Is It Time for You to Flash-Upgrade Your BIOS?
Lincoln Spector
My PC is over two years old. Would upgrading my BIOS make it more compatible with newer programs? Is flashing my BIOS worth the risk?
Joe Stelzer, Delaware, Ohio
Taking the steps you ask about makes sense only if you have something to gain. If you can't get a piece of hardware to work--especially one that's newer than your PC--carefully upgrading your BIOS may be worthwhile.
The Basic Input/Output System chip on your PC's motherboard has program code necessary to run your computer. The BIOS chip is almost always flash RAM, so it is simple to upgrade using a program that "flashes" it with new code. Things can go wrong during the upgrade process, however, and the new version may introduce incompatibilities.
Before you decide on an upgrade, weigh the benefits against the effort involved and the risk entailed. The first step is to determine the manufacturer, number, and date of your BIOS. You can find this information in Windows by clicking Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, System Information. Then click the plus sign next to "Components" and select System. Select Advanced Information in the top-right window pane, scroll down to "System board", and look for BIOSDate and BIOSVersion. Alternatively, you may obtain the BIOS information when you boot your computer. Press Pause as soon as text appears on the screen; on most computers you'll see the BIOS manufacturer, number, and date. Write down the information, and then press any key to resume booting.
Your next step is to go to your system vendor's Web site and look for BIOS information for your PC model. (If you have a no-name clone, go to the motherboard manufacturer's Web site.) The information usually appears in a section of the site labeled "Technical Support", "Free Downloads", or something similar. If a BIOS upgrade is available for your system, read the description provided.
The upgrade file is usually a.zip or self-extracting.exe file. Instructions for the upgrade are probably stored in a "readme" file or somewhere on the Web site. Follow the instructions very carefully.
You'll probably have to put all the files required for the upgrade onto a bootable floppy disk. Then reboot, follow the vendor instructions for backing up your existing BIOS, and run the program that does the actual upgrade.
A power outage or other unexpected interruption in the flash process can corrupt the BIOS code. If you end up with a half-written BIOS, you'll have to use the backup copy you just made to reinstall the original. If your system won't boot, you'll need a BIOS-flashing machine or a new BIOS.
Find Duplicate Files Automatically
Is there an automated way to search for duplicate files on Windows 98 systems?
Gary Jordan, Bellingham, Washington
Windows can't manage it, but other programs can. One such product is Chris Rosa's free Double Trouble utility, which you can download from our Downloads library.
Unfortunately, you can't delete files from within Double Trouble, which is a serious inconvenience. If you don't mind a modest expenditure, Steve Evans's $15 Duplic8 will let you delete files directly. It also displays file sizes in bytes and is easier to use than Double Trouble. Duplic8 is available at our Downloads library.
If you own Norton SystemWorks, you already have a tool for finding duplicate files: the CleanSweep uninstaller. Simply click Duplicate File Finder, which is found on CleanSweep's Advanced screen in some versions of SystemWorks, and on the Cleanup tab in others. Years ago SystemWorks also included the Space Wizard, which could walk you through searches for duplicate files as well as other files you might want to delete. Unfortunately, Symantec removed this utility from more-recent editions of SystemWorks.
Leave Your Surge Protector On
I have my PC set to shut itself off after I exit Windows. Should I turn off the surge protector as well?
Elizabeth Turner, New York
Leave it on. Your CMOS chip needs a small, constant flow of electricity to keep its settings and to track the time. Your motherboard's battery supplies this power when the computer is off, but many computers made in the past three years also use a tiny bit of AC power--if it's available--to handle this job. When you shut off the surge protector, you cut off the supply of AC power, and your computer must rely on its battery instead. If you keep the surge protector on, your battery will probably last longer.
You may wonder whether you should use the switch on your surge protector to turn the power to your computer, monitor, and peripherals on and off in one fell swoop. With most of today's computers, that's not an option because the on/off power switch has been replaced with a power button that the user must press to start the computer. Your PC probably shuts off when you exit Windows, and there's no way to turn it on again without hitting that button. If you can power up your computer by turning on the surge protector, go ahead. Just be sure the monitor is on before Windows starts to load, or it may not be recognized.
And, of course, you should never turn off a surge protector--or a PC--while Windows is running.
Speed Up a 56-kbps Modem
I recently bought a 56-kbps modem, but it connects at only 28 kbps. Is there anything I can do?
Josh Pyles, Gladstone, Oregon
First, 56-kbps modems never run at 56 kbps. The Federal Communications Commission won't allow it because of concerns about telephone-line interference. Second, if conditions are less than ideal, the modem's transmission speed will be far below 56 kbps. Nonetheless, if your 56-kbps modem runs slower than 44 kbps, you should be able to improve its performance without too much hassle.
The simplest, least-expensive potential solution is to replace the phone cord between your modem and the telephone wall jack. If you run multiple cables between your modem and wall jack so the modem can share the connection with an answering machine or phone, replace them with a single line to the wall jack.
If that tactic doesn't work, unplug all your phones, fax machines, and any other devices that use the phone line.
To test your modem, find someone who has a satisfactory 56-kbps connection and trade modems for a day. If you suddenly get a fast connection and the other person gets a slow one, the problem lies with your modem. Check your modem vendor's Web site for new drivers or known problems. If you can't find anything useful there, demand a replacement modem.
If the source of the trouble isn't the phone cord, other telephone devices in the house, or the modem, it probably lies with your phone company. You can submit a complaint, but don't expect any miracles. Just as you can't get a DSL or cable line installed everywhere, you can't always get a good 56-kbps connection.
How Much Ram Is Each Program Using?
How can I find out how much memory is being used by each of the programs I'm running?
Billy Ching, South San Francisco, California
Windows doesn't include a program to show you this information, but such programs are available from third parties.
Norton Utilities has one called System Information, though it's not installed by default. To install it, insert the Norton CD-ROM and follow the prompts. When the setup program asks you to select an installation type, pick Complete. Once System Information is up and running, click the Memory tab.
For a free solution, try SiSoft Sandra Standard--a terrific program for viewing all sorts of system information. You can download SiSoft Sandra Standard from our Downloads library.
The Sandra module that has the information you're looking for is called Processes Information. It features pull-down menus that provide all sorts of statistics on each program running. You'll have to scroll down a bit to find "Total Process Memory Used", but that's the one that'll answer your question.
Print Folder Directories
Here's an easy way to print a list of the files contained in a folder from inside Windows Explorer. Launch Notepad, then type dir %1 > lpt1: and press Enter. Now type cls on the second line, but don't press Enter.
There must be nothing--not even a blank line--after "cls". Save the two-line file in your "C:\Windows\SendTo" folder as printdir.bat. Now when you want a printout of the files in a folder, make sure your printer is on, right-click the folder in Windows Explorer, and select Send To, printdir.bat.
Send your questions to answer@pcworld.com. Answer Line pays $50 for published items. You'll find Contributing Editor Lincoln Spector's humorous writing at The Link Inspector.