FAQS! FACTS! FAX!  488 (22/11/05)

Q

My wife uses Microsoft Outlook for email. Recently she has been tiding it up arranging various emails in folders and sub-folders and in the process she has accidentally deleted some folders containing important messages. Is there any way to recover them?

Len Hopper, via email

A.

Possibly, maybe… If your wife’s PC receives mail through Exchange Server (V5.5 or later) and it has been configured to keep deleted messages then there will be a ‘Recover deleted items’ option on the Tools menu when the Deleted Items folder is displayed.

It is also possible to make deleted items from all folders accessible with a spot of Registry editing. I am sure that I don’t have to remind you that the Registry is strictly off-limits to novices but if you do feel qualified (and it’s really not difficult), and you have made a backup first, then you will find the procedure outlined in Microsoft Knowledgebase article 246153. Finally, there are plenty of commercial recovery tools on the market, I haven’t tried any of them so I’m unable to give any recommendations but you can see what’s available by tapping ‘recover deleted outlook’ into Google.

Q

In Outlook Express email messages I can double-click blue underlined web address links and up they come in Internet Explorer. Well this does not happen at all now. I wonder if you could let me know what I have to do to put this right?

Colin Groves, via email

A

I’m not sure why this happens but I do know of a couple of possible solutions. First make sure that Internet Explorer is your default browser by going to Start > Control Panel, double-click Internet or Internet Options then select the Programs tab and put a tick next to ‘Internet Explorer should check to see if it is the default browser’. If it is already there then we move on to stage two, which is to correct any corrupt or broken file associations.

Open Windows Explorer then go to View > Folder Options > File Types. On the Registered File Types list scroll down to and highlight ‘URL:File Transfer Protocol’, click the Advanced button then Edit. In the box ‘Application used to perform action’ it should read ‘c:\program files\internet explorer\iexplore.exe’ (without the quotes), if not then change it so that it does then repeat the procedure for the entries: URL:Gopher Protocol, URL Hypertext Transfer Protocol and URL:Hypertext Transfer protocol with Privacy. When you have finished close all boxes. The next time you start Internet Explorer you might see the message ‘Internet Explorer is not currently the default browser’, if so just exit the box and do not click Yes otherwise the new settings do not stick.

Q

I wonder if you can help me with this one.  If you double click on a folder in Windows 98 there is a bit of text in the bottom left hand corner saying how many objects are in that folder.  This does not seem to be the case in XP or I have not found an option for it.

Martin Dodwell, via email

A

This part of the display in Windows Explorer (and most Windows applications) is known as the Status bar. It’s usually fixed but for some reason it can be switched on and off in Windows Explorer and you will find this option on the View menu. 

Q

I run XP Home. My PC had to be rebuilt following a Registry fault and I've now lost a feature, which used to be there in Windows Explorer. When selecting photos for e-mailing, the system used to ask whether I wanted the images reducing; now it doesn't. As my photo files are large, I have to reduce each one manually. The PC didn't come with a Windows disc. Can I download this facility from anywhere?

Roger Litton

A

Fingers crossed this simple solution will fix the problem, which can be caused by photo editing programs hijacking Windows file Associations. Go to Run on the Start menu and type the following: ‘regsvr32 shimgvw.dll’ (without the quotes) and click OK. If that doesn’t work then it is probably due to a corrupt file called sendmail.dll. This can either be replaced, or you can tinker with the Registry and both procedures are outlined in Microsoft Knowledgebase article 883393

Q

A few years ago we bought a Dell computer, which came with free dial-up access (via "Dellnet"). We still have this (now "Powered by BT-Click") but are thinking of changing our computer. Although we're considering broadband we don't want to change yet, and also want a backup in case it doesn't work!  Is there any way we can re-set the dial-up access to allow us to continue to use it with another computer, or is it inextricably linked with the specific computer it came with?

Philip Whitehead, via email

A

Dellnet is a normal POP3 dial-up service so you should be able to set up an account on any PC using a standard email client, like Outlook Express. All you have to do transfer the dial-up number and email configuration settings. Of course the new PC will need a dial-up modem but this doesn’t interfere with broadband operation, just disconnect the modem phone cable when you are not using it.

The key settings can be found by opening Outlook Express and going to Tools > Accounts, highlight the Dellnet entry and click Properties. On the Servers tab jot down the entries in the POP3, SMTP and Account Name (usually your email address) boxes. You should also have a record of your username, password and the dial-up number used to access the service. You now have all you need to set up the same account on your new PC so open Outlook Express, go to Tools > Accounts again, click the Mail tab then click Add > Mail and follow the prompts. There’s an easy to follow tutorial in Dell on the Dell Document FA102715.

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© R. Maybury 2005, 1511