Using beta Programs can be risky

I would like to go back to IE 6 but can't seem to find IE 7 in Add/Remove Programs.

The whole idea behind beta versions is to test an application in the real world computer environment.

Those who elect to install beta test versions are very much agreeing to be guinea pigs.

It should never be surprising to encounter problems when using this kind of software.

The good news is that it is relatively easy to revert back to IE 6. Just open up the Add/ Remove Programs Control Panel and check Show Updates at the top of the dialogue box. This will reveal IE 7 and give you the opportunity to uninstall it.

"This application failed to start because MSVCR80.d11 was not found." How do I correct this problem?

Keep in mind that Windows Defender is in the beta-test stage of its development.

This means that it is offered without warranty or support.

It also means that you can expect it to have problems.

That being said, I did some poking around in the Microsoft forums and found someone who posted the same problem. The solution that was offered and appears to have worked was to find and delete a file called MSASCui.exe.manifest, located in the c:/program files\windows defender folder.

The Microsoft forums are a great place to ask the experts about specific problems you might be experiencing with their products.

Many of the large hardware and software companies offer similar services.

Q: I use Outlook 2003 for my e-mail. Whenever I try to minimize Microsoft Outlook it closes the application.

It doesn't matter if I use the minimize command from the window menu or if I use the minimize button on the top right of the window.

It never did this before. What gives?

This is a useful feature if you have lots of applications open and want to conserve space on your Taskbar.

If you open Outlook you will notice that you get an Outlook notification icon down by the clock.

This is the icon that notifies you when you have new e-mail. If you right click it there is a menu choice to hide when minimized.

Uncheck that and Outlook will no longer appear to close when you are trying to minimize it.

You always leave it as is and just double-click the notification icon to bring Outlook back up on your screen.