Q What’s the best way to retrieve a file that seems to have disappeared from our computer?

D Farrell, London

A First, go to Start, Search, and put your file name into the box labelled “All or part of the file name”. Windows should locate it. Next, check the Recycled folder to see if someone has inadvertently deleted the file. Failing that, visit www.copernic.com and download the free, and excellent, Copernic Desktop Search program, which will index your whole hard drive and perform a more thorough search. In the end, you may need to resort to a file-recovery program such as the free PC Inspector (www.pcinspector.de/file_recovery/uk/welcome.htm).

ONE TO AVOID

Q I have been offered something called Winfixer2005, which claims it will sort out my computer problems. Is it a genuine product?

John A Jewell, Tunbridge Wells

A Winfixer2005 is a nasty piece of software that will hijack your computer and is difficult to remove, so I suggest that you steer well clear. In general, be wary of slickly marketed software programs that make extravagant claims, whether they be to rid your computer of viruses or fix slow performance. Before you buy any software like this online, do a quick web search for the program’s name. If you see a lot of sites, chat forums or bulletin boards complaining about a product, then you can be pretty sure it is to be avoided. This is one search that could save you hours of heartache later on.

PIC AND MIX

Q Can I connect my digital camera directly to an MP3 player and transfer photos?

Christine Burrell, via e-mail

A The USB SyncBox (£42 from www.gamecase.co.uk/customer/products/1400) hooks up most USB devices in order to transfer data. You can use it to move images from your camera to a hard disk or music player and vice versa, as long as the devices support the relevant file formats. You need a USB port on the camera, of course. iPod owners may be interested to know that the iPod Camera Connector will work with some, but not all, digital cameras.

dontpanic@sunday-times.co.uk

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