Contents 4

Could your readers please advise the best web sites for a novice, to start tracing my family history?
Eric Almand,

I have tried many sites but have gleaned most info via the www.google.com search engine. Just put your name into the search box. I tried inputting the name Almand and the third result on the first page was for the Almand Genealogy Forum!

Family history is the perfect hobby for anyone wanting to go back to their roots and the computer lends itself to the research by sheer volume of web sites devoted to it. Have a look at my site at:

I've been at it for some time, tracing the origins of the Garvey name, and the site while not a splendid edifice, isn't bad for a 69-year-old pushing 70! It includes information, which might help newcomers and the Hot Links page lists a number of genealogical sites and pages devoted to family history.

There are thousands of web sites - links to many of them can be found at:
www.cyndislist.com.

www.rootsweb.com contains links to many sites, also by becoming a member of its mailing lists -- broken down by county, or surname -- contacts can be made with other people researching family histories throughout the world.

www.familysearch.com has millions of parish register entries on-line for instant access, with selective downloading of the relevant records as required.

www.cwgc.org/ is the web site for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission with details of servicemen killed in both world wars.

Many other web sites exist for family history societies with more localised content. Join a local society and talk to other members about their research on the web, they are only too willing to help

There are so many sites that it is impossible to list them all: most specialise in a particular area, county, etc: for an overview see www.rootsweb.com and www.familysearch.org.
Donald Massey,

A good place to start is: www.genuki.org.uk. This has hundreds of links to county Record Offices, county family history societies, surname lists, etc. It is also worth looking through the Society of Genealogists web page and the bookshop list at. www.sog.org.uk
Rodney Fry, Crowthorne, Berks

I have an Epson Stylus 750 printer and Windows 98. When I wish to print something, in the Properties dialogue box under Paper the size is always "Letter 81/2 *11in" which I have to change to the more normal A4 setting. How do I change the default for paper size?

Changing the default for paper size on his Epson Stylus printer can be achieved as follows: Start button > System > Printers > right-click Epson Stylus > Properties > select the paper tab > select A4 from the drop down list of paper sizes > click the 'Apply' button > click OK. It's done!
Janette M. Reed,

If you are using Microsoft Word, the paper size and other printing parameters can be set as a default as follows:
1. In the file menu select Page Setup and the Page Setup menu appears.
2. Select the tab marked Paper Size
3. Using the arrow select A4
4. Select the tab marked Margins
5. Set the margins to suit your requirements
6. Click on 'Default'
7. Click on 'OK' and all subsequent documents will use these settings as a
default.
Martin Paesler,

I am trying to find out what the Command buttons in Sage Instant all do. Having deleted a whole batch of invoices by pressing the wrong button I feel the need to know. I would also like to know how to obtain a total figure for each 'department', I have tried, reports which put them in order but do not give totals - can anyone help?
Barbara Heard,

There is a list of function keys and the features they access in all of our recent Instant Accounting manuals, i.e. versions 4.10 (Instant 98), 5 & 6 (Instant 2000). This list can be found under the headings 'Shortcut Keys' and also under 'Finder Button'.

Unfortunately I am unsure of the version of Instant Accounting you are running, however if it is version 5 or 6, you can also go to [Help] then [Shortcut Keys], from the main Instant desktop, to obtain the same information illustrated in the manual. If on Instant V4.1, you can go to [Help] then [Help Topics] & type in 'Shortcut Keys', before choosing
[Display].

With regards to obtaining a figure for each department, for reporting purposes, this is a new feature that is available in the form of two standard reports, on version 6 of Instant, but we can also supply the reports to Instant version 4.10 & 5 users, free of charge. The reports are 'Departmental Analysis (Totals) & 'Nominal Ledger Departmental Analysis'. You can either telephone the Sage Help line on 0191 255 0611, or email your serial/account number to us at support@sage.com, & we will be happy to provide you with these two reports.

Where can I find a symbol for ‘century’ i.e. 17th century (a big C round 17th)? Jenny Crawley,

I have used a method similar to that described in Over2You (October 26th) with a minor refinement. Set the font to 20 point, type C. Set the font to 12 point, superscript type (for example) 17th. Highlight the C and going through Format > Font > Character Spacing set Spacing to 'condensed' at 10 point. Highlight the whole symbol and again going through Format > Font > Character Spacing set Position to 'lowered' by 1 point. This has the advantage of keeping the base line of the text constant. Of course, the use of ordinal or numeral is a matter of choice.

I wish to use my Psion 5mx rather like an organiser but I have not been able to find a way to password protect 'Contacts' or 'Data' entries (e.g. for PIN numbers other financial details). I use a password to open the Psion but there doesn’t seem to be any way to use a password on individual files.

Geoff Todd,

Using Aldus Intellidraw, I compiled a large number of technical drawings in the early 90's. Does anyone know of any current drawing software which will recognise Intellidraw *.idw files?
Geoff Pickerell,

Is there a method for selecting addresses from my Outlook Express Address Book for printing on to labels using Mail Merge? I have been able to do this in a crude way by attaching a artificial business telephone number to those addresses I do not wish to select, which pushes those addresses to the end of my list, and arranging for those particular addresses not to be printed onto my sheets of labels.

Arthur Whitehead,

Does anyone know of a utility, which will allow me to create a list of the contents of multiple removable discs – Zip discs, CD-ROMs, floppies, etc, as well as the stuff on the hard-drive? I know I could create a database and do it the hard way, but surely someone has already done it?
Chris Hepden,