Q&A
You can take control of mail attachments
By Kim Komando
Gannett News Service
Q: I am having trouble getting all my e-mail. I get a message about an unsafe attachment. How can I change the security settings in Outlook Express?
A: Outlook Express can be set to refuse attachments with dangerous extensions. To remove that block, go to Tools and click on Options. Click the Security tab. Uncheck the box next to "Do not allow attachments to be saved or opened that could potentially be a virus." If you do make this change, be sure that your anti-virus software is always up to date.
Q: I'd like to upgrade my version of Windows. What is the latest version that will run on my trusty Pentium 166?
A: Both Windows ME and 2000 will run on a Pentium 166, according to Microsoft. But either would be slow. That chip is eight years old. You'd be better served putting the money you'd spend on a new version of Windows toward a new computer that has Windows XP preinstalled.
Q: My children are getting old enough to surf the Web without my help. How can I best protect them?
A: Several products filter the Web. And all can block things that are OK. For instance, they can block medical sites that mention body parts. Three good programs are CYBERsitter (www.solidoak.com; $39.95), CyberPatrol (www.cyberpatrol.com; $39), and McAfee Parental Controls (www.mcafee.com; $49.99). You can also filter access through Internet Explorer. Click Tools and Internet Options. Select the Content tab and click Enable. Select the General tab. Click Create Password. Enter your password and hint, and click OK.
Q: I keep getting out-of-memory warning messages on my Windows 98 machine. What could be causing this?
A: This problem afflicts consumer Windows versions through ME. The messages refer to system resources, not the amount of RAM in your computer. When you get these messages, shut down and reboot. That will clean out the resource space. If you have resource problems, limit the number of programs starting automatically. Use the Startup tab on WinPatrol (www.winpatrol.com), a free program, to clean it out.
