with a computer problem?

asked them a question about a blinking question mark on start-up on a Mac and, just within the promised 24 hours, got this email: "First thing to try is reselecting the startup disk in the Startup Control Panel. It may be searching for the system folder. If this doesn't help, trash these preferences; Finder, General Control, MacOS, System. If the problem still remains, replace the Finder and System files from the OS CD. Next step, run either Norton's or TechTool Pro on your disk to check for problems. If you wish to contact me regarding this question, please feel free to reply to this e-mail." This was a good answer, and I can thoroghly recommend the service.

Another American site offering to answer technical questions at no charge is 5 Star Support. I sent them this question: "I thought it was possible to go on adding content to a CD-R until the disk was full. But this isn't possible when using the built-in CD-R/RW burner on my iMac. Is there any software I could get that would allow me to add further material at a later date after the first part of the content had been burned on?" The reply came within a few hours: "I have heard that the following software works great! http://www.cdrominc.com/product/1029.asp. I hope this will help you!" This rather brief answer turned out to be a link to an American firm selling Toast Titanium 5.01 software. It was a very sensible recommendation, even if there was no mention of it being slightly awkward to use with the iMac's built-in Disc Burner software. But it's a site that's certainly provides quick answers. I'd welcome more feedback (via my Guest Book page) on how useful you find them.

Many thanks to Steven Gray for sending me the following account of his experience: "Hello, I'll try to keep this as short as possible. In reference to the 5 Star Support link have on your site, I have the following review per your request. I sent the following question to 5 Star Support (Short version): Question: Can you please tell me - where/what is the command that tells Windows to put up a little boxed prompt saying 'Do you want to disconnect?' when I close or change browser windows?
Answer: You need to click start | settings | control panel. Open the internet icon. On the dialog box that opens, click on the connection tab. Then click on the settings button. If you have Internet Explorer 4.x installed, be sure that the disconnect if idle check box is not checked and set the time as desired. Click OK to save any changes. For whatever reason the disconnect prompt is tied to this function. I suppose the logic is that if you don't care if your connection is idle then you won't care if there is an active connection when you end Internet Explorer. If you have Internet Explorer 5.x installed, then click on the advanced button. Be sure that the disconnect when connection may no longer be needed check box is not checked. Click OK to save any changes. Also, a factory-installed program was popping up the nag window. The program is called "EncMonitor". Press "Ctrl-Alt-Del". If EncMonitor is listed in the Task Manger window, that might just be the culprit. Try this: Click the Start Menu button. Click "Run". Type "MSconfig" in the Run box and click OK. In the MSConfig window, click the "Startup" tab. Scroll down to the word "EncMonitor", and remove the checkmark. Then click OK. After you re-boot, you will never see the "Do you want to disconnect..." window again. I hope this will help!
Actual solution: Click the Start Menu button. Click "Run". Type "MSconfig" in the Run box and click OK. In the MSConfig window, click the "Startup" tab. Scroll down to the word "EncMonitor", and remove the checkmark. Then click OK. After you re-boot, you will never see the "Do you want to disconnect..." window again.
This response came within 2 hours of my sending the mail. I received 3 other responses within 5 hours from very courtious and knowledgable people. Although only one tech had the answer, I was given very sensible recommendations on what the problem may had been.
I asked the same question to Protonic.com and did receive some replies. The first came within 12 hours and 5 others not far behind. Although the solution to my problem was not given, I was given good sensible advice from friendly people."


For a long list of computer questions with the answers that users have already found, please see

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