Alice's Aptiva Notes

Aptiva Notes

Updated 11-12-2005

I bought my IBM Aptiva 2140 L5H in February 1998 and it's still going strong, running the preinstalled Win95B with all the Microsoft updates offered, and then some. I've learned a lot about my computer by browsing the alt.comp.hardware.aptiva newsgroup as well as the now discontinued IBM and Unofficial Aptiva Message Boards. I've posted some of my notes so that others can use the information (at your own risk). I've also posted an Update Log of changes I've made to my system. I enjoy researching problems and can usually find answers to questions using http://groups.google.com/ -formerly deja.com. Some of my notes here are from groups.google.com searches.

SteveHP's Tweaker's Hideout forums (now Personal Confuser Tech Support forums) was formed after the message board assoicated with Don5408's Unofficial Aptiva Support Site closed, and since the IBM Webboards closed as of November 2003 it's just about the only message board that Aptiva Owners can still call home. Another Aptiva site worth a visit: Techie JoeyR's Aptiva Help Pages.

I've been spending much of my time lately on the MozillaZine forums. Most of my webpages were created in Netscape Composer and, more recently, Mozilla Composer and Nvu. I haven't published my Netscape and Mozilla notes yet but I do have my Mozilla bookmarks posted, as well as other Computer-related bookmarks (links below).

General Issues:


Uninstalling Programs & Harddrive Cleanup	Scandisk and Defrag
System Resources	Virtual Memory: setting your own swapfile size
File Association and Filetypes	Creating a Windows Startup Disk
Startup Problems	Shutdown Problems
Suspend Problems	Power Management
Lockups and Freezes	Problems running Games
Windows Logon and User Profiles	Dial-up-Networking Password
Product Recovery 2140/2142	Product Recovery Problems
Aptrstor Program on other Aptivas	Windows 95 Companion CD-Rom
CD AutoPlay	Video Display Settings

Aptiva Diagnostics and Utilities (Applications) CD-Rom:


Aptiva Diagnostics and Utilities CD Rom
Diagnostics and Utilities CD-Rom Directory Printout for 2140/2142 systems
Reinstalling Programs and Drivers with the 2140/2142 Diagnostics and Utilities CD
Applications CD Directory Printout on a 2137 System

Specific Programs and Problems:


Update Connector	Access Aptiva
Ring Central	Microsoft Fax/Windows Messaging
Aptiva Desktop Customization	Intel Virtual Audio Device, Nspmm.dll errors
Emergency Recovery Utility (ERU)	Windows Media Player
Voyetra AudioStation	RealPlayer
TweakUI and other MS Powertoys	Microsoft Netmeeting
Himem.sys Error Message using Norton Antivirus	Other Issues with Norton Antivirus
Winsl-DMI (Desktop Management Interface)	RegClean 4.1a
InoculateIT Personal Edition Antivirus	F-Prot for Dos, a free antivirus program
Microsoft Frontpage Express	Zone Alarm personal Firewall
EZ Buttons rapid access keyboard	Bmsubs32.dll missing Error
MS-DOS compatability mode performance issues	MSCONFIG and Managing Startup Programs

Windows and Internet Explorer Issues:


Installing Internet Explorer 5.5	Internet Explorer 4&5 and ATI Issues
IE Active Desktop Update for Win95	Windows95 Y2K Update
Installing Windows 98 on an Aptiva	Upgrading to Win98 on 2140/2142 Systems
Windows 98 Problems , including EZButtons, Ring Central and Audiostation	Windows 98 and Crystal Audio Sound Problems
Win98 and STB DVD Theater W98/Me/2000 and MediaMatics DVD Express	Windows Me on 2140/2142 systems Windows 2000/XP

DirectX, Crystal Audio , Video, USB, & Modem Driver Issues:


DirectX-6 (and 7) and Crystal Audio DirectX 7 problems	Audio Configuration and Sound Problems
Aptiva 2140/42 Crystal Audio Update and Reinstall	Reinstall Crystal Audio - all Aptiva systems
Aptiva 2140/42 Crystal Audio, Part 2	Reinstall Trident Video Drivers on 2140 systems
ATI Video Driver Update/Reinstall	Reinstall ATI Video on some Aptiva models, using Atisetup.exe
USB Supplement Update	Ntkern Errors and the USB Supplement
LT 5.18 Modem Driver	LT 5.18 Modem driver Problems
LT 5.48 Modem driver	LT 5.87 and higher Modem Drivers -Warning

Hardware Issues:


2140L5H Hardware Specs	Adding More RAM
Video Card Upgrades	Video Memory Upgrade
VideoCard Upgrade Bible (UAMB post by Ben)	Voodoo3 Video Card
Soundcard Upgrade	Monitor and Speakers
How to Rewire IBM MM55/75 Monitor Audio Cable to Fit a Standard Sound Card (from Teal Rizzo)	Setup Utility and Bios Updates
Adding a scanner	ScanJet 5200c USB Scanner on a 2140 L5H
Floppy Disk Drive	Lithium Battery
Scrollpoint Mouse	USB Mouse and Post error
Cable Modem	Microphone
Midi Keyboard	Joystick
Drive Bay Options	Adding a New Hard Drive
CD-Rom Drive Problems	Adding a CD-RW
Adding a ZIP Drive	Parallel Port Problems and Devices
Device Manager Conflicts	IRQ Usage 2140L5H
Upgrading the CPU on 2140/2142 systems	Motherboard

My Files for Download
Including

Crystal Audio sound drivers for 2140/2142 systems
Startup disk files with cd-Rom and Mouse Support
Trident drivers from 2140/2142 DU cd-rom
STB DVD Theater software & drivers for Win98
MSPinball from Win95 Plus (thanks to "Techie" JoeyR)
DirectX 6.1 Core version
Aptiva EZButtons Setup (from 2140/2142 DU CD-Rom)
bmsubs32.dll (needed for EZButtons)
Voyetra\As2 folder contents (Audiostation 2 files)
Vmp_mm.dll and Vctl.dll (needed for Audiostation2)

My Computer Bookmarks
(Aptiva links are at the end of the page)
My Mozilla Bookmarks

I hope that my notes and links have been helpful. I'm keeping this page available but I don't plan on updating it any longer, except for corrections.

Send comments about this page to: .. (please, no computer help questions).

If you need more help on a specific topic your best bet would be to post a question on one of the message boards I mentioned.

Alice Wyman