APPS BUNDLED WITH OLDER IE MAY UNDO IE 4
Popular new programs that come bundled with older versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer may torpedo the new Internet Explorer 4 if they're installed on the user's system. Quicken 98, Quickbooks Pro 5, America Online, and CompuServe are among the new products currently bundled with an older version of Internet Explorer.
Microsoft told BugNet that it has "confirmed that this can be an issue for ISVs who are still shipping IE 3 with their applications." The problem is that it is relatively easy for users--especially novice users--to become confused and install IE 3 over IE 4. Bundled versions of IE don't clearly warn about the dangers of installing the older IE over the newer version, nor do they prevent it (unless users have Active Desktop installed). The result will probably be that Internet Explorer doesn't work anymore. The solution? Intuit, which bundles IE 3 with its new Quicken 98, has posted a FAQ on its Web site that advises you to "simply reinstall version 4.0."
HIDDEN BULLETS IN FRONTPAGE 97
Microsoft reports that in FrontPage 97 when you select a bulleted or numbered list by double-clicking in the area to the left of the list, you may increase the font size of the list items to the point where the bullet points or numbers in the list are hidden. The work-around: Click Refresh on the View menu in FrontPage Editor.
HP DESKJET INSTALLATION ERRORS
When you're installing the Hewlett-Packard DeskJet 1000 series printer, the following General Protection Fault message may appear: GPF in HPW3ST1.EXE or the message Cannot Create Program Group displays on-screen. Microsoft's Internet Explorer 4.0 and the Web Integrated Desktop may be the cause of this. To remedy the problem, uninstall the Web Integrated Desktop: 1. Click Start, Settings, Control Panel. 2. In the Control Panel window, double-click Add/Remove Programs. 3. Click the Windows Setup tab and place a check in the Remove Web Integrated Desktop box. 4. Accept the changes and reboot your computer. 5. Click Start, Settings, Printers. 6. Delete all DeskJet 1000 series printer icons. 7. Click Start, Run and type HPW3ST1 /U then click OK. 8. In the Setup Wizard, choose Delete, then install the DeskJet 1000 series printer drivers. 9. Click Start, Settings, Control Panel. 10. In the Control Panel window, double-click Add/Remove Programs. 11. Click the Windows Setup tab and remove the check in the Remove Web Integrated Desktop box. 12. Accept the changes and reboot your computer.
QUICKBOOKS PRINT ERROR
According to Intuit, when using QuickBooks version 5 for Windows and running Windows NT, you may receive one of these error messages when you choose Print Setup, Print, or Preview: "GPF in QBWPR.dll at 001:00006e6" or "Your windows configuration file, win.ini, contains an error in the [Devices] section." Intuit says this occurs because QuickBooks cannot correctly handle the printer name created by the WinFax for Windows NT program. Intuit's work-around: Rename the WinFax printer. From the Start menu, select Settings and choose Printers. Right-click the WinFax icon, select Rename, type the new printer name (such as Winfax1, Faxwin, and so on), and press Enter.
QUICKEN 98 ACCOUNT ERROR MESSAGE
Intuit says you may encounter this error message in Quicken 98 for Windows: Account (xxxxx) cannot be accessed with the social security number that you have provided. What you need to do is check the account setup information. From the Lists menu, select Account; select the account, click Edit on the button bar, and then click Next and check the Social Security Number field. If the social security number you entered is correct, verify that you are using the correct PIN for that account when you connect. If the social security number is correct and you feel you are using the correct PIN, you need to call Travelers Bank Customer Service at 800/772-7889.
QUICKEN 98 ERROR
Intuit says you may get this error message after installing Quicken 98 for Windows: "Setup requires the following DLL ISRES.DLL" Why? According to Intuit, this error is caused by a known problem with Windows 95: Windows 95 doesn't allow items to be deleted out of the StartUp group properly.
Intuit does provide a workaround. On the Start menu, click Settings and select Taskbar. Click the Start Menu Programs tab in the Taskbar Properties window and then click the Remove button. Scroll down until you see StartUp and click the plus sign to the left. Click once on the Nploader to highlight it and then click the Remove button to remove Nploader. Restart your computer. Intuit notes that if Nploader is not in your StartUp group, you will need to run NPINST.EXE from the Quicken directory.
SMARTUPDATE GLITCH GETS WORKAROUND
If you install Netscape Communicator 4.03 onto a Windows 95 computer with multiple hard drives, and it is installed onto a drive other than C:, you may have problems with the Netscape SmartUpdate feature. Not only will SmartUpdate not work, but it may also corrupt the entire Communicator program, which means you must reinstall it. This will only happen if your temporary directory is on a different drive than the program files directory. Netscape says that this is not a SmartUpdate bug: "SmartUpdate just exposes a Windows 95 bug." (Of course, there is no bad blood between these companies.) A workaround has been added to Communicator 4.04. If you are still using 4.03, either avoid installing on the other drive, or don't use SmartUpdate.
UNRESPONSIVE APPLICATION KEY
When you use Microsoft Bookshelf 98, if you press the Application key on the Microsoft Natural Keyboard, the program may not respond to the keystroke. Microsoft's work-around: Right-click rather than using the Application key.
WINDOWS '95 HANGS WITH 386MAX
Microsoft says that Windows 95 may hang when you start it on a computer with more than 16MB of memory if 386Max, a memory manager published by Qualitas, is installed. The method this manager uses to handle more than 16MB of memory is incompatible with Windows 95. Microsoft's work-around: Remove 386Max and use the Microsoft XMS memory manager (himem.sys) instead. Edit the config.sys file with any text editor; remove or remark out any reference to 386Max and add the following as the first line in the file: device=c:\windows\himem.sys Save and close the config.sys file, then restart your computer.
WINDOWS RESTART ERROR
After you install or remove Norton Utilities for Windows 95, Norton AntiVirus for Windows 95, or Norton Navigator, Microsoft reports that you may receive the following error message when you restart Windows 95: "Error loading C:\Windows\System\Setup.exe. You must reinstall Windows." This problem can occur if Symantec's installation program cannot change the Windows 95 shell to Windows Explorer after installing or removing a program, and a system.ini file is present in the Windows folder. Microsoft's solution: Restart the computer; when the "Starting Windows 95" message appears, press the F8 key and choose Command Prompt Only. Open the system.ini file in the Windows folder using any text editor (such as edit.com). To use edit.com, type the following line: edit c:\windows\system.ini In the system.ini file, change the line that reads Shell=C:\Windows\System\Setup.exe to Shell=Explorer.exe. Save the system.ini file, close the editor, and restart your computer. Delete or rename the system.ini file in the Windows folder to prevent the problem from recurring.
WORDPERFECT 8 ERROR
If you get this error while working in Corel WordPerfect 8 for Windows, get ready for a new step in the reinstall rumba: WPWIN8 caused an Internal Page Fault in Module WTLI80.DLL @ 0137:36a540d8. This error may also pop up in safe mode at the same memory address. Corel's fix: Reinstall WordPerfect 8 using the COPYVERIFY switch. This startup option does a byte-for-byte verification of all files, notes the differences, and writes them up in a WPI80.log file.
WORDPERFECT TUTORIAL GLITCH
In Microsoft Windows 95, when you run the tutorial in WordPerfect, version 6.0, 6.0a, or 6.1, your computer may hang and the menu bar may flash when the Show Me button is clicked. This problem occurs when the mouse pointer moves automatically to an item on the menu bar that you can click. Although you can close the WordPerfect components by pressing Ctrl-Alt-Delete, when you try to start WordPerfect again, you will receive the following error message: ERROR: Cannot Initialize. Microsoft's solution: To run WordPerfect again, restart your computer, but do not run the tutorial.
FRONTPAGE EXPRESS CUT-AND-PASTE ERROR
You may receive the following error message in Microsoft FrontPage Express when you try to perform a dragging operation, such as cutting and pasting text: "FPEXPRESS This program has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down. If the problem persists, contact the program vendor." At present, there is no fix or workaround.
HITTING 'STOP' ABORTS NAVIGATOR'S URL SEARCH
If you enter a nonexistent URL into Netscape Navigator 4.04, you should not click the Stop button until you get the error message from the browser saying that no DNS entry has been found. If you jump the gun and click Stop before that, says Netscape, then Navigator will find no more URLs. If this happens, you will have to relaunch Communicator before you can find additional pages.
MICROSOFT PROJECT PRINTING ERROR
If you attempt to print from Microsoft Project 98 for Windows using the Microsoft Windows Printing System, you may receive the following error: "WINPROJ caused an invalid page fault in module WINPROJ.EXE at 0137:300d639e" followed by: "WINPROJ caused a stack fault in module KERNEL32.DLL at 0137:bff783e2" Project then hangs, and you have to exit the program and restart it.
The problem is that Project 98 does not support the Windows Printing System, so your only recourse is to select a different printer driver before attempting to print from Microsoft Project.
NORTON UTILITIES UPDATE INCLUDES NUSPLASH.DLL PATCH
Symantec released a live update, labeled version 3.02, for Norton Utilities 3.0 for Windows 95 on January 3. A patched version of NUSPLASH.DLL that works with all the utilities fixes an incompatibility with some Diamond Multimedia video cards. You can download the new file by using the Live Update feature on the NU menu.
TEMPORARY BATTERY REMOVAL MAY HELP SONY MAVICA
Here's a real high-tech solution--right up there with thumping the side of the TV to improve reception. Sony reports that if your nifty Sony Mavica digital camera unexpectedly goes black during testing, try removing the batteries for 60 seconds and then powering the unit back up. If nothing else, it'll make you feel like you did something.
IE 4.0 UNINSTALL ALERT
Per Microsoft, Internet Explorer 4.0 MUST be uninstalled before 'installing or uninstalling operating system upgrades (for example, Windows 95 Service Pack 1)'. Now that's what we call a big pain in the hard drive. For more information on other circumstances under which Internet Explorer 4.0 should be uninstalled, as well as instructions for completing the uninstall operation, check out Microsoft's Knowledge Base Article ID 174265 at http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q174/2/65.asp
BOOKSHELF 98 PRINTING ERROR
Microsoft reports that when you print an image from Bookshelf 98 to a dot-matrix printer, the image may be printed at 50 to 75 percent of its original size. This error has been reported for the following printers: the Brother M-1809, Brother M-1924L, Citizen 200GX, Epson LQ-860, Epson LQ-1170 ESC/P 2, IBM Proprinter XL, Okidata ML 393C, Panasonic KX-P1180, Panasonic KX-P1624, Panasonic KX-P2180, and Star NX-2420 Rainbow. Microsoft's workaround: Copy and paste the image into a graphics program such as Paint, then print the image from this program. Microsoft is continuing to research the problem.
COMMUNICATOR DNS ERROR MESSAGES
Netscape reports that some customers who buy and install the Communicator 4.x Internet Access Edition or the Deluxe Edition are getting DNS error messages. Apparently the Account Setup Wizard is disabling their dial-up connection, if they already have one. Netscape recommends that you do a custom install without loading the Internet setup.
EXCEL PASTE ERRORS
You may receive one of the following error messages when you copy text from Microsoft Word and paste it into Microsoft Excel 97 or 7.0: - "Excel caused an Invalid Page Fault in module Kernel32.dll at 0137:bff858cd" - "Excel executed an invalid instruction in module [unknown] at 0000:00000017" - "EXCEL caused an invalid page fault in module EXCEL.EXE at 0137:50018fd6"
This may occur if you've copied text that resembles a formula or function (text that begins with an equal sign [=], minus sign [-], plus sign [+], or at sign [@]) from a Word document into Excel by choosing Paste Special on the Edit menu, clicking Text, then clicking OK.
Microsoft's workaround: Before you copy the text from Word, take out the beginning symbol so it does not resemble a valid formula or function in Excel. Microsoft is continuing to research the problem.
FRONTPAGE SORT-ORDER GLITCH
In Microsoft FrontPage 98, when you create a discussion web, you are given the option to save the postings in either newest-to-oldest or oldest-to-newest order. Unfortunately, the newest-to-oldest option does not work. According to Microsoft, the program doesn't support this choice for a server with the FrontPage 98 extensions. Microsoft's fix is to remove the feature in future versions.
MICROSOFT FAX CRASHES WHEN SENDING AND RECEIVING SIMULTANEOUSLY
Microsoft Fax can crash if it is still processing a fax when a new fax is received. A fatal exception error message may also be displayed. A workaround for this is to increase the number of rings before Microsoft Fax picks up the line. To do this, select Start, Settings and double-click Mail and Fax. Choose Microsoft Fax, click the Properties button, select the Modem tab, and choose the modem that is used for answering faxes. Choose Properties and increase the number of rings to allow Microsoft Fax more time to complete the previous fax. Accept changes. Note: Setting the number of rings too high may cause the calling fax machine to hang up.
NORTON UTILITIES, AOL INCOMPATIBILITY
An incompatibility between a component of Norton Utilities 3.0 and the America Online Web browser may cause the browser to lock up when you try to close it. Norton Utilities updates the Windows 95 OLE software module DCOM. Unfortunately, this module is incompatible with AOL. Here are some temporary workarounds: - Minimize the AOL browser window instead of closing it. - Use an external browser, such as Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer, in place of the AOL browser. - Install Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0, which apparently solves the conflict (though details on why it does so are unavailable). - Uninstall Norton Utilities 3.0, DCOM for Windows 95, and AOL; then reinstall AOL.
OUTLOOK, NORTON UTILITIES INCOMPATIBILITY
Once you install Symantec's Norton Utilities 3.0, you may not be able to close Microsoft Outlook 97 without invoking Norton's Crashguard Anti-Freeze utility. Instead of closing, you may see this error message: "OUTLOOK caused an invalid page fault in module AWFXCG32.DLL at (address)" Symantec says it is actually due to a conflict with the Distributed Common Object Model for Windows 95 that comes with many Microsoft products, including Visual C++ 5.0, Visual Basic 5.0, Visual Studio 97, and the Microsoft Fax service. Microsoft details five solutions at http://premium.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q175/3/14.asp According to Symantec, the best fix is to upgrade the module awfxcg32.dll, which you can get at http://support.microsoft.com/download/support/mslfiles/Awfxcg32.exe
TIMEOUTS MAY HINDER TURBOTAX UPDATES VIA AOL
If you are using Intuit TurboTax for Business 97 on a Windows 95 computer, and you want to use the online features of TurboTax with America Online as your Internet service provider, you must use the 32-bit version of the AOL software, Intuit says. However, if you are updating the TurboTax features via AOL, you may run afoul of the 45-minute inactivity limit on AOL and be disconnected. Intuit says you can go directly to the TurboTax Web site for your updates: http://www.turbotax.com
WINDOWS NT SNMP MEMORY LEAK
Microsoft has detected a memory leak in Windows NT 4.0 snmp.exe. The leak happens if SNMP cannot decode an OID from a network packet. SNMP does not free up the memory. Over time, this will cause a decrease in performance in your Windows NT system, especially on a system running on a network segment that receives lots of SNMP broadcast traffic. Microsoft is testing a fix but hasn't released it yet.
WORD 97 FOR WINDOWS BUG
Microsoft has acknowledged a serious bug in Word 97 for Windows (also known as Word 8.0) that can cause data loss when users attempt to use the Save As command. According to Microsoft, a bug in two files (winword.exe and wwintl32.dll) causes Word to look for a drawing object whenever the Save As command is used. If a drawing object is not found in the document, then Word doesn't close the document correctly before saving it with a different name.
In a network environment, users may get an error such as: "[Original document] is being used by another user: do you want to make a copy?" where [original document] is the name of the file the user is trying to save with the Save As command. This error may occur even though the original user no longer has the document open. In a Novell GroupWise environment, users may get an error such as: "GroupWise Error 8201--cannot return document to library" Worst of all, if you are using a document management system like PCDocs, "you may experience data loss in the original document," says Microsoft.
Microsoft has updated the winword.exe and wwintl32.dll files to fix the problem, but it has not finished regression-testing the fix. If you must have a fix for this problem immediately, contact Microsoft technical support at 425/ 462-9673 and request the files associated with Knowledge Base article Q179435. Microsoft technical support will provide you with a file called odmaupd.exe, which contains the updated versions of winword.exe (5199K, dated January 14, 1998) and wwintl32.dll (1131K, dated January 14, 1998).
NO FIX FOR ZIP DRIVE 'CLICK OF DEATH'
Iomega has acknowledged that as many as 100,000 users of Zip drives have suffered the "Click of Death." The name refers to a sharp clicking sound that can mean the Zip disk is trashed, as well as the Zip drive itself. Reportedly, trying to read a disk that has suffered the Click of Death in another Zip drive can also trash that drive. There is no known fix or work-around, and the company says it has no plans to institute a blanket replacement policy for customers who suffer from the problem.
WINFAX PRO UPDATE INSTALL ERROR
If you try to install the Symantec WinFax Pro 8.03 update, there is a chance you'll get the blue screen of death with the error message: Fatal Exception 0E. Symantec says to close down Windows 95 via the Restart option. When Windows 95 reboots, close all running programs. Then find the file PATCH803.EXE on the drive you installed during the upgrade process using the Start, Find button. Once you've found the file, double-click it to install the patch.
FRONTPAGE TOC SYNCHRONIZATION FIX
If you're running a FrontPage 98 discussion web, you may find that the framed and unframed tables of contents (TOC) don't agree. Microsoft has released a fix for Windows NT/IIS; go to http://www.microsoft.com/frontpage/wpp/default.htm A fix will be released soon for UNIX servers, but in the meantime Microsoft offers the following work-around for the FrontPage 98 discussion web TOC synchronization problem on UNIX servers: "Open the TOC page(s) in FrontPage's Editor, allow the TOC to be updated in the page, then save the page. This should correct the problem by recalculating the table of contents page last, ensuring that all message pages are listed."
HP DESKJET TRIMS OFF LAST LINES OF TURBOTAX RETURN
Intuit says that if you print a TurboTax for Business 97 tax return to a Hewlett-Packard HP400 DeskJet printer, the last line or two of pixels may be cut off. They say that this does not affect your tax return, which you can still file. (Note that this is Intuit saying this, not the IRS!)
INTELLIPOINT AND NOTES INCOMPATIBILITY
If Microsoft IntelliPoint 2.0 or 2.0a is installed on your system, your computer may hang when you start Lotus Notes 4.12 (16 bit). You will need to disable the wheel feature of the IntelliMouse, but because this involves editing the Registry, we suggest you contact Microsoft Technical Support at: http://www.microsoft.com/support/
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 Instant Messages. An AOL representative admitted that the company is working on a fix, but declined to say when it would be available.
TURBOTAX ERROR
Intuit TurboTax 1040 may display the following error: "The calculated value for Asset Class is the only valid choice based on Type of Asset Selected. Cancel override on Asset Class to restore calculated value?" If you see this, the problem may be that you entered an asset life that is different from what the IRS accepts in Personal TaxEdge. According to Intuit: "Remove the entry from this field and the TurboTax will calculate the correct entry for you."
EA SPORTS GAMES WORK-AROUNDS
EA Sports has posted a technical note responding to problems users have experienced running its games, such as NBA Live 98, with the Microsoft Sidewinder game pad. EA Sports says to make sure no other type of joystick is plugged into the machine at the same time as the Sidewinder.
In addition, there may be compatibility problems with EA Sports' games and the Gaming Device Profiler. The company suggests unloading the Profiler by right-clicking its icon in the taskbar and then selecting Unload. The Profiler will return the next time Windows 95 boots up.
PROBLEMATIC VIDEO CLIPS
You may experience some serious problems if you play a video clip in the following programs: - Microsoft Ancient Lands for Windows 1.0 - Bookshelf for Windows 94 to 97 - Cinemania for Windows 95 - Complete Baseball for Windows 94 - Dangerous Creatures for Windows 1.0 - Dinosaurs for Windows 1.0 - Encarta Encyclopedia for Windows 96 and 97 - Encarta for Windows 94 and 95 - Julia Child: Home Cooking for Master Chefs for Windows 1.0 - Explores the Solar System for Windows 1.0 - Explores the Human Body for Windows 1.0 - Explores the Earth for Windows 1.0 - Explores the Ocean for Windows 1.0, 3.1, and 3.11 - Windows for Workgroups 3.1 and 3.11
Specifically, the video may flash, the system may hang, video playback may be distorted, the sound may play correctly while the screen is blank, and video may play only in expanded mode with unexpected starts and stops.
The following systems have experienced one or more of these symptoms: - Compaq Prolinea and Presario computers with the Compaq/ET4000-W32 640 by 480 256-color display driver - Cardinal VGA 732 with the Tseng ET Turbo 4000 driver or the 988/ET4 Turbo driver - Diamond Stealth 64 video driver - IBM ThinkPad - Diamond Speedstar 64 (non-PCI) - Orchid Kelvin 64 with the version 1.4 driver - STB Vision Meta driver - Gateway P5-100 with the STB Vision Display Meta Driver - STB PowerGraph VLB 24 video adapter
The fix is very simple: Add the following line to the [drawdib] section of the Win.ini file: dva=0
SET UP ISP ACCOUNT BEFORE INSTALLING NAVIGATOR, APPLE WARNS
The Macintosh OS 8.1 CD comes with Netscape Navigator 4.04. If you're going to use the Internet Setup Assistant to register an account with an Internet Service Provider, Apple warns that you should do so before installing Navigator 4.04. If you already have an account, the upgrade won't affect it. However, you may not be able to create a new account after upgrading to Navigator 4.04.
VIDEO PHONE USERS MUST FIRST CONNECT TO AOL
If you are using the Intel Create & Share Camera Pack to make a Video Phone call, and your connection to the Internet is via America Online, Intel says you must connect to AOL first before starting the Video Phone. Also, you need to use AOL 3.0, which assigns you a TCP/IP address.
WINFAX PRO ERROR
If you are creating a mail-merge document in Microsoft Word 97 using a list of fax numbers from Microsoft Outlook 97 faxed via Symantec WinFax Pro 8.0, you may see this error message: "DDE Syntax Error: Fax Number Must Be Specified." Symantec says you must go to your Outlook contact list and remove the entry that says "Welcome to Contacts" in the View, Folder List, Contacts list. The company says to make sure all of the contacts remaining have both a name and a business fax number.
MAC OS 8.1 EXTENDED FORMAT FEATURE INCOMPATIBLE WITH MANY THIRD-PARTY
Apple warns that there may be compatibility problems between the new extended format feature for hard drive volumes that comes with Macintosh OS 8.1 and many third-party utility programs. These may include password security utilities, utilities that check disk volume integrity, and some audio and video programs that write data directly to the volume.
Apple emphasizes that you should check with third-party vendors for compatibility information.
ACT 3.0 POINTER ERROR
When you're editing a report template in Symantec ACT 3.0 for Windows 95/NT and you cut and paste a text field, if you click the pointer button on the floating toolbar, you may get the error message: "Invalid Page Fault in Module RPTSYS.DLL." Symantec does not have a fix at this time, so don't click the pointer.
BUBBLEJET "OUT OF SPACE" ERROR
In Windows 95, if you print a card to the Canon BubbleJet C600 printer from Microsoft Creative Writer for Windows 1.0 and 1.1, you may receive "out of space" error messages and may not be able to print the cards. If you're printing a card to the Canon BubbleJet 4000 printer, your computer may hang, the printer may print a blank sheet of paper, or the printing may hang partway through. Here is Microsoft's workaround: 1. Set the driver to print directly to the printer: Click Start, Settings and select Printers. Using the right mouse button, select your printer and click Properties; now select the Details tab, choose Spool Settings, and click Print Directly to the printer. 2. Set the printing resolution: Click Start, Settings and choose Printers; right-click to select your printer and choose Properties; select the Graphics tab and set the Resolution to 180 by 180. 3. You will then need to switch the Display Adapter Type (display driver) to VGA: Click Start, Settings, Control Panel; then select Display, click the Settings tab, and choose Change Display Type. Click Change in the Adapter Type section, and then click Show All Devices. Now click Standard Display Types in the Manufacturers column; in the Models column, click Standard Display Adapter (VGA). Click OK, Close and restart the computer. (If you need to use a 256-color driver, contact your video card manufacturer to receive the latest version.)
If you're using a printer driver that was NOT included with Windows 95, use one of the following printer emulations: - Canon BubbleJet 600C: Use the Epson LQ 2550 or LQ 860 printer driver. - Canon BubbleJet 4000: Use the Epson LQ 2550, LQ 2500, LQ 1500, or the IBM ProPrinter X24E printer driver.
FLIGHT SIMULATOR PLUS ATM CAUSES SYSTEM TO HANG
Microsoft reports that your computer may hang if you click Time & Season on the World menu in Flight Simulator 98. This problem occurs if Adobe Type Manager is installed because ATM makes modifications to the System.ini file. The only resolution is to disable ATM. Here's how:
Click Start, Run and type system.ini in the Open box and click OK. Locate the following lines in the [Boot] section of the system.ini file: SYSTEM.DRV=ATMSYS.DRV and ATM.SYSTEM.DRV=SYSTEM.DRV. Insert a semicolon at the beginning of both lines: ;SYSTEM.DRV=ATMSYS.DRV and ;ATM.SYSTEM.DRV=SYSTEM.DRV. In the [Boot] section of the system.ini file, insert the following: System.drv=System.drv Choose File, Save, click Exit, and restart the computer.
PAGEMAKER TILING GLITCH
Adobe says that when you manually tile a publication in PageMaker 6.x or earlier for Windows to a non-PostScript printer, the page may shift down to the right. If this happens, the upper-left corner is a quarter-inch from the zero point in each direction. Adobe's easiest solution: Print to a PostScript Printer. If that is not an option, here's another workaround: Move the zero point by clicking the crosshair in the zero-point window and then dragging it a quarter-inch higher and a quarter-inch to the left.
POWERPOINT MAXIMIZE/RESTORE PROBLEMS
If you're using the Windows 95 S3 display driver, your system may hang when you maximize or restore Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows 95 if you have a custom background with a preset shade selected. You will lose mouse capability, as well as the ability to use the Ctrl and Tab keys to switch to other programs, and you may have to either turn off the computer or press the Reset button. Microsoft's workaround: When using the S3 driver, don't maximize or restore PowerPoint while using slides with preset shaded backgrounds. And save your work frequently!
SYSTEM MAY HANG WITH COMPUSERVE 3.0.1, MICROSOFT MONEY
If CompuServe WinCIM, version 3.0.1 is installed on your system (or you are connected to CompuServe by a proxy), your system may hang, necessitating a reboot, if you call an Open Financial Connectivity (OFC) financial institution or service provider while using Microsoft Money 5.0 in Windows 95.
Microsoft's fix: Either download the CompuServe Virtual Key from http://www.compuserve.com/rpa/index.htm or rename the file and obtain version 3.02 of WinCIM.
You can also work around this problem by renaming the .dll file: Close Money, double-click My Computer, and then go to the View menu and select Options. Select Show All Files on the View tab and clear the "Hide MS-DOS File Extensions For File Types That Are Registered" check box. Click OK and close My Computer. Click Start and point to Find, then choose Files or Folders; type rpawinet.dll in the Named text box and click Find Now (the file is installed in the Windows\System folder). Right-click the file name, and then on the Shortcut menu click Rename. Rename the file to Rpawinet.dll.old; restart Money.
Because renaming this file may cause some areas of CompuServe to function improperly, you may have to remove the .old extension from this file when using other features of CompuServe.
COLOR CHANGE CAN HANG MAC MICROSOFT EXCHANGE
When you're using Apple Macintosh OS 8, the Microsoft Exchange Macintosh client (versions 4.0 and 5.0) may hang if you change the color in the message dialog box. You will have to do a force quit by pressing Command-Option-Esc, and you'll lose all unsaved changes. According to Microsoft, there is no work-around other than to use the Macintosh 7.x OS.
CYBERMEDIA OIL CHANGE ERROR
If you're running Microsoft Internet Explorer and you use the Get command in CyberMedia's Oil Change, you may get the error: "A required file, URLMON.DLL was not found." If this occurs, do a search for the file URLMON.DLL. If the file is found in Windows 95, add the .BAK extension to get URLMON.DLL.BAK. Next, reinstall Internet Explorer.
EXCEL WORK-AROUND
It's hard to keep up with Excel these days. In March, we reported a shared formula calculation error bug in Excel and offered a work-around. Then we reported that Microsoft had released a fix, but we found that the fix didn't really fix all the problems (it took care of shared formulas in rows, but not columns). Finally, we passed on Microsoft's advice that users go back to the work-around. Microsoft promises a fix, but in the meantime here's the work-around again.
Select cell A1 and choose Edit, Replace. Enter = in both the Find What and Replace With edit boxes, and then select Replace All. This reenters the formulas. Microsoft says that reentering the formulas fixes the affected worksheet so the problem won't occur again.
OFFICE 97, CIRRUS LOGIC VIDEO DRIVER INCOMPATIBILITY
Your computer may hang if you use a Microsoft Office 97 program under Windows 95 along with a Cirrus Logic CL-GD546x video driver, version 1.31 (4.03.00.1131) for Windows 95. Microsoft suggests that you reduce the hardware graphics acceleration setting for the video driver. Here's how: Click Start, Settings, Control Panel, and double-click System. In the System Properties window, click the Performance tab, then click Graphics. Move the Hardware acceleration slider one tick mark to the left of the Full setting. The following comment will appear in the window: "Most accelerator functions: Use this setting to correct problems with the mouse pointer." To solve the problem entirely, replace the video driver with one provided by the video card manufacturer, rather than using the generic Cirrus Logic Driver; or obtain an updated Cirrus Logic driver when it becomes available.
NT 3D SCREEN SAVER, MATROX DRIVER CAN FREEZE UP REMOTE-CONTROL SESSIONS
If you're using the Intel LANDesk Management Suite 6, a Matrox Millenium 3.20 video driver, and a Windows NT 3D screen saver, you may get a blue screen of death if you are in a remote-control session and the screen saver kicks in. Intel says to switch to a standard screen saver, use the Matrox driver that comes with Windows NT 4.0, or move back to the Matrox Millennium 3.12 driver.
QUICKEN VERSION UPDATES
As is necessary with all financial software, Intuit releases periodic updates to Quicken that bring little things like tax laws and forms up to date. The latest release of Quicken 98, called Release 3 or just R3, contains a huge list of updates and bug fixes that span the entire program. You can view the list at http://www.intuit.com/support/quicken/faqs/docs/w_new98r3.html
Online instructions tell you how to use the Quicken 98 software to download the free update. Updates are available for Quicken 4 (Release 7), Quicken 5 and Quicken Deluxe 5 (version 5.0f), and Quicken 6 (version 6.0c). If you don't want to or are unable to download an update, you can order an update disk to be sent in the mail by calling 800/328-5435.
THE GREAT IE AND CANADIAN PLUG-IN PROBLEM
If you bought the 16-bit version of Quicken 98 and you're planning to use the program for online banking, you've got a bigger problem on your hands. Along with Quicken, Intuit packaged a version of Microsoft's Internet Explorer on the CD-ROM that should have been able to make an encrypted, secure connection to a bank. Unfortunately, the version of Internet Explorer that shipped on the disc doesn't have strong encryption. In addition, the browser plug-ins didn't install properly for users who live in Canada.
If you installed the version of IE that was on the Quicken 98 disc, you can download a patch at http://www.intuit.com/support/quicken/faqs/docs/w_ieupdate16bit.html that will make it encrypt properly, as well as fix the Canadian plug-in problem.
UNEXPECTED FILE CORRUPTION IN MICROSOFT MONEY 98
Microsoft Money 98 installs files all over the hard drive. Unfortunately, some virus-protection and system utility programs can block the installation of key components of Money, specifically DLL files. When these components don't install, Money doesn't run correctly. That means you might encounter General Protection Fault or Invalid Page Fault errors that can crash your system.
The catalysts for this problem are some of the most popular and well-known antivirus and system utilities, like CyberMedia's First Aid, Symantec's Norton Crashguard (part of Norton Utilities), PC Medic, and Quarterdeck's WinProbe95 Crashshield. These programs scan for changes to the system and often stop a Money 98 installation in its tracks. The simplest solution is to make sure you always disable your virus-protection software before installing any new programs.
NOVELL 4.11 YEAR 2000 FIX
If you're running NetWare 4.11, you need a patch to ensure Year 2000 compliance. As you may know, some hardware and software is not designed to handle the change to the year-date 2000; lack of Year 2000 compliance can cause many problems. If you're using NetWare 4.11, you can avoid future problems with the file updates found in 411y2kp2.exe. This self-extracting file contains updates for nwvque95.dll and nwvque3x.dll, as well as other important files. You can find this update on the Novell Web site at http://support.novell.com
You can also find these fixes in intraNetWare Support Pack 5.0. To install this patch, you must make sure your hardware is Year 2000-ready (check with your hardware vendor), and you must have already installed intraNetWare Support Pack version 4.0 or later.
INTERNET EXPLORER SECURITY PATCH
Microsoft has identified and resolved a problem with some versions of Internet Explorer that causes Embed Buffer Overrun errors. This error can cause Internet Explorer 4.0 or 4.01 to stop responding when you view a malicious Web page containing the Embed tag. It is very difficult, but possible, for a knowledgeable Web page developer to cause a malicious executable file to run on your computer when you load a Web page that contains the Embed tag. The Embed Buffer Overrun patch updates the mshtml.dll file in the Windows\System or Winnt\System32 folder.
If you're running any of the following versions of Internet Explorer, you should download and apply the appropriate patch listed below: - Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 and 4.01 for Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0 - Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0, 3.01a, 3.0a, and 4.0 for Macintosh - Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 for UNIX on Sun Solaris - Microsoft Internet Explorer Administration Kit 4.0 and 4.01
You'll find the following patch files on the Microsoft Web site at http://www.microsoft.com/ie/security - Internet Explorer 4.0 for Windows 95 (patch name: em4095.exe) - Internet Explorer 4.0 for Windows NT 4.0 (patch name: em40nt.exe) - Internet Explorer 4.01 for Windows 95 (patch name: em40195.exe) - Internet Explorer 4.01 for Windows NT 4.0 (patch name: em401nt.exe)
EUDORA 550 RELAY DENIED ERROR
If you're using Eudora as your Internet mail handler, you'll be interested in the following tip. When you send mail in Eudora, you may receive the error message "550 Relay Denied" from the SMTP server. This prevents delivery of your mail. One reason this occurs is because ISPs have moved toward restricting access to their outgoing mail servers to provide better service for customers and to block transmission of spam through their mail servers. The various methods for establishing restrictions could deny you access to your outgoing mail server. Fortunately, a technique called SMTP Authentication can solve this problem.
Eudora 4.2 supports the CRAM-MD5 encryption method of SMTP Authentication. If you need to turn authentication on, you must close Eudora and edit your eudora.ini file to add the following lines to its [Settings] section:SMTPAuthRequired=1
SMTPAuthAllowed=1
EUDORA AND INTERNET EXPLORER 5
If you're using Eudora 4.x to handle your Internet mail, you may experience problems with IE5 and Eudora. In some cases, when you update from previous versions of Internet Explorer to IE5, Eudora displays HTML source code for all messages viewed with Eudora 4.x. You can resolve this problem by downloading and installing the update for Eudora 4.2. You can get the updater from the Eudora Web site at the following address: http://eudora.qualcomm.com/pro_email/updaters.html
IIS SERVICES PROBLEM
Microsoft recently identified a problem you may experience on Internet Information Servers 2.0 and 3.0. When Internet Information Server receives a CGI request from a browser containing 4KB to 8KB of data, the IIS service stops. Microsoft has confirmed this problem and has produced a hot fix to correct it. The iis-fixi file is for x86 platforms, and the iis-fixa file is for Alpha platforms. You can get the hot fix at the following FTP address: ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/bussys/winnt/winnt-public/fixes/usa/nt40/hotfixes-postSP3/iis-fix
NEC AND AT&T SYSTEMS WITH WINDOWS 98
If you plan to install Windows 98 on your NEC Versa M and AT&T Globalyst systems, you must first set the BIOS for PCMCIA Power to Enabled before running the PC Card (PCMCIA) wizard to enable the Windows 98 PCMCIA support. The default setting is disabled.
To enable the PCMCIA Power setting, follow these steps:
Restart your computer.
When the cursor changes to a rectangle, press F1.
When the BIOS configuration program is ready, select Power, then change the PCMCIA Power setting to Enabled.
Save these settings.
PROBLEMS WITH POWER CONTROL PANEL SETTINGS
Some computers do not let Windows fully control power management. If you find that changing the Standby, Monitor, or Hard Drive timeout values in the Power Control have no effect, your computer's own power management settings are overriding Windows' settings. Open your computer's power management Setup program and disable any Standby, Suspend, Monitor, or Hard Drive timeout values. After you do this, you should be able to control these settings from the Windows Power Management control panel.
UPDATES FROM NETWARE 5 SUPPORT PACK 3 TO 3A
Novell recently released an update to its Support Pack 3 for NetWare 5. This update contains the changed files from NetWare 5 Support Pack 3 to 3a. You should only install this update if you have Support Pack 3 currently installed. You'll find the file, named sp3to3a.exe, on the Novell Support Web site at the following URL: http://support.novell.com/misc/patlst.htm
POOR PERFORMANCE WITH ACTIVE SERVER PAGES
Microsoft has identified a problem you may experience on your IIS 3.0 Web server. The problem affects the performance of Active Server Pages, and a memory leak in asp.dll causes the problem. You can use Performance Monitor to verify the memory leak. To resolve this problem, Microsoft has produced a hot fix. You can get it at the following FTP site: FTP://ftp.microsoft.com/bussys/winnt/winnt-public/fixes/usa/nt40/hotfixes-postSP3/asp-fix
ACCESS 2000 BUG
Microsoft has identified a problem you may experience with Access 2000. The problem occurs when Access 2000 improperly evaluates an If Then Else expression comparing a variable that is null. Microsoft's solution is to use IsNull() check on variables in the If Then Else expression. Rewrite the expression to include IsNull(), as in the following example from Microsoft.
The expression below will not evaluate properly if strName or txtName is Null.
If strName = txtName then
strName = '1'
Else
strName = '2'
End if
Change the expression to:
If strName = txtName and Not IsNull(strName) and Not IsNull(txtName)
then
strName = '1'
Else
strName = '2'
End if
NUMLOCK PROBLEM IN ACCESS 2000
Having trouble keeping your NumLock key on while using Access 2000? Microsoft has acknowledged a problem with Access 2000 where the NumLock key keeps turning off. A well-known bug in all versions of Access causes SendKeys to switch off the NumLock key. Unfortunately, no solution is available at this time. Keep an eye on the Microsoft Support Web site for a future fix.
PCI SYSTEMS AND WINDOWS 98
If the BIOS configures the video device to use an IRQ and you use the secondary PCI IDE controller in your computer, your video will work only in VGA mode. To load the accelerated Windows 98 driver for your video, disable the secondary PCI IDE controller in the BIOS and the Device Manager (double-click System in Control Panel). An alternative (if the BIOS supports it) is to disable the video device's IRQ.
IBM THINKPAD DOCK II PROBLEMS
If you use IBM ThinkPad Dock II, disable the BIOS for the Adaptec
1530P SCSI controller in the docking station before you start your
computer when it is docked. If you do not, your computer will freeze
repeatedly. This controller works fine in protected mode even without
the BIOS enabled, so you should not lose access to any SCSI devices.
To disable the BIOS, follow these steps:
* Restart your computer while it is docked.
* Press Ctrl-A to start the Adaptec SCSISelect utility.
* Choose Configure, View Host Adapter Settings.
* Choose Advanced Configuration Options.
* Change the setting for Host Adapter BIOS to Disabled.
* Press Esc until you get a prompt to exit the utility. When you exit,
the computer restarts.
Another solution is to disable the BIOS completely, thus enabling the
adapter to run completely in Plug and Play mode. The BIOS resources
get allocated dynamically at Windows 98 startup. However, this
solution requires that you change a dip switch inside the dock
station. For details about disabling the SCSI adapter BIOS, refer to
your Dock II manual.
MICRON M5-PI SERIES (P-60, P-66) AND WINDOWS 98
Before you install Windows 98 on your Micron system, make sure you
have the BIOS read/write jumper (W22) set to the read-only position.
If you try to install Windows 98 with this jumper in the read/write
position, it may cause BIOS corruption. For more information, contact
Micron Technologies at: http://www.micron.com
MICRON P90/100 AND WINDOWS 98
Before you install Windows 98 on your Micro system, make sure you have
BIOS version N15 or later. If not, you'll experience a number of
problems. For more information, contact Micron Technologies at: http://www.micron.com
WINBOOK XP AND WINDOWS 98
You may experience a known problem when you try to run Windows 98 on
the Winbook XP. It causes the keyboard to function incorrectly. The
workaround is to disable Windows 98 power-status polling.
To disable Windows 98 power-status polling, follow these steps:
* Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then
double-click System.
* Click Device Manager.
* Click the plus (+) sign next to the System Class you want to change.
* Click Advanced Power Management Support, then click Settings.
* Make sure the Disable Power Status Polling check box is selected.
* Click OK to save your changes.
WINDOWS 98 ON YOUR IBM THINKPAD
Do you have an IBM ThinkPad Model 755cd, cx, ce, cse, or cdv? If so,
you'll be interested to know that Microsoft and IBM are in the process
of solving the following known problems:
* Mwave gets lost if you have more than 8MB of memory. IBM is working
on updated drivers. Revision 1.1 does not solve this problem. If you
install Windows 98 in a different folder, Mwave will not work unless
you reinstall the Mwave drivers using IBM Mwave Setup program disks.
This is by design. The Windows 3.1 drivers are required to run the
Mwave chip.
* If you install Windows 98 in the same folder that contains your
current version of Windows, Mwave will continue to function.
* Device Manager indicates problems with the infrared port. IBM is
updating the infrared virtual device driver (VxD) so that it works
correctly.
* Docking is not supported. IBM should soon release fixes to its Plug
and Play BIOS, which enables full Windows 98 Plug and Play and docking
support. For updates to the System Program Service Disk for your model
of ThinkPad, check the IBM bulletin board. See your hardware
documentation for information about accessing the bulletin board.
* The Suspend and Resume commands have power management problems. If
you have a 1994 BIOS, you can usually resolve these problems by
upgrading to the latest Flash BIOS revision from 1995. You can find it
on CompuServe's ThinkPad forum or on the IBM bulletin board. See your
IBM hardware documentation for information about accessing the
bulletin board.
* Using Mwave versions earlier than 1.2 can cause problems. Bugs in
these versions can cause serious trouble when Mwave runs on Windows
98. For more information, call the IBM PC HelpCenter.
MSIE 5 PROGRAMMING BUG
Microsoft recently identified a problem you may experience with
Internet Explorer (Programming) version 5. Internet Explorer reports
an "Invalid character" error when a Unicode .js file is included with
the SCRIPT tag--for example:
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