InBox

By DON McALLISTER

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

Q. Bob's new TFT display has gained a common affliction - dust and grime. "How should I clean it?", he asks.

A. Most modern screens have a special coating to limit reflections, and this can be damaged if cleaned with an inappropriate "hard" cloth, Bob. Many manufacturers suggest the following for both cathode ray tube and flat TFT screens: switch the unit off. Apply a small amount of isopropyl alcohol (available from your chemist and designed to dissolve grime, not the plastic surfaces) to a soft cleaning cloth and clean the screen. Use a second cloth to dry and polish it. NOTE: check beforehand with your supplier that this will not void the warranty.

* * *

Q. Brian's Outlook sorts the contacts by first name. He'd like them to sort by surname.

A. Yes, that's a common gripe, Brian, - the default setting is to sort by first name. For Outlook Express go to Tools/Address Book/View/Sort by/Last name. For the full version of Outlook, click once on the contacts folder to open it. Just below the headings for each column (between the column headings and the column contents) there is a bar. Right click that, select Sort, In the "Sort Items By" dropdown menu, select Sur
rname.

* * *

Q. Jenny writes: "When my computer has been inactive for five minutes Windows XP logs off, I have to put my password in again to get back to the document I'm working on. It's a real nuisance. Where do I find the setting to change this?"

A. Open Control Panel/Display/Screensaver, change the "Wait" setting to more than 5 minutes. To remove the password protection; remove the tick from "On resume, display Welcome screen."

* * *

Q. "I'm searching for a long lost schoolmate. Where should I start?", asks Karl.

A. Try oldfriends.co.nz, Karl. This free service is supported by Trade Me online auctions. With 205,000 members, if that friend is registered, you'll find them.


* Email us your question about computers