FAQS! FACTS! FAX!  462 (19/04/05)

Q

I use MS Word and when I carry out a spell check most of the time the language checked is English (UK) but sometimes it changes to English (US). This can happen in the middle of checking a document or it may be at the beginning. If you then change it back to UK it will check one word and then go back to US version. If you stop the check and start again it might then run through the whole document in UK version.

Stuart Wallace, via email

A

Windows and Word can sometimes get confused if their respective language options are not correctly configured, so here are two things to try. First, in Word, go to Tools > Language > Set Language and make sure that English (UK) is set as the default. Second, open Windows Control Panel and go to Regional and Language Options, select the Languages tab and click the Details button (or Control Panel > Keyboard if you are using Windows 98/SE/ME), and make sure that the Default Input Language is English (United Kingdom) or English (British), and if you also see English (United States) listed, highlight the entry and click Remove. Close Word exit Windows and reboot.

Q

I have set up a home network between two PC's running XP and ME. This works one way only. I can access the ME machine and make use of the facilities this offers, file sharing, printing etc. However, I cannot go the other way to use files on the XP machine. I have set up file sharing etc, but there must be something I have missed.

Keith Downie, via email

A

This is a fairly common problem for those using older PCs on an XP based network and I have found the simplest solution is to add the Netbeui Protocol to both PCs, which provides an extra layer of communication. Support for Netbeui has been discontinued but it is provided on the XP installation disc and there’s installation instructions at: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/

prodtechnol/winxppro/maintain/netbeui.mspx. To install Netbeui in your Windows ME machine have your Windows CD ready then go to Control Panel > Network, select the Configuration tab, click the Add button then Protocol, click Add then Microsoft and select NetBEUI from the list in the right hand pane, then OK and follow the prompts. Reboot both PCs and full two-way file exchange should be enabled.

Q

I would like to join together parts of two maps to provide a single map. Can you please advise me of a freeware program with which I can do this?

John Wolff, via email

A

To do the job properly you really need an image-editing program, like Paint Shop Pro for example, which has the facility to create a blank image area into which you can paste and join your two images as separate ‘layers’. However, if all you want to do is ‘stitch’ two images together so they can be printed out as a single image then you can do that easily in Word. Open a new document, switch to Print Layout view, ‘Insert’ your images onto the page. You may need to experiment with size, position and page orientation and so on to get the best layout but it can be done.

Q

I have Windows XP, when I attempt to open a file I am informed that the file is an ‘Unknown file type’ and does not have a program associated with it. I am then told to ‘Create an association in Folder Options’. How? I go to Folder Options, which shows dozens of programs, what am I supposed to do to create an association?

Brian Burrell, via email

A

What this message basically means is that you are trying to open a file that Windows does not recognise and it is asking you to help link it to a program. Windows usually knows about all of the programs installed on your PC, so when you double-click on a Word document, for example, it will automatically open Word. But if you tried to open an Excel spreadsheet, say, and Excel is not installed on your PC you will get the ‘Unknown File Type’ message. The solution is to find out what program is needed by going to: http://filext.com/, tap in the file extension and the list of programs associated with it will be displayed. If that program is not on your PC -- the most likely explanation -- you will have to obtain a copy, otherwise, if you do have it then select it from the displayed list.

Q

My computer came with Windows XP Home Edition already installed and with no original XP disc.  Could you please tell me how I can back up the Registry, which I can then transfer to a CD? How can I use this disc to restore the Registry in the event of a problem? I have just had such a problem and had to resort to wiping the Hard Disk completely and restoring to the original settings.  I’m sure if I had had a copy of the Registry I may have been able to repair a corrupt Registry.

Sarah Holdsworth, via email

A

The best method is to use Windows XP System Restore feature, which creates a copy of the Registry along with many other critical system files and settings, and can be easily reinstated in case of a problem, See Boot Camp 334 in the Connected Archive for more details. If you only want to copy the Registry then go to Run on the Start menu and type ‘regedit’ (without the quotes). Go to File > Export, give the file a name (something like today’s date i.e. ‘1904.reg’ and click Save. You can then copy this file to a CD. To restore your archived ‘.reg’ file simply double click on it and it will be automatically re-written to the Registry.