Q: You said before to use AVG Antivirus because it's free. Now they no longer update their free version. What should I use?

A: Try Avast Antivirus

Q: Is there an alternative to Windows Media Player that you recommend and can play all sorts of media?
A: I would suggest BSPlayer (at bsplayer.org). It supports the same plug-ins as WMP and has better performance.

Q: How do I play a song / sound backwards (on a PC)?
A: Download the free and legal "Audacity" audio editor. Install it. Load the MP3 or WAV (or OGG) soundtrack. Select the section you wish to "reverse". Select Effects, then Reverse. Hit play and enjoy!

Q: My PC uses PC2700 DDR SDRAM. I see PC2700 SDRAM with various timings available, and I see PC3200 SDRAM as well. Which one should I get?
A: Always get the one that your PC uses. If you use PC2700, get PC2700. You can get faster RAM (actually, RAM capable of running faster) if you overclock, but then your PC would be using faster RAM, wouldn't it?

Q: I need a place to host some images so I can link to them on the web or message boards. Is there a free place?
A: Try PHOTODUMP.COM. You will need to register, but it's free, almost instant activation, and the only "catch" is your photo is watermarked with their logo. Otherwise, there's no ads or pop-ups or nasty stuff like that at all, and there's no limit in bandwidth or total storage size.

Q: Why when I format a 40 GB hard drive I get only 32 GB volume?"
A: As implemented by Windows XP, FAT32 volume has a hard limit of 32 GB, even though it COULD support up to 4 terabytes. You will need to use a third-party partition program or the format utility in NTFS to create partitions that are larger than 32 GB in size.

Q: Is there a pop-up blocker that's free and works well?
A: I use Analogx's POW! It closes Windows by looking at the title, with wildcards possible.

Q: How do I actually LIMIT the amount of bandwidth I use?
A: Try NetLimiter, which costs $29.95 to register, but seems to do what it claims, and more.

Q: What does it mean when a game tells me that my video card is not supported?
A: Exactly what it says: it cannot run with your video card. Your video card does NOT fit the requirements. Better return the game or upgrade your video card.

Q: I am behind a router and I can't play Microsoft Games that uses DirectPlay. Is there a solution?
A: Try DXPort, which is a "PortMapper" for DirectPlay. DirectPlay does not allow port mapping unless you use DXPort. Your router also must handle port forwarding properly. See their example for details:

Puffinsoft's DXport