FAQS! FACTS! FAX!  232 (05/10/00)

SHREDDED EVIDENCE

Further to G. Silks letter regarding recovery of deleted files from the Recycle Bin (F!F!F! September 21) I have two questions. Where on earth are these deleted files stored and short of reformatting the disk is it possible to permanently delete possibly highly confidential files?

T. Nicholson

When you delete a file in Windows all you’re actually doing is removing the reference to it in the filing system and marking the space the data occupies as free, so it can be overwritten. Until then files can be easily recovered, though as time goes by and the space is reused the chances of restoration lessen. However, there are utilities and techniques that can recover data, even if has been overwritten. Deleted files can be ‘shredded’, usually by repeatedly over writing the disc space with random data. You’ll find a selection of file shredders at shareware sites like www.tucows.com and www.jumbo.com. However, even that may not be enough to completely remove all traces, security services and the military routinely destroy the hard disc drives on scrap and redundant computers, just to make sure...

EXPLORATORY OPERATION

I have been happily using Internet Explorer 5 for a year or so. However, I recently visited Microsoft on the Internet and found that the current version is 5.5. A download time of 2hrs 37 minutes is quoted and I have not yet had the courage to install it, perhaps because of what seems to be the inordinately long time. Have I anything to be afraid of?

R W Dallow, Farnham, Surrey

If your version of Explorer is working satisfactorily why bother? The differences between the two versions are minimal and we’ve heard of several instances of it going horribly wrong. If you must change, rather than download the massive file look for the upgrade on computer magazine cover mount CD-ROMs, you’ll find it on the current issue of PC Pro, amongst others.

HELPING HAND

I ran a trial shareware Windows optimiser program that showed that I had
several megabytes of files with the extension ‘GID’. The program said these files were not needed and asked whether I wanted to delete them. I tried to look in the files with Notepad but they were full of strange symbols. Can you tell me what these files are, what do they do, and can they be safely deleted?

Robin Pearson

Those are Windows Help files and they can be safely deleted but unless you are desperately short of space and you’re an expert on Windows they’re best left alone, you might need them one day…

AUSSIE ATTACHMENTS

We have recently bought a digital camera and find that the pictures are brilliant. However, we have been trying to send some of the photos to Australia but our friends there have been unable to open them. Could you please tell me what I am doing wrong? I should also be very grateful if you could tell me in very simple language how I should be sending them as I think that at the moment the fact that they actually arrive in Australia is more by luck than judgement!

Carol Hardy

The first thing to do is get yourself organised. Create a new folder on your Windows Explorer, call it something like ‘campix’ and only use it for pictures that you want to send over the Internet. Copy the images you want to send into this folder using JPEG file compression (file extension *.jpg), this option is usually available in ‘Save As’ in the image library or paintbox program that came your digital camera. To send an image as an attachment in Outlook Express simply prepare an email in the normal way then click on the ‘Attach’ icon and use the Browse button to locate the image in your campix folder, highlight the file, click Attach and send it as you would any other email. Assuming your Australian friends have a normal/typical Windows PC setup there’s no reason they won’t be able to view the pictures.

TRANSFER TRAUMAS

There is a less technical way for Brian Clarkin to transfer his data from one PC to another (F!F!F! 21st September), that is by using a 'direct cable connection' between his two computer’s serial or parallel ports. Full instructions are given in Windows 'Help'.

Ray Gibson

I read about temporarily using the drive of an old computer as a slave to transfer its files to a new computer's drive. Will this work if the 'slave' has Windows 95 on it and the new computer operates with Windows 98SE.

Simon Welburn

When a second hard disc drive is connected as a ‘slave’ data can be read from it, or written to it; in other words it behaves just like a giant floppy disc. A PC will normally only ‘boot’ from the A: or C: drive and will thus ignore older version of Windows or any other operating systems on other disc drives

We’re not sure about Direct Cable Connection being less ‘technical’, in our experience it is one of the most temperamental utilities in Windows and the instructions in Help are dreadful. With patience it can be made to work, anyone interested in finding out how should refer to Boot Camps 66 and 67 on this website.

EASIER ENVELOPES?

Is it possible to use a shortcut from the desktop to use envelopes and labels in Word 2000?

Shirley Richardson

Word has to be running in order to use the envelope and label printing utility, however there are stand-alone programs that can do the job. Have a look at Easy Mail, a 30-day trial shareware version can be downloaded from: http://www.homeplansoftware.com/ezplus.htm

CARD TRICK

Where can I track down the Cardfile program? I've missed it sorely since I changed my computer and switched to Windows 98.

Kenneth Simpson

Cardfile was a great little database program, easy to use and very versatile; the good news is that it works happily in all current versions of Windows (95/88/NT/ME/2000). If your old Windows 3.1 PC is still working simply copy cardfile.exe, together with its associated data files (extension *.crd) from the old PC to the new one Alternatively, try one of the many shareware replacements, have at look at the following web sites:

http://www2.omnitel.net/zdramys

/azzcardfile/index.htm

http://www.franklindev.com/dcard.html

POLE-AXED

The recent Boot Camp article on Poledit (dot.com September 7th & 14th) was most illuminating. However, if using Poledit/Restrictions to prevent editing the registry, stops Poledit working, so how can it be changed back again? One could reformat and reinstall windows or save the registry before the change but these are pretty drastic measures. Is there nothing easier? 
Bernard Clegg

It can be done. Using Windows WordPad or a word processor open a new document and enter the following text:

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\

Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\

Policies\Explorer]

"RestrictRun"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\

Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System]

"DisableRegistryTools"=dword:00000000

Call the file ‘recover.reg’ and save it in the root directory of your PC’s C: drive. Reboot the PC to DOS mode and at the prompt type: ‘regedit recover.reg’. Restart and the restriction should be removed.

OVER TO YOU…

When it comes to finding answers to the really tricky questions past experience has shown that our best asset is F!F!F! readers. Over To You is a new weekly section where we’re hoping you can help us solve some of the tougher and more obscure queries we receive…

I belong to a small walking group and would like to know if anyone produces map software, ideally of Ordinance Survey standard, which shows the footpaths and bridle paths in the UK?

John Bristow

I administer the scores (using the Stableford points System) and handicaps of a small golf society of about 20 players. We play every week from April to September and the top 8 scores for each player are totalled and the player with the highest total is the winner. I use Excel to work out the handicaps, but have been unable to design a formula, which will identify the top 8 scores (from as many as 20 scores) for each player and produce his total.
Can anyone help?
Norman Robinson.

I am looking at ways of illustrating text with world maps. I need to set out the maps showing the outlines of the main countries and then add in only the place names mentioned in the text. I had thought of scanning in the outlines of the countries and then typing in the place names but feel sure that there must be a program, which would simplify the process.

S.F.Young, Earsham, Norfolk

Can anyone recommend any software (preferably freeware) that allows me to keep a log of what my computer is used for (eg. startup times, loading files, connecting to the net etc.)? I am running Windows 98.

Alastair Appleton

I'm seriously thinking of taking my C++ and Java skills over to the States to start a new life/career over there. Can you recommend any decent web sites or publications that would help me with this?

Simon Errey