IT@TT - Online

Q: I am interested to make a call to Rajkot. Is there any site that lets me call for free.
Sourin Dhar
via email

A: There are no free phone services to Indian locations. Currently free destinations are restricted to the USA.

Q: I would like to know more about "search engines" and "web spiders."
Debabrata Pratihar
Jamshedpur

A: A search engine indexes Web pages and their content and stores this data in a database. When you give a keyword, the engine checks this against the stored data to give you the most relevant results. A spider is an automated program that visits Web sites and reads pages and other information to create entries for a search engine index. Spiders are often called 'bots or crawlers. Spiders usually visit many sites in parallel at the same time, their "legs" spanning a large area of the "web."

Q: I have completed a diploma in civil engineering. I also have some experience in AutoCAD and AutoLisp. I would like to work in computer-aided design in the civil engineering field. Please tell me where to search for a job online.
Subha Dutta Chowdhary
Jadavpur University, Calcutta

A: The civil engineering industry doesn't have a dedicated job site. With your experience, you can consider working in an architecture concern. You should also regularly check out www.careermosaicindia.com for job postings. Don't be disheartened if most job ads you find require experience.

Q: I wrote you a letter a while ago, but didn't see it published with an answer. I have a 166 MMX with 16 MB RAM and Win 98. My IE is not showing Java applets attached. Also, in Opera 3.6, GIFs have stopped working. I also want to get rid of the yellow folder icons. My start menu items too are not being sorted automatically. How can I boot into DOS with mouse and CD-ROM support. Do respond even if I sent a postcard. Also, when will you start reviewing books.
Chandan Patra
Howrah

A: We receive lots of mail and have been forced to prioritize. Now one letter is chosen from many on the same subject. Most web pages are designed for use with IE 5.x or better. The un-animated GIFs in Opera may be caused by a format incompatibility or you are running low on system resources. To change the default icon, right click it and select properties and then the Change Icon button. To sort your menu, right click and select Sort by Name. To boot into DOS, select Start|Shutdown and choose the reboot in DOS mode option. I also recommend more RAM as Win 98 runs best with 64 MB. We did start reviewing books but didn't receive any reader feedback so have sent the book review on vacation.

Q: I have a PC and ink jet. The problem is when I want a hard copy from Word, Excel or PowerPoint there are no problems. But when I use Publisher, I don't get a print copy. Why?
Diptendu Barman
Calcutta

A: Please check your Publisher print settings. Its possible you have a print-disabled demo version.

Q: I have tried several options including Net2phone, Mediaring and Dialpad but none was successful. I have P-3/450 with a 16-bit sound card and Win98. Net2phone gave an error that firewall testing was failing. I contacted their customer service who said that I need to specify the TCP and UDP port numbers. How is this possible? I contacted my ISP (Caltiger) but were unhelpful.
Hitesh Thakkar
via email

A: It appears that Caltiger has specifically blocked access to Internet telephony services. Have you tried to use MSN Messenger's free phone service? If not, try and send us feedback.

Q: Thanks for the prompt reply. You asked me to send a sample of the indecipherable letters when I receive email. This is not a constant problem but is still irritating.
Udit Saraff
via email

A: Thanks for the sample. If you save the "indecipherable letter" in a text file and then rename it to .JPG, you will see an image. The problem seems to lie with your MIME settings.

Q: Could you tell me how infrared transfer of data between two compatible devices works. What is the basic technology that makes such communication possible. Also what does a desktop PC need to communicate with an IR-enabled device like a Psion?
Sougata Ghosh
via email

A: Infrared Data (IrDA) is a special form of radio transmission that uses a focused ray of light in the infrared frequency spectrum, measured in terahertz, that is modulated with information and sent from a transmitter to a receiver over a relatively short distance. It requires a transceiver (a combination transmitter receiver) in both devices that communicate. In addition, one or both devices may require special software so that the communication can by synchronized. An example is the IrDA support in Windows 9x. You can get lots of information at www.irda.org. For the Psion you will need a the software pack; available at www.psion.com.

Q: I have a problem that has begun recently. As soon as I put on my system, my monitor goes in into standby mode. To start the system I have to reset the machine. I use a CVT and have tried all permutations and combinations for connections of the monitor and the CPU, suspecting it to be an electrical problem - but to no avail.
Pavan Bedi
via email

A: Very odd. I think you need to now check the PC's internals. Its possible that your SMPS has started misbehaving. Or the video card is about to die. Use a site www.pcguide.com to see if anything there can help you out.

Q: I am a senior citizen and find your mailbox very helpful. I have an assembled PC to e-my children in USA. I also use multimedia to enjoy audio/video CDs and to visit websites. Despite a 300mhz processor, 64RAM and a 56.6 Modem using a Satyam account, I find connecting to websites extremely slow. For example, connecting Dialpad.com or messenger.msn.com I spent 90 minutes without a result. Please suggest a way out of such agony?
Dipak R Nag
via email

A: Thank you for the kind words. Instead of trying to download software, consider buying computer magazines with CDs and install the software from there. I also recommend that you have your telephone connections checked to ensure that there is no disturbance. Also, make sure that the modem is the first device connected to the telephone line.

Q: I have a AMD Athlon/550 with 128 MB RAM. Can I install Win NT 4.0 Server SP 5 with 8 GB primary and three 4 GB secondary partitions. Can I also assign the CD drive as b:\ since we don't have a floppy drive
Tamal Saha
via email

A: Before installing server check the WinNT Hardware Compatibility List to verify that there are no issues with AMD Athlon's. An 8 GB drive is not a problem. I don't recommend re-assigning the floppy drive ID to the CD drive, in case you need the floppy drive one day.

Q: I am an IT professional with 12 years experience. I recently came across a report on Call Centres. The Centre has already formulated policies for this. And Various state governments are giving incentives. I would like to know more.
Chandra Bhanu Gupta
via email

A: The answer is too detailed for this column. We suggest you visit www.voicendata.com for a detailed report.

Q: My computer is infected with the "Wyx" boot sector virus. I use VirusScan and have downloaded the latest data files. However the method suggested on the McAfee site to remove Wyx virus is not able to clean it. I shall sincerely appreciate any help on the subject.
V Sethi
via email

A: The McAfee method doesn't work. Instead consider purchasing a Satyam UnLtd connection for the CD. This contains a free copy of Fire Antivirus; the only cure for Wjx. The infection usually occurs when you switch on the PC with an infected disk in the floppy drive. Or you can buy a copy of Fire (www.fireantivirus.com).

Q: Thanks to all of you for making this mailbox so interactive and helpful to readers. My PC runs pretty well with docs and graphics but takes hours to open Web sites. When I configure my 33.6 kbps modem with higher speeds like 115200 kbps, it makes little difference. Please help speed up my surfing with an overview of the speed mechanism of the Internet. Also does a bigger HDD and 56.6kbps modem ensure faster throughput.
Suronath Ghosh
via email

A: Thanks for the appreciation. Setting your 33.3 kbps modem to 115200 is counter-productive. A 56.6k modem will improve throughput considerably. You also need to ensure that your ISP's bandwidth (as with Caltiger) is not clogged. The hard disk size is less important as its data-transfer rate. Use a Net accelerator like NetSonic or Naviscope to speed up page load times.

Q: I have a P-3/500 with 64 MB Ram. While booting the PC halts at the BIOS screen with a slave drive error. When this happens the CD-ROM drive can't be found and the HDD indicator remains on even when the machine is idle.
Rajib Pain
via email

A: There appears to be a problem with your BIOS settings. Use the BIOS setup (press Del on booting) and auto-detect the slave drive. You could also contact the hardware person who fixed your previous problem and find out if any cables were fitted the wrong way. I recommend the re-visit as urgent otherwise you may permanently damage/destroy your hard drive.

Q: When I apply a screen saver it works so long the machine is on. Whenever I restart my PC the screen saver goes missing. Also when I the colour combinations for the Active and Inactive Title Bar the combination remains as long the machine is on. On restart, it comes only in one colour out of the two specified.
Deepak Bhartia
via email

A: Either you have a virus or there is to be a Windows error. Consider scanning your PC for viruses and re-installing the operating system.

Q: I have a VSNL account. Whenever I connect I am disconnected automatically after a few minutes. This does not happen when I use Mantraonline or Xpsonline. I do not think there is any problem with my PC or these two accounts would have given me the same problem. I have uninstalled and then reinstalled the VSNL autodialer without any improvement.
Sudip Mukherjee
via email

A: Have you checked your email settings? By default OE 5.x hangs up after checking email. Try and setup a new VSNL account without using the autodialer. Use the DUN wizard to configure this connection. If you have no further problems, the autodialer itself is defective. You should also send an email giving your problem to the VSNL Helpdesk in your city.

Q: I have a Pentium III 500, 32MB RAM and Win98. Whenever I start my PC it shows a driver memory error and a registry error "Cannot import C:\WINDOWS\KAK.REG: error opening the file" The PC also runs very slow. What should I do.
Lilesh Soni
via email

A: Your PC is infected with the KAK virus. Download Symantec's KAK fixer (http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/wscript.kakworm.fix.html). The PC running slow could be caused by the virus infestation. And also because you have 32 MB RAM with Win98. Upgrade to at least 64 MB.

G Menon
[email protected]

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