In Windows XP you can create new Windows taskbar toolbars. These toolbars can be either docked within the taskbar or float outside the taskbar. For example, you could have a bar running down the side of the screen which contains frequently used document templates or programs. To create a toolbar, you will first need to unlock the taskbar (if it is locked). Right-click on the taskbar and untick ‘Lock the taskbar’. To create the toolbar, right-click on the taskbar, then select ‘Toolbars’ > ‘New Toolbar’. You will then need to select a folder (which will store all the shortcuts contained in the toolbar). I recommend creating a new, empty folder. Click OK, and the newly created toolbar will appear docked within the taskbar. Should you wish to undock the toolbar (and have it float outside the taskbar), minimise any open windows so the desktop is showing, then drag the toolbar off the taskbar and position as desired on the desktop. To place items in the toolbar, hold the ALT key and drag the icon onto the toolbar and a shortcut to that item will be created in the toolbar. (more…)

My 2-year-old son likes typing on the computer and has pressed something which has turned the computer settings to permanently 16 colours at 640 x 480. Whenever I reset the colour and resolution to their original values Windows must be restarted, but the settings do not hold. The computer is an older Dell running Windows 2000. (more…)

Recently I purchased a new computer running Windows XP Service Pack 2. Unlike my previous computer, this new computer does not have a floppy drive. On my old computer, I used the floppy drive to save backups of documents. On my new computer, I am attempting the same thing but instead doing backups to CD-RW disks. However, whenever I attempt to save a file to the CD-RW (D) drive from within an application (e.g. Microsoft Word) the following message appears: ‘You do not have access to the folder D. See your administrator for access to this folder’. I am able to successfully save the files to my hard drive, and then copy them to the CD-RW disk using the Windows XP in-built CD writing function. A related problem is when opening a document on a CD-RW disk and modifying the contents, then attempting to save the file back to the CD, the following error appears: ‘Cannot save the file D: est.doc. The file exists and is marked Read Only’. How can I write files to CD like my old floppy disks? (more…)

Since upgrading Norton Internet Security 2004 to version 2005, an error message appears when Windows starts. The message either says ‘The system has recovered from a serious error’ or ‘Generic Host Process for Win32 Services has encountered a problem and needed to close’. When I click OK on either message, the computer operates correctly with no apparent negative impact from these errors. A second (and unrelated) problem relates to a recent scan using Spybot Search & Destroy which identified two security risks in the Windows registry, with no additional information provided on these risks. I clicked the button to fix these detected problems, but how can I determine whether these were actually serious security risks and that they have been fixed? The computer is running Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 2. (more…)

When Windows starts the following message appears: ‘Backweb Warning: Item Trigger tried to perform an action not authorised by the channel’s security settings and has been stopped’. Clicking OK causes the message to disappear, and the computer operates normally. I have run scans using both Ad-Aware and AVG and both report clean results, yet the error message still appears on startup. The computer is running Windows Me. (more…)