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System Restore: Facts and Foibles
Q. When I download files from the
Internet, I can never find them after the download box closes. I’m sure I’m
doing something wrong, but if you could straighten me out on this, I would
appreciate it, Mr. M.
A. When you click a link to download an item,
you are presented with a little download window, called a dialog box. In this
first window, you are given a choice whether to Open or Save the item you are
about to download.
If you choose Open, the file that you download will
be opened and/or run (in the case of programs), once the downloading concludes.
There are a variety of security-related reasons not to do this. Instead, I’d
suggest always selecting Save.
Once Save is selected, you will be
presented with a new window that asks where you want to save the file. My
recommendation is to click the drop-down arrow next to Save in: and select
Desktop.
Next, click the Save button and the downloaded file will be
saved to your Windows Desktop. Saving a file to the Desktop means that you’ll
never have to go looking for it because it will always be right in front of you,
on the Desktop. You can then move the file to another folder or work with it in
any manner you choose.
Bonus Tip: If you download a program, the file you
download will be named something like setup.exe. Once you install the
application by double-clicking the .exe file, you can then delete the setup file
you downloaded to the Desktop.
Q. Does using System Restore allow
me to get back an important document that somehow disappeared? I'm also curious:
If I create a document today and then use System Restore to go back to two days
ago, will I lose the document I just created?
A. I'm sorry to be
the bearer of bad news, but System Restore will not resurrect any documents.
System Restore focuses on settings, not documents or data. Its purpose is to
return your system to the point it was when a selected Restore Point was
created. It is not a data backup system, nor should it be thought of in that
manner. If you do, you're destined to be disappointed.
Using your
example, if you wrote a letter and saved it in My Documents today, then ran
System Restore and turned back the clock to a date two days ago, your letter
will still be located in My Documents. So if you're concerned that the letter
will disappear because it didn't exist two days ago, it will not. System Restore
protects you from system or settings changes that may cause problems. It has no
effect on documents.
To run System Restore, click Start > Programs >
Accessories > System Tools > System Restore, then select a date (called a
“Restore Point”) from the calendar that appears.
It’s a good idea to
create your own Restore Point before installing any new software or fiddling
with your settings, just in case things take an ugly turn. You can create a
Restore Point at any time by going to System Restore as described above. You’ll
see where you can create your own Restore Point.
Q. I’m using
Gmail and often get emails with pictures within the messages, not as separate
attachments. When I forward them, I hear back from recipients stating that they
received no pictures. What am I doing wrong?
A. When forwarding
photos that are embedded within an email, make sure you enable Rich Formatting
in Gmail's Compose window before sending. Normally, you'll see "Plain Text" to
the right of the formatting line. Click "Plain Text" and it will change to "Rich
Formatting." Once you make the change, you can proceed to send the embedded
photos.
Mr. Modem’s DME (Don’t Miss ‘Em)
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