FAQS! FACTS! FAX!  317 (09/06/02)

Q

I learnt to touch type years ago on a typewriter with a very heavy action. Largely as a result of this I think, I find that with my computer keyboard my fingers are always brushing against keys other than the one they were intended to press and producing 'typos'. Do you know of a computer keyboard with adjustable-pressure keys? If not, can you suggest another solution to the problem?

Mark Roberts

A

I’ve looked high and low for an adjustable pressure keyboard and drawn a complete blank, if anyone knows of such a thing please let us know. It sounds like an excellent idea as one of the prime suspects, as a cause of repetitive stain injury (RSI), are keyboards with a light, undamped action. This encourages faster typing speeds but the short-travel keys have a percussive effect on the finger joints, which some experts suggest may lead to RSI. There are plenty of other strategies, however, including keyboards with large and widely spaced keys and ergonomic layouts, which might help (http://www.inclusive.co.uk/

catalog/bigkeys.shtml,

http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/enable/

index.xml.ID=keyboards). There are also all manner of wrist pads and supports that might help you to learn to use ordinary keyboard. 

Q

When I use some Search engines, for instance the BBCi engine, a drop down list appears with lots of previous searches. To some extent this is useful, but the list includes searches made on other engines. Is it possible to restrict the list to show searches on the engine I am currently using? Alternatively, is it possible to delete some or all of the previous searches?

Keith Trainer, Birmingham

A

This is the work of AutoComplete, which is a function of Internet Explorer, rather than the web sites you are visiting. It can be disabled and the current entries deleted but the settings are global and will be applied to every search engine and web site that you visit. The controls can be found on the Tools menu, select Internet Options and then the Content tab. Click the AutoComplete button, uncheck Forms to switch it off and use the Clear buttons to delete the existing settings. Click OK, close Internet Explorer and the changes will take effect the next time you open IE.

Q

I was told that I should delete 'cookies' saved in my computer system, but when I right click the cookies folder to delete it, a message appears to say that 'cookies' is a system folder, deleting it may cause Windows and other programs not working properly.  What am I doing wrong?

Nancy Hwang

A

Windows won’t let you delete the folder but you can get rid of the cookies it contains. Double click the folder icon in Windows Explorer to open it up then press Ctrl + A (select all). Keep the Ctrl key pressed and click on the ‘Index’ (this can be removed) and press the Delete key. Alternatively you can zap them all in one go from within Internet Explorer by going to Internet Options on the Tools menu, select the General tab and click the Delete Cookies button.

Q

I am puzzled why my computer will not go through its boot up sequence unless interrupt the supply at the mains socket. I have been told it may
be the hard disc sticking whatever that means. Is there anyway this problem
can be resolved?
Allan Wirth

A

The sticky disc theory is just about plausible but I think it is far more likely that it has something to do with the PC’s BIOS program. The BIOS or Basic Input Output System is a small program that runs at switch on, carrying out a series of diagnostic checks on the motherboard, video adaptor, memory and hard disc drive and configuring the system prior to loading Windows. Tinkering with the BIOS is a bad idea if you don’t know what you are doing but if you or a competent friend are feeling adventurous, and have backed up all of your important data, enter the BIOS program (refer to your manual or follow the in-screen instructions). Check the boot sequence and memory check settings, you could also try resetting the BIOS to its default values and as a last resort – experts only please – see if there’s a newer version of the BIOS for your motherboard and whether it can be re-programmed or ‘flashed’.

Q

When I click the 'Start' button an error message appears 'Explorer has detected a fault in shell32.dll'. The last thing I did was use Norton Utilities.  I have tried reloading several programs, including Norton, Windows ME etc. The curious thing is, the PC is working fine apart from the Start menu, all my programs seem to work OK, and I can shut down using Control/Alt/Del and selecting Explorer. Any thoughts?

Graham Jones

A

Something similar can happens if Internet Explorer throws a wobbly. The cure is usually quite simple, if it’s version 4 or 5 upgrade to the most recent version 6 (you’ll find it on many PC magazine cover-mount discs), or try the ‘Repair’ utility. It’s its available on your version you can start it up by going to Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel, select Microsoft Internet Explorer from the list then click the Add/Remove button and the Repair option should appear.

Q

I am running Windows 98 and used to be able to indulge myself occasionally with a game of FreeCell. But for no reason I am aware of, it will no longer produce the cards on the initial opening green. It opens up from FreeCell.exe as one would expect but upon choosing from the Game drop down list it produces, at the top two sets of four green bars and on the bottom eight individual bars of mainly black and red.

I have tried deleting games and reloading from my Windows 98 disk. I have shredded the FreeCell.exe and substituted it with the FreeCell.exe from my Windows 95 laptop to no avail.

R.P.Truscott

A

FreeCell is actually quite a reliable barometer of your PC’s general state of health and software often engineers use it to test various programs. You may also be surprised to know that there’s virus that attacks FreeCell, it’s called Chronic A and if you catch it the only solution is to reinstall Windows. That’s unlikely to be the cause in this case, though. The bitmap graphics that make up the cards are stored in a separate file, known as the Card Drawing Library, or ‘cards.dll’, which lives in the System folder in C:\Windows.  This has probably been damaged or accidentally deleted, fortunately it’s not a problem; it can be easily reinstated from your Windows 98 CR-ROM. It’s normally stored in win98_61.cab. To extract cards.dll from your Windows disc go to Run on the Start menu and type ‘sfc’ (without the quotes) and this will start the System File Checker utility, click ‘Extract File…’ and fill in the details.