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CADDO-BOSSIER WINDOWS USER GROUP

Shreveport – Bossier City Louisiana www.shreveport.com/cbwug

Volume 1, No 9 Caddo-Bossier Windows User Group Newsletter November, 1999

GO!ZILLA one finishes to start the next. GO! OUR NEXT MEETING by Mark Reeves ZILLA fixes all those problems and 7 p.m. a few more besides. It is a Thursday November 11, l999 download and connections manager Being in the computer business as a Marshall and Associates system integrator, I am always for the that works with 819 Shreveport-Barksdale Hwy downloading something off the IE4.x and above, plus 4.x Internet for my clients. Bios up- and above. Shreveport, Louisiana grades, videodriv- Meetings 2nd Thursday of each month ers, etc. My big- If you lose your gest problem is the connection it will poor phone lines restart on command MARK YOUR CALENDAR we have in after you log back Shreveport/ on to the Internet. It Bossier discon- restarts where it left Newsletter reproduction necting me repeatedly. I recently off so you do not have to compliments of Office Depot start over! You can use its had to download on East 70th Street a 46 meg patch file, I had to restart download manager to download downloading 3 times from scratch files in sequence, which is much AFTER I had download 80% of the faster. C-B WUG CLUB ELECTIONS

file. My next problem is needing to Our annual election of officers will be download multiple files, so I either (Continued on page 4) held at the December 10 meeting. have to start them all or wait till Is there someone you would like to nominate? Please check with them be- fore submitting their name. Ark-La-Tex Computer Sheaux ~Contents~ We are looking forward to a great of our wonderful volunteers from turn out for the last our area computer clubs to ComputerSheaux of make this a successful event. Go!Zilla ...... 1 1999. It will take Thank you so much to those Computer Sheaux ...... 1 place at the Bossier of you who have said you Club Elections ...... 1 Civic Center on Sat- will be there to give a hand. It Next Meeting ...... 1 urday, November could not be done without Newsletter reproduction ...... 1 13. The doors will you. We will find something be open to the pub- for all of our members who Club Information ...... 2 lic from 8:00 AM show up to do even if it is just Thank You ...... 2 till 4:00 PM. sitting at the club tables and President’s Page ...... 2 visiting with the people who come Quick Tip ...... 2 It is getting close to the holidays by . That is important, too. An Alternative Browser ...... 3 and you may just find the perfect gifts or stocking stuffers at the See you at the Sheaux! Can you use a Big Fix ...... 3 Sheaux. First Home Page Pt 2 ...... 4 We are again counting on the help Glenda Conradi It Would Not Connect ...... 4 THE WINDOW November, 1999 Page 2

THE WINDOW This months quick ~A QUICK TIP~ then hit F8. If you’re Published by quick enough, you can Caddo-Bossier Windows User Group tip is a super one A Super Safe (Mode) Tip get a menu up. Try this compliments of Editors method instead; When you first boot Jay Graff ([email protected]) David Huckabee. Glenda Conradi ([email protected]) up, press and hold down the SHIFT When you find the need to boot Submit articles for newsletter, in RTF key. This forces the computer to your computer in the safe mode, file format, by last day of month to both boot in the safe mode, thus eliminat- Glenda and Jay. the traditional way is to wait till ing the need to hit the F8 key. The opinions expressed in the articles in you see “Windows Now Starting”, this newsletter are not necessarily those of the editors or publisher. Mention of products by their trade name does not in any way constitute endorsement by the President’s Page editors or publisher.

The Caddo-Bossier Windows User Group is a tax exempt, non-profit club.

Club Officers

President Bernie Conradi ([email protected])

Vice-President Wayne Ebert ([email protected]) Caddo-Bossier Windows Users Group Meeting October 14, l999 Secretary Glenda Conradi ([email protected])

Treasurer Kathleen Mangum The meeting was called to order at 7 PM. Mr. Bill Jones was a guest ([email protected]) this evening and then joined our group during the meeting. New mem- Program Director Mark Reeves ber Larry Casey attended the group for the first time. The meeting this ([email protected]) evening consisted of a question and answer session and a general dis- cussion session. We had questions about the Windows 98SE shutdown ~Thank You~ problem, the size of picture files that are put on a and spell We want to express our gratitude to: checking in . Mark outlined on the board, how to back up your registry and recommended that the registry be left alone unless Bill Marshall – Marshall & Assoc. for letting our group hold our you are an expert and know how to do it. If you do edit the registry, be monthly meetings in his conference room and for assisting us in obtain- sure to back it up first. Mark also suggested that we all use the Win- ing our Non-Profit status. dows update web page to keep your operating systems up to date. He

Gary Galloway – ARK-LA-TEX also indicated that those people that are running , go check Network Services for generously for updates for that as well. Win 95 updates must be providing internet access for C-BWUG downloaded from or Winmag.com web pages and then in- IDT for the donation of a computer stalled. I showed the new Iomega Zip 250 USB drive that we purchased for the clubs’ use. in Dallas a week or so ago. The door prizes were a game card and game ShreveNet, Inc. – For providing CD won by Ed Waites and a copy of McAfee 2000 Toolbox won by web space for our club. Jack Barnett Minden Bank & Trust on Youree Drive for providing us with a check- ing account at no charge. Bernie Conradi, Bryan Rawls for donating the President Caddo-Bossier Windows Users Group C-BWUG banner. THE WINDOW November, 1999 Page 3

An Alternative Browser (for example, other sports ven- have a problem. I know when I [my Jack Burke ues). There is a very detailed computer] have a problem, Show Channel item which is it is the anticipated frustration of I am always looking for an alter- most comprehensive and very searching for the fix that makes a bad native, a better way to use my easy to access for many common situation worse. How often have you computer or a program which sites. Examples include news, been talking to tech support and are ask questions about your computer makes the 'computing experience' weather, sports, travel, and more more enjoyable. I think that that bring you to a halt? I really don't than a dozen others. want to know. What I do want you to I have found one in a relatively Like IE, there is a full screen fea- know is that there is a web site new Internet browser, known as ture which minimizes the bars at available that can eliminate many of Neoplanet. the top of the screen; you can your frustrations and probably provide Like most browsers today, it is also zoom in and zoom out of a fix, a BigFix, for the problem in free so you can't beat the price. It your present screen. some instances before you know you can be found at Neoplanet.com Neither of these features are [your computer] have a problem. and takes up about 5.4 Mb of your available in Netscape. There is I indicated, above, that the fix was disk (versus 16 Mb for Internet also an independent capa- free. Well, not exactly. You will have Explorer). bility; I do not use this so can not to spend some time and have a PC really comment on its capabili- with Windows ™ 95, 98 or NT 4.0 Neoplanet overlays on top of ties. with 3 (or higher Internet Explorer. I am not sure that does not have to be your active exactly how this is done but its So, if you are looking for an alter- browser) 20 MB of disk space and 16 data is dependent on the data from native browser, give Neoplanet a MB of RAM. Support for a Macin- tosh to be available soon. Point your IE. So you cannot simply discard try. I have been very happy with IE and remove the program from browser to http://www.bigfix.com, it and use it most exclusively. All then to the Download Page. You will your computer. Upon installa- it takes is a relatively quick be asked for your e- address [it is tion, it automatically picks up all download and an execution of the not for others or marketing purposes]. of your Favorites from IE, so you file. If you do not like it, it is Click "Download" and save the 5 MB are immediately in business. also real easy to remove from file. While still connected to the inter- your system. net, Double click the file to install and The thing that I like best about then run BigFix. The program will Neoplanet is its presentation. If is synchronize the BigFix site with your very user friendly and makes you Can you use a Big Fix computer. Messages, called Fixlets, feel comfortable at all times. The Wayne Ebert will download. When these are com- introductory screen is customiza- pleted, subscribe/select the Fixlet site ble and can be setup using their I must caution you that BigFix ™ is that interest you or click on the All affiliation, Snap.com, or what- addictive. Once you start using it, it button. BigFix will then examine ever else you choose. I have is almost impossible to stop using your computer and report any poten- tial problems. Only those problems found that My Snap presents me it. To make it worse you can auto- mate the process and eliminate those that apply to your computer will be some alternatives which are not reported. Clicking on a problem ex- available elsewhere and I would hours you wasted looking for a fix. I was overwhelmed when I was pro- plains it and provides a link to the site recommend it. In fact, I have vided a fix when I was not aware with a fix patch or instructions on how made it my default home page for that I needed a fix. It has taken a you can fix that problem. Some all three of my browsers (IE, while for me to recover from the patches may be quite large, but all Neoplanet, and Netscape). state of shock when I found the fix must be installed after being did not involve a fund transfer, it is downloaded. Review the FAQs and Here are some of the other fea- free. Yes, the fix is free, but I must other available data on the web page tures in Neoplanet. When you are explain that it was not me that re- for answers to other questions you using Favorites, there is a feature quired the fix it was my computer. may have. I could not find an answer which can link you to similar sites To me the key word is association. as to why this took so long to become If my computer has a problem, I available. THE WINDOW November, 1999 Page 4

(Continued from page 1) YOUR FIRST HOME PAGE need to log in and establish contact Part 2 with your . Once this is done, GO!ZILLA Jay Graff you will need to transfer ALL of the files from your web page that's on And here is the best part, it In my last article I forgot to mention your hard drive to the server. This checks the on a web page one critical point, and that was to only needs to be done once. After for other download sites. What that, every time you make a change save your work. But when you try to does this matter? Well one site to your web page, you will only need exit Front Page the program lets you was downloading at 2.7-2.9k/sec, know that you need to save it, so to upload your changes. Make sure if hopefully you were able to work you add any graphics that they are so I switched to the other. It was around my oversight. also added. Also if you have specific downloading at 3.1-3.9k/sec, this files in a folder on your hard drive, switch happened without losing OK, now you have your web page you need to make sure that they go what I had already downloaded! saved somewhere on your hard into the same folder on the server. drive. What next? The second step in Bottom line, you can download This sounds complicated and can be building a web page is to get it up on files faster with less problems. the net so others can see what it confusing the first few times you do looks like. There are a few ways to it, but as they say, practice makes Now for the best part, IT’S do this. If your server is Front Page perfect. Once you become used to FREE! You do get an ad or two compliant it's a breeze. You simply doing it, you can upload your page, on some of their other products, need to go to publish your web from minimize WSFTP and open your but they are not obnoxious. Plus within Front Page and follow the browser to make sure the changes since it is free, I really do not ob- prompts. If you're using a web based went through. ject to it. And for the nice way

homepage, they usually have a they do their ads, I am consider- method by which you can edit and I realize all this can be overwhelm- publish your page from within that ing and I would be happy to tell you ing really looking at their other program. more about it. Just send me mail at products. [email protected] and I will try to But let's assume that your server answer any questions you may have. Here is the link to their web-site does not use Front Page extensions www.gozilla.com or you can find (like mine) and you want to get it Next month, dressing up your page a link to it on www.winfiles.com. published on the internet. The very first thing you need to do is find out Enjoy! from the server (or where the home page originates) is the address that IT WOULD NOT CONNECT you need to open it in ftp. Usually, if by Kristie Sanders the server is local, a quick phone call ~Web Sites~ As many of you know, I have had Discovery Channel: can answer this question and if not http://www.discovery.com/ local, you can send them some internet connection problems for two weeks. Windows Users Group Network email. http://www.wugnet.com/

I could connect to AOL, but not with Entertainment Home Page Next, you need some program that http://www.Moviefinder.com/ you can transfer the files from your Shreve Net or Ark-La-Tex. I could click on the icon, it would ring, but it Smart Medicine Site hard drive to the ftp site (which is http://www.medicinenet.com/ where your page will reside). There would not connect. I finally got are many out there, but I would rec- Shreve Net to understand my problem. They checked my system out. My ommend a program called Dial Up Networking checked out ok. I MISTEAKS WS_ftp32. This program is abso- was told to have my Disk lutely free and can be found at: handy. The problem was in my net- Some Of you may have found work configuration. Things were de- some mistakes in this Newsletter. ftp://ftp.usma.edu/pub/msdos/ leted, checked, and re-installed. There is a reason for this; Some winsock.files/ws_ftp.zip When (PCI Ethernet Controller- people are always looking for them

Realtek RTL8029 (AS) PCI ( a device and in an effort to please every one, You can also do a search for it on the driver is a software program that internet. makes a hardware device work) was we included some. deleted, I was finally able to connect The first time you run it, you will to both of my connections.