Settings Permit Users to Save Deleted E-Mail
Q: I use Outlook Express for e-mailing. Recently, I accidentally deleted a very important e-mail message. I went through major hoops to have the message sent again. Is there a way I can get deleted messages back? Did I miss something?
--Darla S, San Dimas
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A: You can retrieve deleted messages, but it depends on several factors, including your e-mail program’s settings.
When you delete a message in Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express, the message goes to the Deleted Message Items folder, much as deleted files and folders in Windows go to the Recycle Bin.
Messages can be retrieved as long as they are in the Deleted Message Items folder. To recover a deleted message in either program, open the program and click on Inbox. From the list displayed select the Deleted Message Items folder and locate the message you want to recover. Right-click on that message, select Move To Folder, select the destination folder to which you want the message restored and click OK.
Both Outlook and Outlook Express can be set to keep deleted messages in the Deleted Message Items folder until you remove them or to automatically delete them when you exit the program.
Here’s how to check your settings: In Outlook Express, click on Tools and then on Options. Click on the Maintenance tab and look at the first box under the Cleaning Up Messages section. Clicking the small box will add or remove a check mark. A check mark here tells Outlook Express to empty the Deleted Message Items folder when you exit the program.
In Outlook, click on tools and then on Options. Click on the Other tab and you’ll find Empty the Deleted Message Items folder upon exiting.
Computer Bites Dust
Q: I have a brand-new Pentium III computer with Windows 2000 installed. A couple of weeks ago, I turned the computer on, and after a while, it just became unresponsive. It’s been like that ever since. What did I do wrong?
--Mitch G, North Hollywood
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A: You didn’t do anything wrong. My guess is that your computer is equipped with Norton Antivirus software and that the Live Update feature was enabled. This feature lets your computer update the list of viruses that the Norton Antivirus software scans.
This update feature works automatically when you are on the Internet. The latest update is dated June 30, and it was released July 1. It caused a number of computers equipped with Windows 2000 to crash or become unusable. You can un-install the Norton Antivirus software, and there should be a fix available for downloading at https://www.symantec.com soon.
2nd Hard Drive Needed
Q: My computer is less than 2 years old, and already the hard drive is filling up. I need to add a second hard drive. Is that something I can do myself?
--Sam B, Agoura
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A: Installing a new hard drive involves several steps, including mounting the drive inside the computer, connecting it to both power and data cables and setting jumper pins on both drives so that one drive will work as a “Master” and the other as a “Slave.”
After that, you’ll have to let the computer know it has that new drive and partition and format the drive. Then you’ll have to figure out if you want the new drive to be the bootable, or first, drive, while keeping the old drive as drive No. 2.
It can be done, but it’s not necessarily easy. A product that can make this process easier is QuickDrive from a company called Iupgrade. With QuickDrive, you still mount the drive in the computer, and in addition, you install a controller board in an empty slot on the motherboard. You connect power leads to the hard drive and a data cable that connects the hard drive to the new controller card.
The rest is easy. The software that comes with the kit installs and configures the new drive and makes it your C:, or bootable, drive without touching your original drive. The system then transfers all your files from the old drive to the new drive and then sets up your old drive as a backup so you can specify important files to be backed up. I tested one of these kits, and it worked as advertised. At $79.95, it makes the hard drive upgrade easy and fast. Take a look at https://www.iupgradeinc.com.
New Notebooks Coming
Q: I’m in the market for a laptop computer. Battery life is important to me, as I’ll be using this computer throughout the workday as I visit clients at various places. Weight would also be a consideration. What would you advise?
--George D, Los Angeles
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A: Before you rush out with your checkbook in hand, you should know that IBM is planning to roll out a new line of Ultra Light notebook computers. A CPU chip called Caruso and created by Transmeta will drive these new systems. These new chips are reasonably inexpensive and draw much less power than current notebook computer CPU chips.
These new notebook computers should deliver about eight hours of battery life and weigh about 3 ounces. I think it’s worth the wait.
Spacing Desktop Icons
Q: Is there a way for me to adjust the spacing between my desktop icons? Can I increase or decrease the number of desktop icons in a row?
--Lilly T, Glendale
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A: You can make adjustments in both size and spacing of icons on the desktop. Just right-click on any empty space on the desktop and then select Properties. Click on the Appearance tab and then click on the down arrow to the right of the Item box and select Icon. Here you can change the size of desktop icons. Listed below Icon you’ll find Icon Spacing (Horizontal) and Icon Spacing (Vertical). Click on the up or down arrow next to Size to change spacing. Click on Apply to see your changes on the desktop.
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Jeff Levy hosts the “On Computers” radio talk show from 9 a.m. to noon Sunday on KFI-AM (640). He can be reached at jefflevykfi@hotmail.com.
