FAQS! FACTS! FAX!  193 (06/01/00)

FAVOURITE TRICK

I use Internet Explorer and wish to tidy my Favourites list by deleting addresses I no longer need. However, every time I delete one item, the folder automatically closes itself and I have to repeat the process of opening it up again to delete another. I have looked for the Favourites list under Windows Explorer in order to sort and delete there, but cannot find it. Can you help?
Marion Derrett

There's no need to go rooting around in Windows Explorer. Simply click on the Favourites menu and select Organise Favourites. Hold down the Ctrl key and highlight the items you wish to remove then click the Delete button confirm the selections and they'll be sent to the Recycle bin.

ON MESSAGE

I have had many a discussion about leaving my computer switched on virtually permanently when not in use. It goes into a standby mode i.e. it goes to sleep. I have some worries when although it is presumably not working I hear a slight buzzing, which I presume is the fan working, why should this be since the CPU is not working? Alternatively it may be the sound of the transformer in the power pack.  Whatever it is I feel some concern, perhaps I should switch off after use! Recently when it is in sleeping mode I have pressed any key to start, this does not wake it up. Eventually with some degree of apprehension I switch off
at the mains and then turn it on again, only to get message that it is checking the main disk for errors as I did not switch in the correct manner. This puzzles me, would you please offer some advice. I have a Pentium and use Windows 98.

M Wallace

Unless you have a good reason to keep your PC switched on all the time – to receive incoming faxes etc., -- then there is little or no point leaving it in standby mode, other than to save you the minute or two delay whilst the machine boots up. It's far better to switch it on in the morning or when you start work and only switch it off when you have finished for the day. Although the CPU is idle in standby mode the power supply is still operating and on most machines -- without all of the latest power management facilities -- the fans in the power supply and on the CPU chip continue to operate. In standby mode the PC still draws a few watts and components that are active will have their lives shortened. More importantly it is a waste of power and apart from adding to your electricity bill, on a global scale millions of idle desktop PCs sitting around doing nothing are not helping the environment. Scandisk is set to run automatically when Windows 98 isn't shut down correctly, it's a safety feature, you can switch it off  (type 'msconfig' in Run select General tab and Advanced and check 'Disable Scandisk after bad shutdown') but this is not advisable. 

SIMPLE AS ABC…

I work in Windows 98 with Word 97, Excel 97, Publisher 98 etc. When I try to name a file with initials, (usually for members of my family), capitals are not accepted except for the first letter. e.g. ABC will be turned into Abc. I cannot find a remedy for this.
Puff Redrup

Go to Folder Options on the View menu and select the View tab. In the Advanced Settings window check the item 'Allow all uppercase names'

WORD WEARY

I have been struggling to get to grips with Microsoft Word for several months. Quite frankly I find the whole program too 'busy' and if I make a mistake or need some help, the Help function never seems to be able to give me the answer. My problem, I suppose, is that for simple word processing I have become used to WordCraft. This is basic and uncomplicated and does the job in half the time that Word takes. Unfortunately WordCraft does not have the desktop publishing features that Word has, should I need them, and it is a bit lacking on the choice of fonts. Do you know of an up to date and uncomplicated program along the lines of WordCraft, or do we just have to accept that Word is the only option these days?

R. K. Warren, Giltbrook, Nottingham

Microsoft Word is popular because it has so many advanced features but that is also its main drawback, it can appear daunting and unfriendly at first. It's worth persevering, even if you only use the basic word processing functions; you will become familiar with the many bells and whistles as you go along. It's well worth investing in one of the many beginners' guides to the program. However, if you find you just can't cope then try the WordPad program in Windows (Start > Programs >Accessories). It has everything you're likely to need, including access to all of the fonts installed on your machine, and it is very easy to use. Word certainly doesn't have monopoly though, and there are plenty of other excellent word processor programs on the market but rather than make a specific recommendation we'll open this up to discussion and invite F!F!F! readers to nominate their favourite word processor. 

LOST SYMBOL

If I click on the Insert menu in Word the Symbol option on the drop-down menu no longer appears. The Symbols panel is clearly somewhere in the machine because I can access it through Help and the Answer Wizard.

P.J.Wood, Torquay, Devon

It's not easy to accidentally delete menu items in Word but they can be restored by clicking on the Tools menu then Customize and then the Commands tab. In the Categories window highlight Insert and in the Commands window highlight Symbol. Now click on the Insert drop down menu, go back to the Commands Window and drag and drop Symbol onto the Insert menu it usually appears under AutoText. If you use Symbol a lot then you can also drag and drop the command button onto the toolbar, it will appear with the default 'omega' icon.

SAVE FOR LATER

There are times when I check my email and the first email to arrive is going to take forever so I suspend the transmission and decide to do it later at a cheaper telephone rate time. This also means emails which are of a shorter nature do not arrive until I logon again and let the first email arrive in its entirety. Is there any way to see what emails are waiting to arrive.

Tony York

In Outlook Express you can put a size-limit on emails that you want to download straight away, and save the larger ones for later. The option can be found on the Tools drop-down menu, under Inbox Assistant, click on the Add button and the Properties Window appears. Put a check in the 'Larger Than' box, set your size limit and put a tick in the box next to 'Do not download from Server'.