FAQS! FACTS! FAX!  579 (21/08/07)

Q. I have a home wireless network comprising a Netgear wireless router connected by Ethernet cable to a desktop PC, and a laptop, via a wireless card.  I also had my work laptop set up to access the router and broadband.  Recently they upgraded my work laptop and when I went to connect it I found it no longer worked.  I went to reinstate its access but realised I couldn't find a copy of the WPA key from my router.

Given that the key must still be on my other computers (as they still work fine) is there any way I can retrieve it from them to put into my work laptop (and take a note of for the future!)?  The desktop uses Windows ME and the laptop Windows XP Home.  Failing that, what options do I have to retrieve the key from elsewhere?

Philip Whitehead, via email

A. There are programs that purport to be able to crack WPA encryption and reveal hidden passwords and PINs but they tend to be unreliable, difficult to use and the sites they can be found on are usually riddled with malware so I don’t think that’s the solution.

You should be able to log onto the router’s setup menu and change the WPA key then change the code on all the PCs that use it. To do this you will need the router’s IP address, username and password and you can find these items in the instructions. If you’ve lost those as well don’t worry. Few people bother to change them from the factory defaults so open a browser window on the PC that connects to the router by cable and enter the Netgear router default address (usually http://192.168.0.1). In the password request box that appears enter the default Username and Password, which is ‘admin’ and  ‘password’ (or ‘1234’ on older models).

If the username and password have been changed then the only solution is to reset the router to factory defaults (though only do this if you have a record of your broadband username and password). You should find a concealed reset button on the underside or back panel, press it and go back into the setup menu and re-enter your broadband details.

Q. I have just bought myself a new PC with Vista Home Premium and Works 8.5 installed.  I am very pleased with it, except for the Works word processor, which I find is not as good as the one in Works 2000, on my previous PC.

In particular, I have a lot of research documents set up as Tables, with the main body of the text in one column and all my references in the second column. Under Works 8.5, the Tables format in WP no longer allows you to split Tables when needing to continue on the next page. Instead it puts the item on a separate new page and if too long for that page, some of the text remains hidden.

Is it possible to install the old word processor program from Works 2000 on my new PC as well as retaining Works 8.5?

Jeni Mason, Ware, Hertfordshire

A. There shouldn’t be any problems running Works 2000 on Vista, however, I don’t think it will allow you to do so while the later version is still on the PC, so you will have to backup your data and uninstall that first. I haven’t tried it but you should then be able to re-install the later version.

If that doesn’t work out and you still can’t get on with Works then I suggest a complete change. Word would be my first choice and its table facilities are fairly well behaved, compared with Works, however it can be quite expensive, so you might like to try an Open Source alternative first.

The two most popular ones are AbiWord and Writer (part of the OpenOffice Suite). Both are free, very well equipped, compatible with Word and able to read RTF format documents. Open Office can definitely read documents created by Works (.wps), though I don’t think AbiWord can do it without a plug-in. However, it’s unlikely that either program would be able to retain the layout and formatting in your tables.

Q. I have a problem with Outlook Express; the Outbox is blocked with a large file.

I have tried deleting and moving the folder but to no avail... Help!!

Clive Wilson, via email

A. The Outbox folder can be damaged by wonky anti-virus programs scanning outgoing emails. The solution is to delete the Outbox folder and Outlook Express will create a new one the next time it opens. Exit OE then open Windows Explorer and make your way to the Store folder, which on most XP computers will be in:

C:\Documents and Settings\<yourname>\Application Data\Identities\{GUID}

GUID or Global Unique Identifier is a long string of characters that identifies your PC. Once inside the Store folder find the file ‘outbox.dbx, right click on it and select Delete. Open OE and the newly created Outbox should be empty. 

Q. My computer uses Windows XP Pro SP2 with all updates installed. The spellcheckers in Word, Excel and PowerPoint all use the standard English dictionary but for some reason Outlook Express refuses to spell check in anything other than French, which means it flags up almost all English words as misspelled. I have looked through the settings but can find no way to change the spelling dictionary to English, do you have any ideas?

Ian Philips, via email 

A. This is due to a bug in Office 2007 and for some reason it deletes the language files in Outlook Express. Microsoft knows all about it and a patch has been promised for some time but we are still waiting.

In the meantime the only thing you can do is install a third-party spellchecker in Outlook Express. There are several to choose from, try IESpell and Spellchecker for OE. They are both free and you will find links to both of them in the Software section (Internet and email) of PCTopTips

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© R. Maybury 2007 1408