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Newbies,Nerds & Nitwits. April 2002
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sheldene chant
|
Apr 27, 2002 20:50 PDT
|
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_______________________________________
NEWBIES, NERDS & NITWITS
Your 'support' ezine if you're nervous about the Net
April, 2002 Vol.2 Issue 4
Sheldene Chant, Editor
_____________________________________
By subscription only. Welcome to the 21st
offering from
Newbies, Nerds & Nitwits
You are receiving this newsletter because you
requested a subscription. Our subscriber list is
confidential. Unsubscribe instructions are at the
end of this ezine
____________________________________
IN THIS ISSUE
o Time for a Break...
o How to Install the Resource Meter
o Buried Under a Mountain of Spam
o How's Your e-Shorthand?
o A Fun Download - Sticky Notes
o Trouble Shooting PC Problems
o Hot Tip - Your Desktop as a Scratch Pad
________________________________________
TIME FOR A BREAK...
_________________________________________
IT seems as if there is never a dull moment with my
computer. As of a few days ago my screen regularly
fills with a thick white mist through which I can barely
see. Fortunately, to date, the mysterious mist disappears
after a few minutes - but I am a bit concerned as none of
the 'experts' I've consulted can identify this.
One suggestion was it might be a virus so I shot along to
http://www.pcpitstop.com for a quick online virus scan (just
in case my regular virus protection had missed something) but
no joy. While at the pcpitstop site I had my PC itself checked out
(another free, online service) but again received the all-clear.
So it is hardly surprising I have had computer glitches in mind.
Hence the re-run of my friend Pam Allen's article, Trouble
Shooting PC Problems. The NN&N subscriber base has grown
considerably since this first appeared so it will probably be new
to most of you and it is very useful.
The problem of spam keeps popping up - in my mailbox and
everyone else' s I gather. Michael Southon gives good advice for
dealing with this ever-increasing e-scourge in Buried Under a
Mountain of Spam - and there is one additional point I just have
to make.
Like most people I receive - and usually enjoy - all sorts of jolly
little 'things' forwarded by friends. In the course of being
emailed around the globe these merry messages collect
what sometimes seems like thousands of email addresses - a
spammer's dream I can't help thinking. So, when you're
forwarding please remember to make use of Bcc: rather than
Cc: when listing all your mates' addies - and they will remain
hidden.
Although I am completing this ezine on Friday afternoon (my
time) I have decided not to send it out for at least 24 hours - to
give you all time to clear your mailboxes.
Last month I 'posted' both my ezines at the beginning of the
weekend and was appalled by the high number of 'bounces' (i.e.
non-deliveries usually due to full mailboxes). Once an address
has 'bounced' Topica turns it off and it stays that way until I visit
their site and reverse this.
In future I am going to send an email to the list a few days after I
have sent the ezine. It will simply say 'Did you get it?' and those
that did not will have a chance to email me if they want me to
send a copy. So, when you see 'NNandN rollcall' in an email
subject line, simply delete it if you have recently received your
copy of NN&N..
While we're talking about the complexities of email I'd like to
mention Hotmail and other free email services which have Junk
Mail filters. I have a couple of Hotmail acccounts and at present
I am reading mail from several lists I subscribe to, in the Junk
Mail folder. There is a facility to re-route mail from the Junk
Folder to the Inbox, which I use, but this doesn't always work.
If you're missing some real mail it's a good idea to check the
Junk Mail Folder, regularly.
(Have you visited our website? http://www.newbiesandnitwits.com)
_________________________________________
FREE TUTORIALS BY AUTORESPONDER
If you need to know more about backing up 'stuff' on your
computer click mailto:pearlsa-@fastresponder.com
and you should get the first tutorial within seconds.
If you are thinking about making your own web page, or
merely want to exercise your brain slightly, then send for
the web page tutorials by clicking
mailto:nerdsand-@fastresponder.com
Want to find files fast ?- then mailto:fin-@fastresponder.com
Organising your computer - mailto:org-@fastresponder.com
____________________________________
HOW TO INSTALL THE RESOURCE METER
by Tom Glander
____________________________________
WHEN I mention the Resource Meter, and you go looking for it,
you may not find it. 'Where is it? I don't see it. Could it
have another name?' (The Resource Meter is that little gizmo
that tells you how much of your computer's resources have been
burned up, are burning up, and are left to burn.)
It was never installed on your hard drive. That's why you
don't see it. The files are there, they just need to be brought to
life is all. So let's do it.
The Resource Meter is called an applet. A mini-program. This
is considered by some to be an advanced item of interest, so
it was left off when Windows was loaded on your computer in
the beginning. It's probably there, but in a CAB file, or on your
Windows CD-ROM if you have one. CAB files are just
Microsoft's version of a Zip file - a special compressed file
format that saves space.
Now then, let's install the Resource Meter, and any other
programs you want to install as well. You'll find a lot of
them have NOT been installed.
Go to the Control Panel. (Start, Settings, Control Panel) Fire
up the Add/Remove Programs applet by double clicking its icon.
It'll open the Add/Remove Programs Properties window.
Click the center tab named 'Windows Setup' and get ready for
enlightenment. Because this is where you'll discover just how
'dumbed down' your computer is. Or how smart. Of course it all
depends on what the manufacturer decided you should see,
because they set up these options on their installation programs.
When you click the Windows Setup tab, Windows will search for
installed components. Then it will display a list for you.
To add or remove a component, just select or clear its check
box. You can look at the details of each item by clicking the
'Details' button for each item you've highlighted.
The Resource Meter is hiding in the System Tools folder.
Highlight System Tools by clicking it, then click the 'Details'
button, and you'll be able to add the component by selecting
its check box. To select anything, just click in an empty
check box, and it'll be selected.
Click the OK button, then click OK again to put the Add/Remove
Programs window away.
Now, let's recap.
Think about this for a second. Windows has 76 different
components that can be installed using the Add/Remove
Programs window. You probably don't need all of these, so the
kind Techies who set things up for you only give you the basics.
It's up to you (and me to inform you) about this, and let you know
how to get in there and make things work the way you want
them to.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Blatant Self Promotion for my e-course:
I cover a lot of how-to stuff like this in 'Windows for
Newbies'. If you know anyone who needs help with Windows,
and would like to order the CD-ROM as a gift of love, just visit
this page: http://newbieclub.com/wfncopy/?pearlsandpigs
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You can actually learn a lot about the components that Windows
will install just by reading the descriptions of the components
listed. And Windows will display the space requirements for
each component, as well as the space available.
Here's the abbreviated version of the above:
1. Click Start - Settings - Add/Remove Programs - and click
Windows Setup tab.
2. Select the components you want to install. Remove
checkmarks from those you never use, because they're just
using up space. You can always add them later.
3. You may need to have your Windows CD-ROM handy, unless
the CAB files are already on your computer.
4. Click the OK buttons when you're done. The 'Apply' button is
an extra step you don't have to bother with. The changes you
make will be applied when you click the final OK.
This should clarify the Resource Meter problems
encountered by readers of this rag.
Copyright 2001 Roglan International
_________________________________
Tom Glander and Joe Robson, co-founders of The
Newbie Club produce plenty of easy to understand,
eBooks and tutorials. To take advantage of these
join the Newbie Club without delay
To find out exactly what's on offer simple click on
<http://newbieclub.com/?pearlsandpigs>
_____________________________________
BURIED UNDER A MOUNTAIN OF SPAM
by Michael Southon
_____________________________________
FOR years I didn't worry much about spam.
But lately it's got out of control. Over half of my email
is now spam, and it's growing by the week.
Spam is now such a problem that I know people who have
had to close down their domain name. This article offers
you some tips on how to avoid being buried under a
mountain of spam.
How Do They Get Your Address?
In the old days, spammers got their addresses mainly from
Newsgroups - if you didn't post to Newsgroups, you were
reasonably safe. But they're now using a much more
efficient method to build their lists - email harvesters.
Email harvesters are robots that roam the Internet
collecting email addresses from web pages. Examples are
EmailSiphon, Cherry Picker, Web Weasel, Web Bandit and
Email Wolf, to name just a few.
How can you protect yourself from email harvesters?
By 'munging' (mung = 'mash until no good') or cloaking your
email address.
There are many ways of munging your address - the easiest
technique is to use HTML code for the punctuation in your
email address (instead of symbols).
For the colon after mailto use : and for the @ symbol
use @ and for the period use .
With this method, my email address would become:
mailto:msouthon@freezineweb.com
Your email address will appear exactly as it did before,
and it will still be 'clickable', but email harvesters will
ignore it and move on.
There are also JavaScript's that you can insert into your
web page that will make your email address visible to
humans but invisible to harvesting programs. Here's one
that works very well:
http://pointlessprocess.com/JavaScripts/anti-spam.htm
How To Fight Spam
The most important thing is never, ever, reply to spam.
Most spam contains an innocent-looking 'remove me' email
address. Do not use it. Here's why:
Spammers typically buy a CD containing a million or so
email addresses, but they have no idea how many of those
addresses are active. So before beginning their marketing
campaign in earnest, they send out a 'test message' to the
entire list.
The test message contains an email address for removing
yourself. When you reply to that address, it confirms to
the spammer that your address is active and therefore worth
spamming.
Worse still, the spammer may be distilling from that CD a
list of confirmed active addresses that he will then sell
to another spammer.
The key to dealing with spam is to report it to a 3rd
party: (1) the affiliate program that the spammer is
advertising, (2) the spammer's web host, or (3) the ISP the
spammer used to connect to the Internet.
When you report spam to a 3rd party, remember to be polite
- they didn't send the spam and they're probably just as
anti-spam as you are.
(1) Reporting to Affiliate Programs
Many spammers are affiliates advertising someone else's
products or services. So look for a website address that
contains an affiliate link, something like this:
www.affiliateprogramdomain/841526
Then just send an email to the affiliate program
(abu-@affiliateprogramdomain.com), informing them that
you are receiving spam from one of their affiliates.
Most affiliate programs have zero tolerance for spamming
and will remove an affiliate spammer without warning.
Now, affiliate spammers don't want you to see their
affiliate link, so many of them send their email as HTML.
All you see in the message are the words 'Click Here and
Order Now'.
But in your browser just click on 'View Source Code' and
search for the letters 'http'. That will take you to the
spammer's affiliate link.
(2) Reporting to Web Hosts
If the spam doesn't contain an affiliate link, its likely
that it is coming from the owner of the domain name. In
that case you'll have to report it to the spammer's web
host or their ISP.
To make a report to the spammer's web host just go to
Whois, the directory of registered domain names:
http://www.netsol.com/cgi-bin/whois/whois
Type in the spammer's domain (the website address that
appears in the spam) together with the extension (.com,
.org, .net etc).
The host for that domain will usually be listed as the
Technical Contact in the Whois record and there will be an
email address for contacting them.
(3) Reporting to ISPs
To report a spammer to his Internet Service Provider,
you'll have to look at the spam's 'extended headers'.
Extended headers show the servers that the message passed
through in order to get to you. The instructions for
viewing extended headers will vary depending on what email
client you are using.
| | In Pegasus Mail, open the offending message and then
|
right-click and choose 'Show raw message data'.
| | In Eudora Light, click on 'Tools' in the top menu bar,
|
and then 'Options', and then select the checkbox option
that says 'Show all headers (even the ugly ones)' and
click OK.
| | In Outlook Express, open the offending message, select
|
'Properties' from the File menu and then click the
Details' tab.
Reading and understanding extended headers is quite a
detailed subject. Here's an excellent free tutorial on how
to decipher extended headers:
http://www.doughnut.demon.co.uk/SpamTracking101.html
As an alternative to these reporting techniques, you could
use a web-based spam reporting service such as SpamCop
(www.spamcop.net). SpamCop deciphers the spam's message
headers and traces the mail back to its source.
However, SpamCop is known to generate complaints about
innocent third parties, and as a result, many system
administrators ignore complaints received from SpamCop.
There is one kind of spam that the techniques in this
article probably won't help you with: spam from China.
This is the most peculiar spam you're ever likely to
receive. For example I regularly get messages from a
certain ChenHua of the China-Lutong mechanical company
asking me if I would like to order hydraulic heads for
the VE distributor pump.
Spam is not an issue in China so it's unlikely you would
stop the spammer by reporting him to a 3rd party. However,
while doing the research for this article I came across a
web page that offers a very ingenious (though rather
severe) solution to Chinese spam.
The Chinese government recently ordered all ISPs in China
to start monitoring email for subversive phrases. This
anti-spammer replies to Chinese spam with a message that
includes subversive phrases, such as 'weapons and
ammunition', 'Falung Gong' and 'Free Tibet'.
But I don't recommend you do this - the Chinese spammer
could end up spending years in a forced labor camp. Even
the worst spammer in the world doesn't deserve that.
Good luck in your fight against spam!
© 2002 by Michael Southon
---------------------------------------
Michael Southon is the author of the popular new eBook
'Ezine Writer!' Discover how to dramatically increase your
Traffic and Sales, starting today: http://www.ezine-writer.com/
Join his twice-monthly 'e-Profit Tips Newsletter':
mailto:ept-sub-@freezineweb.com
__________________________________
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___________________________________
HOW'S YOUR E-SHORTHAND?
____________________________________
DLTBBB - don't let the bed bugs bite
DWIMC - do what I mean, correctly
DYJHIW - don't you just hate it when...
EAK - eating at keyboard
*eg* - evil grin
EMSG - email message
EOD - end of discussion
EOL - end of lecture
(More email acronyms in the
next issue)
___________________________________
GETTING BETTER...
but please don't stop clicking...
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can go as high as 10. Make sure you change it to the
number you want.
________________________________________
FUN DOWNLOAD - Sticky Notes
________________________________________
THIS month's Hot Tip about using one's Desktop as
a working area reminded me of Sticky Notes. Previously
one of my favourite toys, my 'notes' must have disappeared
during some PC upheaval. Now I have them back - decorating
the Desktop with my to-do lists.
To get yours visit http://www.newerawd.co.uk/teal_n3_net/
and scroll down the page to find the Sticky Notes Download
link. However, before you start I suggest you make a new folder
in My Documents called My Downloads - if you don't have one. In
the Download dialogue box indicate that you want to save this
program to disk - in My Downloads.
You will also be asked where you want to place shortcuts to your
Sticky Notes (I chose Accessories and My Desktop).
The download will take about two minutes to complete then go to
My Downloads and double click on the Sticky Notes program
icon to open it. Unless you've unchecked the relevant box there
will be another icon in your Systems Tray. Right click on this and
you will see New Note on the top of that menu. Click here and
start typing...
Sticky Notes can be moved around your Desktop and, left to
themselves, they will always appear on top of whatever you're
working on. If you prefer to confine them to your Desktop go
back to the Right Click menu, choose Options and under
Defaults uncheck the box labelled Always On Top.
I have just discovered that if a note is rather long, you can place
your cursor at either the top left or bottom right corner and
minimise it. To reverse the process take your cursor to one
of the opposite corners. When minimised you can 'scroll
through your note, line by line, using buttons in the bottom
right corner of the notelet.
Copyright 2002 - Sheldene Chant
_______________________________________
NN&N BACK ISSUES
To view previous issues of Newbies, Nerds & Nitwits
go to: http://www.topica.com/lists/nerdsandnitwits/read
- and don't forget to visit the Newbies, Nerds & Nitwits
website, often - there's stacks of information there:
http://www.newbiesandnitwits.com
________________________________________
TROUBLE SHOOTING PC PROBLEMS
by Pam Allen
_______________________________________
THIS article isn't just about saving money, it's also about saving
time and patience. Today, I'm going to share some tips on
avoiding Computer Tech Support. With any luck, this article will
help you avoid spending hours on hold while you listen to elevator
music and wait for an answer. Many places are doing away with
free support and toll free numbers, so this could help you save
money, too.
When dealing with computers, you have three basic groups of
things that can go wrong. Outside peripherals nclude your
printer, monitor, speakers, anything that is outside the
computer's case, but connects to it. Inside peripherals include
your hard drive, CD-ROM drive, floppy drive, any hardware that is
inside the case, but connects to the motherboard. Software is
self- explanatory. Any Windows error messages or programs
that just don't work correctly fall in this category.
Software problems are very difficult for a novice (even a not-so-
novice) to solve, and the easiest solution is to simply reinstall the
offending program. Windows itself has a tendency to deteriorate
over time, and in many instances only a complete reinstall of
Windows will help.
Surprisingly enough, this is quite simple, and involves only
inserting your Windows Installation CD into your drive, and
running SetUp. It only overwrites Windows settings and files,
while leaving the rest of your programs untouched. Because
software problems are so hard to diagnose, general advice isn't
much help, so I'm going to concentrate on the other two groups
of problems.
(The article continues after this break)
____________________________________
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________________________________________
There's one simple rule to remember when dealing with
peripheral problems. For outside peripherals, work from the
outside, in. For inside peripherals, work from the inside, out.
You'll see what I mean as I explain further. The first thing to do in
every case is to turn off your computer for a few minutes, then
restart it and try to do whatever you were attempting to do. This
works in an amazing number of instances.
During boot up, look for any error messages that come up on the
screen. Bad memory is known for causing myriad problems,
while letting your PC boot up in seemingly fine form.
Run scandisk, and disk defragmenter. Over time, files get
scattered around all over your hard drive. Even though Windows
is the one that moved them, it can't always remember where
they are. If you've had a power outage, or just computer lock ups
that require you to unplug or turn off your computer without going
through Windows Shut Down, you could have corrupted files.
Scan Disk and Defragmenter will take care of these possibilities.
Also, if the problem started directly after you installed a new
program, it's a safe bet that the new program is causing a
conflict. Try uninstalling it, using the uninstall option that came
with it, or Windows add/remove programs if there is no uninstall
option.
When dealing with a printer, speakers, monitor, etc, first check
the obvious. Is it plugged in? Is the power light lit when the
equipment is turned on? If your printer is on, but the light is off,
you could have a dead outlet. Plug a lamp into the outlet to make
sure it's working. If the outlet is fine, but the power light is still off,
check for a frayed or broken power cord. Next, look for a re-set
button. Most computer hardware doesn't have one, but you can't
ever tell what a manufacturer will stick on there. If it's still dead,
it's a power supply problem and will need to be taken in for
repair.
If the equipment has power you should check the connection
from it to your computer. Make sure any cables are securely
plugged into the computer and the peripheral, and are in good
shape. Don't just push the connector, unplug it completely and
plug it back in. (I found this out the hard way, after spending two
hours checking all my settings, frantically trying to get sound
out of my speakers. I discovered that one of my cats had
chewed through the speaker wire.) If that doesn't solve the
problem, then it's highly likely that the hardware isn't receiving
information from the computer.
(Article continues after this break)
_________________________________
POIGNANT PEARLS & POTBELLIED PIGS - a
monthly ezine packed with original and amusing
articles, which will remind you not to take yourself
too seriously. To subscribe
<mailto:pearlypigs-@topica.com>.
Or, if you're wary of pigs in pokes, surf to
<http://www.topica.com/lists/pearlypigs/read> to
view back issues.
_________________________________
Most monitors have a light that is either green or yellow on the
front panel. Yellow means the monitor is in 'wait' mode. If the
screen is black and the light is yellow, it's not receiving graphics.
Borrow a cable from a friend and see if that makes a difference.
Hook up another monitor. If none of this works, it's probably your
graphics card, which will have to be replaced. Also, make sure
that your brightness control hasn't gotten turned down, this
happens more often than you'd realize.
If it's a printer, you'll very likely see some sort of error message
saying what's wrong, though any number of things can cause the
same error message. Check the ink cartridge and make sure it
has ink. Make sure the paper tray is full, and the paper is inserted
as far as it will go. Run a self-test and see if the printer prints. Go
to Control Panel and make sure your printer is still listed. Check
the printer settings and make sure the proper ink (color or black)
is selected. If all else fails, find the disks that came with your
printer and reinstall it.
For sound problems, make sure the volume setting didn't get
turned down or muted on the computer and on the speakers or
subwoofer. Plug in some headphones and see if they work. Try
different audio formats -a cd in the CD drive, a Windows Media
file. Find out if you have sound from any application, or just
certain applications. Check the settings and verify that something
didn't get turned off or disabled by mistake.
As you can see, there are many things that can cause problems,
and I've just touched the surface. Remember to start as far
outside as you can (power outlet) and work your way back to the
inside (program settings).
For inside peripherals, you don't want to pull the cover off your
PC first thing and start poking around, so you start as far inside
as you can, meaning settings and programs. Most inside
peripherals are drives of some sort. Go to My Computer and
make sure the drive is still listed. Insert a disk or CD into the
drive, and see if it's being read. Simply double click the drive
name in My Computer and you should get a list of the files on the
disk. If you get an error message, try another disk.
If the CD drive will play audio CDs but not data CDs (or vice
versa), check the settings for the program you use to access the
CD. For instance, if your Slingo game plays from CD, but not
your Collective Soul CD, check the 'windows cd player' settings.
If your Slingo game loads up, but doesn't run properly, check the
settings in the game and make sure something didn't get turned
off.
Look at the cd in bright light and check for scratches and finger
prints. Wash the CD in warm soapy water, drying with a soft lint-
free cloth from the inside out, not in a circular motion!
If all else fails, bite the bullet, take a deep breath and remove the
cover on your computer, making sure you turn it off and unplug it
first. Make sure you discharge any static electricity from your
hands by touching something metal that is NOT inside the
computer. The outside of the case will work.
You'll be amazed at how little there actually is inside there. Make
sure the cables that connect the drive to the mother board are
firmly plugged in on both ends. Is the fan running?
A dead fan will cause overheating, which leads to all sorts of bad
things.
Now that you're poking around in the innards of your computer,
take a look around. Most of that stuff is quite simple to replace
yourself if the need arises! Thanks to Plug and Play, most of the
time you can just remove a few screws, slide in the new drive,
fan, power supply, etc, hook up the cables, and turn on the
computer. Repair shops make a fortune by doing things that are
actually extremely simple for a complete computer novice to fix.
There's no possible way I can give in-depth advice on every
possible computer problem along with its solution, but I hope this
has given you a solid starting point for the next time you have
something go wrong. By following these steps first, if you do
have to call tech support, you'll have already done the basic
steps that they ask you to do.
Just be sure to write down any error messages you receive. All
of us have the tendency to assume that anything that goes
wrong with our computer is something major. Most of the time,
it's something simple. So take a deep breath, roll up your
sleeves, and start tracing the problem.
Copyright 2001 Pam Allen All Rights Reserved
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pam Allen is co-webmistress and contributor at
http://www.newbiesandnitwits.com. If you do not
understand any of the instructions in the article above,
drop Pam a line at mailto:pyal-@cableone.net -
she's very approachable.
____________________________________
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________________________________________
* ---------------HOT TIP------------------ *
Use your desktop as a scratch pad and work area.
If you're doing a lot of uploading, file modification, or anything
that requires continual shifting of files from one place to another,
try using your desktop as a work surface. Just drag and drop
files to that location, then pass them on to the next location. This
works great if you're uploading, changing file names before
moving files, or anything else requiring a more visual process.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tip from The Newbie Club, creators of 'How A Newbie
Built A Website In Just 2 days - To evaluate click on:
http://newbieclub.com/builder/?pearlsandpigs
* ------------------HOT TIP----------------- *
_______________________________________
FREE EZINES
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__________________________________________
Copyright 2002 NEWBIES, NERDS & NITWITS
__________________________________________
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Editor/Publisher: Sheldene Chant
6 Strapp Lane, Amanzimtoti 4126
KwaZuluNatal, South Africa.
<mailto:shel-@icon.co.za>
________________________________________
SHELDENE CHANT is the editor of two
ezines. Poignant Pearls & Potbellied Pigs,
and Newbies, Nerds & Nitwits. To subscribe
email mailto:pearlypigs-@topica.com
and mailto:nerdsandnitwi-@topica.com
or visit http://www.newbiesandnitwits.com -
a safe but informative haven for anyone who is
nervous about their PC and the Internet.
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_______________________________________<br><br>
<b>
NEWBIES, NERDS & NITWITS<br><br>
</b>Your 'support' ezine if you're nervous about the Net<br><br>
<b>April,
2002
Vol.2 Issue 4<br><br>
</b>
Sheldene Chant, Editor<br>
_____________________________________<br><br>
By subscription only. Welcome to the 21st<br>
offering from<br><br>
Newbies, Nerds & Nitwits<br><br>
<i>You are receiving this newsletter because you<br>
requested a subscription. Our subscriber list is<br>
confidential. Unsubscribe instructions are at the<br>
end of this ezine<br>
</i>____________________________________<br><br>
IN THIS ISSUE<br><br>
o Time for a
Break...<br><br>
o How to Install
the Resource Meter<br><br>
o Buried Under a
Mountain of Spam<br><br>
o How's Your
e-Shorthand?<br><br>
o A Fun Download -
Sticky Notes<br><br>
o Trouble Shooting
PC Problems<br><br>
o Hot Tip - Your
Desktop as a Scratch Pad<br><br>
<br>
<b>________________________________________<br><br>
TIME FOR A BREAK...<br>
_________________________________________<br><br>
</b>IT seems as if there is never a dull moment with my<br>
computer. As of a few days ago my screen regularly<br>
fills with a thick white mist through which I can barely <br>
see. Fortunately, to date, the mysterious mist disappears<br>
after a few minutes - but I am a bit concerned as none of <br>
the 'experts' I've consulted can identify this.<br><br>
One suggestion was it might be a virus so I shot along to<br>
<a href="http://www.pcpitstop.com/" eudora="autourl">http://www.pcpitstop.com</a>
for a quick online virus scan (just<br>
in case my regular virus protection had missed something) but<br>
no joy. While at the pcpitstop site I had my PC itself checked out<br>
(another free, online service) but again received the all-clear.<br><br>
So it is hardly surprising I have had computer glitches in mind.<br>
Hence the re-run of my friend Pam Allen's article, Trouble<br>
Shooting PC Problems. The NN&N subscriber base has grown<br>
considerably since this first appeared so it will probably be new<br>
to most of you and it is very useful.<br><br>
The problem of spam keeps popping up - in my mailbox and<br>
everyone else' s I gather. Michael Southon gives good advice for<br>
dealing with this ever-increasing e-scourge in Buried Under a<br>
Mountain of Spam - and there is one additional point I just have<br>
to make.<br><br>
Like most people I receive - and usually enjoy - all sorts of jolly<br>
little 'things' forwarded by friends. In the course of being<br>
emailed around the globe these merry messages collect<br>
what sometimes seems like thousands of email addresses - a<br>
spammer's dream I can't help thinking. So, when you're<br>
forwarding please remember to make use of Bcc: rather than<br>
Cc: when listing all your mates' addies - and they will remain<br>
hidden.<br><br>
Although I am completing this ezine on Friday afternoon (my<br>
time) I have decided not to send it out for at least 24 hours - to<br>
give you all time to clear your mailboxes.<br><br>
Last month I 'posted' both my ezines at the beginning of the<br>
weekend and was appalled by the high number of 'bounces' (i.e.<br>
non-deliveries usually due to full mailboxes). Once an address<br>
has 'bounced' Topica turns it off and it stays that way until I visit<br>
their site and reverse this. <br><br>
In future I am going to send an email to the list a few days after I<br>
have sent the ezine. It will simply say 'Did you get it?' and those<br>
that did not will have a chance to email me if they want me to<br>
send a copy. So, when you see 'NNandN rollcall' in an email<br>
subject line, simply delete it if you have recently received your<br>
copy of NN&N..<br><br>
While we're talking about the complexities of email I'd like to<br>
mention Hotmail and other free email services which have Junk<br>
Mail filters. I have a couple of Hotmail acccounts and at present<br>
I am reading mail from several lists I subscribe to, in the Junk<br>
Mail folder. There is a facility to re-route mail from the Junk<br>
Folder to the Inbox, which I use, but this doesn't always work.<br>
If you're missing some real mail it's a good idea to check the<br>
Junk Mail Folder, regularly.<br><br>
(Have you visited our website? http://www.newbiesandnitwits.com) <br>
_________________________________________<br><br>
FREE TUTORIALS BY AUTORESPONDER<br><br>
If you need to know more about backing up 'stuff' on your<br>
computer click <a href="mailto:pearlsa-@fastresponder.com" eudora="autourl">mailto:pearlsa-@fastresponder.com</a><br>
and you should get the first tutorial within seconds.<br><br>
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merely want to exercise your brain slightly, then send for<br>
the web page tutorials by clicking<br>
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Organising your computer - <a href="mailto:org-@fastresponder.com" eudora="autourl">mailto:org-@fastresponder.com</a><br><br>
<b>____________________________________<br><br>
HOW TO INSTALL THE RESOURCE METER<br>
by Tom Glander<br>
____________________________________<br><br>
</b>WHEN I mention the Resource Meter, and you go looking for it,<br>
you may not find it. 'Where is it? I don't see it. Could it<br>
have another name?' (The Resource Meter is that little gizmo<br>
that tells you how much of your computer's resources have been<br>
burned up, are burning up, and are left to burn.)<br><br>
It was never installed on your hard drive. That's why you<br>
don't see it. The files are there, they just need to be brought to<br>
life is all. So let's do it.<br><br>
The Resource Meter is called an applet. A mini-program. This<br>
is considered by some to be an advanced item of interest, so<br>
it was left off when Windows was loaded on your computer in<br>
the beginning. It's probably there, but in a CAB file, or on your<br>
Windows CD-ROM if you have one. CAB files are just<br>
Microsoft's version of a Zip file - a special compressed file<br>
format that saves space.<br><br>
Now then, let's install the Resource Meter, and any other<br>
programs you want to install as well. You'll find a lot of<br>
them have NOT been installed.<br><br>
Go to the Control Panel. (Start, Settings, Control Panel) Fire<br>
up the Add/Remove Programs applet by double clicking its icon.<br>
It'll open the Add/Remove Programs Properties window.<br><br>
Click the center tab named 'Windows Setup' and get ready for<br>
enlightenment. Because this is where you'll discover just how<br>
'dumbed down' your computer is. Or how smart. Of course it all<br>
depends on what the manufacturer decided you should see,<br>
because they set up these options on their installation programs.<br><br>
When you click the Windows Setup tab, Windows will search for<br>
installed components. Then it will display a list for you.<br>
To add or remove a component, just select or clear its check<br>
box. You can look at the details of each item by clicking the<br>
'Details' button for each item you've highlighted.<br><br>
The Resource Meter is hiding in the System Tools folder.<br>
Highlight System Tools by clicking it, then click the 'Details'<br>
button, and you'll be able to add the component by selecting<br>
its check box. To select anything, just click in an empty<br>
check box, and it'll be selected.<br><br>
Click the OK button, then click OK again to put the Add/Remove<br>
Programs window away.<br><br>
Now, let's recap.<br><br>
Think about this for a second. Windows has 76 different<br>
components that can be installed using the Add/Remove<br>
Programs window. You probably don't need all of these, so the<br>
kind Techies who set things up for you only give you the basics.<br>
It's up to you (and me to inform you) about this, and let you know<br>
how to get in there and make things work the way you want<br>
them to.<br>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br>
<i>Blatant Self Promotion for my e-course:<br>
I cover a lot of how-to stuff like this in 'Windows for<br>
Newbies'. If you know anyone who needs help with Windows,<br>
and would like to order the CD-ROM as a gift of love, just visit<br>
this page: <a href="http://newbieclub.com/wfncopy/?pearlsandpigs" eudora="autourl">http://newbieclub.com/wfncopy/?pearlsandpigs</a><br>
</i>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br><br>
You can actually learn a lot about the components that Windows<br>
will install just by reading the descriptions of the components<br>
listed. And Windows will display the space requirements for<br>
each component, as well as the space available.<br><br>
Here's the abbreviated version of the above:<br><br>
1. Click Start - Settings - Add/Remove Programs - and click<br>
Windows Setup tab.<br><br>
2. Select the components you want to install. Remove<br>
checkmarks from those you never use, because they're just<br>
using up space. You can always add them later.<br><br>
3. You may need to have your Windows CD-ROM handy, unless<br>
the CAB files are already on your computer.<br><br>
4. Click the OK buttons when you're done. The 'Apply' button is<br>
an extra step you don't have to bother with. The changes you<br>
make will be applied when you click the final OK.<br><br>
This should clarify the Resource Meter problems<br>
encountered by readers of this rag.<br><br>
<b>Copyright 2001 Roglan International<br>
</b>_________________________________<br>
<i>Tom Glander and Joe Robson, co-founders of The<br>
Newbie Club produce plenty of easy to understand,<br>
eBooks and tutorials. To take advantage of these<br>
join the Newbie Club without delay<br>
To find out exactly what's on offer simple click on<br>
<<a href="http://newbieclub.com/?pearlsandpigs" eudora="autourl">http://newbieclub.com/?pearlsandpigs</a>><br>
</i><b>_____________________________________<br><br>
BURIED UNDER A MOUNTAIN OF SPAM<br>
by Michael Southon<br>
_____________________________________<br><br>
</b>FOR years I didn't worry much about spam.<br><br>
But lately it's got out of control. Over half of my email<br>
is now spam, and it's growing by the week.<br><br>
Spam is now such a problem that I know people who have<br>
had to close down their domain name. This article offers<br>
you some tips on how to avoid being buried under a<br>
mountain of spam.<br><br>
How Do They Get Your Address?<br><br>
In the old days, spammers got their addresses mainly from<br>
Newsgroups - if you didn't post to Newsgroups, you were<br>
reasonably safe. But they're now using a much more<br>
efficient method to build their lists - email harvesters.<br><br>
Email harvesters are robots that roam the Internet<br>
collecting email addresses from web pages. Examples are<br>
EmailSiphon, Cherry Picker, Web Weasel, Web Bandit and<br>
Email Wolf, to name just a few.<br><br>
How can you protect yourself from email harvesters?<br><br>
By 'munging' (mung = 'mash until no good') or cloaking your<br>
email address.<br><br>
There are many ways of munging your address - the easiest<br>
technique is to use HTML code for the punctuation in your<br>
email address (instead of symbols).<br><br>
For the colon after mailto use : and for the @ symbol<br>
use @ and for the period use .<br><br>
With this method, my email address would become:<br>
mailto:msouthon@freezineweb.com<br><br>
Your email address will appear exactly as it did before,<br>
and it will still be 'clickable', but email harvesters will<br>
ignore it and move on.<br><br>
There are also JavaScript's that you can insert into your<br>
web page that will make your email address visible to<br>
humans but invisible to harvesting programs. Here's one<br>
that works very well:<br>
<a href="http://pointlessprocess.com/JavaScripts/anti-spam.htm" eudora="autourl">http://pointlessprocess.com/JavaScripts/anti-spam.htm</a><br><br>
How To Fight Spam<br><br>
The most important thing is never, ever, reply to spam.<br><br>
Most spam contains an innocent-looking 'remove me' email<br>
address. Do not use it. Here's why:<br><br>
Spammers typically buy a CD containing a million or so<br>
email addresses, but they have no idea how many of those<br>
addresses are active. So before beginning their marketing<br>
campaign in earnest, they send out a 'test message' to the<br>
entire list.<br><br>
The test message contains an email address for removing<br>
yourself. When you reply to that address, it confirms to<br>
the spammer that your address is active and therefore worth<br>
spamming.<br><br>
Worse still, the spammer may be distilling from that CD a<br>
list of confirmed active addresses that he will then sell<br>
to another spammer.<br><br>
The key to dealing with spam is to report it to a 3rd<br>
party: (1) the affiliate program that the spammer is<br>
advertising, (2) the spammer's web host, or (3) the ISP the<br>
spammer used to connect to the Internet.<br><br>
When you report spam to a 3rd party, remember to be polite<br>
- they didn't send the spam and they're probably just as<br>
anti-spam as you are.<br><br>
(1) Reporting to Affiliate Programs<br><br>
Many spammers are affiliates advertising someone else's<br>
products or services. So look for a website address that<br>
contains an affiliate link, something like this:<br>
<a href="http://www.affiliateprogramdomain/841526" eudora="autourl">www.affiliateprogramdomain/841526</a><br><br>
Then just send an email to the affiliate program<br>
(abu-@affiliateprogramdomain.com), informing them that<br>
you are receiving spam from one of their affiliates.<br><br>
Most affiliate programs have zero tolerance for spamming<br>
and will remove an affiliate spammer without warning.<br><br>
Now, affiliate spammers don't want you to see their<br>
affiliate link, so many of them send their email as HTML.<br>
All you see in the message are the words 'Click Here and<br>
Order Now'.<br><br>
But in your browser just click on 'View Source Code' and<br>
search for the letters 'http'. That will take you to the<br>
spammer's affiliate link.<br><br>
(2) Reporting to Web Hosts<br><br>
If the spam doesn't contain an affiliate link, its likely<br>
that it is coming from the owner of the domain name. In<br>
that case you'll have to report it to the spammer's web<br>
host or their ISP.<br><br>
To make a report to the spammer's web host just go to<br>
Whois, the directory of registered domain names:<br>
<a href="http://www.netsol.com/cgi-bin/whois/whois" eudora="autourl">http://www.netsol.com/cgi-bin/whois/whois</a><br><br>
Type in the spammer's domain (the website address that<br>
appears in the spam) together with the extension (.com,<br>
.org, .net etc).<br><br>
The host for that domain will usually be listed as the<br>
Technical Contact in the Whois record and there will be an<br>
email address for contacting them.<br><br>
(3) Reporting to ISPs<br><br>
To report a spammer to his Internet Service Provider,<br>
you'll have to look at the spam's 'extended headers'.<br><br>
Extended headers show the servers that the message passed<br>
through in order to get to you. The instructions for<br>
viewing extended headers will vary depending on what email<br>
client you are using.<br><br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite> In Pegasus Mail, open the offending message and then</blockquote> right-click and choose 'Show raw message data'.<br><br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite> In Eudora Light, click on 'Tools' in the top menu bar,</blockquote> and then 'Options', and then select the checkbox option<br>
that says 'Show all headers (even the ugly ones)' and<br>
click OK.<br><br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite> In Outlook Express, open the offending message, select</blockquote> 'Properties' from the File menu and then click the<br>
Details' tab.<br><br>
Reading and understanding extended headers is quite a<br>
detailed subject. Here's an excellent free tutorial on how<br>
to decipher extended headers:<br>
<a href="http://www.doughnut.demon.co.uk/SpamTracking101.html" eudora="autourl">http://www.doughnut.demon.co.uk/SpamTracking101.html</a><br><br>
As an alternative to these reporting techniques, you could<br>
use a web-based spam reporting service such as SpamCop<br>
(<a href="http://www.spamcop.net/" eudora="autourl">www.spamcop.net</a>). SpamCop deciphers the spam's message<br>
headers and traces the mail back to its source.<br><br>
However, SpamCop is known to generate complaints about<br>
innocent third parties, and as a result, many system<br>
administrators ignore complaints received from SpamCop.<br><br>
There is one kind of spam that the techniques in this<br>
article probably won't help you with: spam from China.<br><br>
This is the most peculiar spam you're ever likely to<br>
receive. For example I regularly get messages from a<br>
certain ChenHua of the China-Lutong mechanical company<br>
asking me if I would like to order hydraulic heads for<br>
the VE distributor pump.<br><br>
Spam is not an issue in China so it's unlikely you would<br>
stop the spammer by reporting him to a 3rd party. However,<br>
while doing the research for this article I came across a<br>
web page that offers a very ingenious (though rather<br>
severe) solution to Chinese spam.<br><br>
The Chinese government recently ordered all ISPs in China<br>
to start monitoring email for subversive phrases. This<br>
anti-spammer replies to Chinese spam with a message that<br>
includes subversive phrases, such as 'weapons and<br>
ammunition', 'Falung Gong' and 'Free Tibet'.<br><br>
But I don't recommend you do this - the Chinese spammer<br>
could end up spending years in a forced labor camp. Even<br>
the worst spammer in the world doesn't deserve that.<br><br>
Good luck in your fight against spam!<br><br>
<b>© 2002 by Michael Southon<br><br>
</b>---------------------------------------<br>
<i>Michael Southon is the author of the popular new eBook<br>
'Ezine Writer!' Discover how to dramatically increase your<br>
Traffic and Sales, starting today: <a href="http://www.ezine-writer.com/" eudora="autourl">http://www.ezine-writer.com/</a><br>
Join his twice-monthly 'e-Profit Tips Newsletter':<br>
<a href="mailto:ept-sub-@freezineweb.com" eudora="autourl">mailto:ept-sub-@freezineweb.com</a><br>
</i>__________________________________<br><br>
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A fully customizable Guestbook that will blend right in<br>
with your page design and color scheme. This Brand<br>
New innovative Guestbook offered by The Newbie Club<br>
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<b>___________________________________<br><br>
HOW'S YOUR E-SHORTHAND?<br>
____________________________________<br><br>
</b>DLTBBB - don't let the bed bugs bite<br>
DWIMC - do what I mean, correctly<br>
DYJHIW - don't you just hate it when...<br><br>
EAK - eating at keyboard<br>
*eg* - evil grin<br>
EMSG - email message<br>
EOD - end of discussion<br>
EOL - end of lecture<br><br>
<i>(More email acronyms in the<br>
next issue)<br>
</i>___________________________________<br><br>
GETTING BETTER...<br>
but please don't stop clicking...<br><br>
PLEASE RATE THIS EZINE...<br>
Please rate this Ezine at the Cumuli Ezine Finder<br>
<a href="http://www.cumuli.com/ezines/ra20597.rate" eudora="autourl">http://www.cumuli.com/ezines/ra20597.rate</a><br>
<a href="http://www.cumuli.com/ezines/ra20597.rate";><br>
AOL Users</a><br>
Editor’s note: When you click to rate it, make sure you<br>
check the number. It’s automatically set at 5, but you<br>
can go as high as 10. Make sure you change it to the<br>
number you want.<br>
<b>________________________________________<br><br>
FUN DOWNLOAD - Sticky Notes<br>
________________________________________<br><br>
</b>THIS month's Hot Tip about using one's Desktop as<br>
a working area reminded me of Sticky Notes. Previously<br>
one of my favourite toys, my 'notes' must have disappeared<br>
during some PC upheaval. Now I have them back - decorating<br>
the Desktop with my to-do lists.<br><br>
To get yours visit <a href="http://www.newerawd.co.uk/teal_n3_net/" eudora="autourl">http://www.newerawd.co.uk/teal_n3_net/</a><br>
and scroll down the page to find the Sticky Notes Download<br>
link. However, before you start I suggest you make a new folder<br>
in My Documents called My Downloads - if you don't have one. In<br>
the Download dialogue box indicate that you want to save this<br>
program to disk - in My Downloads.<br><br>
You will also be asked where you want to place shortcuts to your<br>
Sticky Notes (I chose Accessories and My Desktop).<br><br>
The download will take about two minutes to complete then go to<br>
My Downloads and double click on the Sticky Notes program<br>
icon to open it. Unless you've unchecked the relevant box there<br>
will be another icon in your Systems Tray. Right click on this and<br>
you will see New Note on the top of that menu. Click here and<br>
start typing...<br><br>
Sticky Notes can be moved around your Desktop and, left to<br>
themselves, they will always appear on top of whatever you're<br>
working on. If you prefer to confine them to your Desktop go<br>
back to the Right Click menu, choose Options and under<br>
Defaults uncheck the box labelled Always On Top.<br><br>
I have just discovered that if a note is rather long, you can place<br>
your cursor at either the top left or bottom right corner and<br>
minimise it. To reverse the process take your cursor to one<br>
of the opposite corners. When minimised you can 'scroll<br>
through your note, line by line, using buttons in the bottom<br>
right corner of the notelet.<br><br>
<b>Copyright 2002 - Sheldene Chant<br>
</b>_______________________________________<br><br>
NN&N BACK ISSUES<br>
To view previous issues of Newbies, Nerds & Nitwits<br>
go to: <a href="http://www.topica.com/lists/nerdsandnitwits/read" eudora="autourl">http://www.topica.com/lists/nerdsandnitwits/read</a><br><br>
- and don't forget to visit the Newbies, Nerds & Nitwits<br>
website, often - there's stacks of information there:<br>
<a href="http://www.newbiesandnitwits.com/" eudora="autourl">http://www.newbiesandnitwits.com</a><br>
<b>________________________________________<br><br>
TROUBLE SHOOTING PC PROBLEMS<br>
by Pam Allen<br>
_______________________________________<br><br>
</b>THIS article isn't just about saving money, it's also about saving<br>
time and patience. Today, I'm going to share some tips on<br>
avoiding Computer Tech Support. With any luck, this article will<br>
help you avoid spending hours on hold while you listen to elevator<br>
music and wait for an answer. Many places are doing away with<br>
free support and toll free numbers, so this could help you save<br>
money, too.<br><br>
When dealing with computers, you have three basic groups of<br>
things that can go wrong. Outside peripherals nclude your<br>
printer, monitor, speakers, anything that is outside the<br>
computer's case, but connects to it. Inside peripherals include<br>
your hard drive, CD-ROM drive, floppy drive, any hardware that is<br>
inside the case, but connects to the motherboard. Software is<br>
self- explanatory. Any Windows error messages or programs<br>
that just don't work correctly fall in this category.<br><br>
Software problems are very difficult for a novice (even a not-so-<br>
novice) to solve, and the easiest solution is to simply reinstall the<br>
offending program. Windows itself has a tendency to deteriorate<br>
over time, and in many instances only a complete reinstall of<br>
Windows will help.<br><br>
Surprisingly enough, this is quite simple, and involves only<br>
inserting your Windows Installation CD into your drive, and<br>
running SetUp. It only overwrites Windows settings and files,<br>
while leaving the rest of your programs untouched. Because<br>
software problems are so hard to diagnose, general advice isn't<br>
much help, so I'm going to concentrate on the other two groups<br>
of problems.<br><br>
<i> (The article continues after this break)<br>
</i> ____________________________________<br><br>
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________________________________________<br><br>
There's one simple rule to remember when dealing with<br>
peripheral problems. For outside peripherals, work from the<br>
outside, in. For inside peripherals, work from the inside, out.<br>
You'll see what I mean as I explain further. The first thing to do in<br>
every case is to turn off your computer for a few minutes, then<br>
restart it and try to do whatever you were attempting to do. This<br>
works in an amazing number of instances.<br><br>
During boot up, look for any error messages that come up on the<br>
screen. Bad memory is known for causing myriad problems,<br>
while letting your PC boot up in seemingly fine form.<br><br>
Run scandisk, and disk defragmenter. Over time, files get<br>
scattered around all over your hard drive. Even though Windows<br>
is the one that moved them, it can't always remember where<br>
they are. If you've had a power outage, or just computer lock ups<br>
that require you to unplug or turn off your computer without going<br>
through Windows Shut Down, you could have corrupted files.<br>
Scan Disk and Defragmenter will take care of these possibilities.<br><br>
Also, if the problem started directly after you installed a new<br>
program, it's a safe bet that the new program is causing a<br>
conflict. Try uninstalling it, using the uninstall option that came<br>
with it, or Windows add/remove programs if there is no uninstall<br>
option.<br><br>
When dealing with a printer, speakers, monitor, etc, first check<br>
the obvious. Is it plugged in? Is the power light lit when the<br>
equipment is turned on? If your printer is on, but the light is off,<br>
you could have a dead outlet. Plug a lamp into the outlet to make<br>
sure it's working. If the outlet is fine, but the power light is still off,<br>
check for a frayed or broken power cord. Next, look for a re-set<br>
button. Most computer hardware doesn't have one, but you can't<br>
ever tell what a manufacturer will stick on there. If it's still dead,<br>
it's a power supply problem and will need to be taken in for<br>
repair.<br><br>
If the equipment has power you should check the connection<br>
from it to your computer. Make sure any cables are securely<br>
plugged into the computer and the peripheral, and are in good<br>
shape. Don't just push the connector, unplug it completely and<br>
plug it back in. (I found this out the hard way, after spending two<br>
hours checking all my settings, frantically trying to get sound<br>
out of my speakers. I discovered that one of my cats had<br>
chewed through the speaker wire.) If that doesn't solve the<br>
problem, then it's highly likely that the hardware isn't receiving<br>
information from the computer.<br><br>
<i> (Article continues after this break)<br>
</i>_________________________________<br><br>
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Most monitors have a light that is either green or yellow on the<br>
front panel. Yellow means the monitor is in 'wait' mode. If the<br>
screen is black and the light is yellow, it's not receiving graphics.<br>
Borrow a cable from a friend and see if that makes a difference.<br>
Hook up another monitor. If none of this works, it's probably your<br>
graphics card, which will have to be replaced. Also, make sure<br>
that your brightness control hasn't gotten turned down, this<br>
happens more often than you'd realize.<br><br>
If it's a printer, you'll very likely see some sort of error message<br>
saying what's wrong, though any number of things can cause the<br>
same error message. Check the ink cartridge and make sure it<br>
has ink. Make sure the paper tray is full, and the paper is inserted<br>
as far as it will go. Run a self-test and see if the printer prints. Go<br>
to Control Panel and make sure your printer is still listed. Check<br>
the printer settings and make sure the proper ink (color or black)<br>
is selected. If all else fails, find the disks that came with your<br>
printer and reinstall it.<br><br>
For sound problems, make sure the volume setting didn't get<br>
turned down or muted on the computer and on the speakers or<br>
subwoofer. Plug in some headphones and see if they work. Try<br>
different audio formats -a cd in the CD drive, a Windows Media<br>
file. Find out if you have sound from any application, or just<br>
certain applications. Check the settings and verify that something<br>
didn't get turned off or disabled by mistake.<br><br>
As you can see, there are many things that can cause problems,<br>
and I've just touched the surface. Remember to start as far<br>
outside as you can (power outlet) and work your way back to the<br>
inside (program settings).<br><br>
For inside peripherals, you don't want to pull the cover off your<br>
PC first thing and start poking around, so you start as far inside<br>
as you can, meaning settings and programs. Most inside<br>
peripherals are drives of some sort. Go to My Computer and<br>
make sure the drive is still listed. Insert a disk or CD into the<br>
drive, and see if it's being read. Simply double click the drive<br>
name in My Computer and you should get a list of the files on the<br>
disk. If you get an error message, try another disk.<br><br>
If the CD drive will play audio CDs but not data CDs (or vice<br>
versa), check the settings for the program you use to access the<br>
CD. For instance, if your Slingo game plays from CD, but not<br>
your Collective Soul CD, check the 'windows cd player' settings.<br><br>
If your Slingo game loads up, but doesn't run properly, check the<br>
settings in the game and make sure something didn't get turned<br>
off.<br><br>
Look at the cd in bright light and check for scratches and finger<br>
prints. Wash the CD in warm soapy water, drying with a soft lint-<br>
free cloth from the inside out, not in a circular motion!<br><br>
If all else fails, bite the bullet, take a deep breath and remove the<br>
cover on your computer, making sure you turn it off and unplug it<br>
first. Make sure you discharge any static electricity from your<br>
hands by touching something metal that is NOT inside the<br>
computer. The outside of the case will work.<br><br>
You'll be amazed at how little there actually is inside there. Make<br>
sure the cables that connect the drive to the mother board are<br>
firmly plugged in on both ends. Is the fan running?<br><br>
A dead fan will cause overheating, which leads to all sorts of bad<br>
things.<br><br>
Now that you're poking around in the innards of your computer,<br>
take a look around. Most of that stuff is quite simple to replace<br>
yourself if the need arises! Thanks to Plug and Play, most of the<br>
time you can just remove a few screws, slide in the new drive,<br>
fan, power supply, etc, hook up the cables, and turn on the<br>
computer. Repair shops make a fortune by doing things that are<br>
actually extremely simple for a complete computer novice to fix.<br><br>
There's no possible way I can give in-depth advice on every<br>
possible computer problem along with its solution, but I hope this<br>
has given you a solid starting point for the next time you have<br>
something go wrong. By following these steps first, if you do<br>
have to call tech support, you'll have already done the basic<br>
steps that they ask you to do.<br><br>
Just be sure to write down any error messages you receive. All<br>
of us have the tendency to assume that anything that goes<br>
wrong with our computer is something major. Most of the time,<br>
it's something simple. So take a deep breath, roll up your<br>
sleeves, and start tracing the problem.<br><br>
<b>Copyright 2001 Pam Allen All Rights Reserved<br><br>
</b>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br>
<i>Pam Allen is co-webmistress and contributor at<br>
<a href="http://www.newbiesandnitwits.com/" eudora="autourl">http://www.newbiesandnitwits.com</a>. If you do not<br>
understand any of the instructions in the article above,<br>
drop Pam a line at <a href="mailto:pyal-@cableone.net" eudora="autourl">mailto:pyal-@cableone.net</a> -<br>
she's very approachable.<br>
</i>____________________________________<br><br>
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<b>* ---------------HOT TIP------------------ *<br><br>
</b>Use your desktop as a scratch pad and work area.<br><br>
If you're doing a lot of uploading, file modification, or anything<br>
that requires continual shifting of files from one place to another,<br>
try using your desktop as a work surface. Just drag and drop<br>
files to that location, then pass them on to the next location. This<br>
works great if you're uploading, changing file names before<br>
moving files, or anything else requiring a more visual process.<br>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br>
<i>Tip from The Newbie Club, creators of 'How A Newbie<br>
Built A Website In Just 2 days - To evaluate click on:<br>
<a href="http://newbieclub.com/builder/?pearlsandpigs" eudora="autourl">http://newbieclub.com/builder/?pearlsandpigs</a><br><br>
</i><b> * ------------------HOT TIP----------------- *<br><br>
<br>
</b>_______________________________________<br>
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<x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
<font face="MS Sans Serif, Geneva" size=2>SHELDENE CHANT is the editor of two <br>
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