Something is wrong with my Musicmatch program. Every time I turn on the computer and the desktop appears, I get this window: “This application has failed to start because CoreDll.dll was not found. Reinstalling this application may fix this problem.” An OK box is at the bottom of the window. I hit OK, but the window vanishes and nothing is reinstalled.
A. Even as Yahoo Inc., the new owner of the Musicmatch jukebox service, moves to replace it with a Web-based plan called Yahoo Music Unlimited, people all over the country are getting this error message. It is easily fixed, but you might consider just removing the software and checking out Yahoo’s newer music scheme, which I have been enjoying for a few months.
The quick fix is to acquire a new copy of coredll.dll, a “dynamic link library” that holds key commands for Musicmatch. A good place to do this is at dll-files.com. You will find a search box to type in coredll.dll. The download file will walk you through the steps to fix the library.
Your note doesn’t say whether you subscribe to Musicmatch for pay
services such as streaming radio, but if you aren’t subscribed, you might as well remove it and consider an upgrade to the new software called the Yahoo Music Engine, available at www.music.yahoo.com.
Q. I am a new PC user and have downloaded the free business software called OpenOffice, but I am confused on how to use it. I think I have it in a zippered file but don’t know how to bring up any of the software, like the word processor and spreadsheet.
A. Make that zipped rather than zippered, and I’m just the guy to tell you how to go about unzippering (er, unzipping) downloaded software from websites that use this process.
The top maker of zip software recently announced plans for a new version called WinZip 10 that will sell in the $30-$50 range. In many cases, however, folks with a sudden need to unzip a file or two can simply download an evaluation copy of the software at winzip.com, good for 21 days before it turns into a pumpkin. That gives plenty of time to unzip stuff like
the Open Office suite of business programs available at www.openoffice.org.
Zipped means that a file has been compressed using complex computer code. It greatly reduces the amount of time needed to download files.
For the next few days, or maybe weeks, you can go to winzip.com and download and install version 9 of WinZip. You then will be able to open that OpenOffice.org file and install the software.
Contact Jim Coates at jcoates@tribune.com or c/o the Chicago Tribune, Room 400, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611.
