FAQS! FACTS! FAX!  582 (11/09/07)

Q. Following your recommendation about a year ago I started using Firefox as the main browser on my Windows XP computer and it has been fine, until a couple of weeks ago. Something went wrong with it and all of my Bookmarks suddenly disappeared. It was a real nuisance but I didn’t think too much of it at the time and reinstalled the program, updating to the latest version. Two days ago it happened again, there was no warning or error messages. I am considering switching back to Internet Explorer, which is a shame because I really like Firefox. Do you have any explanation or a solution?

Chris Lawley, via email

A. You are not alone and although this is a fairly rare occurrence it happens often enough for me to suspect that there is a glitch somewhere deep inside Firefox. There doesn’t seem to be a single cause, though, and I have found references to it happening after a power interruption, an unexpected shutdown, switching the user name and most often, randomly for no apparent reason.

Possibly for this reason Mozilla introduced an automatic backup facility from Firefox 1.5 onwards, so if it happens again you should be able to restore your Bookmarks by going to: C:\Documents and Settings\<yourname>\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\xxxxx.default  (where xxxx is a random collection of characters).

There you may find your current Bookmarks file (bookmarks.html) but this is almost certainly corrupt so right-click on it and rename it bookmarks.old. Next to it you should see ‘bookmarks.bak, rename this to bookmarks.html and you should be back in business.

Q. A few years ago you gave a great tip on how to number pictures in Windows XP sequentially. I've lost the reference but from what I recall you rename the first picture in the sequence, but I've forgotten what to do after than that. Can you remind me?

Brian Masson, by email

A. No problem, and for future reference you will find a complete Archive of previous Boot Camp Tips and many more besides at www.pctoptips.co.uk. This particular one is filed under XP Tips and by the sound of it you have got the gist of it but the trick is to first highlight all of the files you want to renumber then right-click the first file and select Rename, give it a new filename and they will all be renamed and sequentially numbered. If you want the sequence to start at a specific number then put that in brackets.  

Q. Whenever I click on a link in an email I get a window with all the My Documents files but it is headed ‘Locate Link Browse’. I am using Windows XP and Mozilla Firefox.

Chris Dann, via email

A. As far as I’m aware this only happens when you use the combination of Outlook and Firefox and is due to a glitch in a Windows feature called Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE), which allows applications to share data. There is a workaround; the next time the Locate Link Browse box opens go ‘C:/program files/Mozilla/Firefox.exe, select the application and click OK.

If that doesn’t work try this alternative remedy. Open Windows Explorer and go to Tools > Folder Options and select the File Types tab. Scroll down the list to ‘(NONE) URL:HyperText Transfer Protocol’, select it and click the Advanced button then click Edit and uncheck the box marked ‘Use DDE’, click OK, then OK again and repeat the procedure for ‘URL: HyperText Transfer Protocol with Privacy’. You may have to repeat this again for the setting to stick.

Q. Our 1 meg broadband connection seems very slow and at times is appears to stop altogether. I wonder if this has anything to do with the broadband filter and the cable. At the moment the computer is around 20 feet from the phone socket, so I have to use a long extension lead and the filter is plugged into the back of the computer. Would it be better to plug it into the wall socket and use one of the special broadband telephone cables I’ve seen in my local computer shop?

Carol Hewett, via email

A. I seriously doubt that the cable and filter has anything to do with it but the filter normally goes into the phone socket so thy that first though I wouldn’t recommend buying an expensive phone leads, these are a complete waste of money.

The thing to remember is that your PC is at the end of a very long cable, possibly several kilometres in length, connecting you to the exchange, and it is fairly unusual for the problem to be confined to the last few feet of cable, or even your PC. It’s far more likely that the problem is due to a noisy or faulty line, or it could just be that too many other users are sharing your connection to the ISP at the exchange end – the so-called Contention Ratio. The Internet can also suffer major slow downs at various times of the day, so start by checking your speed several times during the day with an on-line test like www.bandwidthplace.com/speedtest/. If it falls significantly below the 1Meg you are paying for check with your ISP and get BT to test the line.  

Q. I have a small but niggling problem with Windows XP. Whenever I switch it on the NumLock light on the keyboard comes on. A tech savvy friend showed me how to switch it off in the BIOS program, and this worked at first but now it has returned. Can you help?

Samantha Mellor, via email

A. Windows can override the BIOS setting from a couple of Registry keys. It’s not difficult to change them but I suggest setting a new Restore Point first. When that is done go to Run on the Start menu and type ‘regedit’ to open the Registry Editor. Now work your way to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Keyboard, double click the InitialKeyboardIndicators key in the right hand pane and change the Value to 0 (for all indicators off). For the record value of 1 is for Caps Lock on, 2 is Num Lock, 3 is Caps Lock and NumLock on, 4 is Scroll Lock on, 5 is Caps Lock and Scroll Lock on, 6 is NumLock and Scroll Lock and 7 is all three on. When that is done go to: HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Keyboard, and repeat the exercise. Exit Regedit and reboot.

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© R. Maybury 2007 0409