FAQS! FACTS! FAX!  595 (08/01/08)

Q. On my Windows XP computer, when I click ‘All Program' the list disappears off the page and I can’t see what’s on it without scrolling down.  I seem to remember there was a way to display the whole list, but I can’t find it on any of the menus, can you assist?

Jill Hughes, via email

A. The facility to display the All Programs list in side-by-side columns is badly named and very well hidden so I’m not surprised you couldn’t find it. Here’s what to do, right-click on the Start button, select Properties then the Taskbar tab and click Customize. Select the Advanced tab then work your way down the list of Start menu items and uncheck ‘Scroll Programs’. Incidentally, this feature is also available in Vista, but you have to change to the ‘Classic Start Menu’ (right-click Start button, Start menu tab).

Q. I have an Epson Stylus Photo 830 that has given very good results for home photo printing. I have had it about 5 years but now it will not pull through the Epson Premium Glossy paper. Is there a straightforward way around this or is it time to replace the printer?

Richard Brown, via email

A. Five years is actually quite a good age for a budget inkjet printer and things like the print head – which is integral and cannot be replaced on this model – can get bunged up and start to cause trouble. Slippery feed rollers is another common sign of advancing old age. A few years ago you used to be able to get hold of gadgets and special papers that ‘roughed’ up the surface to restore grip but I’m fairly sure they’re no longer available and printer manufacturers would much rather you bought a new one.

I think it may be time to retire this old workhorse, but keep it handy for routine jobs that do not involve glossy paper, especially if you have a good stock of ink carts to get through. You should find that a new printer gives even better results and if anything prices have actually fallen since you last bought one. If you do a lot of photo printing shortlist models where you can replace individual colour ink tanks, as they can be cheaper to run, especially if you use good quality ‘compatible’ cartridges, though if you want to play it safe, wait until the warranty has expired. 

Q. I read your recent reply to a query about removing corrupt email messages from Outlook Express. Could you tell me where to find the message files in Vista's Windows Mail?

John Towell, via email

A. Windows Mail files are a lot more accessible and you will find your email store folder in C:\users\<yourname>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Mail\Local Folders. Double click on the folder you want to work on and all of the messages it contains are displayed. By default they’re listed with reference codes and dates but if you right-click on the Column header bar and select Authors it shows the name of the sender. You can delete individual messages by right-clicking (double clicking opens a message window). You can also delete an entire folder, if you suspect the contents are corrupt. When Vista reboots it will be automatically recreated.

Q. When trying to save photo file attachments in Windows Mail, I am getting the following message: 'There was an error saving one or more of the attachments. Please check your free disk space and try again'.

Disk space is not a problem and the message has come out of the blue as Vista has been performing the operation for months without a problem. I would be grateful for any advice.

Melvin Lee, via email

A. I have come across this problem several times and in at least two cases Norton Anti Virus caused it. I never managed to find out why it was happening but removing Norton and replacing it with AVG fixed it (and several other annoyances). Norton AV was pre-installed and the free trial was about to expire, so it was no great hardship. On another machine this glitch was traced to Windows Defender and again I have no idea why or how it happened, but disabling Defender did the trick, and free malware cleaners, like AdAware, A-Squared and SpyBot S&D do an excellent of clearing out malware infections. They are all free and you will find links to the downloads on the PCTopTips Software page

Q. I have recently found that icons on the desktop and when viewing Windows Explorer screens have reverted to a series of vertical lines. I assume it is something to do with the graphics card but that is only a guess. The problem seemed to start after I had upgraded my BT broadband system to the home hub version, although that may purely be a coincidence as I have another PC connected to the router and there are no problems with that. The PC is about 5 years old operating with XP Pro services pack 2.

Alan Fenn, via email

A. I doubt that it has anything to do with your graphics card or changing your broadband setup and corrupt Explorer and desktop icons are not uncommon. Usually it is quite easy to fix, though you will need to download a utility called Tweak UI (free download at: http://tinyurl.com/2meyw). Tweak UI (it stands for User Interface) is one of Microsoft’s PowerToys and it includes useful set of tools for changing the way Windows looks and operates. The one we’re interested is in is called Rebuild Icons and you will find it under Logon > Repair.

If you have a computer problem write to: fff@telegraph.co.uk

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© R. Maybury 2007 0412