Ridding the PC of Duplicate Start-Up Programs: Which Ones Do I Uncheck?
Question: I am running Windows 98. I went through your designated steps to rid my PC of too many start-up programs. At the end of the steps, I noticed that all of the programs are in duplicate.
Do I uncheck the first or second set of programs?
Answer: In general, duplicate entries show up when you’ve uninstalled and then reinstalled a program. In our experience, it doesn’t matter which set of entries you disable since they point to the same thing.
Q: I would like to have Windows Me installed on my computer. Is it true that if you have Windows Me, you won’t be able to play old games such as “Mario Teaches Typing” that require MS-DOS?
A: Many, if not most, DOS programs run perfectly well in later versions of Windows, including Windows Me. However, Me does not provide support for something called 16-bit real mode DOS.
Most DOS games will work just fine, however. We might add that, having used Me for nearly a year, we recommend going with Windows 98 Second Edition over Me. It’s far more stable.
Q: When I cold-boot my PC, it is sluggish until the printer is ready. The cursor responds slowly to the mouse. Folders open slowly. Programs start slowly.
Even the dialing sounds from my modem are sluggish and syncopated. This sometimes lasts as long as 15 minutes, but it seems to end as soon as my modem synchronizes with my Internet service provider. When the Ready light on the printer goes on, the problem goes away.
A: We have two thoughts. First, visit the printer manufacturer’s Web site and see if there isn’t an updated printer driver. And second--don’t ask us why this works sometimes--make sure your CD drive is empty before you boot.
Q: Whenever I type a Web address, it remains in the pop-down list of all of the Web sites I’ve entered before. How do I eliminate the Web addresses I don’t want?
A: The friendly geeks at Q&A; labs haven’t been able to figure out how to delete individual addresses from that list. To clear the entire list, go to the Tools menu at the top of Internet Explorer and open up Internet Options.
Under the General tab is a button labeled Clear History. Hitting the button will clear your browser’s history and empty the address bar.
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Dave Wilson is The Times’ personal technology columnist. Submit questions to Tech Q&A; at techtimes@latimes.com. Please be specific about your computer and operating system and include a daytime phone number.
