FAQS! FACTS! FAX!  267 (14/06/01)

Q

I've managed to delete a file called 'DFS.VXD' and when I boot the PC it complains saying that the file has been deleted and maybe required. If I hit enter the message goes away and the PC boots OK. Also, everything appears to work normally, so I'm at a loss as to where to start.
Tim Dench

A

Bet you wish you hadn't done that… Fortunately you can get things back on an even keel easily. Insert your Windows 98 CR-ROM, if it opens automatically use the 'Browse this CD' button, if not use Windows Explorer to get to the file called Net9.cab, which is in the Win98 folder and there you will find a copy of dfs.vxd, which you can copy and paste into the Windows System folder.

Q

Further to the F!F!F! item (May 31st) about changing the attributes of all files in a directory, you can do the same thing for files in subdirectories also (which can be an annoyingly fiddly process). In Explorer, select the root directory, select Files and Folders from the Find sub-menu of the Tools menu, leave the 'Named' box blank and ensure the 'Include Subfolders' box is checked. Once the Find completes, you can select all the files found and change the properties of all at once. It even shows the sub-folders (which you can exclude easily by sorting the result list on type - all the folders will appear together first, then all the files). You can use this to do a whole hard drive full, but the find can take a while!

Richard Waters

Re the query about CD writers setting the read/write attribute of all files to read only, I have had a similar problem. I make a weekly back-up to CD on a Friday and then copy this back to my home computer over the weekend -- this has two benefits -- it verifies the back-up and it gives me easy access to work files at home should I need them.

To get round the read only problem I have reverted to good old DOS. I simply have a batch file on the home computer that makes use of ATTRIB and a shortcut to this file on my desktop. In my case all my data files are stored in sub folders of a data directory and so the command is simply:

ATTRIB -r c:\data\*.* /s

I find this very convenient, as all I need to do is copy the CD and then double click on my shortcut.

Mark Ringrose,

In response to the item on CD-RW read only attributes I was so frustrated by not being able to clear all read only attributes across multiple folders that I wrote an application to do the job.  It's freeware and available for download from http://www.sente.co.uk/downloads.htm.
Nik Allday

 

Following the letter from Ronald Allan about changing the read-only attributes for files, your solution of using Explorer only works for files within one folder at a time. Changing the attributes for a group of folders could be time consuming. A better solution is to use a freeware utility named Clear Read Only Attributes (CROA), which can be downloaded from:
http://www.davidcrowell.com/croa.html Once installed you simply select a folder within Explorer by clicking the right mouse button. A menu will appear with Clear Read Only Attributes as one of the options. The software will clear the read only status of all the files in the chosen folder and also all files in any subfolders that it contains.It requires the VB5 runtimes, but these are freely available on the web.
Tony Lang

A

Some excellent suggestions, thanks to everyone who wrote in

Q

I just read your query on adapting Word to 'automate' report writing in your school. My advice is don't bother. In our school we bought 'Report Writer' from Cogent Software 01462 673017 (http://www.cogent-software.com/). It allows you to write very sophisticated end of year reports in 25% of the time it takes to write them by hand. It works by clicking on banks of descriptors, which then arrange themselves in grammatical order substituting the child's name or correct pronoun. It comes with descriptors for all National Curriculum subjects tailored to individual year groups and the clever bit is that you can edit them to suit your school or class. Alternatively you can create fresh Special Needs descriptors covering the target areas you need. It's not cheap (around £500 for a site licence I think but it's a one off and compared to paying teachers to sit typing it's a bargain!!)

Colin Lavelle

A

Thanks for the information. School reports for Windows eh, presumably they'll be sent to parents by email soon and how long before teenage hackers figure out how to nobble the system?

Q

Since owning my computer (now 3 years old), I have regularly got "0210 Stuck Key" error messages on start-up.  It doesn't happen every time I boot, and often didn't seem to impede my computers performance so I lived with it. Recently, though, my computer has been performing slowly, and thinking a stuck key might be slowing it down, I purchased a brand new, all singing, all dancing keyboard. However, I'm still receiving these messages.  I'm now at a loss to think what could be causing them. Any ideas?

Anthony Thompson

A

This is one of the very few error messages that actually makes some sort of sense. It relates to a diagnostic check of the keyboard during the Power On Self Text (POST) routine immediately after you switch on your PC and it usually means that a key was pressed or is stuck down. Obviously that is not so in your case, the other alternatives are a corrupt keyboard driver, damaged cable or connector or a faulty keyboard controller chip on the motherboard. Try removing the driver by starting the PC in Safe Mode (Press F8 at boot up), remove Keyboard from the list in Device Manager (right-click My Computer, select Properties then Device Manager tab), restart the machine and the system will reinstall the driver. It's worth checking the connections just in case but if the problem persists then it's almost certainly a problem on the motherboard and the only solution is to replace it. It is unlikely this has anything to do with your PC slowing down, that's almost certainly due to the usual suspect6s -- clutter, old age and not enough memory. Try removing any unused programs, run scandisk and defrag or if you are feeling bold, save all valuable data, format the hard disc and start over.

Q

Further to the recent letter on copying music from audiotape to CD via the PC, any advice on transferring music from long cherished LP's onto CD. Is there an input socket on the PC suitable for the phono output from a record deck?

Bill Crossland

A

You could try the microphone input socket, which is optimised for a high-impedance source, failing that you can use a pre-amplifier module, which connects to the normal line-input sockets on your PC. Maplin Electronics can supply you with one (part no. NA35Q) for around £25, it can be reached on 0870 264 6000 or www.maplin.co.uk.