This month’s session was a cornucopia of issues and solutions across grand variety of fields.  The first challenge was on how to connect a couple of machines with a simple USB/USB cable.  Some users were having trouble getting each system to recognise the other.  It was suggested that you have to be careful with the cheaper cables because they are more than just wires: they have a smart chip embedded in them usually in a small plastic block or in an ending.  This chip moderates the communication function and must be compatible with the systems at both ends.  Normally the ‘brand’ cables are better with Vista than the clone versions.

A particularly awkward problem addressed next was the date format in Quicken and Firefox for one user.  This let us explore date settings again deep in Regional settings, in the dictionary settings and in the apps themselves.  An examination of printer drivers was advised since it can influence the print preview make-up. 

Speaking of drivers, Bob Traynor mentioned that an obscure process was being applied successfully to nVidia graphics drivers by first removing them then scrubbing them clean with Drive Cleaner Pro, reinstalling and updating.  There are quite a few out there with this problem.

Troublesome behaviour with links in emails came up next, sometimes no browser appearing and sometimes the wrong one.  The solution offered was the fixing of the unwanted browser as the default first and using a link then fixing the desired browser as default.  This had been found to anchor the right setting in the registry by forcing change.  It was said that removal or alteration of a browser can leave ‘hanging settings’ that need hammering back into shape.

Then the meeting moved into the customary Vista disappointment session with pro and con opinions debated.  It seems that sometimes it’s driver problems but often it’s reluctance to change to the new secure environment.  Maybe computers never should have been let out of locked mainframe security rooms.  Some members thought that Windows 7 might be their salvation next year.

Docx file formats came up, and their other Office app companions.  It was discussed how the new MSft files are ‘zip’ files in a folder structure that contain XLM plain character coding.  No longer are they unreadable binaries.  Passwording now becomes Encryption since ‘-x’ files in their ordinary state can be inspected like zip files.

A curiosity came up whereby new Vista fonts could be added to XP by using, say, the new PowerPoint Viewer.  The installation adds the new fonts.

After the break Bob T showed us a couple of applications starting with CCleaner.  A lot of detritus is left lying around our computers and this donationware scours unnecessary files and settings and leaves a system healthier.  Oddly Vista showed uncleaned settings until the new Vn.2 was installed.  The word is that CC has a good moderate approach and is regarded as very reliable.

Next was a demonstration of UltraISO, a piece of shareware that does a good job of making a bulk ISO file out of a whole DVD/CD.  ISO files can be written out to blanks for reliable backup.  This session led to more audience chat about burning and error correction (and a preference for +R discs) and bootability (via Nero, a favourite).  Even detergent and water was analysed with disc rescue utilities.  All in all, a very useful night.