Fill out this form to email this article to a friend
Solutions
Updated antivirus program will point out errors quickly
By JOHN TORRO
Published February 28, 2005
Q. After Spybot has run (Windows XP/SP2), I always get a box that shows an exclamation mark in a red triangle with the message: Error During Check! Z-Demon (ungultiger datentyp fur). And then a statement tells me: Congratulations, you are error free. This has been happening for more than a month. Before, Spybot always found errors.
A. First, make sure your antivirus is updated. The new version of Spybot 1.4 beta should take care of the Z-Demon problem. You can download it from www.majorgeeks.com/download4392.html
Programs on Taskbar will appear in Windows Application tab
Q. I just installed Windows XP on a new hard drive in my computer. So far I installed only my printer and Norton 2004 and a few other items. Now they usually tell you to close all programs before installing programs or drivers. But when I press Ctrl+
Delete it opens under the Applications tab, but there is nothing there, except if I'm on AOL at the time. In Windows Me, I used to have more than 40 at one time. And I usually disabled every one of them, except Explorer and Systray, before installing anything. However, if I click on the Processes tab in XP, I see a whole lot, from 30 to 40 or more. Do I have to disable the processes before installing anything? And which ones? I have, for example, 24 SYSTEMs right now and 11 entries with just my name.
A. What you're seeing is normal. Basically, anything that is showing on your Taskbar will show in the Application tab of Windows Task Manager.
External drive second-best solution for data transfer
Q. How do I best transfer all my stuff from my Windows 98 computer to my new XP? I don't have the original disks for some programs, and I don't have two monitors for the transfer. I do have an external hard drive.
A. If you're asking about transferring programs, you won't be able to do that without reinstalling them, and that usually requires the original media with the installation program on it. For your Favorites and cookies, just use the Export and Import features in Internet Explorer (File, Export . . .). For everything else, well, you already have in my opinion the best solution - your external hard drive (I'm assuming USB). You should be able to connect it to your Win 98 system (you'll need the drivers that came with the external hard drive). This disk also will be readable when you connect it to your new Windows XP PC (no drivers necessary).
Rebooting in Safe Mode will help defragging process
Q. I have tried everything you can think of to defrag my HP 6746c desktop. I run the latest versions of Ad-aware and Spybot. Every time it gets to defragmenting, it tells me that it has tried 10 times and it cannot go any further. I get no explanation or error, but even with running these programs, my computer is getting slower and slower. I haven't been able to defrag in two years. Should I forget about defragging and try something else, or is their some magic that you can tell me to perform?
A. Try booting into Safe Mode and rerunning defrag. Booting into Safe Mode is different depending upon which version of Windows you are running. Click Start, Help & Support and search on Safe Mode if you don't already know how to do this.
Setting up a dual monitor system now easier than ever
Q. Is it possible to have a dual monitor system work with a Windows XP system with Service Pack 2 and a gigabyte of memory?
A. Yes. The usual terms are Clone mode duplicated screens and Span mode (also called stretch mode) where both monitors together comprise the screen and are treated as one large monitor. This is controlled by the video adapters. All the major vendors carry cards that are capable of multimonitor use (ATI, Nvidia, Matrox). The individual video drivers for the specific cards are where the monitor properties and modes are set. Of course, there will be lots of information on the Internet. Check www.realtimesoft.com/multimon to start off.
[Last modified February 25, 2005, 13:00:08]
Share your thoughts on this story
|
News
Fifty years ago, they were screwed-up kids sent to the Florida School for Boys to be straightened out. But now they are screwed-up men, scarred by the whippings they endured. Read the story and see a video and portrait gallery.
Print
Email story
Comment
Email editor
