From a .doc to a .vem - a Sony USB memory stick problem
Jonathan Haslam loaded some Word .doc files onto his USB stick only to find that they were unreadable .vem files on his home PC I put a load of Word documents on a Sony MicroVault and have just tried to open them on my home PC. The files have all come out with the ".vem" suffix. Web searches don't give a clear answer on how to open or convert back to Word. Is there a driver I need to open them? Jonathan Haslam It appears that some Sony MicroVault USB drives compress files automatically, to save space. In that case they should also uncompress files automatically, but it seems your home PC does not have the decompression program installed, and does not recognise them. The MicroVault support site has a FAQ that mentions two programs, Virtual Expander and Decompression.exe, both of which run in Microsoft Windows. It says: "The Virtual Expander is only available in the MicroVault models that are pre-installed with the software." However, "the decompression program 'Decompression.exe' can also be used in other environments without the MicroVault." Both VirtualExpander_26.exe (719K) and Decompression_v26.exe (372K) are available for download. If you download Decompression_v26, I expect you will be able to uncompress the .vem files and retrieve your .doc files. Word, PowerPoint and similar files compress easily, and built-in compression must have seemed like a good idea when USB drives had relatively small storage capacities. It's generally not very useful today, so see if you can disable this feature on your MicroVault. You could still compress PowerPoint and similar files in Windows before moving them over, but use a more common format, such as Zip. Some files are not worth zipping, such as .wmv, .mp3 and .jpg files, because these formats are already compressed. Computing Windows Sony Jack Schofield guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
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From a .doc to a .vem - a Sony USB memory stick problem
Removing rogue security software
Tim Symonds is getting demands for money from a PC security program that he didn't knowingly install and can't now remove I seem to have part-downloaded a Personal Security system scan, and boxes keep popping up telling me to pay $74 (£46) for security because they have already detected serious viral threats to my computer (which my up-to-date Norton antivirus apparently hasn't). It won't delete and the pop-up tells me "this is only a trial offer and the delete settings have been disabled". Tim Symonds Getting users to install rogue security software, which might be disguised as a video codec update, is a popular scam. Most of these programs can be removed by Malwarebytes , and Bleeping Computer has full removal instructions for this one. After you've cleared it, go to Windows Update and make sure your software is up to date, and change all your web passwords. Anyone who has paid for fake security software should contact their card supplier's fraud department and ask for the payment to be cancelled. Microsoft Windows Data and computer security Computing Jack Schofield guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
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Ultraportable PC wanted, but not one with a widescreen
Jem Moore wants an old-style ultraportable notebook like the ThinkPad X31, but most current models seem to have widescreens Does anyone still make laptops with 4:3 screens? I want to replace my five year old IBM ThinkPad X31 as both the processor and battery are showing their age. Lenovo claims to offer 12.1in standard laptops on its website but following the link reveals only widescreen models. I don't watch movies or play games but I do work on documents and spreadsheets in portrait format where I want more depth (or height) on the screen. To get the same screen area as the X31 with 16:10 format would need a 12.6in screen, and to get the same height, a 13.5in screen. Jem Moore I'm also still using an X31 ThinkPad and have the same problem. Unfortunately, 4:3 format screens have gone out of fashion and most ultramobile laptops now have 13.3in widescreens that are not as tall as the X31's 12.1in screen. Worse, the extra width means the widescreen versions take up more room in your bag. If you decide to stick with a 12in widescreen, you will lose screen height, but not screen resolution. The WXGA widescreens on the ThinkPad X200 and Toshiba Protégé range typically have a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels, which offers slightly more depth than the 1024 x 768 pixel XGA format used by the X31 and similar machines. On-screen text will be smaller, but screen quality has improved in the past five years, particularly with the move from TFT to LED panels. At around £1,100-£1,200, these machines are cheaper than the X31, and have twice the battery life, so is that a problem solved? However, if you are willing to try one of the new ultrathin machines with Intel CULV (Consumer Ultra Low Voltage) chips and 13.3in widescreens, you can get a PC with even better battery life for about half the price. Examples include the Asus UL30 , Acer Timeline and MSI X340 , all of which I've looked at in Technophile, plus the Dell Inspiron Z and Acer's Travelmate-badged Timelines
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Ultraportable PC wanted, but not one with a widescreen
Unwanted support calls
Alan Denham put the phone down on a "cold caller" offering to help with his computer in distress I have just had a call from a person unknown with a very heavy accent claiming to be from my Windows 7 software provider. That was his first mistake, as I am running XP on one machine and Vista on another. He said he had been getting "distress messages" from my computer, indicating some infection or corrupt files, and would I please go online now so he could give me a website to connect to. At that point I told him I didn't believe him and cut him off. It seems I may have been being set up for some sort of infection or scam, and people need to be warned about it. Alan Denham Similar things have happened to other readers over the past year, and there are reports of other cases on the web. Many calls appear to come from companies based in Kolkata (Calcutta), India, possibly using a UK-based phone number redirection service, or possibly using faked CLI info. They may seem to imply they are calling from Microsoft, but they aren't. If you can get a UK number, you could try complaining to your Trading Standards Office or perhaps lodge a complaint with the free Telephone Preference Service . You could even contact the local fraud squad at cybercrime@kolkatapolice.gov.in – a suggestion made by a user on the Money Saving Expert forum . It seems the "scam" is to do some minor housekeeping duties on the PC then try to sell people a subscription support service rather than to plant a Trojan backdoor but, worryingly, that would be possible. There's nothing fundamentally wrong with remote support: it's a service built into Windows, and offered by, for example, the very reputable Geek Squad in the UK. However, it must be based on trust, and I don't see how you could trust someone who is "cold calling" with no prior contact, and making claims that you know are not true. Computing Jack Schofield guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
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Zip drive file rescue
Margaret Brewster has data on some Iomega Zip disks but no longer has a drive to read them Years ago I had a computer with an Iomega Zip drive, which I used to copy files from my home to my office computer. Having retired, I am catching up on my computer projects and have found three Zip disks, but I no longer have a PC that can read them. Margaret Brewster There are still some external Zip drives around that you could plug into your current PC's USB port. You might be able to borrow one from a friend, or find one via a local computer club, or something similar. If that approach fails, you could buy one on eBay.co.uk for £20-£30, then sell it again after transferring the data. Or there are companies that offer data recovery and file transfer services, such as Apex Technology . However, the data recovery market deals mainly with commercial companies who may be desperate to recover important data and are less worried about the cost. Web extra : By the way, Zip disks turned out to be less than perfect as an archival medium, rather than as a data transfer system (which is how you used yours), and Iomega was sued in the US over the "click of death" that affected some drives ( PDF ). If you run into this problem, retrieving your old data could turm out to be more trouble than it's worth. Computing Jack Schofield guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
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Zip drive file rescue
Firefox problem: Server not found
Lily Poberezhska uses Firefox 3.5 and has been having constant Server Not Found problems Since I installed Mozilla Firefox 3.5, I've been having constant Server Not Found problems. Judging by internet forums, it's a very common problem. Lily Poberezhska Mozilla has some support documents at " Server not found ", with suggested approaches. There's also " Cannot connect after upgrading Firefox ", which deals with firewall problems. However, I've found that there are fewer problems with more recent versions, and the latest 3.5.5 also seems faster. If you don't have a router problem (which can lead to Internet Explorer not working as well) then the best solution is probably to uninstall Firefox, delete all the add-ons, then reinstall the latest version. Computing Software Jack Schofield guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
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Firefox problem: Server not found
Speeding up a sluggish old Windows PC
Brian Thomas's old Windows PC has become sluggish, and he'd like to make it run faster... I am using a Dell Dimension 4700, which has become sluggish in operation and occasionally freezes.
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Speeding up a sluggish old Windows PC
Speeding up a sluggish old Windows PC
Brian Thomas's old Windows PC has become sluggish, and he'd like to make it run faster... I am using a Dell Dimension 4700, which has become sluggish in operation and occasionally freezes. I understand from our friend Google that it could be a registry problem and that there are programs available to help. Brian Thomas The Dell Dimension 4700 was launched in 2004 but its 3GHz Pentium is more than fast enough to run today's Windows XP SP3, if it has enough memory. At launch, XP ran in 128MB, so the Dell's 512MB was generous. Today, the practical minimum is 1GB, so you may need to add more. Crucial's website has a system scanner that will advise you – and sell you the memory. Running out of hard drive space has an even more catastrophic effect, so make sure you have at least 1GB free – not counting the Windows swap file, pagefile.sys. Otherwise, your PC's memory has probably been eaten up by big-name companies who want to make their programs launch faster, or want to keep updating them for you, but have little thought for what happens when everybody pulls the same selfish tricks. Unfortunately, there is no non-technical way to stop this, but Mike Lin's free Startup Control Panel provides a simple way to block the worst offenders. I generally don't recommend that inexperienced users run cleanup suites because the results can be catastrophic, and I don't believe registry cleaners make any practical difference in most circumstances. However, CCleaner – which is only available in a free version – is one of the safer options, and it includes a registry cleaner. The best solution is to reinstall Windows XP from scratch on a clean hard drive. However, with such an old PC, this will require a long series of Windows updates, and you will also have to reinstall your applications and transfer all your data. If you take that route – or pay someone to do it – then you may as well run the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor . The 4700 isn't listed as compatible, but I'd expect it to work if you installed a new graphics card – look for one that supports DX11. Of course, if you have to buy more memory, a new graphics card and a copy of Windows 7, you'd be better off buying a new PC … Computing Microsoft Windows Windows 7 Jack Schofield guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
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Speeding up a sluggish old Windows PC
Ask Jack | 05 November 2009
Old PC is slowing fast I am using a Dell Dimension 4700, which has become sluggish in operation and occasionally freezes. I understand from our friend Google that it could be a registry problem and that there are programs available to help. Brian Thomas Jack Schofield replies: The Dell Dimension 4700 was launched in 2004 but its 3GHz Pentium is more than fast enough to run today's Windows XP SP3, if it has enough memory. At launch, XP ran in 128MB, so the Dell's 512MB was generous. Today, the practical minimum is 1GB, so you may need to add more. Crucial's website has a system scanner that will advise you – and sell you the memory. Running out of hard drive space has an even more catastrophic effect, so make sure you have at least 1GB free – not counting the Windows swap file, pagefile.sys. Otherwise, your PC's memory has probably been eaten up by big-name companies who want to make their programs launch faster, or want to keep updating them for you, but have little thought for what happens when everybody pulls the same selfish tricks. Unfortunately, there is no non-technical way to stop this, but Mike Lin's free Startup Control Panel provides a simple way to block the worst offenders. I generally don't recommend that inexperienced users run cleanup suites because the results can be catastrophic, and I don't believe registry cleaners make any practical difference in most circumstances. However, CCleaner – which is only available in a free version – is one of the safer options, and it includes a registry cleaner. The best solution is to reinstall Windows XP from scratch on a clean hard drive. However, with such an old PC, this will require a long series of Windows updates, and you will also have to reinstall your applications and transfer all your data. If you take that route – or pay someone to do it– then you may as well run the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor . The 4700 isn't listed as compatible, but I'd expect it to work if you installed a new graphics card – look for one that supports DX11. Of course, if you have to buy more memory, a new graphics card and a copy of Windows 7, you'd be better off buying a new PC … iPhone keyboard?
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Ask Jack | 05 November 2009
Missing drive space on a Windows PC
David Menarry has installed his software on a new Vista PC and thinks he has less space left than he should have I've bought a new desktop running Vista Home Premium. After copying files from the old computer and installing and setting up the programs I need, which add up to about 120GB, I find almost 200GB of the 500GB hard drive has been used. David Menarry The hard drive industry uses "decimal bits" (powers of 10) because that gives a bigger number than the "real bits" (powers of 2) used by software. Your 500GB hard drive is seen by software as around 466GB. The hardware manufacturer has probably taken a chunk for a "restore partition" so that you can easily reinstall the operating system. Microsoft has probably taken some for System Restore and a Shadow Copy
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Missing drive space on a Windows PC