Q: Internet Explorer 6 is not displaying any pictures, and gives me all sorts of weird Javascript and DHTML errors. What's going on?
A: You may have ran into a Microsoft "upgrade" feature. Try this: Go to View / Encoding, and see if the checkmark is on "Western European (ISO)". If it is, choose "Western European (Windows)" should fix it on that page. Unfortunately, you have to do this at EVERY page.

According to Microsoft, the "character set" displayed is based on the information the server sends. So the server can say it's sending you French, but it's actually still sending you English characters. In this case, the server is sending Western European ISO, and your browser is taking the server literally. The bad part is... Taking the browser off "autodetect" does NOT work, because that only works if the server does NOT send that info. So why is the server sending WEISO? Because Microsoft apparently changed the default to WEISO instead of WEW without telling anybody.

Is there a way to fix this? I have no idea. The only "pure" fix is go back to IE5.5, which does not seem to have this problem, or use Netscape 7 / Mozilla 1/ Opera for a while until Microsoft get this mess sorted out.

Q: I don't like the way Windows looks and the themes are too limited. What can I do?
A: Try Stardock's Object Desktop. It's more of a subscription service than a product you buy. You get all the new stuff they release for a year as well as what they already have, basically. You can skin just about EVERYTHING in Windows, from titlebar to start bar, etc. You can make your PC desktop look like a Mac or X-Windows or just about ANY other GUI system available (or even those that does NOT exist). You can download 3 of the core components as a "demo" to see how you like the program. And it does work with XP.

Q: So how do I compare my 3DMark 2001 score against others?
A: Go to the MadOnion Online Results Browser, click on 3DMark 2001, then put in your system specs, and see comparable scores.

Also see "What is Overclocking and how do I do it?" question near the very bottom of this FAQ.

Q: What is 3DMark?
A: 3DMark is a program from MadOnion that runs the PC through some typical game scenes in 3D and measures your PC's 3D performance in various resolutions and color depths and come out with a composite score that is a rough measure of your system's current 3D speed. Download it free from the website above. After you run your test, you can go to their website and see if your system is performing at / above / below average.

Q: What can I use to edit my own "desktop themes" for my Windows desktop?
A: A free one that is good is Desktop Architect and PC Magazine's Themecrafter. For Windows XP, try StyleXP.

Q: What kind of cable does a typical home network use?
A: Typical home network use Ethernet. Most Ethernet networks use "cat 5" (short for category 5) cable, which looks like a phone wire but is thicker and has a slightly wider plug (RJ-45). (For trivia bufffs, a regular phone-jack is RJ-11). There is a later standard called cat 5e, but that's almost the same as cat 5.

Q: Where can I find information on how to tweak my Internet connection for maximum throughput?
A: The best link is DSLReports.com. Look in their forums, forum FAQs, and tools for a lot of information you can try.

Q: On the Internet, does download/upload speeds affect game ping/performance?
A: No. They measure different things. upload/download speed is a measure of bandwidth, i.e. throughput per unit time. Ping, on the other hand, measure latency, as in how fast can be computer respond fo the traffic.

Q: In my Internet Explorer, I seem to have somehow made my "address bar" disappear. How do I get it back?
A: View / Tools Bars / Address Bar, turn it on.

Q: Can I play DVD movies in my regular CD-ROM reader?
A: No. While the discs are the same size, the technology is totally different. You can read CD-ROM discs in a DVD-ROM drive, but not the other way around. (And any one who tell you otherwise is lying.)