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FAQS!
FACTS! FAX! 337 (29/10/02)
Q
I have a Pentium 3 Notebook PC with Windows ME. I use two
browsers Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer 5.5. The problem is that when
I view a website in Internet Explorer and I want to save a JPEG image, I am
only given the option to save it in *.Bmp or Bitmap format even though the
image is a JPEG file. I do not have this problem with Netscape, what am I doing
wrong?
Riky G
A
It’s a known bug in Internet Explorer and although the JPEG
file option isn’t shown you should still be able to save files in that format
simply by using a ‘.jpg’ extension. There appears to be several causes, one is
a full ‘cache’, which is an area on the hard disc used to temporarily store
Internet pages. To clear the cache go to the Internet Options on the Tools menu
and on the General tab click the Delete Files and Clear History buttons. If
that doesn’t fix it have a look at Knowledgebase article Q260650, which you’ll
find on the Microsoft web site at: http://support.microsoft.com/
default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q260650
Q
What on Earth is a ‘Dongle’ and do I have one?
Gordon Hackwell
A
Suffice it to say if you needed one you’d know about it… A
Dongle is basically a small module – usually shaped like a plug -- that fits
into the printer, serial or USB socket on the back of your computer. It’s a
security device, a kind of electronic key that allows you to use or access a piece
of software or a peripheral, or protect a program, or the data it contains from
tampering or piracy.
Q
I want to record some interviews and then get them
transcribed by my PC. I already have a MiniDisc recorder: is there some
software that will transcribe from the MiniDiscs, or some other machine that
will both record and get the PC to transcribe?
Anne Karpf
A
Voice recognition software, that converts speech into text
is improving all of the time but a lot still depends on the clarity of the
recording, and the speaker’s diction, and it is quite possible that you’ll
spend more time correcting the output than it would take to manually transcribe
a recording. The three leading packages are Naturally Speaking, ViaVoice and
Voice Xpress, which are all widely available and not too expensive (prices
start at less than Ł40) however, before you decide you should visit the
Computing Out Loud web site (http://www.out-loud.com/),
which takes an unbiased look at the subject, from a users point of view. To
link your MiniDisc recorder to the PC you will need a stereo minijack lead to
connect the recorder’s speaker or earphone output to the PC’s ‘Line input’
socket. These are available from high-street video and hi-fi dealers for a few
pounds; if in doubt take the recorder along with you in case it has a
non-standard connector.
Q
A niggling problem - I can only connect to the net via the
BT icon on my Desktop. Attempts to connect from the icons on the taskbar or
from other links result in a failure message from Outlook Express, Internet
Explorer displays the 'This page cannot be displayed' page. When I am
connected, all links work OK. I have a feeling there's a box not checked
somewhere. At least I hope it's not too serious. Have you any suggestions?
Malcolm Hartley
A
This may happen if Internet Explorer is not set as your
default browser. To put that to rights open IE, select the Tools menu and then
the Programs tab. Tick the item ‘Internet Explorer should check to see whether
it is the default Browser’. Otherwise, try running the IE repair facility, go
to Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel, double-click Internet Explorer on the
list of Installed Programs, select Repair and follow the prompts.
Q
I have a broadband Internet connection that I want to
access on my PC and via each of my three daughter's PC's. Each
computer has a network card, which is linked into a hub my system is also
linked via USB port to the broadband modem.
Peter Robinson
A
It can be done but you might want to check the small print
on your ISP agreement. Some companies frown upon connection sharing and can get
a bit shirty if they find out; presumably they are concerned that you might be
knowingly (or unwittingly) allowing others to use your connection without paying
for it. However, providing you are only sharing the connection on your family
network and take the proper precautions with firewall and antivirus software
there’s no reason why they should object, or even know about it. We showed how
to do it in Boot Camps 228 to 231.
Q
I wish to record music from a tape recorder to my hard disc
for subsequent transfer to a CD-R. The Windows Sound Recorder will only allow
me to record one minute at a time. How do I adjust this to allow recordings of
up to 45 minutes?
S J Darbyshire
A
Sound Recorder is not really up to the job but for the
record the way to overcome the one minute limit is to make a silent recording
lasting one minute, Save it as ‘blank.wav’ then go to Insert on the Edit menu
and insert as many one minute blank.wavs as you need. The alternative is to use
proper audio recording software and there are scores to choose from, you’ll
find a good selection of shareware and freeware titles at: www.tucows.com (type ‘audio recorder in the
Search field) and http://www.filetransit.com/
category.php?id=213
Q
Until recently when I clicked on a link, which opened a new
browser window, I could view this with no problem. Now however, the contents of
the new window are hidden and I have to click the maximise button to.
Brian Bailey
A
Here are a few things to try. Go to Start > Settings >
Taskbar and Start Menu and deselect Auto Hide on the Taskbar tab. Whilst the
errant IE browser window is displayed click the Maximise button then drag the
edge of the Taskbar at the bottom of the screen to double it’s width. This will
force the IE window to resize. Reset the Taskbar to its original width, wait
for IE to resize again, close the browser window and see if that has any
effect. As a last resort you might have to remove a couple of Registry keys,
which may have become corrupted. They will be automatically recreated when the
PC is rebooted. Only try this if you know what you are doing, and have made a
backup first. The two keys are:
Hkey
CurrentUser\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main\window_placement
and,
HkeyCurrentUser\Software\Microsoft\
internetexplorer\Desktop\Explorer\
desktop\oldWorkAreas\OldWorkAreaRects
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