FAQS! FACTS! FAX!  436 (12/10/04)

Q

When opening "My Pictures" the left hand part of the screen showing all options and the ability to have slide show has disappeared.  This may be a coincidence but we have just loaded the Windows XP Service Pack 2 CD.
Sue Holmes, via email

A

I have heard from a number of people with a similar problems and it appears to be one of several unexpected side effects following an SP2 installation. For some inexplicable reason the Folders bar in Explorer is switched on by SP2, replacing the usual set of picture file options with a directory tree. To get them back simply open Window Explorer go to the View menu, select Explorer Bar then in the side menu deselect Folders.

Q

I have Microsoft XP and as a result of your advice in Boot Camp (September 28th) I have downloaded IrfanView, which I have found to be excellent.   However, I have to reduce the file size of a picture which I need to paste on a website, and nowhere can I find how to do this.  Can you help please?

Carol Kemp, via email

A

File size is mainly determined by two factors, the number of pixels in the picture, and the amount of ‘compression’ used to process the image. In IrfanView you can decrease the number of pixels in an image, which also reduces its physical size -- by going to Resize/Resample on the Image menu, or you can increase the compression level, which will have a impact on quality, by going to Save As on the File menu and click the Options button. I would try a few experiments, adjusting both, to find the best compromise setting.

Q

I have my Windows XP set up to download updates automatically but only to Install on Command. Recently, a log file of the status of the updates over a long period of time appeared and I found that most of the expected updates had failed, apparently only those for Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player had succeeded. I don't want to try updating to SP2 until I am happy that all the previous updates are satisfactory, particularly as several of those that failed were critical security updates.

Bill Bebbington, via email

A

There’s no need to worry, Windows XP Service Pack 2 ‘rolls up’ previous critical updates. When you install SP2 from the Windows Update web site (or via disc) your PC will be scanned and any missing components will be loaded before the SP2 download begins.

Q

Spybot keeps picking up an entry labelled ‘DSO Exploit’, but despite "Fix problems" it re-appears all the time, any clues as to its removal?

John Piggot, via email

A

This is a known bug in the current version of Spybot and this so-called ‘false positive’ refers to a security loophole in Windows that was plugged a while ago, (and also included in SP2). Providing you have kept your PC up to date you have nothing to be concerned about. The glitch has apparently been fixed in the latest release of Spybot (version 1.3.1b), which is now in the final stages of beta testing and should be available soon from: www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html

Q

I am using a simple modem/router for my broadband connection with an Ethernet cable connection between the router and my Windows 98SE PC. The Router logs on to my ISP but I frequently lose the connection, which involves "rebooting" the modem/router and then restarting Windows. I have found it is less troublesome to set the router to disconnect from the Internet after a specified idle time and then re-connect as required. Re-connecting via Outlook Express is quick and easy: I simply hit the Send/Receive button and after a delay of about 10 seconds my mail is downloaded.  I am then left connected and can browse via Internet Explorer for as long as I need. However, although a re-connection request works from within Outlook Express I have not found it possible to re-connect via Internet Explorer.

Bruce Richards, via email

A

I think you need to go back to square one and troubleshoot the disconnection problem. This can be caused by a number of things, the most common one being low ‘gain’ on your telephone line. Contact BT or your phone to have the line tested. There's also the possibility that your broadband connection is exceeding the local 'contention rate', in other words too many other people in your street or building also have broadband and the connection is overloading -- another one for BT to sort out. It can also be caused by having too many other devices connected to the line, add up the REN numbers (printed on the underside of each phone or telephone device), it shouldn't exceed 4, if so try disconnecting one or more devices.

Q

When I go to Control Panel (Win98) I get a message that says 'Cannot load language resources', nevertheless CP does become available. I have searched 'Help' but cannot get any. I have vetted everything that could be found with language involved. Am I missing something and could this be a contributory cause to my computer hanging, frequently.
Les Bostock, via email

A

This can happen when a utility supplied with ATI video adaptors is installed from a CD-ROM using the wrong language. There is a simple workaround, involving uninstalling the program and renaming a file; this is explained in Microsoft Knowledgebase article 299929, which you can access by typing the number into Google.