IT@TT - Online

Q: I am a Class XI student and want to know which is better: IT or MCA. Also what programming is there in this courses.
Manoj Singh
via e-mails

A: You will have to send us more details including the full course name and the institution offering it before we can help you better.

Q: I am a new user and am doing a Web-centric course from NIIT, Calcutta. We were advised to load JDK1.2.1 on our PCs. I have a P-III, 64 MB RAM with Win 98. After defining the path in AUTOEXEC.BAT, I am unable to compile the Java program saved in Notepad. On restarting the machine, I get an "unable to open Windows" error in the DOS prompt. I have loaded JDK1.2.1 in both 'C' and 'D' drives. Please help me.
Saurav Chakravorty
via email

A: In the absence of the complete details, our answer may not solve your problem. If on boot up you select Command Prompt and run the Java compiler directly from the DOS command line then you shouldn't have a problem. However, if you are attempting to start Windows from within a Windows DOS box, then you will continue to receive an error. . Also you should have only one instance of the JDK. Decide which drive you prefer to keep it on.

Q: I want to buy a PC, but am confused whether I should have a motherboard with in-built sound card, AGP and modem like the Intel 810 chipset. Or one with these modules separate. Please help and also give the best motherboard. Also does Win NT support a 20 GB hard disk?
SK Kulia
via email

A: If you plan to add specialised audio and video plug-in cards you should avoid the Intel 810. Because most functions are integrated, you can however affect a cost saving. Each motherboard needs to be evaluated on its individual merits and your needs. Yes, Windows NT supports 20 GB hard disks in NTFS and FAT32 only. For FAT16 the maximum size cannot exceed 2 GB.

Q: I have a Celeron/466, 64 MB RAM running Win NT Server. While booting up, the task bar and wallpaper appears but icons appears after about 5 minutes. Although the CPU LED does not glow, the mouse cursor shows busy when brought over the task bar. I observe this problem after a sudden power failure (even though I have a CVT). How to rectify this problem??
Rupak Das
via email

A: You do like to live dangerously. With any flavour of NT you should always use a UPS instead of a CVT which only smoothes line voltage and is no help during a power failure. The problem of busy system is because each service is checking its consistency vis-a-vis the system registry before coming online. Increase the RAM to 128 MB and there will be a noticeable improvement in speed. There are usually 2 LEDs: for power (green) and hard disk (red). The latter should flicker when there is disk activity.

Q: I am a regular reader and am very fond of it@tt. I have a computer at home with an Internet connection. I also know basic Web design and now want to learn Photoshop and Flash. Please refer me to some books as well as online resources which will be good for my professional development.
Jaita Bhattacharya
via email

A: There are many books on Photoshop and Flash. Visit a computer bookstore. it@tt readers will get an additional 5% discount on Fabmart (www.fabmart.com) prices. Email us at [email protected] with details of the books (title and ISBN number) desired with your contact address.

Q: Once I ran Navidad.Exe which came as an attachment. It changed the application part of my system. and modified files to open with WINSVRC. Whenever I try to run an application, my computer is asking for WINSVRC.EXE file which is not present. How can I overcome this problem? Will it be over if I reinstall Windows98?
Subimal Banerjee
via email

A: Aargh! You've managed to install a virus on your PC. Read my Viruswatch column this week to find out how to rid yourself of this infector. Or you can re-partition and re-format your hard disk and then reinstall Windows.

Q: I have a Celeron/400, 64 MB RAM. I want to know how many bits are my sound and display cards. How can I check this. I also want to speed up my Internet connection. I have downloaded "Download Accelerator Plus 4.0" from the Net but it was of no use because I'm still logging in at the same old speed. Some people I know who have the same configuration system are logging in at a much faster rate. Please also suggest a few free sites from where I can download tutorials.
Jaydeep Ghosh
via email

A: There are two ways to check the sound and display card configurations. The first is to open your PC and physically check them. However, most new mother boards have sound and display integrated. You can use the Win 98 System Information tool (Start|Programs|Accessories|System Tools). Or you can download SiSoft Sandra from the Net. Download Accelerator only speeds up file downloads, not your Net connect. First ensure your phone line is noise-free and there are no open joints or extension phones between you and the telephone pole. If you still have a pulse line, consider upgrading to tone. Most importantly, access speed is heavy dependent on the telephone system, the ISP as well as the available Internet bandwidth.

Q: Thank you for information on free web hosting in Education Times (sic). I would like to know about a web site with free web database server support since I am developing a site on youth.
KK Khetan
via email

A: Ummm! You did write to it@tt, and not the Times of India? Almost all free Web sites offer CGI- (and Perl-) based database support. Some also offer MySQL support.

Q: This is further to your reply regarding unlocking of STD facility to access the Internet. I am applying for a new connection as suggested by you. However this will take time and I am a new user. If I access the Internet through VSNL and Caltiger with the STD unlocked, will this increase the cost of the telephone call.
Sumana Dasgupta
via email

A: Actually, this STD unlocked or no access appear to be peculiar to Calcutta. Perhaps all affected readers could demand of Calcutta Telephones why are they being singled out. But no, a local call is a local call. And they shouldn't over charge you. If they do, I recommend taking the matter to the next Telephone Adalat in your area.

Q: I have P III/450, 64 MB ram, 8.4 GB HDD and Win 98. I had Office 2000 installed, but a few days ago my Word went absolutely blank. I had nothing except minimise, restore and close buttons. Even the tool bars were missing. I even deleted Office 2000and installed Office 97, but neither works. Help me. My HDD also makes lots of noise while processing. Is something wrong with it?
Saurav Shaw
via email

A: This odd behaviour is most likely caused by a virus. Have you scanned your PC recently? As to your hard drive, some make a fair bit of noise. The best would be to show it to your vendor.

Q: I have a penchant for writing English short stories and poetry. I have been contributing occasionally to some leading Indian newspapers. I would be obliged if you let me know which popular and reputed Internet Magazines accept such writing.
Shivaji K. Moitra
via email

A: The Internet market in India is none too mature. And for some odd reason prefers in-house writers over free lancers. You should prepare one sample essay (approx 400-600 words) and start visiting each general interest magazine site on the Net. Look for a Submission button. to send an email with your story in the body (not as an attachment). Make sure also to include a meaningful subject line. And then wait.

Q: I have a PII/266. I recently installed AVG 6.0 and Norton antivirus 2000. But I notice a huge difference in speed. My computer has become relatively slow. I discussed the matter with my friend and he told me that antivirus makes a computer slower and virus faster. Is it true?
Sayan Dev Nandy
via email

A: If viruses made PCs faster, we would need anti-virus programs. Unfortunately, viruses slow down and damage a PC. Your friend is misinformed. Make sure he starts reading it@tt regularly. The PC slowdown is probably caused by Norton which continuously scans the system. Why do you have two antivirus programs? Each is cancelling the other. Stick to one.

G Menon & Ashish Jain
[email protected]

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