FAQS! FACTS! FAX!  451 (01/02/05)

Q

I have XP Professional and cannot find a way of changing icons on the desktop. I go to Properties and click Change Icon but am offered only the same four alternatives each time. I have tried Windows Help but it does not seem to cover this subject. Where can I find a selection of icons or is it possible to make up icons suitable for the programs to which one wishes to apply them?

Gordon Bryant, via email

A

Windows XP has a few ‘spare’ icons in C:\windows\explorer.exe but it’s quite a poor selection, compared with earlier versions of Windows. Your best bet is to download some from the net. There are literally millions to choose from, most of them free (Google ‘free icons’) but I would start with some that are designed to blend in with the XP theme, which you will find at: www.iconcool.com/xp-icons.htm. Simply download and extract the Zip file into a newly created folder then go back to your desktop shortcut, right click, select Properties > Change Icon, then use the Browse button to locate the new icon folder and make your selection. If you want to have a stab at creating your own icons there are plenty of freeware utilities on the web, have a look at Iconart which you will find at: www.conware-pro.com/products/ia/

Q

Could you tell me how to view the contents of the Clipboard in Windows XP, ideally from a desktop shortcut? I have this on my main PC's desktop from a tip some years ago but have forgotten how to do it, and would like to implement it on my new Laptop.

Wallace Mills 

A

Unlike previous versions of Windows the Clipboard Viewer utility in XP doesn't show up on the Programs list but it's still there. To put it on your desktop as a shortcut open Windows Explorer and work your way to the System32 sub folder in the Windows folder (i.e. C:\WINDOWS\system32) find the file 'clipbrd.exe', right click and select Send To > Desktop (Create Shortcut) and it's done. By the way, if the System 32 folder isn’t shown in Windows Explorer go to: Tools > Folder Options, select the View tab and close to the top of the list uncheck 'Do not show hidden files...' click OK and try again.

Q

Whenever I open Word I get an irritating Microsoft Visual Basic message informing me that ‘The macros in this project are disabled’. When I click the OK button the message disappears and Word opens as usual. Again when closing Word down this message appears again and, as before, disappears at the click of the OK button. Have you any suggestions as to how I can stop this message from appearing or is this something I have to live with?

Ian Williams, via email

A

This is caused by an over enthusiastic security setting in Word 2002 and 2003. Close any open documents then go to the Tools menu, select Options click Macro Security and the Security Level tab. Select Medium then OK. Exit then restart Word and the message should have disappeared.

Q

I have a number of folders on my desktop, which I access quite regularly. Until recently a single click would open the folder but now it brings up a ‘Search Results’ window. Try as I might I am unable to revert to the previous position. Any ideas please?

Don Burge, via email

A

A corrupt or altered Registry entry can cause this behaviour (no, don’t ask me how…), but you can easily put it right, provided you don’t mind a spot of Registry editing and take all of the usual precautions, including making a backup. In Run on the Start menu type ‘regedit’ without the quotes and work your way to: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ Directory\ shell. Highlight Shell and in the right hand window right click Default then Modify and change the Value Data to ‘none’ (without the quotes). Click OK then locate HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ Drive\ shell and do the same thing (i.e. change Value Data to none). Click OK, exit Regedit, reboot and your folders should be back to normal.

Q

I have a Compaq 2212 running on Windows 95 and was recently invited to upgrade to the free AVG Version 7.0.  I downloaded this successfully but on installation it came to a stop stating I needed to download file 'DCOM95' first from the MS link supplied in the AVG message window. Having done that, I tried reinstalling AVG 7.0 but without success even after many attempts.  I even tried uninstalling the AVG version 6.0 first which I have only to reinstall after further failed attempts as better than nothing though I understand this is effected automatically when the system works. Can you please tell me what is wrong with the installation process of AVG 7.0?

Michael J.Shaw, via email

A

Whilst AVG 7 will just about run on a Windows 95 PC it requires that you have Internet Explorer version 5 or higher to work properly. Nevertheless V7 is a much more advanced program and optimised for Windows XP and I suspect that it's just too big and complex for older and slower PCs. Unless you are considering upgrading your PC I would consider trying an alternative free anti-virus program like Avast, which you can download from: www.avast.com/