IT Queries: Computer problems answered

Thanks for the tip about XPS files. I’m running a Mac and I’d like to be able to open them. The Microsoft software is Windows only.

Unfortunately that’s right, Microsoft have made it difficult to read the XPS files if you aren’t using MS products and this is one of the biggest barriers for using this format.

There are some third party applications that will read XPS files on the Mac including NiXPS and these are the best bet at the moment.

I have an Apple Computer and use Safari for my internet searches. Recently i have trouble connecting to the taste.com.au website which i use a lot (used to) when I do, I lose connection or the computer crashes.
what could be the problem?

It sounds like there’s something causing problems in the cache, which is where information on previous visits is kept.

To clear this, click on the Safari item on the menu bar, click Empty Cache and then Empty. 

Restart Safari and see if that clears the problem.

If it hasn’t then reset Safari, however note this will wipe saved passwords and cookies.

To do this, click Safari again and click Reset Safari. The box that appears will have a list of all the saved settings, make sure all the boxes are ticked and click Reset.

Safari will then restart.

If the problem still persists, it may be a Java problem. Visit the Java website and download the latest update.

I currently have a PC with CA Virus checker, Sygate Personal Firewall, Adaware and Spybot.
I am thinking of changing to an IMac at the end of the year.  Do I need all of this security/checking stuff for an IMac?

The short answer is no. Spyware is unique to Windows and, while Macs can theoretically be affected by viruses and worms, their superior security model means it is far harder for that to happen.

So you don’t really need to worry about these things, although you should still install the regular Apple updates as there are security holes in all operating systems.

Another possible cause for unsolicited updates is the Mac updater. This is straightforward to turn off.

Click the Apple icon in the top right hand corner of the screen and select system preferences from the menu.

In the system preferences, select the Automatic Updates icon and take the tick off the box beside Check for Updates.

You should keep in mind when doing this that Apple regularly release updates and bug fixes so it is good practice to check for updates every month. 

My staff and kids are spending too much time on facebook and myspace. How can I block these sites without buying some expensive security software?

The quickest and easiest way is to edit the hosts file. This file is loaded when you start the computer and is used to direct Internet requests. You can direct requests for certain domains not to go beyond your computer.

In Windows, the hosts file lurks in c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts. Open this file using Notepad and add the lines 127.0.0.1 facebook.com and 127.0.0.1 myspace.com.

On the Apple Mac the hosts file is in /private/etc/hosts.

Keep in mind this will block all access to those domains, so if you block a certain domain  you won’t be able to receive anything from that address.

Also remember this method, like all methods of blocking Internet access, is not foolproof. Determined little fingers will find ways to get around this block so it’s no substitute for proper supervision.

We have a computer which we are intending to sell. Could you please advise how to clear the hard drive of all info prior to selling?

The answer depends on who you are selling it to and what state you want it in when it’s sold.

You can wipe the computer hard drive completely, repartition the drive and reinstall the operating system. This is a long winded way of doing things however it’s probably the best if you are selling it on the open market. It also requires some degree of computer knowledge.

A quicker fix is to simply delete the user profiles currently on the system.

In Windows go to the Control Panel, click User Accounts and add a new user. Choose to make the user an Administrator. Log off and log back on as the new user,  go back to the user accounts and delete the accounts you currently use, choose to delete all user data when it asks you.

On the Mac, go into System Preferences and open the Accounts settings. Create a new user and give them rights to adminsister the computer. Log off and log back on as the new user and go back to the accounts. Select the user accounts you want to delete, then click Delete then Delete Immediately.

On both systems you’ll need to explore the hard drive to see if any applications have left data in other locations. Some programs, particularly accounting packages, have a habit of not storing data in the user folders.

Once you’ve deleted the data, you may want to ensure it’s securely deleted by running erasing software across the hard drives. Free programs include Eraser for Windows and Permanent Eraser for the Mac.

Remember to make sure any important data has been backed up before you do any of this.

I have the new version of Microsoft Office and people are telling me I can’t read what I send them.

Office 2007 has a range of new formats; Word 2007 saves documents in the docx format which is incompatible with the older doc formats.

The best solution when you are sharing files is to save files to the lowest level everyone can read. In Office 2007 you can set the file format by clicking the Office button (the big round button in the top left corner, click the Word Options button, click the Save tab.

Under Save Documents, click the drop-down arrow in the Save Files In This Format box and select Word 97-2003 Document (*.doc) the click OK.

Repeat this for Microsoft Excel.

One downside with this feature is that you will lose some Office 2007 features by saving to the 97-2003 format.

Office 2007 is going to become more common as will this problem. So we’d strongly recommend your friends and colleagues install the Office Compatibility Pack so they won’t get this problem in future.

I am using a Mac iBook OS 9.2.2. [I have just got a MacBook Pro (2.5GHz,250g HD) and am about to change to Telstra wireless broadband (Heaven or PC Rescue help me!). I will then be in to OS 10.5.2 (Leopard).]

I have been able to initialise the external HD as HFS+ OK.

I am instructed to use ‘Custom’, enter the number and size and name the partitions, but I can’t get to ‘Custom’ to do it. 

It’s an excellent idea to split up your drive in this way as it makes recovery a lot easier should something bad happen.

In the Silverline pro, make sure you have highlighted the drive and not the Bus or Partition in the first screen. Until you do this, the Custom command won’t be available.

LaCie have detailed instructions on how to do this in OS9 on their website.

It may be worthwhile trying the Mac Drive setup utility to see if this will resolve the problem. In the Drive Setup box you should get the Custom option after you click Initialize.

Generally the Silverlining Pro and LaCie disk should be very reliable and straightforward to use. If the problem continues you should contact your supplier to check the drive is okay.

I work on a Mac computer.  In the program Microsoft Word, I have accidentally hit a key or combination of keys.  Now my computer is striking over currently typed letters instead of interjecting additional letters to the sentence.

What’s happened is you’ve accidently clicked on the Overtype icon at the bottom of the Microsoft Word screen.

Have a look at the bottom of the screen, you should find the status bar and you will see the OVR box has black writing. Click it and it will turn to gray and the problem will be gone.

I have just bought a Ipod shuffle and have not been able to sync my music and I get an error message unknown error 1418. I have tried with out success is any one able to help??

It sounds like there is a problem with the disk format. The first thing to do is format the disk. On the Mac do the following;

Open the Disk Utility: In your hard drive, go to Applications, Utilities and Open the Disk Utility, your iPod should appear on left hand side.

Erase the iPod: Hightlight the drive, click the “Erase” tab, choose Volume Format as “MAC OS Extended (Journaled) if you only use it on the Mac, or MS-DOS if you might connect the iPod to a Windows system.

If you want to be sure the iPod has been fully wiped tick the “Zero Out Data” in the security options. This can take hours and you must not interrupt it.

Finally click Erase, leave it until it is wiped then eject it. Restart your computer, update iTunes and try again.

If it still doesn’t work on the computer, try it on another. If that still fails return it to the shop for a replacement.