Dennis Faas

Last week, I asked Infopackets Readers if there was a way to make Explorer Windows always maximize when launched. Recall: " While flipping through emails and web pages in a fiendish learning frenzy, I offset an Explorer window to one side in order ... to get to another. When I finished what I was working on, I closed all Windows and shut the computer down. Since then, all Explorer windows I launch are opening in an offset position. Why does this happen and how can it be fixed? " Explorer Windows won't open maximized when launched? Since then, I received over 50 suggestions from ... (view more)

After sorting through and reviewing nearly 300 emails in preparation for yesterday's article on "[How to] receive phone calls while using a dial-up Internet connection*", I decided today that it was time to clean out my Inbox and get a bit more ... organized. Side note: if you missed out on yesterday's article, you can read it online: Receive Phone calls when using Dialup Internet? As it turns out, I came across a bunch of old emails dating back to January of this year. The emails were from Infopackets Readers, who answered an old newsletter question pertaining to Windows File ... (view more)

Recently, my Explorer windows stopped positioning themselves properly on the screen. While flipping through emails and web pages in a fiendish learning frenzy, I offset an Explorer window to one side in order to get to another. When I finished what ... I was working on, I closed all Windows and shut the computer down. Since then, all Explorer windows I launch are opening in an offset position. Desperate times seek desperate measures. In an attempt to fix the problem, I've tried closing all Explorer Windows, launching a new one, repositioning it in both minimized / maximized settings, and then ... (view more)

A little while back, a reader named Larry K. asked me if it was possible to answer phone calls while still maintaining a dial-up Internet connection. Receive phone calls while using dial-up Internet connection? Recall: " I use dial-up Internet, ... which is the *only* service available in my remote location. I am on call at my work, and my son will be home from University soon. Is there software / hardware / or some type of service available which can alert me of an incoming phone call when I'm online? I really don't want to purchase another phone line. " When I initially published this ... (view more)

... Continued . The following companies offer Internet Call Waiting Phone Alert Services. These services allow Dial-up / Cable / Broadband users to receive and manage phone calls while still connected to the Internet. Below is a cost and Feature ... comparison breakdown. BuzzMe / RingCentral 1 million subscribers world-wide Online Answering Machine with Caller ID Accept Call, Ignore, Reply (text-to-speech messaging), or Send to Voicemail Voicemail with Online/Offline option Toll-Free Access to Messages Accept Call, Call Forwarding, Callback Cell Phone & Pager Notifications Get messages by ... (view more)

Last week's article about tweaking spurred a few comments from our Readers. Wait a sec -- what is tweaking? In techy-terms, the word "tweak" means to optimize. With respect to PCs, tweaking may refer to one of three things: a hardware tweak (the PC ... itself), a software tweak (an application, or the operating system), or both. On the weekend, Bob T. from Wisconsin sent me an email: " Hi Dennis! Great article [last week] on tweaking. I really enjoyed reading it. I'm sure you've probably about this already, but your readers may also want to know about a program called WinGuides ... (view more)

Jay29 writes: " After a normal morning boot, the line at the bottom of Internet Explorer disappeared from my screen. This is the line that shows the URL status, the SSL lock, what's being retrieved, privacy icon, and other useful information. I've ... tried many approaches, including the Microsoft Support web site to reinstate the line, but with no luck. How can I reinstate this line? " My Response: The line at the very bottom of an Internet Explorer window is actually called the Status Bar. As Jay29 stated, the Status Bar is a very useful part of Internet Explorer: especially the lock ... (view more)

Recall: Yesterday's issue of the Gazette was about a Freeware MS Office Replacement. Infopackets Reader Jim P. made his suggestion with reference to a freeware Microsoft Word .DOC file converter: " Fast, compatible and free: 602Pro PC SUITE is the ... freeware alternative to Microsoft Office, and includes a word processor, spreadsheet, photo editor and photo organizer. " http://www.software602.com/download/ Since then, I have received more new suggestions for Freeware MS Office Replacements. In fact, Tammy F. told me that she uses a freeware program called Open Office: " I use Open ... (view more)