FAQS! FACTS! FAX!  263 (17/05/01)

Q

I'm thinking of buying a laptop in the UK to use in Italy, where I live some of the time. Will it function using a standard adaptor e.g. one used for a hairdryer, or would I need anything else, bearing in mind the differing mains voltages between Italy and the UK. If so, what do I need to buy here before I go?   I am unable to find anyone to answer this question at any retail outlets and I thought the idea of laptops was for travelling?

Paulette Glosven

A

It's not a problem. The adaptor/chargers supplied with the vast majority of laptops are designed to cope with a very wide range of voltages, typically 100 to 240 volts AC 50/60 Hz, which means they can be used pretty well anywhere in the world you can find a socket. Incidentally mains voltages across the EU are nominally 'standardised' at 220V AC, though in practice they can vary from as low as 210V to 240V.

Q

In our small special school we have to write up to a dozen targets for each child every three weeks. The targets are all numbered and some of them are quite lengthy. All the teachers use Word and type these targets into template forms and it is very laborious, even using cut and paste.

Auto Correct could be set up to replace the numbers with the sentences, but is there a limit to how many Auto-corrections can be stored, and can the Auto-correct folder be copied to other PCs? Or is there another approach that would save my colleagues so much of their precious time?
Philip Rhind-Tutt

A

We'll open up the floor for other suggestions but Auto Correct would certainly do the trick and you can easily transfer AutoText entries (along with macros and toolbar customisations) from one PC to another by copying the Normal.dot file. This can usually be found in: C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates. If you only want to use selected Auto Text entries copy the normal.dot file from the 'master' PC to the others but rename it normal.old then use Templates and Add-ins on the Tools menu to locate the file (click the Attach button) then click Organiser and the Auto Text tab and you can copy individual entries from Normal.old to Normal.dot.

Q

My latest Epson printer (Photo 870) has a chip on the ink cartridges, which decides when I have had enough ink. No more removing the cartridge to reset to "full" until it is obvious that I have run out. Epson tech support has sadly changed from a 0800 to a 0870 number (with huge delay) only to hear that they know best when it is time to buy another ink cartridge. They tell me this is necessary to protect the print head. It will obviously result in increased sales, and perhaps a backlash from those who are quite capable of deciding for themselves when the ink has gone…Do you know of a way of prolonging the active life of chipped ink cartridges?

J.I.C

A

No doubt someone from Epson will have something to say on the matter, but apparently the trick is to use a new cartridge to fool the printer into believing a partially empty one is full, thereby using up the last drop of ink. Have a look at the following web sites for details:

http://medlem.tripodnet.nu/chipreset/how.htm

http://www.crazy-stuff.com/epson/epsoncheat-e.html

Q

With regard to the Boot Camp item on researching family history on the Internet (Dotcom, May 3rd), Familysearch.org is a fine site, but only covers church baptism and marriage registers (not deaths) up to 1837, although many entries are included up to the 1850's or perhaps 1860's in a few cases. Many people will have to find their ancestors with more recent dates than that, initially.

This will involve the Registrar of Births, Marriages and Deaths (which started recording such events from July 1837) and much manual searching.However, there is a website for initial searches, namely http://freebmd.rootsweb.com . Although only 10million entries have been input so far, it is well worth using as a first port of call and it's expanding by the day.
Chris Hebbron,

A.

Thanks for that tip

Q

Most of the letters are wearing off my keyboard - does Letraset work,or do I just throw it away and replace it?
Juanita Bullough

A

I think you'll find that Letraset won't last five minutes. Get a new keyboard, they're not expensive, basic models costs from around £10. However, since you are obviously a heavy user I recommend paying a little extra, for an 'natural' keyboards, with a curved, split layout. I was starting to experience a tingling feeling in my hands after typing for long periods, which I took to be early signs of repetitive strain injury (RSI); this went away as soon as I changed to a natural keyboard. It takes a while to get used to, but it’s well worth the effort. 

Q
Is there any way of configuring Outlook Express so upon arrival of new mail, there is a message alert on the screen rather than the small envelope in the task bar? We have a number of PC's at the office without sound cards so the sound alert is of no use and the small taskbar envelope is easily overlooked.
Ray DeBarr

A

The only visual indicator in Outlook Express is the envelope icon but there are several shareware programs that add this functionality to OE, or constantly check your mailboxes for incoming mail and fire up Outlook Express when one is received. Have a look at programs like Express Mail@Mate and Jet-MailMonitor

http://www.programfiles.com/index.asp?menu3=67. Alternatively why not equip your PCs with sound cards and speakers, a silent PC is unnatural…

Q

In Word 2000, the default ruler is set to inches and the page view to Print Layout 100%.  I wish to set my defaults – in centimetres – for print layout and page width.  I can set them for a session, but turning my computer off appears to cause Word to revert to the old settings.  How can I achieve my desires?
Jonathan Luckhurst

A

You should set up your page and display defaults using a blank 'normal' document. When you have finished go to the Format menu and select Font, then the Font tab and click the Default button. Exit Word and open it again and your settings should have been preserved.

Q.

When I switch on my computer a sign comes up which says 'Rundll has caused an error in MMSYSTEM.DLL Rundll will now close If you continue to experience problems try restarting you computer'. No matter how many times I restart my computer it still occurs.  Is there any way I can correct this?

June Ferriday

A

This is quite a common error message, usually caused by a corrupt or missing command in an important start-up file called System.ini; you'll find the remedy in a Microsoft Knowledgebase article at:

http://support.microsoft.com/

support/kb/articles/q138/8/35.asp