Australian PC World articles from December 2006

Australian PC World archives from December 2006

Easy answers: this month we unveil our new look Here's How tutorial section, crammed with great Security, Networking, Business, Windows advice and more. Plus there are 20 Flash tutorials on the Cover DVD, and six years of Helpscreen questions and answers on our new look Web site. I think we may have all the answers.(EDITORIAL)(Editorial)
December 1, 2006... Have you ever hit the key--clicking OK in a dialogue box--only to think with dread, "Oops, what have I just done?" You then discover you've accidentally deleted an important file from the network, crashed your system, lost work that wasn't...

Auction buyers beware.(READERS' FORUM)
December 1, 2006... I regularly read articles sent in by readers regarding the frustrations of dealing with companies and suppliers, and so wanted to add my two cents worth. I recently purchased a system at auction, with a supposedly faulty motherboard, with...

Upgrade stalls gaming fun.(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... I recently upgraded from Windows 98SE to Windows XP Home, and now I find I have a problem with some of my games. I've been trying to install Hoyles board games. I've had no trouble with it before on Windows 98SE--it worked fine. My daughter is...

Setting it straight.(READERS' FORUM)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... If Roland Hill wants to slag off Stephen Conn and "others like him" he should, first, from his lofty height, get at least some of his facts correct. For example, Bill Gates for all his marketing skills never wrote and/or invented the IBM...

Missive of the month.
December 1, 2006... Congratulations to Dot Collins! You are this month's winner of a year's subscription to Australian PC World magazine--that's 12 months of all the best PC news, reviews, tutorials and opinions from Australia's leading magazine for PC...

Winners.
December 1, 2006... The winners of the Subscribe & Win competition in the October issue of PC World are: ACT: P. Lee; NSW: P. Ivers, H. Ludwig, P. Hevesi-Nagy, M. Boesen, S. Shabestary, J. Coulter, A. Rasheed, H. Yah, D. Hu, D. Imach, G. Brown, R. J....

Next-gen Centrino due 2007.(Intel's "Santa Rosa" notebook platform Centrino processors)
December 1, 2006... Intel's "Santa Rosa" notebook platform will hit the streets in the first half of 2007, bringing improvements in processing power, battery life and wireless connectivity over the current Centrino architecture. Intel has enjoyed strong sales...

Google buys YouTube.(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Google has announced it is buying YouTube for $US1.65 billion in a stock transaction. YouTube operates a wildly popular Web site showing original videos in a range from amateurish to professional. It will continue to operate independently...

Microsoft locks down Vista.(Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows Server Longhorn )(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Microsoft's long, strange trip to protect its software from piracy took another twist after the company introduced Microsoft Software Protection Platform for its upcoming Vista and Longhorn server operating systems. The new platform is a...

Telstra launches Next G.(3GSM network)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Sol Trujillo, the chief executive officer of Telstra, Australia's largest telecom company, switched on the company's 3GSM network in October. Telstra has spent $1 billion developing the 3GSM network, titled Next G, which claims to offer...

First benchmarks for Intel's quad-core processor: Intel's Kentsfield chip rips through multithreaded apps in supervised preview testing. Plus, will your notebook battery explode?
December 1, 2006... The first benchmarks of Inters quad-core Kentsfield processor are here, and the chip is showing some impressive speed in multithreaded applications. As with the Core 2 Duo launch, Intel supervised testing at its preview events, so we'll have to...

Mobiles on Cell roadmap.(Toshiba, IBM, Sony and Sony Computer Entertainment jointly developing cell chip )(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... The Cell processor sits at the heart of the PlayStation 3, the most powerful game console yet developed, and a high-performance computer from IBM and now Toshiba wants to put that power into mobile devices and phones. A roadmap for the...

Celeb sites top malware list.(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... The quickest way to become infected with malware could be to visit a fake celebrity site and not, as is commonly assumed, one dedicated to porn. According to a recent report on malware trends published by McAfee, porn is now probably only...

Speak to me.(Samsung YP-K5 MP3 player )(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... MP3 player speaker systems are becoming increasingly popular, ranging from cute and compact to Hi-Fi docks. Samsung has looked at this trend and created the YP-K5, an excellent MP3 player with an attractive design, intuitive operating system...

Creative camera-mic.(Creative Live Cam Voice webcam)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Despite its lauded audio options and Adaptive Array Microphone technology--which removes background noise for maximum clarity in conversation--we can't help thinking that, besides a cheaper price tag, the Creative Live doesn't represent much of...

Is your notebook's battery a fire hazard?
December 1, 2006... When pictures of flaming notebooks blaze across the Internet, and Dell, Apple, and IBM and Lenovo recall over 6 million lithium ion batteries, it's natural to wonder whether we can trust our portable devices. Incidents are rare All...

Movie-making magic.(Muvee Autoproducer 5.0 desktop video software)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Designed for users that aren't interested in spending hours creating home videos on a PC, muvee autoProducer feels like an advanced version of Microsoft's free Windows Movie Maker. The interface is simple--add your video and images, arrange...

No spade work required.(3D Home Landscape Designer Deluxe CAD software)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Desperately need a backyard blitz, but not sure where to start? Before you pick up a spade, create a 3-D vision of your dream design on your home PC. First set up your property template to reflect your block's shape and size, then select a...

Versatility and power: dell dimension 9200 core 2 duo pc.(personal computers)(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... Taking advantage of Intel's new Core 2 Duo E6700 desktop CPU and paving the way for a new range of Vista Ready PCs, the Dell Dimension 9200 looks stylish and is diverse in its application. The white case has a 120mm fan behind the...

Mostly glow, a little glory: also technology GameForce PC.(Altech Gameforce peraonal computer)(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... If you're looking for a PC under $2000 that will play games and run all the normal programs from Office to virus scanners, this will do the job. Following the latest trend in case designs, the Alsotech GameForce face glows with blue lights and...

Compact business PC: Lenovo Thinkcentre 897621M.(personal computer)(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... With business PC written all over it, the Lenovo ThinkCentre pays homage to its IBM heritage with a case design that's been tried and tested since the days of the 486. Perfect for offices or home businesses with little working space available...

Easy video editor: adobe premiere elements 3.(desktop video software)(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... People upload more than 65,000 videos to the YouTube video-sharing site every day. But with the release of Adobe's new Premiere Elements 3, YouTube might want to brace itself for an onslaught of uploads. This video-editing tool is so good and...

Pacstar power: PACSTAR X-AM2DUO PC.(personal computer)(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... Packed with some of the latest power-hardware and priced at less than $2000, Pacstar's X-AM2Duo machine will have you running the newest and hottest 3-D games and even Windows Vista with many of its new and flashy trims. Utilising an AM2...

High-definition drive: SONY BWU100A BLU-RAY OPTICAL DRIVE.(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... With Sony's release of its BWU100A Blu-ray disc burner, large capacity discs and high-definition movies are a reality. The BWU100A will appeal to video and multimedia enthusiasts with bigger-than-average storage requirements, such as...

Shared network storage: BUFFALO LINKSTATION PRO LS-250GL.(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... Buffalo's LinkStation Pro is an unassuming little black box that enables you to share disk space on your network quickly and easily. You can use it as a file server to share with a small workgroup, and as an automated backup device using the...

Top-end notebook: Dell Latitude D820.(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... Brandishing a Vista Capable logo, the Dell Latitude D820 with an Intel Core 2 Duo 2.16GHz T7400 CPU is Dell's first notebook to include the 64-bit processor. Dell's implementation of the Intel CPU is not just a good performer, but has the best...

Mini media PC: HP Slimline Pavilion S7540.(personal computers)(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... When a notebook doesn't fit your needs and a skyscraper-like tower, humming with fans won't suit then smaller can definitely be better. HP's answer to this problem is the Pavilion s7540, a small form factor PC that doubles as a media centre,...

Wide and clear, no HDMI: ASUS PW201.(flat panel display monitors)(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... Employing a series of coloured lights in place of buttons, the ASUS PW201 20.1in flat panel looks like it's been stolen from the set of a sci-fi show. Such features aren't without their flaws, sadly, and we found it all too easy to enter a menu...

Neither awful nor exciting: BENQ FP92E 19in LCD monitor.(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... The BenQ FP92E 19in LCD has no serious flaws, but has no dazzling attributes either. Neither the quoted 8ms pixel response time or the 16.2M colour display suggest this screen is aimed at any specific market. Gamers tend to prefer sub-4ms...

Mostly glow, a little glory: MSI Radeon X1950 XTX.(graphics cards)(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... With version 10.0 of Microsoft's DirectX programming interface arriving early next year, we can't expect graphics card manufacturers to make radical revisions just now. it's unsurprising, therefore, that ATI's Radeon X1950 XTX chip has a large...

Powerful laser printer: Dell Colour Laser 3110CN.(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... Recent months have seen printer makers bring out ever-cheaper colour lasers aimed at the home/ small-office market, but there's still an important role for more heavyweight models. The Dell Colour Laser 3110cn, for example, offers full Ethernet...

Dock's easy connectivity: Kensington Notebook Dock.(computer expansion chassis)(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... Notebook docks eliminate the harried feeling you get plugging and unplugging all your peripherals whenever you set down or pick up your notebook. Kensington's Notebook Expansion Dock with Video is for notebook owners who can't get a dock to...

Microsoft-centric toolbar: Windows Live Toolbar 3.(web authoring software)(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... Lately, every time you turn around Microsoft seems to be releasing--or rechristening--a Web service with the Windows Live moniker. To date, seeing how all of these Windows Live tools work together has been difficult, but in the new Windows Live...

Easy photo fixes: Corel Snapfire Plus.(desktop video software)(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... Casual photographers will appreciate the straightforward organisation and editing tools in Corel's $99 Snapfire Plus, but they may be left wishing that its editing functions were a bit more flexible. Snapfire's user interface is well laid...

3G-capable Blackberry: research in motion Blackberry 8707v.(smart phone)(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... Designed exclusively for use with the Vodafone network, the BlackBerry 8707v is an update to its 8707 handset, adding 3G capabilities to what already was a quite impressive unit. The 8707v offers the convenient push e-mail functionality that...

Simple to use antispyware suite: webroot spy sweeper 5.0.(anti-virus software)(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... Spyware is software that runs on your computer without your knowledge. It covers a multitude of applications, from the harmless to the extremely dangerous. Some are installed by shareware and freeware developers, allowing them to gather...

Disk defrag utility: diskeeper 10.0 professional premier edition.(disk optimizing software)(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... Diskeeper has been around for some time--indeed, the drive defragmenter included in Windows XP was a 'lite' version of release 8.0. As Windows opens and closes files, or applications are installed, these are written to the first available...

Internet armour: Bitdefender Internet security 10.0.(network security software)(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... BitDefender provides a full suit of armour to protect your PC when it's online, either while you're browsing the Internet, sending e-mail or simply while your PC is connected via broadband. It does so with the help of a suite of tools:...

Multimedia-authoring software: Roxio Easy Media Creator 9.0.(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... With more than 100 new features, Roxio's Easy Media Creator 9.0 is jam-packed with creative functions. In addition to audio and video facilities, it features photo editing, media browsing, data copying and backup support, making it a very...

Audio-editing tool: Sony Sound Forge Audio Studio 8.0.(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... A imed at those who would like to edit the audio tracks of home movies, or polish demos of bands without a major-label budget, Sony has put together Audio Studio, a cut-down version of its more extensive Sony Sound Forge 8.0 program. Audio...

Problems ironed out, still not perfect: Microsoft Windows Vista Release Candidate 2.
December 1, 2006... The changes in Windows Vista Release Candidate 2 amount to refinements rather than significant innovations. Build 5744 of Vista contains no laundry list of new features and functions, but the release is significant nonetheless. The new...

The future of your PC.
December 1, 2006... With breakthroughs such as faster multicore processors on the way, raw PC muscle is about to return with a vengeance. And it will come in more shapes and sizes than ever. The PC of tomorrow will have more competition than ever in winning a...

Shoot like a pro: we all want a digital SLR for christmas, but choosing the right one is more than just a numbers game.(digital single lens reflex cameras)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Compact digital cameras are great, but they'll only take you so far before you start wishing for something more. Perhaps it's a longer/wider/ brighter lens you're after, or a better range of filters? Or maybe you'd like to work with RAW files,...

Canon EOS 400D.(digital camera)(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... Following the enormously successful EOS 350D gives the new EOS 400D a lot to live up to, but also a tried and tested format to build upon. As expected, it follows the same lightweight chassis design (with the same cramped grip), but with some...

Ins and outs.(digital single lens reflex cameras)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... One notable omission from this review is Nikon's D80--the highly-anticipated successor to the entry-level D70s. Sadly, Nikon was unable to provide a review sample in time, but plans to have this new entry-level 10.1Mp D-SLR on the shelves by...

Olympus E-330.(digital camera)(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... The unusual appearance of the E-330 is unlikely to win any votes from the style-conscious, but it was the first D-SLR to feature something that consumer digicams have always offered--Live Preview. It achieves this with a clever combination...

The hidden cost of cheap glass.(digital single lens reflex cameras)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... A lot of people spend most of their cash on a camera body, on the assumption that the cheap, general-purpose "kit lens" that comes with it will be up to the job. This is a mistake--and it could end up costing you money. The immediate...

Olympus E-500.(digital camera)(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... Compared to the rush of newcomers, the E-500 is starting to look a little long in the tooth, but this also means that it can be picked up for a song if you look around. Like the E-330, however, the E-500 only works with lenses that have been...

Getting RAW.(ENTRY-LEVEL CAMERAS)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... One of the most useful tools that digital SLRs offer is the ability to shoot RAW file format, but it's often overlooked by novices because it's a lot less convenient than shooting JPEG or TIFF files. RAW files (like Canon's .cr2 or Nikon's...

Entry level.(digital cameras)(Buyers guide)(Table)
December 1, 2006... ENTRY LEVEL CANON EOS 4000 * Price (body only) $1299 Price (with kit lens) $1499 Phone (02) 9805 2000 URL ...

Mid-range.(digital cameras )(Buyers guide)(Table)
December 1, 2006... MID-RANGE CANON EOS 30D Price (body only) $2299 Price (with kit lens) $2499 Phone (02) 9805 2000 URL ...

Sony Alpha A100.(digital camera)(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... Originally, the Alpha A100 was a joint project between Sony and Konica-Minolta--which is why it supports Minolta A-type lenses--but Konica-Minolta pulled out, leaving Sony to bring its first D-SLR to market alone. On face value, the A100...

Canon EOS 30D.(digital camera)(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... While the EOS 30D used to represent a significant step up from the entry-level 350D, the introduction of the new 400D has closed the gap considerably, making it much harder to justify the extra cash that this mid-range model will set you back....

Nikon D200.(digital camera)(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... pc world BEST BUYS It almost seems unfair to put the Canon 30D and Nikon D200 in the same category given the $600 body-price difference, but they both represent the last stop before the full-frame professional models start. As well as...

The crop factor.(digital single lens reflex cameras)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... You'll often see the term "crop factor" or "focal multiplier" used when describing entry-level and mid-range digital SLRs. This is because they all have image sensors that are significantly smaller than a 35mm film negative. Why is this...

Which camera? Choosing the right digital camera isn't just about marrying the largest number of megapixels with the lowest price tag. PC World helps you make some picture-perfect decisions.(DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY SUPERGUIDE)
December 1, 2006... Choosing the right digital camera can be a bewildering affair. And it's not made any easier by the frequency at which new models turn up. Most camera manufacturers have more models than you might find at a Parisian fashion show. There are...

Jargon Buster.(digital photography superguide)(Brief article)(Glossary)
December 1, 2006... * CCD (charge-coupled device): referred to as the sensor, this is the electronic component that captures detail. * Electronic viewfinder: an LCD version of an SLR viewfinder. It uses a similar eyepiece, but the image comes from the sensor...

Quick photo fixes: competent, low-cost photo fixers abound, but which one will get your sub-standard snaps up to scratch for the least effort? We test four of the best known budget editing packages to see how they cope with common photo problems.(DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY SUPERGUIDE)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... One of the best things about digital photography is its immediacy--you can preview a photo within seconds of taking it. But looking at a photo on the small and brightly lit screen of a digital camera can be a world away from what you'll get...

Rotating and cropping.(image processing software)(Ulead PhotoImpact 11.0)(Serif PhotoPlus 10.0)(Corel Paint Shop Pro X)(Adobe Photoshop Elements 4.0)(Buyers guide)
December 1, 2006... A common problem when shooting into the distance is keeping the horizon level, so that the angles of a building are square. With a few simple steps, this can be straightened out easily. But, we've made things even more complicated by choosing a...

Panoramic stitching.(DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY SUPERGUIDE)
December 1, 2006... Most of us have tried capturing a panoramic vista on holiday--and have been disappointed with the results. Thanks to the nifty panoramic modes of some cameras, shooting panoramas with a digital camera has never been easier. However, the editing...

Exposure compensation.(desktop video software)(Ulead PhotoImpact 11.0)(Serif PhotoPlus 10.0)(Corel Paint Shop Pro X)(Adobe Photoshop Elements 4.0)(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... Trying to save an under- or overexposed photo can be one of the most challenging tasks. Usually caused by strong flash photography or by shooting into the sun, cameras can often get out of their depth if not given manual guidance. It is...

Red-eye.(desktop video software)(Ulead PhotoImpact 11.0)(Serif PhotoPlus 10.0)(Corel Paint Shop Pro X)(Adobe Photoshop Elements 4.0)(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... One of the most common issues with flash photography is red-eye. It's caused by light from a flash bouncing off the blood vessels of the retina at the back of the eye, which shows up as a glowing red. Red-eye tends to be more severe the...

Necessary accessory? Photo fans need more than a camera and plenty of memory. Rosemary Haworth has found the perfect accessories for the snap-happy.
December 1, 2006... SLIK MINI TABLETOP TRIPOD $36 WWW.MADSEHS.COM.AU/HEW/SLIK However steady your hands may be, for telephoto shots and macro photography, a tripod is a must. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] PELI 1010 MICROCASE CLEAR WITH RED LINER $29...

Be social, be safe: safeguard your reputation while socially networking.
December 1, 2006... Teenagers have long been the vanguard of popular culture, which explains why so many adults are only now taking a close look at the social-network sites that young people have been flocking to in recent years. The MySpace personal Web page...

Have a totally tech Christmas: reward the nice people in your life this year with a great tech Christmas gift. we have loads of suggestions. you may even be naughty and buy one for yourself.
December 1, 2006... FOR RUN Lego Mindstorms NXT You'll be fighting the kids for this one. Build your own robot and, with support for Bluetooth, control it from your mobile phone or PDA. New sensors promise more sophisticated Frankensteins. $379.99:...

Picture perfect.(BEST BUYS: TOP HARDWARE, REVIEWED AND RATED)
December 1, 2006... Outgrown your compact, point-and-shoot digital camera? Turn directly to page 54 for our reviews of the latest digital SLR cameras. We reviewed six cameras from Canon, Olympus, Sony and Nikon and the roundup is required reading before you...

PCs.(personal computers)(Buyers guide)(Table)
December 1, 2006... BEST BUYS PCs $1500-$3000 FEATURES AND SPECIFICATIONS 1 Pacstar X-AM2Duo * AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600 Dual Core AM2 Price: $1999 Socket CPU; NVIDIA nForce 430 chipset; Phone: (02) 9868...

Media center PCs & PC cases.(personal computers)(Buyers guide)(Table)
December 1, 2006... BEST BUYS MEDIA CENTRE PCs & PC CASES MODEL FEATURES AND SPECIFICATIONS 1 Claritas CLT-302 Intel (1.83GHz T2400 Core Duo CPU), Price: $2999 Intel 945G, 1GB RAM,...

Notebooks.(laptop computers)(Buyers guide)(Table)
December 1, 2006... BEST BUYS NOTEBOOKS SUB-$2500 FEATURES AND SPECIFICATIONS 1 Pioneer DreamBook Light 822 Intel Core Duo (2GHz) T2500; 1GB Price: $2299 533MHz RAM DDR2; 14.1in screen Phone:...

Wireless routers.(Buyers guide)(Table)
December 1, 2006... BEST BUYS WIRELESS ROUTERS WI-FI SPEEDS MIMO ROUTERS WI-FI SECURITY 1 Netgear RangeMax WPN824 * 11Mbps, 54Mbps, 108Mbps Price: $199 Phone: 1800 502 061 WEP...

ADSL2 modems.(Buyers guide)(Table)
December 1, 2006... ADSL2 MODEMS pc world TEST CENTRE ADSL ADSL2 MODEMS STANDARDS NETWORKING 1 Dynalink RTA1025W ADSL; ADSL2; 4-port switch; DHCP Price: $179 ADSL2+...

19in LCD monitors.(liquid crystal displays)(Buyers guide)(Table)
December 1, 2006... 19in LCD MONITORS pc world TEST CENTRE PANEL TECHNOLOGY RESPONSE TIME DOT PITCH INPUT MODEL ...

Graphics cards.(Buyers guide)(Table)
December 1, 2006... GRAPHICS CARDS pc world TEST CENTRE MID-RANGE GRAPHICS CARDS SPECIFICATIONS CONNECTIVITY 1 Gainward GeForce 7600GT PCX GeForce 7600GT chipset; VGA; DVI; Price: $249 12 pixel...

TV tuners.(Buyers guide)(Table)
December 1, 2006... BEST BUYS TV TURNERS MODEL FEATURES AND SPECIFICATIONS 1 DViCO FusionHDTV PCI; USB 2.0; HDTV; SDTV; dual DVB-T DVB-T Dual Digital 2 * tuners; PIP; time-shifting; Price:...

DVD burners.(DVD recordable drives)(Buyers guide)(Table)
December 1, 2006... BEST BUYS DVD BURNERS MODEL CD SPEEDS DVD SPEEDS 1 Pioneer DVR-A11XLA * CD-ROM 40x DVD-ROM 16x, DVD-R 16x, Price: $99 CD-RW 32x DVD-RW 6x, DVD-R DL 8x, Phone: 1800 331...

Picture imperfect.(Windows XP)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Q I'm using Windows XP. When I open Display Properties and select the Desktop tab, I notice that a number of photos from the My Pictures folder have migrated into the Backgrounds list. Can I remove them? --Mal Guthrie A This question...

Change of ownership.(WINDOWS XP)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Q I had a problem with my computer that I had to resolve using the XP recovery disc. I lost 30GB of files from My Documents, but as this was backed up to an external drive, I wasn't bothered. However, I now seem to have lost 30GB of space...

Missing memory.(TOP TIP)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... The maximum amount of memory that a 32-bit operating system can use is 4GB. 32-hit software is capable of using 4GB of memory, and your computer motherboard can address it. But some of the devices in your computer, such as your graphics card,...

Not So Hotmail.(INTERNET)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Q I've found that I can't access Hotmail any more. When I go to the MSN page and click on Hotmail, it comes up with the message "Done"--but only a blank page is showing. Can you help, please? --Beverly Calo A Try clearing your Web...

Removing IE 7.0.(using Internet Explorer 7.0 beta on Windows XP Professional)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Q I'm using Windows XP Professional. I thought I would try the Internet Explorer 7.0 beta, but I wasn't happy with it and removed it. Now I am having trouble loading Web pages. When I load my home page, it says 'Error 404', and it stays on...

False Trojan?(Norton AntiVirus keeps reporting that I have the Trojan.Zlob.J virus on my computer)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Q Norton AntiVirus keeps reporting that I have the Trojan.Zlob.J virus on my computer. It always appears in a .tmp file in the System32 directory. The instructions to delete it do not work as when I reboot the computer it appears in...

Unusual termination.(Internet Explorer error)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Q When I click the Internet Explorer icon I receive the message: "Runtime error. Program: C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\Internetexplorer(2).exe This application has requested the runtime to terminate in an unusual way". I have restored my...

SYNC backup.(back up only the files that have changed and synchronised with the data on my hard drive)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Q I have a laptop computer. As my data is sensitive, I have decided to buy an external USB 2.0 hard drive as backup. How can I keep it synchronised with the data on my hard drive? If possible, I would prefer to back up only the files that have...

Socket to me.(Windows XP Media Center Edition PC)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Q I have just bought a new Windows XP Media Center Edition PC. There is a strange socket on the back. What is it for? Alan Ruthvan A From the picture you sent (see FIGURE 4), the socket appears to be on the graphics card, just below...