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By JOHN TORRO
© St. Petersburg Times, published July 9, 2001
Q. I use Windows 98. I installed Norton AntiVirus. When I try to download Windows Update a dialog box states, "'Your current security settings prohibit running unsafe controls on this page." This happens even after I disable Norton.
A. You'll need to check your Internet Explorer security settings that prohibit running ActiveX controls that are marked as safe for scripting:
1. On the Tools menu in Internet Explorer, click Internet Options.
2. Click Security tab, then Internet.
3. Click Default Level, then click OK.
If the problem continues, follow these steps:
1. On the Tools menu in Internet Explorer, click Internet Options.
2. On the Security tab, click Internet, then click Custom Level.
3. Under Run ActiveX Controls And Plug-ins, click Enable or Prompt.
4. Under Script ActiveX controls marked safe for scripting, click Enable or Prompt.
5. Under Java Permissions, click High Safety.
6. Click OK, then click Yes.
7. Click OK.
Q. I downloaded a free version of Bonzi Buddy. Mistake. The obnoxious gorilla is into everything. I tried to get rid of it and managed to eliminate the animal, but not the problems it created. I have files I can't open because Bonzi Buddy can't be found to open them. I found a program file for Bonzi Buddy and tried to delete it, but couldn't do it.
A. You'll need to reinstall and then uninstall the correct way. You can find detailed instructions on how to do this at www.pchell.com/support/bonzibuddy.shtml. Loading junk such as this on your PC is asking for trouble, as you found out.
Q. How much CPU processing power, random access memory and hard drive space will be needed for the Windows XP operating system to make it work as designed?
A. Microsoft's published recommendation is at least 128 megabytes of RAM, 1.5-gigabytes of hard disk space, a 233-megahertz processor and a CD-ROM or DVD drive. Forget the published minimum requirements. To run Windows XP as it should, I strongly recommend 256MB of RAM. A 400-MHz Pentium II/Celeron or higher should be sufficient CPU horsepower for basic computing. This would be the same recommendation I would give for Windows 2000. Either way, I hope all of our readers will seriously consider moving to one or the other of these operating systems over the next year. It will be a vast improvement over Windows 9x/Me in regards to usability and stability.
Q. Deleted temporary Internet or history data, as well as unused sites, go to the recycle bin. Where does deleted e-mail go?
A. Temporary Internet files are part of the regular file system and as such go to the recycle bin when deleted. This is the default behavior for deleted files, but it can be turned off, which is not recommended, by right-clicking Recycle Bin, Properties. E-mail programs, such as Outlook Express, Netscape Communicator or regular Outlook, store data in special data structures that contain groups of individual e-mails. When you delete an e-mail message, it is removed in part from one of these data structures; the file that contained the e-mail is not deleted and so it is not part of the Recycle Bin process. Many e-mail programs have a Deleted Items folder where you can go to restore or read e-mails you have deleted. If you empty the Deleted Items folder, or individually delete e-mails in the folder, then they will be deleted.