FAQS! FACTS! FAX!  476 (26/07/05)

Q

In Microsoft Word running on Windows XP home edition I find that file names are long and cumbersome.  For instance, a letter I’ve created will be stored in C:\Documents and Settings\default user\My Documents\General Letters.  I find I often lose files and have the devil's own job in finding them again. It gives me real problems in finding files I want to attach to emails. How can I simplify matters?

Tom Doyle, via email

A

My advice would be to completely re-organise your filing system and start by creating a new folder on the C: drive called ‘Master Documents’ for example.  Copy all of your document sub-folders and text files from My Documents into Master Documents and organise them, as you will, by category, date, subject etc. You now need to tell Word where to find them. To do that go to Options on Word’s Tools menu and select the File Locations tab. Highlight Documents, click the Modify button then use the Explorer window to specify your newly created C:\Master Documents folder. One final enhancement is to use a little utility called WOPR Placebar Customizer (free frm: http://pcworld.co.nz/pcworld/fileworld.nsf/, type ‘wopr’ in the Search box), which will create a Master Documents icon on Word’s Open and Save As dialogue boxes.

Q

Every time I connect a digital camera memory card reader to the USB port on my computer the mouse freezes and I can't do anything not even turn the computer off. Using the keyboard doesn't help e.g. Alt + F4 or Ctrl + Alt + Delete doesn't shut the computer down. If I manually turn the computer off, remove the card reader, wait a bit and then restart the PC everything comes back normally.

Brian Perriss, via email

A

If other USB devices connected to your computer are working correctly then the chances are the driver used by your USB card reader is corrupt. With the card reader disconnected uninstall the driver by going to: Control Panel > System > Hardware > Device Manager. Scroll down to USB, right click on the USB card reader entry select Delete and reboot. You should then visit the card reader manufacturer’s web site, download the latest driver and install that.

Q

Whenever I send an email a window appears saying: ‘Private information alert High risk…’.  I am given the choice to Block or Permit and by ‘Permitting’ twice the email goes through. This doesn't make much sense to me since I am sending the email.  Please can you advise how I can remove this window?

Ronald Dominy, via email

A

This warning message is generated by Norton Internet Security or Norton Personal Firewall, which has determined that you may be about to send what it considers to be private or personal information. It is obviously a safety measure, designed to protect you, however it can be a bit heavy handed. I’m afraid the only solution is to switch it off or uninstall it and replace it with a less aggressive security program. There’s more information about these warning messages at: www.symantec.com/search/, type ‘responding alerts personal firewall’ into the Search box, select the first item on the list and click the link ‘Private or Confidential Information Alert’

Q

It seems that I can delete the addresses in the Outlook Express Blocked Senders List only one at a time. Is there some file where I can find them, highlight them all and delete them with one press of the delete button? I am using Windows XP.
Malcolm Brown, Ludlow

A

The Blocked Senders list resided in the Windows Registry, which I am sure you know, is out of bounds to novices but if you fancy having a go then proceed as follows. First open the Registry Editor by typing ‘regedit’ (without the quotes) in Run on the Start menu. Backup the Registry by going to Export on the File menu, give it a name (today’s date, for example) and click Save. If anything goes wrong simply double click the ‘reg’ file you’ve created and the Registry will be automatically restored. To remove those Blocked Senders in one go navigate your way to:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities\{long alphanumeric code}\Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express\5.0\Block Senders\Mail\Criteria. Right click on the first entry (it should be labelled 000 or 001) and select Delete, exit Regedit reboot and the list will disappear.

Q

Following your recent responses to questions regarding upgrading from Windows ME to XP, could you elaborate further on what you mean by 'backup essential data and files'? Do you mean only the files/data that the user has produced when using loaded software, and then re-install all the applications (e.g. Word, Excel etc) after the operating system upgrade? I'd appreciate a little more detail.

Martyn Easom, via email

A

The only data you should be concerned about is that which you have created -- documents, spreadsheets, photographs and so on -- that exists only on your hard disc drive, and is therefore vulnerable to loss or corruption, especially during an upgrade. There is no point backing up your program folders since they should be automatically transferred to the new installation. In any event it would be impossible to run a program from an archived folder since it wouldn’t be properly ‘registered’ with Windows. If something does go wrong with the upgrade you can always reinstall the program from the original disc. However, I repeat my usual advice that operating system upgrades can be troublesome and it is far better to start with a clean slate and install Windows onto a freshly formatted hard drive to avoid the risk of carrying across viruses, malware and system faults.