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COMPUTER REPAIRS
December 2004:    Turn Off Windows XP's Built-In Support for ZIP Files!
A Twofer Monthly Tip: Set up a Windows Explorer Icon on your desktop.

October 2004:    Change the Default Favorite Programs in Windows XP.
A Twofer Monthly Tip: Want to hear your computer talk?

Try Microsoft ONE NOTE   FREE for 60 days...!!! 

September 2004:    Change the Startup and Shutdown Screens on Windows 95/98/Me.

There are three files which makeup the startup and shutdown screens, they are:
  • LOGO.SYS - The startup screen, usually located in your C:\ directory.
  • LOGOW.SYS - The 'Please wait...' screen, usually located in your c:\windows directory.
  • LOGOS.SYS - The 'It's now safe to turn off your computer.' screen, usually located in your c:\windows directory.
These files are standard 256 color Windows bitmap files with dimensions of 320(w) x 400(h). You can use basically any image editing program to change them (as long as it supports BMP files). Try I_View or Xn_View on our Software Page.
Windows stores the splash screen in the file LOGO.SYS. Even though this file has the SYS file extension and is marked as a system file, it's actually a bitmap file created in Paint. This means that basically all you have to do to replace the Windows splash screen is create a new bitmap and save it as LOGO.SYS.

Warning: Before getting started make sure to take a backup copy of all three files (LOGO.SYS may or may not already exist).
  • Copy LOGOW.SYS and LOGOS.SYS to a temporary folder, and rename their extensions to .BMP
  • Using your favorite graphics editor, open the files and modify them to your liking.
  • Once your finished, save the files, change their extensions back to .SYS, and copy them back over the original files in the Windows directory (which you've already backed-up) and you're done.
Alternatively you can create three new BMP files for each screen, just make sure that the proportions of 320(w) x 400(h) are maintained. The file once finished should be 129,078 bytes.

Note: If you delete Logo.sys, the graphic embedded in Io.sys will be used instead. Getting rid of Logo.sys doesn't make the graphic go away. But if you set Logo=0 in your Msdos.sys file, no graphic will be displayed before the Windows Desktop appears. Your Windows folder contains an additional graphics file named Logos.sys. This is the screen you see when you exit Windows. Just as with Logo.sys, you can edit this file or create a replacement for it.

XP Boot Screens

The simplest and safest way to change a boot screen is to also use a quality third-party application such as Style XP 2.0 from TGTSoft or LogonUIBootRadomizer by UserXP. If you feel comfortable doing it manually though, here are the complete instructions for doing so.
  1. In Explorer, browse to C:\Windows\System32 and find the file named "ntoskrnl.exe".
  2. Copy "ntoskrnl.exe" to "ntoskrnl.exe.bak", (COPY not RENAME). This way if anything goes wrong...you will have a backup.
  3. Extract the files inside the .zip file you downloaded to a temporary location of your hard drive, but NOT to C:\Windows\System32.
  4. Reboot your computer into Safe Mode (hit F8 before the boot screen appears) or into true DOS mode (from a boot disk)
  5. Browse to where you extracted the files for your new boot screen in Explorer and select the correct file to copy to C:\Windows\System32. If you have SP1 for Windows XP installed use ntoskrnlsp.exe, otherwise use ntoskrnl.exe. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE CORRECT FILE, OR YOUR SYSTEM WILL LOCK UP ON BOOT.
  6. If using ntoskrnl.exe, copy the file to C:\Windows\System32 overwriting the existing ntoskrnl.exe, (which should have been backed up).
  7. If you are going to use ntoskrnlsp.exe, delete ntoskrnl.exe in the temporary folder and rename ntoskrnlsp.exe to ntoskrnl.exe. Then copy the file to C:\Windows\System32 overwriting the existing ntoskrnl.exe, (which should have been backed up).
  8. All done! Reboot your computer as you normally would and enjoy your new boot screen.
August 2004:    What's that strange file (~) on my desktop?

Users of Outlook Express 5.5 or 6 who have applied the security patch outlined in Microsoft Knowledge Base article 330994 may notice a file appearing on the desktop with the name "~" (a single tilde character). Even though the file can be deleted, it often reappears on its own for no apparent reason.
  • The patch makes a change which causes backup copies of the address book in Outlook Express(which are generated automatically) to be renamed to "~". The assigned name of the backup file is (username).wa~, where (username) is the name of the current user. The renamed file appears in the same directory as the shortcut used to launch Outlook Express. Usually the desktop, which is how the file winds up residing there.
  • The "~" file can be deleted without any ill effects, but this will leave the user without a backup copy of the OE address book. A smarter idea is to move it to another folder. To redirect where the "~" file is created, edit the shortcut used to start OE, or IE if you use the mail icon on the toolbar, and change the "Start In" value to another folder (such as C:\). The next time OE is started, the "~" file will be created there rather than on the desktop.
  • Microsoft has acknowledged this problem. There has been no fix offered for it, and it is persistent across all versions of Windows.
Taking a screen capture of an active window.

Did you know that you can use Print Screen and then Ctrl + V to dump a snapshot of your screen to an application such as Word? This can be very handy for documenting a new procedure for your group.

If you use Alt + Print Screen on a screen with multiple applications visible, it will only capture the active window, thereby allowing you to paste only the relevant image and omit all the other images that sometimes fill a screen.

July 2004:    Change the Registered Owner/Organization in Windows XP

To do this trick you must be logged on with Administrator priviledges.
Users who do not have "write" permission will receive an error message.
  • You have to download a small utility called XP_ChangeOwnerOrg.exe.   It is a Visual Basic 6 program which will check your System Registry and retrieve the Registered Owner and Organization information, and allow you to change it.
  • If you get an error message about missing files you'll need the VB6 Runtimes installed.
  • Download the ChangeOwnerOrg.zip file to your hard drive. Extract the EXE file to a folder or your desktop then double click ChangeOwnerOrg.exe to run the program.
  • Just change the Registered Owner and/or Organization and click the change button.
     It's as simple as scratching on the back of the sofa.

    (Thanks to http://www.dougknox.com/ for this month's tip.)


June 2004:    Stop Windows XP from asking if you want to send a crash report to Microsoft.

Whenever a program crashes a window appears, prompting you to send a "report" to Microsoft.
I'm sure they will assist you right after the technician wins the lottery.

Here's how to disable this feature, either completely or selectively:
  • Open System in the Control Panel (or right-click on the My Computer icon and select Properties.
  • Choose the Advanced tab, and click Error Reporting.
  • You can disable error reporting entirely here, or enable it selectively for certain programs.
  • Click Ok when you're done.


May 2004:    Using the built-in CD burner in Windows XP.

Data CDs
  • Open Explorer, right-click on the drive icon for your CD recorder, and select Properties.
  • Choose the Recording tab, and make sure the "Enable CD recording on this drive" option is turned on. Set any other options here as desired, and click Ok.
  • Drag-drop files onto the drive as though it were just another hard disk. You can even create folders and rearrange files by dragging and dropping.
  • When you're done, right-click the drive icon and select "Write these files to CD" under the File pull down menu.
  • The CD Writing Wizard appears, which allows you to specify a label for the disk (a task that is unavailable elsewhere).
  • Follow the instructions in the Wizard to complete the process.


Audio CDs
  • Open Explorer, right-click on the drive icon for your CD recorder, and select Properties.
  • Choose the Recording tab, and make sure the Enable CD recording on this drive option is turned on. Set any other options here as desired, and click Ok.
  • Open the Windows Media Player (wmplayer.exe).
  • Select Taskbar from the View menu, and then select Media Library.
  • In the tree on the left, navigate to Media Library -> Audio -> All Audio (if you're not already there).
  • Drag-drop any MP3 or WAV files into this window in the desired order. (The Move Up and Move Down buttons at the top of the window are disabled here for some reason, but the songs can be rearranged after the next step.)
  • When you're done, click the Copy to CD or Device button on the left (or select Taskbar from the View menu, and then select Copy to CD or Device).
  • The songs to be written to the CD are shown on the left, and any songs already on the CD are shown on the right. The playlist can be reorganized by right-clicking and select Move Up or Move Down.
  • When you're ready, click the Copy Music button in the upper right. Any MP3 files will be temporarily converted to WAV format, and then all tracks will be written to the CD.


April 2004:    How to print a listing of any directory in Windows & URL Spoofing Solved.

Open your START menu, and select Run. Type COMMAND. Press ENTER.
This brings up a DOS dialogue box. (Remember to turn the printer on)
Everyone has a Windows folder so to list the Windows directory, I would type:
DIR C:\Windows   >   PRN
Voila a listing of the Windows directory.
(You may have to initiate a form feed to start your printer.)
Remember to type EXIT at the command prompt to close the DOS dialogue box.

Here's another quickie today, URL Spoofing.
Some sites do not show you the full URL address of the page you are on.
Sometimes it is even the incorrect URL displayed in the address box.
Here's how to get the correct URL.
Cut and paste this into the URL box and hit the GO button (Internet Explorer)
javascript:alert("The real URL of this site is: " + location.protocol + "//" + location.hostname + "/")
It will give you the real name of the website address you are on.

March 2004:    Which version of the USB interface does your computer have & IP Addresses.

You can check Device Manager to see if you have 1.1 or 2.0 USB ports. In Windows XP, click Start>Control Panel. Double-click System and select the Hardware tab. Click Device Manager. Windows 2000 is similar. In Windows 98 and ME, click Start>Settings>Control Panel. Double-click System and select the Device Manager tab.
In all versions of Windows, click the plus sign next to Universal Serial Bus Controllers. If you see the word Enhanced, you have USB 2.0. If not, your USB system is 1.1.

Here's another piece of info for you this month...!!! IP Addresses
IP Addresses 127.0.0.0 to 127.255.255.255 are reserved for loopback, for internal testing on a local machine. 127.0.0.1 typically refers to your own local machine, you can test this - you should always be able to ping 127.0.0.1, irrespective of connectivity to the network, as it represents your own machine. IP addresses in this range are never valid Internet addresses.
To do a test go to START > RUN and type "cmd" in the command line (Windows '98 users type "command"). At the DOS prompt type "ping 127.0.0.1" and you will see your test results displayed. Remember to type "EXIT" at the prompt to close the DOS box.

February 2004:    Using older computer games in Windows XP & Folder Sizes

You love XP, but you are simply devastated that you can no longer run your favorite game; X-Wing vs. Tie Fighter, an actual game made for Windows 95.
Well, bring back the Fighting ships! They can invade once again. You’ve just got to make your old game compatible. You can get older games and programs to run on XP by using the Program Compatibility Wizard. The Wizard lets you test your older programs in different Windows environments; in other words, if you have a program designed to run in Windows 95, then you can set its compatibility mode to Windows 95 so that it runs in XP. To set the compatibility for the program, Click Start>All Programs>Accessories>Program Compatibility Wizard.
When the Wizard opens, simply follow the instructions to select your program and set its compatibility.

Here's another quickie for you this month...!!! Folder Sizes
Here’s a simple tip that will save you a lot of time and aggravation. A standard CD will hold 650 MB of data, so before you begin copying files to your CD/RW drive, calculate how much disk space you’re going to need. If your files are all contained in a single folder, right-click the folder, click Properties on the Shortcut menu, then click the General tab in the dialog box, and look at the folder’s size. This will tell you exactly how large the combined files in the folder are. If your files exceed 650 MB, you’ll know it beforehand and can make adjustments before you start copying to your CD.

January 2004:    Using the DirectX Diagnostic Tool in Windows XP

To access the tool do the following:
Go to START and left click,
Left click on RUN,
Type dxdiag in the dialogue box
Left click on OK
Now lets have some FUN.
First look at the wealth of info on the first page. I use this screen to check processor speed and amount of installed memory when checking out a computer. It's a little more readable than the MSINFO screen.
Click on the MUSIC tab and then click on the TEST DIRECT MUSIC button under DirectX features. (Sounds Great Huh..!!) That is if everything is working correctly.
Using the DISPLAY tab shows us more DirectX features. Click on the TEST DIRECT3D button and watch the show. Your 3D animation is tested using a rotating cube. More fun than chasing mice.
The TEST DIRECTDRAW button is here too but no where near as cool. This time I'll take chasing mice instead.
There are controls on the DISPLAY page to turn off DirectX features if you are having problems too.
There are other tests and options to explore here so try each function out but don't mess with the DirectX refresh rate unless you are an advanced user.

December 2003:    Memory Error message when booting Windows XP & RAM Requirements for OS's

STOP 0x00000074 BAD_SYSTEM_CONFIG_INFO"
The Cause and Solution
After this message is displayed it asks for you to insert the Windows XP CD. When you try to start your computer from the Windows XP CD-ROM, you get the following error message:    The following file is corrupted: toside.sys

This error is caused by having memory module(s) that are either damaged, not installed in the computer correctly or you have installed incompatible memory. . If you ever come across this error message during a system install or startup, shut down the machine unplug the computer and verify that the RAM modules are installed correctly. If the module(s) are installed correctly, it could be that you have a bad memory module. Remember to leave enough RAM for the computer to start and run Windows if you remove any modules.

Ram Requirements (Minimum/Recommended) From the Microsoft Windows Website
Windows 98/SE Windows ME Windows XP Home Windows XP pro Windows 2K pro Windows 2K server
16/32 meg 32/64 meg 32/128 meg 64/256 meg 64/128  meg 128/256 meg


November 2003:    Backing up your Email Files - here's where the files are located.

Outlook Express using Windows XP
Windows Explorer will not let you see the mail files unless you use the search function and look for the following string "*.dbx".
The files are located down the following path and you must use the listing in the search box to copy them to a backup folder:
C:\Documents and Settings\{user}\Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\{user identity}\Microsoft\Outlook Express

Outlook Express using Windows 98
The files are located down this path which can be viewed in Windows Explorer:
C:\Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook Express

All Outlook users need to search for and backup the file Outlook.pst.

Now that we know where they are at it's easy to write them to our backup files folder and burn them onto a CD for offsite storage.

FYI
Eudora users need to backup the file folders in the main Eudora folder that end in .mbx
Netscape users go to C:\Program Files\Netscape\Users\"Your Name"\Mail
MSN users have to use the export and import utilities provided by MSN.

October 2003:    Checking your IP Address in Windows is a challenge.

Windows XP
You have to bring up the old DOS screen to begin with. Go to the start button and click on it. In the right hand column at the bottom click on RUN. In the run dialogue box type in CMD and hit ENTER. A DOS window will appear and you type in IPCONFIG and hit ENTER. Your IP configuration information will appear.

Windows 98
Go to the RUN dialogue box as above and type in WINIPCFG hit ENTER and your information will appear.

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