FAQS! FACTS! FAX!  280 (13/09/01)

Q

I was browsing in my local office supply store recently when I saw a cable, which connects between the telephone point and the computer: it claimed to offer faster transmission speeds and less packet loss, having gold plated conductors and special cable. For only £10 it didn't seem that expensive, but I am wondering if it would actually improve the speed/reliability of my Internet connection?
A Klusaitis

A

Sounds like a snake oil remedy to me… Whilst it is true that gold-plated contacts have superior electrical properties to ordinary nickel plated ones I think it highly unlikely that it will make the slightest bit of difference, (unless your existing cable is faulty). There are scores of things within the vast network of computers and data links that make up the Internet that affect connection speeds; the cable connecting your PC to the phone comes a very long way down the list!

Q

I decided a short while ago, to go into "Add & Remove Programs" and remove some unwanted programs. Now, when I start my computer an "Error Starting Program" message appears, which states, "A required .DLL file, PNCRT.DLL, was not found". Obviously I've removed something I shouldn't. What does this file do, how do I replace it, and can I prevent the
"Error" message appearing?
John Ventress

A

This probably happened when you uninstalled Real Audio Player 4 from your PC, which for some inexplicable reason removes pncrt.dll from the Windows System folder. This is rather unfortunate, as Windows Media Player needs it. The solution is to replace the file you can download it from:

http://www.springfieldtech.com/

Win_dll/98_1st/P_dll_Files.htm. Alternatively load it from your Windows 98 installation disc using the file extraction utility in System file checker. Type 'SFC' in Run on the Start menu and click OK, select 'Extract file…' and type pncrt.dll on the search line. Click Start and if the 'Restore From' line is empty use the Browse button to locate D:\win98 (the missing file should be located in the Cab56 folder).

Q

Some months ago I was shown over one of the RAF's new C-130 Hercules aircraft - which was equipped with an ASR computer system.  Can you identify this package - and suggest suitable alternatives for a home/office PC user?
Roger Paul

A

The only reference to ASR I could find -- in the military/aviation context -- was Airfield Surveillance Radar, maybe someone can enlighten us? Nevertheless I doubt very much that a computer system designed for military use will be of much use to you, unless you have a specific need for a 'ruggedised' computer, able to withstand harsh treatment and hostile environments, in which case have a look at the Panasonic 'Toughbook' range (http://www.panasonic.com/ computer/notebook/default.asp).

Q

I inadvertently moved the Publisher icon off the edge of the desktop and it has disappeared. I have set up a shortcut to drive D to access publisher from the CD but this is not so useful as accessing the hard disc. I have tried re-installing publisher from the CD but I don't get an icon on the desktop so I am back to square one with the shortcut.

Doug Myers

A

Go to Start > Programs, right-click on the Publisher Icon and select 'Send To' then 'Desktop as a Shortcut'.

Q

My query concerns what happens when you right-click on a file. Under the "Send to ..." heading you are only offered the option of sending the file to floppy disc drive A.  I am now using Windows ME, and this same option has been unchanged since Windows 95. Surely, with the plethora of storage media and the larger number of drives we are now all using, this right-click option should have been vastly expanded? Is there a way of modifying the list yourself, or specifying the drive or storage medium you want the individual file to go to?
Fiona Buckley

A

Send To is one of the great, unsung heroes of Windows 9x/ME, it is highly configurable and I suspect few people use it to its full potential. You can place a shortcut to any drive or file location on the Send To list simply by going to Run on the Start menu. Type 'sendto' (without the quotes) and click OK. Now you can drag and drop any shortcut from the desktop into the Send To window, or go to New on File menu and create a new Shortcut.

Q

I was interested to read the Boot Camp article on printers (August 30th). My printer is an Epson colour 640 and I have found the following methods of making the cartridges last longer:

Use economy settings for all prints where high quality is not required. The easiest way is to install your printer driver a second time so that your computer thinks you have two printers. Set the options on one to high quality and the other to low or 'draft' quality and set whichever you use most often as the default.

Ignore the flashing signals and other warnings that your cartridge is about to run out! It is surprising how much more printing you can do before it will no longer print.

Peter Stokes

A

Some useful tips, thanks

Q

How can I stop the infuriating feature in Word, which decides that I am typing Headings and Body Text because I don't always type to the end of the line?  Font size is adjusted on my behalf and no amount of deleting and re-typing will deter it from doing this.  

F. Wells

A

The switch for automatic headings can be found on the Insert menu, select Autotext, then Autotext and the AutoFormat tab and deselect 'Headings'.

Q
When I read in F!F!F! of the possibility that deleted files could be recovered, I thought that it might be possible to unerase some long texts I had lost so I installed the shareware utility "Directory Snoop". However, when I check the directory sometimes I can see date and title of the text, and sometimes only '~WRD'. Only once have I succeeded in turning the files into readable text! All other times the files contains a jumble of letters and long page breaks. I would be very grateful if you could suggest a way for a better result:
Ingrid K. Harvey

A

File recovery utilities like Directory Snoop can be very useful but they can't perform miracles. When a file is 'deleted' the actual data remains on the disc but the space it occupies is marked as available for use and eventually the 'deleted' data is overwritten. Files may be fully or partially recoverable for only a few days or weeks after they were deleted, it depends on your system is used and how often you defragment your drives.