PC- -HELP #10

No121- -HOW TO MASTER WINDOWS (AT LEAST WHERE YOU CAN)

You can't fix all of Windows' idiosyncrasies, but you can at least control how it behaves when it starts up and shuts down. Preston recommends three downloads that let you choose which programs load when you boot up, as well as set
tasks--such as ejecting a CD--for each time you power down.

http://cgi.zdnet.com/slink?/adeskb/adt1221/2833833:5658669

No122- -Recovering From That Crash or LockUp
Windows 95/98 Below Windows 2000 Windows NT 4
WIN 9x:
We'll explain some remidies to try to solve these problems.
Computer Will Not Boot:
This means "at boot" you don't see the message "Starting Windows" or anything. Be sure you download the Ultimate Boot Disk Utility around "Right Here".
(1) Do you see any lights flash "like the floppie" or hear anything "like the hard-drive"?? Is the Power Supply fan moving, swap the power cord with a known good one or check it with an electrical meter. You can also stick a lamp socket in to see if there is power coming from the outlet.
(2) Check ALL the power cables. Is the monitor blank?, see if it has both the data cable and the power cable well attached. We've seen that the "LED" for the monitor could mean either "on" or "stand by". Check the keyboard and mouse cables, are they secure??
(3) Get into your BIOS and do you get BIOS/CMOS error messages or hear any beeps. More info. at our BIOS-CMOS page.
(4) Pop in your boot floppie and at the command prompt, run Scandisk. Then to transfer system files from the floppie to the hard drive type ( A:> sys c: ). Go ahead and run any diagnostic software if you have any.
(5) It's time to open your puters case and check ALL peripheral cables "both to the device and to the motherboard". Double check all your installed cards to see if there secure in there slots.
(6) Still Nothing?? Then try to boot with only your keyboard, mouse, monitor, floppie and video card installed.
(7) You can download this small program (HERE) that can test your CMOS battery (amongst other things) from a dos prompt or goto.
http://www.geocities.com/mbockelkamp/mysoft_d.htm
(8) Still Nothing?? "Unless you have the equipment to check out things like your motherboard" then it's off to your computer repair center.
Next Issue is:
Your Computer goes though the Boot sequence but Windows won't Start:
This means that you can see the message "Starting Windows 95/98" but then you get an error message and get the command prompt (C:\>) or the computer locks up and nothing happens.
Boot your start-up floppie for safe mode command prompt and; Run Scandisk and fix any problems there then copy the system files from the floppie by typing
(A:> sys c:) "Still nothing??".
Ok, let's check to see if you have some ness. stuff, from the DOS prompt type "set" (without the quotes) and If the files winboot, windir, and temp are there, "If not, we need to add them":
Type
Path = c:\windows
and/or
Path = c:\windows\temp.
Delete temporary files ( under c:\windows\temp and c:\temp ) and delete the swap file so from the same DOS prompt,
type: del c:\windows\win386.swp
If it starts loading but fails with an "Invalid Vxd Error" message, see our DLL pages and the same thing if you get a "Missing Device Driver Error" or a specific error message.
Also if you things half-way decent then start running the W98 troubleshooters at:
Start/ Help/ Contents/ Troubleshooting and use the MS web site Troubleshooters.
OK, the dang thing fires up but still has problems with lockups
Frequent crashes can be caused by "to many reasons to mention here" But a hardware problem like bad RAM memory, crap software, missing or corrupted files, conflicting DLL files, etc. I might mention here and now, 99 times out of 100, start-up problems are caused by improper shut-down issues.
If the computer always boots into safe mode, even when it was shut down properly, the problem can be due to the existence of the file Wnbootng.sts that is created under C:\Windows when errors occurred. So, delete this file if it exists: from the command prompt type del c:\windows\wnbootng.sts
Also, look at the conflict-manager for Hardware Conflict, remove all your Startup Programs so nothing is running in the background (like a AV ie; Norton, etc), and Delete all temp files along with all cache.
Also use the Troubleshooting from; Control Panel/ System/ Performance tab/ File System/ Troubleshooting.
Type "msinfo32" into your RUN command box, pull down the Tool Menu;
RUN "msconfig" and press the advanced button
RUN "sfc" to check all system files
RUN the Automatic Skip Driver
Boot to yout DOS Command and type "scanreg/fix"
If fix doesn't help then Restore the Registry by type; "scanreg/restore" then select a earlier registry date that you know worked
Windows 2000:
We personally think W2k is the "BEST" operating system to date, but the Stuff To Remember;
(A) You might have to update the MB "BIOS" of some computers to even install W2k.
(B) Take a look at "new hardware" recently added, "driver problems", and "viruses".
(C) If you get "the blue screen of death", write down the message number and look for the explanation at MSKB.
W2k has new recovery procsdures that were not available in NT 4, like starting in safe mode W98 and the recovery console (a command-line console aimed to experienced administrators).
OK (thhat aside), the most common thing that we ran into with beta 3 is that many of the problems are due to non-compliant hardware, so test different devices and MS does publish a list of this officially-compatible products, called Hardware Compatibility List, that is different for every Windows version. On the W2k CD-ROM, it is the file Hcl.txt under the folder Support, or go to:http://www.microsoft.com/hwtest/hcl
I would try booting the computer using "Safe Mode" for the "Last Known Good Configuration".
Next, use the "Recovery Console" to fix a damaged or missing file or from boot disks you can make from it.
Nothing Huh!! Then try the "Emergency Repair Disk" to perform basic repairs, like file system and partition boot sector repairs. So boot the computer using the W2k CD or the boot disks, when prompted, select the Repair option (press R) and choose when prompted the Emergency Repair Option (press R). Then select either the Manual Repair (pressing M) or the Fast Repair (pressing F). The Manual Repair is for experienced users, and the Fast Repair will make an automatic repair.
Lastly, you can run the setup again from the CD.
If It starts but has problems then, use the Event Viewer to get more information about possible problems with a driver. (Start, Settings, Control Panel, Administrative Tools, Event Viewer, System Log) or restore the System to the latest backup.
Last Item To Note:
To create a Emergency Repair Disk, go to the Backup program and select the Welcome tab and click Emergency Repair Disk.
To make the "4" Boot Disks, pop in your W2k CD and look for a "bootdisk" folder and if your CD drive is "D" type
d:\bootdisk\makeboot a:
That's All For Now........

No123- -Tips To Get To Your BIOS and Controling Your Floppie:
CMOS SETUP UTILITY
Your computer has to know how to use a bootdisk. There are 4 things to look for in the BIOS. First, look for Boot Sequence and set it so A or Floppy shows up first in the sequence. Make sure the Boot Up Floppy Seek is ENABLED. Check that the Onboard FDC Controller is ENABLED. Finally, assure that the Onboard FDC Swap A & B is set to No Swap if your 1.44 is at the end of your floppy cable.
How Do I Access My BIOS or CMOS Setup Utility?
A popular way is to hit the Delete key as the computer boots up, but there are many other ways depending on what brand you have, like F10 on Compaqs when the big cursor is in the upper right of the screen for example. Also Ctrl-Alt-Delete, Ctrl-q, Ctrl-s, Alt-s, Esc, Alt-Esc, Alt-Enter, Ctrl-Alt-Esc, Ctrl-Alt-Enter, Ctrl-Alt-F8, and Ctrl-Alt-Insert. Or type setup in DOS on older boxes. Than we have F1, F2, F12, other F keys, Ctrl-Alt-q, Ctrl-Alt-s, Ctrl-Alt-d, Ctrl-Alt-p, Ctrl-Esc, Ctrl-Shift-s and combinations of above.
Here's another list that was posted on usenet that may help.
Sometimes, just holding down a key when you first turn on the computer forces an error which tells you how to enter "setup". Or taking out a set of RAM may cause an adjustment notice where the directions may appear on how to access, or just pulling out the floppy cable or hard drive cable sometimes works.

No124- -Installing software the Right Way
Crashproofing Your Software:
Software does not come in one-size-fits-all. A program that works perfectly on your brother's computer may crash and burn on yours. Sometimes it is difficult to tell when that may happen but often, crashes and freezes can be avoided with a little care. Troubleshooting begins in the store, before you buy.
READ THE SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Never buy any software until you have read the system requirements on the box. If you are not totally computer savvy, it may be best to copy your own system specifications onto a piece of paper to carry with you whenever you shop for software.
If you don't know what your system specifications are, you can find out in the following ways:
To find out information about your amount of memory and your hardware devices --
1) Right click on the "My Computer" icon on your desktop. Left click on Properties. From the System Properties box that opens, you will immediately be able to find your amount of RAM, and the version number of your operating system.
2) Then, click on the Device Manager tab in this System Properties box. You will see what type CD-ROM drive (this may also tell you the speed of your CD-ROM drive), the type of video card (that may be important in some of the flashy games that require 3-D accelerators), and the type of sound card you have (under Sound, Video, and Game controllers). Often double clicking on each device in the list will give you even more information about the devices.
To find out how much free space you have on your hard drive, double click on the "My Computer" icon on your desktop. Right click on the C drive icon, then left click on properties. You will see a pie chart showing the amount of free space.
There are two ways to learn what your computer's processor speed is. If your operating system is Windows 98, click on the "Start" button, navigate to "Programs", then "Accessories", then "System Tools" and left click on "System Information". On the menu bar, left click on "Tools." Left click on "DirectX Diagnostic Tool." In the window that opens, left click on the System tab. You will see a System Information box that contains the processor name and speed.
On a Windows 95 system, the best way to learn your processor speed is to restart your computer (click on the Start button, click on Shutdown. When the shutdown screen opens, click on Restart and Okay. As your computer is rebooting, hold your finger over the Pause key on the keyboard. You will see a black screen with a white-bordered box that contains system information, hit "Pause" quickly. The computer will pause in the reboot, and you can find the processor speed in the box. After you have copied the information about processor speed, hit your "Enter" key to finish rebooting your machine.
Remember: The specs on the software box are usually the bare minimum you need to run the program successfully. If you don't have enough don't buy the product. You'll be happier in the long run.
Occasionally you will receive a piece of software as a gift, or perhaps you bought it because you wanted it sooooo much, but your computer specs do not meet the specifications on the software box. Perhaps they are close to being sufficient. It may be worth your time to call the technical support number for the software manufacturer to see if the program will run on your computer. Unfortunately, most stores will not give refunds on open software packages and the technical support number is inside the package. Don't despair you can usually find the URL for the software company printed on the outside of the software package. Check out the company's website. Most of the time, a technical support number, or email address is available on the site and you can contact them to learn if this software will work for you. When in doubt, don't open the box until you ask tech support.
It is also possible for your system to be too good for the software. Some of the older titles are sold at vastly discounted prices. These titles are usually sold in jewel cases, without the elaborate software boxes of the newer products. If the system requirements on the jewel case are far less than what you have you may experience problems or it may not run on your system at all. For example, DOS games may not be able to run correctly, or at all, on Windows systems. Games designed for slower processors or older video cards often require several system changes each time you run the game, so unless you are prepared to alter system settings before each play, you might want to pass up some of those bargain titles. Again, the technical support people for the software companies can help you know if adjustments can be made to your system to run the software. In the long run, you are better off buying only software designed to work on your system.
BEFORE YOU INSTALL:
Delete Your Temp Files and Empty your Recycle Bin Double click the "My Computer" icon on your desktop. Double Click the C-Drive Icon. You may see a folder called "Temp," if so double click on the Temp folder icon On the menu bar, left click "Edit" click on "Select All" (this will highlight all the file names in the window) click on "File" in the menu bar click on Delete. Now look for the other "Temp" folder; double click on the "Windows" folder. (In Windows 98, you will have to click on "Show all files" at this point). Double click on the "Temp" folder. On the menu bar, left click "Edit" click on "Select All" (this will highlight all the file names in the window) click on "File" in the menu bar click on Delete.
On Windows 98, there is another way to dump your temp files. It is a feature called "Disk Cleanup." Click on the "Start" button. Navigate to "Programs" then to "Accessories" then to "System Tools" then click on "Disk Cleanup." You will see a window asking what drive to clean up. The default is your C Drive, so you will just click on "OK." Select the "Temporary Internet Files," "Recycle Bin" and "Temporary Files." Then click "OK."
Scandisk & Defrag: Both of these are found in "System Tools" on your Start Menu. Before you begin, disable your screen saver. To do this, right click on any blank area of your desktop. A menu pops up, left click on "Properties." You will see a tabbed box. Left click on the "Screen Saver" tab. Now left click on the downward pointing arrow at the end of the screen saver entry box. You will see a list of the available screen savers. Left click on "none". Then click "OK." Click on the "Start" button. Navigate to "Programs", then to "System Tools", and then click on "Scan Disk." Always run Scan Disk before Defrag. You do not need to do a thorough Scan Disk; a standard will be sufficient. Make sure you have checked "Automatically fix errors." It takes quite a while to Defrag a large hard drive, but it is well worth the effort.
Turn off Background Programs: While holding down the Ctrl and Alt keys, press the Delete key. You will see a "Close Programs" box, listing all the programs that are running in the background on your computer. Click on any of the listed programs EXCEPT Explorer or Systray. Then click on the "End Task" button. The Close Program box will disappear and the program you chose is now closed. Continue this "Ctrl+Alt+Delete" process until all of the programs EXCEPT Explorer and Systray have been closed. When Explorer and Systray are the only two items left, click on "Cancel." Some programs may not close immediately upon your clicking the "End Task" button. A box will eventually appear telling you that the program is "not responding" click on the "End Task" button and the program will close.
Watch for Problem Installation Items: Sometimes when you are installing a new piece of software, the software installation program will warn you if the hardware in your system does not meet the minimum standards of the program. Occasionally the program will run despite the problem, but there is usually some degradation in performance.
Also, all hardware requires software called drivers that tell the hardware how to work with your computer. Sometimes when you install a program, you will notice that you have performance issues in your display or your sound. You may need to update the drivers for your video or for your sound. Usually these drivers are available from the hardware manufacturer and can be downloaded for free. You must install the correct drivers for your hardware if you are in doubt, contact the hardware manufacturer's technical support or your local computer shop for help.

No125- -Driver Error's Explained
DRIVER error codes:
Code 1
This device is not configured correctly. (Code 1)
This code means that the system has not had a chance to configure the device. To resolve the problem, follow the instructions in the Device Status box. In addition, you may be able to resolve this issue by removing the device in Device Manager, and then running the Add New Hardware wizard from Control Panel.
Code 2
This code means that the device loader (DevLoader) did not load a device. When this device is a Root Bus DevLoader (for example, ISAPNP, PCI, or BIOS). Windows could not load the driver for this device because the computer is reporting two <type> bus types. (Code 2)
Contact your computer manufacturer to get an updated BIOS for your computer where <type> is ISAPNP, PCI, BIOS, EISA, or ACPI. When the device is not a root bus DevLoader, the following message is displayed
The <type> device loader(s) for this device could not load the device driver. (Code 2) To fix this, click Update Driver to update the device driver where <type> is the DevLoader such as FLOP, ESDI, SCSI, and so on "Update Driver".
In addition to following the recommended solution, try removing the device from Device Manager, and then running the Add New Hardware wizard.
Code 3
The driver for this device may be bad, or your system may be running low on memory or other resources. (Code 3)
To fix this sucker, update the drivers for this device, click Update Driver. To check your computer's memory and system resources, right-click My Computer on your desktop, click Properties, and then click the Performance tab. As an alternative, use Device Manager to remove the device and then run the Add New Hardware tool in Control Panel.
Code 4
This device is not working properly because one of its drivers may be bad, or your registry may be bad. (Code 4)
To fix it, update the drivers for this device, click Update Driver. If that doesn't work, run Scanregw.exe (click Start, click Run, type Scanregw.exe, and then click OK) to check your registry. This code indicates that the .inf file for this device may be incorrect or the registry may be damaged. The error code is displayed if the .inf file specifies a field that should be text, but is binary instead. In addition, use Device Manager to remove the device and then run the Add New Hardware tool in Control Panel. If you continue to receive this error code, please contact the hardware's manufacturer for an updated .inf file.
Code 5 The driver for this device requested a resource that Windows does not know how to handle. (Code 5)
To fix this, click Update Driver to update the driver for this device.
This code indicates that there was a device failure due to the lack of an arbitrator. If a device requests a resource type for which there is no arbitrator, you'll receive this error code -- so, update the driver.
Code 6
Another device is using the resources this device needs. (Code 6)
To fix this, shut down your computer, turn it off, and then change the resources for this device. When you have finished, start Device manager and change the resource settings for this device.
This code means that there is a conflict between this device and another device, see the "Troubleshooting Conflicting Hardware" topic in Windows 95 Help, or see the ARTICLE-ID: Q133240 at MS.
Code 7
The message text that is displayed for this error is specific to the driver or enumerator. If the driver does not provide information as to why it failed, the following message is displayed:
The fix for this device is reinstalled driver. (Code 7)
This code means that no configuration can be performed on the device so If the device works correctly, you do need not to perform any steps to correct the code. If the device does not work correctly, use Device Manager to remove the device and then run the Add New Hardware tool in Control Panel. If you continue to receive this error code and the device does not function properly, check with the hardware manufacturer for an updated driver.
Code 8
Several different error messages can be displayed for this error code. This code means that the device loader (DevLoader) for a device could not be found. For example, the .inf file for the device may refer to a missing or invalid file. The error situations are:
A system DevLoader is one that is part of Vmm32.vxd, and typically begins with an asterisk (*). If the DevLoader is a system DevLoader, the following text is displayed "This device is not working properly because Windows cannot load the file <name> that loads the drivers for the device". (Code 8)
The only fix is to run Windows Setup again using your Windows CD where <name> is the system DevLoadert that cannot be found.
If this is not a system DevLoader and the DevLoader cannot be found (the file is missing), the following text is displayed "This device is not working properly because Windows cannot find the file <name> that loads the drivers for the device". (Code 8)
To fix this, click Reinstall Device to reinstall this device where <name> is the DevLoader that is missing.
If this is not a system DevLoader and it can be found on the disk (the file does exist), the following text is displayed: This device is not working properly because the file <name> that loads the drivers for this device is bad. (Code 8)
To fix this, click Update Driver to update the drivers for this device." where <name> is the name of the DevLoader.
If the DevLoader entry is a software key for this device that is missing or an empty string, the following text is displayed:
Device failure: Try changing the driver for this device. If that doesn't work, see your hardware documentation. (Code 8)"
NOTE: For most cases, the resolution is to reinstall or update the driver. As an alternative, use Device Manager to remove the device and then run the Add New Hardware tool in Control Panel. If you continue to receive this error code, contact the hardware's manufacturer about updated drivers.
NOTE: When the problem DevLoader is a system DevLoader, Windows should be re-installed because this driver is built into the Vmm32.vxd file.
Code 9
The text for this error code varies, depending on whether or not the device is BIOS/ACPI enumerated. If this is a BIOS or ACPI enumerated device, the following text is displayed: This device is not working properly because the BIOS in your computer is reporting the resources for the device incorrectly. (Code 9)
Da fix, contact your computer manufacturer to get an updated BIOS for your computer.
If this is not a BIOS or ACPI enumerated device (such as an add-in adapter or a device that was plugged in to the computer), the following text is displayed: This device is not working properly because the BIOS in the device is reporting the resources for the device incorrectly. (Code 9)
Again, contact the device manufacturer to get an updated BIOS for your device. This code means that the information in the registry for this device is invalid.
It may be possible to resolve this error by using Device Manager to remove the device and then running the Add New Hardware tool in Control Panel. If you continue to receive this error code, contact the hardware's manufacturer for the proper registry settings or updated drivers.
Code 10
If the device has a "FailReasonString" value in its hardware key, that string is displayed as the error message. The driver or enumerator places this registry string value there. If there is no "FailReasonString" in the hardware key, the following generic error message is displayed: This device is either not present, not working properly, or does not have all the drivers installed. (Code 10)
Try upgrading the device drivers for this device. To resolve this error code, make sure the device is connected to the computer correctly. For example, make sure all cables are plugged in fully and that all adapter cards are properly seated. Follow the suggested solution button and update the device driver. It may be possible to remove the device and redetect it using the Add New Hardware wizard.
Code 11
Windows stopped responding while attempting to start this device, and therefore will never attempt to start this device again. (Code 11)
Da fix,"first" look up ASD in Windows Help and try upgrading the device drivers for this device OR run the Automatic Skip Driver utility from the System Information tool. If the problem persists, contact the hardware manufacturer for updated drivers.
Code 12
This device cannot find any free <type> resources to use. (Code 12)
If you really want to use this device, you must disable another device that is using the resources this device needs. To do this, click Hardware Troubleshooter and follow the instructions in the wizard, where <type> is a resource type (IRQ, DMA, Memory, or I/O).
This code means that one of the resource arbitrators failed. This can occur if the device is software configurable and it does not currently have a resource (if the system is out of resources). For example, all the interrupts are in use, or the device requests a resource that is currently in use by another device that will not release the resource.
To try to fix-it, follow the instructions in the Hardware Troubleshooter. In addition, see the "Troubleshooting Conflicting Hardware" topic in Windows Help, also see ARTICLE-ID: Q133240 at MS.
Code 13
This device is either not present, not working properly, or does not have all the drivers installed. (Code 13)
To have Windows detect whether this device is present or not, click Detect Hardware. This code indicates that the device driver did not find the hardware.
To resolve this error, follow the above. As an alternative, use Device Manager to remove the device and then run the Add New Hardware tool in Control Panel.
Code 14
This device cannot work properly until you restart your computer. (Code 14) You know how to do this---right?
Code 15
This device is causing a resource conflict. (Code 15)
To resolve the conflict, click Hardware Troubleshooter and follow the instructions in the wizard. This code means that the device's resources are conflicting with another device's resources, likely caused by re-enumeration. Also, see the "Troubleshooting Conflicting Hardware" topic in Windows Help, and see ARTICLE-ID: Q133240 at MS.
Code 16
Windows could not identify all the resources this device uses. (Code 16)
To resolve this error code, click the Resources tab in Device Manager to manually enter the settings. Check your hardware documentation to find out what settings to use.
Code 17
The driver information file <name> is telling this child device to use a resource that the parent device does not have or recognize. (Code 17)
To fix this, click Update Driver to update the drivers for this device where <name> is the .inf file for the device. This code means that the hardware is a multiple-function device and the .inf file for the device is providing invalid information on how to split the device's resources to the child devices. To resolve this error code, use Device Manager to remove the device and then run the Add New Hardware tool in Control Panel. If you continue to receive this error code, please contact the hardware's manufacturer about an updated .inf file.
Code 18
The drivers for this device need to be reinstalled. (Code 18)
SOOoooo, reinstall the sucker. If that does not work, try removing the device from Device Manager and then running the Add New Hardware Wizard in Control Panel.
Code 19
Your registry may be bad. (Code 19)
This code means that the registry returned an unknown result so, run Scanreg.exe. If this does not resolve the issue, type "scanreg /restore" (without quotation marks) from a command prompt. Finally, remove the device from Device Manager, and then redetect it using the Add New Hardware tool in Control Panel.
Code 20
Windows could not load one of the drivers for this device. (Code 20)
This code means VxD Loader (Vxdldr) returned an unknown result. For example, there could a version mismatch between the device driver and the operating system. To fix the dang thing, Update Driver. If that does not work, try removing the device from Device Manager and then running the Add New Hardware Wizard in Control Panel.
Code 21
Windows is removing this device. (Code 21)
Close this dialog box, and then wait a few seconds. If this problem continues, restart your computer. This code means that the device has a problem that may be resolved by restarting your computer.
Code 22
The text displayed for this error code differs depending on the circumstances.
If this device is disabled because you disabled it using Device Manager, the following text is displayed:
This device is disabled. (Code 22) So, Click Enable Device to enable this device.
If the device is not started, the following text is displayed:
This device is not started. (Code 22) So, Click Start Device to start this device.
If the device is disabled by a driver or program, the following text is displayed: This device is disabled. (Code 22) You can't enable this device because it has been disabled by a Windows driver. For this sucker, there isn't a fix but the code means that the device is either disabled or has not started. SOoo, try removing the device in Device Manager, then redetecting it using the Add New Hardware wizard. If the problem persists, try a clean boot to rule out software interference. If the error persists, contact the hardware manufacturer.
Code 23
The text displayed for this error code differs depending on the Circumstances. If this device is a secondary display adapter and the primary display adapter was located, the following text is displayed:
This display adapter is functioning correctly. (Code 23)
The problem is with the main display adapter. To view the properties for the main display adapter, so view the Properties.
If this device is a secondary display adapter and the primary display adapter cannot be located, the following text is displayed:
This display adapter is functioning correctly. (Code 23)
The problem is with the main display adapter. Fix the main display adapter, and then this display adapter will work.
If this device is not a display adapter, the following text is displayed: The loaders for this device cannot load the required drivers. (Code 23) So, update the device drivers.
This code means that the device loader delayed the start of a device and then did not inform Windows when it was ready to start the device.
To resolve this error code crap, verify the settings for the primary display adapter in Display properties. Try removing the primary and secondary display adapters from Device Manager, and then rebooting to allow Windows to re-enumerate these devices. Verify that the drivers are current and installed correctly. For devices other than display adapters, follow the recommended solution. If that does not work, try removing the device from Device Manager and using the Add New Hardware wizard to redetect the device.
Code 24
The text displayed for this error code differs depending on the type of device (legacy or Plug and Play).
If this device is a legacy (root detected) device, the following text will be displayed: This device is either not present, not working properly, or does not have all the drivers installed. (Code 24)
To have Windows detect whether this device is present or not, click Detect Hardware. If this is a Plug and Play device, the following text is displayed: This device is either not present, not working properly, or does not have all the drivers installed. (Code 24) Try upgrading the device drivers for this device. This code means that the device was not found (for example, it is missing or is not working properly).
If the device still does not work, make sure the device is connected to your computer correctly. example, make sure all cables are correctly installed, or that the adapter cards are properly seated in their slots.
Code 25
Windows is in the process of setting up this device. (Code 25)
To complete, Restart Computer because this problem typically exists only during the first and second boots after Windows Setup copies all the files. As such, it is likely an incomplete installation. Reinstalling Windows may be required, depending on whether or not the reboot resolves the issue.
Code 26
Windows is in the process of setting up this device. (Code 26)
This code means a device did not load. There may be a problem in the device driver or not all the drivers were installed. Re-install and if this does not work, use Device Manager to remove the device and then run the Add New Hardware tool in Control Panel. If you continue to receive this error code, check with the hardware's manufacturer or the Microsoft Software Library for an updated driver.
Code 27
Windows can't specify the resources for this device. (Code 27)
Click the Resources tab, and then select the basic configuration for the resources this device uses. To see which resources this device uses, see the documentation for this device. This code means that the portion of the registry describing possible resources for a device does not contain valid entries. example, the device is marked as configurable, but the configuration information in the .inf file is set to hardwired.
To fix-it, use Device Manager to remove the device and then run the Add New Hardware tool in Control Panel. If the device still does not work, consult the hardware manufacturer for updated drivers or further assistance.
Code 28
The drivers for this device are not installed (Code 28). Heck, Reinstall the Driver. This code means the device was not installed completely.
If that does not work, try removing the device from Device Manager and using the Add New Hardware wizard to redetect it. You may need to obtain updated drivers if the error still occurs.
Code 29
This device is disabled because the BIOS for the device did not give it any resources. (Code 29) You must enable the device in the BIOS. See your hardware documentation for details, or contact your computer manufacturer to get an updated BIOS. This code means that the device has been disabled because the device does not work properly and cannot be made to work properly with Windows. This code may also be present if the device is intentionally disabled in the BIOS.
You may be able to resolve this error code by enabling or disabling the device in the computer's CMOS settings. Windows cannot override this setting. Please contact the computer's manufacturer for assistance with using the computer's CMOS configuration program.
Code 30
This device is using an Interrupt Request (IRQ) resource that is in use by another device and cannot be shared. You must change the conflicting setting or remove the real-mode driver causing the conflict. (Code 30) This code means that an IRQ cannot be shared. This may occur when a PCI/EISA SCSI controller is sharing an IRQ that is also in use by a real-mode device driver that Windows cannot change.
To fix it up, remove the real-mode driver that is using the same IRQ as this device. The real-mode driver may be loading in the Config.sys or Autoexec.bat file.
Code 31 (new in Windows 98)
This device is not working properly because <device> is not working properly. (Code 31) To view the properties for <device> and see why it is not working, click Properties where <device> is the dependent device that must be fixed in order for this device to work properly.
This code appears when a device is dependent on another device to be functioning correctly. This does not include devices that are enumerated by the parent device.
The Properties button displays the properties for the other device. More than likely, the other device will also have one of these Device Manager error codes. Follow all the recommended solutions. If the devices still do not work, remove them from Device Manager and use the Add New Hardware wizard to redetect them. Finally, consult with the hardware manufacturer for updated drivers.
Code 32 (new in Windows 98)
Windows cannot install the drivers for this device because it cannot access the drive or network location that has the setup files on it. (Code 32) To fix this problem, click Restart Computer to restart your computer. If that doesn't work copy all the setup files onto your local hard disk, and run setup from there.
This code indicates that the installation disk or CD-ROM was not available to install the drivers. For example, the CD-ROM drive or network connection is not available. This error typically occurs during the first or second reboot after all the files are copied during Setup, first attempt to restart as suggested. If this does not resolve the problem, determine why the installation disk or CD-ROM is not available. Typically, these devices also have Device Manager codes (such as the CD-ROM controller or network adapter). Resolve the issue to gain access to the installation disk or CD-ROM prior to resolving this conflict.
Code 33 (new in Windows 98)
The message text that is displayed for this error is specific to the driver or enumerator. If the driver does not provide information as to why it did not work, the following message is displayed: This device isn't responding to its driver. (Code 33)
There ian't a fix so contact your hardware vendor. This code typically is displayed when the hardware has failed.

No126- -Installing Drivers Properly
Preparing:
1 Start Microsoft Windows 98.
2 Click the Start button, point to Settings, and click Control Panel.
3 Double-click Display, and click the Settings tab.
4 Click Advanced, click the Adapter tab, then click Change.
5 Click Next, click Display a list of all the drivers in a specific location, so
you can select the driver you want, then click Next.
6 Select Show all Hardware button, then select the Standard display types from the Manufacturers list.
7 Select Standard PCI Graphics Adapter (VGA) from the list, then select Next.
8 Click Next to install the driver, then click Finish.
9 Click Apply, then click Close.
10 Click Yes when Windows asks if you wish to restart the computer.
To install the drivers
1 Click the Start button, point to Settings, and click Control Panel.
2 Double-click Display, and click the Settings tab.
3 Click Advanced, click the Adapter tab, then click Change.
4 Click Next, click Display a list of all the drivers in a specific location, so
you can select the driver you want, then click Next.
5 Click Have Disk, select or type the path to the folder containing the driver
files, then click OK.
Windows should find files for your NVIDIA graphics chip. If Windows cannot find the files, check that the path name for the driver files is correct.
6 If Windows found the files, click OK, then click Next.
Windows copies the files to the hard disk.
7 Click Finish, click Apply, then click Close.
8 Click Yes when Windows asks if you wish to restart the computer

No127- -Our Staff's Crash Proof Suggestions
FONTs (Some Special "Almost unknown" Advice):
A suggestion;Start deleting all those font files that make your system boot slow or lock up but make sure that Windows doesn't need them. Don't delete the following fonts: Arial, Courier, Marlett, Modern, MS Sans Serif, MS Serif (or any font with a name beginning with "MS" or "8514" or "VGA"), Small Fonts, Symbol and Times New Roman. You may also have some hidden fonts that some application installed and needs. To identify hidden fonts, open a DOS window and type CD \Windows\Fonts to switch to the fonts directory. Type DIR /AH and press Enter to see a list of hidden font files. PS: A Special Tip, DO NOT let your font collection get over 800 - 835 fonts. Reason; the registry can't handle any more w/o locks ups & freezes. PLUS, it makes for very SLOW Boots!
After Your Install (Some More suggestions)
Maintenance:Assuming that you have 64mb RAM and W98se is running and IE5, also that you've "checked/Fixed" any device manager conflicts.* Go directly to the RUN command and type "SFC", scan to make sure all files are ok.* Shut down everything except "explorer" in the task screen (do I need to mention your screen saver?" Then do a "Thorough" scandisk and defrag. (Re-boot).* Install your "TweakUI" and go to the "General Tab" and TURN OFF = Window Animation, Smooth Scrolling, Menu Animation, Combo Box Animation and List Box Animation. Under the "Explorer Tab", Turn Off/Uncheck Tip Of The Day and Animated Click Here To Start. and at the "Boot Tab", Turn Off Display Slash Screen While Booting and EXIT TweakUI. Then (Re-boot).* Double click "Sounds" in your Control Panel and select "NONE" for EXIT Windows and START Windows. These two files have a bad habit of creating problems.* Right click your Desktop for "Properties" and under Effects Tab, disable ALL of the Visual Effects (Except) Show Icons using all possible colors. At the "Web Tab", disable Active Desktop. Please select None for Wallpaper (or at least use a plain small sized GIF file). then (Re-boot).* In the RUN command type MSCONFIG enter and at the "General Tab", Tic for a "Selective Startup" and Tic All but WinStart.bat, (you could remove the autoexec.bat and config.sys but for many reasons, you will more than likely be using these two files because of installed cards), then click "Advanced" and tic Disable Fast Shutdown. (Re-boot).* Make a special folder for your backup's and maintenance stuff and call it "vault" ex; c:\vault . A even better suggestion, is to have this folder on a different partition -- if possible. Note: I put all the back up and system tool's in this folder ( via short cut's )."You should notice a BIG difference from your other installs and "YES", of course you could wait to re-boot only once"
Summery
(There's many other areas that will make your W98se faster and as trouble free as any Operating System can be). Check out Our Deleting Page and Our Tips Pages from the Menu-- for instance.
Suggestions
Scandisk-Defrag Suggestions* Right-click the desktop for Properties, set screen saver To None. * Open up the Scandisk window. Do not select the box to Automatically Fix Errors, Click the Advanced tab (these settings only need to be set once):* In the Cross-Linked Files section, choose Delete* In the Lost File Fragments section, select Free* Select the Thorough option and click the Start button, When the scan is finished, check the report for the statement <0 bytes in bad sectors>. Don't except anything but a ZERO, run it again if ness. * Now, run Defragmenter, If you see a notice about "you don't need to defragment the drive now" defragment it anyway. The Show Details button is cool -- watch what is happening.* Then every week, go to your RUN command and type "tuneup" to keep your new puter flexing it's muscles.More Tips on Defrag:Turning off background applications such as AV programs and screen savers. Then do a "Ctrl/Alt/Del" and End Task on everything except Explorer. Do at least a Standard scandisk (prefereably a Thorough one) to be sure you are not going to write data into bad clusters. Then open windows explorer for your Windows folder called "applog", click edit tab, click select all, click file tab, then click delete, this will clear out the applog folder, windows will regenerate this file.By default W98 compresses the registry at boot but only if there's more than 500KB of empty space in it. If you want to mess with it, it is controlled by the line Optimize=1 in the Scanreg.ini file in your C:\Windows directory.If you want to do it manually, Boot to your MS-DOS mode and Type;scanreg/backup, to backup your registry, then type scanreg/opt to compress the registry.
More Tips for your Muscle Machine
* Be sure to back up your Registry "to your special folder" before you Install anything. If your uncertain how, read our back up pages or -- e-mail us. * As of this day, "the best free" windows cleaner is called "EasyCleaner 1.5" and the d/l is at: http://www.saunalahti.fi/tonihele * The best "to pay for" windows cleaner to date is called "Fix-It 99" and the d/l is at: http://www.mijenix.com/ This is to show some simple weekly routines: (1) Empty your C:\Windows\Temp folder. It can contain megabytes of trash. There are several ways to do it so open the folder in Windows Explorer immediately after boot, hold down the Ctrl key to Select All, and hit the Delete key.(2) If your using Internet Explorer, check your C:\Windows\Temporary Internet Files folder. If there's a plethora of stuff in there, when you're in IE, go to View/Internet Options and use the buttons on the General tab to clear out the files and the history.(3) The subject of cookies in Internet Explorer, they are saved as individual files. Each file consumes one cluster of drive space. With a FAT32 drive that's at least 4KB (4,096 bytes). With FAT16, each file eats up 32K (32,768 bytes) So your see it can add up. Keep the important cookies and dump the rest. Do the same with your Favorites. Each of them is a separate file. It's good practice to sort through them once in a while and either delete them or put them on a floppy.(4) Use Outlook Express ?? You might be unaware that all those deleted files are still there so go to File/Folder and click Compact all folders to clean it up.(5) Search for *.AVI, *.TMP, *.OLD and *.MOV files on the HD thru your "FIND" command. These are almost always demos and tutorials, so trash them.(6) Search the same way for *.TXT files, which in most cases can be safely deleted but check them to be sure. If you find files with names like FILE0001.CHK, 0002 and on and on, these are leftovers from Scandisk, dump them.(7) Look thru what programs you don't use or need and uninstall them (not delete them - unless you have to because that invites problems).(8) After all this is done, clean out the Recycle Bin. Then go to your start/ Run command and type "tuneup" or run Scandisk and Defrag to clean up the file system. A word about Partitions Suggestions:"Don't put all Ya eggs in one basket there bubba". If you have a large hard drive, you should divide them into at least two OR more partitions. Reason: If You crash your OS "meaning C:\>", (just re-format and install your OS again), because all your Apps and stuff is in the other partitions. The only thing you'll lose is some short-cuts and you might have to re-install a few applications if they have registry keys. (A Big Time Saver, Any Way You Look At It).

This page was last updated
on 12/30/2001 at 3:50PM EST
By Mr BOOTS

No128- -TrayKiller

Why would you want to turn off a program that's running in
your system tray? Well, suppose you're installing some new
software and you suspect that some of the running programs
will interfere. Suppose you're burning some CDs and you'd
like to stop some of the programs to allow your CD
recording software to have more CPU time. Once you stop one
of the tray programs, it would be nice to start it again
without restarting the computer. If you use TrayKiller, you
can stop those programs and then start them again.
TrayKiller is freeware and you'll find it here!
http://www.students.uiuc.edu/~reichler/TrayKiller/index.html

- Eli Cutter

No129- -Keyboard Shortcuts For Microsoft Internet Explorer

Here are some keyboard shortcuts that you might want to
make an effort to memorize. All can help you navigate
quickly in Microsoft Internet Explorer.

Alt + Left Arrow - Back to the previous page.
Alt + Right Arrow - Forward to the next page.
Ctrl + D - Adds the current Web page to Favorites.
Ctrl + N - Opens a new browser window.
F5 - Reloads the current page.
Ctrl + W - Closes the active IE window.

- Sue Whitehouse

N0130- -Speed Test Your Connection

If you want to know the actual speed of your Internet
connection, you need a way to measure download times. The
easiest way to do this is to visit one or more sites that
calculate the speed for you. We suggest that you try
several sites and that you never base too much on a single
measurement. Your speed will vary somewhat from test to
test, and will certainly vary from one site to another.
Below this tip are a couple of speed measuring sites that
we've tried recently. Check them out and see what you
think.
Click here to try the Internet Connection Speedometer!
http://promos.mcafee.com/speedometer/
Click here to try one speed test site!
http://box54.org/SpeedTest.htm

- Sue Whitehouse

N131- -Blocking A Domain In Outlook Express
When you get an e-mail that you don't want, you can block
that sender so that you won't get any more e-mail from that
source. The problem is that the sender will just get e-mail
through by using another name. For example, if you block
alice@whatever.com, dodiddy@whatever.com will still get
through.
One way to do a better job of blocking such e-mail is to
block the entire domain. That way you can block anything
that arrives from whatever.com. To do this, choose Tools |
Message Rules | Blocked Senders List. When the dialog
opens, click Add and type in the domain that you want to
zap. Click OK to activate your new entry and close the
dialog box.

- Sue Whitehouse

This page was last updated
on 1/19/2001 at 11:15 AM EST
By Me BOOTS

PC- -HELP #11