November 16, 2002

As much as I hate to have to say it, Windows XP is here to stay.  I have had a real hard time getting excited about this operating system since it has been so controversial and compatibility has been such a problem.  Microsoft is running the show so we'll have to accept it and move on.

XP has it's supporters and others would rather, well, we won't mention what the others would rather do.  There are good things about XP and then again there are the compatibility issues with hardware and software and I think the thing which bothers me the most is Microsoft is slow to release the major service pack until late fall.  Anyway, since we are going to have to adjust to an XP world, I've decided to give a few tips on things you can do to make XP a better XPerience. I do have to admit, since I originally started this page, I purchased a new Gateway with Windows XP and I must admit, I haven't had all the problems I was XPecting!!  The only real problem was with my old Hewlett Packard Scan Jet 5P scanner.  The original software will not work.  I think I might have had some luck had it not been for the fact that the scanner came with a SCSI card for connection.  The card will not work with newer computers so I had to get a USB adapter so the software will not see the scanner properly. It does, however, work with the built in, limited functionality software so I can scan stuff, I just can't do optical character recognition or directly print scans. 

I still believe upgrading a computer to the new XP should not be considered.  To follow are some tips to make things work smoother and, if you want, more like the older versions of Windows.  Some people don't like change. 

If you don't like the way the Start menu has been changed, you can have it come up the way you are used to with the previous versions of Windows.  To change the menus, just right-click on the Start button, left-click on Properties, then on the Start Menu tab, click on Classic Start Menu.

If the new look of Control Panel is too hard to figure out, just open the Control Panel then click on Switch to Classic View.

Are you trying to setup a backup using the Microsoft software and can't find it on the menus?  Windows XP is like Windows ME.  For some unknown reason, Microsoft decided to include it on the CD but not to include it in the setup program. 

In order to install Backup, you'll need your Windows XP disk.  Put the disk in and click Perform additional tasks, then Browse this CD, Value add, MSFT, NTBackup , and finally click on NT Back Installer. When it is installed you will find it under All Programs, Accessories, System Tools. NOTE: One drawback to using your backups from previous versions of Windows, the Backup program in Windows XP uses a different file format than previous versions so you won't be able to read the old files in the XP Backup program.  For anyone who used the older versions of Backup, you'll find there are more prompts and button clicks involved in using the new program.

Hopefully by now, the problems we were seeing with AOL have disappeared.  There was a compatibility problem with AOL version 6, which all the computer OEM's were installing and then AOL was recommending to install version 7, which on some computers was causing major problems including system crashes and slow downs. For people networking computers together, here's one I can't figure out.  By the way, this tip is only for experienced users.  When you setup the network, it is recommended you use the Netbeui protocol rather than IPX.  TCP should only be used for dial-up networking and in cases where you have network devices with addressing.  Otherwise you should not have your NIC bound to TCP for security reasons, mainly Internet hackers.  Anyway, networking is another subject, the point I'm attempting to make is the Netbeui protocol is on the XP CD and must be setup manually.  Go to CD\valueadd\msft\net\netbeui and copy nbf.sys to the c:\windows\system32\drivers directory. Copy netbnf.inf to the c:\windows\inf directory.  Now when you go to add a protocol, Microsoft NetBeui will be on the list.

Want to improve the screen fonts to appear more uniform and consistent. The true type setting is how you make these fonts clearer.  Strange Microsoft chose to have this feature turned off by default.  This feature helps most on laptop displays. To turn clear type on, right-click on the desktop, left-click on Properties, select Appearance, Effects, and then select Clear Type from the drop down menu. Microsoft now has a web site which will setup cleartype for you, just click here.

Compatibility issues are the biggest problem with XP.  If you have a program or device such as a printer, pda, scanner, etc. and it doesn't seem to work the same on your new computer, check the manufacturer's web site for updates for XP compatibility.  Many older devices will not have updated drivers available now or in the future, so check out all of your programs and devices. 

Are you bugged by the MSN Messenger icon hanging out in the system tray when you never use it and just want it to go away? Windows XP has MSN Messenger installed by default and even if you don't use it, the icon is cluttering up the system tray.  To remove it, start Notepad and open /winnt/inf/sysoc.inf.  Search for the word hide, remove it and save the file.  Now you can go to Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel and the Messenger program will be in the list of programs to remove.  Some programs which were written for a specific version of Windows may not start and might give a message box similar to the one below:

If this occurs, you need to run the Windows compatibility wizard.  To run the wizard, click Start, click Help and Support, click Fixing a problem, click Application and software problems, under Fix a problem click Getting older programs to run on Windows XP, and then click the Program Compatibility Wizard link in the instructions. You can follow the prompts and select the correct version.

If you would rather set the compatibility mode manually, go to the icon or menu item to start the program, right click and left click Properties.  Click the compatibility tab and change the settings. You can also use this tab to change screen resolutions.

If you are using Road Runner, you must use a firewall to protect yourself from viruses and intrusion from the Internet.  XP has a built in firewall but it doesn't appear to be the most sophisticated program out there.  Zone alarm is free and is probably one of the best programs available. Click here to download for yourself.

If you have any questions or comments, click