Windows Tips

Infopackets Reader 'Michael' writes: " Dear Dennis, I am running Windows XP professional on my system. I'd like to reinstall Windows on my PC, but cannot locate my CD case which has the Windows XP Product Key required to install Windows back onto my ... machine. Is there a way to extract the Product Key from within my computer? " My response: Yes. All CD Keys are stored in your System Registry, and there are a number of methods (and 3rd-party applications) that can extract this information for you. Magic Jelly Bean finder (the first link listed below) will extract Windows XP and Office ... (view more)

Recall -- Last week , Infopackets Reader Cara J. asked if it was possible to copy folders from one disk to another, without copying the contents of each folder: " Dear Dennis, I enjoy your newsletter greatly. I've been saving documentation on a 100 ... megabyte ZIP disk, which there are multiple folders I've created. I'm running out of space on this particular ZIP disk and will have to start using a new one soon. Question: is there a way to copy just the folders (and not the contents) from the first disk to a new one? I'm particular about the way I file my information and would like to use ... (view more)

Die-hard Infopackets Reader Dri-Anna D. writes: " Dear Dennis, Being that I consider you a trusted source (along with Fred Langa's LangaList), I am following your newsletter articles with great interest with respect to updating Windows XP to Service ... Pack 2. I have a question, however. I will be purchasing a new computer next month, and it will have a pre-installed copy of Windows XP Home Edition, complete with the install CD so I can install it again at a later date (if needed). I am very excited about using my new computer, yet, I am also dreading the job of transferring my gobs of ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Cara J. writes: " Dear Dennis, I enjoy your newsletter greatly. I've been saving documentation on a 100 megabyte ZIP disk , which there are multiple folders I've created. I'm running out of space on this particular ZIP disk and ... will have to start using a new one soon. Question: is there a way to copy just the folders (and not the contents) from the first disk to a new one? I'm particular about the way I file my information and would like to use the same method on the new disk. Any help would be appreciated! " My response: This is an odd question, however, it is ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Ed M. writes: " Dear Dennis, I have a Broadcom 440x10/100 Integrated [Ethernet] Controller built onto my computer's main board. On the task bar (near my clock), I can see a computer icon with a red X on top of it. If I hover my ... mouse over top, it says 'LAN or High Speed Internet' is disconnected. Could you please instruct me on how to connect it? " My response: Actually, this sounds like a similar scenario I recently faced when visiting my friend Frank in Toronto, except he has an extra Network card in his machine that is currently not in use (rather than an extra ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader William A. writes: " Dear Dennis, I just finished reading your recent article entitled, 'Download directly to CD using Windows XP?' ( August 26, 2004 ). I was curious about one thing: can you please tell me if it is possible to ... right click a file and have it 'Send To' my CD Burner? For example, if I right click over top of a document, there is a sub-header which reads 'Send To', with options (such as Internet Explorer, MS Paint, etc).Any help is appreciated! " My response: As long as you meet the following criteria, you can most definitely use the "SendTo ... (view more)

This feature article is a step away from our normal discussions, as I am currently out of town visiting a friend in Toronto, Ontario for the next few days. RE: My encounter with the Backdoor.Agent.B Trojan I arrived at Frank's place in Toronto this ... past Sunday, and was unable to access the Internet until Wednesday. Unfortunately, Frank's computer was host to 35 virus-infected files, 7 Spyware variants, 4 Trojans, and 2 Internet worms (including MyDoom and SoBig) -- and he didn't even know it. I spent much of Monday and Tuesday "undoing" the damage caused by the malware. I have to ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Kim S. writes: " Dear Dennis, I love your site! It is one of the best I have ever seen to date. My question for you is this: I have Windows XP Home Edition and I would like to be able to save my the programs I download directly to ... CD recordable. The problem is, I don't see an option in the 'Save as' window to save to disc. Can you help? " My response: First, let me say that this is a tricky subject and requires quite a bit of technical knowledge. I will do my best to give you the 'break down' with the least amount of techie-talk; however, I strongly believe that ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Sherrie R. writes: " Hi Dennis, I am currently using Windows 2000 and Outlook Express. Sometimes when I receive an email, I see a lightly outlined small box with a red X in the center where a picture should appear. The red X also ... appears (but less frequently) with some web sites I visit. Why does this happen? Many of my friends report this has happened to them too, but they don't know why either. I would appreciate any and all help/advice you can give. " My response: There are a number of reasons why a red X may appear on your screen, and is not necessarily a ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Jim R. writes: " Dear Dennis, I read your article about sending music with e-mail. I had already been through all the HTML setup when I had trouble not getting pictures sent. All the solutions you mentioned I have done, but I ... still can't send music as background with email. Any other solutions? I am at a loss as to where to go next. I am running Windows XP, Internet Explorer 6, and Outlook Express 6. " My response: You are correct, in that that you need to ensure that your mail sending format is set for HTML (rather than plain text), in order to insert (*not* ... (view more)