Thanks for the update and good luck with it. I suspect your tech may remove
Office 2000 to make the computer "legal" again since you've not paid for a
copy, but I don't know that for certain. Post back if you continue to have
problems after the repair is complete.
--
Jim Pickering
MVP-Outlook Express/Windows Mail



"BAZ" wrote in message
ups.com...
Although my computer is 4 years old, it's pretty speedy (1.8 Ghz
Pentium IV) with 256 MB of Ram and a 40 GB Hard Drive. I've also
invested in a graphic card (since their on board card wasn't fast
enough for me). I figured the computer had another good year in it!
The owner of PC Warehouse also felt the same way. She could easily have
pushed a new faster PC on me.

I found the article about the 3 AM automatic updates that I sent to you
to be very interesting - and may indeed have caused the problem I
experienced with Outlook Express. It sounds like too much of a
coincidence to me!

Again - I don't know why the computer repairman at PC Warehouse
installed Office 2000 when I don't have a disc. But he is good and will
fix the problem at no charge.


Jim Pickering wrote:
It's really pretty hard to know what may have happened when you had the
computer serviced. CMOS batteries can wear out in a very short period of
time for some users and can last for years for others. Since there is no
way of knowing how long the battery may have been sitting on a shelf
somewhere before it found its way to your computer, you can't predict how
long it will last.

Some computer shops install software that may/may not be completely
legal.
They often do this for diagnosis and then fail to properly remove the
"rogue" software they've installed. I really think I'd either try to
find a
reputable computer shop that has a good rating with your local Better
Business Bureau or else consider investing in a new computer from any
outlet. Best Buy, Circuit City, Staples and other office supply changes
have pretty capable machines for approximately $300 so depending on what
your "repair" tech charges, a new computer may pay for itself. And at 4
years of age, it's probably earned a retirement since newer processors
and
increased RAM can make any new machine seem like a speed demon. It's
your
choice, but I think I know which side of the camp I'd go for. Good luck.
--
Jim Pickering
MVP-Outlook Express/Windows Mail
Please reply to newsgroup only so that others may be helped with your
feedback.


"BAZ" wrote in message
oups.com...
Dear Jim,

I'm not comfortable doing this - (and yes, the computer is 4 years
old... remember it keeps reverting back to 2002 if I remove power?)...
but the important question to me is why the battery went ka-pooey twice
shortly after this guy installed a new CD-ROM burner and DVD reader
combo?

Is there something that can stress the battery?

Dumb question.

Apparently, I have to return to him for the battery replacement - but
you'd think I could get Outlook Express to work!

Thanks again,

BAZ
Jim Pickering wrote:
If the computer is more than a year or so old, the CMOS errors are
indicative of a failed or failing battery. If you feel comfortable
opening
the computer case, it's not that difficult to find and replace the
battery
which in most cases resembles a large hearing aid type battery, i.e.,
flat
and about the size of a dime.
--
Jim Pickering
MVP-Outlook Express/Windows Mail
Please reply to newsgroup only so that others may be helped with your
feedback.


"BAZ" wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi Jim,

I will try your suggestion after I return home from dinner.

The only way I had word and excel was that it was installed when I
purchased my very first computer. I don't think I ever received a CD
for that. Actually, those two programs may have been installed again
by
PC Warehouse when I got my second computer... I did not have to pay
a
bundle for the CD. Sure wish I had one now!

I don't recall copying either executable and moving them myself
(when I
got the second computer). But I may have.

Anyway, I don't recall seeing the Outlook shortcut on my desktop
until
recently - and I can tell you that I used Word several times last
week.
So ... who knows what happened there!

The one thing I did notice was that when I use Add/Remove programs
it
is kind of a useless operation if the Outlook Express version you
have
is corrupted. I went offline and was able to remove Outlook Express
and
then re-install it - so the re-installed version must just be the
original version stored on my hard drive.
What I did try to do was uninstall Outlook Express and then go
on-line
and reinstall Internet Explorer, SP2 - but that seemed to cause
worse
problems.
At that point I was not even able to create and send messages! But
that
might have been because I removed the appropriate addess book before
doing the uninstall.

I had to do a System Restore to yesterday to get back to where I now
am. I can now use Excel, but not Word. I can send/receive messages -
but I cannot access the addess book. Back to ground zero.

But still - the major problem is what happens when I shut down the
computer and remove power. All of that weird CMOS stuff comes up
when I
reboot and my date is set back to 2002!
I didn't realize they still used batteries to save critical
information
and I am shocked that I've had two such incidents so soon after they
installed the new CD-ROM burner, etc.
I mean - what can kill a battery so quickly?

Thanks for all of your time and suggestions.

BAZ

Jim Pickering wrote:
OK, let's try something fairly simple (hopefully). Close Outlook
Express.
Do a file search for any file ending with [ WA* ] w/o the brackets.
If
you
find several, double click on each one until you find one that has
the
contacts you need and write down it's file location. Then open
Windows
Explorer (WinKey+E) and navigate to that location and right click
on
the
WAB
file and select Copy [to copy it to the clipboard]. Now navigate
in
Windows
Explorer to your root drive [ C:\ ] and right click on a blank spot
in
the
right hand pane of the Explorer window and select Paste. This will
place
a
copy of the desired address book on the root drive.

Now, still with Outlook Express closed, open the registry editor to
the
WAB
file path:

\HKEY_CURRENT_USER
\Software
\Microsoft
\WAB
\WAB4
\Wab File Name

and in the right hand pane, clear the existing entry and insert in
its
place
"C:\nameoffile.WAB" [substituting in place of nameoffile for the
actual
name
of the file you moved]. Exit the registry editor and reboot. Now
open
Outlook Express and see if the address book is working correctly.

As for your problem with Word/Office/Outlook, if you have never
installed
Microsoft Office, how did you get a copy of Word? Was it installed
from
some other application program? If so, you may have to find that
older
CD
and run a repair installation, but to get advice concerning that,
I'd
suggest posting to whatever newsgroup is appropriate for the
program
you
installed that gave you Word.

Good luck and let us know the results.
--
Jim Pickering
MVP-Outlook Express/Windows Mail
Please reply to newsgroup only so that others may be helped with
your
feedback.

"BAZ" wrote in message
oups.com...
Jim,

I hope I see that I sent you a message... but it is buried above
...
with all of the previous messages beng displayed!

BAZ