US deals
As the exchange rate with the dollar is so favourable, is it wise to purchase a laptop while visiting the US? I am worried about electrical compatibility and risks with post-purchase customer service. Gareth Hoskins
Jack Schofield replies: Most notebook computers now have auto-sensing switchable power supplies and should work correctly almost anywhere. There may be differences in the operating software and keyboard, though US and UK keyboards are almost the same. Support is a much more difficult problem. If you have to return a machine to the shop for repair, you will have to pay transport costs both ways, and the manufacturer might refuse to help you out by doing the repair locally. Even if you are willing to take a gamble on your notebook not going wrong, it would be best to buy from a multinational corporation with a global support policy. This means doing some serious research in advance.
Bear in mind that if you import a notebook PC from outside the EU, you should declare it to the customs authorities, and you will probably have to pay 17.5% VAT. (See www.sloanefox.freeserve.co.uk for more detailed help.) The lack of queues in the red channel at Heathrow suggests smuggling goes on, but this is not an attractive option if you are a frequent traveller and/or business user, in which case you will probably want to write the machine off as a business expense and reclaim the VAT. Only you can decide on the best course of action, but if you do a risk assessment over the notebook's four-year lifespan, you may find that lower US retail prices are less attractive than they look.
Hi-jacked
I keep being pestered by something called Slawsearch taking over my home page. Can I banish it? Peter Haydn-Smith
JS: This seems to be a variant of the awful scumware Cool Web Search, which appears under a range of names. It can be removed using CWShredder from www.spywareinfo.com. You should also run Spybot Search & Destroy regularly, and perhaps install SpywareBlaster to help stop browser hi-jackers from being installed.
Mail blocked
BT Openworld broadband has "upgraded" me to BT Yahoo. This means my webmail is now provided by Yahoo, but my workplace does not permit access to any Yahoo sites. Is there a way around this situation?
Wendy Tyrrell
JS: In many cases, you can get round workplace restrictions by using a proxy server such as Megaproxy. Web-based mail services tend to be a challenge too far, but you could try Proxify. For the long term, think about getting your own domain name with mail forwarding. That way you can direct your email to whichever ISP or mail service you like without having to change your address. See http://easily.co.uk for an idea of the kind of things that are available from a range of suppliers.
Off campus
About 18 months ago you had an article on good value computers. One manufacturer was Campus Systems Ltd. I bought a machine from them and have been very satisfied. However, when I wanted to pass on their details, I could no longer contact them. Jane Binyon
JS: Campus Systems ceased trading last year, and the website address published with the original story no longer works. The old contact number, 0870 444 6905, is answered by Campus Technologies, a different company, which says it does not make its own PCs and only supplies the education market. The liquidation is being handled by the Till Morris Partnership in Coventry.
AVG
Is www.grisoft.cz a genuine organisation, or should it be avoided?
John Haworth
JS: Grisoft produces the well-known AVG anti-virus program and I often recommend it, because there's a free version for home users. If you select English and click OK you will be taken to the more familiar US site: www.grisoft.com/us/us_index.php.
Backchat
· People with dial-up connections can have problems keeping up with the flood of Windows updates. Stuart Dunkeld points out that Microsoft UK has now produced a free CD of security updates for Windows XP, 2000, Me and 98 up to October 15, 2003. See http://www.microsoft.com/uk/security. The offer only applies in the UK, and you need a Net Passport account (eg a Hotmail address) to order the CD.
· To turn off the copy protection (digital rights management) system in Microsoft Windows Media Player 8, go to the Tools menu and select Options. Click the tab marked Copy Music, and untick the box marked Protect content. If you don't do this, you may be creating copy protected WMA music files from your own CDs.
