The Digital Surgery (computer questions/problems here)

[hhfarang]

I have explained this prpoblem on FB already.
A FB friend told me that I needed Photoshop!?

Anyway I just need ONE application, namely how to
remove the white background of certain IT images.

"Two foolproof ways to remove the background from a photo"

https://www.yahoo.com/tech/two-foolproo ... 25522.html

[Big Boy]

Another problem with my new laptop, but I still don't think its a Windows 10 problem.

With Microsoft Outlook 10, I'm receiving mail, and as far as I know, my mail messages are being received. Every version of Outlook I've used before, sent mail has been saved in the Sent folder, and deleted mail has been in the Deleted folder.

I'm quite a heavy user of Outlook, but after a few days of usage, I have 3 messages in my Sent folder and 1 message in my Deleted folder. Can anybody tell me where the missing messages are hiding (if anywhere), and how to get them to show in to the Sent and Deleted folders please?

[buksida]

Are you using POP or IMAP? Your own domain or a free one (Hotmail/Gmail)?

If IMAP sometimes just deleting the account and re-adding it will reload all of the messages off the server. If you're using a free web account there maybe additional folders you're not seeing, what does the webmail interface show?

I gave up on Outlook years ago, it was too cumbersome and problematic.

[Big Boy]

Apologies for slow response - it's task by task with the new laptop. Yesterday's big challenge was getting the printer working. I used the installation disk, and it kept telling me installation failed. Eventually, it sunk in. There was no Windows 10 when I bought the printer, so the installation disk would not have Windows 10 drivers . 2 minutes on the Internet, installation complete

Anyway, time to backtrack to Outlook, and the answer to your questions:

1. I am using IMAP.

2. All of the sent and deleted mail is being held in the webmail interface, so nothing has been lost.

3. You advised me to use Thunderbird??? a few years ago, but I just couldn't get on with it.

If nobody knows the solution, I have a workaround i.e.:

- If I am sending a message that I want to keep, I just include myself as BCC, and file the received message.

- Deleted messages are deleted because they are no longer needed. If I do need to access one, it will always be available in the webmail interface.

[J.J.B.]

Have extra folders been created in Outlook that mirror what they are called in the online interface? I know that with certain systems you can 'map' folders from the online environment (web) to the offline one (PC). The benefit if IMAP over POP, as you probably know, is that your PC is a dynamic, synchronised mirror of the online mailbox rather than simply a static, one-time copy that is updated each time you perform a synch. So the good news is that you're not losing anything although it's clearly not ideal.

There may be mapping options through your web interface where you can instruct the software which folders you want to synchronise 'sent', 'deleted' and 'archive' to on the PC. A deep rummage around in the options and advanced options settings may deliver what you require...

[Big Boy]

OK, thanks - I'll have a mooch around.

[Big Boy]

Another problem on the new lappy This problem comes in 2 (colour coded) parts:

Since Friday morning, my Firefox browser has been loading an increasing number of pages blank. I initially thought it was some sort of censorship, until I realised the same pages were loading fine on other browsers. Am I alone in this, and does anybody know a fix please?

I have been trying to switch to Chrome, but I just cannot get to grips with it - I actually hate it with a vengeance. The problem being that I find it incredibly unfriendly.

My biggest problem is that it doesn't have a menu bar at the top, and everytime I want to do something, I struggle to find the way through. Even something as simple as bookmarks, I can only produce as an ugly bar - I work with about 50 bookmarks, so that bar becomes extremely ugly. Whatever happened to the simple drop down list?

Even the translation tool that many rave about, is a chore. Last night I had a page in Thai I wanted to read - it wouldn't cut and paste into Google Translate, and it took me about an hour to suss it. It'll probably be quicker next time, but I found myself going down so many rabbit warrens, I might not remember the correct route.

I'm sure it must be easy to use, but I haven't found out how yet. Is there an 'Idiot's Guide' to using Chrome please?

[hhinner]

In Chrome, to translate a web page not in English you should be able to "right click" and the context menu will include a "Translate to English" option.

To manage languages more precisely open the settings page and scroll down to the bottom and click "Show advanced settings". Scroll down further and you will see a section for languages. Set up languages you want to set explicit settings for.

[hhinner]

Bookmarks bar. Click the word "Bookmarks" in the bookmarks bar and the bookmarks manager will open. To go to a bookmarked web page double click on its bookmark.

[Big Boy]

OK, this is what I see:

The way I see it, is I have to click the 3 dots on the right, move to Bookmarks, click Bookmark Manager, and then keep that tab open each time - that stinks. I don't see any modern piece of software being that archaic, so what am I missing please?

Incidentally, I haven't bothered importing bookmarks because I can't see me forming a love affair with Chrome as it stands.

[buksida]

You can import all of the toolbar item bookmarks, and your old bookmarks from Firefox, just have the most popular 20 odd or so in that top bookmarks bar.

I moved to Chrome after years on FF as it is so much faster, Firefox was chewing gigabytes of memory whilst doing very little, plus all these little problems started creeping in (such as the Flashplayer crashing every ten minutes) which you don't seem to get on Chrome. I'm a convert!

[Big Boy]

Before I sell my soul to Chrome. Does anybody have any thoughts about MS Edge?

[hhinner]

OK, this is what I see:

Chrome.png

The way I see it, is I have to click the 3 dots on the right, move to Bookmarks, click Bookmark Manager, and then keep that tab open each time - that stinks. I don't see any modern piece of software being that archaic, so what am I missing please?

Incidentally, I haven't bothered importing bookmarks because I can't see me forming a love affair with Chrome as it stands.

In settings/appearance, check Always show the bookmarks bar. I find Show Home Button convenient too.

[Nereus]

Before I sell my soul to Chrome. Does anybody have any thoughts about MS Edge?

Well, I would have to be the last bloke on the planet when it comes to computers, PCs anyway.
I am using MS Edge as it came with Windows 10, or "Bing" as it seems to be called. Absolutely no problems with it once you find your way around. The bookmarks that I have added under "Favorites" has a list at least 100 long that drops down. Immigration is the only site that does not work, but simply open Internet Explorer and no problem!

I always wonder why people pay big money for an operating system, and then spend hours trying to change it.

[Jack Sprat]

Before I sell my soul to Chrome. Does anybody have any thoughts about MS Edge?

I use it all the time....I find it the fastest of all the browsers.
Looks great in 'dark mode' too!