FAQS! FACTS! FAX! 167 (24/06/99)

SYMBOLS – THE LAST WORDS…
Two recent letters in F!F!F!, on the subject of foreign language symbols were useful but: Alt + 167 on the Num Locked numeric keypad gives a more rounded and, arguably, nicer degree sign e.g. Cº than the superscript o. Also P. Shiels didn't mention some important upper case accented letters, including the Cedilla. So: ç = Alt + 135, Ç = Alt +128, É = Alt + 144, Ü = Alt + 154, Ä = Alt + 142, Ö = Alt + 153. Should you need to translate ÆSOPS Fables, there is always Alt + 146 or if he is hæmorrhaging he could try Alt + 145. There is no need to do anything by ½s or ¼s (Alt + 171 and 172).
Bruce Adams

Re your recent discussions on typing foreign accents in Word97 (I seem to
recall it works on earlier versions)... You will find a table of keyboard shortcuts if you. Use 'Assistant' and do a search for 'accents' Choose the option: Insert symbols or special characters select the option: Type International Characters and the table of keyboard shortcuts should appear. For example, to type e acute (é) type Ctrl+'+e (i.e., hold down Ctrl, type  apostrophe and then 'e').  The other French accent keys are grave: (key to left of '1'), cedilla: (under '<'), circumflex: ^ (above '6', Ctrl + Shift key needed), dieresis: :(colon, Ctrl + Shift needed).
Paul Livingston

A

Now that John Monson has told us how to get Superscript (F!F!F! June 10th) can we be told how to get Subscript? This is required when writing chemical formula/symbols such as H2O or CO2. Is there a reference list of all these various codes?
Peter F Christie

A

If you don't get on with Office Assistant (see later) you can also reach the International Character table by going to Help, and typing in 'characters', double-click 'special' and select Type International Characters.

To convert to Subscript first highlight the character or text then go to the Format menu, select Font, check the Subscript box and click OK.

A QUESTION OF STANDARDS

I read with interest your answer to the query regarding driving a TV screen from a PC (F!F!F! June 10th). Surely any PC can connect to a TV provided the TV has the right type of socket for the monitor output plug on the PC?
Andy Taylor

A

Unfortunately not. The video signals generated by a PC graphics adaptor are quite different to those used in a domestic television. A PC display has to be pin-sharp and flickerless and historically there was never any need for PCs to be compatible with TVs. (PC displays have a much higher 'refresh rate and picture lines are not 'interlaced', as on a TV picture). However, that said a few recent PCs and laptops do in fact have 'TV outputs' and a small handful of big screen home cinema TVs and video projectors have 'VGA' computer display input circuitry.

BEST OF BREED
S. G. Scales asked for software which would help dog breeders to construct pedigrees. I suggest the he consider genealogical software. I am aware that the PC software, which I use for family history (Pedigree), is used by some for this purpose and see no reason why Mac family history programs should not serve the same purpose. Reunion is a well-known example but there are others.
J.A.Gauld

A

Thanks for that handy hint
 

FRENCH CONNECTION
Can you please advise on a supplier that can provide converters to allow me to use my modem when abroad. I have a laptop PC with built-in 56k modem. This connects to a standard BT wall socket via a converter plug, which uses a small phone type connector into the standard BT plug.  I am particularly interested in using this facility in France and Switzerland.
Mark Peacock

A

Travel adaptor kits are available for almost every type of telephone socket you're

likely to encounter. Contact Options International on (01483) 202070 for more details or visit its web site at: http://www.option.com

HANDY ASSISTANT…

You showed how to prevent the Office Assistant in Word 97 from appearing. (FFF 3rd June). I find that when I type Richard A it then suggests my full name so I can then press enter. This is real a time saver, and a most useful addition. However, is there a way to change the 'Dear Sir or Madam' that appears when I type 'Dear' to 'Dear Sirs', and especially the 'Yours truly' to my preference 'Yours sincerely'?.
Richard Atwell

A

That actually has nothing to do with Office Assistant it is called an AutoComplete tip. You can change existing tips, or create your own by going to the Tools menu, click on AutoCorrect and select the AutoText tab. Simply type in your AutoText entry and click on Add.

UNWANTED ASSISTANT

In F!F!F! June 10th you published a method to turn off that annoying assistant. I tried it and it does not work for very long. After a reboot he's back! Is there a way to disable the file that operates him so that he will NEVER appear again?
Nic Houslip

A

Previously we have shown how to disable Office Assistant but the only way to get rid of it permanently is to uninstall it from Word. You'll need your Office or Word CD-ROM, go to Control Panel and Add/Remove programs, click on Office 97 or Word 97 and then on Add/Remove. This starts the Word uninstall programme. Click on Remove Components, then Office Accessories, this leads to a window that displays all of the add-on components. Deselect Office Assistant from the list that appears and click on Continue to remove it.

MEMORY GOBBLER

Can you enlighten me about Temporary Internet Files? They are real memory gobblers. People say they cannot safely be removed, I might lose special info, cookies etc. Frankly, I see nothing there that I cannot live without. I can always go back and get stuff again if I really need it. Can I wipe the lot without doing any damage?
Warren S. H. Monks

A

Yes you can, but it might be worth keeping the cookies for frequently visited sites. You can stop files accumulating in future by selecting Internet Options on the View menu in Explorer and on the General tab, under Temporary Internet Files click Settings and set the 'Amount of disc space…' slider to minimum (far left). 

MISSING MINUTES
I recently purchased the HP 8100i, and very good it is too. I then realised that it was possible to buy CD-R's with 80 minutes (700 Mb) recording time. The problem is that my software only reads these disks as 74 minutes (648 Mb). Is there a patch or software upgrade which will bring it up to date?

Eric B Hall

A

No, Hewlett Packard say this model doesn't support 80-minute media and nor do most of the CD-R recording programs. The new discs have a narrower track pitch that some older drives simply cannot read or write to reliably. A few CD writers, notably recent models manufactured by Yamaha, are compatible with 80-minute discs and it is likely that many drives made from now on will be able to use them.

LEFTIST TENDENCY

Is there such a thing as an ambidextrous mouse for a PC?  My seven year-old daughter is left-handed and so we have set the mouse to be left-hande.  My three year-old son is right handed and now wants to 'have a go'. Can we set the mouse to suit them both without having to change the set-up each time?

Vicki Dawes, vickidawes.demon.co.uk

A

Why not put a desktop shortcut to the Mouse set-up utility in Control Panel. That would help to speed things up? Simply left click on the icon and select Create Shortcut. You can also put the shortcut onto the Start menu by dragging the icon onto the Start button.

TIME FOR CHANGE
While I am running my computer the date and clock function work perfectly. however each day when I first boot up the date and time have not moved forward since the time I last closed down. I cannot find anything in Windows Help, which addresses this problem. It happens in all of my programmes.

John Elliott

A

Windows relies on the real time clock (RTC) on the PC motherboard to tell it the time when it loads. The clock is kept running by a battery, on some PCs it is rechargeable, on others it has to be replaced after three or four years. Either way it sounds as though yours has expired, or the RTC has failed. A DIY battery swap is possible but unless you know what you are doing it is best left to an expert.