Questions and Answers
SPCUG Answer Guys
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Questions and Answers
Here are highlights from recent Q&A sessions. Questions and responses have been edited for clarity and correctness.
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Sharing a Cable Internet Connection
Q: Just an observation. Having a couple of computers in the house and being pretty fed up with dial-up connections, last month I went the cable route. It has been generally a pretty positive experience, but with the high-speed access to multiple, should I build a server? What do I do? It appeared that the easiest was through one of the Internet gateway routers. I picked up a Lynxus with the four-port hub and followed the directions. It just plugged in and worked like a charm.
A: Another thing you could try is Internet Connection Sharing, which is built into Windows 98 Second Edition and ME 2000.
Refilling Printer Cartridges
Q: My question has to do with re-filling printer cartridges and with people's experiences doing it. The first time I did it, I had ink everywhere. Has anyone had a good experience with the kit for an HP?
A: I tried a kit once and learned not to touch the bottom.
R: I insert the needle at an angle into the cartridge until one drop falls from the foot. Then afterward I set it on a piece of paper for a while, turn it upside down with the port up and clean it.
A: So you did what Milt said not to do.
R: I didn't say it was right…. Once you turn the cartridge up and clean it off, you put a piece of tape over the hole and let it sit for a couple of hours. The guy at the computer show said the main thing was to put the hypodermic in real slow. You don't want any air in it because the reason they leak is because the air warms up and goes out the end and makes it leak. The latest tip is if you have trouble, is boil distilled water, let it set for two minutes, then set the bottom ¼ inch in the water for 5 minutes. You want to fill it first. But then, you want to fill it before it goes dry.
A: Be aware, there are differences in inks and printers. You have to buy the right kit. Cheap cartridges are available at www.toners.com.
Windows ME Problems
Q: I installed Windows ME, then left for a couple of days. When I came back I discovered that my CD and scanner didn't work because they are attached to an Adaptec Ultra2 Wide SCSI card, which will not work with ME. Meanwhile, ME erased my old file. Can I re-install Windows 98 and get those up and running again?
A: I wrote an article about Adaptec controllers and Windows 2000 Advanced Server, which goes along with ME. Microsoft screwed up on the driver model. If you download and install the driver from Adaptec, it will work.
R: I went to the Internet for that, but they do not support the 2940 U2W.
A: That's the one I wrote about. I have an 8945 that is not supported, but it has a 2940 built into it which is supported. It finds and installs the proper drivers. ME might find it as a 2940U2, which is also supported.
R: Do I have to tell the BIOS?
A: That's the problem. In my article, it states that if you say "I have an OEM driver" and you install the driver and it has the same name as a Microsoft internal driver, it won't put the OEM driver in. It just replaces it with the driver that is built into the 2000.
Shareware PDF Creators
Q: Does anyone know of a shareware program that will take word processing files and make PDF files out of them?
A: I will do some research and see if there is a shareware PDF converter, but don't forget shareware is not free. It is try-before-you-buy. [Ed.: Search at www.pdfzone.com for free, shareware and commercial programs that can create PDF files. Also, you can go to over.to/freepdf for a group of free programs that let you "print" to a PDF file from any Windows application.]
R: I don't have a problem with that. Some of the best software I have is shareware, like Time and Chaos.
R: Check out GhostScript. It was primarily a Unix program originally, but I believe they now have a version that works with Windows which is PDF-compatible as well.
Internet Explorer 5 Problem
Q: I'm having problems with Internet Explorer 5. It looks like it goes automatically from large screen to small screen and back and forth. Once it starts, it doesn't stop. I like a sticky mouse, so I replaced that, and the switching went away but came back. I have to do Ctrl-Alt-Del to start over. Netscape works fine; it mainly happens in IE 5.
A: I suggest you check your keyboard. A sticky key may be the problem.
Windows 2000 Error Messages
Q: Does Microsoft have a site where I can email them about an error message I'm getting in Windows 2000?
A: You can't directly e-mail them. You can go to support.microsoft.com, put "Windows 2000" and the error message into a search of their TechNet. The only thing they have e-mail for is a wish list. You can call them up, but not on a server product. You can call them if you have Office.
R: Even my DVD?
A: If it has to do with the operating system, yes. But if it's a server product, you give them your credit card number and can wait $240 worth before you even talk to somebody.
Web Page Password
Q: Are you going to also eliminate the password for the Web page?
A: Right now if you download the member guide, the mentor list is not password-protected and that is the only thing that has been protected on the Web site. The password for the Web site mentor list hasn't changed in months, and I can put that in the e-mail.
Mike Moments: Comments and Tips at the Microphone
Did I Go to Moscow?
If you get a charge card billing from Global Communications, Moscow, Russia, your card probably has been compromised. I did get a notice and a charge. It was small, only ten bucks, but they did it to a lot of people. I don't remember using their database.
A Need for Speed
I too got disgusted with 26400 bps speed on the modem and had the cable installers come out last Monday. They hooked it up and I was supposed to get 200 channels for a month. Everything worked fine except the movie channels had no sound. The guy didn't come out as promised but they agreed to credit my account. I got the cable hooked up but the speed was not what I expected.
C of C: A Member Benefit
The Metro Chamber of Commerce has several events during the year. Some are free, some are rather expensive. The number to call for reservations is 444-1659.
Doing It Right
I'd like to talk about a company that is doing something right. A couple of years ago a company came here and showed a nice router, firewall, hub combination. I bought their Beadlenet hub. WatchGuard, another company that does high-end security stuff for enterprise, bought that company. Lo and behold, I'd been having problems with my the hub recently and contacted WatchGuard. Even though it's been more than 2 years, they sent me a new $500 unit. They didn't have to support it beyond a year, but they did. It's a nice hub and I've been very pleased, what with getting on the DSL and cable net services. You'd better have Zone Alarm or Black Ice as far as software, but as far as the hardware, a hardware firewall is far better.
Only on USB
The StarBand satellite system will only be available as a USB device, which means you won't be able to use one of those Ethernet hubs to be the firewall. You'll have to use the Internet sharing.
DSL Providers
On the DSL front, NorthPoint has announced they are going to file Chapter 11. Rhythms just laid off 450 people and Covad are not too far behind. [Note: This is speculation. –Ed.]
Recommendation for Compaq
Another good company that everyone may not like is Compaq. Fifteen months out of a one-year warranty they replaced a handheld PC for free just because the hinge broke. Then there was a software glitch. Seven months after that, totally out of warranty, they are going to send me another one, free.
Keep an Alternative
I have IDSL. It works nice most of the time but today was not a good day. I know others who also have problems. Always make sure you have a backup. I was using my dialup today. [This is an ideal way to use one of the free Internet providers, even with limited hours. See Click Here column for free ISP resources. –Ed.]
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