I purchased a laptop computer about three months ago with Word 97 already installed. I create a lot of documents in Word and I have found that when I open documents created in the last six weeks or so and then close them without altering them, a prompt comes up asking whether I want to save the changes even though there aren’t any. Documents created before that time close without the prompt appearing. I also have a desktop computer loaded with Word 2000. Identical documents are present on that computer but the prompt mentioned above does not appear when closing provided no alterations are made. The only thing I can think of is that, about six weeks ago, I installed Via Voice and linked it to Word 97. It is present on the laptop but not the desk top. Could this be causing the problem even though it is not open when I use Word 97? One other mysterious thing: when I close Word 97 on the laptop it asks me whether I want to save changes to aware97.dot. I have used Word 97 on other systems and have found no reference to aware97.dot. I have searched the Internet and found no reference to aware97.dot. What is this file and how can I get rid of that prompt? (more…)

After installing and uninstalling several programs recently, I find I now have no reaction from the ‘Windows Messaging’ program bar off the ‘Start’ menu. On looking on the ‘Add/Remove Programs’ list in the ‘Control Panel’ I notice that ‘Windows Messaging Update 1′ which once appeared there has also been deleted along with the ‘Inbox’ icon that was once on the desktop. Any advice on how to re-instate Windows Messaging, if possible, would be greatly appreciated. I am running Windows 98 SE. (more…)

I use a Pentium 166 Acer Extensa 390 lap top, with Windows 95, IE 4 and Outlook Express. It works quite well for me in all respects. However, I have had a rather annoying experience. In searching around the Net, my curiosity led me to enter a site which turned out to be a soft porn site. Not being interested, I ignored it and continued with my research. The following day on opening my computer, I found that a shortcut icon had been installed on my desk top entitled “freesex”. I sent it to the recycle bin. The next day it appeared again and I found that it was installed in my program folder in explorer. I did a detailed search and have managed to delete all reference to it in my laptop. That’s not all of it though. I now find that, when I go into the net, I have a browser called “GoHip” and associated enhancer search frame overlaid my default search engine, NineMSN. I delete this and use either NineMSN or another search engine, or Copernic 2000. However, it is annoying. How do I get rid of this GoHip browser, permanently? The other outcome of my curiosity is that GoHip has imposed a message at the end of all my emails. Any help you can give me on these matters would be most appreciated. (more…)

One way of minimising spam (unsolicitated email ie. junk email) is to configure one’s e-mail so that it will not accept mail from specified domains. As is well known, this is not a complete answer, since spammers can easily change address. Is it possible to configure one’s e-mail so that, instead of not accepting mail from specified addresses, it will accept mail only from specified addresses? Would it be possible, for example, to configure my e-mail so that it would accept mail only from addresses already in my address book? Might this also provide protection against e-mail’s carrying viruses? My operating system is Windows 98, my ISP is Bigpond and I also have a Hotmail account. (more…)

I have an untypical problem. I cannot shut down the Windows. So I am just switching that computer off when the main colour screen appears and that is it. I am running Win 98 SE and I use a SOYO SEA 5 EAS motherboard, K6 II 300 MHz processor, 13 Gb HDD, and 64 RAM (133 MHz, 126 pin). Several times I tried to reinstall Win 98 SE but with the same effect. (more…)