FAQS! FACTS! FAX!  608 (15/04/08)

Q. Following your Boot Camp series, I have successfully created and published a web site for my Guesthouse in Devon and it is now being found by Search Engines.  How do I edit the explanatory text, which accompanies the results pages in, say, Google?  I'd like to change the part that mentions  'overlooking the Hoe', but I can't remember how I did this in the first place!

Carla Hawton, via email

A. Basically you can’t edit Google and other search engine’s descriptions, they are generated by proprietary algorithms using keywords on your website, and by you, if choose to register your site, rather than wait for your site to be ‘trawled’ by the automated programs that constantly catalogue the Internet.

I have had a look at the source code for your website (select Source or Page Source on the View menu of your browser) and whilst the words ‘overlooking the Hoe’ do not actually appear on the page, they are included as ‘meta tags’. These are hidden words used to describe a web page and to help search engines find your site when someone enters a search term, so you must have written them when you set up the page. All you can do now is remove them using your web editor and eventually, when your page is next visited by Google and the other Search Engines the description might be updated, but with an estimated 150 million websites to check, it can take a while…

Q. My computer tells me that Vista service pack 1 should be downloaded and installed. Remembering the problems I had with XP SP2 (installing from the CD corrupted Windows and stopped the computer from starting up) I am nervous of Microsoft upgrades. Is Vista SP1 reliable and is it worth installing?

Andrew Miller, via email

A. I have been nervously monitoring my email inboxes for the past few weeks because like you, I clearly remember the XP Service Pack 2 debacle and the countless problems it caused. This time Microsoft seems to have learned its lesson and it carried out an extensive pre-release beta trial. There were obviously a number of last minute problems, which resulted in several months delay, but it seems to have been time well spent. 

So far – touch wood – the roll out of SP1 appears to have gone very smoothly indeed and barring any late-developing hitches, the only problems I have heard about are concerned with interrupted installations. However, before you go proceed I suggest that you read through Boot Camps 517 and 518, which outline a number of steps you can take to ensure that it all goes according to plan.

Vista SP1 is not on the same scale as XP SP2; that was basically a new release of XP; but it does contain a number of very important components, including more than 100 bug fixes, a roll-up of all security updates so far, improved drivers and some future compatibility features for next generation memory cards, so yes, it is worth installing.

Q. On my old Windows ME computer I could send web pages or links by email in Outlook Express by right clicking the page and selecting the relevant option in the drop down menu that appeared. I am now using XP Pro and when I click on the Page icon on the toolbar I get the same email options, i.e. Send Link or Send Page, but when I select one of them a window opens asking me to create an account with Microsoft Exchange. I have tried to set this up, but without success and if I try to send a link or page nothing happens.

How can I configure my computer to work like ME? BT Internet says they can't help, as it is a software problem and tell me to talk to Microsoft. Microsoft referred me to the manufacturer (Lenovo) who said to speak with MS. Grrrrrr…Surely there is a way to do this? I am getting on a bit so simple language please.

Peter Fieldhouse, via email

A. To be fair to BT this is a software issue but Microsoft and Lenovo are just passing the buck for what is almost certainly a simple problem. It’s good old Internet Explorer again and there are at least two possible fixes. The first one takes us back to IE’s Internet Options/Properties dialogue box, and to add a little variety, here’s another way to get to it, just go to Run on the Start menu and type ‘inetcpl.cpl’ (without the quotes), select the Programs tab and in the E-Mail box, select Outlook Express from the drop-down menu. If it is already then select the Advanced tab and next to ‘Reset Internet Explorer Settings’, click the Reset button. When asked click Reset to confirm the action then Close when it has finished. Finally, in the Settings box uncheck ‘Enable third-party browser extensions’ click Apply, then OK, exit IE and reboot.

Q. When I try to open pictures they always open in Word and I cannot seem to get around it.

Stefan Wilkinson, via email

A. My guess is that at some point you may have clicked OK in a message box when asked if you want to make Word your default image viewer. Basically you need to change the program that your images files are associated with. It's easy to do, open My Computer or Windows Explorer and go to Tools > Folder Options and select the File Types tab. Scroll down the list of Registered File Types to the file extension you want to change, i.e. .jpeg, .jpg etc., and click the Change button. You are presented with a list of programs that can open this type of file, with the recommended options (Paint, Picture and Fax Viewer etc.) are normally at the top, or you can browse for another image viewer editing program, make your selection and click OK.

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

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© R. Maybury 2008 2503