FAQS! FACTS! FAX!  499 07/02/06)

Q

I have recently changed my computer and before disposing of the old one I wish to wipe all my personal data from the disc and leave only Windows. The computer was supplied with Windows ME installed and a rescue disc but no full copy of Windows. Can you help?

R. T. Pace, via email

A. Strictly speaking you should also delete Windows and any other major applications, as it is almost impossible to transfer the licence to another owner. For maximum security you should wipe the hard drive with a utility like Active Killdisk and if you need to demonstrate that the PC is working install a copy of Linux or Bart PE. In any case deleting all of your personal data is next to impossible as various PINs and passwords are stored in the Windows Registry. If you want to include Windows with your PC then the simplest solution is to use the rescue disc. This should give you the option to reformat the hard drive before re-installing Windows. The necessary installation files will either be on the rescue disc or stored in a protected partition on the PC’s hard drive, but check the procedure in the manual or on the manufacturer’s web site before you begin.

Q

We have broadband at our home in the UK and dial-up in our house in rural France and we travel worldwide so we need to cover all of these possibilities with one ISP, which is why we have been with AOL for the past 9 years. However, at times it has been a real pain especially trying to get a router working so both my husband and I can be on line at the same time so it may be time for a change. Do you know of any other ISP offering a better service?

Tricia Keeble, via email

A

A lot depends on how much time you spend online when abroad, if it’s just the occasional trip and your online time is limited to a few minutes sending and receiving emails then you might as well stay where you are. AOL charges a flat rate of £2.50 an hour for overseas access, no matter where you are. If you are going to be spending more time online then CompuServe might be a better bet. It has a similar number of local access points to AOL -- it owns CompuServe -- but it has a more competitive tariff and in many major cities local access is free, apart from the local phone charges.

You can apply similar criteria to your two homes, if you only spend a limited amount of time in your French property and you only use the Internet for the odd spot of surfing and emails then there’s probably no advantage in switching ISPs but if you want to spend more time online then I suggest that you shop around for a better deal with a French ISP. As for continuing with AOL, there’s nothing to stop you switching and you may be able to find a better broadband deal but do not think that it will instantly solve your problems. In fact there’s an argument with sticking with the devil you know if everything is now working properly, unless you want to go through the rigmarole of setting up a network all over again…

Q

My PC makes a noise, like a rasp, or a donkey ‘bray’, when I change from one web site to another or even when writing an email. It is intermittent, but very annoying. Presumably it is a ‘Worm’ that has got into the system. I have tried all the usual cures to no avail; they all come up negative, any ideas?

Peter Musgrave, via email

A. The only sounds Internet Explorer is supposed to make is a ‘click’ when you select a page link or when the pop-up blocker is triggered, OE should be silent. I’m not aware of any viruses or worms that would make IE sound like a donkey but it can’t be ruled out. Nevertheless you should first eliminate the possibility that the default sound has been changed. Go to Sounds in Control Panel, select the Sounds tab and scroll down the Program Events list to Windows Explorer. Highlight Start Navigation and ‘Windows XP Start wav’, should appear in the Sounds box. If not you can reselect the default click sound or silence it by selecting ‘(None)’ from the drop-down menu. Viruses, worms and malware are a possibility highly unlikely if you keep your virus scanner up to date and regularly check you PC with cleaners like AdAware and Spybot (both free). If the sounds persist then it could be a problem with IE, in which case try downloading and installing the latest version from the Microsoft web site.

Q

My three-year-old Mustek USB scanner has behaved impeccably until last week when it started to show a blue tint on documents and images. I have checked all of the settings and in despair uninstalled and reinstalled the scanner software but all to no avail. The images don’t look to bad on screen but it really shows up when they are printed.   

Simon Wheeler, via email

A. The scanner’s control panel would have been my first port of call as well and although you have now replaced the scanner program I would still make sure that it’s not a software problem by going in through the back door, as it were, via Twain or a third-party driver. These are behind-the-scenes scanner utilities included with, or shared by, image editing applications, including freeware programs like the excellent Picasa. They’re usually accessible from the File menu, under ‘Import’, simply select your scanner from the drop-down list and make a test scan.

If the results are the same then it looks very much like a hardware fault and the prime suspect is the cold cathode lamp built into the scanning head. These do have a finite life -- around 3 - 4 years with normal use -- and as they age their colour characteristics can change, though it is unusual for it to alter quite so drastically. Unfortunately they are not user-serviceable items and the whole scanner will have to be returned for a checkup. Be warned that since your scanner is now out of warranty this could be a very costly business and quite honestly it will probably be cheaper to buy a new one.

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© R. Maybury 2006, 3101