FAQS! FACTS! FAX!  291 (27/11/01)

Q

My desktop does not cover the entire screen area of my monitor, but leaves a black edge down the right side about one inch wide, and a half inch black strip along the top edge.

Ted Hayes

A

Assuming that your resolution settings are correct – i.e. desktop icons are not obviously too large or too small for your size of display – then you probably need to adjust your monitor’s screen size settings. There should be some controls or buttons on the front or on the underside of the monitor, sometimes hidden behind a hinged flap, that will allow you to alter the width and height of the image, if you’re unsure refer to the monitor’s instructions.

Q

Whenever I try to open the 'Freecell' card game I am told that there is a general protection fault and to close the program.  I am using Windows 98.  I did not have this problem with Windows 95. 

Roger Wood

A

I suspect that the game software has become corrupted, the simplest solution is to uninstall, then re-install the program from your Windows 98 CD-ROM, Simply go to Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel, select the setup tab, click Accessories then Games and OK and follow the prompts

Q

Five mornings out of seven my computer will switch on in the ‘Safe Mode’.My son, who is my mentor and a computer wizard has informed me that I must have had a power cut as this is the only reason for starting up in safety
mode. Impossible says I - we cannot have power cut every night.... is there another reason?
Mike Mills, Banbury, Oxfordshire  

A

When a PC starts in Safe Mode that usually means there’s a problem with Windows, or one of the many driver files which control how PC’s hardware and software. I think your Son is referring to the automatic hard disc integrity check or Scandisk, which pops up after you switch on whenever the PC hasn’t been shut down correctly (and you always do that properly, don’t you…?).

If your PC is starting in Safe Mode then you should try the selective start option in the Windows Configuration utility by going to Run on the Start menu and typing ‘msconfig’. From there you can selectively disable the files and programs that load with Windows, and by a process of elimination, find out which one is causing the problem. Only disable one thing at a time, and make a note of it, so you can re-enable it, if it turns out not to be the culprit.

Q

We are considering installing cable broadband instead of telephone dial-up connection. As usual we want to research the benefits first or the disadvantages we may encounter. We would appreciate any advice, which could be given about this type of connection as we are getting fed up with disconnection (after 2 hours) and also the slow sending of photos etc. Is Broadband the way forward for speed and reliability and is there an easy way of telling all those people there is a new e-mail address?

Beverley Ivan

A

Broadband is definitely the way things are going but whether it is right for you just now is another matter. The obvious advantage is speed, it can be up to ten times faster than a normal modem connection, and it’s ‘always-on’ which is also very convenient, but against that you have to weigh the cost – it’s likely to be at least twice as much as your present dial-up connection, possibly more if you do not already subscribe to cable TV services – and getting it up and running reliably can be a headache for some users. If you are a heavy Internet user then it is worth considering but if it were just for a few odd emails I would stick with your dial-up connection. By the way Windows XP automatically re-dials as soon as the 2-hour connection timeout imposed by some ‘unlimited time’ ISPs has elapsed.

Q

I am concerned that I am, apparently, unable to take a copy of AutoCorrects. I use my own speed typing and have, over a long period, entered hundreds (for example, rem is remember, remd is remembered and so on). If my system crashes I will have lost many hours of work.

Brian Lawrence

A

There are two files that you may want to make backups of and these can also be used to configure another copy of Word on another machine to your way of working. They are Normal.dot, which contains all of your layout preferences, AutoText entries and macros, and Custom Dictionary, which is where all of your AutoCorrect entries are stored. Normal.dot can be found in

C:\Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates, and Custom Dictionary is right next-door in: C:\Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Proof. If you want to use them in a new copy of Word simply copy the files to the same locations where they will overwrite the default files.

Q

I have a Packard Bell PC with Windows '98 and I have been trying to create a banner, which is 21cms by 100cms (using HP banner paper) with a simple slogan on it. I must be doing something wrong as I am having no success whatsoever, I can manage to print out only up to the A4 boundaries.

Delia Cavers

A

I would have a look at a program called Poster. It can create banners up to 100 feet long and it has a good assortment of text editing tools and effects. You can download the shareware version, which will let you print up to 12 banners, from: http://www.postersw.com/, registration is a very modest £12.

Q

My computer was recently connected to the Internet for 10 hours by mistake. How do I alter the settings to allow the computer to disconnect itself after a certain period of inactivity?

Peter Tooley

A

Whoops! In most versions of Windows double click on the Dial Up Networking folder (it’s either in My Computer or Control Panel), right-click your connection icon and select Properties. On the General tab click Configure, and then select the Connection tab. Under Call Preferences you will see the option to ‘Disconnect a call if idle for more than…’, set as appropriate. 

Q

I wonder if you could suggest what might be the problem with this computer, as it will not retain the date and time settings.  Each time I switch on it has changed itself to an earlier date and wrong time.  I have not been able to establish a pattern as I always think I have 'cured' it this time!

I go into the settings and change the date and time, then I click on apply, then OK. It then gives the correct time on the screen but changes after I shut down.  Do I need an engineer?

Joyce I'Anson

A

A pound to a penny it’s a dud battery. You PC has a built in digital clock, that maintains timekeeping when your PC is switched off or disconnected to the mains, this is kept running by a small battery that generally lasts for around four or five years. They’re usually quite easy to replace but if you’ve no experience, or inclination, to tinker around inside your machine, ask an engineer to do it for you, it’s a very routine job and shouldn’t cost more than a few pounds.