Dennis Faas

In yesterday's issue of the Infopackets Gazette, Jerry D. asked if there was a way to erase the history which contains the names of all previously loaded files in Windows Media Player. The feature is also known as the "Most Recently Used", or MRU ... file history. Unfortunately, there is a downside to the MRU feature. Although MRU saves time by allowing users access to recently used data, it also compromises privacy: anyone who can gain access to a shared PC can also see what files have been accessed recently. I personally did not know the answer to Jerry's dilemma, so I used searched ... (view more)

Recall -- Last week, my mother asked me if there was a safe alternative to using Real One Player. She writes: " My church offers previously-recorded sermons in the .RM format, and I use Real One Player to play these files. Regrettably, the free ... version of Real One Player comes bundled with adware, and now my computer has advertisements and 'suggestions' popping up on my desktop! Is there a freeware alternative to Real One Player? " Unfortunately, I didn't know the answer ... so, I asked Infopackets Readers for help. Below are some of the suggestions I received. Jeff 'the pianist' ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Jerry D. writes: " Dear Dennis, I hope you can help me! I [would like to know how to] delete the 'Play List' from my Windows Media Player. I think I have version 9. Do you know how can I delete it? " My Response: I wasn't sure how ... to go about doing this, so I did some research using Google and found 2 viable solutions. Both suggestions I found came from reputable sources. Solution #1: Modify values the Windows Registry Close Windows Media Player (if it's running). Click Start -> Run, and type in: regedit.exe Open up the branch HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ ... (view more)

Over the weekend, my mother asked me the following question: " My church offers previously-recorded sermons in the .RM format, and I use Real One Player to play these files. Regrettably, the free version of Real One Player comes bundled with adware, ... and now my computer has advertisements and 'suggestions' popping up on my desktop! I would like to know if there is a freeware alternative to Real One Player, which can handle the .RM and other Real Media formats. What can you suggest? " My Response: Unfortunately, I don't use Real Player and refuse to install it on my machine (for ... (view more)

Die-hard Infopackets Reader Brandon S. writes: " Dear Dennis, How can I enable or disable the Auto Complete feature in Microsoft Outlook? It worked previously in Outlook Express but doesn't seem activated in MS Outlook. Thanks for everything, and ... take care! " My response: I personally don't use Microsoft Outlook, so I decided to use Google to try and find the answer to Brandon's question. The suggestions below are based on some of Google's top picks. To Recap: When enabled, the Auto Complete feature suggests frequently used email addresses when data is entered in the To:, Bcc: or Cc ... (view more)

Infopackets Reader Frank C. asks: " I have recently upgraded to [a full install of MS Office] and [subsequently] also installed Microsoft Outlook. I have always used Outlook Express for receiving and sending emails, but now Outlook is receiving some ... of my mails ... [while] at other times, the mail comes or goes through Outlook Express. [I would like to only use Outlook Express as my default email client]. What do I do?" My Response: I have also chosen to install the "full installation" of Microsoft Office and have also noticed what Frank is referring to. By default, a full ... (view more)

Carol G. from Arkansas writes: " Dear Dennis, Lately I've had instant Messenger popups [*not* MSN Messenger], mostly to advertise a site called ByeByeAds.com, telling me that: 'if they can breach my pc's security, anyone can'. I've searched, and ... don't have instant messenger ON my pc, or messenger, and am wondering just how these things are getting through? Yesterday a porn site advertisement came through the same way. Is the ByeByeAds.com 'service' valid? Do I need it? They are annoying grey popups in the middle of my screen, which come through when I'm working on line. Hope you can help ... (view more)

Yesterday's Visitor Feedback question was sent in from Arlene M. In a nutshell, she asked if it was possible to make a window *always* stay on top of other windows, even after clicking or moving other windows. My response stated that, "If a window ... is active (IE: in use), it will remain on top of all other windows. Once another window is clicked or moved, it becomes the active window [and all other windows fall behind]." I also provided Arlene with some great keyboard shortcuts to make flipping through windows a real snap: A quick way to cycle through active Windows? Today, I ... (view more)

You've probably seen me mention PopUp Stopper Pro in the Gazette Newsletter before, but I have never done in an depth review on its features -- especially the Privacy Control that is offered. So, here goes! What is Panicware PopUp Stopper ... Professional? PopUp Stopper Pro is a program which eliminates unwanted web browser PopUp advertisements. PopUp Stopper Pro can also remove both Windows and Personal History Items, thereby providing the user with greater privacy control. Panicware PopUp Stopper: PopUp Blocking features Supports all major web browsers: AOL, MSN, Internet Explorer, Netscape, ... (view more)

Arlene M. asks: " Dear Dennis, I have Windows XP Pro. Sometimes, [the window I'm working with stays on top of the desktop], and sometimes [it disappears below other windows]. Do you know how I can have my active window show up on top so I don't have ... to [constantly click through other windows to get to it]? " My Response: If a window is active (IE: in use), it will remain on top of all other windows. Once another window is clicked or moved, it becomes the active window. Some programs -- such as WinAMP (used to play .MP3 files) -- have a feature which can make its program window ... (view more)