Re: Address book problem

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" <bonnie.zimmer@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:1153692959.551497.264770@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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" <bonnie.zimmer@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1153680705.265989.163770@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> 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" <bonnie.zimmer@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>> news:1153674331.118445.165320@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> > 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
>> >
>> >
>


.

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