Inbox highlights

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

* "Can you please advise whether the computer should be disconnected from the mains during an absence of 3 to 4 months, or have someone turn it on for an hour or so now and again? Thank you, John."

It's not a bad idea, John, because sometimes the microscopic gunk on a hard-drive will solidify if the machine is unused for a while and temporarily freeze it (an alternative remedy is that old technical standby, a good thump).

* Keith Marshall has been zapped by some invasive code, a bit like the dreaded GoHip, called SearchEngine 2000. Is anyone else having a problem with this? - it seizes control of your browser's homepage and tries to sell you stuff.

Meantime, Keith, I'd recommend a visit to www.lavasoft.de to pick up a copy of AdAware, which may be able to help.

* Dave King wants to pretty up his e-mails, and quite right too. "Unless I use the customised stationery provided with Outlook Express ... I cannot set different fonts, font-sizes, text-colour, etc. How can I use the editing powers and toolbars in Microsoft Word in Outlook Express?"

When you're sending new e-mail, Dave, you'll find heaps of ways to customise it on the "Insert" and "Format" menus - take a look! But if you want to graduate to the full power of MS Word to compose e-mail, you'll need to upgrade to MS Outlook itself - there's a checkbox under Tools/Options/Mail Format which will do the trick. For a single message using Word without changing your default, go Actions/New Mail Message Using/Microsoft Word.

* Sid Leivers is irritated by an Outlook feature which bugs me too: "In the contacts box I get all the entries from my address book, most of which don't have an e-mail address. Is there a way of restricting the contacts-box to e-mail contacts only?"

Microsoft's Sean Dring, a geek of high renown, replies crisply: "Can't be done. However, you can sort the address book on the e-mail field. I've forwarded the suggestion to MSwish@microsoft.com. Any customer can send product suggestions ... to the relevant design team."

* Music-lover Peter Slijp: "I want to digitally record my favourite old music from LP records to my PC ... then convert to MP3 to keep the file-size down - haven't been able to find software to do this."

You need Cool Edit Pro, says Don McAllister, from www.cooledit.com. You can purchase the lead to connect your soundcard to your stereo from Dick Smith.

* 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:



www.lavasoft.de

www.cooledit.com