FAQS! FACTS! FAX!  331 (17/09/02)

Q

Can you explain why the HP Photosmart 812 digital camera has a 16Mb SD card, as its only storage option in UK but the US version is available with up to 64Mb? I would like to obtain the latter but HP in the UK do not acknowledge its existence and the apparently simple solution of ordering from USA does not appear to work since their home site is restricted to delivery addresses in the US.
John Proctor

A

The memory cards supplied with most brands of digital cameras are usually pitifully small -- no doubt a ploy to keep the price down -- so you should always budget for a larger card or two. The supplied 16Mb card appears to be standard wherever you buy this particular camera, maybe HP in the US are a bit more on the ball when it comes to selling accessories? Buying the camera direct from the US would almost certainly work out more expensive when you factor in import duties and VAT so get one locally and shop around for a high capacity SD card. You don’t have to use HP branded types, a quick trawl on the net turned up 128Mb cards selling for around £65 (including VAT) from companies such as Ebuyer (www.ebuyer.com).

Q

I have previously composed music using Music Works Personal v2.3 software, which allowed me to save the result as a .mid file. Firstly, since changing to a new computer with Windows XP Home I would like to find a version of Music Works Personal that works with Windows XP. Secondly, I would like to create an audio CD from the resulting files.

 Martin Bradley

A

According to the news section on the Music Works web site: (www.tierramedia.com/index.html) a 32-bit version of the program is now being finalised and if you’re really keen you can sign up as a ‘beta tester’ to help them iron out any last minute-bugs. The old version should still work under XP though you will probably have to use ‘compatibility mode’. Install it as normal then if you have problems with it right-click on the desktop icon and select Properties then the Compatibility Mode tab and check the item ‘Run this program in compatibility mode’.

There is plenty of CD audio burning programs that work with a variety of formats. Have a look at CD Burner, a trial version can be downloaded from: http://www.cdburner.com

Q

I have a word processor program, which I have moved to my second (D) drive.  However the 'Open with' facility still thinks it is on my main (C) drive and therefore comes up with a 'Cannot find… path and filename’ error message.  How can I alter the path and drive name? Windows Help is no help at all.

Chris Cox

A

You have to tell the shortcut where the program’s executable (*.exe) file has moved. Simply right-click on the desktop or Start menu icon and select Properties then change the drive letter or location shown in the Target box.

Q

I have two PC's in my small office. I want to go on broadband but my newer PC doesn't have an external modem port. My older PC does but it is a Pentium 75 1Gig hard drive. It will access AOL Internet and doesn't seem any slower than my other PC but will it handle broadband?
Alan

A

The majority of broadband modems use a USB connection to the PC so there shouldn’t be a problem with using one on your new computer. Even if all the USB sockets are in use you can easily add more with an expansion card or external ‘hub’. However, you might find it difficult to add USB connectivity to an older PC especially if it is using Windows 95 but you could network the two PCs together and ‘share’ the broadband connection. We covered this in some detail in Boot Camps 228 to 23.

Q

Help, I've got ringing in my ears, or rather on my telephone… When I plug my PC modem into the phone socket, the two extension telephones ring continuously (but the combined fax/phone doesn't).  Ha! I thought, I have too many phones connected and am exceeding the REN value. However if I only have one phone and the PC connected, that one phone still rings continuously, so that seems to eliminate the REN theory.  I have tried every possible combination of line connectivity, including reversing polarity, but the problem persists. What it means, is that I have to unplug the other phones before I can plug the PC in, which makes access to the 'net quite laborious.  Incidentally this doesn't happen with the other PC in our house but it does happen when I take my PC to another location and plug it in there. What is going on and do you know how to stop it?
Ian Seddon, Holme-on-Spalding-Moor, York

A

It’s almost certainly a wiring problem, especially if the extensions are of the DIY variety or you’re not using the correct combination of ‘master’ and ‘slave’ sockets. There’s a very informative article on the subject at: http://www.wppltd.demon.co.uk/WPP/ Wiring/UK_telephone/uk_telephone.html

Q

I have forgotten my Content Supervisor password in Internet Explorer 5; can it be retrieved or decrypted?
Steve Sanford

A

It’s easier to erase it and start again but it involves a bit of work on the Registry, so only attempt this if you know your way around Windows, and have made a backup first. Open the Registry Editor (type ‘regedit’ in Run on the Start menu and work your way down to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\

Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Ratings. Click to open the Ratings folder and in the right hand pane you’ll see a key, right click on it and select Delete. Close Regedit, restart Windows and open Internet Explorer, got to View > Internet Options and select the Content tab then click the Disable button, when asked for a password just click OK.

Q

I found your recent article on keyboards quite enlightening. Guilty as charged I'm afraid, I have the original keyboard, which is fine and dandy except for the odd occasion when it just freezes. The usual remedy had been to unplug the errant device but after your article I guess I won't be doing that any more (wouldn't want to replace the mother-board). What do you think could be happening?

Chris

A

If the PC is still running – the mouse is mobile and you can open programs and access menus – then an iffy keyboard is high on the list of suspects, try a new one. If the replacement also misbehaves then it could be a corrupt keyboard driver. You can reinstall it by opening Device Manager (right click My Computer and select Properties) click the Device Manager tab then double click Keyboard, right-click the named keyboard, select Properties then the Driver tab and select Update Driver and follow the prompts.