Q I have a Dell 700m notebook, which came with a Windows XP Home Edition CD and a drivers CD (called 'Dell recourse CD'). Recently, I formatted the HDD and installed a licensed Windows XP Pro (I wanted to use the 'backup' programme). I also installed Zone Alarm and other software's. The drivers were installed from the Dell resource CD.
Even after a fresh install it's still giving me the following problems that it was giving with the old installation of Windows Home
1 Sometimes after starting Windows, the power icon does not appear on the task bar. I then unclick, apply, and then re-click and apply the 'Always show icon on the taskbar' function. Again, sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn't.
2 Sometimes after starting Windows, the 'safely remove hardware' icon is not shown. It doesn't appear even after inserting a USB device. Please tell me where the programme for this is stored in Windows.
3 After every few days, the sound stops working. I use the 'Dell driver reset tool' software, which always analyses and confirms that all the drivers are ok.
Eventually, I have to uninstall and then re-install the sound driver to make it work.
4 This problem I am experiencing only after installing Windows XP pro. I have set the notebook to go on standby when I close the screen.
Here too, sometimes when I close the screen it does not go to the standby mode. And when I open the screen, the display is gone and the screen remains blank. I have to force it to shutdown and restart. I have even tried this through the 'FN + stand-by' command, to check if the switch that takes the notebook to stand-by is faulty, but the same problem was experienced through it.
I have done an online scan, a complete scan with Zone Alarm, reinstalled the display and sound drivers, but these problems are not going away. I know the obvious solution would be to reinstall Windows XP, but I just installed it on a completely formatted HDD and I maybe doing it all for nothing again. I am hoping for a solution other than a reinstall — is there any site that checks and repairs Windows online.
A Your laptop actually came with NO recovery CDs and drivers for the Windows XP Home Edition. However, if you reformat to a fresh XP PRO, the laptop will auto-detect your network cards, after which youll have to install the rest of your respective drivers from Dell.com from http//support.dell.com/support/downloads/driverslist.aspx?c=us&cs=
19&l=en&s=dhs&ServiceTag=&SystemID=INS_PNT_PM_700M&os=WW1&osl=en&catid=&impid= for XP Pro version and your graphics chipset driver from intel.com for your motherboard Intel 855GME.
MUSIC VIDEOS FROM YOUTUBE
Q How can I download and save the music videos from YouTube? And once the videos are saved on the computer, is it possible to transfer the audio content of the music video to programmes like 'I Tunes', etc., so that the same could be burnt on a CD?
Download Manager 5.11 features a grabber to download FLV videos from popular sites like YouTube, MySpaceTV, Google Video, etc. When your browser starts playing a video file, IDM grabs its download link. If you like the video, and you would like to save it on your computer, you should open IE context menu by right clicking on the web page that plays the video, and select “Download FLV video content with IDM” menu item.
The context menu appears when you right click on a web page (but not on an FLV player) in your browser or by using context menu key on the keyboard.
Internet Download Manager supports proxy servers, ftp and http protocols, firewalls, redirects, cookies, authorisation, MP3 audio and MPEG video content processing.
Internet Download Manager also integrates seamlessly into Microsoft Internet Explorer, Netscape, MSN Explorer, AOL, Opera, Mozilla, Mozilla Firefox, Mozilla Firebird, Avant Browser, MyIE2, and all other popular browsers to automatically handle your downloads.
You can also drag and drop files, or use Internet Download Manager from command line. Internet Download Manager can dial your modem at the set time, download the files you want, then hang up or even shut down your computer when it is done.
To use the audio track of the video you downloaded to burn to CD, you will need a software like SUPER (www.erightsoft.com/SUPER). SUPER which stands for Simplified Universal Player Encoder and Renderer, is a free encoder — which supports a wide variety of input/source file format to play or encode.
It is a multimedia encoder and a as easy-to-use multimedia player. Just drag and drop the Youtube file into the software, select the audio format you would like it in, and just CLICK!
STREAMING MUSIC
Q Is it possible to download and save streaming music that we listen to, on the Windows media player radio?
A For this, you will require a software like WMRecorder www.wmrecorder.com/.
You can use it to download, capture, record and convert streaming video. What it does it gives you the ability to save and convert any video that plays on your Windows PC. Just click 'record' when your file streams and then play your audio/video when it is finished.
AN ALTERNATIVE
Q I am regular reader of Sci-tech World and in the Byteback section I have noticed that you give the same security advice to dialup and LAN users. There is a difference between them, I think LAN users have got more threats than dialup users.
I am a LAN user for more than a year and have used many security software, specially your most recommended AVG and Comodo firewall, but I still had viruses attack my PC. I think Kaspersky Internet Security is a complete security for LAN users. I have been using it since March this year and it works perfectly. It removes all viruses and blocks users who try to hack my PC.
I suggest that u recommend either Kaspersky Internet Security 2009 or NOD32 Smart Security to LAN users which can be easily downloaded from www.mininova.org. And for dialup users, Kaspersky Antivirus or NOD32 antivirus. I prefer NOD32 more than Kaspersky for dialup users because NOD32 updates its database once a day.
And please do not recommend AVG to anyone because AVG can detect viruses but fails to remove them, Kaspersky and NOD32 is far superior than AVG.
I am just trying to offer suggestions of my own.
Muhammad Adnan Siddiqui
Karachi
A While we agree somewhat with your analysis, please do note that it will constitute as piracy if youre downloading these files as torrents or off pirate sites and is therefore illegal and punishable by law in Pakistan.
This is something that w,e at Dawn, cannot support nor endorse and therefore in line with our policies, suggest free alternates that work. Unless users are willing to pay for Nod32 or Kaspersky suites, we would be promoting more piracy in our nation if we recommend those suites and torrent sites where they can get them.
Secondly, whilst youre right that LAN users are at greater risk than dial-up users, we have found that a combination of AVG, Comodo and PrevX CSI has worked wonders even in a LAN environment. Whilst your own experience with AVG might not have been positive, it has won many accolades from some of the worst critics including CNET, PC PRO and has a 100% Detection Rate Certificate from ICSA itself. You can learn more about AVG from http//www.grisoft.cz/ww.awards. However, it can only be in combination with other software we recommend. Not on its own.
Both Kaspersky Labs products which constitute of an antivirus, antispyware, antispam and antihacker personal firewall software and Nod32 which youre recommending are security suites as well, so what we recommend as a Suite to be 100% secure for free, is that you go with a combination of SpyBot Search & Destroy, AVG / AVAST, Comodo Personal Firewall with Defence+, PrevX CSI and a junk mail filter. This will give you all the tools youll need to be virus free.
