Q&A
Uninstalling Windows programs requires a number of procedures

By Kim Komando
Gannett News Service

Q: My wife's laptop (Windows 98 Second Edition) has many old programs not listed in the Add/Remove Programs list. I cannot find a way to completely eliminate them. What do you suggest?

A: You may find an uninstall option elsewhere. Browse the program's folder using Windows Explorer. Look for something that says remove or uninstall. Also click Start and Programs. Find the program in the list. It may have an uninstall option there. If that doesn't work, try a free uninstall program like Add/Remove Pro (www.superwin.com/ffreewar.htm). Norton Systemworks (www.symantec.com, $100) includes an uninstall wizard for deleting programs, too.

Q: Newspaper ads describe computers as "2.80GHz Pentium 4 w/512K L2 cache." What is the cache?

A: When you are working on your computer, not all temporary data is stored in RAM. Microprocessors have Level 2 cache, a pool of memory on or close to the chip.

The microprocessor attempts to guess what you'll need next and stores that data in L2 cache. The "512K L2 cache" in the ad above refers to this pool of memory. Chips also have L1 cache, which is smaller. Again, it is used to speed the delivery of data to the microprocessor. With cache, more is better.

Q: I have a question about spam e-mails. I've clicked on a number of e-mails telling them to take my name off of their lists. For some reason, I keep getting more.

A: Your reply simply validates your address.

You can file a complaint about a particular marketer at the Federal Trade Commission site (www.ftc.gov/bcp/online/edcams/spam).

Or, if you don't want to complete a form, forward the spam directly to the commission at uce@ftc.gov.