IT@TT - Online

Higher RAM lightens CPU burden

Got a problem? Use these Guidelines before writing us: To ensure that your query/message stands out, DO use a meaningful subject. DO sign (add) your full name to the end of the email. DO AVOID sending us email with attachments as these are deleted by our mail server. DON'T send us email all in capitals; its like shouting in our face. DON'T send multiple copies of the same email. DO be patient as we receive over 20 emails a day and will get around to your message in due course. DON'T assume we will understand the problem as well as you, so DO BE as specific as possible. DO include the system specifications, including operating system, hardware and if you installed any software immediately before the fault was detected.

Q: I had sent a mail entitled "mailbox/problems" (for you hadn't specified the "subject line specifications" by then) on 22nd Feb 2001 and received an acknowledgement mail soon after. But I haven't seen my queries answered yet (and I've preserved every single issue of the supplement since the first issue).

I find this intriguing, since you keep on answering the same old queries regarding the outgoing and incoming mail server names of Yahoo and Hotmail, which may easily be found from the respective site's FAQs or "why my system information shows a Pentium II when my vendor insists its a Pentium III". The reluctance of casual readers to check up back issues or make elementary read ups may be understandable but your eagerness in replying to them is baffling.

After these sweet words I don't expect you'll answer my queries-but anyway I'm taking the chance of sending another set of queries. The problem is that some games like Quake 3 and Heavy Metal FAKK 2 do not run on my system and the message "could not load Open GL subsystem" appears. I don't know what Open GL subsystem is but it seems to be absent in my graphics card. Also, most games that demand a little heavy graphics, do not run smoothly with even moderate resolution like 800x600. The very object of my getting an 8 MB AGP card seems to have been defeated. Can you help?

Another problem which I had written about in the previous mail: when I open My Computer and select the floppy drive, it shows 1.38 MB. However, DOS shows the capacity to be 1.44 MB in bytes and the floppy holds data worth 1.44 MB. Why then is the display like that? It happens with any brand of floppy.

I don't know if you'll disappoint me once again, but if you do, I'll just lose a bit more of the enormous amount of respect I had for the 'it@tt' team (which was rather evident in my earlier mail).
Subhajit Banerjee
via email

A: From that long complain mail, I infer that the SiS AGP card you invested in is the primary culprit. This is an entry-level card, quite unsuited for anything beyond simple word processing. Also you could consider boosting system RAM to 128 MB as that takes the processing load off the CPU. For serious gaming look at cards from Matrox or nVidia. These are expensive, but worth every buck if you are a serious gamer. And they have their own CPU to do all the dirty work!

As to your email going missing, well I searched the Mailbox and found nary another email from you! As to the readers with simple problems, we're here to offer them simple solutions. Your floppy capacity mismatch is because a formatted 1.44 MB disk actually has only 1.38 MB available for use. The rest is taken up by system overhead.

As I am new to the Internet, kindly guide me if there are any changes that I will have to make to the system configuration in order to get maximum advantage in terms of speed while surfing the net like over clocking the processor, increase cache setting, prevent loading programme at start up etc. This is because I have heard people saying that certain changes in cache setting is necessary.

Q: For my guidance please clarify what is this 'cache'? Who are the best ISP's in India? Where can I get more information about them? What is the difference between an external and an internal modem? What are the drawbacks of using an internal modem?
Arshee Jameel
via email

A: Cache (pronounced cash) is a place to store something semi-temporarily. Web pages you request are stored in your browser's cache on the hard disk. When you revisit a page the browser gets it from the cache instead of the original server, saving time and network bandwidth. Computers include caches such as cache memory and disk cache. But to ensure for good computing, avoid modifying your system cache.

Instead get a resource manager like RAMIdle or MemTurbo that defragments system memory. As to the best ISPs in India, this varies from region to region. However, I think VSNL is one of the better ones because its available all over the country. So is Satyam and Netkracker. For more information, add a '.com' after their names. The difference between and external and internal modem is mainly price and features. The latter may be cheaper but exposes your computer to (telephone) line voltage spikes. And the software internal modems use often increase system resource use.

Q: I have a P-III/600, 128 MB and 20GB Hard Disk. I asked my hardware vendor to upgrade it to a P4. He said me to do that I need to pay him Rs 18,000. He insists that I should change my printer to HP 640C. I have an Epson Stylus 480 printer. The price placed by him is including the exchange of printer. He also said that the printer is taken off from the market.
Ranadeep
via email

A: This guy is definitely trying to make a quick buck. There is NO NEED for you to change a printer to upgrade a processor! The Epson Stylus 480 is still available. As to upgrading to a P4, you will need a new cabinet as the P4 requires additional cooling. So that's a major expense. Stay with your processor a while.

Q: I've appeared for my BCom and wish to start a career in IT. I'm going to enrol for a software course which includes C, C++, Core Java, Linux, UML, SQL and Oracle. For this, I wish to buy a PC. Could U please suggest the exact configuration for that PC which will help in loading the above-mentioned software.
Siddhartha Ganguly.
via email

A: There's no exact configuration. That depends on how much you're will to pay. It should include at least be a P-III/600 MHz with 128-256 MB RAM and a 20GB or larger hard disk. Make sure to get a legal OS included in the system price. Considering your needs I'd rate Windows 2000 Professional over Windows 98 or ME. And when you get it partition that drive into at least 2: one for the OS and programs and the other for your data.

Q: I have a P-3 with Win98SE. I have noticed that it hangs and then i have to restart my computer before it works well. Is there any other remedy for this? What does a Kernel32 error mean? Can you say me the incoming and outgoing servers for Rediff, Hotmail and Yahoo?
Amit Kacholia
via email

A: You haven't mentioned your installed RAM. The Kernel32 error typically points to a lack of system resources. Make sure there's a line "Device=c:\emm386.exe /auto" in your CONFIG.SYS file where "c:\" is where the file physically is. As to the mail servers, check up the respective sites or browse through past issues of Mailbox Online (http://www.careermosaicindia.com/itattt/).

Q: I have a P-III/500, 192MB running Win Me. I changed my virtual memory settings and dedicated F drive with 500MB as the Windows swap file. When i try emptying my Recycle Bin I get an error: "You are running out of disk space.." This happens only when the size of files to be permanently deleted are a few MB or more.
Debojyoty Sadhukhan
via email

A: This well illustrates the need to allow Windows to manage its own swap file settings. Which is what I suggest you do ASAP!

Q: I have a P-III computer with Win98SE with 10.2GB and 64RAM. Can I install Linux as second OS along with Windows. Will it work accurately or will corrupt some of my Windows files.I like to download and install software from Net. Do download accelerators really speed up downloads? While installing some software from Net sometimes it suddenly stops, giving an error "Internet Explorer cannot download Operation timed out". Why is it so? I'm using internet connection from NetKracker. Why occasionally it runs very slow? Some musical screen savers after installation don't plays the music. Why is it so?
Krishan K Mohta
via email

A: Yes you can install Linux but read our Product Guide on Linux (http://www.careermosaicindia.com/itattt/) for more information on the process. Download accelerators reduce download times by breaking the file into multiple parts, downloading these smaller data streams, and then joining them together at your end. Good ones are GetRight, MassDownloader and DownloadManager. The timed out issue is caused by a sudden stop in the network data flow. To avoid this always save files instead of trying to install them off the Net. The Netkracker blues are caused when too many users try to do too much simultaneously and the ISP's backbone is overloaded. As to why music-enabled software won't play, I suggest you check the release notes as also the site from where your found it.

Q: I run a cyber cafe with 5 computers. These are all P-III, 64 Mb, 10 Gb HD, with a D-link Network adapter. I have been using the 'Internet Connection Sharing' option that comes with Windows. Everything was working fine as this setting was done by our vendor. After few months, there was some problems in my main machine, and I had to format it. After formatting, I reset all the settings but the machine hangs frequently and does not respond to Ctrl+Alt+Del also. After restarting it works for few seconds and the problem re-occurs. I tried with another machine also. This works fine until I enable ICS option. I cannot contact to my vendor. Please help me. One of my machines also automatically restarts, while shutting down, even if the 'Restart' button is not chosen.

My home PC internet connection disconnects frequently. I followed your tips and checked my telephone line. I have also tried out different ISPs but nothing helped. This problem has been occurring from few days only. No settings were changed. Please help.
Jatin Agarwal
via email

A: There is many inter-related reasons why ICS is causing problems. I recommend http://216.167.71.32/techfiles/ics-mskb.html for more pointers. Why not use a free proxy server like AnalogX (www.analogx.com) along with a free firewall like ZoneAlarm (www.zonelalarm.com). The frequent restarts point to a possible error with the Windows installations. For your home PC, the possible disconnect reason is that either the ISP specifically disconnects you if no throughput is detected or is having bandwidth problems. You need a utility that constantly pings a site to keep the connection alive.

Q: I use a Pentium-III. I cannot save any the changes done in my BIOS Setup. I need to change the date and time since it is showing Jan 01,1999. I would also like to disable anti-virus protection. I entered Setup by pressing DEL, changed these settings and then saved the changes by pressing F10 key followed by 'Y'. But the next time when I started my machine both changes were not there
Saurav Ghosh
via email

A: It appears that your CMOS battery seems to have a problem as its not providing backup. When the PC restarts after you modify the settings, they default to their originals. Have the battery checked/replaced.

Q: I am planning to replace my current mother board and upgrade to an 810E chipset. What will happen to my existing AGP card. Does the new 'board support all kind of high-end graphics. Will my Cyrix processor be supported or do I need a Pentium? What is the exact cost of the 810E?. Do such motherboards have expansion slot so that I can use both my old AGP and the inbuilt one? What is the incoming and outgoing mail server name for Rediffmail.com ?
Debashis Roy
via email

A: If you upgrade to the i810 chipset, the AGP controller is embedded. And your older AGP card will become junk. Try instead for an i815 or an ASUS motherboard with a separate AGP slot. These cost between Rs 5000-11,000, but the extra is worth it. Your Cyrix won't make the transition you will need an Pentium, unless you look at a Cyrix-compatible board. The i81x series are designed specifically for the P-3/Celeron series. As for the mail server, Rediff don't support remote POP or SMTP!

Q: I have P/200 Mhz with 32 MB RAM. When I start my PC, i get a warning " The following file is missing or corrupted. C:\CDPRO\VIDE-CDD.SYS. There is an error in your CONFIG.SYS file on line 1. " What is this problem and how to repair it.? Please suggest. Secondly, please suggest a site from where i can download SWIFT 3D software for special text effects.
Shrenik Jain
via email

A: The error means that the file cannot be found. Either delete the line from your CONFIG.SYS file or make sure the missing file is present where it should be! As for Swift 3D, consider checking out http://www.swift3d.com/.

Q: I am an avid reader of it@tt and specially Mailbox. I am just a novice into the world of computers and sometimes think "how come you solve so many computer related problems? Have you faced all sorts of computer problems? Then I should suggest that you should get a brand new (trouble free) computer." When I try and shutdown my PC often hangs and I need to turn off the mains power. This happened after I reinstalled Win98SE.
Deepan Banerjee
via email

A: If I got a trouble-free computer how would I resolve your problems. But seriously, I can because I've been there, done that and found it worked. Now I try to help others! It appears that some system process or software not shutting down is causing Windows to hang. During boot up, keep F8 pressed until you get the Boot menu. Select Safe Mode to run Windows without any services. Then shut down. If there are no problems restart the PC. Close each app in the system tray before shutting down Windows. Again, if there are no problems, one of the apps you closed is the culprit.

Q: I want a good reference book for Photoshop 6.0 giving all the details and should be easy to understand.
Deepak Timbadia
via email

A: That's a tall request considering we don't know your ability to understand! Suggest you go to a book store and check out all the subject-related titles. One in the Dummies series may be ideal.

Answers by G Menon
[email protected]

Top

Other Articles