Solutions

By JOHN TORRO

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 10, 2000

The fixes are in. . .

Utility cleans up temp files in Win98

Q. You gave instructions for deleting temporary files on a Windows 95 system. Is the procedure the same for Windows 98?
A. The preferred method in Windows 98 would be to use the Disk Cleanup utility (Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, Disk Cleanup). You'll also be given the choice to delete temporary Internet files as well as the Windows temporary files.

Inkjet printer error

Q. When I put new cartridges into my Hewlett-Packard Deskjet 660CSE, I get a message when I try to print that says: "Incorrect installation. Try removing the color print cartridge and reinstalling it. If the problem persists after multiple tries, refer to the manual for more info." And: "A new print cartridge has been installed. For best quality cancel printing and run realignment procedures in Deskjet status monitor." I referred to the manual and it talks about clicking on the deskjet status monitor icon in the HP Deskjet Utilities Program, then clicking on align print cartridge. I tried going into the printer utility and clicking on status, but it's empty.
A. According to HP, this problem may be the result of an incomplete connection between the copper strip contacts on the new cartridge and the contacts in the carriage assembly. Check this document from HP for the complete instructions on how to solve this problem: www.hp.com/cposupport/printers/support_doc/bpa00301.html.

Restoring the sound icon

Q. I inadvertently removed the sound icon from my task bar. I now have no sound.
A. Click the Start button, select Settings and then click Control Panel. Double-click the Sounds and MultiMedia applet. The Sounds tab should contain the option setting for displaying the sound icon in the task bar. Set it here. Next, select the Audio tab. Under the Sound Playback area, select the Volume button. This should bring up the sound mixer for your sound card. You should be able to cancel the mute from here.

McAfee-dll conflict

Q. I upgraded to the Windows 2000 Professional Suite and have problems opening Outlook Express. Sometimes it takes as long as 35 seconds for the program to open. I also upgraded my McAfee Scan feature. Could this be causing my Outlook Express slow down?
A. This is a known problem between McAfee and the imagehlp.dll file. You need to verify the integrity of this and other system files. To do this, go to a command prompt and type: sfc /scannow. This will invoke the System File Checker (which may call for your Windows 2000 Pro install CD) and replace any suspect system files from the DLLCache folder.

Quick Launching calculator

Q. I have Windows 98 and can't install the calculator icon in the task bar by the clock. If I could get it there, I also would like to make it so it's always on top of my active window. A. Using Windows Explorer, navigate to the Windows folder. Locate the Calc.exe file. Click and drag it to the Quick Launch bar, which is to the right of the Start button. A calculator icon will be placed there giving you instant access to it from then on. This also will work for any other program you want to access in this way.

Assigning drive letters

Q. I noticed that an extra "removable disk" letter was added to my computer's lineup, which I removed. Previously, the drives had these letters: A, floppy; C, hard drive; D, CD-ROM; E, SanDisk memory card reader; and F, Zip drive. Now everything after C has moved: D, SanDisk; E, Zip; and F, CD-ROM. I tried to rename the drives but it didn't work.
A. Right-click My Computer, Properties, select Devices Manager. You'll see a list of your devices. Select your disk devices and click Properties, then the Settings tab. Here you will be able to change the drive letter assignment.

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