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The HAPCC general meeting is on 4th Sunday of each month. The
next general meeting will be Sept 27th. Meeting time 7:00 - 9:00
pm. The HAPCC has a meeting place at: Maritime Museum of the
Atlantic 1675 Lower Water Street , Halifax, NS.
Parking available in the nearby Government parking lot or in
the Museum parking lot. Access to the building is via the Night
Entrance Doors, located just to the right of the regular front
doors. If door is locked, use the bell on upper left side of the
Night Entrance Doors.
The meeting room is on the second floor and has a theatre
type of layout. Washrooms are located close by. Elevator service
is available. Coffee served.
This meetings guest is Troy Dolomont, from Staples
Business Depot. The topic will be "goodies", under 100.00 for Christmas
or just good buys. Troy did a presentation last year which was a interesting
presentation. Opening Q&A by Rob MacCara and Windows topics by Bill
Marchant round out the meeting.
Also get ready for the annual swap meeting on January 3rd.
Bill Marchant - Removing MRU Files from Windows Applications
Robert MacCara - Bios Upgrade
Ken Fermoyle - Networking: Upgrade that makes sense
General Information
A word of thanks to guest speakers and the their web suites
Newsletter Information
Meeting Schedule for the year>
A number of weeks ago, I was asked if I knew how to
remove the names of the most recently used files which appear in many applications
when the 'FILE' menu item is selected. I have discovered two magazine articles
which together contain the answer along with some other interesting facts.
The first is in PC Magazine, November 4 1997, Vol 16
No 19 in the User to User section, and is entitled 'Automatically Remove
Entries from the Registry'. The second is in the 3 November 1998 Vol 17
No 19 issue. This one, also in User to User is called 'Automating Deletions
from the Windows 95 Registry/.
Before we start: .... A WARNING!!.....
Playing around with the Windows Registry has always been considered hazardous, because
of the possibility of accidentally changing something in an unknown way,
and rendering some program unusable, or even worse, your computer unboot-
able. Before you start, therefore, make a backup as follows. Run 'RegEdit',
and select the Registry branch you plan to modify. In this case it will
be HKEY_CURRENT_USER. Select 'Export' from the registry menu to create
a .REG file defining that branch. Give it a name you will recognize again,
such as 'HKCUBackup'. The system will put a .REG extension on it. If you
blow HKEY_CURRENT_USER, you will be able to replace it by calling 'RegEdit]
again, and selecting 'Registry | Import Registry File'. Then you select
the backup file you created. RegEdit will put it back together again.
You should remember that the Registry is dynamic. If
you make a backup, and then you delete or add a new application, the Backup
will no longer be valid if you use it. You should have a fresh backup for
each manipulation of the registry. Of course, once you have tested the
files which I will show you, there should be no further hazard until you
want to make new changes.
The articles noted above give examples of .INF files
which are used to alter the Registry. The file in the second article shows
how to delete the contents of the URL list in the 32 bit version of Netscape
Navigator 3. It can be copied from the article, or down loaded from PC
Magazine's web sight. It contains these lines:
;DELURL.INF ; When 'installed', this file deletes the
'URL History' ; key in the Win 95 Registry, along with all values ; (URLs)
associated with the key. [version] signature="$CHICAGO$" [DefaultInstall]
DelReg=EraseThis [EraseThis] HKCU,'Software\Netscape\Netscape Navigator\URL
History' ;HKCU is Win 95 'shorthand' for Hkey_Current_User.
Note that in an .INF file, lines preceded by a semicolon
are remarks, and are not acted on. The key line is under the [EraseThis]
header. This is the line that can be altered to adapt the file to other
erasable items. Of course, you would probably want to change the comments
as appropriate. You can also leave blank lines for better readability.
This file deletes the contents of 'Software\Netscape\
Netscape Navigator\URL History', under the HKEY_CURRENT_USER branch of
the Registry. The .INF file is activated when required by executing a batch
file. (Remember DOS .BAT files?) You need to create a batch file to call
the .INF file, or you may have a batch file to which you can add the new instruction.
Directions for making the new instruction for the .BAT
file are as follows: Open the Windows Explorer. Click View | Options, Select
File Types, From the list of Registered File Types, highlight 'Setup Information'
and click the Edit button. In the Actions window of the Edit File Type
box, highlight Install, then click the Edit button. In the box labelled
'Application used to perform action' you will see a highlighted string.
BE CAREFUL, if you hit any other key you may delete the highlighted string,
and then you will have to start over again. Use CTRL-C to copy the string
to the clipboard, and the back out of Explorer by cancelling all the way.
I made a new folder on my C: drive to put this stuff in. I called it RegControl.
Then I made a new file which I called DeleteURL.BAT. It has the following lines in it:
rem DeleteURL.bat C:\WINDOWS\rundll.exe setupx.dll,InstallHinfSection
DefaultInstall 132 C:\RegControl\delurl.inf rem This will delete the Most
Recently Used list from the Netscape Navigator
Notice that the second line is pasted from the Clipboard,
and is followed by a space and then the complete path of the .INF file.
The first and third lines beginning 'rem' are remarks. They are informative only.
If you have not already made your Register backup (which
you really should have done) be sure to do it now, and then test the system
by executing the .BAT file. Double clicking it in the Explorer will do
the trick. When it works OK. You can call the .BAT file from your autoexec.bat,
or other file, or you can incorporate the lines into another batch file.
Finding the correct place to apply this technique for
other applications is a bit of a trick. I used RegEdit to explore the Registry
until I found the place where last used files for Corel WordPerfect are
stored. It is in HKEY_CURRENT_USER at 'Software\Corel\User Assist\8\Recent
Work\WordPerfect\Last Opened'. When I first typed this into the INF file,
and saved the file under the name WPMRUDel.BAT, it did not work. I found
I had left out the space between 'Last' and 'Opened'. Windows doesn't care
if letters are upper or lower case, but spaces are characters in long file
names, and are important. No harm can come of a mistake like this since
the file cannot delete something that does not exist, unless of course,
it is the wrong one, and it does happen to exist.
It only needs to be added for completeness, that this
technique, using appropriate commands can be used for making all sorts
of changes including additions of data to the Windows Registry.
In this issue
I'm going to relate here an experience I encountered partly
out of desperation and partly out of curiosity. The story starts with two
motherboards - one with a 'dead' BIOS and the other with a toasted i/o
sub-system and bad voltage regulator.
Now the board with the bad BIOS was fine with the exception
that it wouldn't boot. I could replace the BIOS chip with a known good
working one, but then I'd have another good motherboard missing a BIOS
chip. So what to do? I had a motherboard that someone had dropped a steel
slot cover across several chips, and then powered the computer on and off
a couple of times. Needless to say, the motherboard smoked!
Since the BIOS is really only used to power up the
system, why not power on with a good BIOS chip, then once it's booted up,
replace it 'hot' and then try to flash upgrade the old and dead BIOS chip?
Sounds good in theory, but aren't there risks with removing parts and pieces
while the computer is running? Of course there are! (re-read the first para).
To start this 'experiment', I did a clean boot with
a DOS disk after making sure that the BIOS chip was very loosely set in
it's socket. Once booted into DOS, I carefully removed the BIOS chip and
replaced it with the dead chip while maintaining strict ESD precautions.
So far so good. The computer is still running with at first a good BIOS,
no BIOS and then a dead BIOS. So as not to push my luck too far, I now
started to run the flash BIOS routine. Once that's done, the program asks
me to reboot. Now the question is, will it reboot under its own steam?
Did the BIOS flash work? But of course!
My co-workers didn't believe that it would work (I
think they thought I was joking when I said what I was going to do) and
my boss didn't believe it even after seeing it work! I wouldn't suggest
this approach as a regular way of fixing dead BIOS chips, but given the
right circumstances, (desperation) it may do the trick. Please don't take
this procedure as advice, and as usual, there are no guarantees to this
method. Kids, don't try this at home!
In this issue
First came 'sneaker networking'
in the late '70s, early '80s, when we carried floppy diskettes from computer
to computer. Then came 'poor-boy networking', using simple switches, null
modem cables, software like LapLink, and MacLink to share printers and
transfer files. Often we simply plugged and unplugged cables. Macintoshes
had the advantage of built-in network capabilities, although at just 230.4
Kbps transmission speed was slow.
I tried all of the above during
the 1980s in my home office and as a partner in a small, pioneering publishing
service bureau. A "real" network, with servers and client workstations,
was out of reach.
Things have changed! Low prices,
simple peer-to-peer networks, and support built into current operating
systems now make it inexpensive and easy to link computers and peripherals
in home or small business offices. Today you can enjoy the benefits of
a true Ethernet network for under $100 if you run Windows for Workgroups
(3.1.1); Windows 95, 98 or NT; or Mac OS (and want more speed than AppleTalk
provides).
Adding a simple network is especially
attractive if you are adding a new computer. Don't get rid of your old
one. You won't get much for it, and it can still be a useful asset. How?
By linking it to the new computer via a simple network. Consider these possibilities.
First, you can keep all your pet
programs, especially 'legacy' 16-bit Win3x and/or DOS apps, on the older
machine and use them as you always have. Use only 32-bit software on the
new computer to improve performance.
Second, you can eliminate duplication
of programs. Why invest in a new word processor or spreadsheet, for example,
if the ones you've been using still do everything you require? Save your
new machine for up-to-date graphics, games or Internet-related programs
that really benefit from better performance.
Third, you can use each of the
two computers to back up the other one. John Bowen, honcho of the Black
Lake Computer Club, Nipomo, CA, showed me some months ago how he and his
wife do just that with their His & Her computers. It's probably the
easiest way to do backups.
One thought here: If your old computer
has its hard drive(s) filled to bursting, consider adding another one just
for backup use. New multi-grg hard drives are really cheap now, and I suspect
it's possible to find decent used 1.2 to 2.5 gigabyte drives for $25 to
$50. (Part 3 of this Upgrades that Make Sense series will zero in on hard
drives, incidentally.)
All you need to set up a network are the following:
* A Network Interface Card (NIC) for each computer and appropriate driver
* Thin coaxial or unshielded twisted pair (UTP) cabling in appropriate lengths
* BNC connectors and terminators, if you use coaxial cables
* Multiport hub, optional if you want to connect more than a handful of computers, necessary if you want
a Fast Ethernet network (100 Mbps vs. 10 Mbps for standard 10Base-T Ethernet), which is
probably overkill for most of us.
Prices? Very reasonable! I've seen
full-duplex, Plug-and-Play Ethernet cards for as little as $15 to $20;
5-port hubs run from about $40 to $100.
UTP 10Base-T cables resemble ordinary
telephone wire but use RJ45 connectors and have eight wires inside. Coaxial
10Base-2 cables look like those that connect TVs to VCRs, with similar
twist-on BNC connectors. Prices vary by length, but a 10-footer typically
sells for about $11 to $14 for either type. Use cables that meet Category
5 standards to ensure top performance and future expandability. For networks
with more than a few computers or when using Fast Ethernet, experts recommend UTP cabling.
To connect just two computers,
it's often cheaper and easier to buy a kit that includes two NICs, a 10Base-2
coax cable, connectors and terminators, driver setup software and detailed
installation instructions. This is especially true for novice networkers.
With a kit, you're sure that components match, and you have a single source
to contact should you need tech support.
You can add one or two computers
to this type of network later, daisy-chaining them with additional NICs
and cables. Use a hub and UTP cables for bigger networks.
I've used the LinkSys (www.linksys.com)
Network in a Box and StarTech Computer Products (www.startechcomp.com)
Network Kit (under $100) and they worked well.
Make sure the NICs have both BNC
and RJ45 connectors so you can upgrade to twisted-pair cables if you deiced
to add a hub and expand your network later. I haven't tried Netgear's starter
kits (about $120) that uses UTP cables and a 4-port, externally powered
hub, or a similar one from Linksys (two PCI NICs, 5-port hub, about $95),
but both are attractive, expandable options.
My entry to networking in 1996
came after buying a new HP inkjet printer designed for use with bidirectional
parallel ports and IEEE-1284 cables. We already shared two printers, using
A-B switches. I couldn't find a switch that was compatible with the IEE-1284
standard, and I tried! Installing a network was the farthest thing from
my mind, until I spotted Network in a Box from LinkSys. It looked simple
enough (though I had grave misgivings) and the cost (then about $90, now
under $70) was less than some of the switches I priced.
Physical installation was easy.
Pilot error (I misread a key direction) created a few problems with the
software setup. A little help from my friends at ASC Computers, my local
computing life support system here in Woodland Hills, CA, solved that.
Life instantly became much easier. My wife and I had easy access to the
printer sand each other's files. If I was working on a newsletter and needed
a graphics file Liz created, it was a snap to import it from her computer.
I'm currently nearing the final
stage of a major system overhaul, including one new computer as a server,
upgrades to three others, adding another printer, and new modems. Instead
of having just two computers linked I will have four on the new net via
a 5-port 10BaseT hub and UTP cables. I'll fill you in on that project in
a future column.
Copyright 1998 by Ken Fermoyle, Fermoyle Publications.
Ken Fermoyle has written some 2,500
articles for publications ranging from Playboy and PC World to MacWeek,
MicroTimes & PC Laptop. He was cohost/producer of a radio show on computers
and a partner in a DTP service bureau during the '80s.If your group would
like to receive the column regularly, send e-mail to kfermoyle@earthlink.net.
If you use the above article, please mail a copy of your newsletter or
tear sheet to Fermoyle Publications, 22250 Capulin Ct., Woodland Hills,
CA 91364-3005.
In this issue
Chairperson David Potter
Vice-Chair Bill Marchant
Treasurer Rob MacCara
Web Librarian Thayne MacLean
Newsletter Editor Diane Smith
Membership Promotion Pat Conen
and the following members who assist in planning our monthly
meetings: Norman DeForest, Henry Hill, Ken Gilmour,and Colin Stuart.
The HAPCC has two kinds of meetings. Firstly the regular
Sunday night meeting which most members attend regularly,
secondly the monthly (approximately) planning meeting which
organises the business of the Club, including what happens on the
Sundays. The planning meeting is held on Monday, a week after the
regular meeting in which all members of the Club are urged to
attend. At the planning meeting, we discuss feature speakers for
regular meetings, finances, membership, training, and other
computer related subjects.
....Bill Marchant
In this issue
Our guest speaker at the March meeting was Mr.
David Baxter, Product Specialist at MT&T for the MpoweredPc
service. His multi-media presentation showed us how far the
service has come, and in which direction it is heading.
MpoweredPc was being officially launched on April 7, 1998 and it
promises to be a serious contender in the high-speed
internet/software on demand arena. More info can be found here:
Mpowered. Once again, Thank you to MT&T and David Baxter.
Our guest speaker in February was Sgt. Bill
Cowper, Internet Communications Officer of the Halifax Regional
Municipality Police Department. He gave a history of how and when
the police department started using the Internet. They were the
first police department in Canada to be on the Internet. Sgt.
Cowper is continually receiving calls from all over the world
looking for assistance. The presentation showed how well the
department and the officers in the patrol cars are versed on
getting the criminals off the streets. If you would like to
check-out their web site the address is
Halifax
Regional Police Service gives an idea
of what an "Internet Cybercop" is all about.
In this issue
Newsletter Articles.... We are almost always in need of good
articles. If anyone has something that they feel would make a
good article, an interesting story to tell, or even a good
meeting topic, please don't hesitate to pass it on. Articles can
be submitted in almost any format, ASCII text, AMI Pro, MS Word,
Windows Write, WordStar and of course WordPerfect.
The newsletter is mailed to all paid up members and to
anyone who has attended a meeting within the past three months.
Yearly membership dues are $15.00.
Club Mailing Address -
P.O. Box 29008, Halifax N.S., B3L 4T8.
In this issue
We decide the meeting dates for the upcoming year at the last
planning meeting of the season. The dates for these are listed
below. As in previous years, the December meeting is moved to the
early part of January due to Christmas Eve being near the fourth Sunday of the month.
The planning meetings are normally held on the
second Monday (8 days) after the general meeting. They are
currently held at a members home and the address is announced at
the meeting prior to the planning meeting. Anyone is welcome to
assist in the planning of future meetings or events. Meeting
dates for the 1998/99 season:
Nov-22 Jan-3 Jan-31 Feb-28 Mar-28 Apr-25 May-24 June-27
Any changes to the scheduled dates will be announced where possible at the regular monthly meetings and/or in this newsletter.
