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Archive through October 19, 2004

The TVClubHouse: General Discussions ARCHIVES: 2004 Nov. - 2005 Jan.: All Things Technical: The Help Desk (ARCHIVES): Computer Problems? Ask Here (ARCHIVES): Archive through October 19, 2004 users admin

Author Message
Juju2bigdog
Member

10-27-2000

Tuesday, September 28, 2004 - 7:15 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Babyruth, I don't have a LCD monitor, but I see advertised deals for them all the time here: http://www.bensbargains.net/ including Dells all the time. Some under $400 all the time. Near as I can figure out, Bensbargains is just a referral site that scours the best deals on the internet daily and posts them. There are apparently other sites like it, but I kinda like Ben's. And I like to read the discussions items of the geek-kids that accompany each listed item. I am learning a bunch of stuff from the geek-kids. (they are probably all married 40 year olds, lol)

Juju2bigdog
Member

10-27-2000

Tuesday, September 28, 2004 - 7:41 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Draheid, I had not seen that DVD burner, but the geek-kids at Bens Bargains say the Plextor is a better product than Mad Dog, and it is actually only $47, including shipping, after 20% discount and $50 rebate.

Wendo, thank you thank you thank you for your endorsement of Plextor. I think I will go ahead and order that DVD burner.

Wendo, it appears I have three PCI slots on my new Dell Dimension 4600, one of which is taken up by my dialup modem, leaving two free. If you find you have a spare firewire port for a PCI slot that you care to unload cheap, send me an e-mail at juju2bigdog at Yahoo. No hurry, because I will be leaving this PC at home while I travel for about 5 months, and I may not even get back to messing with video-DVD transfers before we leave for the winter. BUT, I would like to be able to mess with the whole shebang come spring. AND, I might get to it before we leave, if I don't go stark raving mad with Bigdog remodeling the kitchen and having the WHOLE HOUSE torn up. :-)

Vixen, usually if nobody answers you, it means nobody knows nuthin'. But it always best to adopt a polite tone anyway. Sort of like being circumspect in chat in case my words come back to haunt me. LOL. You so cute, Dra.

Luvmom
Member

10-17-2000

Wednesday, September 29, 2004 - 11:43 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Hi Draheid,
I noticed you were talking about VCDs.I have a question.I have a few digital videoes from my camera on the computer and I want to make a VCD for my DVD.They are in QT and WMV format.I was told I need to format them to MPEG before it will play on my DVD.Do you know a program I can use?

Draheid
Moderator

09-09-2001

Wednesday, September 29, 2004 - 2:29 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Luvmom: I use Nero Burning-ROM CD authoring software. This program automatically re-encodes most video formats to the VCD format and then burns the CD-R for me. I have the older version 5 which does not include support for Quicktime (MOV) files but handles most other formats as long as I have a Codec installed for the format used to encode the original file.

If you visit www.videohelp.com and click on their 'All Guides' (under How To) on the left menu on the opening page. There you can find all sorts of guides on creating video discs of any kind. This is also the same site you can look for the compatibility of most DVD players to VCD/SVCD and recordable media.

Hope this helps.

Luvmom
Member

10-17-2000

Thursday, September 30, 2004 - 6:39 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Thanks Draheid,I'll look that up.

Vixeninvegas
Member

10-07-2002

Thursday, September 30, 2004 - 6:13 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Thanks so much Draheid - you are a sweetie - I know its goofy admiting that I enjoyed those silly games but I did. I appreciate any help possible if you ever do come across anything :-)

Luvmom
Member

10-17-2000

Friday, October 01, 2004 - 3:39 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Hi again,
I've got a small problem,at least I hope it's small.My dd was on the computer today and when i camr on just now,my recycle bin is missing from my desktop.I tried to find it but I can't.Where do I look.I have windows XP.Thanks!!

Draheid
Moderator

09-09-2001

Friday, October 01, 2004 - 3:52 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Luvmom: Microsoft has a knowledgebase article about restoring the Recycle Bin icon here:
Recycle Bin Does Not Appear on the Desktop.

You should check with DD to find out exactly what was done that removed the icon before trying the instructions on that page. Whatever it was may be easier to reverse then the instructions on that page.

Hope this helps.

Whoami
Member

08-03-2001

Saturday, October 09, 2004 - 6:53 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I was just creating an Excel sheet, when the power went out.

Last time I was working on a document (probably Word), and that happened, when I rebooted the computer hollered at me and said it had recovered a document I was working on. I sort of expected that to happen again. That may also have been on my old computer with Windows 98 on it.

Now I have WindowsXP, and am running Office 2000.

It wasn't an important sheet. I had just started to play around with it. But it would be sort of a PIA to start over. Is it gone?

Draheid
Moderator

09-09-2001

Saturday, October 09, 2004 - 7:28 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Whoami: In Excel, click on 'Tools' and see if you have an option checked for 'Autosave'. If not, click 'Tools - Add-ins' and check the 'Autosave Add-In' there. If it was not enabled, then I'm afraid there probably isn't a recovery option. Also in Word, click 'Tools - Options' then select the 'Save' tab to see if you have Autosave enabled and the time between saves there too.

Hope this helps.

Whoami
Member

08-03-2001

Saturday, October 09, 2004 - 1:32 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Thanks Dra! Looks like the feature was set up in Word, but not Excel.

Skootz
Member

07-23-2003

Saturday, October 09, 2004 - 1:37 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I have a question. When your computer freezes or you don't shut down properly and when you restart you get the start of scan disk. How come I don't get this anymore? I am running Win98

Draheid
Moderator

09-09-2001

Saturday, October 09, 2004 - 3:58 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Skootz: It's possible someone or something has disabled that 'feature' on your system. If you would like to check and/or re-enable it do this:

Click 'Start - Run' and type msconfig and press Enter
Click 'Advanced' and change 'Disable Scandisk after bad shutdown'

Then click 'Ok' and the options should save and you should see a scan next time you have problems shutting down the computer.

Hope this helps.

Skootz
Member

07-23-2003

Saturday, October 09, 2004 - 5:37 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Thanks Draheid - I always wondered where it went :-)

Skootz
Member

07-23-2003

Sunday, October 10, 2004 - 3:59 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I went to where you asked..and the box is not checked? tried both ways (checked and unchecked) hmmmmm

Juju2bigdog
Member

10-27-2000

Wednesday, October 13, 2004 - 10:18 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Continuation of a discussion begun over here: Free files

In quick summary. I have a brand new Dell Dimension 4600 desktop, big hard drive with little on it, 512 MB RAM, Windows XP Home. My ISP is Juno, which has its own e-mail skin and dialer and browser. Per Draheid, Juno relies on Internet Explorer for some of its functions. From day one of having this computer and installing Juno, it has shut down improperly, giving me error messages. I have reinstalled Juno several times, to no avail. After sending Juno Help some print screens of error messages, they told me I most likely have a corrupted Internet Explorer. At first I blew this off, but I have come to believe it is true.

I have since switched to using Mozilla Firefox as my primary web browser, but the corrupt IE also seems to be causing some other problems (as noted by others on some of the "geek" help sites), so I can't ignore it forever. Although I may just ignore it until I leave for the winter and deal with in when I return in the spring.

I have recently tried to repair or reinstall IE 6.0 but since it is an integrated part of Windows XP, the opsys is not letting me do that. Microsoft and the tech help sites give two common ways to repair IE in XP. Neither of those worked. If I try to reinstall IE, I get a message saying my system has a newer version, cannot proceed. Microsoft gives instructions for bypassing that error message and reinstalling. That didn't work for me either.

Draheid replied:



quote:

Draheid Tuesday, October 12, 2004 - 9:37 pm
Juju: Have you tried 'System Restore' to a 'Restore Point' prior to when you began having these problems? You should find 'System Restore' located in 'Start - Programs - Accessories - System Tools - System Restore'. There should be several restore points available, select one from a time just before you began having these problems. You should be aware that any software or updates you have installed since that time may be disabled by this, however, it might give you a point to work forward from that actually works like it is supposed to. To be safe, you might want to first create a current restore point so that you can return to this same setup if the process doesn't help.

Hope that helps.




I have not tried System Restore, since this problem occurred from Day 1. And, of course, I have installed ALL my programs since then. If I am going to try that, it is tantamount to reinstalling XP, which is what I am trying to avoid, but where I appear to be headed.

Jed245
Member

11-01-2002

Wednesday, October 13, 2004 - 6:06 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Juju did you try reinstalling IE by clicking Start, Run and entering the following command:

rundll32.exe setupapi,InstallHinfSection DefaultInstall 132 %windir%\Inf\ie.inf

You will need to have your XP CD ready though.

thing 1 :o)

That should fix it and it's the only thing I can think of if the new install doesn't work. :o)

Hope that helps. :o)

Nino
Member

09-20-2004

Monday, October 18, 2004 - 11:24 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Not sure if this is the right thread, but I'll give it a try! We have a website and just this weekend, some sorry person put some really bad porno links in the Guest Book! We have no idea how to delete links in the Guest Book! Can anyone help us? These links simply have to go!! Thanks.

Draheid
Moderator

09-09-2001

Monday, October 18, 2004 - 1:21 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Nino, if you would like me to try to help, please click on my name and send me a private message with the relative information about the website. I would be happy to look and see if I can help.

Whoami
Member

08-03-2001

Tuesday, October 19, 2004 - 2:17 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I seem to be having problems opening jpg files on my computer.

Its wanting to open with Dell Image Expert (which came with the computer, but it may have been a "trial" basis), but I get a error message saying, "Error opening database: 2000"

Also, I get another error message saying it can't "find" the jpg file I'm trying to open (it gives the location/name of the jpg file saying it can't find it, even though I'm IN that location clicking on the file and trying to open it.

I have a sneaking suspicion they'll want me to buy their "premium" version Dell Image Expert, and somehow the "standard" one has been disabled.

Is there a way to get the file to open another way? Or maybe something went corrupt on the Dell Image Expert?

Vee
Member

02-23-2004

Tuesday, October 19, 2004 - 7:19 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I may not be posting in the correct thread, but here goes. I am in the market for a new computer. I have had it completely with the lemon I am currently using. Question: If you were to purchase a new computer system, which one would you choose?

I want to be able to run a business and I want to be able to use it for writing books...a lot of writing! This means that I have to be able to do a lot of copying and pasting, etc. My current computer won't allow me to use Word much of the time and even though I save my work to disks, I still have troubles getting back in and doing any editing or rewrites.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me!

Draheid
Moderator

09-09-2001

Tuesday, October 19, 2004 - 9:52 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Whoami: There are a couple different ways to change the default program for files. One easy option is to use Irfanview. Open Irfanview and click 'Options - Properties' then click on the 'Extensions' tab. Scroll down the list of file types and check the ones you want Irfanview to open for you. Click 'Ok' and Irfanview will change the setting in Windows Explorer to use it for opening those file types.

Another option is to use Windows Explorer, click on 'Tools - Folder Options' then click on the 'File Types' tab. Scroll to the extension(s) you want to modify and click on that. Then click on 'Change' and you will see a list of installed programs that are 'Recommended' and some others. Choose one that you prefer, such as "Windows Picture and Fax Viewer" for simply previewing the images. Make sure 'Always use...' is checked, make any other changes you want and then click 'Ok' then 'Close' to save the changes.

The 3rd option, locate an image file in Windows Explorer, right-click on the file, then point to 'Open with >' and left-click on 'Choose Program...". Again, select the program you want, make sure 'Always use...' is checked, and click 'Ok'. This will also set the default program to use when you double-click on a file.

Hope this helps.


Draheid
Moderator

09-09-2001

Tuesday, October 19, 2004 - 10:00 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Vee: There are so many choices in computers available these days, it's hard to say what would be exactly right for you. I can suggest a few guidelines to use when selecting one though. Here are my recommendations for any new computer:
  • Intel Pentium 4 processor (Not Celeron)
  • 512MB RAM minimum
  • 64MB Video RAM (Not shared)
  • 80GB Hard drive (Minimum, most new systems have this or more)
  • CD-RW Drive for storing your files and creating your own CDs (Again, most have this now too.)

This is just a few minimum items to help select a system that is right for you.

I have also found that 'mass produced' package systems usually include many extra options for a better price. Or you might consider a 'Refurbished' machine and choose your own monitor, to save some money. These refurbished units move very quickly so finding the right one at any given time might be a small challenge, but worth the effort. They usually include the full original manufacturers warranty and are eligible for extended warranties if you would prefer.

Also watch weekly sales flyers for package deals. Beware that many of them now show a very good price but the savings is tied to mail-in rebates which you have to apply for yourself. You would have to spend more initially in order to get these rebates and they can take several weeks to process before your money is returned, not including taxes of course.

Hope this helps.

Juju2bigdog
Member

10-27-2000

Tuesday, October 19, 2004 - 10:37 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Whoami, I had that same problem with my new Dell. Since I knew I would not be buying the program that had the free intro, I simply went to Add/Remove programs in Control Panel and unistalled the offending program, and my images defaulted to the Windows viewer.

Sounds like you have no intention of buying the software either, so why have that extra unused program littering up your computer?

JED, I just now saw your post! I will try what you suggested, but I suspect I have already been that route in a different manner. One of the recommended Microsoft fixes is via ie.inf, and it failed, but I also now have another angle on that which might work.

Shashakaye
Member

05-19-2003

Tuesday, October 19, 2004 - 12:51 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I recently bought a digital camera (cannon a75). I love doing the short video clips to send to my daughter who's away at college, but the files are too big to send. Is there a way to make these files smaller so I can send them? They are .mov files. Thanks