Monroe

Duplicate post of the earlier post ... not sure how it happened.

frogman ... I just found out about this flash video / converter from a posting by JohnHell at the K-Meleon forum less than two weeks ago. Youtube Downloader HD http://www.youtubedownloaderhd.com/ Youtube Downloader HD is a free tool to download videos from YouTube and save it to your local computer. The videos can be converted to avi video format or to mp4 (compatible with iPod, iPhone). Now you can download High Quality videos, High Definition and Full HD videos from YouTube. Also Youtube Downloader HD is a Freeware! Main Downloads: Download Youtube Downloader HD Version 2.9.4 Freeware. 4.2 MB. With installer. For Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/7 Youtube Downloader HD - Portable Version Version 2.9.4 Freeware. 3.5 MB. Without installer. Standalone exe file. For Windows 98/NT/2000/XP/2003/Vista/7 FLV Converter Version 1.1 Freeware. 3.2 MB. With installer. Handy Freeware tool to convert FLV files to AVI video .... the portable version is listed as working with Windows 98 / SE The following may be "slightly " off topic but it does deal with various file formats playing through a TV with no converting needed. I just found out about this item in July ... it does away with converting any file. I posted about it on July 23 at the K-Meleon forum and will just put what I wrote there in this post ... it would be another way to go to be able to work with different files. I finally got around to trying it yesterday and the files (mp4 and wmv) played great using just the av (R/W/Y) cable. I have other files to try out but my first test was a success. Amazon had Kingston 16 GB flash drives on sale for $7.99 in July for only a day and I got four of them to store various videos on and I have some USB Hard Drives. Date: July 23, 2012 07:39AM Thanks Fred ... in regards to converting files, I just bought something that is supposed to play just about any file through your TV. I just received this little item and have not had a chance to try it out yet but it had a lot of "positive" reviews at Amazon. You don't have to convert any files, just put your files on a USB Hard Drive, Memory Card or a USB Flash Drive. I'm not endorsing this product but converting files can be time consuming, I was actually looking for a DVD player that played all or at least most files that could be watched on a television. I found this item and most people seemed to like it. I just put info about it here in case someone might be interested in checking it out. Seems like it would be easier to put various files on a USB Flash Drive or USB Hard Drive to play on a TV ... instead of converting files. Of course if you only play files on a computer then this item is not necessary at all. http://www.amazon.com/IncrediSonic-Ultra-Play-IMP150-Flashdrives/dp/B006FNCWSY/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1343004041&sr=1-1&keywords=IncrediSonic+Ultra+Play+IMP150 IncrediSonic Ultra Play IMP150 - HD TV Digital Mini Media Player HDMI - 1080p - Play any file from USB HDDs/Flashdrives/Memory Cards ... RM/RMVB/AVI/DIVX/MKV/MOV/HDMOV/MP4/PMP/AVC/FLV/ VOB/MPG/DAT/MPEG/H.264/MPEG1/2/4, WMV Player * Download media (videos, music, etc) from the internet, save it to USB drive/memory card/HDD then play it through your TV! * Turn your USB drive into an HD media player - Play content from USB drives/USB HDD devices and SD/MMC/MS Memory Cards * Full-HD 1080p video playback (Not just upscaling like other brands) - Experience spectacular Full-HD video picture quality and crystal-clear digital audio. * Features include: USB host port, LED light (BLue = running, Red = standby), IR Receiver, SD/MMC/MS card slot, Composite AV port, HDMI port, Power supply jack & Power supply * A great product for ultimate in-house entertainment - Remote control included! A great device for turning your HD TV into a Home Cinema, allowing you to play virtually any downloaded content on your hard drive/memory card in HD on your TV! 3 in 1 Card Reader - Supports SD, MMC and MS cards. Supported codec: RM/RMVB/AVI/DIVX/MKV/MOV/HDMOV/MP4/PMP/AVC/FLV/ VOB/MPG/DAT/MPEG/H.264/MPEG1/2/4, WMV Video Output: HDMI output to 1080P, Composite (AV) ... I didn't know there was such a device ... there were some cheaper models but this one played more different files. If anyone knows of a better type product, tell me about it. thanks .... I posted this to let others know about this device and that there is another way to go, if you have various files stored away ... ...

I got the download from the second link you provided ... download started right away. I'm still not able to use the first link ... this is the URL I got from that link ..... but the second link works fine ... thanks. http://www.tmurgent.com/Tool_ATM.aspx Server Error in '/' Application. The resource cannot be found. Description: HTTP 404. The resource you are looking for (or one of its dependencies) could have been removed, had its name changed, or is temporarily unavailable. Please review the following URL and make sure that it is spelled correctly. Requested URL: /Tool_ATM.aspx ...

Hi dencorso ... the link for the ATM program doesn't seem to be working for now. I did a quick search on Google for another link but didn't come up with one. I will do a better search shortly. Yes, I like to check out different software programs so ATM sounds interesting. I may have it already archived on some software backup dvds. A little more info on MemInfo ... I was using RAMpage on my XP setup, it does work and so I set up MemInfo to look the same ... black background with lime green numbers. It 's listed as only using 2 MB of RAM while RAMpage is listed as using 3 MB of RAM. I took off RAMpage and will use MemInfo. I also changed the settings to report "unused" or available RAM, just like RAMpage reported. I have the little bar on top set for "No Bar Border and "Opaque Bar". The program has some nice features. ... OK, understand now about the Wayback Machine ... a time capsule for archiving older software and just about anything. Never checked this out before. There were a few older Windows 98 programs I was never able to find a download for. Wish I had known about this site ... wonder what year this site was founded? I can get that off Google. ...

Just came across this little program today and really like it, posting some info about it in case anyone might want to try it out or may have been looking for such a program. Having recently left Windows 98SE for XP, I was glad to be able to transfer many software programs to Windows XP. However, one program that I really liked on 98SE doesn't work on XP and that is Memload v2.0 ... it would easily show the amount of memory being used by all running programs. Then I found MemInfo v3.2 today ... it has several nice features and it will also show the amount of memory being used by a program just like Memload did in Windows 98SE. By default it shows 5 programs but the number can be easily changed to any or all programs. I set it to 20. Just right click on the systray icon and you see what programs are using the most memory from top to bottom. It also can replace RAMpage and a little program program called ResMan from EnTech Taiwan. RAMpage ... (Windows 98SE) http://www.jfitz.com/RAMpage/ ---------------------------------- ResMan ... (Windows 98SE) http://www.entechtaiwan.com/util/legacy.shtm ---------------------------------- Memload ... (Windows 98SE) http://z15.invisionfree.com/win98/ar/t81.htm --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MemInfo v3.2 ... (Windows NT/2000/XP/Vista/7) ... sort of a combo of the above three 98SE programs. http://download.cnet.com/MemInfo/3000-2248_4-67969.html MemInfo lets users keep an eye on their computer's memory at all times. It gives a real-time look into the workings of computer systems. With ease and subtlety, MemInfo is a great tool for memory hogs. The program's interface is so basic it doesn't matter that there is no Help file. There is basically no interaction here: users just view the statistics of their memory. What few commands there are operate quite simply. MemInfo embeds itself into the user's system tray and stays there. To view its information, users simply scroll over the small icon. A small information box opens and displays physical memory as megabytes (MB), percentage of memory used, and page file in MB. The icon also changes colors to warn users. It stays green under 65 percent usage, turns yellow above 65 percent, and red at 95 percent. The program's finest feature is undoubtedly the defragmenter that can be utilized by right-clicking. Here, users can free up a lot of memory just by clicking a button. By staying simple, and offering great information at a glance, this freeware program will be a favorite of users who are obsessed with their memory usage. ... didn't see it already mentioned anywhere but I don't have much luck using the Search feature at times. ...

NTLDR ... been reading all the replies since this topic started ... your reply was especially interesting. I just spent my first month (June) with XP and couldn't be happier about my decision to move on from Windows 98SE in early May. I have three IBM Thinkpad computers that are now running super fast and great. Yes, they ran very well with Windows 98SE but never quite 100%. I bought them over the last few years since they were listed as the last notebooks (T series) to work with Windows 98SE. I had everything set up with my favorite programs and settings but it wasn't perfect or completely to my liking. So around May 1st I decided to give XP another shot and this time I was going to work with it more and take the time to figure out setting it up exactly the way I would like it to be. The month of May started out gruesome (overwhelming) but quickly after some trial and error, in about two weeks I had a good setup going and by early June had everything just perfect ... thanks to doing a lot of early Ghost backups, if something was a disaster, I could be setup again in minutes to try something different. Anyway, the last three weeks of June were just running the "final setup" and I couldn't be happier with having XP on my notebooks. I have some extra IDE hard drives put away that I bought on eBay earlier in 2011 and 2012. I added RAM to two notebooks to make them all the same at 1 GB. I was especially happy that I was able to use many programs that I had on my Windows 98SE setup with XP. I sort of feel like the "Maytag Repairman" these days ... nothing more to work on, fix or search around for. As of right now, I feel these notebooks are running as good as I could ever hope for ... 100% +. I'm sure a few things will come along to tweak or try down the road ... but for now, Windows XP is working great and I hope to keep these notebooks and XP working for many years, if not forever. I wish I had moved from Windows 98SE a few years ago ... I had a few Pentium 3s and 98SE ran great on them but these Thinkpads are just super fast with no hangups with XP now installed. thanks ...

Thanks tomasz86 for your input. I was also thinking about AVG or Avast early today when I came across this article about the 9 Best Free Antivirus Programs and the MS Microsoft Security Essentials was number three on the list. I was searching for input on the best free antivirus programs for Windows XP. Microsoft Security Essentials Security Essentials from Microsoft is definitely one of the best free antivirus programs available right now. Microsoft is relatively new to the antivirus game but don't let that scare you - Security Essentials is a fantastic antivirus program that protects you from all sorts of malware, updates automatically and is incredibly easy to use. Microsoft Security Essentials supports Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP. Two of the biggest reasons I added Microsoft Security Essentials to this list of the best free antivirus software is because it's directly from Microsoft and also because it's very easy to see if you're computer is secure from threats: if the icon next to your clock is green, you're in good; if it's red, something is wrong. The Bottom Line Microsoft Security Essentials is easily one of the best free antivirus program available. I like it because it's produced by Microsoft and because it's really easy to see if the program is protecting you as it should be. Important: Microsoft Security Essentials provides constant virus protection, also called on-access or resident protection, for free. This means that Microsoft Security Essentials can completely replace antivirus software from companies like McAfee and Norton that charge for their software and for yearly access to updates. Pros * Provides resident protection from viruses, spyware and other malware * Works with Windows 7, Vista, and XP * Virus definitions are updated automatically and regularly * Very easy to install * Does not attempt to install unrelated software Cons * Does not include a silent mode (so you might be bothered during gaming) Description * Microsoft Security Essentials includes fully functional engines to guard against viruses and most other kinds of malware. * Includes a very easy to use on-demand scanner for manual malware checks. * Windows 7, Vista, and XP are all supported operating systems for Microsoft Security Essentials. * Simple green/red indicator makes it very easy to see if you're protected. * Microsoft Security Essentials updates regularly to keep its malware knowledge current. Guide Review - Microsoft Security Essentials Security Essentials is Microsoft's first attempt at an antivirus program, free or otherwise. My take: they did an excellent job. It was super easy to install and even easier to understand and use. Microsoft Security Essentials even trumps most of the popular, expensive antivirus options out there. ... here's the link to the whole article. 9 Best Free Antivirus Programs http://freebies.about.com/od/computerfreebies/tp/best-free-antivirus.htm ... I normally don't have an antivirus program installed ... don't like them "running" all the time ... I decided to go with the Kaspersky Rescue CD ... it was just updated on June 3rd ... yesterday ... Download FREE Bootable Rescue CDs from Kaspersky, BitDefender, AVG, Avira, F-Secure, VIPRE, Panda and Dr.Web Antivirus http://www.askvg.com/download-free-bootable-rescue-cds-from-kaspersky-bitdefender-avira-f-secure-and-others/ Kaspersky Rescue CD: Kaspersky is one of the best anti-virus company and now its providing a rescue CD absolutely free which contains the latest Kaspersky anti-virus. So you can scan your system by booting your system using Kaspersky rescue CD. File: kav_rescue_10.iso 268526 KB 6/3/2012 9:01:00 AM ...

Well I have gotten to the stage of putting some Windows updates on my XP setup and also I see there is Windows Media Player 11 available. Just like to know if it would be wise to go with WMP 11 or stay with WMP 9 or 10. I mainly use KMPlayer but I would like a version of WMP also on the machine, which for now is WMP 9. What about the Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool May 2012 ... a good download or something to avoid? Also, what about this Microsoft Security Essentials? Have not put any of those updates on my setup yet, probably very hard to remove if it's a mistake ... just like some input on what MS programs not to put on through Windows Update. I have not put any versions .NET Framework on my system ... if you have it installed, how high a version should I go ... think I saw version 4.5 at the update site ... or just leave it off completely. I know there are some software programs that require .NET Framework to be installed but I usually can search around for a similar program that doesn't need .NET Framework to work. thanks ...

OK ... I tried the Layout.DLL settings that you supplied ... I just don't like the Align to Grid spacing ... my settings are slimmer and smaller which is what I want. It will probably work for others ... I have been working with Iconoid on a second computer and I am satisfied with the program. Every reboot has the icons in the proper order ... it adjusts them (if needed) on the startup of Windows, with no input from me ... except for the initial setup. I will sign off on this thread I guess but keep reading and searching for something that just might be a little better. thanks all ...

I came across an old program that I had forgotten about from several years back, while searching around earlier today ... Iconoid . I downloaded a newer version and now seem to like the program. It has so many different settings and can put the Desktop icons back in order at startup ... it can make the icons disappear after so many seconds, if you just want a clean desktop view. It's not the fix that I was after but it's very close, it'll do for now. I will keep searching. Iconoid 3.8.6 Iconoid (32 bit) will run on Windows 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, Vista and Windows 7. Note: 2000 systems should use 3.8.5. Pre-XP systems should use 3.7.0. http://majorgeeks.com/Iconoid_d723.html http://www.addictivetips.com/windows-tips/take-full-control-over-your-windows-desktop-icons-with-iconoid/ ... it's an interesting program.

OK ... I have been trying more ideas from the web ... searching around on Google I am amazed at how many others are looking for a solution for Desktop icons staying in place, all the way into Windows 7. I can't understand why MS has never fixed this annoying problem or offered a simple solution that works for the masses. Anyway ... PROBLEMCHYLD, I have LAYOUT.DLL installed and will give it a try. When you posted your information, I had just found that info about deleting "nosavesettings" from the registry and that would solve the problem. Out of the four registry entries that were listed, I found the "nosavesettings" DWORD in two of them on all four of my notebooks ... three Thinkpads with XP and one Dell (P3) with Windows 2000. I had no idea the registry settings would just automatically come back ... again on Google yesterday, I saw hundreds of questions dealing with "nosavesettings" always coming back after being deleted. .... getting back to your post PROBLEMCHYLD ... I was hesitant to follow your instructions because a few days before I decided to see what Align to Grid would actually do. I like my Desktop icons small so that I only have two columns on the left side of my screen and not three or four. When I hit "Align to Grid", the icons changed (as I remember) and I could not get them back to the exact way I had them ... worked with everything for some time and finally just gave up and used my Ghost backup to get things fixed. I will try it again to see what changes again.These are the settings that I use for my Desktop icons ... Icon size: 17 ... Font size: 7 ... Icon Spacing (Hor): 55 ... Icon Spacing (Ver): 45 densorso, the "nosavesettings" always seem to come back at this entry: HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Program Manager\Restrictions ... nosavesettings 0x00000000 (0) . So you say (0) is OK ... but why when something is deleted, OK or not ... does it come back? I sort of "joked around" earlier about a "hidden registry" backup somewhere in XP that will prevent certain registry items from ever being deleted. Could there really be a hidden registry somewhere replacing certain items if they are deleted? This just seems so complicated, people just simply wanting their Desktop icons to remain in the order that they would like them to be, day after day ... month after month. I also tried your instructions for Desktop Restore and it didn't seem to work for me, I also said I moved a few icons around to see if they would go back into place after a reboot, they did not. I will try it again later, maybe I missed something. Perhaps it's because I have my icons smaller with the column Hor and Ver adjustments. I just like a smaller, tighter column of icons. Must be a simple desktop lock or something somewhere ... and old forgotten program. I had deleted that registry entry again before I got online ... just checked the registry again, as I'm typing this, and it was back once more. I will just forget about it and accept the fact that it cannot be deleted ... if a 0 is OK then so be it ... but I am going to continue to search around as to why that registry entry (or others) cannot be permanently deleted. Perhaps it falls under the Windows File Protection (WFP) idea somehow. ... I will also add, from my earlier post dealing with the Prefetch folder ... I put everything back the way I had it and the icons were still rearranging, so there is probably no connection with deleting or not deleting the contents of the Prefetch folder. Was just a coincidence I guess that the icon problem returned when I removed the "delete contents" step from CCleaner. ...

Well the Desktop icon problem is back after two days of no movement ... also the "nosavesettings" DWORD is back in my registry .... as fast as I delete it ... it pops right back in ... I've deleted it seven times and it just keeps coming back. There is one change that I did and maybe those of you who understand XP can explain if there might be a connection. I had been having CCleaner clean out the "Prefetch" folder when I would run it for general cleaning. Then I read where it might be better to let the Prefetch folder alone and it will clean itself out after 128 items build in the folder. As soon as I quit cleaning the Prefetch folder the Desktop icons went back to the exact same order that I don't like. I have no idea where that icon order came from, I never had the Desktop icons in that order. Could there be a connection with the icon problem and the Prefetch folder? If there is a connection, why would the "nosavesettings" DWORD suddenly keep going back into the registry as fast as I delete it? I will put everything back later today, I have no time now ... just went to test the WiFi to make my final Ghost backup and then the icon problem comes back. Is there a "secret registry" backup hidden somewhere in XP that Windows makes and NO changes can ever be made to the registry for "certain" items ... I had hoped the problem was fixed and it seems to be fixed if I can keep the "nosavesettings" out of the registry. How can I take complete control over XP and find the "secret" registry backup or whatever is causing this to occur? I ask that because I just read a few days ago that the reason XP is so large is because there is an exact duplicate of every file, folder ... everything that is hidden in the XP OS on the computer ... if that is indeed true, then there must be an exact copy of the registry somewhere that I will have to find and get the "nosavesettings" out of and then out of the registry that I am able to see. This is getting really murky and sinister ... XP and the hidden XP !!! thanks ...

With help from dencorso in the Windows 2000 forum, I found this small help article early today and applied it to my Windows 2000 notebook and one XP notebook. Everything is staying exactly the way I want things to stay. I'm going this route with all my computers if this fix continues to work over the next few days. I had everything changing on the Windows 2000 notebook and everything is in place since the fix was applied. Solution: Windows Desktop Does Not Save User Customized Settings http://www.askvg.com/solution-windows-desktop-does-not-save-user-customized-settings/ So if you are also facing such problem, then this tutorial will help you in fixing the issue: 1. Type regedit in RUN dialog box and press Enter. Now check for a DWORD value "NoSaveSettings" in right-side pane under following keys: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Program Manager\Restrictions The DWORD value could be present in any of above mentioned locations, most probably in the last one. 2. Once you find the DWORD value, delete it and restart your system. It'll solve your problem and Windows will remember your desktop settings. ...

Thanks ... with something to go on, I found this small help article. I deleted "NoSaveSettings" two times and four problems were solved at once. All windows / folders are not changing and the Desktop icons and the Quick Launch icons are staying in the order that I want. I also think Windows 2000 is working just a little faster ... sure seems to be. Solution: Windows Desktop Does Not Save User Customized Settings http://www.askvg.com/solution-windows-desktop-does-not-save-user-customized-settings/ So if you are also facing such problem, then this tutorial will help you in fixing the issue: 1. Type regedit in RUN dialog box and press Enter. Now check for a DWORD value "NoSaveSettings" in right-side pane under following keys: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Program Manager\Restrictions The DWORD value could be present in any of above mentioned locations, most probably in the last one. 2. Once you find the DWORD value, delete it and restart your system. It'll solve your problem and Windows will remember your desktop settings. ...

Good tip ... didn't think of that site. Looks like around 3000 Windows 2000 tips ... going to look at each one over the next few days, might find some other helpful information. I've been spending time there over the last month looking at information on XP. thanks

tomasz86 ... also looking forward to your Rollup 2 Update release. If I understand correctly, all past updates will be included in Rollup 2. thanks ...

Just a few days ago I decided to replace Windows 98SE with Windows 2000 Pro on an older Dell Latitude Pentium 3 notebook. Have everything setup OK so far but I can't seem to find a fix or information about one problem. Maybe there is no solution but I would think there must be something. I found a few others asking about the same problem but no real solution was offered. If I can describe this right ... when I click on My Computer or Control Panel, they will open in a large default size window. I adjust them down to a smaller size that I prefer but when I open them again ... it's always back to that larger default size. I have set the size I want many times but it never holds. I searched this forum but found nothing ( No results found for 'adjusting windows 2000 computer default screen size'.) and so far I have not come up with anything on Google. Any help or ideas appreciated. thanks ...

Syclone0044 ... just a few words on my experience over the last month of deciding to leave Windows 98SE for Windows XP Pro. I was also amazed at how much faster my Thinkpad notebooks were running after the change ... I was also very happy that many of the software programs that I had on Windows 98SE were able to run on Windows XP ... it's like I'm still with 98SE in a way ... but there is no mistake in how much faster and better my Thinkpads are working with XP installed. My only regret is that I didn't make the switch sooner, about three years ago, when I bought the Thinkpads. What brought me here today to the Windows 2000 forum is that I have an older Dell Latitude that I had fully intended to keep Windows 98SE installed on but a few days ago I decided to install Windows 2000 Pro on it instead. I have a problem/question that I will be posting shortly when I finish here. So just a few "kind words" about Windows XP that I did have not many years ago. ... I realize this is an old thread but since it sort of came back to life, I thought a few words were in order. ...

Ok ... yes jaclaz, just became aware of DVD Identifier in April ... I think it was mentioned by someone posting at Amazon on the Verbatim DVDs as to which were from factories in India and Thailand. I didn't have time to mention DVD Identifier earlier today. I also didn't have time to get into the Amazon brand DVDs and my experience with them. Last year, they were mostly under $18 all year till late in the year and so far in 2012 the price has been everywhere to as high as $30 / 100 but mostly around $25 ... in Feb (2012) the price dropped below $20 for a short time and I ordered 100 to try them. Most people said they were OK to very good for the price with very few coasters. With the Amazon brand DVDs I bought in Feb ... I found that to be true. I just used them up in the last two weeks and I think I only had one the was bad. In late April the price on the Amazon brand dropped below $22 and I ordered 200 since I had a good experience with the last order. Just started burning them in the last two weeks and my experience with this order is terrible ... just a few days ago, I had five in a row that wouldn't burn or had errors ... Out of about 50 used so far, I'd say about 20 may have been bad or did not finish a complete burn. Just yesterday, I noticed the Amazon brand was below $20 ... still is today when I discovered the Verbatim brand on sale. However, I noticed there were several customer postings over the last seven days complaining of bad burns and many coasters. Perhaps this batch of Amazon DVDs have a problem. I will not buy them anymore myself ... will use the Verbatim brand for now. Also, as someone posted about the Amazon brand ... the DVD is a little "thicker" than most other DVDs, so it might not work in all DVD players or need to be pushed down harder on a spindle to get it to set correctly. I found this to be true, they are somewhat thicker ... I noticed that Verbatim says this about their DVDs: AZO also offers high sensitivity for reliable high-speed recording and high reflectivity to eliminate read errors. The thinness of the recording layer is also critical. The thinner the layer, the higher the sensitivity and power margin; therefore, the better the DVD works for high-speed recording. ... so the Amazon brand DVDs are also on sale but for a little more in price, the Verbatims might be the better deal, if you need some DVDs. ...

Talking about DVDs and some of the better brands ... I am in no way an expert on the best DVDs to buy, just read what others have said or written through the years. I just noticed that Amazon has dropped the price on Verbatim 100 pack DVDs ... this is the Verbatim 95098 product ... Amazon sells another Verbatim DVD also ... Verbatim 97459. I have been trying to find out what the difference is for over an hour on Google and came up with very little information so far ... I have a lot more searching to do, just ran out of time for now. Anyway, I did find an article that isn't too old (Feb 2012) "The 5 Most-Talked-About Optical Discs" and it says this about Verbatium and the two different product numbers. http://www.pcmech.com/article/the-5-most-talked-about-optical-discs/ ... don't know if that link will work but it's correct ... "Aren’t all Verbatim 100-pack DVD+R spindles the same?" No, they’re not. There are many who very specifically seek out the 95098 spindle, meaning not the 97459 and not the 97460. Many people feel that the 95098 is the best DVD+R recordable Verbatim makes. And no there is no price difference between this particular spindle and others by Verbatim; it just happens to be that people like the 95098 the most. .... I did just buy the Verbatium 97459 product from Amazon in early May but the DVDs were listed as being made in Thailand and not India ... that seems to be another story and discussion, what country are the various Verbatium DVDs from. Anyway, the DVDs that were around $29 just yesterday are now $21.99 and they are identified as Verbatim 95098. Both products have the "AZO" dye layer. From the Manufacturer: The Verbatim AZO recording layer gives our DVD media the competitive advantage-the patented coating delivers protection that lasts generations and provides ultimate resistance to UV light damage. That's why Verbatim's been recognized as the No. 1 Optical Brand in the World*--we consistently provide optical media of the highest quality and compatibility. When drive manufacturers test their products for maximum performance, they use Verbatim--so why wouldn't you? Mitsubishi Kagaku Media (MKM), Verbatim's parent company in Japan, brings extensive technological research and development to the table. Core technologies, like the AZO recording layer give Verbatim an offering like no other optical manufacturer. This unique and ultra-stable layer strongly resists UV light, withstands high laser and rotation speeds on newer drives and ensures compatibility with current DVD standards. Verbatim's AZO recording layer not only withstands the extremely high laser and rotation speeds of newer drives, it also maximizes their performance. Verbatim paid particular attention to the durability and light fastness of AZO; tests show that it is more stable than most recording dyes and the least affected by ultraviolet light. AZO also offers high sensitivity for reliable high-speed recording and high reflectivity to eliminate read errors. The thinness of the recording layer is also critical. The thinner the layer, the higher the sensitivity and power margin; therefore, the better the DVD works for high-speed recording. What does all this mean for you? Verbatim AZO technology translates into optical products that cost just a little more but are worth the slight difference. They are products you want-offering reliability, high read and write performance, high-quality photos and sound and superior archival protection that lasts. Features Warranty - Verbatim manufactures our DVDs to meet our strict quality standards. We stand behind the quality of our products-and our Limited Lifetime Warranty proves it! Compatibility - our online reviews say it for us; we make DVDs that work--no coasters! Mitsubishi Kagaku Media (MKM), our parent company, has long-standing relationships with drive manufacturers who use our products to test their performance, making Verbatim DVDs the most compatible in the industry. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009YJXMS/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER .... further down the page it go into detail about the AZO layer ... and comments from other buyers. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- .... as I said earlier, I only know what I read ... I did just order 200 of these Verbatim 95098 DVDs to test them and see how they will burn. I also have the other 97459 product. They are under $22 as I write this but the price could change anytime. Amazon is like that ... sometimes maybe a day or more or just a few hours till the price changes. If anyone has further knowledge of the various Verbatim DVD products ... like to hear about it. As I mentioned earlier, some have posted that Verbatim DVDs made in Thailand or Asia are better than the ones made in India ... but you don't really know, until you get the shipment, where they were made. Hope this might be somewhat helpful ... if the 95098 is the superior product then this is probably a good deal till the price goes back up in the US ... not sure about Amazon prices in other countries ... I sometimes shop and have ordered from other Amazon sites for hard to find DVDs (films) not for sale in the US but I didn't have time to check blank DVDs prices. ...

OK ... thanks for the screenshots ... I will be experimenting with DR shortly. Update ... OK not sure this is working ... followed all your directions and the old icon pattern (which I hadn't seen for a few days) made an appearance ... but it has not come back. However, I did "purposely" move a few icons out of order then rebooted the computer and the icons were still in that order when the computer fully booted ... they didn't change back to the way I want them ... In your earlier directions when you said "With desktop restore installed plain-vanilla" ... I took that to mean no check marks on the Custom Layout Save/Restore page but in your screen shot there is a check mark in the 2nd box down ... Force Unmatched Icons to be Visible on the Main Screen ... I didn't put any check marks in any of those three boxes but I was wondering if a check mark should be in the third box down : Display Only Custom Menu on Desktop? As you said "plain-vanilla" ... I just installed DR and did a "Save Desktop" and went from there ... everything was clear and went smooth. thanks ...

jaclaz ... you have the "links" to everything. I would have never guessed that someone actually did a study of putting CDs in the microwave. That icon was not a "laughing" icon ... it was meant to be a "state of shock" look. Anyway, I just bought 400 blank DVDs in the last month and then this discussion started about just how long Cds/DVDs will actually last. I've used various brands through the years but have tried to get Verbatum DVDs when I can at a reasonable price and Amazon dropped the price three times below $22 in late April and early May. They are supposed to have "long term" storage but who can say. I should be set for some time with my supply. ...

... 10 minutes in the microwave ! .... good to come back here every so often to get some humor ... the icon is perfect ! ... that would be me if I saw my DVDs in the microwave! ... I have never heard of the M-disk, interesting ... probably out of my price range, can't image anyone interested in Windows 98SE and XP software 100 years from now, but there still might be "one old geezer" around somewhere trying to get on the internet with 98SE or XP. ...

dencorso ... thanks for the "detailed" instructions for setting up Desktop Restore, that's what I needed ... never could have figured that all out. I will probably just continue to work with this program since you recommend it and everything stays in place once it's configured. These little XP "annoyances" are slowly going away, one by one. thanks ...

Thanks Geej for the information on DesktopOK ... I downloaded it and also your DesktopOK233_INF_Addon cab file. I will experiment with them this week-end. So far my desktop icons are holding in place ... they "flicker" a lot but are not shuffling around. The flickering is annoying at times and I will look into that later on to see if that is just a "normal" XP thing ... just happy the icons are staying place. Thanks for clearing that up about "F5" being a Windows Standard thing ... I only have three T series IBM notebooks at hand so I just wasn't sure about other computers. That DesktopOK program looks interesting ... good to have all these programs handy to get to in a hurry. I see it also works with Windows 98. thanks again for the input ...