IT@TT - Online

Q: I am a regular reader of your column and you are doing a great job. I will be thankful if you can give me names of a few POP mail servers other than Yahoo. Also please suggest a free good antivirus software that I can download from the net. Moreover you people are talking about starting a column on programming language - I vote for it.
Shiladitya Chakrabarti
via e-mail

A: Thankee kindly for the encouragement. As also for your vote on a programming column. We'll look at this. Other than Yahoo there are free POP mail servers; outside of the Indian ISPs. As for a free and excellent antivirus, try Grisoft's AVG Anti Virus (www.grisoft.com).

Q: I have completed the 1st semester of NIIT. Should I join the 2nd semester as this consist of languages like C++ or should I be proficient in Java. I am also a BA student of IGNOU. Please advise me as I find your tips very helpful. Also name some sites which give me information about the UPSE examination. I have never used a floppy to download anything or store my programmes. So please tell me how to use a floppy and to download from the Internet.
Jyoti Khandelwal
via e-mail

A: You can't expect NIIT to award you certification if you don't complete their course. Its best to ask their career counsellor what's best based on your 1st Semester performance. Surely you mean "UPSC" instead of UPSE? The UPSC web site is http://upsc.gov.in. Surely, NIIT grounded you in computer basics? Ask a IT-savvy friend or the Internet cafe owner to show you how. Its kind of hard to store much on a floppy as it holds just 1.4 MB.

Q: I like downloading and installing software. After installing and then uninstalling Netscape Navigator when I right-click the desktop it still shows a file named "Netscape Hyperlink Document" with no icon beside it under the "New" category. How do I to delete it. I have Win98 and uninstall software's using "Add/Remove Program."
Srikant.C
via e-mail

A: The simplest way to resolve this is to download a free utility, TweakUI, from http://www.microsoft.com/ntworkstation/downloads/PowerToys/Networking/NTTweakUI.asp. This will help fix this problem. And also resolve some others you may not be aware of.

Q: I have a P-3/450,64 MB and have installed an D-Link 56.6 kbps Internal Modem. But I seldom get the full speed. I generally between 45-46000 kbps and occasionally 50000 kbps. What's the reason? I have pulse dialing and two OS: Win98SE and Win2K Advanced Server. The modem doesn't work with the specified driver on the driver CD. It gives an unhandled exception error and then start a memory dump.

Is it possible to get a free JDBC driver for connecting Java and SQL Server directly, without using a DSN? If possible, please give the site names. Is banglalive.com a web-based email service? If not, could you please give their incoming and outgoing mail servers? Also, I would like you to add a section on programming.
Arnab Sinha
via e-mail

A: As I mentioned last week, the bundled D-Link modem drivers are not to be trusted. Instead either download an updated copy from www.dlink-india.com. Or use the generic Rockwell 56k driver which works just as well. Pulse dialling has nothing to do with bandwidth. Line noise, exchange loading and your ISP are more relevant throttlers. I don't think there's a free JDBC driver. As for the web site, we were unable to open it. The best way to find the email server is to check the help page.

Q: I am a regular follower of your edition with The Telegraph. The solutions of your "mailbox" and "tips & tweaks" sections has helped me in solving many problems. Currently, I found that when I try opening any site with Internet Explorer I find the following message " Internet Explorer cannot open the site http//(name of the site). The connection to the server was reset." When I press the OK button of the dialogue box the box disappears and the page is downloaded. Kindly help me in getting rid of this nuisance.
Debmalya Ghosh
via email

A: That's caused by bandwidth interruptions. Basically, your ISP connection stopping for a few seconds; just when you decide to open the page.You should also check to see how many other things you are trying to do from your PC: downloading files, checking email and surfing many sites. The problem could also be caused by insufficient data handles being available. Try to open only 1 Web site at a time. Or download a utility like NetCaptor (Product Review, it@tt, 23 Jan 01).

Q: I have an Athlon/800, 256 MB RAM. I've installed Wind98, Win 2K Pro and Win2k Advanced Server. Can I install Linux and SCO Unix both, and which will be the boot loader. I want to get used to the Unix environment as my job is in IT support.
Dibyendu Datta
via email

A: Linux is a open source sub-flavour of Unix. Learn one and you will know about the other. You are really trying to stress your system! Why do you need 4-5 operating systems for? Almost at least 60-75% of IT support is on Windows desktops. Like this one.

Q: I have a Pentium III computer with Win98SE. The CD-ROM auto run is not working although in its properties the auto-insert notification is enabled. I have downloaded cdrom.exe from Samsung's website but still the problem persists. Also while playing games with 3D graphics sometimes the computer hangs or launches the desktop. Is it a software or a hardware problem? Please help.
Anirban De
via email

A: That the CD drive is still not working indicates a driver mismatch; somewhere. Here's a Registry hack: Start the Registry Editor and go to HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software\Microsoft\ Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer, double-click on NoDriveTypeAutoRun and change the value to "95 00 00 00" which should fix it. The Intel 810 'board features integrated graphics, which can rarely handle 3D gaming. Which probably accounts for the system lockup. The graphics card also shares your system RAM. The desktop launching happens when an application decides to take over from the game.

Q: Recently I brought some floppies from my friend containing games like Ian Botham's Cricket. I loaded the game and after playing shut down the computer at the c: prompt. after that whenever I switch on the computer I get "disk boot failure insert system disk and press enter". How shall my computer reboot? I don't have CD driver at my place.
Indrajit Agarwala
via e-mail

A: Actually prepare for the worst: you have to first make your hard disk bootable and then (probably) reinstall Windows. To make the disk bootable, take a floppy and format on a virus-free Win98 computer using "Format a: /u/s" which will overwrite any previous data and copy the system files to the floppy. After than from \Windows\Command folder copy Format and Fdisk as well. Write-protect the floppy and make sure to label it. Restart your system and check that the BIOS is set to boot first of A: and then C:. Boot up and from the prompt try the "SYS C:" command to re-enable the hard drive. If this doesn't work, you will need to reinstall Windows from your original disk(s)

Q: I have a Celeron/266. My system is unable to load Windows. It shows "did not find win.com ...Unable to Load Windows." Please Help.
Vishal Agarwal
via e-mail

A: You have little choice but to reinstall Windows. But before you do, have your PC scanned by an antivirus software. Unless intentionally deleted, this seems like a virus' work.

Q: I am using Win ME. Today all of a sudden, the Start|Search Files & Folders option is not working. Help me.
Sumit Gupta
via e-mail

A: Begin by downloading the TweakUI utility mentioned in this week's Product Review. This' Desktop tab should be able to resolve your problem. Write us if it doesn't.

Q: I have Cyrix-233 with 4MB AGP, 64 MB RAM and Win 98 SE. Recently while going through the CMOS setup I found under the option Chipset Feature Setup-AGP Aperture Size was mentioned as 64 MB. I changed it to 4MB. Do tell me if I made the correct choice. If so does that mean that any graphics application was previously sharing the 64MB RAM? Does the specified range of 4-256 MB mean I can an install AGP card up to 256 MB? Will the upgraded AGP fit the previous slot? Why do some new game not run because I don’t have Open GL driver. These games work fine on my friend’s machine. Is my processor a big barrier for today’s games?
Debashis Roy
via e-mail

A: Intel recommends an AGP Aperture size of 64 MB. Read http://support.intel.com/support/technologies/graphics/agp/aperture2.htm for more information. For size settings read http://www.techtv.com/screensavers/answerstips/story/0,23008,2292842,00.html. I'm unclear whether you have a separate AGO card or this is a part of the motherboard? Do clarify and give the make. You need to see what your friend's PC's configuration is down to software. If its 100% identical there should be a problem. Your inability to play OpenGL-supported games may indicate your card doesn't support this feature. try download the latest copy of DirectX 8. And yes, for dedicated gaming your processor is kind of old.

Q: I'm a regular reader of your Mailbox, though this is my first mail. You had mentioned in an earlier edition (it@tt 8 May 01) that using a web-based email account is safer than a POP one. Can you please explain when to go for the latter?
Suchintan Chatterjee
via e-mail

A: The reader in question was fed up with viruses; hence my suggestion. Web-based email is great if you don't have a PC of your own. Yet need to access and send email. If the Web-based email service also offers POP3 support (as does Yahoo for free and USA.net on payment) so much the better. Web-based email services will often scan email and attachments for viruses. POP is excellent if you have a PC and want to download and store your email.

Q: I have a P3,64MB SDRAM with WINME running.I have an internet connection with Caltiger and MantraOnline and I have installed I.E5.5 and Netscape 4.7.Whenever I connect to the internet using MantraOnline I cannot view any websites, a "Cannot Find Server" page is displayed.When I connect through Caltiger it comes connecting to site 127.0.0.1 and then again the "Cannot Find Server" page is displayed.Please Help.
Dinesh Chachan
via e-mail

A: 127.0.0.1 is the local host (your) PC. And this error occurs if you used to use a surfing accelerator? To resolve the problem go to IE Tools|Option and select the Connections Tab. At the bottom is a button LAN Connections. Click to open and remove any check boxes. Apply the changes and now try and browse.

Q: What are the ways in which a PC can get affected by virus?
Saurish Choudhury
via e-mail

A: The most common form of infectors now seems to be in email attachments. For more on this read my past Viruswatch columns (in print) and online at www.careermosaicindia.com/itattt). You can also get file-borne viruses from infected floppy disks. And even in downloaded files from the Internet; especially if you make it a habit to visit hacker sites.

Answers by G Menon
[email protected]

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