Q: I bought
a 2-axis 4-button DEXXA joystick. I have Win98 on a PII. The joystick
is working properly in Windows but DOS games don't find any joystick.
If a DOS driver needs to be loaded please let me know where I may get
it.
Apurva Gupta
via e-mail
A: There appears to be a known problem with Logitech joysticks under DOS. Please consult http://www.logitech.com/cf/support/1222.cfm for more details.
Q:
Last month I took a MP3 CD and loaded the files
on my hard disk. Some files are not playing on my PC but play on my friend's.
He has 64mb and I 32mb. Please tell me how to make MP3 from audio CD and
Audio cassettes.I tried once with Jet audio but got an error "can't
initialize mp3 encoding engine". So please tell me how I could do
that and with which software.
Uttam Thapa
via e-mail
A: Did you play the CD from your CD drive instead of copying the tracks to your hard disk? Windows 98 is a resource hog and performs poorly on 32 MB; you need at least 64 MB RAM for multimedia support. The initialize error is caused when you don't have an MP3 encoder installed. You can install WinAMP and the Nullsoft MP3 output plug-in (www.mpegx.com/apluginout.shtml)
Q:
Recently,
I tried to reload Windows from within itself. But Dr Solomon AV caused
problems and I cancelled the reloading. Since then while booting it stops
at the C prompt. I have to change directory to "Windows" and
then run "WIN" file to bring the Windows. Please tell me how
to repair the problem.
Animesh Biswas
via e-mail
A: You have a partial reinstall. We recommend that you disable your antivirus. And then again setup Windows; preferably from the DOS prompt.
Q:
I'm
using OE5 as my E-mail software. I have more than one E-mail account,
and I use all accounts through OE5, BUT MY PROBLEM IS THAT ALL INCOMING
EMAIL GOES INTO THE INBOX. I WANT A SEPARATE FOLDER FOR EACH ACCOUNT.
IS THIS POSSIBLE?
Satyajeet G Sharma
via e-mail
A: We hear you very well so do stop screaming; all capitals is just that! Use Tools|Message Rules to define rules to redirect incoming email from a specific account into a specific folder.
Q: I have a 486 with 16MB RAM. I have loaded MusicMatch and Windows Media Player. However I am unable to play MP3 files. I converted an MP3 file to .WAV format and it played well in MIDI. But whilst MP3 was of 4MB, the WAV became 30-35 MB. How do I solve this problem ?
In
office I have a LAN computer setup running in Windows NT. I want to download
animated greeting card. As soon as I copy, the animation effect is lost.
What is the procedure for downloading a picture with animation effect?
KPC Menon
via e-mail
A: The MP3 playback problem is caused by a slower processor and low RAM. You need at least a Pentium MMX/166 with 64 MB RAM. MP3 is a file compression format that removes repeated data unlike WAV files which contain everything. Animated greeting cards are usually created in Flash or Shockwave to preserve copyright. Search your Temporary Internet Files for .SWF or .FLA; but the file may not play.
Q: I have a P3/500, 64 MB RAM running Windows 98. Whenever my system boots up the Boot Menu screen appears. The computer loads Windows 98 automatically after 30 seconds if no choice is entered. How do I start Win98 without this screen. Would it entail formatting the hard disc as has been suggested by some technicians?
Also
what is the ideal speed for an Internet connection, which is currently
logging at a maximum speed of 42.33 kbps, with a 56 kbps modem (D-link).
I have McAfee AV software loaded. How can I make this connection work
faster.
Sujit Goho
via e-mail
A: To disable the Boot Menu, start the PC and select "Command Prompt only." Use ATTRIB -S -R MSDOS.SYS to enable file editing. Use the command line EDIT to open the file and under [Options] change "BootGUI" value from 0 to 1. Make no other changes and save the file. Use ATTRIB +S +R to restore the file properties. Reboot your system. Those 'technicians' were only trying to make money.
That you are getting a 42+ kbps speed is excellent. Read this issue of it@tt for a list of download accelerators. Your anti-virus has nothing to do with the connection speed.
Q:
When
my computer is turned on, after displaying my windows start logo the error
"cannot find a device file that may be need to run windows..."
is displayed. I am experiencing this problem for last four months. I thought
it wise to format my disk but the problem persists. Can you suggest a
solution.
Dipyaman Kundu
via e-mail
A: It appears you either have a boot sector virus, or your Windows installer is corrupted. For the first, you will need to boot the system using a virus-free (clean) disk or CD. You then have to use FDISK to delete all partitions. Reboot. And then use FDISK to make fresh partitions, format them and reinstall Windows. For the second, get a copy of Windows from a friend and try a reinstall.
Q:
On
my Compaq Presario 7500 McAfee VirusScan indicated many files have been
infected with W32/MTX.svr virus. I deleted the infected files. But the
software failed to delete the virus. Please help me.
Pijush Kanti Ghoshal
via e-mail
A: Have you the latest antivirus signatures (v4106)? The detailed cleaning information cannot be published due to lack of space. We suggest you visit http://vil.nai.com/vil/dispVirus.asp?virus_k=98797 for the complete details.
Q:
When
accessing the Internet through IE5, when a webpage after opening is saved
in a file on the hard disk, how can I save other pages linked with the
first page in the same file? Also why does the same file opens in Netscape
while working offline?
Bhaska Roy
via e-mail
A: Add the URL to your IE5 Favorites and select Make Available Offline. Click the Customize button and follow the instruction. You can specify the depth of pages to save. Netscape is defined as your default browser. To change to IE5, use IE's Tools|Internet Options|Program, to restore IE5 as the default browser.
Q:
I
have got an Internet connection from Caltiger and VSNL. However, after
connecting on Caltiger server, the ad bar shows a VBscript compilation
error. There is no such problem through my VSNL connection. Also please
list some web sites covering e-commerce security, problems and solutions
and risk analysis in the field of software engineering management.
Nimita Mukherjee
via e-mail
A: Download the Caltiger Ad bar again. Then uninstall the existing ad bar and install the new copy. If this still doesn't work, contact Caltiger support. VSNL has no such problem since they don't display an ad bar; you pay to access the service. There are lots of sites on the two subject mentioned. We recommend using the Google and MSN search engines.
Q:
I
would like to know more about 'cookies' . A lot of these files get stored
up gradually in 'Cookies' directory and even consume a lot of memory on
the hard disk. Is it safe to delete these files ?
Abhinav Kishore
via e-mail
A: We will cover cookies in greater detail in a future issue of it@tt. But as a temporary solution, its safe to delete cookies if you have a drive space problem. However, some URLs like Web-based email and personalised sites may not display properly.
Q:
I
have a Celeron with 64MB. Is it possible to connect this to the TV to
watch VCDs? Can I have a home theatre speaker system attached to my PC.
Ajit K. Panda
via e-mail
A: You will have to install a TV tuner card to enable analog output for a TV. As for the home theatre part, just connect your soundcard's speaker port to the Line-In socket of your system. You will need a stereo mini plug to RCAx2 connector; available as most music shops.
Q:
I
am thinking of taking an Internet connection but I'm worried about the
telephone bill. Can you tell me about the telephone call-rate when on
the internet. Does it differ in any way from local call service? Also
how do I keep call-charges to the minimal.
Debajit Das
via e-mail
A: Based on ISP charges and local rates, a VSNL connection costs Rs 30 per hour. You can use a free ISP like Caltiger to minimise connection costs and only pay your phone bill. If you just use the Net for email, configure your email client to dial in, download email and disconnect. Once you finish your replies, the Send button will dial in, connect, send your email and disconnect. Avoid online gaming and contest sites, and don't chat and you will begin saving.
Q:
I
have a PIII with 64MB RAM. Whenever I connect to the Internet the connection
icon shows 31,200 bps. But when I try to download a file, the speed ranges
from 0.5-3 kbps. What is the problem? Shouldn't the download take place
at 31.2 Kbps?
Ashwin Atul
via e-mail
A: Going through it@tt (31 Oct 2k), I felt that some things should be clarified. regarding Sumit Bajaj's query, using 10GB HDD as a single partition with Windows 98 is no problem as long as you use FAT32. Keeping programs and data on separate partitions is a good idea as a separate data partition make file management easier. But there is no alternative for regular backups.
For re-partitioning you can use Partition Magic which can resize and create partitions on the fly but it is not free. Alternatively you can use FIPS. FIPS is available from Linux CDs and the NET. You have to first defragment the drive and then run FIPS to create new partitions. There is also an option for restoring the old partition in case any thing goes wrong.
Regarding Vijay Tejpal's query, updating TCP/IP with the DNS numbers doesn't change the connection speed. Check that the Phone line is noise free. Connect the modem to COM2 and set the port speed to 115200 from System Properties|Device Manager. If possible, test your connection using a different modem as some modems perform better on a particular line. The ISP’s server and/or the connect to the gateway depends on the number of users. There is nothing much you can do except ask existing users and then choose your ISP. Logon to network is not required as it just uses your Windows logon user name and password to logon to other networks, which will not work as your ISP login as usually different. It would only waste time trying. Disable all other protocols except TCP/IP on the same dialog box.
As
for Parikshit Gupta's query, consider the analogy of distributing water
through pipes. Depending on the diameter of the pipe more or less water
will flow. A 56K modem will provide more downstream bandwidth if the ISP
supports it. Upstream will be same as 33.6K. With email it would not make
any difference. As the number of users increase the system would slow
down.
Amitava Sen
via e-mail
G
Menon & Ashish Jain
[email protected]