PROBLEM: You've heard that people can see your name and password when you're downloading files from the Internet. Is that true?

SOLUTION: Yes, it is true in some cases. There's a bug in Internet Explorer that shows the ftp login name and password in the browser status bar and saves it in the History list. This happens only when you use the single-URL method of accessing an ftp site in the form ftp://:@. That whole URL--password and all--appears in the address bar, status line, and anywhere else the URL is recorded. Microsoft isn't planning a fast fix, so make sure no one is looking over your shoulder.

PROBLEM: You borrowed a modem that doesn't have any driver disks. How can you configure it in Windows?

ANSWER: Today's modems don't always need specially written drivers, even if the manufacturer supplies them. Therefore, when installing the borrowed modem, choose the appropriate Standard Modem option from the top of the list. Since most modems use one of a small number of basic chipsets, the fundamental commands are very common. Once you have a connection you can visit the manufacturer's Web site and download the latest specific modem drivers if necessary.
Note: Don't choose a Hayes modem option from the list if you just have a Hayes-compatible modem; those drivers are for Hayes products only.

PROBLEM: Is there a sample database you can use while trying out features in Microsoft Access?

SOLUTION: The NorthWind database is a sample sales database included in each copy of Access. You can open it up, see how the experts do things, and try out forms, reports, queries, and more with its data.

PROBLEM: A friend forwarded a Microsoft e-mail message to you saying that Windows has a Y2K bug because it's set up to show only two-digit years.

SOLUTION: A hoax, pure and simple (which should tell you how easy it is to forge official-looking e-mail). For the vast majority of Windows users there will be no Y2K problems, and even those Windows users who do have Y2K problems should be able to solve them simply by resetting their calendars.

PROBLEM: You've heard that Encyclopedia Britannica is available free on the Web. Isn't there a fee for visiting the Britannica site?

SOLUTION: Not any more. Access to Encylopaedia Britannica is now free. It remains to be seen, though, whether other stalwarts (such as the Oxford English Dictionary) will follow suit.

PROBLEM: You updated to Office 97 Service Release 2, but now Microsoft has something called Service Release 2b. What's the story?

SOLUTION: The details are rather convoluted. For example, you can readily install SR-2b on a system that doesn't yet have SR-2, but be prepared for some headaches if you start from SR-2 and update to SR-2b. Worse, if you install SR-2b, you'll wipe out several important security patches--even patches released before SR-2b became available. The dust still hasn't settled yet.

PROBLEM: Is there a way to keep the Windows 95/98 startup screen from appearing?

ANSWER: If you prefer to see what's happening during startup, open the text file msdos.sys in the root folder of C: drive. Find the line that says Logo=1 and change it to Logo=0. Save the file, then reboot your computer.

PROBLEM: Why is it that sometimes when you download an Adobe Acrobat file you can't select the text and copy it to another document?

SOLUTION: When an Acrobat file is created, its publisher has various options to limit a viewer's control over the file. These include having a password and making it possible to change text, select sections, or annotate the document. You can see what's permitted in the Acrobat reader menu at File, Document Info, Security.

PROBLEM: You received an e-mail with an attached file called happy99.exe from a friend. You ran the file and saw fireworks. Your friend, however, says he never sent the file. What's up?

ANSWER: The Happy99 virus (more properly known as the SKA worm) seems to be making a resurgence. If you've run the Happy99 program or if friends say you've sent them a file called Happy99, you're infected. Happy99 carries no destructive payloads.

W32/Ska is a worm that was first posted to several newsgroups. When this worm is run it displays a message "Happy New Year 1999!!" and displays "fireworks" graphics. The posting on the newsgroups has lead to its propagation. It can also spread on its own, as it can attached itself to a mail message and be sent unknowingly by a user. Because of this attribute it is also considered to be a worm.

When the Happy.EXE is run it copies itself to Windows\System folder under the name SKA.EXE. It then extracts, from within itself, a DLL called SKA.DLL into the Windows\System folder if one does not already exist.

Find the file SKA.exe in your Windows\System folder and delete it.