Miscellaneous

Disk Cleanup and Office Setup Files

A Digital Bits reader writes: In the “Disk Cleanup” function when the system determines what I can eliminate it always shows that I have in Office Setup Files 220,550kb of information. Is it possible to remove this data without causing harm to my current programs or system and if so, will it really give me […]

Google search basics

The English language is weird. We use “football” to describe a game played mostly with hands. It’s called a “driveway”, but all we do is park there. And “Google” can be a noun and a verb. To “Google something” means using the Google search engine to find information. To find information quickly and easily, it […]

Child-proofing the Internet with access restriction software

Mike asks: “What are the best options for monitoring children’s computer use and blocking adult content?” In the old days, it was easier to visit forbidden sites: The secret was to stay up later than your parents. (This strategy is only theory, of course.) Now, it’s far more difficult because most Internet service providers offer […]

How to format unrecognized drives in Windows

Gregg has a problem: My current BACK UP HARD DRIVE dilemma: Despite the fact I had no trouble installing an internal Seagate back-up drive there is a problem with TWO new Western Digitals when I have tried internal (IDE cable) and external (IDE to USB conversion) hook ups. I suspect this problem could be due […]

Multiple identical printers installing in Windows

Loreen asks: A message popped up on my home computer saying that it detected new hardware and did I want to install it? We had not added anything new to the computer, but my husband grabbed our printer disk and installed the “new” printer. Now when I look at the Print dialog box, there are […]

What is the i386 folder? What is the Windows folder?

Ella asks: The eclean software has a selection for finding duplicate files so you can delete one to save space. However, I haven’t been able to find out which ones of the duplicates can be deleted. For example, the file may beC:\i386\abcd and the duplicate may be C:\windows\i386\abcd. Both have the same bytes and date. So […]

Windows 98 to Windows XP CD Burning Problems

Phylis asks: Is there a way to make a Windows XP computer read CDs that were copied on a Windows 98 computer? So you create CDs on a Windows 98 machine, and that PC can read those CDs happily. When you bring those same CDs to a WinXP machine, the WinXP machine can’t read the […]

Optical mice, mouse cleaning and Japanese men

Mary from attbi.com asks: “Our mouse is getting increasingly independent. Can that be just dirt and age? Is there a way to clean it easily or should we buy a new mouse? I tried a new mousepad and that seemed to work for a while — the old one was a slick surface that dirt […]

Recycling Electronic Devices

Hurling your malfunctioning computer into a lake may seem cathartic. A hilarious scene from the movie Office Space details a copy machine’s destruction by baseball bat. Calling your old TV a “boat anchor” is always fun in theory. But these devices (along with cellphones, batteries and most other electronics) contain massive amounts of mercury and […]

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