rnatechfaqs.jpg (7407 bytes)

Having downloading probs?

Recently, around January 19th, AOL, in their infinite wisdom, updated our software with a modification that was supposed to enhance their multimedia functions. Slide shows and sounds were mentioned during the 8 minutes that it took to download the UTF. You had no choice, no options, you were simply forced to accept the update because they deemed it necessary. Well, guess what? It crashed, it had (has) problems and they did nothing about it except to "Switch off" the update. Now, thousands of us are partially crippled due to a corrupt DLL file that apparently became damaged by this update.

The symptoms are easily recognized. When you try to download some types of files, mostly .WAV files, you are immediately booted offline. The error message will tell you that WAOL.EXE has caused an error in JGFSAOL.DLL and the program will be closed.

AOL will admit to this file becoming damaged but will not admit to knowing the cause. In their defense however, they will tell you how to solve the problem.

For WIN 95 and 98, open Windows Explorer and go to the directory or folder where you have AOL.EXE. (Usually C:\America Online 4.0.) Find the file named JGFSAOL.DLL and rename it to JGFSAOL.OLD. (Right click the file name, choose RENAME, type in the new name and <Enter>).

You will now be able to download wav's and play them at will.

 

The infamous melissa virus

There are two easy steps that you can take to protect your Microsoft Word software from the Melissa Virus and others like it. We recommend that you print the directions provided below and use them as a step-by-step guide to protecting your Microsoft Word software from macro viruses.

Step 1: Add a Password to the Normal.dot File

The Normal.dot file is the basic template that Microsoft Word opens when you select New from the File menu or click on the New icon. When this file is infected with a macro virus, every document that you create with the normal template becomes infected. To keep this template virus-free, protect it with a password so that only you can make changes to it.

To Password Protect the Normal.dot File:


1. Start the Microsoft Word software.
2. From the Tools menu, select Macro, then Visual Basic Editor.
3. In the window labeled Project, click on Normal.
4. From the Tools menu, select Normal Properties, then click on the Protection tab.
5. Check the Lock Project for Viewing check box and type in a password twice.
6. Click OK.
7. From the File menu, select Close and Return to Microsoft Word.
8. Exit the Microsoft Word software. The next time you start Microsoft Word, the normal.dot template will be protected.

Step 2: Set the Appropriate Macro Options in Microsoft Word

A macro is a line of commands that are created to automate some task. For example, you can create a macro that searches and replaces words and phrases throughout a document as you create it. Most Microsoft Word documents don't contain macros. Microsoft Word has preferences that you can set to alert you when a document that you are opening contains a macro or when the Normal.dot file is being changed.

To Set Macro Options:

1. Start the Microsoft Word software.
2. From the Tools menu, select Options, then the General tab.
3. Click in the Macro Virus Protection check box.
4. Click in the Confirm conversions at open check box.
5. Click on the Save tab.
6. Click in the Prompt to save Normal template check box.
7. Click OK.

Now, whenever you open a document containing a macro, Microsoft Word will alert you that the document contains a macro. Never open a file that contains a macro unless you know what the macro is doing.

WIN95 TIP
Want a hard copy report of everything installed on your system? Load
up your printer and print a Configuration Summary, as follows:

1. Click Start.
2. Choose Settings + Control Panel.
3. In the Control Panel window, double-click the System icon.
4. In the System Properties dialog box, click the Device Manager tab.
5. Click the Print button.
6. Under Report Type, select either of the following:
- System Summary to print a report of which hardware is currently
using which system resource (IRQ, RAM, and so on)
- All Devices and System Summary to print a report on EVERY device
connected to and/or installed on the computer


7. Click OK.

Only drawback here: The report MAY look like so much Greek to you (or
if you're Greek, it may look like so much English). But try to slug
through it; you may learn something.


AOL TIP
TIP: ADDING A SHORTCUT TO THE TOOLBAR

In our last tip, we showed you how to remove a shortcut icon from AOL
4.0's toolbar. You can also add your own shortcuts for favorite sites
to the toolbar. Here's how:

1. Go to the favorite site you'd like to access from the toolbar.
2. Drag the heart icon in the top-right corner of its window to the
toolbar. The Select Icon launches.
3. Type a short name in the Label text box.
4. Double-click the icon you'd like to use for the shortcut. AOL
places the icon on the toolbar.

Saving favorite places on AOL

How you can save everything in your AOL "Favorite Places," PFC., To Disc.

1. Go to Windows Explorer.
2. Double-click on AOL3.0 or AOL 4.0.
3. Highlight the "Organize" folder.
4. Then click on File, upper left hand corner.
5. Go Down to "Send To" and click on A drive 3-1/2 disk or the ZIP Drive which ever
letter you have assign to your Zip Drive, mine being the (F:) Drive.
6. You have just copied and saved all of your favorite places.
7. Go to Windows Explorer
8. Go to Floppy 3-1/2 (A:) or to your ZIP drive mine being (F:) drive and click.
This Is to confirm that you downloaded the organize folder correctly, you should
see all of your screen names listed.

 

Activating the timer killer in wavman

1. Open Wavman folder in Windows Explorer.    
2. Do a right click in an open area making sure the cursor is not on top of any given file in the Wavman folder.
3. Select from the right click menu, "New".
4. Hilight "text document" and single click.
5. A new text document will appear in the Wavman folder. The words "New Text Document" should be highlighted. Change it to say "timecop" (without the quotes).
6. You should now have a text document that says "timecop". If Wavman is running, you will need to end the program and restart it.
7. The anti-logoff features have now been restored. You can set them by clicking "menu" in the Wavman toobar and selecting "options". Click the "general" tab. The anti-logoff otions are now at the bottom.

 

AOL TIP ;o)
TIP: REMOVING TOOLBAR ICONS YOU DON'T NEED

AOL 4.0 displays three icons on the right side of the toolbar. One is
a dollar sign that takes you directly to stock quotes. The second is a
telephone that takes you to AOL shopping perks. And the third is a
picture of the sun peeking out from behind a cloud that takes you to
AOL weather. If you don't need one or more of these icons, you can
easily remove them:

1. Select the icon and click the right mouse button.
2. Choose Remove from Toolbar.
3. AOL asks you to confirm that you really want to remove the button.
Click Yes, and it's gone.

WIN 95 Tip
SHARPER IMAGES

Want to display your graphics in more or less detail? The number of
colors that Windows 95 can use to display images on your screen is
determined by your color palette setting.

To change this setting, right-click a blank area of the desktop,
select Properties, and click the Settings tab. Click the down arrow
next to Color palette, and choose from the available palettes. (Note:
Your choices may vary depending on your system's graphics
capabilities.) Click OK, then click Yes to restart Windows.

Not sure which palette to choose? In our next tip, we'll tell you the
differences among them and make some suggestions as to which setting
might be right for you....

Win95 TIP

BOGGED DOWN BY *.BMPS


J. Keever writes, "Not long ago, I got an idea from a tip to show the
real *.bmp image in the file list instead of the standard icon for
*.bmp. My problem is it takes up to 45 minutes for picture-filled
folders to open because of all the pictures. Can you tell me how to
reverse this before my wife finds out? She's sick of me messing with
the settings on her computer!"

This setting can definitely affect performance on systems without
beefed-up graphics capabilities (45 minutes--wow!). You can reverse
this setting the same way you set it up--by making a simple Registry
change. (Note: As always, back up your Registry files--System.dat and
User.dat, hidden files on the root of your hard drive--before
proceeding.)

Open the Registry Editor--select Start, Run, type

regedit

and click OK--and navigate your way to
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Paint.Picture\DefaultIcon. In the right pane,
right-click (Default), select Modify, and in the Edit String dialog
box, change the Value data from %1 back to the default:

c:\windows\system\cool.dll,41

Click OK, then close the Registry Editor.

(Note: In case you missed the original tip back in January, to display
*.bmp icons as their actual bitmaps, just reverse the above technique:
Replace c:\windows\system\cool.dll,41 with %1.)

FONTS: WHO NEEDS 'EM?
Unless you haven't installed a single application on your computer since the day you bought it, you probably have about a gazillion (technical jargon for "one hundred or more") fonts. And among those
gazillion fonts, there may be scads ("several") that you don't use now and won't use in the future. What's so bad about having fonts you're never going to use, you ask? Well, for one thing, they clog up your programs' font menus, making it harder to find the fonts you DO want to use. For another, they're wasting precious hard disk space (and we know how THAT sticks in your craw). To get rid of the fonts you don't need, do the following:
1. Click the "Start" button.
2. Choose "Settings" + "Control Panel,"
3. In the Control Panel window, double-click the "Fonts" folder.
4. Find the font you think you want to remove and--THIS IS IMPORTANT--double-click it and CHECK THE FONT PREVIEW WINDOW TO MAKE SURE THIS IS THE FONT YOU WANT TO REMOVE.
WARNING: DO NOT REMOVE ANY OF THE FOLLOWING FONTS:
- Times New Roman
- Arial
- Courier New
- System
- Symbol
- Windings
- Any font whose name begins with "MS"
- Any font whose name begins with the name of another software manufacturer (for example, "LotusWP Box")
5. When you're sure the font is one you want to delete, close the preview window, and from the Fonts window menu choose "File"+ "Delete,"
6. Click "Yes" to confirm that you want to delete the font.
That menu-clogging, space-wasting parasite of a font is gone, gone, gone!

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Open Window Explorer to any drive
The Windows Explorer normally opens to your C: drive, but you can make it
launch with the contents of any folder you want. 1. Go to your Windows Explorer shortcut 2. Right-click and select Properties. 3. Open the Shortcut tab. 4. Edit the entry in the Target field to read explorer.exe /n, /e, <drive:\path\folder>, where <drive:\path\folder> is put whichever folder you want to first see when Explorer launches.
submitted by: Amber R

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AOL TIPS! Ignoring Chat Room Participants
You ever wished someone who was babbling inanely would just ... disappear?
If you frequent the America Online chat rooms, you learn quickly that it's often hard to carry on a good conversation with so many people chiming in at once. Luckily, there's a way to block out, or ignore, the comments of any given person in the room.
In the upper-right-hand corner of the chat room window you'll see a list of all screen names in the room. By double-clicking on any screen name, you open a window that gives you the choice of viewing that member's profile in the Member Directory, sending them an Instant Message, or ignoring them. Click the IGNORE box and you'll see a check mark appear. Now return to the chat room. You'll have one less person distracting you!

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AOL 4.0
On AOL 4.0 if you do not like the background color of your mail 1. Right click over the text and select remove background. The background color goes to white.
submitted by: ABARBARA1

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HOW TO STOP UNWANTED EMAIL, JUNK MAIL AND SPAM
1. GO TO YOUR MAIN SCREEN NAME <--will not work from other names
2. MAIL <--Click on Mail at the top of your screen
3. Mail Center <--Click on Mail Center
4. Mail Controls <--Click on Mail Controls (Bottom Left of Screen)
5. Mail Controls <--Click on Mail Controls (Now at the bottom middle)
6. Select Screen Name <--You have to set mail controls one name at a time
Note - You can block email from adult lists on your children's names, while allowing it on your screen name
7. Select Block Email from Addresses Listed
8. Type in the screen names you wish to block at the right
9. ADD <--Click Add
submitted by: BADDTEDDY

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WINDOWS 3.1 ! Starting Windows In Debug Mode
Sometimes, when you make a change to your system, such as adding a new hardware driver, or installing new software, the next time you boot your PC you get hit with the "black screen of death." The black screen of death means that you see the Windows splash screen and then suddenly, the screen goes black and you can't do much of anything except pull your hair out one clump at a time.
Windows has a debug mode that can help you solve startup problems. If Windows fails to launch after you've first installed it, or added some hardware or software to your system, try booting to the DOS prompt and use this command line:
WIN \D:XSV [Enter]
The D: means debug mode.
The X stands for EMMEXCLUDE, which means that Windows will not use any of the system memory usually occupied by adapters, such as network cards, sound boards or video cards.
The S stands for SystemRomBreakPoint=Off, which prevents the Windows system from using any memory that is usually used by the System BIOS (Basic Input/Output System). An example of BIOS memory is the address range that is usually referred to as "Shadow Video ROM," or the area that the system uses to speed up the video display to your monitor.
The V means VirtualHDIRQ=Off, which tells Windows not to use virtual memory. Virtual memory is a way of fooling Windows into thinking that it has more RAM than the physical RAM on your memory chips. Virtual memory actually uses part of the hard disk to simulate more RAM.
Try entering one or more of these command line parameter to get Windows to come up. If you are successful, you can manually enter the appropriatecommand line permanently under the [386Enh]section in the SYSTEM.INI file.

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MAC TIP! How To Recover Files From A. Damaged Disk Using Apple File Exchange
Sometimes the desktop file on a floppy disk will become damaged so that it can't be rebuilt in the usual way. You can tell that the file is damaged when there is a long pause after you insert the disk into your drive, followed by an alert dialog box that says the disk needs minor repairs and asks if you want to repair it. If you click OK to repair the disk, however, often the head shuffles around and the disk is ejected without being read.
Although you may lose the disk, you can retrieve all the files, not with an expensive recovery application, but with AFE (Apple File Exchange) that comes free with the System software.
1. Launch AFE and the entire file list appears. 2. Now transfer all the files safely off the damaged disk to another floppy or hard disk. Other programs could probably do the same thing, but AFE is fast, efficient and the price is right!

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INTERNET EXPLORER TIP! Changing font size
To quickly increase or decrease the font size on any Web page:
1. Go to the "View" menu
2. Select "Font"
You'll see five control settings from smallest to largest
3. Select your choice.
Changing fonts
If you don't like the fonts Explorer uses to display Web sites, they're easy to change.
1. Go to "View" menu
2. Select "Internet Options"
3. Click the "Fonts" button
The default for the "Proportions Font" is "Times New Roman" and the "Fixed-Width" default is "Courier New". To change a font"
4. To change a font, Scroll through the list of fonts until you find one you like.
5. Click it. (It will display it in the field)
6. Click "OK"
Other True Type fonts for the Web, including Arial, Times Roman, and Verdana, can be downloaded at Free TrueType fonts for the Web

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NETSCAPE! ONLY AOL
If you do enter the Web from AOL, don't despair
Solution: Take advantage of AOL's unlimited, bring-your-own-Internet-access, $9.95-per-month pricing plan "Keyword: monthly membership rate" You save ten dollars, and our AOL connection is much faster because you're no longer at the mercy of AOL's overwhelmed networks. Not only can you move faster within AOL, but Navigator will load pages much faster on the Web.
If you already have an ISP account:
1. Start AOL
2. Click "Create Location"
3. Give the location a name, such as "Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol [TCP/IP)" or "Network" or whatever you want.
4. Get online with your ISP
5. Start AOL as usual

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TODAY'S PROGRAMS!
Software Library - Uninstall Manager
Make sure you can remove any software you install, along with the program's associated Registry entries, INI files, and other installation settings. Uninstall Manager can help you safely remove those installations and restore your system to its preinstall state.
Software Library - JPG Saver
Easily create your own screen saver using any JPG image files you have available.
Software Library - FullDisk
Profile the contents of a local or network drive. This tool features an Explorer-like interface with additional context menu items for navigating the directory tree or showing a pie-chart of disk usage.
MacUser Software Central - Burning Monkey Solitaire (16-bit)
This game is simply the standard solitaire game that everyone knows and loves, but the difference is that you have to play it in front of a theater full of monkeys who are watching and cracking ridiculously corny jokes while you play. The graphics are exceptional, though they are busy enough to make it difficult to grasp all of your playing options at a glance. Still, Burning Monkey Solitaire offers a fun spin on a game that everyone loves to play.
This is the large version which is suitable for Power Macs with 16-bit displays. A small version is also available.


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BUG REPORT!!
POTENTIAL BUG IN AOL's INSTANT MESSENGER
America Online has acknowledged the existence of a potentially
system-crashing bug in the Instant Messenger portion of AOL 4.
According to reports in @ComputerWorld, the flaw lets unscrupulous users secretly send malicious code buried within AOL InstantMessages. An AOL representative admitted that the company is working on a fix, but declined to say when it would be available.

Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 Tips
DO IT ALL WITH QUICK LAUNCH

In a recent tip, we mentioned that you can add items to Quick Launch
by simply dragging shortcuts to the Quick Launch portion of the
taskbar. J.L.K. points out some additional features that you may want
to use.

Just as you can drag shortcuts to Quick Launch on the taskbar, you
can also remove them from Quick Launch by dragging them away from the
taskbar. To delete a Quick Launch item, just drag its icon from Quick
Launch to the Recycle Bin. To move a shortcut to the desktop, grab it
with the mouse and drag to the desktop.

The only thing you can't do directly from the Quick Launch bar is
rename a shortcut. To do this, you'll still have to navigate to
\Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch.

SEARCHING FOR A SEARCHER
If you'd like to switch the default Microsoft Internet Explorer 4
search engine, open IE 4, connect to your ISP, and click Search. When
the search pane opens, click Choose a Search Engine. Now you can
select a search engine from the list in the right pane of the browser.

Note: We tried unsuccessfully to choose an unlisted engine. Try User
Specified and type in an address. No matter what we typed in, IE
rejected it. Hope you have better luck.

TAKING IT WITH YOU
Several subscribers have asked about moving Outlook Express Mail
files to another computer. One way to do this is to simply save the
messages you want to transfer. Double-click the message and then
choose File, Save As. Choose the folder in which you want to save the
file, give it a name, and click Save.

If you wish, you can save the files to a floppy disk and then read
them (and respond to them) on any computer that uses Outlook Express.

OUT DAMNED TOOLBAR!
M.C. points out that you can very easily enjoy full-screen browsing
if you hide the Internet Explorer toolbar. To do this, click the
Fullscreen button. Next, right-click the toolbar and choose Auto
Hide. Now the toolbar will disappear. All you have to do to get it back is
move the mouse to the top of the screen.

WHERE HAVE ALL MY SETTINGS GONE?
If you're about to install Microsoft Internet Explorer 4 and have
been using Microsoft Mail and News, you may like to know ahead of
time that you'll lose your settings in the upgrade.

What happens is that IE 4 installs Microsoft Outlook Express as the
default mail and news handler. You will lose such settings as Preview
Pane, Toolbar selections, etc. The reason for the loss is that many
operations in Outlook Express are different from those in Microsoft
Mail and News. However, it isn't a big problem to modify the default
settings in Outlook Express to match those of your Mail and News
setup.


AOL Tip ;o)
TIP: SHORTCUT TO LOCATE A MEMBER ONLINE

Here's how to check whether a particular person you know is currently
using AOL:

1. Press Ctrl + L.
2. Type the member's name in the dialog box that appears. (Remember,
you have to type the exact screen name in order for AOL to locate him
or her.)
3. Click OK.
4. If the person is online and accepts Instant Messages, you can then
type a message and click the Send button.


Internet Tip ;o)


TIP: QUICKLY LOCATE COMPANY WEB PAGES


NetPartners International has a handy little search engine for
locating a company's Web pages. You just type the company's name or
part of the name and click the Search button. Many big companies have
several URLs registered, often for different parts of their business
(such as marketing, investor relations, or e-commerce). If your work
or job search requires you to keep tabs on companies, this site is
definitely worth a bookmark.

http://www.netpartners.com/locator.htm


Win 95 Tip ;o)
TIP: IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO START UP

You say you're one of the millions who didn't create a Windows Startup
disk during the Windows 95 installation procedure? Not to worry--you
didn't miss your chance. You can create the Startup disk whenever you
please as follows (unless your system crashes irrevocably first, in
which case you'll wish you had a Startup disk):

1. Click the Start button.
2. Choose Settings + Control Panel.
3. Double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon.
4. Click the Startup Disk tab.
5. Put a floppy disk in your floppy drive.
6. Click Create Disk and follow the instructions.

Win 95 Tips. ;o)
TIP: ESCAPE FROM HANGUPS

In the old days--the Windows 3.x days--when a program stopped working,
your entire system stopped working, and you had to reboot. Windows 95
takes a less drastic approach to program crashes: In most cases, it
lets you shut down the malfunctioning program but continue working in
Windows without rebooting and without losing unsaved data in any other
programs you may have open. Here's how to use it:

1. When a program stops working, press Ctrl + Alt + Delete.
2. In the Close Program dialog box, select the malfunctioning
program--it should have the words "Not Responding" after it.
3. Click End Task.
4. After about 10 or 15 seconds, a second box appears, asking whether
you still want to end the task. Click End Task again.

Windows shuts down the malfunctioning program but leaves your other
programs running.

 



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