FAQS! FACTS! FAX! 160 (06/05/99)

FREESERVE INNOCENT?
I have a PC with a 486 processor, 16Mb of RAM running at 120MHz. 86% of system resources is free and I have 132 Mb of free disk space. Ever since installing Freeserve Internet software the system time has lost 1 hour per day. Is there anything I can do to correct this?
Michael Matley

A

Dixon's Freeserve gets blamed for a lot of PC ills but in this case it is probably innocent. Given that your PC's motherboard is at least four or five years old the most likely cause is a dead or dying clock backup battery. They don't cost much and they're usually quite easy to change but unless you are familiar with your machines innards it's a good idea to have it replaced by an engineer.

WAKE UP CALL
I am running Windows 98 and have an external message modem. As messages and faxes are stored in the modem, this allows me to have a single telephone line and one device to act as a modem, answering machine and fax receiver without leaving my computer running.  Unfortunately, Windows 98 switches the computer on every time the phone rings and I don't want, nor need this to happen. I come home from work to find the computer has been on all day, because someone's left a message on the answerphone! I have tried changing the power management settings and disabling power management altogether, but can't find a solution. Is there anything I can do, other than disconnecting the modem from the computer?
Mark Robinson

A

Many PCs have a 'wake up on modem ring' function in the power management section of the BIOS (basic input output system) program. To access the BIOS look for a message like 'press DEL on start-up' (or a combination of keys), while the computer is booting up.

CHEAPER INK

I would add a note of caution to your recommendation in F!F!F! (April 22nd) to reduce cost of replacing inkjet cartridges by use of a refill kit. In my experience the procedure can be very messy involving a fluid that is extremely difficult to remove from clothing or skin (or table cloths). I prefer to use a cartridge that has been refilled by professionals. In January this year I ordered three "Ink Again" BC-O1 cartridges (for Canon BJ10) from Viking Direct. The cost of each was £9.99 (excluding VAT). I have found these products to be excellent. Enclosed in the box is a postage paid envelope for returning your empty cartridge for recycling, so you have the satisfaction of helping the environment. Also, on the bag it states that for each cartridge recycled, a minimum donation of 50p is made to Great Ormond Street Hospital's 'Tommy's' Campaign.

Reg Osborne

 
My own printer is the HP DeskJet 660C, which offers 3 grades of print quality. The difference in ink consumption between these is quite considerable. I suggest that your correspondent checks the default printer set-up to determine whether the settings on her printer are set to 'high quality' or its equivalent, and change this if necessary. I have the default settings on 'draft quality'. This is adequate for most applications. When I want a print of higher quality I change the settings manually. This way my ink cartridges last for several months of normal use.
Malcolm Bell

I too have a BJC-210 and the colour cartridges are horrendously expensive. I lived with syringe-type refill kits for a while but was never really happy about the mess. However, if you look around the office supplies catalogues and stores, you can buy kits and refills that comprise a print head and removable, throwaway cartridge. These are available in both all-black and three-colour versions and they do cut down your consumables costs considerably. The ones I've been using are made by Pelikan.
Gary Mellor

Thanks to everyone who wrote in with cost-saving tips for inkjet printers. Viking Direct also stock Pelikan cartridges and can be reached at (0800) 424444

CUSTOMS CHECK

My son has been using Word on our home PC to do his school homework. I noticed him select the assistance of the spell-checker, to my dismay he hit the 'Add' button to save incorrectly spelled words. He now tells that this is his usual practice. How can I get into the dictionary to correct these additions?
Alan Guinan

A

User defined spellings in Word are contained in an editable text file called 'Custom.dic'. You can access it from within Word by going to File Open and in the 'Look In' field select Hard Disk C: > Program Files > Common Files > Microsoft Shared > Proof > Custom.dic. Once it's on the screen you can add delete or change entries before saving the file. 

WEIRD WORD
Yesterday I came across a funny in Microsoft Word (using Windows 98). I was using the shift key to type 'open bracket/capital C/close bracket'. Net result: a copyright symbol! No '(C)' in sight! Has this been discovered before - or am I the only one? Is this some clever MS trick, or is it a programming problem?
Rod Ruston

A

It is a clever Microsoft trick called AutoCorrect. You'll find it on the Tools menu, click AutoCorrect and select the AutoCorrect tab and the command to change a bracketed 'c' into the copyright symbol should be close to or at the top of the list, along with all of the other automatic changes Word is programmed to make. You can switch AutoCorrect off by unchecking the box marked 'Replace text as you type'.
 

BEST OF  BREED

There is specialist software available for dog breeders for Windows PCs, for pedigree records etc., but I am a Mac user (my son's fault…) He suggests that such software is likely to be available in the US where Macs are more widely used, can you help?

Mrs S.G.Scales, Sudbury, Suffolk.

A

Despite an extensive Internet search we couldn't find one so if anyone knows of a suitable program please let us know and we'll happily pass on the details to Mrs Scales.

SLACK MAC?

Prompted by all of the praise lavished on the iMac I decided to replace my Performa 475. I was of course aware that the connection to my Stylewriter 2500 colour printer would have to be changed for the iMac and I assumed it would be a simple matter. Following numerous enquiries I have established that a suitable connector is made somewhere but Apple suppliers seem not to be interested, presumably they would rather sell me a new printer. It seems incredible that Apple have apparently not considered the faithful band of pre iMac users whose printers become obsolete when they change to an iMac, must we now accept this as fact?

Mr S. R. Sim, Cippenham, Slough

A

You can connect your StyleWriter printer to an iMac but it's not going to be cheap and as you have discovered this facility is not supported by Apple. There are a number of options but the two most widely available ones are the EtherMac-to-iPrint adaptor, made by Farallon, which costs around £104, and the Asante Local Talk Bridge which has a typical street price of £92. There are several versions – depending on which model iMac you have – for more information call Mac specialist Mygate on (0800) 0181977 or Jigsaw on (0115) 9165565.