FAQS! FACTS! FAX!  425 (27/07/04)

Q

Why does Word sometimes re-format (bold, italic, resize etc.) text that is cut and pasted? Is this a bug or am I doing something wrong? It is driving me mad!

Les Alcott

A

It’s not a bug but like many features in Word it is poorly explained. By default a block of text pasted from a web page or another application retains its original formatting. To force Word 97 and 2000 to adopt the formatting of the document you are working on go to Edit > Paste Special and select Unformatted Text. Word 2002 has a ‘pop-up’ menu when you use the Paste command with the Unformatted Text option.

Q

I use Outlook Express for my emails. In this I have two addresses and Inboxes for each, for received mail. However, when I send emails they all end up in the same ‘Sent’ box. Is there any way in which I can separate them and have a ‘Sent’ box to go with each address?

Clive Waind, Honley

A

It can be done but since OE ‘Rules’ can only be applied automatically to incoming mail you will have use this one manually, however, once it has been created it only takes a couple of mouse clicks to make it work. To set up the Rule go to Tools > Message Rules > Mail. Click New then under Set Conditions check ‘Where the From Line Contains People’, now go to Select Actions and check ‘Move to specified folder. In the Rule Description box click the underlined ‘Contains People’ and enter one of your email addresses and click Add then OK. Next go back to the Rule Description box and click the underlined ‘specified’, in the new box that opens click the New Folder button, give it a name (i.e. Sentmail 2) and click OK, then click OK again to close the New Mail Rule box. Uncheck the new rule but make sure it is highlighted and click Apply Now. In the new box that opens click the Browse button and select your Sent Items folder, click OK then Apply Now and all of the items sent using your second email address will be moved into the Sentmail2 folder. Apply the Rule every so often to keep it up to date.

Q

I have discovered to my horror that a full diary for 2003, which I thought I had transferred to a CD earlier this year was not in fact there. My Recycle Bin is empty but I believe that it may still be present on my hard drive.  I understand that there are ways and means of retrieving such data: is the process such that I could attempt it myself?

Don Clarke, Brentwood

A

As you may know when a file is ‘deleted’ only the directory reference is removed so the data remains on your hard disc, but the space it occupies is marked as free. Providing it hasn’t been overwritten some of all of the data may be recovered. Try a freeware utility called ‘Restoration’ which you can find by Googling ‘restoration freeware’

Q

I would like to be able to make a connection from my PC to a amplifier and speakers and a tuner but not have a lot of wires trailing around the house. What would be the best way to do this? I read about networks but they all seem to relate to connecting one computer with another

Stanley Cannings, via email

A

I can think of two ways. The first is to use a video ‘sender’ of the type used to transmit TV pictures and sound from a VCR or satellite tuner to a TV in another room; these cost from around £50 from video dealers. In this instance all you have to do is connect the stereo audio output from your PC to the transmitter module and the audio output from the receiver module to the audio input on your hi-fi system. A more sophisticated method would be to set up a Wi-Fi network on your PC and use a device like the LinkSys Wireless B Media Adaptor -- costing around £120 -- that connects to your TV and Hi-Fi amplifier to the PC. This gives you control of your remote RC, allowing you to select audio files and JPEG images, using simple on-screen menus displayed on your TV, just connect the audio output from the module to your amplifier.

Q

I frequently access pages with a lot of dense printed information and often have some difficulty in reading the closely packed lines. Is there some method available whereby a line or `ruler' can be accessed online to guide the eye line by line down the page?

Douglas Allan, Pinner

A

I’m not aware of any programs that superimpose rulers on a web page (and if anyone does know of one please let me know), but there are several ways of making them easier to read. The simplest method is to increase the text size by going to the View menu, select Text size and ‘Largest’. Alternatively, if you have a ‘wheel’ type mouse hold down the Ctrl key and rotate the wheel. My second suggestion is to change the display to one of the high visibility ‘schemes’. Go to Accessibility Options in Control Panel, select the Display tab then click the Settings button and try the options on offer. You should also have a look at the Windows Screen Magnifier, which enlarges a portion of the screen, controlled by the mouse. You’ll find it in Start > Programs > Accessories > Accessibility. It is installed by default in Windows XP, in earlier versions go to Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel, select Windows Setup then Accessibility, highlight Accessibility Tools, then OK and follow the prompts.