The last few versions of Mac OS X have included a neat feature called the Finder Sidebar, allowing easy access to commonly used files and folders (including the home drive, network shares and the documents folder). In Mac OS 10.5 (Leopard) the sidebar has undergone some rather major changes to help improve usability and address feedback regarding the sidebar. In particular, you can now have greater control over the default items which are displayed in the Sidebar. To display the Sidebar preferences, click on the Finder icon in the Dock and in the “Finder” menu (in the menu bar, at the top of the screen) select “Preferences”. Click the “Sidebar” option and you will see a list of options for what should (and should not) be displayed in the Sidebar. (more…)

Recently I switched from dial-up internet to ADSL. When using dial-up I always disconnected the internet when not in use, and I would like to continue this procedure for security reasons. However, if I use the ZoneAlarm Firewall or LAN Connection status box to disconnect the internet I cannot re-establish the connection. Is there another way to re-establish the connection? Also, whenever I attempt to load a PDF file from the web a message appears saying “This page has been blocked”. Is there a setting in ZoneAlarm or Internet Explorer to allow PDF files to be viewed? The computer is running Windows XP. (more…)

My computer recently required a complete reinstallation during which my email program was changed from Outlook Express to Outlook. This resulted in my old Address Book now being located in Outlook. I wish to return to using Outlook Express, but I cannot find the Address Book file or any way to export the address book from Outlook to Outlook Express. The computer is running Windows XP Service Pack 2. (more…)

After purchasing a new HP laptop running Windows Vista Home Basic I noticed that the computer did not come with a Windows Vista installation DVD, but instead prompts me to make a set of recovery disks. I was working under the assumption that brand-name computers came with a Windows install CD, so could you confirm whether this is normal? Another problem relates to the HP all-in-one printer which I also purchased with the computer. The printer initially installs alright from the included drivers and software CD, but on every third or fourth reboot the computer either installs additional printers in the Control Panel (which are not needed) or deletes the existing printers. I attempt to delete all the extra printers but they reinstall themselves. I hear that Microsoft is trying to fix all the problems with Vista. Is this true, and will they notify users? (more…)

A new feature in Windows Vista is the Preview Pane within Windows Explorer. When the Preview Pane is enabled, selecting a file within Windows Explorer will display a preview of the file (such as Word documents or JPEG graphics). This allows the quick preview of a file’s contents without having to open the file. To enable the Preview Pane, open a folder in Windows Vista then click the “Organize” button (in the top left-hand corner of the window) > “Layout” > “Preview Pane”. (more…)