Checking The In Box

Sometimes this column just about writes itself. Other times I wonder what I can say that would possibly interest people. Why is it good to get mail? Because I don't have to wonder! I can just answer the mail! Here are some of your questions answered.

Why the heck can't I change the home page in Internet Explorer?
Well, starting with the basics, the way to change your home page is:

Browse to the page you want to use as your home page
Click on Tools Internet Options General Use current Apply OK

If you do that and the next time you open up Internet Explorer it's taking you someplace else, one of three things is going on. Either your browser has been hijacked by spyware, it's pre-set by your PC vendor, or it's locked by one of your security applications.

If your browser has been hijacked, you'll probably be taken to a site with adult content and bombarded by pop-ups. Your best bet might be to call in a professional. If you want to work through the problem yourself, you can download the free utility called HijackThis, run it and post the log to the forums, and get some advice from the experts. Instructions and a tutorial are on this page.

Some vendors strike agreements with software companies so that a branded home page comes with your Internet Explorer. When I bought my Toshiba laptop, it came with a home page that was a huge ad for Toshiba and Yahoo! If you want to change that page, try the basic way, described above. If that doesn't work, you're going to have to dig through all the likely add-ons in your browser and disable them. Once everything is disabled, change your home page and re-enable the add-ons one by one until you find the guilty party. Then disable or uninstall it. To manage add-ons in Internet Explorer 7:

Tools Manage Add-ons Enable or disable add-ons

Finally, in an effort to protect us from ourselves, makers of computer security products have put our browser home pages in lock-down. If you haven't been hijacked and your vendor isn't controlling your browser, it's probably your Norton Anti-Virus, Spybot Search & Destroy, SpySweeper, or Windows Defender. You are just going to have to look in there for a setting that prevents you from changing your "browser configuration" or "unlocking" your home page. These are obscure settings. Consult your program's help file, search Google for an answer, or bring in a pro. Once the problem is solved, you might also consider installing Firefox (http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/) as an alternative to Internet Explorer.

Do I have to uninstall the Windows XP firewall if I want to use a different firewall?

If you want to install the a firewall from your anti-virus security package, then you should turn off the built in firewall that came with XP. Here are the steps to do that:

Download the new firewall
Turn off the Windows firewall like this: Start Control Panel Security Center Windows Firewall (bottom of that window) General tab Off
Install the new firewall

It can't be removed, but it's perfectly fine to turn it off provided you have another firewall turned on. You never want more than one firewall on at the same time.

Daylight Saving Time is different now. Do I have to do something special about that?

Yes, you do. Daylight Saving Time will start earlier and end later than before. If you want your computer to know what time it is, you have to apply a patch or maybe two. I'll have more on this in a future column, but for now Windows users can download the patch here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/928388 (scroll down). If you use Microsoft Office Outlook (NOT Outlook Express), you'll need to patch that also. See this article: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/931667 for more information. Daylight Saving will begin the second Sunday in March.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.