Workshop (Lab) Building S 10
Dates: June 19-Aug 11 Morning Hours: 9am to 12 Noon, Monday-Friday
Windows 98, Word 97, Excel 97
Business Skills Workshop (Lab) Workforce Resource Center, 1410 S. Broadway
Dates: June 19-Aug 11 Afternoon Hours: 1:00 to 4:00pm
Windows 98, Word 2000, Excel 2000
Fast Track Classes at the Workforce Resource Center
Date: April 3-April 25 Morning Hours: 11:00am-1:00pm Monday-Thursday
Power Point 2000
Date: May 1-May 18
Morning Hours: 11:00am-1:00pm Monday-Thursday
Word 2000
Date: May 5-6 & May 12-13 Friday and Saturday (Two weekends)
Hours: Fridays 6-10pm, Saturdays 8:30-5:30pm
Excel 2000
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CCCC Page 5 April 2000
Everything You Didn't Want To Know About Modems
by Dick Trissel
MODEM--a contraction of MODulation/DEModulation. What does that mean?
When you talk on a telephone, the acoustical pressure of your voice is
transduced into electrical signals. The phone being listened to reverses
that and transduces the electrical signals to acoustical pressure on your
ear. A modem does the same thing except it takes the digital content of
the computer data transduces it to electrical signals and vice versa. The
electrical signals are unique modulations of a carrier frequency in the
voice range so the phone company equipment can handle it.
As much as we would like to just ignore the modem in our computer, it is
the major link to most of the activities we do these days with the
computer. Just imagine not having a modem to connect to the Internet--no
e-mail, no Web browsing, no chat rooms, no America On Line (well, that
might not be such a great loss [grin]), no searching for reference
material, etc.
Some of us can relate back to when all there was available to the public
were Bulletin Board Systems (BBSs) and person-to-person modem connections--
at a ripping 300 baud or bps (bits per second). Then came the 600 and 1200
bps modems. And then the 2400bps, 14400bps, 28800bps, 33600bps, and now,
the 56000bps modem. And in those "good old days", you had to know how to
command your modem or all you got was gibberish, if anything.
Now, the modems have become much more complicated, but the operating system
and modem drivers have made life pretty simple--as long as everything works
as advertised (re: Plug and Play). However, for the operating system to do
the job, sometimes the user has to help it out a bit (no pun intended). In
Windows, that is done in the modem properties area.
So, here we go. In Windows95/98 go to My Computer/Open/Control
Panel/Open/Modems/Open/Diagnostics and select your modem (probably on
Com2). Choose More Info and be patient. What will be displayed are the
responses to all the ATI1 through ATI9 commands, and maybe more. This
information identifies your modem and some other characteristics. I have
to be a bit vague here because not all modems are created equal.
Way back when, the Hayes Modem Company established a set of modem commands.
The other modem manufacturers finally adopted this command set, but then
added a few of their own. That is where we are today. Almost all modems
have the basic Hayes command set. Fortunately, things have settled down to
two major command sets--one established by the USRobotics (now 3COM and
changing name yet again) modem chip, and the Rockwell (now Conextant) chip.
How do you tell which you have? Each has some nice features that,
unfortunately, the other doesn't. For example, the Rockwell chip lets you
test the phone line connection for line signal level (AT%L) and line
quality (AT%Q)--useful where you suspect your phone lines are bad. The
3COM chip can be interrogated for the current active commands selected.
How can you issue these commands? That's where a terminal program is
required. In Windows 3.x you had Terminal. In Windows9x you have
Hyperterminal (Start/Programs/Hyperterminal). Run it. Choose cancel or
choose not to connect. Type AT (that stands for ATtention)--you can use
either upper or lower case characters. You should get an OK. If you have
a USRobotics command set, you can type AT$ to get a list of the Hayes
commands, type AT&$ for the & commands, and ATS$ for the register setting
commands. If you have a Rockwell command set, the commands are available
at http://www.zoomtel.com (the Zoom modem manufacturer Web site.
If you've bought a computer in the past few years it probably came with a
modem already installed and the modem driver installed in Windows. Or, you
may have upgraded and were provided with a driver on disk. Or, Windows may
have recognized your modem and used the driver from the system CD. In any
case, the modem operation may not be optimized.
Here's where you can see and change your modem operation. In Windows95/98
go to My Computer/Open/Control Panel/Open/Modems/Open/General. Select your
modem and choose Properties/General. Set the Maximum speed to 115200. Go
to Connections. Make sure the "Cancel the call if not connected within" is
set to at least 60 seconds (90 may be necessary if your ISP is slow getting
connected). Select Advanced. Choose Compressed Data and Hardware flow
control. Notice the "Extra settings" window and the "Append to log" and
"View Log" options. We'll discuss these later. After all the settings are
correct, OK back out (don't just cancel).
The "Extra settings" window is where you can modify the initialization
string that is sent automatically by the modem driver. One example of why
you might need to do that is a situation I recently encountered. One of
the "free" ISPs doesn't like my 56k flex V.90 modem. I had to clamp the
modem at 33.6Kbps to get a connection (AT+MS=11).
How do you know what is being sent to the modem and how it responds?
That's where the "Append to log" and "View log" come in. Everytime you use
the modem, a bunch of stuff gets written into a file called "xxxx.log" in
the Windows folder (xxxx is the name of your modem). You can either use
the "View Log" option to look at it, or use Notepad, Wordpad, MSWorks,
Word, or whatever to read it.
If you chose to "Append to log", it just grows and grows. You may not be
able to modify the log or delete it (it's a system file). However, you can
go back and choose not to append, and the next time you use your modem, the
log gets reset.
I have written a QBASIC program that reads my monthly accrued log and
tabulates the number of times on the Net, the days I was on, the total time
on, the average time per connection, and the average time per day. It
drives my wife nuts 'cause she claims I use the phone too much, but I can
prove it's less than two hours per day.
One last comment. We can't talk about modems without getting into the
connection transaction speeds. Back when computers were so slow they could
barely keep up with the 1200bps modems, transaction speeds were usually
limited by these constraints. Now, computers are faster than either the
modems, the phone company equipment (line quality), or the "information
super highway". So, there are three speed considerations--the computer
"port speed" (usually 115200bps), the "modem speed" (maxing out at
56000bps), and the actual "throughput speed" which is usually the limiting
factor for long downloads (just how fast can the Internet servers react).
In Internet Explorer, that actual speed is available to you at any instant
of time by clicking on the connection icon in the systray (provided you've
enabled that option).
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CCCC Page 6 April 2000
Review: NeoTrace
by Dick Trissel
Here is a fun program for those that like to know what is happening on
their trip along the "Information Super Highway" (you don't hear that term
much anymore.) The program is called NeoTrace. It is termed shareware,
but the trial version is free, and that's what I'm going to discuss.
Some of you may have used the "Tracert" and "Ping" applications available
in Windows DOS. They were useful, but pretty drab. Tracert allows you to
trace the route the Internet takes from your computer to the 'Net
destination giving you a brief description of each "node" ('Net server)
along the way. Ping merely tests the connection for speed and
availability. These are useful tools for determining the source of bad
connections and delays.
Now there is a more informative and entertaining tool--NeoTrace. It
combines the Tracert and Ping functions and provides four methods of
display--a geographical map overlay, nodal information, a saveable list,
and a quality graph. And there are options for how all this can be used.
The program is available as a downloadable, self-extracting 820kilobyte
file at http://www.neoworx.com (yep, that's neoworx). From the home page,
click on download Trial Version, then click on NeoTrace and Download. Or,
it is available in the club's disk library.
Obviously, you must have an Internet Service Provider. Also, you run
NeoTrace after you have made your connection to your ISP. After the
download of the file neotrc212a.exe, run neotrc212a.exe. It will install
itself and put a shortcut icon on your desktop, and run itself. Fill in
the home location information (you don't need to put in the geographical
info or do the "Lookup". Also, I didn't choose to register.
Remember, you must be on the Internet to use NeoTrace. If you run NeoTrace
from the desktop, it will start your browser and dialup your ISP (at least,
mine does).
Duing the installation, I suggest reading the Readme file. Here is a brief
of that file and their promotional writeup:
REQUIREMENTS
+ A '32 bit' version of Windows, i.e. Win95, 98 or NT 4.0 or Windows 2000.
+ A connection to the internet
+ MS internet support, this includes wininet.dll and icmp.dll, a standard
part of 99% of Windows installations. If you are missing these files
visit the support pages on our web site.
+ The MS version of WinSock, this is the default installation for all
windows platforms. If you are using a 3rd party winsock implementation,
such as Trumpet, you may have problems.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
NeoTrace is a diagnostic and investigative tool. It traces the network
path across the Internet from the host system to a target system anywhere
on the Internet. Automatic retrieval of data includes registration details
for the owner of each computer on the route (address, phone, email address)
and the network each node IP is registered to. Easy to read views of the
data include a world map showing the locations of nodes along the route, a
graph showing the relative response time of each node along the path, a
simple listing and an abstract representation of the path and node types
along the route.
Overview
NeoTrace is a high-speed graphical traceroute with integrated whois
and ping. It is extremely fast, simple to use and returns a wealth of
information. NeoTrace is very popular for detecting network problems
and finding net information, it is also a great tool for spam hunters.
Features
* Super fast TraceRoute
* Drag and Drop operation
* Informative display
* Trace History
* Local DNS and Whois cacheing
* International WhoIs support
* Create reports in text, HTML or printed form
* Configurable node labels
* Instant browser access to nodes
* Available continuous ping update
* Nearly 200 country flags displayable
* Meaningful sound effects for events
Benefits
* Pinpoint causes of network problems
* Test your net connection
* Identify who's network is causing trouble
* Investigate domains and ISPs, who owns them, where they are
connected
* Explore Internet geography
* Hunt down spammers
Spend less time waiting and more time getting results! Not only is
NeoTrace much faster than other traceroute solutions, it is simpler to
use and returns more information.
If you cannot reach a particular site on the Internet you should run a
NeoTrace to the site before calling your ISP to complain. Most often
you will discover that your ISP's network is just fine, but the
network your target site is on is actually the one that is down or
very slow.
Analyze your network connection and find failure points, determine if
it's your ISP, the target site or part of the internet backbone that
is at fault. Simply drag a link from your browser and drop it on
NeoTrace; all the nodes between your computer and the destination site
are displayed in a straightforward, graphical format. If you place
your cursor over any node icon, the IP address and round-trip data
appear, along with the name and address of the domain's owner.
NeoTrace Users Include: FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation), NATO,
US Customs, California DOJ, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Interpol,
hundreds of national and local Internet Service Providers, company
network techs, help desk staffers, home users, forum sysops, and lots
more...
DOCUMENTATION
Help information is hosted on the NeoWorx web site. When you select a help
button or menu item your browser will be opened and a help screen loaded
from the NeoWorx web site. Be sure you are online when using NeoTrace.
The complete user manual in PDF format may be downloaded from the NeoWorx
web site. Links to the PDF document appear on all online help pages.
You can download the full manual by using the Auto Update
feature built in to NeoTrace or from the navigation bar while viewing any
online help page.
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CCCC Page 7 April 2000
March Internet S.I.G.
by Dick Trissel
There were 22 attendees in the March CCCC Internet Special Interest
Group. We started a little early with a question of how to determine what
is the best modem to buy to replace an internal 33.6Kbps modem. That, of
course, led to questions of internal or external, PCI Winmodem or non-
Winmodem, K2 versus Flex, V.90, price, and brand. For the least expensive
direct replacement, it was recommended he buy an internal, PCI Winmodem,
preferably a Zoom brand.
One attendee commented on the lack of an included list of modem commands
with the purchase of new computers. Unfortunately, this seems to be the
case with most new modems. The manufacturers seem to feel that Windows use
of the provided modem drivers (initialization strings) and Windows Plug and
Play, users don't need to know modem commands. The Zoom modem command set
is available on the Web for Rockwell (Conextant) modems at www.zoomtel.com.
The subject of modems is large enough that, hopefully, a separate article
will be written up in a future newsletter.
The next question was if you can write an e-mail message off-line in
Compuserve's mail program, or whatever. The answer was yes. It goes into
the outbox and then sent when you go on-line.
Along that same line, a question of whether an old faded picture could be
scanned for inclusion in an e-mail without damaging the original. No one
was sure the low intensity scanner light would not damage the picture. It
was suggested that the photo first be copied by a professional. It was
also suggested that a photo be taken of the picture and then use the photo.
A member had received a .pdf document file and wanted to know how to read
it. The answer is to use the free Adobe Acrobat Reader (which he just
happened to have).
Another member brought in a printout of an e-mail that had only the header
and the one line that referred to more message that wasn't included, and
wasn't in the message, according to the member. The member uses AOL. No
help.
The concept of e-mail seems to be confusing to a lot of people. They get
mixed up with the difference between a mail server (at the ISP) and a mail
reader, usually in their computer, but not always--sometimes at the ISP.
This is certainly an understandable confusion.
It was explained that all ISPs (local, national, AOL, etc.) have what is
called a mail server. This is a computer at the ISP's location that is
strictly for receiving and sending Internet e-mail--receiving from a user
uses the SMTP (Small Mail Transport Protocol), and sending to the user uses
POP (Post Office Protocol).
The e-mail on the mail server is received from or presented to the user by
way of an e-mail application. For example, Windows 98 comes with Outlook
Express, Netscape has a mail option, Eudora is a separate mail application.
These all require an ISP such as Pronet, Earthlink, etc. And some on-line
services have their own mail application software.
There are so many different ways the text you write and read can be handled
that it is definitely confusing. You just have to think about what you are
doing on your specific e-mail service. Most ISPs allow you to compose off-
line, and then go on-line to send. Most allow you to go on-line, download
your e-mail, and then read off-line. Whether you use your application in
your computer, or their on-line or local proprietary reader depends on the
service.
There was a brief discussion of the over 60 free ISPs available. Nobody
took the Bluelight CD-ROMs I offered. The three known methods used by the
free providers to be free was mentioned--display advertising (some
permanent movable banners), periodic survey forms, and mandatory first
homepage. There is a fourth in which you pay a one-time installation fee
for a person to come to your house and install a "free" ISP (Freewwweb).
This prompted the question of how do you select the first homepage for your
browser. In Internet Explorer this is done as follows:
Under View (IE4) or Tools (IE5) select Internet Options and the General
tab. In the Homepage section, type in the address of the Web site's
homepage you desire. Press Apply, and OK out.
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CCCC Page 8 April 2000
Browser Cache
by Dick Trissel
The Web browsers Internet Explorer and Netscape use a portion of your hard
disk drive as a long term memory area. It is called a "cache" (pronounced
cash). áIf you look up the word cache in the dictionary, one of the first
meanings is a place to hide things--very appropriate. áHowever, another
meaning is a place to store things, more to the usage by a browser. áIt
also is a verb.
This discussion is primarily centered around Internet Explorer (IE), but
most of the techniques apply to Netscape. áYou just have to use a different
approach. áIn IE there is a folder in the Windows folder named Temporary
Internet Files (TIF), and in that folder are four subfolders with
unpronounceable names. áThey use to be named Cache1, 2, 3, and 4, and
Netscape still uses those names. áIn Netscape the four cache files are in
Program Files?Netscape?Users?User1.
If you use My Computer or Windows Explorer (my preference in Explorer is to
use the View/Details mode) to look in the TIF folders, you will see all the
places you went on the Web, and all things you looked at (Web pages,
graphic pictures, sound files, animations, etc.). áAnd here's what's neat,
you can look at all of them again without going back on line. áI'll tell
you how in a minute (more or less depending on how fast you read).
But first, what is the purpose of the TIF cache files? áSomebody, a long
time ago (in computer time), designed into the Web browsers the smarts to
put into a cache the information necessary to recognize each Web site
visited on line. áThen, when the user chooses to go there again, the
browser looks in the cache to see if there is an up to date version of the
Web page there and, if so, uses it. áIt is usually a lot faster to get a
Web page from the hard drive than from the Internet connection--clever,
heh?
That's the good news. áThe bad news is that the TIF just keeps growing and
growing until it reaches the maximum set in the browser options. áIn IE
this defaults to 3% of your hard drive partition size. áSo, on a 4 gigabyte
partition, that's 120 megabytes. áThis is adjustable by going to the Tools
menu in IE5 (View in IE4)/Internet Options/Temporary Internet
Files/Settings and slide the slider. áWhat happens when it fills up? áThe
older stuff gets overwritten.
While you are in the Settings, look at all the other options you have. áIn
the Internet Options, get familiar with all the other options available;
especially, the General tab and the TIF Delete files option. áThis is how
you get the option to easily delete the files in the TIF (and other
things), but not the Cookies in the TIF (more on that later).
Can the TIF cache get too large? áYes. áThe purpose is to speed up Web
access, but if the files are too large, it takes more time to search for
the matching file. áHow important is the time delay? áWell, with a 1
gigahertz processor, who cares. áSeriously, with a 100 to 200 megahertz
processor, it might be significant. áHowever, I've never tested it.
How much space is the TIF using? áIt's not obvious. áOne way to find out is
to use Windows Explorer, right-click on the TIF folder, and choose
properties. áDon't be surprised if what you thought was an empty TIF cache
actually shows several kilobytes in size. áDon't ask--I don't know.
There is another reason to keep your TIF cache around for a while. áThe
browser has the smarts to provide you with a really nice option. áIf all
the information is there, why go on the Internet for the Web page? áAh Ha!
áIf you know how, you can replay all the things you did while on line. áOf
course, it won't be the latest information, but usually that's not
critical.
When you look in the TIF folders you will also see Cookies, those mystical
Cookies. áI'm not going to discuss them here, but if you want to get rid of
them, select them and delete them. áAlso, you may have noticed you have a
Cookies folder under Windows. áThey are the same files. áI mean they are
the SAME files. áThe TIF cookies are a mirror image of the Cookies folder.
Which brings up another strange thing about the TIF files. áYou will notice
that the files listed in the TIF folder are also duplicated randomly in the
four cache folders. áIf you delete in one, it goes away in the other--
mirror images again. áThe TIF folder and cache folders are not normal
Windows folders. áThey are special system folders. áYou can delete an
entire folder (by folder name), and it will reappear (or one with a
different name) the next time you Web browse. áIt will start out empty,
though. áYou will lose all the files in that cache.
Now, how do you use the TIF to playback in the offline mode? áOne way is to
use Windows Explorer, list the TIF files, find an interesting one, and
double-click it (or right-click/Open). áIf all goes well, IE will jump up,
ask if you want to go online (choose to work offline), and then you should
see your file displayed. áIf it is an .htm file (a Web page), you can even
traverse the links you did online. áYou can tell if you have a usable link-
-the circle under the hand will be clear. áOtherwise, it will have a line
through it meaning you didn't go there online. á
Another way to do a playback is to go to IE File menu and choose Open. á
Then Browse to Windows?Temporary Internet Files, select a file and Open it.
If that doesn't play the file, repeat the process and do a right-click Open
on the file.
Using the playback feature is also a way to see all the graphics,
animation, and hear the sound files all over again. áAnd, realize, these
files are copyable to other folders, floppies, etc. á
Here's a trick. áSay you want the whole set of files associated with a
particular Web site. áFirst clear your TIF folder as I described above. á
Then go online and go to the Web site. áDo your browsing so that you've
visited all the links of interest. áThen close IE. áWhen you look at the
TIFs with Windows Explorer, the only thing there will be the files
associated with that site. áSave all of them to a folder on your drive or
to floppies. áIf they all fit on one floppy, you can playback the whole
transaction from the disk. áAll that is required is that all the files be
in the same folder.
I have captured some very entertaining Web sites and put them on disk for
future reference--hampsterdance, butterflies, graphic stamps, music .wav
files, the Y2K Bug drama. áI know. áThis borders on hacking, but I'm from
the old school where us hackers were the good guys, playing for fun, not to
do harm.
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CCCC Page 9 April 2000
WEB WONDERS
by Mal Plambeck
[mal6@ix.netcom.com]
Pot Pourri
I thought I would try something different for you this month. So here is a
collection of web sites that are not on the same subject. Pick out the
sites that seem interesting and go for it. Sometimes they will lead you to
other sites that you might like more and then you can really surf the web.
[www.google.com]
A search engine. Very easy to use. Try typing in "Superintendent of
Documents" and you will find all sorts of goverment information.
[www.si.edu]
This is the Smithsonian Institute web site and it is really incredible! You
can spend hours here. Nice for a cold rainy day.
[www.eb.com]
Encyclopedia Britannica, cost is $5.00 per month. Great if you have
students at home.
[www.webmd.com]
Everything you want to know about a medical condition and probably more
than you want to know.
[www.lyrics.ch/index.htm]
There are lyrics to over sixty thousand songs from a database of one
hundred and tweny thousand songs. You have to get a digital certificate
from this site, but just follow the instructions on how to get it. It's
free.
[www.thestreet.com]
Financial news. 30 day free trial, then it will cost $9.95 per month.
[www.epicurious.com]
This is for food lover or those who like to cook. You can have your own
recipe box online. Trying to find that favorite recipe? Maybe you can find
it here. Every thing pertaining to food and drink.
[www.consumerreports.org]
Just like the magazine. Some information is free, but some info requires a
subscription. Cost is $3.95 per month.
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CCCC Page 10 April 2000
Spring Cleaning? Don't forget your PC
By Kim Komando
It's that time for the dreaded annual ritual known as Spring Cleaning. This
year, don't forget that your computer could use a little sprucing up too.
Start by removing all the software you no longer want or need from the
computer's hard disk. The Windows 95/98 Add/Remove Programs icon found
within the Control Panel does help remove programs, but it's not a surefire
fix. Often, Windows doesn't list every program installed so therefore,
doesn't offer an option for removal. Even after you remove a program using
the Add/Remove Programs icon, it's common that remnants remain on your hard
drive, such as empty folders or other associated files. Then, it's up to
you to delete the leftovers, which can be tricky at best.
To get the job done safely, a separate uninstaller program is money well
spent. Symantec's $39.95 Norton CleanSweep 2000 (www.symantec.com) examines
your system thoroughly to identify duplicate files, orphan files, Internet
cookies, cache and history files, and files that belong to application
software programs. You are presented with a list of what the uninstall
program found and then, offered the option to delete items on the list.
Symantec has a downloadable trial version of CleanSweep on their Internet
home page. This way, you can try before7 you buy.
Uninstallers compress and back up removed files so that if you delete
something essential, you can restore the files easily. However, before you
use any uninstall software, make a complete system backup. Better to be
safe than sorry. Plus, be sure that you have a start up disk, too.
To create a boot floppy with Windows 95/98, you need a blank high-density
(1.44 MB) floppy disk. From the Start menu, select the Settings and open
the Add/Remove Programs icon in the Control Panel. Click on the Startup
Disk tab and then, the Create button and follow the on-screen instructions.
If you are using Windows 95, you need to take a few extra steps and
manually copy the drivers for your CD-ROM drive on the disk.
You may find that your once-handy Windows 95/98 Start menu has become
bloated. That's easily fixed. First, right-click on the Windows Taskbar and
from the resulting pop-up menu, select Properties. Then, click the Start
Menu Programs tab and you'll find among other things a Remove button.
There, you'll be presented with a Remove Shortcuts/Folders window that
gives you the opportunity to delete anything you want from the Start menu.
While you're in this window, take a moment and clear the items that appear
in the Documents Menu off the Start Menu too.
After you've deleted everything you don't want, your system will run much
better if you organize the stuff you do want. As you add, delete and modify
files on your computer, different parts of a single file may be stored in
different locations on the hard drive. This is called disk fragmentation.
The more fragmented a disk, the harder your computer has to work to
retrieve a file. A severely fragmented hard drive makes for a slower
running system. Luckily for Windows 95/98 users, there's a built-in program
called (appropriately) Disk Defragmenter. It's normally located in
Programs\Accessories\System Tools folder.
For a more robust and customizable set of defragmentation tools, you may
want to consider a package like Symantec's $49.95 Norton Utilities, which
includes a defragmentation program called SpeedDisk. In addition to
defragmenting your hard drive, SpeedDisk allows you to change the order of
the files on your hard drive for maximum efficiency.
Finally, like anything that sits on your desk long enough, regular use of
your PC takes its toll. Unless you are using one of the new Microsoft $65
IntelliMouse Explorer type of mice that uses an optical transceiver to take
1,500 "snapshots" per second to move your mouse pointer instead of a
mechanical ball, there's probably some gunk inside the mouse.
To clean your mouse, remove it from your computer first. Turn the mouse
over with the mouse belly facing up. There's a plastic circle with a hole
in the middle of it. The mouse ball pokes through this hole. Next, press
with both thumbs lightly and rotate the plastic circle counter-clockwise to
loosen the plastic circle. Remove the collar and wash the ball with
lukewarm water. Don't use any cleaners, because the chemicals might damage
the mouse. Let the ball air dry and while this is happening, look in the
cavity where the ball usually sits. You'll see three tiny wheels called
rollers. You should clean them now, too; in other words, scrape off the
gunk using a wooden toothpick. Don't use an eraser, pen, or pencil, since
they can leave debris inside the mouse.
After you finish cleaning all three rollers, drop the dry ball back into
the mouse and replace the collar. Turn the collar clockwise until it stops.
That's it, your mouse is clean again! Special kits are available for
cleaning the mouse, but most people are content doing it the old-fashioned
way as described above.
Keyboards get dirty real quick, too. If your keyboard looks like a mechanic
has been using it, unplug the keyboard from your PC and give it a cleaning.
Use glass cleaner or warm water along with a soft cloth. Wet the cloth so
it's damp, not soppy and then, clean the dirty areas. Try not to get any
liquid directly on the keyboard or underneath the keys. Let the keyboard
completely dry before plugging it back into your PC.
Your computer needs good ventilation and should be located in as dust-free
an environment as possible. If your computer is on the floor, put it on a
table. It's also helpful to keep pets away, and remember not to eat or
drink over the computer, too.
Copyright 2000, The Komando Corporation and Kim Komando Radio Show Website.
All rights reserved.
Visit Kim on the internet at www.komando.com. Listen to Kim on local radio
station KSMA AM 1240 every Saturday from 7-10 am.
Printed by permission.
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CCCC Page 11 April 2000
Here's a little humor that can probably best be appreciated by a system
analyst:
Beer Troubleshooting
SYMPTOM: Feet cold and wet.
FAULT: Glass being held at incorrect angle.
ACTION: Rotate glass so that open end points toward ceiling.
SYMPTOM: Beer unusually pale and tasteless.
FAULT: Glass empty.
ACTION: Get someone to buy you another beer.
SYMPTOM: Opposite wall covered with fluorescent lights.
FAULT: You have fallen over backward.
ACTION: Have yourself chained to bar.
SYMPTOM: Mouth contains cigarette butts.
FAULT: You have fallen forward.
ACTION: See above.
SYMPTOM: Beer tasteless, front of your shirt is wet.
FAULT: Mouth not open, or glass applied to wrong part of face.
ACTION: Retire to restroom, practice in mirror.
SYMPTOM: Floor blurred.
FAULT: You are looking through bottom of empty glass.
ACTION: Get someone to buy you another beer.
SYMPTOM: Floor moving.
FAULT: You are being carried out.
ACTION: Find out if you are being taken to another bar.
SYMPTOM: Room seems unusually dark.
FAULT: Bar has closed.
ACTION: Confirm home address with bartender, take taxi home.
SYMPTOM: Dashboard suddenly takes on colorful aspect and textures.
FAULT: Beer consumption has exceeded personal limitations.
ACTION: Cover mouth.
SYMPTOM: Everyone looks up to you and smiles.
FAULT: You are dancing on the table.
ACTION: Fall on somebody cushy-looking.
SYMPTOM: Your singing sounds distorted.
FAULT: The beer is too weak.
ACTION: Have more beer until your voice improves.
SYMPTOM: Don't remember the words to the song.
FAULT: Beer is just right.
ACTION: Play air guitar.
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