FAQS! FACTS! FAX!  609 (22/04/08)

Q. I have a PC using a wired broadband connection. I would like to be able to watch downloaded TV programmes from BBC iPlayer on my lounge TV, rather than sitting at the desktop in the adjacent study. Can I do this wirelessly and if so how much would the kit cost? I would be prepared to run a wire between the PC and TV if this is much cheaper.

R Sanderson, via email

A. All things are possible but by the end of this little lot you might well think that it would be easier, and possibly cheaper, to buy a budget laptop and a wireless router.

If you want to go down the cable/wireless route then the first thing you have to do is work out your connection options because we could be dealing with at least two differing technical standards for the video signal. Ideally you don’t want to have to convert from one to the other.

Virtually all desktop and laptop PCs are fitted with VGA sockets, but the majority of laptops – including many budget machines -- also have composite video outputs. Virtually all CRT televisions have composite video inputs, and most flat screen plasma and LCD TVs also have VGA input sockets, so the first point to make is that most laptops can connect to most TVs without too much trouble.

So let’s look at the worst-case scenario, a desktop PC with a VGA only output and CRT television with a composite video only input.

To link them by cable you would have to equip the PC with a new video adaptor card with a composite video output (prices start at around £25.00), or use a VGA to Video converter box, which you can pick up for around £60. You can also get wireless VGA to Video AV senders; Maplin has a basic one for around £60.

If you have VGA or composite video sockets at both ends then a direct cable connection is the simplest and cheapest option, providing they are no more than 10-15 metres apart; any longer and you will start to notice a drop in picture quality. Don’t forget that you will also need to run an audio cable as well. You can expect to pay upwards of £25.00 for a half decent set of 10m video or VGA and audio cables.

If you have composite video connections at both ends, and the TV and PC are no further than 15 – 20 metres apart then an ordinary AV sender should do the trick. However, if there’s a lot of thick walls or metal between the sender and the receiver this can affect picture quality, as can other wireless devices, like cordless phone, mice, keyboards, alarms and so on. Simple AV senders cost from around £30, but in general dearer models -- £75 or more -- will perform better and suffer less from interference.

You should also be aware that whatever connection method you use you will have no control over playback, unless you invest in some top-end PC remote control kit, at which point a cheap laptop and wireless router starts to sound like a lot less trouble…

Q. I have several folders in My Pictures of photos taken over the past year.  When my screensaver has been on for the regulated period i.e. 5 minutes a slideshow starts, which shows all the photos in My Pictures.  I do not necessarily want all these on show (pictures of the kitchen at it's various stages of refurbishment are not ideal!).  Is it possible to filter some out?

Christine Gummerson, via email

A. The simplest way to control what’s the slideshow displays is to create a new folder in My Pictures then copy and paste the images you want to see into that folder. When that’s done return to the screensaver dialogue box and with My Pictures Slideshow selected, click the Settings button and about halfway down the Slideshow Options dialogue box you’ll see ‘Use Pictures in this folder’. All you have to do now is click the Browser button to select your newly created folder and it’s done.

Q. When I try to print a document I get a message saying, ‘Spooler SubSystem App stopped working and was closed’. How can I resolve whatever the problem is? I have a computer running Windows Vista Home Premium and a Lexmark printer.

C. Davis, via email

A. Quite a few people have been suffering from this one and it seems to happen after installing or updating a printer driver. For some peculiar reason Vista disables the LDP and LPR (Line Printer Daemon protocol/Line Printer Remote protocol) ports and defaults to an Internet/network only connection.

The solution is to go to Start > Control Panel > Programs and Features. In the left hand Tasks pane click on ‘Turn Windows Features on or off’ then click the plus sign next to Print Services. Uncheck Internet Printing Client, and check both LDP Print Service and LPR Port Monitor. You should now reboot your PC then finally, reinstall the printer driver.

Q. I have stumbled across a problem, which you may be able to solve. Windows XP installation discs (particularly those of the ancient SP1 variety) do not contain SATA HD drivers.  How, therefore, can you install a SATA drive when reloading Windows with a Windows XP SP1 disc?

Desmond Whiting, via email

A. When you think about it communicating with the hard disc drive is the job of the motherboard and BIOS and has nothing to do with Windows (though Windows may load extra software to speed up the flow of information). When you switch on your PC the BIOS checks to see what drives are connected, in other words if it is a SATA compatible motherboard it already knows how to talk to SATA drives. Once the BIOS has verified the hardware is working properly it searches the drives for boot information. Usually it goes to the CD/DVD drive first, (looking for a bootable installation disc), followed by the USB ports then finally the master and slave (if fitted) hard drives.  In other words all you have to is load the XP disc in the CD/DVD drive, follow a few simple on screen instructions and let the PC get on with it

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

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© R. Maybury 2008 0104