FAQS! FACTS! FAX!  271 (12/07/01)

Q

Your explanation of the reason for the clock on a PC losing time is very thorough (Boot Camp June 28th) but what causes the clock to gain? My clock gains about 5 minutes a day.
Geoffrey Small, Luton, Bedfordshire

A

It's not unusual for the Windows 'software' clock to loose several minutes a day. It is set from the hardware or 'real-time clock' on the motherboard when Windows loads and thereafter uses timing signals from the main processor, which can vary according to the PC's workload. The only explanation I could find for a clock that runs fast is something called 'Time Dilation' or the Crouch-Echlin effect, a theory that surfaced at around the time of the Y2K scare. In a nutshell it suggests that older PC motherboards may experience time and date jumps after the year 2000, caused by incompatibilities between the real time clock and the BIOS program. I'm not convinced and think it's more like due to a rift in the space-time continuum above your house, but if you would like to know more and try the various test programs and patches just type 'time dilation' into your favourite search engine. Other theories or suggestions welcome, by the way.

Q

Is there a web site that sends e-mails to you on a specified date as a reminder to do something?

John Mann

A

There certainly is and I've listed a few for you to be getting on with, selected entirely at random from a Google search (www.google.com) using the keywords 'email reminder services'. I cannot vouch for their veracity or reliability and I suspect you'll be opening yourself up to ads and Spam with some of them. Personally I rely on a knotted handkerchief, much more reliable…

www.memotome.com/

www.rememberit.com/

www.candor.com/reminder/default.asp

www.rememberto.com/bin/newdaily.asp

Q

In Boot Camp Top Tips part 2 (June 28th) I was interested to read of your estimate of 3 to 4 years for a PC's life. If this is true then surely this doesn't put computer technology in a very good light?

Brian Daniels

A.

I was talking about the working life of the average PCs, not life expectancy, which is typically between 5 and 8 years, by which time major components can be expected to fail and repairs become uneconomical. Most PC users – me included -- choose to upgrade or renew their machines every three or four years, in what we know to be a futile attempt to keep up with developments in hardware of software. Whether that is a good thing or not is another matter entirely.

Q

In Word 2000 I wish to make a list of actions with a box at the end of each line to contain a tick. I have tried Drawing- Shapes and single cell table without success.  I did it years ago in Word 6 and can't remember what I did.
Derek Francis

A

You can insert a clickable check box into a document from the Forms toolbox. (Right click into an empty area next to the toolbars and select Forms). Click on the tick to put it onto the page and then click the padlock to protect the form and enable the check box.

Q

Is it the speed of the modem, the speed of the computer or a combination of both that determines the speed of downloading web pages? My mature 100MHz PC (yes I know it is ancient) was running like a dream before being forced to change from Freeserve Unlimited to Freeserve Anytime. It has started downloading pages so slowly that the timer cuts in and the page is lost. I use the computer for banking and tracking shares, and until recently have had no trouble whatsoever.

Julian Gawthorpe, Derbyshire

A

I doubt that there's anything wrong with your PC, it might be getting on a bit but the spec is still more than adequate for web surfing. The reason downloads have slowed down is almost certainly due to the change in your ISP (Internet Service Provider) subscription and server congestion. See what happens when you go online outside peak times, before 7am or after midnight. If download speeds return to normal then it might be time to start thinking about a new ISP.

Q

I have just bought a new computer with Windows Millennium. As suggested in a previous F!F!F! I have temporarily installed my old hard disk so that I can copy over my files to the new computer. However, I am unable to use several program files because the relevant dll files are not located where they should be.

Anthony Schaeffer

A

Installing the old hard disc lets you transfer data files (documents, pictures, web bookmarks, addresses etc.). You can also copy across most DOS programs, and the original files for Windows programs or utilities that you've downloaded from the Internet, but you can't normally transfer applications that have been installed from a floppy or CD-ROM. The installation process creates files that will be sent to many different locations on the hard disc and makes changes to system files and the Registry, which you can't copy across, at least not easily so the simplest solution is to install the programs from the original disc.

Q

Is there a list available setting out current viruses, which notes their symptoms, effects and lethality?  I have just been hit by W32/MAGISTR, which I think I have removed using Norton AntiVirus. 
George Ewart

A

Have a look at the very comprehensive virus databases at: http://www.datafellows.com/virus-info/

http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/vinfodb.html

http://vil.mcafee.com/

http://www.antivirus.com/vinfo/

Q

I noticed in Boot Camp (28th June) the piece on IE branding and your suggestions to remove the logos and messages. There is another method that I have successfully used (courtesy PC Advisor magazine). First close down Internet Explorer then click Start and Run. In the Open dialog box type: 'rundll32.exe iedkcs32.dll,Clear'  (minus the quotes and note the space after .exe and comma before Clear) and click OK. After restarting Internet Explorer the annoying ISP branding should disappear.
Stuart Isenberg

A

Thanks for that. Several readers reported persistent branding and logos that couldn't be shifted using our methods; I'd be interested to hear if this one does the trick.

Q

I have had a new system built and have transferred most of what I want via LapLink from my laptop to the new PC, but can someone tell me where my Outlook Express email addresses are stored? This would save me ages in typing them out again.

Alan Shore

The simplest solution is to use Export on the Outlook Express File menu. Select Address Book, highlight Text File (comma separated values) and use Browse to name and save the file, with a *.csv extension. You can then copy that across to the new PC and use Import on the Outlook Express File menu to create your new address book. 

Q

An alternative to your suggested solution of using a webmail server to solve Brian Johnson's problem of sifting out large email messages (F!F!F!, June 28) is Mike Mann's excellent freeware utility POP3 Scan Mailbox, downloadable from http://www.kempston.demon.co.uk/smb/ and
various mirror sites.
Alfred Pauson

A

Thanks for that useful tip