FAQS! FACTS! FAX!  348 (28/01/03)

Q

How can I print out the Help pages in a program adding all the pages together and printing continuously on the paper? If I copy and paste to Word 97 for instance, it only shows text. If I use the program's print then there are many small paragraphs each on a separate sheet of paper.
Harold Burton

A

Unlike a book or instruction manual the Help utility in most programs is not designed to be printed out in full. It is meant to be read on screen, with the various topics accessed and indexed by clicking on highlighted ‘hyperlinks’. Of course you can print out individual pages or items but in most cases it would be almost impossible to collate the material into a conventional book form.

Q

I need a reasonably priced printer to print on 4 x 4" place cards. The Inkjet printer I have, will print them one by one but is difficult to load.
Den miles

A

Rather than go to the expense of buying a new printer why not use the ‘Envelopes and Label’ utility in Word (on the Tools menu). You can get four place cards per A4 sheet and simply cut them out. Alternatively you could use one of the preformatted Avery type label packs, which you can buy at stationers that are available on thicker ‘microperforated’ paper and card.  

Q

I have been using MS Access for a number of years, writing my own small databases for home use.  Now I want to develop a database for my business.  However I have recently heard that there is a limit to how many records can be stored on such a database.  As the number of clients held will be quite high, before embarking on the design and implementation I would welcome any comments on this problem.  I can find no reference to this in any of the manuals I have on the various versions of Access I have, nor can I find it by searching the MS Office website.

Derek Adams

A

Microsoft Access is billed as a low to medium capacity database and there is indeed a limit on how much information can be stored but it concerns the size of the database file, rather than the number of records. The actual limit is 2 gigabytes per database, but this could theoretically be sufficient for several tens, possibly hundreds of thousands of records, depending on the amount of information each one contains (Access records can have between 1 and 255 data fields). The easiest way to find out if Access can cope is to create a dozen or so sample records, check the size of the resulting *.mdb file in Windows Explorer and divide it into 2 gigabytes to get a rough idea of how many it will comfortably hold. The alternative is to use a database program like Visual FoxPro, which has a capacity of 2Gb per record or approximately 1 billion records.

Q

I have Windows 98 SE and have a CD drive plus a CD R-W drive added later. My problem is that every time I turn on the computer, apparently even before Windows begins to load, the motor of one of the above drives starts to whirr (I think it is the CD drive but cannot be sure) and it goes on whirring, with intermittent very brief pauses until Windows has fully loaded, when it stops. No CD's are in the drives. The whirring is somewhat alarming as it seems quite noisy and very fast and I am wondering if damage may be resulting. This has not always happened but now it seems to be with me permanently. Any ideas as to the cause and remedies would be much appreciated.
Richard Lewis

A

It’s more likely this is something called ‘floppy drive seek’, which is a function of your PC’s BIOS (Basic Input Output System), which instructs the PC to look for start-up files on your floppy disc drive at boot up. It’s not harmful but it can be irritating. The function can be disabled by accessing your PC’s BIOS program at boot up. Normally this involves pressing a sequence of keys, to bring up the BIOS menu where you should find the option ‘Disable Floppy Drive Seek at Boot Up’, or something similar. The key sequence varies from make to make but it should be in the motherboard manual that came with your machine, alternatively consult the dealer or manufacturer’s web site. In any event be vary careful and make no other changes otherwise you could end up with dead PC!  

Q

Recently I my computer has suffered attack from two viruses, which accessed my copious email address book in Outlook Express.  More irritatingly I have been taken in by two hoaxes, which entailed the address book as well.

It occurs to me that the sad individuals who perpetrate these criminal acts can only make use of their victims' address books because the location of, and pathways to, the latter in the Windows systems are known.

Is it possible to either build-in protection for the address book or, alternatively, to hold it in an entirely different location unknown to and therefore inaccessible to those who are not authorised to access it - e.g. on a separately held disc - and still have access to it from Outlet Express?

Dr J R Bacon, Harrietsham, Kent

A

That probably wouldn’t work since your email program must know the location of your address book, so even if you move it the virus or worm will still be able to find it. It’s far better to ensure that you have up to date, and regularly updated antivirus software on your PC. You should also take all the usual precautions about not opening unexpected attachments, or failing that, change to another browser/email program, which isn’t being targeted by viruses, such as the excellent Mozilla (www.mozilla.com), which is both free, and has almost all of the functionality of Internet Explorer and Outlook Express.

Q

I have been trying to raise the websites mentioned in Boot Camp a couple of weeks ago for the programs Aida 32 and Restoration with absolutely no success. Please let me know if there is a problem or if I am doing something wrong?
Peter Bellairs

A

Our fault entirely, a couple of gremlins got into the works and left off some vital bits of the addresses, which are as follows:

Aida 32: http://www.aida32.hu/aida32.php

Restoration: http://hccweb1.bai.ne.jp/~hcj58401/