by Arie Slob

Dear Windows-Help.NET Subscriber, Microsoft announced it will bring MSN Messenger to even more users by making versions of the software available to users of Windows CE, WebTV, and the Macintosh platform. In addition, Microsoft will make it possible for cell phone users to receive instant messages by integrating MSN Messenger with MSN Mobile Service, Microsoft's wireless information service launched in June. Microsoft's MSN Messenger Service automatically notifies you when one of your contacts comes online, when you receive new Hotmail messages, and enables users to set online status, control who sees them online and who can send them instant messages. The number of unique MSN Messenger users skyrocketed from 200,000 in the first six days to nearly 2.5 million within two months of its release. By extending MSN Messenger Service to a greater number of platforms, Microsoft is taking another step toward making communication universally accessible to consumers. "Our goal for MSN is to provide people with information and the ability to communicate anytime, anywhere, from any device," Deanna Sanford, Microsoft's lead product manager for MSN said. "I should be able to stay in touch whether I'm using my desktop PC, Windows CE device, WebTV, Macintosh, or wireless device." Microsoft Declares Windows 2000 RC2 According to BetaNews, Microsoft late last week declared Build 2125 Release Candidate 2, ending a short delay of the upcoming release. Microsoft's internal testers will have until Tuesday, September 14th to find any last minute problems, which may bring the build number up to 2126. Windows 2000 RC2 is expected to be made available to testers and CPP customers starting this week. Release Candidate 2 will be the last major release before Windows 2000 is Released To Manufacturing (RTM) on November 15th. RC3 is set ship on October 27th, but will merely be a last minute check-up build for top testers and OEMs. =Sponsored Link= Click here to get a FREE copy of your online credit report from Experian, the largest of the three national credit bureaus, along with 30 FREE days of the CreditCheck Monitoring Service.

QuickPoll
Last week's question was about your Y2K readiness. Here are the results:

• 86% Is fully Y2K compliant
•  4% Is still working on Y2K compliance
•  9% Has not yet begun to evaluate for Y2K compliance

Windows Tip
Add Icon Dividers to your Quick Launch Toolbar

If you have a bunch of icons on your Quick Launch toolbar, it would be nice if you could place some dividers between them, to keep them more organized.

Windows 95
Windows 98

Windows 98 Tip
Using System File Checker

You can use the System File Checker to verify the integrity of your operating system files, and to restore them if they are corrupted. The System File Checker also gives you a convenient way to extract compressed files (such as drivers) from your installation disks.

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