Monday, October 23, 2000		Dr Tribune

Dr Tribune: You need to elaborate your problem. Please mention if there are any specific files or files from folder, which are being deleted from your computer automatically. There is a possibility that the deleted files are the temporary Internet files, which can be set to automatic deletion by some utilities. If it is so, there is no need to worry. Since you have not given enough details, you can revert with more information.

I use the Internet for an hour or two. Recently, a folder was automatically created in the Windows directory named "temporary Internet files". It consumes a lot of space. I want to know 1.) Are these useful to me while browsing? 2.) Will deleting them have any adverse affect? 3.) I receive a lot of junk mail. How can I stop it?

Dr Tribune: Normally, these temporary files are not of much use and should be deleted periodically. There are several utilities on the Internet, which can be downloaded for deleting such files automatically. Such utilities can also be found on CDs bundled with computer magazines. On the Internet, www.pcpitstop.com is one such site where you can get your PC tuned and find a solution to the Internet-related problems. Log on to this site using the Internet Explorer and follow the instructions there.

Regarding your second problem, if you are receiving newsletters, you can unsubscribe them or if it is junk mail, you can block it. Try the following:

1)Read the mail carefully. You will find a declaration from the sender either at the beginning or the end, which says this mail is not sent unsolicited, etc. Somewhere there would be an unsubscribe option. If there is an address with a hyperlink, just click to send it. If it asks you to fill up a specific subject, do so. In most cases you would not receive mail from this source again.

2)To block unsolicited mail you can also set filters in your e-mail client like Outlook Express, Netscape mail, etc. Unwanted mail can be directed to a predetermined box with instructions to delete the mail after a particular period.

Dr Tribune: As of now, Net telephony is not permissible in India, so there are no registered companies in the country offering such services. However, portals like Net2Phone, Dialpad, Mediaring, etc offer PC-to-PC and PC-to-phone services worldwide and they include India. PC-to-PC calls are free, but the PC-to-phone charges within the country work out more than the DOT charges. Refer to our download sections in different issues for more information such sites.

Dr Tribune: It appears you have not read the users manual accompanying your modem. Installation procedure differs for different operating systems like, Windows 95/98/NT etc. The installation disk accompanying your modem should generally automatically install the modem. The installation disk first installs the required com ports and then the modem. Installing an internal modem is however not as easy as setting up an external one, so please refer to the user manual for detailed instructions.

Dr Tribune: To support an Ultra DMA hard disk, a motherboard must be Ultra DMA compatible. Though, I have not used this motherboard, but for benefit of our readers, I must mention that most motherboards in the market today are fully Ultra DMA compatible. Branded computers like IBM, Compaq etc. have been Ultra DMA compatible since long. It was only assembled computer, which were not ultra DMA compatible as they use a 33 line connectors instead of 66. Intel’s 810 chipset and later series are all Ultra DMA compatible. All readers who plan to buy an assembled computer must ensure that the motherboard they buy supports Ultra DMA, as this improves performance.

Regarding your second question, it is quite normal for the hard disk light to blink. This could be due to some programme working in the background or the auto save feature in Word, which automatically saves data periodically.

You can load as many music players as you want. These are independent programmes and generally do not affected each other.

About noise from your hard disk, all disks make some noise while working. So, since all your programmes are working fine, there is no reason for concern.

Dr Tribune: You have not written about the brand and model of the motherboard that you are using. Upgradation of processor depends solely upon the motherboard. So, the best I can suggest is look at the user’s manual of the motherboard and see if the motherboard supports a higher processor. If you do not have the user’s manual, then you will need to carefully at the motherboard for CPU clock and CPU clock ratio settings. These will be in the form of tables. Look at the highest figure of both these tables and then multiply the CPU clock with CPU clock ratio, the resultant figure will represent the maximum clock speed of the CPU the motherboard can support. For example, if the last figure in the table of clock speed is 75 MHz and the last figure in the CPU clock ratio table is 4.5, then on multiplying 75 by 4.5 you get the figure 337.5. This means that your computer can accept a CPU with a clock speed of upto 337.5 MHz. Even if your motherboard supports a higher chip, you will have to choose between a Cyrix or AMD, as 233MHz was Intel’s last chip for Socket 370 motherboards.

Dr Tribune: It appears that you have not correctly checked the maximum baud rate settings of the com port. A Pentium 233 MMX does support 115200 bauds. Secondly, using a 56 KBPS modem does not necessary mean that you will get a connection at this speed. Internet connectivity depends largely upon the line conditions. If your ISP is providing you 33.6 KBPS connectivity, no mater what modem you use, you will not get speed above this. At your end, ensure that you have not installed drivers for V.90 and 56 KBPS flex

Dr Tribune: It appears that Windows 98 did not automatically install the PCMCIA driver for your modem on installation. This could be because the PCMCIA modem was not installed when you upgraded to Windows 98. You simply have to install the driver for the PCMCIA modem. You can either let the Installation Wizard look for a suitable driver on boot-up from the Windows driver base or use the driver disk that came with your modem. If you use the driver disk, tell the Installation Wizard where to look for the drivers, e.g. drive A: / CD ROM, etc. Once, the driver for the PCMCIA modem is installed, both your modem and Internet connection should work fine.