FAQS! FACTS! FAX!  273 (26/07/01)

Q

Your reply to Janet Cooper in F!F!F! July 12th concerning the Word date format was interesting but I do not think it will produce the exact result she was seeking. Like Ms Cooper, I also want 7th June 2001 but the Date and Time insert will not give you the 'th'  (or the more preferable 'th' in superscript). Is there a way of creating this as a format and inserting it in with the other options available in Date and Time?
Nick Palk

A

Unfortunately not but I do have a way to put a date button on the Word Tool bar, that will insert today's date, with an 'ordinal' ('th', 'rd'. 'nd' etc.). 

This routine creates three field codes for month, day (with ordinals) and year. Step one the month: Open a new document, press Ctrl + F9, inside the small grey box surround by curly brackets type the following: date \@ "MMMM"  (note the quotation marks), press End (next to Delete). Press Space and Ctrl + F9 for the next (day) grey box. Between the brackets type: date \@ "d" \*ordinal  (watch the spacing and don't forget the quote marks). Press End and space then Ctrl + F9 for the year, this time type: date \@ "YYYY"  between the brackets and press End.

You can use two 'Y's for a 2-digit year and you change the order of the grey bracketed boxes to get day/month/year instead. Commas or anything else you want printed can be put into the space between the grey boxes. To check if it works highlight the whole line and press F9, then press Alt + F9. This toggles between field codes and date line. If it works leave it showing the date, go to the Insert menu, select AutoText, then the AutoText and give your code a name and click the Add button.

To put a Date button on the Toolbar go to Macro on the Tools menu, click Record New Macro and give it a name then click the Toolbars icon. Select the Commands tab, click and hold the triangular shaped icon and drag it to a space on the end of a toolbar. Right-click the new button and select 'Change Button Image'. Choose an icon, right-click on the box again and select Default, then click 'Close' on the Macro window. The new icon is now on the Toolbar and the small Macro Recording box appears. Try not to make any mistakes now as every action you make is being recorded. Go to AutoText on the Insert menu, click the AutoText icon, highlight the date code you've just created, click Insert and the date should appear on the page. Hold down the shift key and use the backspace key to move the cursor to the end of the line, use Home to highlight the line and press F9, (this updates the field codes to the current date). Finally click Stop on the Macro Record dialogue box. Check to see if it works by clicking the Macro button.

Q

Many thanks for the tip for removing the 'branding' from Internet Explorer (F!F!F! July 12th). Is there a similar command to remove the branding from Outlook Express?
Geoff Rogers

A

I'm sure that if there is one we'll hear about it, in the meantime I've found some web sites that tell you how to do it, either by editing the Registry, which is for experienced users only, or by updating Registry files (a little less risky). 

http://www.dogbite2k.co.uk/html/print.php?sid=25

http://www.tomsterdam.com/

insideoe5/faqs/how.htm#debrand

http://pub42.ezboard.com/fnet4nowt247 freecall.showMessage?topicID=289.topic

Q
Help! I seem to be getting a lot of unwanted e-mails recently and, in particular, information about 'sex' lines, which I find very objectionable.Please tell me how I can block these disgusting communications; I feel my
privacy is being invaded.

Anna Cox

A

Rule number one, never reply to these messages as they will then have a record of your email address and you may open yourself up to even more unsolicited mail. A lot of this offensive rubbish is sent out randomly or by automatic systems that work their way through name combinations, or it may be the result of a prank by a workmate or colleague. Unfortunately since most of this material originates from overseas there is no effective legislation or easy way to block it using software as they usually look like ordinary emails but there are ways to stop them from appearing in your mailbox. If they are coming from the same company or email address you can set up a Rule in Outlook Express to delete them, or you could use a keywords, like 'sex' or 'porn' to dispose of them. To set up a rule go to Message Rules on the Tools menu, select Mail and click New then work your way down through the options.

Q

I'm being driven mad by advertisements from a company called X10 that keeps appearing when I'm online. How can I get rid of it?

Pete Naylor, Hendon, London

A

The X10 advert is one of a new and worrying breed of 'pop-under' ads that can be set to target your PC after you have visited certain websites. Unfortunately this high disreputable practice is not illegal and the companies concerned seem impervious to criticism. If you visit the X10 site there's an offer to install a 'Cookie' that will prevent it appearing for 30-days but it probably will come back. My own solution was to install an excellent freeware program called NoPops, which can be set to block these irritants, you can download it from: http://www.jpsoft.dk/uk/freeware.html

Q

I recently sent a photograph, which was a .bmp file and about 1.5Mb by e-mail.  It took a long time to send, and receive, and it has been suggested to me that I could have converted it to a much smaller .tif file by going into Imaging on the Accessories menu in Windows 98. I have tried this, but I end up with a .tif file the same size as the .bmp file.  Can you tell me what I might be doing wrong.

Mike Robins )

A

The .tif or tagged file format doesn't reduce the size of image files, for that you need to use a file compression format like JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group), which is the one most commonly used for sending images over the Internet or as email attachments. Unfortunately there are no utilities in Windows 98 to do this (Paint and Internet Explorer can only view JPEG files), so you will need to invest in a paint program, or try the excellent shareware utility ACDsee, which can be downloaded from: http://www.acdsystems.com/index.htm

Q

The way I put a tick mark into a Word 2000 document (F!F!F! July 12th) is as follows:
1     Right click in the toolbar and select Control Toolbar
2     Select the tick mark
3     Select Properties button and double-click onto Caption

4     close Properties
5     go to View Code button
6     press the Run button.
You can now put a tick mark in a box.
Nigel Palmer, via email

A

Better yet, thanks for that tip

Q
When I switch my computer on, is there a way of knowing when it was last switched on or off?
Aidan Coletta,

A

Every time Windows boots up or shuts down 'log' files are created and whenever a file is opened and modified it is time and date stamped. Various utilities are available to view these logs but the quickest and simplest way to see what your PC, and anyone using it has been up to is to click on Find on the Start menu (Search in Windows ME), select Files and Folders then the Date tab, check the items 'All Files' and 'During the Previous Day', set it for the period you want to monitor, click Find Now and you will see a list of all of the files that have been created and modified in the period specified.