Computer Quandaries — April 2006

by Dale Atchison



Folder Confusion

DaLe,

I have a page of a series of folders that once carried a name to describe their contents.  When I look at this page of folders now, those titles do not appear beneath the icons any longer.  For some reason, they have disappeared.  In order for me to open the folder I am searching for, I have to go to "View" and click onto any one of the other means that show me a description.  I will always get the result I need, but it was so much easier to click off on the main page of folders.

Ray


Ray,

If I understand your problem correctly, what you're saying is the View reverts each time you close the folder, from a View that shows you all the info you want, to one that doesn't.  (What is shown when you first open the folder?  I'd be interested...)

If that's correct, if you can always change the View setting to show what you want, do this to make it permanent:

  1. With the folder open in My Computer, and View set like you want it, click on Tools  »  Folder Options  »  View.

  2. Put a check mark in Remember Each Folder's View Setting.

  3. While you're there, make sure the radio button next to Show Hidden Files and Folders is depressed, remove the check mark next to Hide Extensions for Known File Types, and put a check mark next to Hide Protected Operating System Files.

  4. Click OK to save the changes and exit.  It is not necessary to click Apply first — you only need to click Apply when you want your changes to take effect immediately, but you're going to make some more changes before clicking on OK.
DaLe



Printer Problem

DaLe,

I have a HP PSC 1315xi printer.  I recently installed two new ink cartridges; ever since, each time I turn the printer on it prints out a test page.  I am using up my new ink printing test pages...  Help!!

Thanks,

Nancy


Nancy,

Here's a link to the page I found on the  HP Printers forum describing your problem and its fix.
(Google gives us all a chance to look like we know everything.  In this case, I just knew how to Google.)

Apparently, the cartridge alignment process has changed on these newer all-in-one printers.  Rather than let you choose which lines seem to be straightest, you take the alignment sheet that prints each time the printer powers up and scan it right back into the same device — the printer aligns itself automatically, and clears the 'flag' in its works that tells it to print the test page every restart.  As near as I can tell from the posts in the forum, you don't even have to have the computer turned on or connected to the printer — the process is completely internal to the printer/scanner.

Please let me know if this doesn't clear your problem, or if I've misunderstood the problem altogether.

DaLe

(She wrote back, said that was it.  Props to Google.)



Simple Address List

DaLe,

I am trying to print my address book; just sheets of print with single-spaced names and email addresses, but I cannot get to that option.  This is in my Outlook Express.

Is there an easy way to do this?

Diane


Diane,

Sorry, but Windows Address Book doesn't have a provision to allow direct output of its data to an address list.  However, from within Outlook Express, you can click on  File  »  Export  »  Address Book »Text File (Comma Separated Values)  »  Export  »  Browse  »  Desktop  »  type in the word Addresses  »  Save  »  Next  »  put checkmarks in the fields you want to include in the list, remove the ones you don't  »  Finish.  This will create a text file on your desktop — Addresses.csv — containing only the fields you want in the list; said file can be opened in Excel and printed as an address list.  If you don't have Excel, get the free  Excel Viewer from Microsoft.  Or check out the free  OpenOffice suite version 2.4.2, which includes Calc, an Excel work-alike.  You could also open the text file in Word, WordPad, or even Notepad, but there'll be considerable manual formatting necessary to make the list readable.

Please be aware: this method will only Export the contacts in your Main Identity folder in your Address Book; in my case, Dale's Contacts, in yours, I would assume Diane's Contacts.  It won't get groups, it won't get Shared Contacts, and it won't get the contents of any folders or sub-folders you've created.  If you want any of these included in the list, you must first open your Address Book and copy or move each of the individual contacts into your main folder.  Then remember to clean up the changes after you've done the Export.

I have to offer these alternatives to the printed list, which I think is 'way too much work for the little benefit gained.  When you go to visit your daughter, why not just email your entire address book to yourself just before leaving?  When you get there, you can check your email via the Internet, download the address book to her desktop, and it will be complete and ready to use:  all groups and folders will be the same as in your original.  If that would work for you, just click on  Addresses  while you're in Outlook Express, then click on  File  »  Export  »  Address Book  »  WAB  »  Desktop  »  type in Diane  »  Save.  Then right-click on the file Diane.wab on your desktop  »  Send To  »  Mail Recipient  »  Address it to yourself  »  Send.  If your mail waits in the Outbox until you click on Send/Receive, don't — instead, click on the down arrow next to Send/Receive, and click Send All.  (You don't want to Receive at this point, as that would defeat the wholeprocess.)  The address book will be waiting for downloading when you get to your daughter's house.

I looked online for a free address book application that might make this all easier, but couldn't find anything trustworthy and simple.  How unusual; generally, there's a great free program for just about anything you want to do.

And if you want quick access when you're in another program, try this:  click on Start  »  Run  »  type in WAB  »  OK.  Your address book will pop open on top of whatever program you happen to be in.  And much faster than finding the printed list.

DaLe

(Important Note: All of the tips offered in this section involve making and/or working with COPIES of your Address Book.  The original will remain, unchanged, in its Application Data folder, where Windows expects to find it.  In other words, no risk.)

[When I wrote this column, USB thumb drives were out there, but they weren't yet so cheap that everyone had three or four just laying around, gathering dust.  Nowadays, instead of saving the Address Book to her desktop, I would just tell Diane to save it to her theumb drive, and make sure she took the drive with her to her daughter's house.]

Thanks for asking!


And did you know?...

If you are a Verizon DSL customer, and you're paying more than $15 a month for your DSL, you only have to call and ask them to drop your rate to $15 and they'll do it.  You have to promise to stay with them for a year; if you cancel early, they'll charge you an $80 penalty.

(This is NOT an ad for Verizon.  In fact, I've had a few problems with them that they were unable or unwilling to fix.  This is just me telling you that, if you're already a Verizon DSL customer, you might be paying more than you need to for your service.  And here's how to fix that.)

Call Verizon at (877) 483-5898 to start the process.  To get to a live representative so you can ask your questions, select 1 - 1 - 1 at the voice prompts.

This worked for me.  If, for some reason, it doesn't work for you, my apologies — please let me know at the email address below so I can quit giving out erroneous info.  (I strive for accuracy above all else.)


"Computer Quandaries" was a column I wrote for Bits & Bytes, the online newsletter of the Tampa Bay Computer Society, from March 2006 thru April 2010.  When I became the BnB editor, I split it into two separate columns:  "Computer Quandaries" was the Q & A or Help Desk portion of the original column, while "Hints Tips & Rants" was the collection of random thoughts that had previously been tacked on as an afterthought.  When I gave up the editor job, I took both columns with me, to post on my website and/or blog.



      

See you next month.   Please email your questions to  DaLe@ComputerRepairShop.biz



I send these guys a few dollars every month... sure wish you would join me.
And 100% of your labor charges go to this rescue, too.