InBox

By DON McALLISTER

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

Q. Manuel has serious problems when connecting a Sony camcorder to his USB port - the computer immediately pouts and slides into shutdown.

A. It's a known Sony driver issue on certain camera models, Manuel. Go to Sony's site and download the latest drivers for that camera model.

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Q. Steve points out that cyber fraudsters are again targeting Ebay and Paypal members with email links to bogus websites to glean account passwords.

A. The only way to stop these scams is to ignore all email links to account logins. It takes seconds to type in www.paypal.com or www.ebay.co.nz, but months to tidy up the damage done when these accounts are compromised.

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Q. "Why does my printer pause before printing from Windows XP?" asks Lou. "Windows 98 printing was immediate."

A. This is by design in Windows XP, Lou. XP waits 15 seconds to see if any more data arrives. If not the print job is sent to the printer. This delay can be reduced by messing with the registry, but unless you're familiar with that process, it's probably better to leave well enough alone.

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Q. Mike's Adaware anti-spyware program isn't working very well. It was hijacked last week, then the hijacked homepage was hijacked. He wants his Xtra homepage back. "What's a better option?"

A. Adaware had large gaps between definition file updates until March this year, Mike. Now they're almost daily, but not much is updated. Try Spybot S&D which stops hijackings entering if they're known.


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