FAQS! FACTS! FAX! 104 (09/04/98)

PULLING A FAST ONE

In F!F!F! 12/03/98 you mentioned that a ‘super fast’ Pentium II with 32MB of RAM could be purchased for £1000.  Where is this deal available? I have been to several large PC superstores where the staff either don't know what a Pentium is or the price is much higher.

Secondly, I've been reading in video games magazines that most top games require a 3D effects video card, will they still run without one? Would one be included on a fast Pentium II PC, or is it something I would have to buy afterwards?

Fraser Stewart

A

If you look through any of those thick advertisement-packed computer magazines you will find plenty of companies selling well-specified Pentium II systems for less than £1000. So-called Direct Channel manufacturers, who operate predominantly via mail order, have much lower overheads, compared with the major high-street retailers; hence their prices are usually quite a bit cheaper. On the debit side this means that you are buying blind and it lacks the personal touch, but as your experience shows, you can’t always rely on showroom staff to be knowledgeable about the products they are selling.

On the other hand the cost savings can be significant, after sales service from most mail order companies is improving all the time, many now offer on-site repairs and unlimited free telephone support. Another advantages of buying mail order is that you can often have the PC custom built to your own specifications, as opposed to buying a ready made machine off-the-shelf. You should be able to choose the type of graphics card you want at the time of ordering. Some games are designed to look better or run faster on PCs fitted with 3D graphics cards; most will still operate on machines with older or less sophisticated video display cards but always carefully check the game’s system requirements, before you buy.

NUMBERS RACKET

A friend of mine has recently upgraded to Windows 95 and has a minor problem. When the machine is turned on the ‘Num Lock’ does not come on automatically. As she mainly uses the computer for spreadsheets and uses the numeric keypad, she finds this an irritation. How do you go about enabling  ‘Num Lock’ at switch on?

Colin James Price

A

The Num Lock function on most PCs is included in the BIOS set-up routine (Basic Input Output System). This is a small configuration and test program that runs as soon as you switch the machine on. Normally we advise against tinkering with it, but if you are very careful, follow the on-screen instructions to the letter and do not touch anything else, you should be okay. A few moments after you switch your PC on you should see a message that says something like ‘press delete to enter set-up’, (or a combination of keys, like Ctrl + Delete, or hold down the spacebar). This will suspend the boot-up and bring up a set of menus. One of them will be called ‘Advanced’ or ‘BIOS Features’, select it and scroll down the list until you find the ‘System Boot Up Num Lock’ option, and set this to On. Do not change any other settings! Now go back to the main menu, choose ‘save settings and exit’ and the machine should then continue to boot up as normal.   

SPELL BOUND

In my pocket I carry a Franklin Pocket Thesaurus model TMQ-100. It cost around £25 and is a very useful tool for spell checking, word meanings and synonyms. Do you know of any software for a PC, which is similar in function?

T.  J.Vernon

A

There are many excellent dictionary and Thesaurus programs on the market but the Microsoft Bookshelf British Reference Collection is generally reckoned to be the best. The CD-ROM contains an integrated suite of highly respected reference works, including Chambers Dictionary, Hutchinson Concise Encyclopaedia, Roget’s Thesaurus, Bloomsbury Treasury of Quotations, Encarta Concise Atlas and MS Internet Dictionary. It is very easy to use, can be easily accessed from with word processing programs like MS Word and it sells for around £32 or less.

ON THE SENT

When I first started sending E-mails a message would come up saying ‘so and so has been sent’.  This doesn't happen now.  Am I right in thinking that when the hourglass has finished filling and turning the message has been sent?  Is there any way I can regenerate the specific statement that the message has been sent?

Ken Mason

A

The hourglass shows an Email transfer is in progress, it will disappear when it has finished and you should also get a confirmation message at the bottom of the screen, next to the mail icon.  At some point you must have un-checked the ‘Show this message every time…’ checkbox in the dialogue window that flashes up on the screen, after a mail message has been sent. To get it back you need to go to the Access drop-down menu and select Preferences. Click on the General tab and the button marked Display Confirmation Messages.   

CRASH BARRIER

In a recent F!F!F! you suggested a method to retrieve and copy a list of Email addresses for a BT Internet user. I have experienced the similar problem, loosing my address book as a result of a crash, so I tried your suggestion but it does not work for my set-up. I use Windows 95 and my connection at the moment is via CompuServe. Can you offer any other solutions as to how I can store these addresses separately in case of any future crash?

Bob McMillan

A

The CompuServe address file is reasonably accessible. From Windows Explorer double click on the CompuServe directory to open it, there you will find a sub-directory called Support. Inside there’s a text data file called Addrbook. You can copy it to another location or left click on it and choose the Send To option, which includes the facility to copy the file to a floppy disc.

MOUSE MADNESS

Have you gone mad? In Boot Camp 12 ‘Routine Maintenance’, it was suggested that users take their mouse apart. Even some of the most confident and knowledgeable PC users don't take their mouse apart, for fear of losing some of the internal components. It simply isn't necessary, all that is required is a cotton bud with some cleaning fluid once a month to clean the rollers, after removing the ball from the bottom.

Daniel Wild

A

Dismantling and cleaning a mouse is not a complicated job. It is the only way to remove the dust and debris that builds up inside the casing, which can clog up the works. We did give appropriate warnings and trust Connected readers know their limitations, when it comes to wielding screwdrivers. Simple DIY maintenance is very empowering, finding out how things work helps dispel technofear, but remember, it is not compulsory…