FAQS! FACTS! FAX!  492 (20/12/05)

Q

Is there any way I can print out the URLs of all my 'Favourites' as whilst I only go to most of them now and again I do not want to delete them but want to keep a record of them?

Ronnie Baker, Dorset

A

Indeed there is and the quick and dirty method for Internet Explorer is to go to Import and Export on he File menu, click Next, select Export Favorites, click Next again and eventually it will create a file called Bookmark.htm in My Documents. In Firefox go to Bookmarks > Manage Bookmarks, select Export on the File menu and it will create a file called Bookmarks.html in a location of your choosing.  You can now open these files in Word or your chosen word processor and in amongst a fair amount of gobbledegook you will see the URLs of all of your bookmarks and you can either copy and paste them to another document or edit out the blocks of text and symbols.

Q

My Windows 98 mouse pointer has recently started changing into a hand with outward-pointing arrow on both sides whenever it encounters a horizontal scroll bar, which I find irritating.  Please can you tell me what may have caused this effect and how I can restore things to normal?

Ian Penfold, via email

A.

The hand is a standard Windows ‘pointer’, technically known as ‘Link Select’ and appears whenever the mouse pointer moves over a hyperlink or web address but I haven’t come across one with arrows before. In any event the pointer shouldn’t change when it moves over a horizontal scroll bar so my guess is you have inadvertently installed a custom pointer scheme or your PC has been infected by a ‘malware’ program that has hijacked your mouse settings. To check the first option go to Start > Settings > Control Panel, double-click the Mouse icon and select the Pointers tab. Make sure that None is selected in the Scheme drop-down menu and Windows should revert to its default settings. A malware infection should show up on an AdAware or Spybot scan though one possible candidate, called Comet Cursor (now deceased), may not be detected. It has been identified as spyware and had a nasty habit of being installed without he user knowing anything about it, if so it can be removed from Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel. 

Q

Every time I go in to AOL and open websites, an adult website pop up comes up and clears away the web page I have open. I have tried entering the IP number on to the Firewall, and also running anti virus software, but the problem is still there. Can you give me some advice?

Alison Maciver, via email

A

This is another malware infestation by the sound of it. Blocking the IP Address won’t work, nor will most anti-virus programs. These nasties attach themselves to your browser, which in the case of the latest AOL offering is based on our old friend Internet Explorer and as such is vulnerable to attack. I suggest that in addition to running AdAware and Spybot (and MS AntiSpyware, if you are using Windows XP) -- links to all three can be found in the Software section on the BootLog website -- you should also download and install AOL’s own free ‘Safety and Security Centre’, which includes a spyware cleaner.

Q

Some time ago you gave help to someone who had Outlook Express 6 but without the Spell Check by describing a free download. Although I have kept cuttings from way back I can't lay my hands on this item?

R. D. Winter, via email

A

No problem, the program you are referring to is IESpell, though don’t forget if you have Microsoft Office or Word installed on your PC this facility is built in but it may not be enabled or working properly. If those applications are installed open OE and go to Tools > Options, select the Spelling tab and make sure that it is set to automatically check your emails and you are using the correct language dictionary. For more information on some of the problems that can afflict the Spell Checker see Microsoft Knowledgebase article 178238. By the way, don’t forget you can now Search the full F!F!F, Boot Camp and Over 2 You Archive at: www.rickmaybury.com

Q

I recently upgraded to Firefox 1.5 and immediately suffered a marked deterioration in the way that many web pages were displayed. Browsing buttons and associated drop down displays no longer have a solid background colour making them difficult to read. I had a similar problem when I upgraded to MS Explorer 6.0 some time ago, which is one of the reasons I switched to Firefox!

I wonder whether it might be connected with my graphics card, which is some five years old but at least does have the latest drivers for XP. Any comments as to how to restore my browsing enjoyment would be warmly welcomed!

Nigel Melton

A

The colour and texture of browser buttons and displays are decided by the web page publisher. Firefox’s own buttons can be changed but this involves installing a different ‘Theme’, which I am sure you would remember doing. I don’t think the graphics card necessarily has anything to do with it -- any changes would be global and you would notice it on the other applications that you use -- nevertheless it wouldn’t hurt to check your video settings and disable some or all of XP’s fancy ‘visual’ effects, which can also have a big effect on your PC’s performance, especially on an older or slower XP PC.  To do that go to Start > Control Panel > System, select the Advanced tab then click the Settings button under Performance. For the best compromise between speed and appearance uncheck everything except:

Show shadows under menus

Show shadows under mouse pointer

Show translucent selection rectangle

Use drop shadows for icons labels on the desktop

Use visual styles on windows and buttons

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© R. Maybury 2005, 1412