dacs.doc electric

Random Access

Instant Replay: April 1999

Bruce Preston, Moderator

 

Q. I get this message: "Error # 870040256. Media Player cannot play audio stream: no audio hardware is available, or hardware is not responding." This is a surprise since other applications work with it just fine. There are no conflicts shown in Device Manager, all audio compression codes are properly installed and operating.

A. First recommendation was to ignore it. Next serious suggestion was to make sure that you have the most recent versions of DirectX for Media Player. Lastly, someone suggested making sure that you don't have the device already "claimed" by some other application, perhaps one operating in the background.

Q. While booting (before the Windows 95/98 blue cloud screen), I get a message that says that Windows cannot find a device file: vnetsup.vxd. If I press a key to continue, the boot continues without a problem. However, having this problem stalls the boot process. How do I fix it?

A. Vnetsup.vxd is the "Microsoft Virtual Network Support device driver" that is found if needed in the \WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory. Since you are running fine without it, it is clear that you aren't running any form of Microsoft's networking, such as peer-to-peer or participating in an NT Domain network. To fix the problem, click START, then RUN, then type in SYSEDIT and click OK. You will get several windows opened on various configuration files. Use the SEARCH command and find the references to 'vnetsup.vxd'-they are probably in WIN.INI. Put a ";" (semicolon) character at the start of each line that references the device driver, and save your changes. The ";" makes the line a comment, so it will be ignored. Next time you boot the machine, the message should be gone.

Q. When I connect to my Internet Service Provider, the dial-up networking adapter does not report to me the speed of the connection, which I have seen on other machines. How do I determine what speed connection I am getting? I have found that the apparent connection speed varies with each connection attempt, and would like to know that I have a good connection before I start a large download.

A. The speed is only reported if your modem reports the connection speed back to the operating system. This is controlled by a configuration parameter (an AT command parameter) that is sent to the modem by the dial-up networking adapter. To make sure that you have the most recent driver for your modem, check the modem vendor's Web site. If you have documentation for your modem, see if it supports the Xn directive, in which case X1 tells the modem to report the connection speed. Try My Computer / Control Panel / Modems / <select your modem> / Properties / Connection / Advanced and then add "X1" to the "extra settings" field.

Q. Does anyone have experience using a cellular phone for a dial-up connection?

A. Yes, and it was disappointing. The best response rate seen for a regular cellular connection was 9,600 baud, and it wasn't very reliable.

Q. I have a Gateway Pentium II 450 and it takes a horrendously long time to get to the point where the START menu becomes available.

A. Gateway frequently installs the DOS version of the McAfee anti-virus package in their AUTOEXEC.BAT file. This scans every file on your system at boot time. If you are running an anti-virus package that checks files as they are opened or written to disk, then you don't need it. Comment it out by putting an "REM " at the start of the line that references "SCAN" or "SCANV" or "VSCAN". Take a look in your "Start Up" folder (C:\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp") and see what has been placed there. These will be shortcuts to applications that will be started whenever you start the machine. Also look to see if they have any applications such as shell extensions, "front ends" for Windows to make it "friendlier," etc., in which case you may want to disable them. A less likely thing might be that there is a mapped network drive, in which case it may be trying to connect to a nonexistent network and timing out before letting the machine continue.

Q. My Word 97 doesn't know how to print envelopes other than #10 on my HP5L printer. How can I get different envelope types?

A. See if any envelopes other than the #10 are defined in the "Paper" section of the properties page for the printer. Many printers rely upon the application software to define the paper types, but a few, and the HP5L is one of them, expect the paper to be defined at the printer, and then the application program "inherits" the definitions when it attaches to the printer driver. Check out My Computer/Control Panel/Printers/<your printer>/Properties. Next, make sure that you have the HP driver active, rather than the one supplied by Windows 9x. To do this, you need to disable but not remove the Windows-supplied driver (done through control panel) and then install the HP-supplied driver (which makes use of components of the Windows-supplied driver, which is why you shouldn't "remove" it).

Q. I have a DELL 400 P-II and tried to perform an on-line update. It now reports that I have two distinct modems, and depending upon which software I am running, one or the other works. How do I get this fixed?

A. Go into My Computer / Control Panel / System / Device Manager and delete BOTH modems. Then close the windows and turn off the machine. When you power up the machine, PCI, Plug 'n Play, and Windows 9x should work together to determine which modem you have and where it is. We understand that you had not powered off the machine, which means that the old settings hadn't been cleared.


Bruce Preston is president of West Mountain Systems, Inc., a consultancy specializing in database technology. In addition to moderating the Random Access sessions during the General Meeting, he is a member of the DACS Board of Directors and is the chair of the DACS MS Access SIG.

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