Below are some of the most frequently asked questions
submitted by our readers, together with the answers we supplied. Please note
that our answers are responses to particular problems on specific computers and
operating systems. We provide them only as suggestions to help you find your own
solutions to similar problems.
Any changes to your computer system can
potentially cause additional, and sometimes severe, problems. Before you try to
fix a problem, always do the following:
1. Back up your files. (OK, you know that you should
routinely back up your files but if, like most of us, you just haven't gotten
around to it, do it now)! If you've done it recently, update your backup before
you try to fix a problem. Make sure your backups will be available if your
computer stops working.
2. Check with your computer and program documentation
(including updates on the manufacturer's Web sites) to see whether what you're
dealing with is a known problem with a recommended fix.
3. Carefully identify the problem, determining whether it's
a hardware problem (computer, monitor, mouse, etc.) or a software problem
(operating system, programs).
4. Ask yourself whether you have the expertise to take care
of the problem. If you're not sure, consult with someone who has more knowledge
and experience working with computer problems.
5. Double-check any information that tells you to modify
the system Registry. Do not make any changes to the system Registry unless you
know exactly what you're doing and have received detailed instructions from a
reliable source. If you do edit the Registry, make sure you back it up first.
6. Allow enough time to fix the problem--it will almost
certainly take more time than you originally thought!
If all these cautions haven't scared you away, then you're
ready to try to fix your computer problem. Just remember that you're doing this
work at your own risk! If you make matters worse, you can only blame yourself
(although you have our permission to curse your computer, the manufacturer, and
the people who wrote the software).
Q. I have a screen saver program I used in a
previous version of Windows, but I can't get it to run on Windows XP. I've
installed it, but it doesn't show up in my list of screen savers. How can I get
it to run?
A. You might be able to get it to run, but Windows
XP has a very high level of security, and earlier screen savers often violated
security requirements. Therefore, Windows XP won't allow those types of screen
savers to run. However, your installed screen saver should at least appear in
the list of screen savers. If it's a true screen saver, it should have the file
extension .scr. (If extensions aren't displayed, look in the Customizing Your
Folders task in our XP book for information about displaying extensions in
the window).
If the installed screen saver doesn't have the .scr
extension, make a copy of the file in the same folder, and then rename it with
the .scr extension. (For example, if the screen saver is named "myscreensaver.exe,"
rename the copied file "myscreensaver.scr.") Now copy this file and paste it
into the folder C:\WINDOWS\system32.
It should now appear in your list of screen savers, and you
can try to run it.
CAUTION: Viruses are often found in files that have
the .scr file extension. Don't use any screen saver program whose source you're
not sure of.
Windows XP DVD Recording
Q. I want to archive my pictures onto a DVD. When I
try copying the files to my disc drive, it doesn't work. What's wrong?
A. First, make sure that you have a DVD drive and
not just a CD drive. You must have a DVD drive that can write to DVD discs. If
you do have this type of drive, your computer should have come with DVD
recording software. Windows does write directly to CDs but not to DVDs--you need
to use the proper DVD software. If you don't have the recording software
installed on your computer, check the discs that came with your computer (or
with your DVD drive, if you bought it separately) and see whether there is a
recording program that you need to install.
Windows XP Desktop Background
Q. I keep a large volume of pictures in the My
Pictures folder. When I want to change the background picture for my Desktop, I
find that all my pictures are listed in a list that is so long, it's
unmanageable. How can I delete pictures from the list without actually deleting
them from my computer?
A. Windows lists all the picture files in your My
Pictures folder, even if they are contained in their own folders. To remove
pictures from the Background list, you need to move the folders and/or pictures
from the My Pictures folder into another location. For example, I keep a folder
called “Pix” on my C: drive for most of my pictures. See the Organizing Your
Files task in our XP book for information about moving folders and files,
and the Customizing Your Folders task for information about customizing a
folder for pictures.
Windows Disk Formatting
Q. I right-clicked a disk drive in My Computer to
format a disk, but there was no Format command on the shortcut menu. How can I
format that disk?
A. If the shortcut menu doesn't display a Format
command, you're probably trying to format a disk that cannot be formatted by
Windows XP--a non-rewritable CD, for example. If the disk uses a proprietary
type of system or has a special connection, you'll need to use the utilities
that came with the disk. To determine the problem, if your computer has a floppy
disk drive, right-click the A: drive icon in My Computer and see whether the
Format command is present on the shortcut menu. If it is, you'll know the
problem is specific to the drive and that you're unable to format the disk in
Windows. Also, if you're working in a corporate environment, check with the
system administrator to see whether security settings have been made to prevent
you from formatting any disks.
Windows XP Fax Service
Q. I use the Fax Service that comes with Windows XP,
but I need to send more than one document in a single fax. How can I do this?
A. Fax Service does not support this. What you can
do is combine several documents into a single document, such as a Word document
(use the Insert command so that the original documents aren't changed), and then
fax that document. Another alternative is to set the scheduling for multiple
faxes so that they will be sent in quick succession.
Word Envelope Formatting
Q. I'm using Word to print addresses on envelopes.
However, I want the font to be fancier than the default font. How do I make
another font the default font so that I don't have to change the font each time
I use the Envelopes And Labels dialog box?
A. You need to change the Envelope Address and
Envelope Return styles in your template to specify the font and font size you
want. See one of our Word or Office books for details about modifying styles in
a template.
Word Formatting of Scanned Page
Q. I have a scanned page of a document that I want
to format. How do I change the formatting--the font and line spacing, for
example?
A. Sorry! You can't change the layout of a scanned
page--the scanned file is merely a picture of the page and can't be modified in
terms of changing line spacing or font. It can be edited only as any other
picture can be edited--that is, by adding lines and so on.
To manipulate the content of a scanned page, you need to
use a program with optical character recognition (OCR), which examines the
scanned page and turns it into a digital text page. Once it's been transformed,
you can then edit the content as you would any text document. Microsoft Office
includes an OCR program for conversion of scanned images. Many scanners include
OCR software, and there are other products you can buy that do this.
Word Text Recovery
Q. I accidentally opened an important document,
typed text that replaced the existing text, and then saved the document. How do
I recover the text of the original document?
A. If you typed over existing text and then saved the
document, the new content replaces the old in the saved document, and,
unfortunately, you cannot recover the original content. The AutoRecovery file is
also overwritten when you save the document. However, there are a couple of
caveats to this.
If you're using the Versions feature, you can open a
previous version of the document.
If you routinely back up your documents, you can recover
the original document from the backup copy.
Word Calculations
Q. I write scientific articles and use mathematical
equations extensively. How do I get Word to calculate values from these
equations?
A. You can't. Word is a presentation program, not a
mathematical program. You can use the Equation Editor in Word to create and
display an equation, but the equation does not calculate values. Use Excel to
make your calculations, and then paste the results into Word.
You can, however, do some math in a Word table: totaling
rows using functions such as sum, product, max, min, average, mod, and so on.
It's best to use these functions when you're creating a template that will be
used over and over again, whereas a one-use calculation would be better done in
Excel, with the results then copied into Word.
Word Formatting
Q. I have a group of documents I want to combine and
reformat so that I can use them as reports. However, when I try this, my report
layout--the margin settings and other formatting--are seriously disrupted. How
can I get the content of these documents into my report layout without having to
continuously reformat the report?
A. The main control for any layout is the template.
The template controls page orientation, margins, and so on. It also contains the
paragraph styles that control the layout and font of your paragraphs. You need
to make whatever changes you want to the template, and then apply this template
to your new documents.
There are two types of templates in Word: a global template
and a document-specific template. The standard global template, whose formatting
normally applies to all your documents, is the Normal.dot template. A
document-specific template is one you create to define your own styles. Take a
look in our Word 2002 book for the Customizing a Template and
Designing a Template tasks for instructions on creating your own template.
Make sure you add all the formatting you want--set the margins to the desired
widths, check the page orientation, define your own Normal style, add any
headers and footers--and then save the template using an appropriate name such
as MyReport.dot. Make sure you save it as a template (.dot), not as a document
(.doc).
Theoretically, all you need to do now is attach the new
template to your existing document by choosing Templates And Add-Ins from the
Tools menu , and, in the dialog box, selecting the check box to automatically
update the styles. However, this is where you might encounter problems. If the
original document doesn't conform to your report document layout after you've
attached your new template, try the following:
1. In Word, open the report document you want to convert.
2. Press Ctrl+A to select all the content in your document.
3. Press Ctrl+C to copy all the content.
4. In Word, start a new, blank document based on your newly
created MyReport.dot template, click anywhere inside the document, and press
Ctrl+V to paste all the content into it.
5. When you see the Paste Options smart tag at the end of
the text you pasted, click it to open the menu, and then choose Match
Destination Formatting.
6. Save your new document, using a unique name, and then
take a look at it. It should have pretty much the formatting you want. However,
you might need to tweak it a bit by changing or adding a few styles to get it
exactly the way you want.
Outlook Express Drafts
Q. I have several messages in the Drafts folder in
Outlook Express. How did they get there, and how do I send them?
A. Outlook Express places a message in the Drafts
folder when you save the message but don't send it. If the window in which you
composed the message is still open, simply click the Send button to send the
message. If the window isn't open, double-click the message in the Drafts folder
list to open the window, and then click the Send button.
Outlook Express Printing
Q. When I print an e-mail from Outlook Express, the
place at the top of the page where my name should be just says "Main Identity."
How do I get my name there instead?
A. What you need to do is change the default name in
Outlook Express. Do the following to change the name:
1. With Outlook Express running, point to Identities on the
File menu, and choose Manage Identities from the submenu.
2. In the Manage Identities dialog box, with Main Identity
selected, click the Properties button.
3. In the Identities Properties dialog box, type your name
to replace "Main Identity."
4. Click OK, and then click Close. Your name should now
appear instead of "Main Identity."
Outlook Express Picture Blocking
Q. When I receive pictures in an e-mail, I am
sometimes notified that some of the pictures have been blocked. This doesn't
happen with all the pictures--just some of them. How do I stop these pictures
from being blocked?
A. This is a security setting whose purpose is to
eliminate certain tricks used by e-mail spammers to verify your e-mail address.
The blocked pictures are the ones that you need to download from a server or Web
site. Many spammers can get your e-mail address when your computer downloads
these pictures.
If you don't want Outlook Express to block pictures, you
need to tell it so. Depending on the version of Outlook Express you have, there
are different ways to handle this. However, with a bit of experimentation, you
should be able to fix this if you want to.
Try this: In Outlook Express, choose Options from the Tools
menu, and, in the Options dialog box, click the Security tab. Look for items
that restrict your access, and make your changes there. (This might be your
security zone, or you might see a check box to prevent downloading pictures.)
Click OK; then close and restart Outlook Express, and see if this changes what
is downloaded.
Be aware, though, that if you do make these changes, you're
probably exposing yourself to increased amounts of unwelcome spam mail.
Outlook Express Accounts
Q. When I compose an e-mail, I notice that one of
the accounts on the drop-down list of accounts in the From line is no longer
valid. How do I delete that account from the From line?
A.
The From line appears only when you have two or
more accounts set up in Outlook Express. When an account is no longer valid, you
can remove it from Outlook Express. When there is only one account left, there
will be no From line appearing in your message.
To remove the invalid e-mail account, do the following:
1. In Outlook Express, choose Accounts from the Tools menu.
2. In the Internet Accounts dialog box, click the Mail tab.
3. Click the invalid account to select it.
4. Click the Remove button.
5. Click Yes when you're asked to confirm the deletion of
the account.
6. Click the Close button to close the Internet Accounts
dialog box.
7. Start a new message, and note that the invalid account
is no longer listed in the From drop-down list, or, if there is now only one
account, that there is no From line in the message header.
Outlook Express Archiving
Q. I want to save certain e-mails so that I don't
lose them. I've tried dragging them from Outlook Express to the My Documents
folder, but this doesn't work. How can I save my messages?
A.
Outlook Express uses a special file to contain your e-mail messages. The
file works like a database in that each message is one discrete section of
information in the file. When you retrieve that section of the file, Outlook
Express makes it into a readable message.
There are a few ways you can preserve your messages.
One way is to manually copy your messages. To do this,
click the message you want to save, click in the Preview pane, press Ctrl+A to
select the entire message, and then press Ctrl+C to copy it. Click in the word
processing program where you want to keep the message (for example, Word or
WordPad), and press Ctrl+P to paste the message. Repeat the process for all the
messages you want to save.
Another way to do this is to double-click the message, and,
in the message window, choose Save As from the File menu. In the Save Message As
dialog box, choose a file type you want to use (for example, HTML or Text File),
navigate to where you want to save the message, and click Save. Repeat this
process for all the messages you want to save.
Yet another way is to archive, or copy, the entire folder.
To do this, you'll need to locate the mail file. Once you've copied it, you can
import it into any Outlook Express program to read all the messages. However,
this process is a bit complex. The easiest way to do it is as follows:
1. Choose Options from the Tools menu, and, on the
Maintenance tab, click the Store Folder button.
2. Note the location where your folder is stored, and click
Cancel.
3. Use the My Computer window to navigate to that location,
and find the file you want--for example, Inbox.dbx.
4. Copy this file into another location, and all your
messages in the Inbox are archived.
5. If you later want access to your archived messages, you
need to import them from your archive back into Outlook Express. To do so,
rename the file, point to Import on the File menu, and choose Messages. Step
through the Outlook Express Import wizard to import the file and restore the
messages
Q. I have your Troubleshooting Microsoft Windows
2000 Professional book. It tells me that I can find additional content on
the Microsoft Press Web site, but when I enter the Web address, the page can't
be found. How do I get that content?
A. Just as so many things change on the Internet,
Microsoft has reorganized its Web site since we wrote that book. To find the
information you want, go to
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/books/troubleshooting/w2k/
Internet Explorer 6 History
Q. I don't want Internet Explorer to reveal the
sites that I've visited. Right now, all someone has to do to check on my visits
is click the History button on the Standard Buttons toolbar. How do I keep
Internet Explorer from remembering my viewing habits?
A. Privacy is privacy, so we won't ask why you want
to keep your visits secret. To clear your latest history, choose Internet
Options from Internet Explorer's Tools menu, and, on the General tab, use the
Clear History button to manually delete the list. If you want to always prevent
Internet Explorer from remembering any history, set Days To Keep Pages In
History to zero, and click OK. Be aware, however, that if you're accessing the
Internet from a corporate network, the network administrator might be using
tools to record all your visits--and there's no way you can turn that tracking
off.
