The Help Desk
Q: My DVD-RW drive needs replacing. Which brand do you suggest, and where can I buy it? I need something with ease of installation and reliability.
— Clyde Pate
A: Most of the brand name DVD drives work just fine — the main differences among them are their speed and the software bundled with them. Let me direct you to a Web page that offers good reviews of these drives: http://tinyurl.com/n6uhut.
Installation is literally a snap. Open the case, remove the old drive and connect two snap-on cables — one for power, the other for data. Where to buy? Once you have selected the model you want, just compare prices and get the best deal.
Q: My computer has become infected with two viruses and I can't get to Add/Remove programs. However, I am still able to use e-mail, Google, my bank account, etc. I spent most of the day with two or three of the "free" removal sites, and none worked. Suggestion?
— Bob Turner
A: Many "free" removal sites are scams that eventually ask you to pay for a commercial product or service. There's no substitute for a good anti-virus program that is installed and kept updated.
Among the commercial programs I recommend Norton 360. Of the free programs, I like the free version of AVG: http://free.avg.com/download-avg-anti-virus-free-edition. I'd suggest installing one of those programs to get rid of your virus problem.
Q: My son recently sent me new photos of his children, but I had to join Facebook to see them. Was that a good decision? Is there any identity theft concern?
— Dale Leonard
A: Facebook is, of course, enormously popular. There have been cases of identity theft there. You can read about one of those cases here: http://tinyurl.com/be3as2.
Facebook users can take steps to reduce the risk of ID theft. Here's an article with some tips: http://tinyurl.com/6rthb2.
I can't tell you whether or not to use the site. Obviously it has many satsified users. But there are plenty of ways to share photos. Direct e-mail is one, as is loading them onto a dedicated photo-sharing site such as Snapfish or Kodak Gallery.
Q: We recently purchased a Dell computer that has Vista. Our digital camera is not compatible with Vista. How can we transfer the photos?
— Sandy Fernung
A: Your camera stores the photos you take on a small removable memory card. There are various types of cards.
My suggestion is this. Take that card into a computer store and ask to see a card reader that works with the card you own. That reader will connect to your computer using a USB cable. Once you have the reader simply plug it into the computer and insert the card. It will transfer your photos seamlessly.
HAVE A QUESTION?
Please send your questions to Bill Husted at tecbud(at)bellsouth.net. While he reads every e-mail, not all are answered. E-mails are selected for publication based on the likelihood that the answers will be of general interest.