Miscellaneous FAQ`s

Section 80: Interesting Posts I've found on DT

Various Articles found while roaming DellTalk

The Predator

80-1: Clean Up the Context Menu (credit: Author Unknown)

To remove a wanted Option from a Pop-up menu you will have to edit the Registry to remove the option. First back up the Registry: In any folder, select View - Options (or View - Folder Options). Click the View tab. Select Show all files, and then Click OK. Open the Windows folder and find the files user.dat and system.dat. Right -drag these files to another folder, selecting Copy Here on the pop-up menu.

Now launch Regedit. In the left pane, navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\ shellex\ContextMenuHandlers, and click the folder's plus sign to view its folders. Still in the left pane, delete the folder below ContextMenuHandlers that's named for the program you want removed.

Back to Top

Back to CD/RW

80-2: Forgotten Password (credit: PhiberOptikk@netzero.net)

This is a little trick...logon as someone else or just hit cancel at the login screen. Then, go to c:/windows and there should be a file that says yourusername.pwl. Delete that file, restart, and there will be no password for that account.
PhiberOptikk@netzero.net

80-3: Illegal operation (credit: jester)

Author: jester Date: 12/23 01:32PM
Illegal Operation is the same as "Illegal Instruction". what it means is that the stack ptr (that's a place in memory that points to the next assembler instruction to execute) has gotten pointed into the middle of a valid memory location (so it spans two memory locations) or it has gotten pointed at an instruction that doesn't actually exist- the processor can't execute it because it doesn't know what it means.

This happens with DLL files that have gotten corrupted. DLL files are usually written in some inferior language like Visual Basic (joke that it is) and are prone to such flaws.

If you remember the name of the file in question, you can replace that specific DLL with a nice clean one (usually) by going to Start|Run and typing 'sfc'. Hit enter. This runs System File Checker. Win98 only.

inside here, tell it you want to replace one file only, browse to where that file is and double-click it. Next point it to your Win98 CD and it will replace the bad .DLL (dynamic link library) with a clean copy.

Hope this helps!

jester
DELLighted Owner
ECTTS

Back to Top

Back to CD/RW

80-4: How to I alter the system shutdown to display the "it is safe to turn your system off now" ? (credit: Matt)

What you want to do is first rename the logos.sys file in your windows directory. Rename the file to something like logos.old. Then create your new image using MS paint. Rename the image to logos.sys and save the file in the windows directory. Shut down the system and you should see your new image.

Hope that helps.

Best regards.

Matt
I7K 366 PII | 25 GB HD | 128 MB RAM | WinNT 4 SP6a | Win98 | Linux Redhat

Back to Top

Back to CD/RW

80-5: I'm getting Stack errors, what are they and how do I fix them? (credit: Author Unknown)

Stack pages are 4K blocks of memory reserved for 32-bit devices drivers (a Vxd is a virtual device driver). If a driver exceeds 4K of memory it would cause an error, but Windows maintains extra pages of memory, called stack pages for this problem. If there are not enough allocated, you receive an error telling you there are no spare stack pages.

To correct this, you must add a MinSPs line to the [386Enh] section of System.ini. Open System.ini by going to Start|Run|Sysedit. The start of the section you must modify in System.ini should read:

[386Enh]
; Increases stack pages to 6
MinSPs=6

Note that the line beginning with a semicolon is merely a comment line, it is not executed.

If this doesn't solve your problem, you may have to increase MinSps to 8 or more.

Back to Top

Back to CD/RW

80-6: Print from DOS (credit: M Currie)

You can go to a DOS window, and if you know the name of the directory (folder) you want, just type "DIR [directory name] > prn" . It has to be the full pathname (e.g c:\progra~\netscape\users\mail). Or to make it even simpler, you can travel to the desired directory itself, using the "CD" command, and when you're in it, just type "dir > prn". If you want to include subdirectories, type "dir /s > prn".

80-7: Print File Folder (credit: Jim Hardin Date: 03/28 07:54PM )

Here is what I use. It isn't all that pretty, but it works...

Print File Folder

Produces a print out of the contents of a Folder,
utilizing the Default Printer.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Use: Windows or NT Explorer

Left Click on any Folder to highlight it.

Right Click on that Folder and look in the SEND TO option.

Select Print File Folder Contents

---------------------------------------------------------------

Requires two files:

PRINT FILE FOLDER.BAT | Batch File

PRINT FILE FOLDER CONTENTS | Shortcut

The batch file is copied to C:\DOS or any directory that is suitable.

The Shortcut is copied to the SEND TO directory.

Check Properties to make sure that the Shortcut points
to the .BAT file.

The Batch File is:

dir %1 /-p /a /o >"%temp%\File List"
notepad /p "%temp%\File List"

Back to Top

Back to CD/RW

80-8: How to add color to text in DT forum.

Adding basic colors to text is very easy, you just need to know a little of HTML code. Most of the colors will work by Name, such as red, blue, purple, green, maroon, etc. Some will require their actually code numbers, (#FF00FF) Everything thing within this < > bracket is called a Tag, some require a closing Tag </ >. Ok this is the code, type and spacing must be correct:

<font color=red> Now just type a way!!! Then it is a good habit to close the tag </font> Actually this is "sloppy" coding, you should enclose the "value" such as color in " (quotation marks) " example below---

<font color="red"> yada, yada, yada </font>. A few more: <b>Bold Type</b>, <i>Italic Type</i> and <u>Underline</u>

The "New" DellTalk is allowing the use of <style tags>, You can create a text file with your favorite colors, face, size, etc to keep handy, then just copy | paste when you post. You may also set up a <style type> with many options and add it to your signature, then just type <font class="whatever"> to use the one you want. An example of this:

Now just start your post with something like this <font class="comic">Hope this helped</font>, should post as follows....Hope this helped. You can add color too....<font class="comic" color="blue">Hope you like this</font>

Examples of text file to have open and just use copy | paste:

After using any of these you need to use closing tag as follows </div></p>

A very simple one just to increase the small type at DT is: <p style="font-size:10pt"> then just close with </p>

If you are reading a post and care to see how it was done, right click in a blank area, select View Source, then scroll down toward the bottom, there you can view the code. Also check Denny's page in the Link Section, excellent.

Good Luck, The Predator

Back to Top

Back to CD/RW

80-9: How to install a Belkin USB Printer Adapter? (credit: Author Unknown)

How Do I install a Belkin� USB Printer Adapter?

Question or Problem

Belkin USB printer adapters follow the following steps for proper installation:

Solution

Attach the Belkin USB printer adapter to the printer.
Turn on the printer, and ensure it is loaded with ink and paper and in "Ready Mode."
Close all running software and any open windows.
Insert the Belkin Installation Diskette into the floppy drive.
Insert the Belkin USB cable into an open USB port on the back of the computer. Windows will find new hardware and ask for a driver.
Select the option to search for the best driver, then click Next.
Select "Floppy Drive" only, then click Next (if Windows says that a file cannot be copied, make sure that it is looking at [A:] then click Next.)
Wait for windows to copy files. A window pops up stating that the driver for this device is not installed.
Click OK.
Follow the directions from your printer manufacturer to install the printer. When you are asked to choose the printer port, select "BKPPAD-1," then continue through the rest of the printer installation.
Restart your computer.
Print a test page on your printer after the computer is restarted.
To do this: click Start | Settings | Printer. Right-click on the printer you just installed. Choose Properties, then click the "Print Test Page" button. Your printer should be working fine.

Note: The installation process may place several unwanted entries in the Device Manager. To remove these entries do the following:

Once the printer has been tested, close all open windows, then right-click on the "My Computer" icon.
Choose Properties, then click on the "Device Manager" tab.
Click the + next to "Belkin USB Printer Port."
Highlight the first line with an exclamation point by clicking on it one time, then click the Remove button at the bottom of the window.
Click Yes.
Repeat steps 4 & 5 above for every line that has an exclamation point in front of it under "Belkin USB Printer Port."
Click Close to exit.

Back to Top

Back to CD/RW