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Email Settings |
Leaky Capacitors Lost your emails Early dialup disconnection Broadband not working Attachments problem Computer crashing |
OpenOffice MS format |
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Q: I can't connect to my ADSL broadband connection. I've tried everything. Help. A: In a case where you're no longer connected to the internet via broadband, the first step is to get the broadband modem to re-initialise. To do this, simply unplug the broadband modem from the power adapter. This is usually done by removing the small black power cable that is usually plugged into the rear of your broadband modem. Leave it disconnected for ONE FULL MINUTE. Then, after one minute unplugged, plug the power cable back in. You'll notice then that the lights on your broadband modem will gradually flicker, and the DSL light should soon become steady. This can sometimes take up to three minutes. You should then be reconnected to the internet. This simple procedure resolves 90% of all broadband connection issues. By starting your broadband modem cold like this, you allow the software in the broadband modem to reload freshly. (Sometimes with minor surges or maintenance work further upstream, your broadband modem's memory can become scrambled, and needs to be reset.
Q: What is a screen capture, and how do I do it: A: A screen capture is a copy of what you see on your monitor screen, no longer as a working desktop, but a picture (or bitmap) of your screen. Many of the images below are screen captures. For a detailed explanation of how to do a screen capture and email it to a support technicion, please click here. Q: How do I change OpenOffice 2 format to automatically save as the Microsoft format: A: Once you've installed OpenOffice 2, you can change the default file-save from the OpenOffice propriety format to Microsoft Office format.
Do the same for Spreadsheet (in the Document Type dropdown box) and choose Microsoft Excel 97/2000/Xp We would recommend that for Presentation choose you leave the OpenOffice default format and only save to PowerPoint 97/2000/Xp when your project is finally completed. This will allow you to more adequately further edit your project, as we have observed that some editable features are lost when doing the final compatibility save to the MS PPT format.
This now makes OpenOffice 2 completely compatible with the standard Microsoft formats. Q: How can I permanently change the drive letter of my Optical Drive or DVD-ROM Drive? Changing it from D:\> to Q:\> A: Right click on My Computer, choose Manage, then select Disk Management.
Right click on your optical drive and choose Change Drive Letter And Paths.
Click on Change, select the drive letter of your choice and follow prompts to finish changing the drive letter. Q: Our backup PC has 2 x 200gb drives, however each one only shows 127Gb available. Is this a bios limitation ? I checked the MSI website for BIOS updates, but the latest version they have is 6.1 – same as we are using. AMI website has refs to AMIBIOS8, but I don’t know if that is compatible. Would like to have the entire 200gb available on each drive available as single partitions if possible. What do you suggest ?? A: This is not a bios issue. You're limited by FAT32. 127Gb is the absolute maximum you can achieve per partition using FAT32 via a WinMe DOS boot disk. (From within Windows Xp, you'll discover that the maximum FAT32 partition size you can create is just over 30Gb). Have you tried creating NTFS partitions -- where you'll receive practically the full 200Gb? Of course, if you specifically require FAT32, there's not much you can do except to partition the hard disk drive into two partitions. Q: I have noticed that the Norton Virus alert has turned itself off on the laptop. Can you please advise how we can get it working again. A notice comes up when I turn on computer saying that the computer is not virus protected by NAV. A: When Norton AntiVirus appears to be off or disabled, there are several things you can do. Can you see the Norton AntiVirus icon in the System Tray (the collection of icons on the rhs of the taskbar at the bottom of your screen)?
In this case you must then Uninstall Norton AntiVirus (using your Computers' Control Panel), restart your PC, and then insert your Norton AntiVirus CD to begin reinstallation. Once Norton AntiVirus has been reinstalled, follow the prompts to connect to the internet to allow LiveUpdate to download the latest virus definitions, etc. (Make sure you allow the latest virus definitions to be installed to your PC before checking email.) In some cases, the viruses that may be on your PC will prevent Norton AntiVirus (or any other antivirus package) from being installed. In this scenario, please call us. We scan your hard disk in another computer in order to remove those viruses, repair the damaged Windows files [eg, registry], before refitting your hard disk and reinstalling Norton AntiVirus. Q: What are the Classic IT Support email settings? A: Username: username The image below from Outlook Express 6 email client. The settings for other email clients may appear different, such as Outlook or Thunderbird. In any case, the information is relevant
In the scenario where you discover you cannot send email, or an email error is generated when you try to send email using the Classic IT account settings (as illustrated above), then you may have to change the SMTP outgoing server settings from classic-it.net to that of your ISP. For example, if you connect to the internet with Bigpond, then your SMTP mail settings may be mail.bigpond.com or mail.bigpond.com.au; if your ISP is Westnet, then your SMTP server setting can be changed to mail.westnet.com.au In the event that you change the Outgoing Mail SMTP setting to that offered by your ISP, then please ensure that you have unchecked the box My server requires authentication You may also find our beta webmail service of help, especially when using a remote computer. Q: When I try to start my PC, the lights come on briefly, and then there's nothing. I have switched off the PC for a few minutes at the power source (as you instructed earlier), but his has made little difference.
The photo at the left shows what leaky capacitors may look like. In most cases this will require a mainboard replacement. I have seen one of my technician friends attempt the soldering in of new capacitors - this is certainly not recommended option as it is time consuming and mainboard damage is easy to incur. Please arrange to have your PC thoroughly tested; we will then be able to help you choose the best outcome.
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Q: I was doing something that I shouldn't yesterday and have lost all my emails. What I did was to delete them from the email store folder in documents and settings - and after I realised what I had done and restored them I still had nothing in outlook express. A: To find where your emails are stored on your PC, from within Outlook Express, click on Tools, Options, Maintentance, Store Folder
It may look like something as in the image to the left. You may however, have your email store location in a path much longer than this one. We chose to place our store folder on a secondary hard drive (for backup purposes). Your store location may look like C:\Documents and Settings\User\Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\{E1234568-7ABC-53EC-QR3A-AF35QKLRTEZ}\Microsoft\Outlook Express. The method to restore your email database may vary. Your email store location may look like the following using Windows Explorer:
You may change your store location to another location, or continue using the current one. If you can't see your customised folders after restoring the deleted *.dbx files, then it is just a matter of closing Outlook Express, deleting the newly created inbox(1).dbx file, and renaming the inbox.dbx file to inbox(1).dbx Now that you have restored your email databases in the eml folder, copy the store folder (for backup purposes) to another location on your PC. (Perhaps on the Recovery partition of D:\email). We recommend that you make a complete back-up of all your email files/folders/databases, as this can be of enormous help if something goes wrong. Close Outlook Express and then simply copy the Outlook Express store folder to another location on your PC. Make sure you move the complete folder, and there are a couple of other files apart from the DBX ones that need to be backed up. Please call us if you require further help with this. Q: My dialup internet connection disconnects early. A: There are various reasons why your internet connection is prematurely disconnecting. Please ensure that you have disabled Telstra "Call Waiting". If Call Waiting is enabled while you are connected to the internet, then should someone telephone during that connection, then you will be disconnected. Another reason for early disconnections is that you may have enabled Outlook Express to disconnect after sending and receiving email. This is easily remedied from the Connection tab in the Options menu of Outlook Express. Another reason for early disconnections is quality of phone line. If your phone line is noisy, then you may not be able to connect at full speed, and the result often will mean an early disconnection. To test this, pick up your telephone handset and press 1. You will then have up to ten seconds of quiet. If you can hear any humming, buzzing, ticking or clicking, then your phone line will need to be looked at by a Telstra technician. If you have another phone elsewhere in the house on that same line, you may want to unplug the handset before using the internet. Some telephone handsets send an occasional pulse down the phoneline in order to keep the one-touch dialling feature alive. When this pulse is sent, you will be disconnected. |
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Q: I keep getting a message on my emails saying - OE removed access to the following unsafe attachments in your mail. What is OE? I seem to be getting this message on about every second email. My attachments in Outlook Express are grayed out and I can't read them A: In order to view/receive any attachments in Outlook Express, you will have to change a setting. Currently, Outlook Express is preventing certain types of attachments from being viewed. Because you have the latest updates with Norton AntiVirus, it should be safe to deactivate that setting in Outlook Express. The setting is there because, should you not have an antivirus program running, any attachments or email that are viruses will be unable to activate in your Inbox. Click on Tools, Options, Security and uncheck the box displayed in the image below.
Close Outlook Express, and then restart the program. You will now find that you will be able to view all Outlook Express attachments. Q:
I am still unable to defrag 'C' drive. It works on 'D' drive. I have disabled Norton Antivirus, gone off the net, and disabled screensaver but it makes no difference. Q:
We are having problems with the colour on our internet. When people e-mail me pictures of their clothes etc. they say they are pink for example and yet they look blue to us. Q:
I have just formatted my Windows 98 system. How do I reload windows? It has a black screen with a C:\> prompt.
Q:
I have a PCI card but can't determine the maker in
order to locate a driver for it. Q:
My Windows 98 computer "hangs" when I try to shut down. Q:
The icons on my desktop move away when I try to click on
them. Q: My computer
has been crashing a lot lately. Sometimes I can't even start
it. Q: I can't seem to always successfully write CDs on my CD writer. A: When writing a CD, there are several things you must do before you begin writing. First, disable ALL utilites and programs that may be running in the background. Disable your DOS mouse driver (if you have one running); disable Fast Find; temporarily disable your anti-virus software; turn off your screen saver - these otherwise useful programs may interrupt the CD writing process, and you will have what's termed a "buffer underrun". You may also want to check the (Adaptec, Nero or other) website for the latest patches and updates to your CD Writer. In some cases it may be necessary to uninstall and then re-install your CD writing software. Q: My mouse is difficult to control, and somewhat erratic. A: The tracking ball in your mouse has picked up a combination of hand perspiration and lint, and transferred this to the X and Y cordinate rollers in your mouse. This is easily fixed by removing the track ball, and using a matchstick remove the offending lint. You should replace your mouse if this doesn't remedy the problem. We would also recommend using an optical mouse. Q: My computer crashed, leaving a leaving this error message -- what should I do. A: There are several levels of "crashes". Some can be resolved without shutting down and restarting your computer. If only one program has stopped running, but others seem to work okay, then you may be able to shut down normally. To determine where the problem is, press and hold Control and Alt on your keyboard, and while holding them down, press Del once. If nothing happens, wait a few seconds, and then press the Reset button on the front panel of your computer. If a box appears showing the programs that are running, you may be able to see one that says "...not responding". Select this item and click on End Task. Be patient, and it may take a few seconds to complete. If the program continues to crash, then it will need looking at by one of our technical staff. Q: I've heard that there are bugs in Windows 98. Should I upgrade from Windows 95? A: Yes, of course! Because of the many hardware vendors and software authors within the IBM PC clone architecture, any Operating System software is bound to current technology. As soon as a piece of hardware is released to the purchasing public, it is almost immediately followed by a Service Pack or update patch. Don't listen to the cynics; Windows 98 comes with a much bigger and better driver database, and significant improvements over 95. Q: My modem isn't working. I can't get diagnostics to show anything. A: If you have left your modem plugged into the telephone line, and if you've had a power surge or spike caused by a recent thunderstorm, for example, then this is in keeping with a lightning-induced surge entering your modem via the phone line and damaging sensitive internal components. The modem needs to be replaced. Note that some air-conditioners, fridges and freezers that are plugged into the same power line as your computer can cause a variety of electrical problems. Q: My system is a few years old. Is it susceptible to the millenium bug? (This question is quite old too)! A: There are several update patches available for minor issues in Windows 95 and 98, as well as a series of diagnostic tests to check your computer's bios and it's ability to process four-digit dates as well as leap year calculations. Windows 3.x is not Y2K compliant, and there are no available patches from Microsoft for this. Q: My computer gives a series of beeps, and nothing comes on the monitor. What's wrong? A: Sounds like a video-related problem. A long beep followed by two or three short beeps indicates that your video card isn't functioning correctly. Q: How can I receive a fax using my modem? A: Make sure you have installed your fax software correctly. If you plan to leave your fax-modem connected to your telephone line for any length of time, then please ensure you have a spike arrestor/power filter fitted to the phone line to minimise damage to your modem. Then, make sure that the fax software is "enabled" to listen for incoming faxes. (Disable the "listening" feature of your fax software when you want to use the internet). There are a variety of fax software packages available, many of which come bundled with modems. Q. When I print a document from Bizz Wizz, the last page with columns is missing. I have tried to set the printer to landscape format, but it still doesn't work. A. Because you're using a DOS version of Bizz Wizz, you need a DOS driver. You would probably be better off by upgrading to a more recent Windows version of Bizz Wizz, and then ensure that you have the correct printer driver installed. Q. The coffee cup holder on my computer tries to swallow my cup. A. You'll be surprised to learn that your "coffee cup holder" is really a CD ROM drive, and never intended to nurse that hot cup of coffee! Why not trade your computer system for a perculator! Q. When I use MS Word in Windows 98, and try to print a short newsletter, my screen often freezes, mouse stops, and often there are so many errors in the printout. Printer is a Canon LPB430W. Do I need more than 16 Mb of memory? A. No, you shouldn't necessarily require more RAM. You probably have a video card problem. Check that you have the right/latest video driver. Check that you have the latest printer driver. Avoid old drivers for other/earlier OS's. For some cheaper monitors, make sure that the refresh rate is set at default or no more that 60Hz
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This online help page is provided free of charge for the benefit of our many Classic IT Support customers. Any advice is subject to change and/or variables, and while every effort is made to ensure appropriate information is given, no liabiltiy is accepted for information that may not reflect the described nature of the PC-related problem. The answers given in this forum are ususally short and to the point, avoiding longer explanations. It is our hope that this FAQ page is of some help. This is not intended to be a comprehensive database, though given time, additional information will be added and categorised.
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Is there a red X through the NAV icon -- as in the image to the left. If it is disabled, right-click on this icon and choose "Enable Auto Protect". When you re-start your PC and you discover that the icon is again "disabled" then Norton AntiVirus may need to be reinstalled. It has either become corrupted, or affected
adversely by a virus -- which can happen if your virus definitions have not been regularly updated.
A: This sounds like a Power Supply issue. I would suspect a failed Power Supply unit, or worse still, leaky mainboard capacitors.
