Unspecified error

While opening a new URL for browsing, I encounter this problem. The Message box displays an ''Unspecified error'' (: Error # 50".) Can you please suggest a remedy? I am using IE 5.0 with PIII, Win98 with 128 MB RAM. -- M.E. Senbakavalli

After you install Internet Explorer 5.00 (5.00.2314.1003) on a Windows 98 computer, the IPHelper API may fail with error 50 (error_not_supported) or 1003 (error_can_not_complete). Please visit the following site for guidance:

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q234/5/73.asp

Print option

I have a Celeron 733 MHz PC with 128 MB RAM. I have a dotmatrix printer Epson LQ1070+. Earlier, I had Windows 95, then Windows 98 OS on my system and I recently upgraded to Windows 2000. I used to take multi-page printouts of ledgers selecting Manual Feed with which, for every page, I used to get a popup on the screen - ''Please insert paper and press any key to print.'' There would be a pause for every page and I had to press Enter after inserting another sheet to proceed with printing of the next page.

This feature worked with Windows 95 and Windows 98. But after I upgraded to Windows 2000, but with Manual Feed option, it does not work this way.

The message that requests that I insert paper and press any key to print does not appear. How do I get a pause for every page of the printout? Please suggest a solution. -- M. Senthil Kumar

There are two ways in which the paper in your personal printer can feed through your printer. The paper feed may either be set to default (automatic) or manual. If the paper feed is set to default, the paper will feed through your paper tray. If the paper feed is set to manual, you will need to feed the paper through your printer manually.

The following procedure will explain how to change the paper feed option on your personal printer.

Changing the Paper Feed Option on Your Personal Printer 1. Select the Select Printer option from the File menu. Note: You will notice small icons located to the left of each printer name. If a printer is designated as a shared printer, the icon will resemble a printer. If a printer is designated as a personal printer, the icon will resemble a small person. 2. Click on the personal printer that needs to have the paper feed option changed. 3. Click on the OK button. 4. Select the Page option from the Layout menu. 5. Select the option Paper Size. 6. Click on the Edit button in the Paper Size dialog box. 7. The current paper location (where the paper will feed from) will be shown in the Location field. To change this option, click on the inverted triangle located to the right of the Location field.

8. To change the paper feed option to default feed (paper will feed through the paper tray), click on the Default option. To change the paper feed option to manual feed (paper will need to be manually fed), click on the Manual Feed option. 9. Click on the OK button in the Edit Paper Size dialog box. 10. Click on the OK button in the Paper Size dialog box. If the problem still persists, please get back to us.

Defragmenting

I am using Windows 98 on my PC. When I try to defragment my C: drive, I get the following error message: Windows cannot defragment this drive because a program has changed data on the drive. Check scandisk and then try defrag again. ID NO:DEFRAG0084 When I run scandisk for C: drive, after a long time, I get the following error message: scandisk has restarted because Windows or another program has been writing to this drive. Quitting some running program may enable scandisk to finish sooner. But I run scandisk only and no other application is open at that time. How do I solve this problem? Please suggest a solution.-- Kothai

Please run scandisk before running Defrag to check your file system for errors which could turn perfectly good material into ''lost clusters.''

Sometimes Defrag hangs, continuing to restart without ever reaching completion. There are numerous reasons why Defrag does this. First, make sure you give it plenty of time to get its job done. It is not unusual for Defrag to seemingly hang around the 10% mark; what its really doing is figuring out how to reorganise your files and data clusters.

If it really does hang, it will present you with a message, something like, ''Defrag has been forced to restart 10 times or more....'' and give you the option to restart again or cancel. If this happens, run scandisk in Throrough mode to ensure that the disk is problem-free (you may need to close Windows and run it from the DOS prompt if scandisk, too, hangs - restart your PC in DOS mode and enter scandisk at the C: prompt. Make sure no other programs are running while Defrag is doing its thing - press Ctrl-Alt-Del to bring up the Task Manager, and click ''End Task'' for all unnecessary programs (i.e. everything except Explorer and Systray). Disable your screen saver.

Finally, clear some of the deadwood from your hard drive; Defrag can work more efficiently without a drive full of clutter and crap. If none of this works, Defrag isn't up to the job of handling your hard drive. If the problem still persists, please get back to us.

Solutions by NIIT

Try this tip

This is in response to the solution suggested for the problem posted by a reader, Rajdeep Chakradhari Miraskar, in eWorld dated November 14, 2001. (The question posted was as follows: ''The problem with my PC is that whenever I restart or shutdown, it gets only restarted each time. The configuration includes Pentium Celeron of 400 MHz. My PC works normally, except for this problem. Please suggest a solution.'')

You have suggested that the problem may be due to CPU fan overheating due to malfunction. This problem can also be solved as follows. 1. In Start - Run type ''msconfig''2. In the menu appearing, click ''advanced'' in ''general'' page. 3. Then check on the Disable fast shutdown option. 4. Restart the system when prompted. In certain PCs, some hardwares may not support the fast shutdown option of Windows.

Contributed by Vinod V. Menon

Bypass 'Connect To' Box

For Windows Me, 98 and 95

If you use dial-up networking built-in to Windows, you have probably created a shortcut for your service provider by dragging the icon out of the window, and onto the desktop or Start Menu.

The Connect To box still pops up to make sure you really want to connect. To get rid of this useless box, try the following: Windows 98 & Me: Open the Dial-Up Networking window (it's in My Computer and at the bottom of the tree in Explorer). Select Settings from the Connections menu. Turn off the Prompt for information before dialing option. Click Ok. This is only appropriate if you have already entered your username and password, clicked Save Password, and successfully logged in at least once.

Change Internet Shortcut Icon

For Windows XP, 2000, Me, 98 and 95

Run the Regedit and open HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ InternetShortcut. Double-click on the EditFlags value (in the right pane), and change its contents to 00 00 00 00. Now, open HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ InternetShortcut\ shellex, and delete the IconHandler key (in the left pane). Close the Registry Editor when you are done. Then open Explorer, select Folder Options from the View menu, and choose the File Types tab. Find and select Internet Shortcut on this list, click Edit, and then click Change Icon.

When you are done choosing an icon, click OK in each open Window.

Compiled by C. Ramesh

Please e-mail us at eworld@thehindu.co.in if you have queries on computer usage or if you find an interesting way of using the computer.