404 Errors
common errors
1XX: 100s are informational status codes.
2xx: 200s are successful status codes.
3xx: 300s are redirectional status codes.
4xx: 400s are client errors.
5xx: 500s are server errors
Here is a list of five common client errors.
400: Bad request
401: Unauthorized request
402: Payment required
403: Forbidden request
405: Method not allowed
10 Things to Do With Old PCs
By Warren Ernst
November 19, 2003
If you’ve been using PCs for a while, you’re bound to have an old one you don’t use much, if at all. With 2-GHz computers available for well under $1,000, what good is an old 300-MHz Pentium II system? The answer depends on your willingness to experiment, have fun, learn, and prevent pollution. Here are ten things you can do with that old PC, starting with tasks for relatively “better” old PCs, and working our way down to the real junkers.
Learn networking. With two computers on hand, you can take a stab at making a LAN. All versions of Windows since Windows 95 have networking features built-in, so you won’t need additional software. On the hardware side, you’ll need an Ethernet card for your old machine (around $15, and your new PC probably already has Ethernet built-in) and either a network cable (from $2 to $30, depending on its length) or a hub or switch (about $40) with standard CAT5 networking cables.
The Windows Help files aren’t too helpful, but there are dozens of excellent Web sites that walk you through the process. One of our favorites is World of Windows Networking (www.wown.com), though it can be a little overwhelming at first. A simpler page for Windows 95/98-only networking can be found at TunisiaDaily (www.tunisiadaily.com/answers/
networking.html.) You can also check out our extensive coverage of home networking at www.pcmag.com/networking and our issue of April 8.
It pays to learn the basics of networking first, because some of the other suggestions below are greatly enhanced when your old machine is networked to your newer one.
Make a multimedia player. Most computers have sound cards, and any system later than a Pentium 200 can run Winamp skip-free. Try installing your favorite digital-music software on the old machine. (MusicMatch Jukebox is the PC Magazine Editors’ Choice in our issue of November 11.) If you want your MP3 or WMA collection to play on your living-room stereo instead of your computer, you’ve got a digital jukebox ready to go.
For basic music playback, you can connect your sound card’s 1/8-inch stereo plug to a pair of RCA female plugs—labeled AUX input on the back of most stereos—with a commonly available Y cable, such as Radio Shack part 42-2551 ($7 list).
To integrate your PC with your home theater setup more completely, you may want a few more items. Buy a wireless keyboard/mouse combo for about $50 and you can control the show from your couch. A video card with a Video Out connector will let you hook your PC to your television, eliminating the need for a monitor. If you’ve networked your PCs, you can play music files directly from your main PC through the stereo.
Try multiplayer games. When your family members complain that you spend too much time playing PC games, you could simply cut down, or you can convince them to join you. Once your home network is set up, you can have mini-LAN parties any time you want.
The real trick is finding games that work well with your oldest computer. Perhaps the best choice is DOOM 95, which works fairly well even on a 486DX/66 system and runs smoothly on a Pentium/200 computer. As the name suggests, the game works within Windows 95 and later, and it supports several different types of networks. Free demos are available at Id Software’s FTP site (ftp://ftp.idsoftware.com/idstuff/doom/
win95/doom95.zip), but a Google search for DOOM 95 1.9 download reveals many more reliable sites. You can find the full version, along with dozens of expansion packs, on eBay.
Install Linux. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard about Linux, the free, Unix-like operating system for PCs. If you have ever considered trying it but were afraid of what it might do to your existing Windows setup, why not try it on a different computer?
Linux supports a surprisingly wide range of older hardware. In fact, sometimes the older the hardware, the better Linux supports it. There are versions, called distributions, that are suitable for very old computers, too. Debian Linux (www.debian.org) is well suited to slower machines, and it is also friendly and well documented enough for beginners. If you have a PC faster than 300 MHz or so, you may want to try Mandrake Linux (www.mandrakelinux.com,) which is considered the most friendly and comprehensive Linux distribution out there. It can feel a little slow on a Pentium/166, however.
If you have a broadband connection, you can download CD-ROM images of Linux and burn your own installation discs for free. Alternatively, you can purchase Linux for a small fee (ranging from $5 to $80) or buy a Linux book that comes with Linux discs. Check out PC Magazine’s “Get Started with Linux” at www.pcmag.com/linux.
Make a printer/file/Web server. If your old computer is in good shape but just too slow for your needs, it may make a fine server.
If you have a few printers connected to a few computers, consider connecting all the printers to your old computer and setting up a network to your newer machines. This way, you leave one computer on all the time, which saves energy, and you’ll be able to print from any networked machine to any of the printers.
Similarly, consolidate files if you and the users of your other networked computers are always trying to locate the same data. Finding MP3s and shared documents becomes a snap when there’s only one household My Documents and My Music location. And you’ll have only one directory to back up.
If you have broadband and a household router, your service provider may let you host a Web (or other) server, but be sure to check your terms of service. Even Windows 98 can host a personal Web page and hundreds of files for the occasional visitor to your site. Just make sure that you have updated your OS with the latest fixes and have a solid antivirus program and firewall in place. Apache is a free, high-quality server software package (www.apache.org).
Donate your unwanted PC to a local school. If you really have no use for an old machine or two, call your local school or school district. Many districts have minimum donation standards, such as accepting nothing older than a 486-based system, so be sure to ask. Some PC makers have their own donation programs. Dell, for example, works with a foundation that provides computers to disabled children (www.dell.com/recycling). Gateway buyers can request a recycle/donation form, which, when validated by a recycling center or charity group, entitles them to discounts on future purchases. (More on recycling below.)
Take it apart. Did you ever wonder how a CPU is connected to a motherboard? Are you not sure how to remove a hard drive? Do you want to practice inserting and removing RAM modules? An older computer is an excellent practice PC for maintenance and upgrades. You might want to keep it around just to perform trial runs before taking a screwdriver to your new $2,000 PC.
Strip it and sell the parts. Somewhere in the world, some small business or volunteer organization is getting by with old computers that work just fine. But when those machines break, getting replacement parts can be very difficult. Your old motherboard, video card, hard drive, network card, or other component could be invaluable to someone out there on eBay.
When posting your items for sale, try to include the full name of the component, including any part numbers, serial numbers, and FCC ID numbers printed on the part, because that’s what a potential buyer will search for. Also, don’t expect to make more than a few dollars on any item. The point here is to help someone else out, not make a killing.
Turn it into an aquarium. The classic repurposing of an old compact—and hopelessly broken—Apple Macintosh is to turn it into an aquarium, called a Macquarium. We’re really talking about a fishbowl stuffed inside the shell of an old computer, but the effect is quite spiffy if you’re into retro-technology or faking out your friends. Why have a screen saver imitate real life, when you can have real life imitate a screen saver? On the Macquarium page at Low End Mac (www.lowendmac.com/compact/macquarium.shtml), you’ll find links to photos, plans, and even ready-to-purchase kits. The plans can be modified to work with any PC monitor.
Recycle it. If none of these ideas tickle your fancy, don’t just throw your computer away. The Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (www.svtc.org) estimates that consumer electronics constitute 40 percent of the lead found in landfills, and other toxic materials, such as cadmium, barium, and mercury, are all found in PC components. Because of this, many municipal refuse and recycling companies don’t offer curbside pickup of computer equipment.
Fortunately, computer-recycling companies meet this challenge. PC recycling is sometimes free; otherwise there may be a modest fee ($5 to $15). Call your city, town, or village hall to find out whether your area has a computer-recycling program. You can also search Google for computer recycling in your area, or check the Yellow Pages. Some computer vendors, like Dell and HP, accept PCs for recycling and reward you with gift certificates or discounts on future purchases.
Warren Ernst is a computer consultant, author, and journalist.
When Adding Memory Yields Out Of Memory
By Neil J. Rubenking
My system runs Windows 98 SE. I had 512MB of memory but increased to 1GB because of dropping memory prices. But my system constantly displays messages saying that the system is running out of memory or doesn’t have enough memory to run certain programs. This never happened before I upgraded!
John S. Bryan
Windows 9x (95, 98, and Me) is not designed to support that much memory—at least not in its default configuration. At start-up, it reserves space for a memory cache called Vcache, whose size is proportional to the amount of memory on the system. This space is drawn from a memory area called the system arena, which is used by Windows internally for other purposes. When the amount of memory is much larger than 512MB, the Vcache can consume all or most of the system arena, causing Windows to report insufficient memory.
The solution is to put a lid on the amount of memory allocated to the Vcache. Open the file C:\Windows\System.ini in Notepad and find the section header [vcache]. Look within this section for a line beginning MaxFileCache=. If you don’t see this line before the next section header (the next line of text in square brackets), insert a MaxFileCache= line just after the [vcache] header. You need to set it to 512MB, but the values are expressed in kilobytes, so the correct number is 512 multiplied by 1,024, or 524,288. Edit the line so it reads MaxFilecache=524288, save the System.ini file, and restart your system.
All About Broadband
Dispel some of the biggest myths surrounding cable Internet access and DSL.
By Rouzbeh Yassini
Editor’s note: When you think broadband, you likely think cable or DSL.
If your choice is cable, you can thank Rouzbeh Yassini for your ability to quickly browse the Web. Yassini, founder of YAS Broadband Ventures, has been hailed as the “father of the cable modem” by the broadband industry.
Bottom line: Yassini knows broadband better than anybody. That’s why we asked him to clear up some common misconceptions about high-speed Internet service. Today on “Call for Help,” join Yassini and learn even more about what makes broadband jam.
The common misconceptions
My connectivity speed is 10 Mbps or 100 Mbps.
The cable modem typically has numerous interfaces. The Ethernet port may connect to your computer at 10 Mbps or 100 Mbps, or a USB port may connect at 12 Mbps. These rates are the speed between your computer and the cable modem. The speed to any particular site on the Internet is dependent upon the slowest link between the cable modem and the website. Many websites share a Telco T1 link (1.5 Mbps) or a fractional T1 at 56 Kbps with typical office traffic and are often the slowest link between you and the website.
The cable modem will operate slower during peak usage periods.
This is a misconception dating to the early days and field trials of cable modem service. Today, the architecture of the HFC (hybrid fiber-coax) plant used by cable operators permits myriad methods for “load balancing” to ensure consumers do not experience a slowdown in service during peak usage periods. DSL service has not had to address this challenge because the twisted pair technology that DSL uses is static and doesn’t need to adapt to varying loads. This is because there is a fixed dedicated bandwidth allotted to the customer, yet DSL has also the same challenges at a different point in the network. All networks are shared at some point (including DSL). It all depends on how much investment the service provider puts in its network.
My computer is more susceptible to hacker attacks because my computer is always on the Internet.
Since your computer is connected to the Internet all the time via the cable modem or DSL modem, there’s more time for hackers to look for ways to break into your files. It’s like leaving the curtains on the widows in your house open all the time so everyone walking by can look in to see if you’re home. Having constant connectivity requires you to use all the tools available to protect your system. A good software firewall on your PC should prevent unauthorized access. So, while this isn’t necessarily a misconception, it’s certainly avoidable. Some prefer a stand-alone firewall, like a Linksys or Netgear box, over a software firewall from Microsoft or other third party. Regardless, users should have a firewall in place for their broadband connection at all times.
The cable modem can be hacked, thus bypassing the service controls.
There are numerous methods for securing the cable modem from service tampering. From its conception, the cable modem contains three built-in layers of security: secure identity of the cable modem; encrypted communication to the cable modem from the cable operator’s central office; and tamper-resistant software.
Service providers can activate various tools and features to prevent theft of service, while home users are always free to add more security to their PC and to specific PC applications like email.
My data can be viewed by others.
The simplest form of data protection is encryption. Encryption on communication to and from the cable modem is controlled by the operator and is normally turned on. Data may be decoded by a sophisticated hacker, but it would take extreme lengths of time and resources to do so. No security is unbreakable. The DSL service has a direct connection back to the central office rather then a shared connection. It therefore doesn’t encrypt its data since the likelihood of someone physically tapping the DSL line is low. But since the DSL connection is a twisted pair, it’s arguably easier to hack into. All you need is a pair of alligator clips.
The cost of broadband service is high.
Often broadband service costs less than most pay for basic cable service. Sometimes service providers will have special deals or broadband services may be bundled with other services at a lower cost. Typically cable modem service costs about $40 per month.
Broadband Facts for Consumers
The cable modem (CM) or digital subscriber line (DSL) modem is a high-speed data device that provides access to the Internet via a local service provider such as a cable operator (Comcast, Time Warner) or a telephone provider (Verizon, Bell Canada).
Competitive broadband services (CM, DSL, and Satellite) are good for the consumer. Competition in any industry promotes lower prices and higher service levels, and lets multiple customers get connected to each other no matter what technology is being used.
Both cable and DSL modems are “always on” devices, eliminating the need for dialing or waiting for connections. There’s no scratchy-sounding handshake, like dialup services have.
The CM is capable of providing up to 30 Mbps (1 million bits per second) and the DSL modem up to 10 Mbps raw speed, but most high-speed modems are providing consumers 5 Mbps or less in download speeds.
Cable and DSL modems enable multimedia services for content available over the Internet, like movie trailers, Internet radio, voice over IP, and so on. These types of services are just starting to happen now and will continue to grow.
DOCSIS is the standard in the cable industry for cable modem technology. There’s only one DOCSIS, but there are several versions that are all backward-compatible and interoperable.
There are dozens of varieties of DSL modem. These varieties are specific to the local Bell company infrastructures and are interoperable.
Cable modems may be purchased and owned by consumers. There are many makes and models of cable modems to choose from. Some can support more than one computer with integrated switches. Others provide firewall protection, virtual private network (VPN) support, and wireless access.
The price of a cable modem has fallen from $5,000 in 1993, to $500 in 1996, to $40 in 2003.
Wireless access technologies (802.16 and 802.20) and satellite are also working to “fill in the gaps” where CM and DSL service is not readily available, like low-density areas or in mobile applications. But CM and DSL will continue to be the broadband access technologies of choice for some time to come.
Removing all hyperlinks from a word doc.
You can remove all of the links with just two keystrokes: Ctrl-A to select the entire document and Ctrl-Shift-F9 to convert all the links into text. This technique works with other fields as well, turning a field into text using the field result. For example, if you’ve inserted a date field to show the current date, selecting the field and pressing Ctrl-Shift-F9 will turn it into text so the date won’t change from one day to the next.
If you have other fields in your document along with the hyperlinks and you don’t want to convert those fields to text, you can select a portion of the document, being careful not to include the fields you don’t want to convert, and then press Ctrl-Shift-F9, repeating as many times as necessary for the entire file. This isn’t as easy as giving the command for the entire document at once, but it is still faster than removing each link individually. By the way, a somewhat quicker way to remove a single link than the Ctrl-K method is to right-click on the link and choose Remove Hyperlink from the context menu.
Intel has some read bad commercials lately. If the commercial didnt tell you much, dont worry, its nothing you really need. Centrino is another dumb name.