Announcements

Protect Yourself!

We just received an awesome deal (wait till you see the price) on a fantastic surge protector! I don't know about your area, but we've been getting hammered by one thunderstorm after another around here lately. Watching lightening explode to the ground can really make you think about good surge protection (and taking cover :-)

We hear horror stories all the time from people who didn't have proper surge protection and paid dearly for it. Sometimes it's a big repair bill, other times it comes down to a new machine.

The worst is when you get a surge that *almost* kills the various parts of the computer. They just go out, one by one- kind of a cascading failure. I had a friend who had personal experience with this and after spending hundreds on new parts finally ended up getting a new computer. It just isn't worth taking a chance.

In any event, check out this surge protector - it's the best we've ever offered!

	$50,000 connected equipment warranty (that's enough for me to know it's good!)
	Phone line pass through (unprotected phone lines can really mess up a computer)
	8 plugs - 3 of which are designed to accommodate those bulky AC adapters.
	Rotating wall plug makes it easy to get this surge protector into an awkward socket location.
	Surge protection warning light and audible alarm tells you if the unit's surge protection circuit is blown (that way if you can't see it, you'll hear it)
	EMI/RFI filter for cleaner power

As soon as you start using this surge protector, you can tell it was specifically designed for computers. It offers plenty of protection for your computer and connected equipment, plus it's easy to work with (especially with those extra large AC adapter outlets - it's about time!)

How much for all this protection? Just $14.97 after $10 mail in rebate (Free US shipping)! You can hardly get a low end protector for that kind of money, let alone a higher end one like this! It's crazy not to have some form of reliable surge protection, and for this price you just can't go wrong. Check it out:

http://www.worldstart.com/store/spike-mster.htm

PS - Remember, this has a $50,000 connected equipment warranty. If their willing to bet $50,000, I'm willing to bet it keeps my equipment safe (my computer is already hooked up to one).

Computers 101

Q:
What is script debugging? I have been told to select "no" when a screen pops up at work. Is there a risk to it, or is it just a waste of time?

A:

Before I learned how to shut off this "feature", I too would be surfing along when suddenly an error message would pop up on a website asking me if I want to debug script errors. Even if I did know how to fix the script error, all I could do is email the webmaster and hope that the next time I went they would have it fixed.

The Microsoft Script Debugger lets you test scripts developed using an ActiveX script engine, plus you can debug scripts developed with VBScript and JScript, as well as ActiveX components and Java applets. It lets you view and modify program source code, variables, and values, or control the flow and pace of how the script works.

Huh? What does that mean to you? Well, unless you are a programmer with nothing to do but fix script errors on someone else's web page, then you probably want to shut this off. It's really easy to do...

Open Internet Explorer and click Tools / Internet Options then click the "Advanced" tab. Under "Browsing", place a check next to "Disable script debugging".

Click OK.

Now you can visit pages with poorly written scripts and your browser will load them to the best of its ability without asking you to fix the problem. You probably won't even notice an error anyway. Here's to smooth surfing!

~ David

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http://www.worldstart.com/submitquestion.htm

Tip of the Day

Check for Corrupt System Files

Did you ever have the suspicion that one of your Windows system files was corrupt? Normally, this problem causes lots of frustration while you try to hunt down the impaired file or do a complete re-install of Windows. Well, hold your Install Disks! There's another way.

Prior to Windows 2000 the operating system might overwrite shared system files (for example .dll and .exe files) when you install software. Overwritten system files cause unpredictable system performance, strange program behavior, and operating system failure.

If you're using Windows 98 you have a way to repair these files with the System File Checker. Here's how:

1. Click Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, System Information.
2. Once the System Info utility is running, click the Tools menu, System File Checker.
3. You will be presented with a screen that allows you to "scan all" to hunt for any altered files or to specify the problem file. Since you probably don't know which file is giving you the headaches, scan for altered files.

That's it. If there's something wrong, you'll be given instructions for repair.

One more thing, if the System Information program is not there, you'll need to insert your Win98 install disk, select Add/Remove, and select System Information from the System Tools section.

Windows 2000 & XP users: You will not find System File Checker in your system tools, but if you search for it you will find it as "sfc.exe". No need to run it though, because Windows File Protection prevents the replacement of protected system files such as .sys, .dll, and .exe files. If you do run SFC, you will probably see a DOS window flash on your screen for 1.5 seconds.

Windows File Protection runs in the background to protect all files installed by the Setup program. Any attempts by other programs to replace or move a protected system file are detected, then the file's digital signature gets checked to see if the new file is the correct Microsoft version.

If not, the file gets replaced from the backup stored in the Dllcache folder or from the Windows CD. If Windows File Protection cannot locate the correct file, it prompts you for the location.

By default, Windows File Protection is always enabled and allows Windows digitally signed files to replace existing files.

Have an original tip for the newsletter? Submit it below:
http://www.worldstart.com/writers-guidelines/index.htm

Amanda's Cool Site of the Day

Slash Dot

“News for nerds, stuff that matters..” is the slogan of this site. This is a place where you can find up to the minute news on computer stuff—you know really hash out your problems with windows in a forum. Why am I bringing it to you? It has up to date bug info.

If your computer is doing something buggy, you can go there, search their forum, and probably find the answer. But that’s not the only thing that is great. You can learn about what your online rights are, read about the latest version of a product (like Netscape 7.0 or AOL 8.0) or a lot of other programs.

This site is a valuable computer resource, check it out.

http://slashdot.org/

Do you have a cool, non-commercial site that you want to share?
Send it to Amanda at amanda@worldstart.com