FAQS! FACTS! FAX!  330 (10/09/02)

Q

I set up on email about a year ago with Freeserve since when I have been bombarded with unintelligible messages, sometimes four a day, comprising hieroglyphics possibly of a mathematical nature. On each occasion I click on 'Message' and 'Block Sender' which seems to work but like 'Hydra' there is always another to take its place.

Roger Porter

A

These messages could be anything, from viruses to images or file formats your PC is not equipped to read. The first thing to do is make sure your anti-virus software is up to date and configured to scan incoming emails. If they are not being flagged up as viruses find out where they are coming from by right clicking on the unopened message select Properties then the General tab, which may show up the sender’s address. If you click the Message Source button you’ll be able to safely read the message and any attachments it contains. If they’re from someone you know ask them what kind of file they are sending you so that you can install the necessary software.

Q

I have an inkjet printer by a well-known manufacturer and have always bought the recommended new cartridges when required. To satisfy a long-standing curiosity I recently opened up a spent colour cartridge to see the innards, as I had no idea of their design or construction. I easily discovered the two absorbent coloured ink pads and what immediately caught my eye was that each pad was only part impregnated. 50% of each pad was pristine white and had obviously never been impregnated with ink. My question is: Is this the way it should be or shouldn't the pads be fully impregnated? In the absence of any external indication how is the customer to know whether he is getting a correct product?

Alan Tait

A

For reasons best known to the manufacturers the ink cartridges supplied as standard with new inkjet printers are often only half full run out quickly, it’s also important to read the packaging as identical looking cartridges can contain differing amounts of ink. Printer manufacturers come up with all sorts of plausible explanations as to why inkjet cartridges are so expensive and why you should stick to their branded products but the bottom line is that these days printers are absurdly cheap – there’s even been talk of them giving them away -- their profits come from the consumables.

Q

How do I disable programs running in the background when I want to Scandisk my PC, running Windows 98SE?  It keeps re-starting, and sends waspish messages asking me to do this, but I don't know how.

Kath Edwardson

A

You can start your PC in Safe mode, by pressing F8 as soon as the first boot up messages have appeared on the screen after switch on, or after Windows has finished loading, press Ctrl + Alt + Delete just once, to bring up the Close Program dialogue box. You can then highlight and End Task all of the running programs, with the exception of Explorer and Systray.

Q

Can you think of any reason why when I print emails the text is automatically sized up? On my view menu I have the text size ticked as smaller which is the way the message appears on the screen but when it is printed out it is huge. This is a very recent problem and applies to all messages including my own emails written in 9 Ariel.  I can correct this problem by copying the email into Word when it will print out the right text size.  So none of this is life threatening, just irritating because I can't fix it

Jill Worth

A

For reasons that we have neither the time nor inclination to go into here print size in Outlook Express is controlled from Internet Explorer… To make it larger or smaller go to Text Size on IE’s View menu.

Q

I have data stored on floppy discs produced as 'sam' files using Amipro within Windows 95 version 1. I want to update my computer and possibly use a more popular word processor. However, opening the floppies on a neighbour’s computer on which he uses Word for Windows the data appears as corrupted text and numbers. Can my Amipro data be converted to Word or Word Perfect for transfer to a new computer?

Richard Dickinson

A

You can download a file converter for Microsoft Word, which amongst other things can turn AmiPro files into text documents. It can be found at:

http://office.microsoft.com/

downloads/2000/convpack.aspx.

Q

I run Windows 98 on a 5-year old Packard Bell PC. Every 15 to 20 boot-ups depending on use my PC has a problem accessing the System Registry. It reports this and then proceeds to back-up system files followed by a request to restart. This may happen 2 or 3 times before the machine is up and running. Everything is then OK for another 15 to 20 boot-ups whereupon the problem repeats itself.

Tim Vernon

A

The causes of an unstable Registry are many and various but in most cases it can be traced back to a program or application that wasn’t properly uninstalled. This has left behind entries that every so often cause the conflict and the error message you’re seeing. You can search out and delete orphaned entries with a registry maintenance tool like Microsoft’s own Reg Clean (there’s a link at: www.netprosweb.com/utility_001.htm) or, for a more thorough purge, try a freeware utility like Reg Cleaner from: www.vtoy.fi/jv16/shtml/regcleaner.shtml

Q

The infuriating shortcut arrow overlay has reappeared on my PC. TweakUI is now totally ineffective in removing or changing the overlay.  I have reinstalled Powertoys to no avail.  All the other functions of TweakUI seem to be OK. Any ideas?
Ernest Simms

A

This usually happens after downloading a Microsoft Security Update. There are several solutions, the first is to restore the Shell32.dll file replaced by the update, but only try this if you know your way around Windows. There’s a useful article on the subject at http://members.aol.com/axcel216/98-5.htm#PSBF

You can also try editing the Registry, again this is not for novices but as long as you take the usual precautions and back up first the procedure is as follows: Open Regedit and go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\lnkfile and delete the value IsShortcut. Next go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\piffile and delete the value IsShortcut. Close Regedit and restart Windows.

Finally you could try one of the many Tweak UI alternatives, Tweaking Toolbox for Windows looks promising, there’s a trial download at: http://www.windows-help.net/ttw/index.html