Q. When I am on the Internet, Microsoft Critical Updates pops up, asking if I want to view them or if I want them to notify me later. How do I prevent this from appearing?
By JOHN TORRO
Published May 19, 2003
Q. When I am on the Internet, Microsoft Critical Updates pops up, asking if I want to view them or if I want them to notify me later. How do I prevent this from appearing?
A. Go to Control Panel, click System then the Automatic Updates tab. To turn off automatic updates, uncheck the first option box where it says "Keep my computer up to date."
I too find these messages annoying, and I hate being nagged. But you do need to check these updates to make sure you're not missing any important security or system integrity patches. On the other hand, I'm also very cautious about which updates I apply, especially on a Windows XP PC. I take only the ones I know that apply to me.
Restore or Quick Restore?
Q. My PC has Windows 98, which did not come with a CD, only Quick Restore. Later, a CD from Compaq was used for Win 98 SE. If my computer crashes, will the Win98 SE restore everything? If not, I found many files for Win98 in C:\WINDOWS\OPTIONS\CABS directory. How do I know which ones to use? These run Win98 22 cab through 69 cab. All have the same size except for the first and last, which are smaller.
A. Was the CD from Compaq with Windows 98 SE also a Quick Restore CD or a complete Windows 98 SE CD? If it was a complete Windows 98 CD, then you should be okay with it if you ever needed to reload Windows. Of course, not your personal data would not be saved.
The files in the \Windows\options\cabs directory are the original Windows 98 installation media used to load your PC the first time. If you've updated to Windows 98 SE, these files are no longer relevant. I would first copy them to CD, then delete them from your system to free up space.
Recovering old e-mail
Q. My PC crashed. It's rebuilt now, with my old hard drive copied onto the new drive. All my old e-mail in Outlook Express is no longer in the program. They must be hidden on my disc somewhere. Do you have any idea where they might be? I'd be happy to just save them in folders so I could read them for reference purposes, not necessarily have them show up in my inbox or sent-mail box. (They also contain receipts for software I downloaded and am going to have to buy again if I can't prove I bought it, so access would be very helpful.)
A. This is one of the great mysteries of life, not that your computer crashed, but rather where are my Outlook Express e-mail files kept?
If you run Outlook Express, click Tools, Options and the Maintenance tab, then the Store Folder button. This will show you what folder contains your files. But it is too late for you to do that. (But hang onto this for future reference.) Your files are still there, just in another folder. Part of the folder name will include a 32 character name called a GUID (Guaranteed Unique Identifier). There will be a different one for each Outlook Express identity on your system. All the files in that folder will have a .DBX suffix. Your old inbox will probably be called Inbox.DBX. Find this file and replace your current Inbox.DBX file (in the folder that was reported in the earlier step). The next time you open Outlook Express, you'll have them back. Of course, if you already have e-mail in your new inbox, you should move it to another folder and copy it back after the switch.
Deleting unopened e-mail
Q. I want to delete incoming e-mail without having to view some of it. How can I do this?
A. It sounds as if you have the Preview Pane activated. (I'm assuming you have Outlook Express.)
The Preview Pane is a potential security risk and should always be turned off. This will allow you to delete your e-mail without it being opened when you select it by clicking on it once. With the Preview Pane turned off, you will be able to click the Delete button or press the Delete key on your keyboard to delete the unopened e-mail.
