There’s a particularly nasty problem with the Server function, just recently discovered and fixed.  I recommend to everyone that they turn off the Server service using MSCONFIG.  However, I read the Microsoft Knowledge Base write-up, and I can’t tell if that will protect you from this latest fault; I’ll assume not and recommend you apply the fix anyway.

(BTW, if you are running Server on a computer that doesn’t actually act as a file or print server to other computers on your network, WHY IS THAT?  Go into MSCONFIG  »  Services and disable it, NOW!)

On to the questions...

TrayApp Error Message

DaLe,

For the past couple of months, I’ve been getting this error message on my screen:

The feature you are trying to use is on a CD-ROM or other removable disk that is not available.  Insert the TrayApp disk and click OK.

I don’t have any TrayApp disk and I don’t know what it is.  When I click 'OK', I receive an error message, when I click 'Cancel' nothing happens.  I cannot get rid of that message.  Since I have it on my screen I cannot shut off or restart my computer the usual way; I must cut off the power and put it back to restart.

Thanks for your help.

Marc

Marc,

I did a Google search for TrayApp; the first hit I got seems to be your problem.  Do you have an HP printer?  Did you recently try to install or upgrade it?  If so, that's it.  Put the HP printer driver CD in the drive and reboot your computer.  If it doesn't finish the install and never give you the problem again, email me again and we'll dig deeper.

And if your printer isn’t HP, do you maybe have any graphics or imaging software from HP, like Image Zone?  If so, either insert the install CD to complete the installation, or use Control Panel  »  Add/Remove Programs to uninstall.  Either way, the error message should go away.

DaLe

(He found four unfinished installs of HP imaging software, removed them, problem solved.  Once again, props to Google.)

Cut and Paste

Hi, DaLe.

Can you tell me (in the simplest possible language) how to cut and paste?  I keep getting requests to cut and paste items and have no idea how to do that.  The help file assumes that one knows more than I.

Best regards, and thank you.

Charlie

Charlie,

1. Put the mouse cursor just before the item(s) you want to Copy or Cut, press and hold the left mouse button, and move it across the stuff you want, then let go of the button — the text or pictures will highlighted.
2. Click on  Edit  »  Copy if you want to leave the original text or pictures where they were, or click on  Edit  »  Cut if you want to remove the items from their original locations at the same time as you put them somewhere else.
   • (What you just did was put the data on the 'clipboard', a special chunk of memory Windows has set aside just for Cut/Copy/Paste operations.)
3. Put the cursor where you want the data to be, and click  Edit  »  Paste.  The pictures or text should magically appear.

DaLe

File Types

Dale,

I made this banner up and sent a copy to a friend to see if he wants me to add more names to it.  Unfortunately, he can't open it.  What must I do to make it work?

Ray      [Attached file:  Miracles.pdb]

Ray,

I couldn't open it either.  From the extension, .pdb, I figure it was made with Print Shop Deluxe.

You need to open it in the program that made it, then click on  File  »  Save As, and see if you can't save it as a JPEG or PDF file; everyone can read those.  If Save As isn't available, try Export — I know Print Shop can export to JPEG.

And send me a copy of the JPEG, too.  I'd like to see it.

DaLe

Norton Anti-Virus

Dale,

I purchased and installed the Norton AntiVirus 2006 package when my 2005 subscription ran out.  It's been working fine.  But now, in the last two days, when I try to sign in to Word, I get a warning:

Norton AntiVirus 2006 does not support the Repair feature, please uninstall & reinstall.

What causes this, and how do I fix it?

Thanks,

Terrie

Terrie,

I Google’d your error message and got  this link to the Norton page about your problem.

Apparently, you have to create (or create again) a directory tree that Norton should have created for you; either Norton didn’t do it right the first time, or the folders have been deleted.  Specifically, you need to ensure that the folders

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Symantec\Norton AntiVirus\Quarantine\Incoming

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Symantec\Norton AntiVirus\Quarantine\Portal

IMHO, a much better fix would be to uninstall all Norton products from your computer, and install the free programs listed below; between them, they do a much better job of protecting your computer than Norton does, and without the loss of performance.  (Norton is a resource hog.  In my experience, it slows your computer, and it causes problems with other programs, as you now well know.  I remove it from the computers of all my clients who will allow it.)

Go to my  Downloads page, and download and install...

AVG FREE AntiVirus, version 7.5,

LavaSoft Ad-Aware SE Personal Edition version 1.06,

Spybot Search & Destroy, version 1.4, and

WinPatrol 10.

DaLe

BTW, please don't let anyone push you into installing Microsoft Defender.  It's another free anti-spyware program, and it's not awful, but it is still in 'beta', and it doesn't protect any better than the two anti-spyware programs listed above.  And it’s ‘real-time protection’ doesn’t stop and ask you whether it’s okay to allow changes to your startup files, it just pops up a notice telling you what changes it already allowed (without asking for your permission!).  In my opinion, WinPatrol does a much better job in this respect.