FAQS! FACTS! FAX!  598 (05/02/08)

Q. I regularly plan walks for a group of mates and to save carrying the full OS map I scan in just the bit that I want. Using the pencil tool of Photoshop Elements I mark the route on the map then print it out and laminate it. While marking out the route I would like to measure the distance the cursor has travelled and work out accurately the length of the walk.  I have unsuccessfully tried to find software for this on Google. I use Mac OSX but if you know of such software for PC I would be able to use that as well.

Paul Reay, via email

A. A program called AccuRoute 2 fits the bill admirably. It was written for runners and joggers and is designed specifically for measuring distances on maps using a mouse. However, it is PC only, a trial version is available and registration will set you back around £12.00 but it should do everything that you want.

I also have a couple of freeware suggestions that I suspect could also do the job. Mouse Off-Road is another Windows only program and it measures the cumulative distance travelled by your mouse in metres. Once calibrated it should be possible to work out a simple screen to map conversion formula. There’s a similar program for Mac OSX, called Mouse Distance Measurer, and again, once you know how far the mouse has moved on the screen you can translate this into distances on a map.

Q. Each night I switch off my wireless hub at the socket, and then on again in the morning. I do this in an effort to save a little electricity every day. My grandson tells me that I should not be doing this at all, unless we are away for a few days.  Who is correct please?

F Hands, via email

A. These devices typically consume between 10 to 15 watts and if we make some very broad generalisations about the cost of electricity – notwithstanding the latest round of price increases – keeping it switched on 24 hours a day is costing you around £10 per year. It’s not a huge amount but every little helps, both you, and the planet, so it is worth doing. It also prevents anyone else from hijacking your broadband connection, though provided you have enabled WEP or WPA encryption the chances of this happening are very small.

The only caveat is that repeated switching on and off can reduce the life expectancy of electronic devices and it increases the chances of failure but it’s a relatively minor risk. You can tell your grandson that if everyone did as you are doing and unplugged electrical devices when they are not being used the prospects of a reliable and affordable supply of energy for his generation will be greatly improved.

Q, I have a scanned signature that I regularly embed in Word documents, which I then fax to other parties. Occasionally I have sent such a Word file via e-mail. Is it possible for the recipient to extract the signature image from the file and use it at will?

Richard Ball, via email

A. Yes it is so if you plan to continue this practice I strongly suggest that you create a highly stylised signature that bears no resemblance to the one that you usually use for signing official documents.

Q. Are Registry Cleaners worth buying? In the past I have bought two and tried another one on ‘Free trial’ and it said I had 673 Faults, despite me having just scanned with the other two!

Graham Breeze, via email

A. Some people seem to think that Registry cleaners have magical powers and can fix serious faults and make PCs go faster. Sadly this isn’t the case. Most of them simply clear out the detritus – entries left behind by uninstalled programs and so on – which at best may shave a second or so from the start-up time, and maybe get rid of an annoying error message. You need to be very careful with those free trial cleaners, a fair number of them report ‘false positives’ to frighten you into paying out for the full version, and one or two have been known to deliberately infect PCs with malware.

Nevertheless, providing you back up the Registry before using any type of cleaner and the program in question has a facility to undo any changes it makes then an occasional run through won’t hurt. However, I would be hesitant to use a paid for cleaner when there are so many good free ones around, and I’m happy to recommend RegSeeker and Wise; you’ll find links to both of them on the Software page of the PCTopTips website.

Q. My son is using Vista and seems to have the DVD player on his laptop locked in US mode having used it a few times since new. He needs to be able to play UK discs most of the time. How can it be unfrozen please?

Philip Bodman, via email;

A. It would have been helpful to know a bit more about the laptop but in general the DVD region lock is built into the drive’s Firmware, rather than Windows or the DVD player software so it’s quite difficult to get at. On some models it is possible to ‘flash’ the firmware, which allows you to start over, but this usually means you can only play half a dozen discs, before it locks up again, on the region of the last disc it played. You might find details of a firmware fix by Googling the laptop’s make model and the words ‘DVD region unlock’, but I have to warn you that it is a risky and unapproved procedure and there’s a chance you could be left with a dead drive.

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

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© R. Maybury 200 0801