Maximize the web browser window when viewing
this page [using at least 800 by 600 screen resolution].
<Computer Tips page links: (part
1) (part 2)>
To use or not
to use Advanced Power Management [APM]:
Many PCs made from
fall of year 1998 up to now have power management features that are much
more
reliable than PCs
made before Windows 98 ever came out. Windows 95 OSR2 included several
improve-
ments over previous
versions of Windows but Windows 98 allows users total control over APM
features.
If your computer
supports either the Advanced Power Management [APM] or the Advanced Configuration
and Power Interface
[ACPI] standard use it to its full potential but let the Windows operating
system control
power management
functions rather than letting the BIOS control them. To do this,
go into BIOS setup,
select the power
or power management feature and disable ALL timers (or set them to their
maximum
settings) BUT have
power management enabled (then save your settings & exit BIOS setup).
Putting a PC
into 'hibernation'
mode shuts down the computer normally but when the Power putton on the
computer is
pressed to turn
on the PC, it will reload Windows and the desktop exactly as you left it;
it's better than
shutting down the
PC and turning it on again & going through the whole boot process.
Hibernation is best
used with ACPI-based
computers using Windows ME, 2000 or higher; some laptop/notebook PCs may
include a hibernation
utility that can be used regardless of what version of Windows is used
(converting a
hard drive or partition
from FAT16 to FAT32 disk format may disable hibernation). If problems
occur when
power management
features are enabled simply turn off or disable power management completely.
If you
want to save power
on non-power management computers just turn off the monitor while away
from the
computer for a short
or long break. For those using Windows ME and are having problems
sending it into
hibernation with
192 megs of RAM or more installed download the Q296773 hotfix from MDGx's
web site.
MS KB article 296773
is no longer available from the MS support site but nevertheless, the Q296773
hotfix seems to
have elliminated the hibernation problem (or at least most of the time)
unlike the solutions
mentioned in the
Workaround section of support article no. 296773, which were less effective
than the
hotfix. There
are also other issues & problems with Windows 98 & ME, power management
& with 512
megabytes of physical
RAM or more installed. See MS articles 253912
&
304943
on how to deal with
the memory problems.
Those using Windows 98 2nd edition on an ACPI-ready computer, download
the
Q275873 update from
this FTP
site. For those using Windows Millennium Edition on an ACPI based
machine, get the
Q296883 patch from here.
Before putting a computer to hibernation mode, close
as many programs
as possible if using a lot of programs under Win98 SE, 2000, ME or WinXP.
The
Hibernation feature
in Win98 FE/SE is only possible under laptop computers and is not available
on
desktop computers.
Even if your laptop/notebook PC is using Win98 FE or SE, you may have to
setup
a "Suspend to Disk"
partition, then enable the Suspend-To-Disk power management setting in
the
BIOS/CMOS setup
program of your laptop and then use the FDISK tool to create a normal partition
&
perform a 'clean'
install of Win98 with the Portable setup option. If your computer
has ACPI support
an you are installing
Win98, run the setup program with the "/P J" option to install ACPI support.
In
Win2000, XP &
higher when you setup any of these OSes, if it finds a BIOS date higher
than Jan. 1999,
these OSes should
automatically install ACPI support. For BIOS dates earlier than Jan.
1999, Win2k
and higher OSes
may not install ACPI support and will install APM support instead.
Keep your PC &
monitor clean or close to being dust-free:
Whenever you use
your PC for a long time and there are dust & dirt on the computer and/or
monitor, take
some time to clean
the monitor screen [wipe it with a dry, moist but NOT a wet paper towel].
Also try to
clean the 'inside'
of your PC by using a can of compressed air or a miniature vacuum cleaner
to blow
away dust from all
the computer parts inside the PC.
To 'Flash' (aka.
upgrade by software) or not to Flash your BIOS on your computer:
Most computers now
come with BIOS chips that can be upgraded by running some software.
To determine
what version a BIOS
is using, press a key that enters the BIOS setup program when you turn
on the PC or
when restarting
the PC. Check with the PC maker's web site on how to upgrade the
BIOS first before
actually doing so
because if it is done improperly the computer will never boot and you'll
have to get a new
one. Upgrading
the BIOS by running some software is necessary when planning to upgrade
to Windows XP
[or a newer version
of Windows like Windows Vista] on a PC that is a few years old or to add
support for
newer types of devices.
There are some BIOS tools listed at this Majorgeeks.com
BIOS page you can use
to check the kind
of BIOS and what version it uses. You can use the BIOS Agent program to
determine what
kind of BIOS your
computer is using [for very old and brand new machines]. After downloading
and
upgrading your BIOS
you must reset your BIOS settings because in some BIOSes after being
upgraded
you may encounter
'invalid checksum' errors when your computer starts up. So after
updating the BIOS with
a flash program,
go into the BIOS setup program, load the default settings, make a few minor
changes if
necessary and save
settings to ensure your settings work correctly with the updated BIOS version.
Better
yet, download and
run the CPU-Z utiliity to gather
info about your RAM, CPU, motherboard and BIOS.
Note: The latest
version of the BIOS Agent tool can work on most 32-bit version of Windows
as I have tested
the latest version.
If you are using MS-DOS or Windows 3.x, try using an old version of BIOS
Agent found in
the BIOS
Agent Feedback page. Latest version of the BIOS Agent tool is
[v3.66]. Use
[v2.01]
if you have
a very old computer
that
can not properly handle the latest version. If you need a self-booting
BIOS Agent
boot disk, go here.
The latest version of the BIOS Agent tool can now work on 64-bit editions
of Windows
including the 64-bit
versions of Windows XP & Windows Server 2003 and on all editions of
Windows Vista.
<> Caution about
the BIOS Agent tool: Versions 3.60 to 3.66 of the BIOS Agent tool no longer
work
correctly under
any version of Windows 95. WIndows 95 users should run either version
2.01, the DOS
version of BIOS
Agent from a DOS Boot disk or version 3.55 which is the last version to
work under WIn95.
BIOS Agent v3.55
can be downloaded from here.
Extract the ba.exe file from the ZIP file and run it on
a Win95 machine.
Also, it would be wise to check with the motherboard or the computer maker's
web
site for BIOS updates
instead of sending requests to the eSupport site for BIOS upgrades after
using
the BIOS Agent tool.
How to Tell Between
a Fake and a Real Microsoft Security-Related Email Message:
Click
here for information on how to tell whether an email message sent by
MS about a security problem
is real or bogus.
Protect Yourself
from Online Identity Theft:
Go to the OnGuard
Online site on how to protect yourself from identity theft.
How to Tell the
Difference Between Genuine and Counterfeit Microsoft Software:
See this
Microsoft page on how to determine whether you are using genuine Microsoft
software or not.
This applies to
Microsoft software starting with Office XP, Windows XP and beyond.
Installing Windows Media Player 7.1
under Windows 95 & NT4:
Since the Media Player 7.1 setup file
refuses to install WMP 7.1 under Win95 or NT4 if the program file
detects either of those versions here
are steps on how to install Media Player 7.1 under those old versions
of Windows by using the Media Player 7.0
setup file:
1. Download the Winzip
archiving tool if you don't have it installed on your computer.
2. Download the Windows Media Player
7.0 setup program file [setup_wm.exe] from the Rainbow
Software web
site packaged in a zip file (click
here to download). This beats having to download the
Windows Media
Player 7.0 package which takes a while download if using dialup internet
connection.
3. Download the Windows Media Player
7.1 installation package (mp71.exe).
Then view the mp71.exe file
in Winzip by
dragging the file into the Winzip window.
4. Extract the files from the mp71.exe
file onto a temporary folder (ex. c:\temp\wmp71).
5. Extract the setup_wm.exe file
from the setup_wm.zip file onto the temporary folder where you store the
WMP 7.1 installation
files and overwrite the setup_wm.exe file with the one from the zip file
which is
version 7.0 instead
of version 7.1.
6. Now run the setup_wm.exe file
to begin installation of Windows Media Player 7.1.
Note: When installation
begins, uncheck the 'CD Burning' option when trying to install WMP 7.1
under NT4
as the CD burning
feature of WMP 7.1 does NOT work properly under NT4 but works
fine under Win95. You
will be able to
install updates for WMP 7.1 but that will prevent you from removing WMP
7.1 under Win95/NT4
as installing the
WMP 7.1 patches overwrite the setup_wm.exe file with the 7.1 version.
To un-install WMP 7.1
under Win95/NT4,
overwrite the setup_wm.exe file with the 7.0 version and run that file
with the '/uninstall'
switch to remove
WMP 7.1 (or you can un-install WMP 7.1 from the Add/Remove programs control
panel app).
Do NOT try this
with Media Player 9.0 as WMP9 requires Win98 SE, 2k, ME or XP and is NOT
compatible
with Win95 &
NT4. However, I have found a way to install WMP9 under Win98 FE/Gold
so use the tip below.
Caution: Win95 &
NT4 users must install at least IE 4.01 and/or DCOM95 for the setup_wm.exe
file to work.
If you keep on getting
an error message that WMP7 requires IE 4.0 or DCOM95 to be installed after
running
the setup_wm.exe
file, re-install IE 4.x/5.x/6.x (under WinNT4) or re-install DCOM95 (under
Win95) and then
re-run the setup_wm.exe
file.
Installing Windows Media Player 9.0
under Windows 98 Gold-First Edition:
When running the MPSetup.exe file under
Win98, it will tell you that WMP9 requires Win98 SE, 2000, ME
or XP and will refuse to install under
Win98 FE. Follow the instructions below to install WMP9 under Win98.
1. Download the Winzip
archiving tool if you don't have it installed on your computer.
2. Download the Windows Media Player
9.0 installation package (MPsetup.exe).
Then view the MPsetup.exe
file in Winzip
by dragging the file into the Winzip window.
3. Extract the files from the MPsetup.exe
file onto a temporary folder (ex. c:\temp\wmp90).
4. From the temporary folder, edit
the control.xml file in Wordpad and select the Replace
feature. Change
ALL instances
of 4.10.2222 to 4.10.1998 (search for 4.10.2222 and replace it with 4.10.1998);
best to
use the Replace
All feature to do that. When finished, close Wordpad and
Save changes.
5. Run the setup_wm.exe file from
the temporary folder and go through the installation as normal. Now
Win98 FE/Gold
users can enjoy using WMP9 on their systems.
Note: You must have
a Pentium 233Mhz computer [AMD-K6 300Mhz] or faster and 64 megabytes of
RAM
or more in order
to use Media Player 9 efficiently. And this tip will NOT make Media
Player 9 run nor install
under any version
of Windows 95 & NT4 as I have confirmed this myself on some old Win95
& WinNT4
machines.
Un-installing Windows Media Player 9.0
Completely: (do NOT use this tip with Media Player 10 & 11)
Click
here to view my wmp9del.htm file on how to remove WMP9 completely under
Win98, 2000, ME & XP.
The tip can also be used to uninstall
WMP9 under WinME or WinXP without having to use System Restore
to revert back to the older version of
WMP. You can also use the tips there to uninstall Media Player 7.1
under WinME since WMP 7.1 will not show
up in the Add/Remove Programs control panel app in WinME.
Warning: Do NOT
try this under Win2003 or WinXP with SP2 or SP3 installed. Because
XP SP2 and
XP SP3 contain updated
& "bug fixed" versions of WMP9, you cannot remove it without removing
the whole
SP2 or SP3 pack.
To uninstall WMP9 under WinXP SP2/SP3, uninstall SP2 or SP3. WinServ
2003 contains
an embedded version
of WMP9 and can not be removed unless you have the LitePC applet installed.
Installing Windows Media Player 6.4
version 6.4.07.1121 (NOT build 1112) under Win95, 98, ME & NT4:
I now have two methods
of installing Media Player 6.4 build 1121. First method is for Windows
95, 98 or NT4 users that
have the IE 5.01 or 5.5
setup installer file (ie5setup.exe) and is NOT needed for those using IE
6 SP1. Before trying
out the 1st method you
need Winzip, the two iesetup.cif files from both IE 5.x & IE 6.0 SP1
AND your IE 5.x installation
files must be on the
hard drive and not the CD drive. If you don't have the IE 6 SP1 iesetup.cif
file, download the
IE6 SP1 installer (ie6setup.exe),
view that file in Winzip and extract the iesetup.cif file onto a temporary
folder. The
second method is to simply
create a batch file that automatically installs WMP 6.4 build 1121 but
requires that at
least IE 5.0 or higher
is already installed. Follow the directions carefully. If you are
doing this under WinME, use
a third party tool such
as CoolKill or WinKill to close the STMGR.EXE file and use the MSCONFIG
(System Configuration)
tool to prevent 'Statemgr'
from running at Startup. You may have to restart the computer after
installing WMP 6.4
with either method.
WinME users should use method 2 as it's the best way to install WMP 6.4
build 1121. After
doing this with WinME,
you can re-enable 'Statemgr' from the MSCONFIG tool.
Method
1 - Installing WMP 6.4 with the IE 5.01 or 5.5 setup program:
1. Place each iesetup.cif
file onto separate directories. For example, if using IE 5.5 SP2,
open the ie5setup.exe file in
Winzip
and extract the iesetup.cif file inside to a temp folder like 'c:\temp\ie55sp2',
then open the ie6setup.exe file in
Winzip
and extract its iesetup.cif file onto a different folder like 'c:\temp\ie60sp1'.
2. Launch two copies of
the Notepad program. Open the IE 5.x iesetup.cif file in one Notepad
window and the IE 6 SP1
iesetup.cif
file in the other window.
3. Copy the entire [mediaplayer]
section of IE6 SP1's iesetup.cif file and overwrite the [mediaplayer] section
of the IE 5.x
iesetup.cif
file using the Copy & Paste method. If you are trying this under
Win95, change the Platform line that says
'Platform=Win98,NT4'
to 'Platform=Win95,Win98,NT4'.
4. Close both Notepad windows
and save changes to the modified IE 5.x iesetup.cif file.
5. Run the IE 5.x setup
program to view the License Agreement dialog box but do NOT proceed any
further. From this
point,
copy the modified iesetup.cif file onto the 'c:\windows\temp\ixp000.tmp'
folder and click Yes to overwrite the file.
(the
ixp000.tmp folder is created when the IE setup program is run and deleted
when the installer is done).
6. Perform a Custom install
and select the Windows Media Player and cilck the Next button to install
WMP 6.4 build 1121.
Method
2 - Using a batch file (*.bat) to install or upgrade WMP 6.4 to version
6.4.07.1121:
1. Open the mplayer2.cab file in Winzip or any archiving utility and extract
all the files inside onto a temporary folder
(for example 'c:\temp\mplayer2'). For those using WinME, be sure
to disable System File Protection by closing
STMGR.EXE with a 3rd party tool such as CoolKill or Niresoft Task Manager
and then run the System Configuration
Utility [msconfig.exe] and prevent 'Statemgr' from running at Startup.
Don't reboot yet after closing Msconfig.
2. Create a batch file in Notepad with the following lines:
@echo off
start /w RUNDLL32.EXE ADVPACK.DLL,LaunchINFSection amov4ie.inf,DefaultInstall
start /w RUNDLL32.EXE ADVPACK.DLL,LaunchINFSection mplayer2.inf,DefaultInstall
cls
3. Save the file as an 'install.bat' file and place it onto the temporary
folder where you store the Windows Media Player 6.4
setup files.
4. Double-click on the INSTALL.BAT file to install Windows Media Player
build 1121 and you're all set. If you are using
WinME, restart the computer and delete the wininit.log file after WinME
reloads. Then you can use msconfig.exe to
re-enable the 'Statemgr' startup entry and reboot for the change to take
effect.
You may want to read
Zach's
Windows Media Player mini FAQ on how to setup and use any version of
Windows Media Player.
Having problems accessing
your CD burner or DVD burner in Windows 2000, XP, Server 2003 & Vista
after removing the
CD burning program? Does Device Manager show yellow exclamation marks
next
to your CD/DVD drives
or if Device Manager does not detect any CD/DVD drives in Win2000, XP,
Server 2003 &
Vista? See MS article 270008
if using Win2000, MS article 314060
for WinXP, Vista,
Server 2003 or higher
on how to fix the problem.
[click here to go to part 1 of My Computer Tips for Windows page]
[click here to go to my Main page]
Copyright © 1999 - 2008
Noel Piring [aka. the ERPMan]
Warning: Do NOT copy part
or the entire page without my permission.