FAQS! FACTS! FAX!  398 (20/01/04)

Q

I am writing a book using Word 2000, each chapter having its own file. I need to number every page consecutively from the start of the book until the end, not start at page 1 with each chapter. Is there a way to do this?

Julian Treluggan, via email

A

It’s difficult to do this automatically since each of your chapters are stored separately so they have no way of knowing if you’ve made changes to the length of preceding chapters that might affect page numbering.  Nonetheless there are a couple of workarounds. You could leave page numbering until you have finished your book and can combine all of the chapters into one large file. Alternatively, you can manually change the start number for each chapter or section by going to Page Numbers on the File menu, click the Format button then under Page Numbering check the item ‘Start At’ and enter the page number following on from the end of the previous chapter. Again it’s best to do this when you have finished to minimise revisions. Bear in mind that page numbering will also be affected by page layout and printing.

Q

I am in the process of buying a new computer and have a prospective buyer for my current one. Is there a program or method of ensuring that all information is removed prior to sale?

Alan Spence, via email

A

The hard disc drives in surplus computers sold by Government agencies and the military are routinely removed and destroyed since this is the only way to make certain that data, even if it has been deleted, cannot be recovered. Assuming that your PC hasn’t been used to store sensitive data you needn’t go to such drastic lengths. The simplest method, suitable for most home PC users, is to reformat the hard drive using a Windows 9x (95/98/SE/ME) start-up disc. Load the disc and the PC should boot into DOS mode; at the flashing A: prompt type ‘format c:’ (without the quotes), follow the prompts and the drive will be wiped clean, ready for a new installation of Windows. If you are genuinely concerned about security then I suggest that you also run the fdisk partition utility first (same procedure but type ‘fdisk’ at the A: prompt), when it has finished format the drive and repeat both steps, just to make sure. After that only the most determined attempts at data recovery will yield any information. Alternatively, visit your disc drive manufacturer’s web site where you will almost certainly find an industrial-strength maintenance and formatting utility to download.

Q

I recently changed the battery in my PC because the clock was losing up to
an hour when the power was off.  Now, when I shut down the PC approximately 2 seconds later it starts up of its own accord.  If I pull the plug from the mains during these two seconds and plug it in again it stays off until I press the start button. Have I altered any settings with the new battery?
Ged Anchor, via email

A

It is possible the two events are connected and on some older PC motherboards the clock backup battery also powers a memory chip used to store configuration data, but it may just be a coincidence and there are dozens of possible causes for this kind of behaviour. There’s far too many to list here so if you are using Windows 95, 98 SE or ME then you should have a look at the excellent Shutdown and Restart Troubleshooter, which you will find at: http://aumha.org/win4/a/shutdown.htm

There’s also one for XP users at:

http://aumha.org/win5/a/shtdwnxp.php

Q

Some months ago you described how to improve system performance by running "msconfig" and reducing the number of items enabled in the Start-Up box. This has been invaluable to improving system reliability but, unfortunately, in practice items, which have been disabled, sometimes get re-enabled and also new items added.

Is there any way of removing these items from the Start-Up box altogether? When I run "msconfig" and left-click on an item in the box I do not get the usual menu and Delete function.

Mike Bridgman, via email

A

It can be done but it's quite a palaver and involves editing the Registry. Redundant entries in the Startup list do no harm, but any that reappear, or recheck themselves do so because the program they relate to is still installed on your PC, and needs to be completely removed. You should check the contents of your StartUp folder (Start > Programs > StartUp) and remove anything you don’t want by deleting the shortcut, and you might find programs have been set to start automatically in Config.sys and Autoexec.bat system files, which you can edit by selecting the appropriate tab in msconfig. If you find old startup entries annoying then have a look at some advice and possible solutions at: http://forums.techguy.org/

t23243/s2f4298d59eb4d98e5aab7c91bf594c52.html

Q

I use Word and save my work to floppy discs most of the time. Occasionally I forget to load a disc, type a letter and try to print it then receive an  'Illegal action' error message. I then have to close down the PC and loose the document in the process. I have never found a way of coming out of Word without losing my work, or discovered a way to recover the document. Do you know if it ends up somewhere inside the computer? It doesn't happen very often, but it is extremely annoying.
Pam M, via email

A

It’s an odd way to work but assuming that there’s a good reason for it you’ll be relieved to know that Word can be set to automatically save your work every few minutes, though only to the disc drive that your work is stored on but the last revision of a document can usually be recovered following a glitch or crash. Check the Autosave functions are enabled by going to Tools > Options and click the Save tab. Make sure that both ‘Background Saves’ and ‘Save AutoRecover Info…’ are checked, and set to 5-minutes, say. Recovered documents are usually stored in C:\Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Word, but yours may be different, see Word Help or go to Tools > Options > File Locations.