FAQS! FACTS! FAX! 181 (07/10/99)

WORD TO THE WISE
When the software was loaded on my office PC (Windows 98), the installer included on the base toolbar the green 'W' icon, which is a shortcut to a blank Windows document. I cannot find this icon anywhere to put a similar shortcut onto my home computer - where is it? The installer also enabled me to press Alt+D to put the current date in a letter and Alt+H to insert my address, in smaller font size. I can't find out how this was done either! Can you help?
Auriol Moate

A

The green 'W' icon is a shortcut to Microsoft Word, which was probably installed at the same time as Windows 98 (it is also part of Microsoft Office). There's no problem creating a similar shortcut on your home PC, providing of course Word (or Office) has been installed. To find out open Windows Explorer, double click on Program Files, then Microsoft Office and the Office folder, if it's there you'll see the 'W' icon next to a file called Winword.exe.  Right click on the icon, select Send To and then Desktop as Shortcut. You can then drag and drop the shortcut icon onto the Quick Launch toolbar, next to the Start Button. If you can't see the file the program hasn't been installed or it is in another location, in which case open Find on the Start menu, select Files and Folders and type in Winword.exe.

You can easily create your own keyboard shortcuts in Word -- such as those you mention -- using the Customise facility on the Tools menu. Click on the Keyboard button, a new window appears, in the left hand Categories pane select Insert and choose the Command (insert date etc.) in the right pane. Allocate your keyboard shortcut (i.e. Alt + D) in the field marked Press New Shortcut key, and click Assign. To create a keyboard shortcut for your address, first type it out, as you want it to appear, and highlight it. Select AutoText on the Insert menu, then AutoText, followed by the AutoText tab, Add then OK. Repeat the earlier steps to assign a keyboard shortcut, this time selecting AutoText in the Categories Pane.  

BAD MOVE

Since moving home my 56k modem, which used to connect at about 46kbps now only connects at 36k. The settings in the modem section of the control panel are the same and nothing else has changed except me moving.

Mark Kimber

A

If you were getting 46kbs before you were doing very well indeed! Have you connected any extra devices to the new line since the move? It could be that your modem is now plugged into a badly installed extension socket, rather than the master socket. Splitters and adaptors can also have an adverse effect. A difference in the quality of the line to your new home line is another possibility. There may be tweaks and adjustments that can be carried out at the exchange end that could improve matters. Contact BT Customer Services on 152 and ask them to check the line.

SMALL PRINT

While reading the letter from Tony Wood in F!F!F! September 23. I developed a feeling of deja vu. I recently bought an Olivetti JP883 at a bargain price. Unfortunately the printer refused to work. The documentation suggested that it was designed to work with Windows 3.1 and I have Windows 95. In desperation I went to the Olivetti web site and found a printer FAQ, which told me that by default Windows 95 uses an 'enhanced printer port' while the Olivetti printer will only work with a 'standard printer port', which I believe is the default for Windows 3.1. I believe the setting can be changed through control panel, however I changed mine through the BIOS and the alteration was a complete success.

Stuart Firth

A

Thanks to Stuart and several other readers who recommended changing printer port settings as a cure for getting older printers to work with Windows 95 and 98

BRIEF ENCOUNTER

Some time ago, whilst having a clearout of my PC desktop, I deleted 'My Briefcase' because at the time I had no need to use it. I would now like to reinstall My Briefcase but am unable to do so. Although My Briefcase looks like an ordinary folder located on the desktop, I am sure there is more to it. If not can I just create a new folder? I have examined a listing of all the files extracted from the CAB files on the Windows 95 CD-ROM and find no reference to it. Does it involve editing the Registry?

B.K. Ady

A

Nothing so complicated. All you have to do is right-click on an empty area of the desktop, select New and click on the Briefcase icon to create a new desktop folder. By the way, this also works on Windows 98.

MASTER CLASS

I have been writing a booklet in Word 97 and because of its length I have divided it into seven separate files. Is there any way in either Word or Publisher 97 whereby I can get the PC or the printer to print these files serially, with the same page layout throughout and with contiguous page numbering? Might there be some way of doing this through a macro to call up each file in turn?

Peter Stovin

A

A facility in Word called Master Document can be used to organise a set of files or subdocuments. You will find full instructions in Word help, select the Index tab, type 'master' in the search field and double click on 'creating' in the display window below.

ANNOYING ALARM

Every time I start Windows 98 I get following warning: 'Unable to load Dynamic Link Library msnp32.dll. System cannot find the file specified.' How can I get rid of this annoying alarm that I have to acknowledge to enable boot up to be completed.

Nigel Hill

A

This is a fairly common error message and often follows an abortive attempt to install Internet access software, a new browser or changes to the settings in Dial Up Networking (DUN). During the installation file names are added to the Windows Registry but for one reason or another they are not copied to the hard disc. When Windows loads it looks for the files but cannot find them. Removing and then reinstalling Dial Up Networking can often cure it but before you do, make a note of all the settings. To do that double click on the DUN icon on My Computer, right click on your ISP connection icon, select Properties and note down the phone numbers and settings on each of the tabbed windows. To remove DUN go to Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel and the Windows setup tab. Double Click Communications and uncheck the box next to Dial Up Networking, select Close then OK and restart the PC. Go back to Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel, Windows setup and Communications and this time put a check in the DUN box, close and restart. Hopefully the error message will be no more. Finish off by making sure that your original Dial Up Networking settings have been correctly restored.