Q–I just read your answer on the fax program formerly included in Windows 95 but not installed along with Windows 98. You should have also told your reader, Mr. Schroeder, that although Microsoft does not install it as part of their newer operating systems, it is still included on the Win98 and Win98se CD under tools
oldwin95
message
us. There’s nothing wrong with WinFax Pro, but Microsoft Fax is free.
Larry Anders, Tampa
A–Apologies to you, Mr. A., and to dozens of other friendly and knowledgeable readers who chided me for not informing Mr. S. that Microsoft included the code for Microsoft Fax on the Windows 98 disk. I had my reasons, but the response from so many readers who were confused at my cover-up makes it abundantly clear that I should have stated them.
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The Fax software from Windows 95 was built into what is called Microsoft Exchange, a complex and easy-to-corrupt set of procedures that integrate e-mail, Fax and network messaging into a single package.
The reason it was left out of Windows 98 is that attempting to install the Fax software can play havoc with the e-mail features built into 98, including how e-mail accounts are set up and how the important Popmail feature gets handled. That’s why it is clearly marked as oldwin95 on the CD-ROM for Windows 98. Furthermore, you need to run special additional software to make faxing work, as you will note by reading the text file included in that oldwin95 directory.
So about all I can offer to Mr. S. and other readers is to try it at your own risk or else get a dedicated fax program and sleep peacefully.
Q–I want to transfer all my personal files (text and graphics) on my hard drive to an external drive I just bought. Is there a reasonably fast way of doing this and then deleting those files from my hard drive ?
Roger Miller @aol.com
A–Microsoft recommends simply using the cut and paste commands built in to the operating system to move files from one device to another. Select whichever files or folders you want to move and tap Control + X to cut. Then move the pointer to the icon for your new remote storage device and once it is open, tap Control + V (the V comes from moVe).
By holding down the control key while selecting file and folder icons you can move large batches of stuff at a time.
So that’s Microsoft’s way. Coates’ way is a bit different because I am chicken about cutting stuff until it is backed up. So I click Control + C to copy files and folders and then do the same moVe as Bill Gates recommends. Once my stuff is safely moVed, I go back and delete it.
Q–While I always enjoy your column, I can’t agree with your “not to worry” recommendation when it comes to hackers and DSL or cable modems. A better choice, in my opinion, would be to get a low-cost software firewall. I’m a DSL user at home and my firewall detects one or more probes virtually every day–better safe than sorry.
Michael Tena, San Jose, Calif.
A–While it is possible that some hacker is probing your Internet address bent on mischief, chances are much more likely that your cheap firewall software is simply registering background noise which is commonplace in the frenzied exchanges of data bits that make up the Internet.
There are millions of ordinary people using always-on DSL connections and, to my knowledge, not a single confirmed case of a hacker attack at the solitary consumer level.
Peter Norton, America’s great exploiter of PC phobia, is (as you may well imagine) already Peter on the Spot with the newly released Norton Internet Security 2000 for $53 with complicated firewall modules as well as some pretty welcome features including Norton’s fine anti-virus software. If it makes you feel better, by all means, go for Norton, but beware that trying these kinds of fixes can often cause more problems than they correct.
Q–I fully understand reader John Kopf’s wanting to change to WordPad as the default program for text documents because its search and viewing capabilities are much better, and more similar to other programs than NotePad. However, I think there is a much easier way to make this change than either of you tried. Tell him to shift and right-click on the text file, then select Open With, select WordPad and click the box “Always use this program.” Windows will make all of the registry changes necessary without him having to muck around with them.
Mark Robinson @environ-inc.com
A–Wow, today’s column should be called Tell Jim How rather than Ask Jim Why. First I get taken to the worldwide woodshed over faxing by Mr. A.; then Mr. T. lights a fire under my firewall advice and now you come along with a superb suggestion that I should have included in the answer to Mr. K.
In your case I have no excuses whatsoever. I plumb forgot about the “Open with” feature in Windows that, as you so aptly note, makes it far easier to change a Windows file association than the manual process I described while helping Mr. K sort out some damage he had caused by attempting such a fix.
I would urge readers to add one step to the process you describe, however. Once you have used the shift+right-click/”Open with” command, do not select the “always use this program” choice until you have tested it once.
You could wind up associating some file type with a program that causes your computer to crash when its icon is clicked, which could cause no end of trouble.
Q–I really enjoy your column and am wondering if you can give me some advice on plug-ins. It seems that many times when surfing the Web I encounter the need for a plug-in that I don’t have. Which ones do you feel are the most needed for general use? Are any of them worth paying for rather than just using the basic free versions?
Tom Barton, Birmingham, Ala.
A–IMHO (In my humble opinion) there are only a few plug-ins worth adding to one’s Internet browser to allow a computer to handle specialized content. And all of them are free.
First make sure your computer is running the Microsoft Media Player for handling streaming video, Internet radio and other on-line media content. The Real Player by RealNetworks not only costs money to upgrade but trying to use it is an outrage because the company requires repeated returns to its ad-supported Web site for minor upgrades. So dump Real and stick with Microsoft.
The other must-have free plug-in is the Adobe Acrobat reader, essential for handling the .pdf format files used widely by government agencies, mutual funds and others to make it easy to read huge federal reports and long company analyses.
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Finally, make sure that you’re running the MacroMedia Shockwave plug-ins to allow your browser to see the wealth of animations on the Web.
Keep in mind that you needn’t bother with a plug-in search on your own: All these plug-ins can be acquired with a simple click when you encounter a Web site that needs them to display content.
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Contact Jim Coates via e-mail at [email protected] or via snail mail at the baiduhai, Room 400, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611. If you think you’ve got a better answer to any of these questions add your point of view at chicagotribune.com/go/askjim.