Q: I recently upgraded to Windows Millennium. Since then I haven't been able to use my DSL line. The phone company says that the line is functional. I have an internal DSL ATM card. What should I do?
A: Although there isn't a grand answer to this problem, experiencing it might make you feel part of a family, because it happens to lots of people. Unfortunately there are incompatibilities with certain internal DSL modems and Windows Me. It is a driver issue, so it can be resolved, but requires a patch from either the DSL company or the hardware manufacturer of the modem. I would recommend contacting your DSL provider for information. Once you have the driver patch, reload it into Windows Me in the standard Windows way (Start/Settings/ Control Panel/Add/Remove Programs).
Q: Any idea why my control panel icons in Windows 98 are displaying black? I was trying different display settings and selected "Don't restart my computer" (I'm not sure if that had anything to do with, it but I think the icons are stored as 24-bit and I'm using a 16-bit mode?). I have tried selecting other settings, again with no luck.
A: There are a few things that could be amiss here. There is obviously some form of corruption, either in the icon, or in the driver that is supposed to display them. The icons are stored as either 8 or 16 bit, depending on which Windows scheme you use, and can successfully be viewed by at higher orbit levels. I would first download new video drivers. If that doesn't fix it, I would then do a soft install of Windows 98.
Q: I got a burner put into my desktop, and had to replace my CD-ROM to do so since there wasn't enough room to have both. Is there another way to burn CD to CD?
A: There is a very easy way to burn CD to CD with a source drive. Make an ISO image of the CD and then burn that with the CD-R drive. The software that came with it should have the option to copy the source disk to your hard drive before writing.
Q: I just reformatted my hard drive. I installed Windows 95 and now I get the error message "unable to control A20 line, xms driver not installed, setup cannot find a high memory manager and cannot continue." What can I do about this error?
A: A20 controls access to extended memory, which is what himem.sys deals with. Usually himem.sys will be able to determine your machine type, and therefore your memory architecture. Unfortunately, like presidential candidates, it can get confused by details. To prevent the confusion, type the following line in your config.sys: Device=c:\himem.sys /machine:1.
Q: I spilled a nice raspberry jam onto my keyboard. I can't type my research paper, as the keys are not responsive anymore. Can this be cleaned, or do I have to buy a new one?
A: A classic question really; who hasn't run into this problem? If your keyboard does not have multimedia buttons on it, you can soak it in a bathtub or sink in a mild solution of alcohol and water. You want to stay away from sudsy soap. Agitate the keyboard until it is clean and then hang dry for at least two days. You could also just buy a new standard keyboard for about $10. The choice is yours.
Special Agent Tyler Shaw beats the streets for troubled users everywhere. Write to him care of the Geek Squad tech@geeksquad.com.
