FAQS! FACTS! FAX!  478 (09/08/05)

Q

Is there anyway I can save my regularly used custom colours in Word? As soon as I move off the colour I have specified, I lose it. It is a real nuisance when I am trying to format a questionnaire or something for company style.

Miranda Spatchurst, via email

A

I’m not aware of any way to save a custom colour but you can easily create a macro then assign that to a keyboard shortcut. Open a document then go to Macro on the Tools menu and select Record a Macro, give it a name and click OK and a Recording icon appears. Every action you now make will now be recorded so go through the procedure you use to select a custom colour and when you have finished click the icon to Stop recording. To assign a keyboard shortcut to the Macro go to Customize on the Tools menu and click the Keyboard button. Go to Macros on the Command list and select your new macro from the list in the right hand window then enter a memorable combination of keys in the ‘Press new shortcut key’ box, it will tell you if the combination has already been allocated (Crtl + 8 or 9 are usually unused).

Q

Some external devices are suitable for USB 2.0 but are not recommended for USB 1.1. How can I find out what level my PC's USB ports are? I have tried poking around in the Control Panel, the handbook and the manufacturer's website, but so far without success.

Mike Oxley, via email

A

There’s often a mention of the USB standard in Device Manager. Right-click My Computer, select Properties > Hardware > Device Manager and scroll down the list to Universal Serial Bus Controllers. Expand the tree by clicking on the ‘+’ sign and look for any mention of USB 2.0. However, this is not infallible and one alternative is to download and install an excellent little diagnostic utility called Sandra Lite (free from: www.sisoftware.co.uk/ click the Download link). This will tell you everything about your PC that you could possibly want to know and you will find the USB type listed in the Mainboard Information module.

Q

Having successfully built my own PC last year following your Boot Camp articles I now wish to add the facility to capture video from an old analogue VCR. I assume I can get a card to plug into a PCI slot but so far I can only find ones that include TV If necessary I suppose I will have to have one of these but I am hoping you can suggest something simpler i.e. that just captures the VCR input to my hard disc.

Pat Tate, via email

A

There are several devices that let you capture analogue video (and sound) through a USB adaptor. Have a look at the Belkin Hi-Speed DVD, Dazzle DVC 80 USB or VideOh! CD USB Kit, they all come with video recording and editing software and cost between £40 and £50 from online retailers.

Q

I have a problem with my Compaq monitor in as much that every time that I leave it switched on for over ten minutes without using it, whatever is displayed on the screen increases in size, and eventually the screen become unusable. I am not sure if this is a known Windows fault (I am currently using Windows 98) or whether it is a monitor problem.

P. T. H. Good, via email

A

I am inclined to suspect the monitor and a fault, probably thermal in nature, which is affecting the high-voltage supply to the CRT display. The only other way to alter the size of the display is by changing screen resolution, though this is not something that can happen on its own, nor does the image size change gradually. The simplest way to check is to change monitors; maybe you have an old one lying around or perhaps you could persuade a friend or colleague to lend you one.

Q

My numeric keypad has shut down shortly after installing Windows XP. The NumLock indicator is on and I have changed keyboards to check if that was the fault but with no success.

Gordon Scott, via email

A

A couple of possibilities spring to mind. Some software applications reassign the numeric keypad keys to other functions so check that a program that starts with Windows isn’t taking control of the keypad. Otherwise check that you haven’t inadvertently switched on ‘Mouse keys’, which is a Windows Accessibility feature that switches mouse control to the numeric keypad. This can be toggled on and off using the keyboard shortcut Alt + Shift + NumLock.

Q

I have made a backup of all my files in My Documents, to a CD. Now I want to delete all the files on the computer in My Documents, except those for the last three months. Is there an easy way of doing this in Windows?

Harry J, via email

A

Yes, all you have to do is open My Documents in Windows Explorer then click the Date Modified column header and this sort the list by date, toggling between the most recent first, and the oldest first. Highlight the files you want to delete either singly, or hold down the shift key and use the cursor down arrow, or Page Down keys to speed up the process then hit the Delete key.