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Houston
We Have A Problem 081, 28/11/09
Recording
Freesat
I recently
had a Freesat box installed, as we will be shortly be going digital. After
setting it up the engineer stated that I could not record programmes on to a
VCR. Is this correct and if not, how do I do it?
Frank
Clayton, by email
It sounds
like a bad case of lazyitis and the engineer probably thought that if he had
said yes -- the correct answer -- he would have to set it up for you. Virtually
all digiboxes (terrestrial and satellite) have an auxiliary analogue audio and
video (AV) output socket, which can be connected to the AV input on your VCR so
you can record whatever channel is being received. You need a connecting lead
and this is where it sometimes gets a little bit complicated.
Most
models have two SCART sockets, in which case all you need is a two-way or type
‘U’ SCART-to-SCART lead, and if your TV is also connected to the digibox by
SCART cable playback on the VCR should be automatically routed to the TV. Some
models use phono sockets, so you will need phono to SCART lead to record from
the digibox, and probably a SCART-to-SCART lead to connect the VCR to the TV
for replay. Either way it’s not complicated and your friendly local TV dealer
should be able to work out the exact combination of leads that you need if you
give them the make and model numbers of your TV, VCR and digibox.
Archiving
Emails
Could you
tell me if it is possible to save old emails outside Outlook Express? Would it
then be possible to restore them in OE at a later date?
Christine
Angus, by email
Yes and
yes… Outlook Express and Windows Mail both have an Export facility but there’s
a much easier method for archiving old messages and that’s to copy the entire
message ‘Store Folder’ to another drive. If you need to restore it, you can use
the Import facility on the program’s File menu.
The only
minor problem is the Store Folders in both programs is buried deep in the
filing system but there is an easy way to find them, and move it to a more
accessible location. In OE and WM go to Tools > Options and click the
Maintenance tab (for Windows Mail go to Tools > Options > Advanced >
Maintenance) then click the Store Folder button. This shows the current
location of your message store folder; if you want to relocate it click the
Change button and specify the new location. I suggest creating a new folder in
the root of the C: drive, called ‘mailstore’ or something you will remember,
click OK and you’ll be asked to close the program. When it restarts the
transfer takes place.
Making
Short Work of Instruction Manuals
I have
just bought a program that includes a 278-page instruction manual in PDF
format. There are numerous coloured illustrations and ‘How to’ screen shots; it
is the sort of reading that should be done curled up in an armchair preferably
accompanied by a suitable liquid refreshment! I normally do the bulk of my
printing using a mono laser, and a small inkjet when the output requires a bit
of colour. To print this PDF file would probably ruin the inkjet and cost a
small fortune in cartridges. I am 77 and scrolling back and forth to get the
view I want is very tiring and a strain on the eyes. How can I get a hard copy
to read at my leisure away from the PC?
Are there any commercial firms that specialise in this type of work?
Allan
McRae, by email
Almost any
high street print shop will oblige, or your local branch of Staples but I fear
that it might cost you more than a set of ink cartridges. However, these
manuals are often filled with a lot of irrelevant guff so I would skim through
the instructions on your screen first. Make a note of the pages and chapters
that look important or are likely to need referencing and you may find that the
page count can be reduced by 50 percent or more, making it a much more
manageable job on your own printer.
Finicky
Firefox
Each morning I start
up my computer and then open Firefox. If I keep Firefox open it will run
all day without any problem but if I close it for any reason I can't then reopen
Firefox unless I close down my computer and reboot and start again
from scratch. What am I doing wrong, why does this happen?
David Moynihan,
by email
There are
a number of possibilities and if you are using Firefox 3.0 then it could quite
normal and due to the program’s intentionally slow shutdown, which can take
anything up to a minute to close all of its various processes. If you try to
restart Firefox while any part of it is still running you get an error massage
that says ‘Firefox is running but not responding… close the existing
Firefox process, or restart your system.
Firefox can also ‘hang’ or freeze when you close it down and
this can be due to unstable extensions, so try disabling them one a at time
from Tools > Add-ons and see if that makes a difference. Disagreements with
other programs can also cause this to happen. There’s a known bug in older
versions of Zone Alarm and the fix is to update to the latest version of the
program, or switch to another firewall. If you are using Norton 360 or Norton
Internet Security try disabling the Phishing Protection feature. Finally,
there’s a problem with Comodo Internet Security and if you have recently
upgraded the program go to Windows Control Panel and uninstall the Safe Surf
component, which is now redundant as this function is integrated into the
latest version of the program.
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© R.
Maybury 2009 0211
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