Inbox highlights

Welcome to InBox, where we attempt to answer your internet questions.


* * *

Isabella Hughes is the look-before-you-leap type: "My computer is four years old, and so is all the software. When I open Outlook, I get a message saying I can upgrade MSN - do I want to?

"I update Norton frequently, but tend to avoid downloading extraneous software. Also, some time ago you talked about biscuits, and how to get rid of them. Is that information still available?"

The MSN (Microsoft Network) message you're getting, Isabella, dates back to a brief period when the network was being trialled here some years ago - so no, you don't want to upgrade.

As for ridding yourself of the biscuits, go to C:/Windows/Cookies (for this is what the Americans, in their perverse way, call biscuits), hit Ctrl+A to select all the files, then hit Delete. You will have to do this quite often, though, for they are created continuously whenever you visit the net.

* * *

Merv Goss: "Can you advise how I can save a file folder in Outlook Express to a floppy? When I try, I only save the highlighted file."

Can't be done, Merv. Microsoft's Sean Dring suggests: "If you select all the e-mails, then drag and drop them on the floppy, it stores them as files. Try to drag and drop one to the desktop first."

* * *

"I have been using a computer for only six months and am still very much a learner, not to mention the fact that I am in my 70th year," writes Mabel Keiser.

"My problem is that when I send an e-mail to my husband's family in Switzerland, I do not know where to find the umlaut in the German language (two small marks over certain vowels). I know where the French acute is, and I feel sure the umlaut must be there somewhere."

What I do, Mabel, is go Start/Programs/Accessories/SystemTools/Character Map, and up comes a box with the complete character-set of whatever font you're using, including umlauts. Double-click the character you want, hit Copy, and then paste the character in from the clipboard. It's a bit of a hassle, I know ...

* * *

Irene Irwin got fooled by a gigantic graphic: "I put a 48,524kb .bmp photo into a recent e-mail and it was enormous, about five times bigger than the original (I could see the design on the wallpaper!).

After waiting 20 minutes for IE5.5 to send the photo, I cancelled ... and decided to seek your help."

Very wise, Irene - do this: fire up MS Paint from the Accessories menu, open your graphic, then go Image/Attributes, adjust width and height proportionately, and save.

Or you can just drag the resize handles, located at the bottom right corner and along the bottom and right sides of your picture.

* * *

"PS - do you know of a good site for home vets?" Irene wants to know.

Try Petsmart's Ask The Vet

* * *

Someone recently asked about Microsoft Fax in Windows Me, but the e-mail must have been lost in the Great Crash last month.

Anyway, here's the answer from Microsoft: "The Microsoft Fax Windows Messaging (also known as 'At Work Fax' or 'MS Fax') component from Windows 95 is not supported in Windows Me. Using Microsoft Fax in Windows Me may result in errors or data loss, or both." So there. Use a web-based fax service - type web-faxing into any search-engine.

* * *

More of your InBox questions will be answered Wednesday in CyberLunch, on air 12:00-1:00 with Murray Lindsay and Peter Sinclair on Classic Hits 97FM.

If there's anything you want to know about the exciting world of the web, just e-mail inbox@herald.co.nz.

Links

Petsmart - Ask the vet