Computer Questions Not Worth Their Own Thread

[SS-18 ICBM]

How would I go about backing up my Firefox bookmarks? Also, how would I put them back?

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

How would I go about backing up my Firefox bookmarks? Also, how would I put them back?

Bookmarks > Organize Bookmarks
Then Import and Backup.
I would recommend doing both the "backup" and HTML export so if one gets corrupted at least you have something to fall back on.

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

Thanks.

Didn't see Firefox had a function for that. I like Firefox just that much more.

 

[PlutonianEmpire]

What are some good freeware word editing programs that can find and replace words en masse, and when saving, won't condense a series of special characters into a single special character?

 

[Turner]

Well, notepad will find and replace en masse. Ctrl-H to do it. I haven't seen the special characters issue tho.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Question: I have an RTF file. I notice Google Docs messes up the tab-indents, so I did some more research. Something to do with the conversion to HTML.
So I was thinking if I could convert it to HTML, it might not do that ugly thing. But I'm not sure where to go from here. I tried copying/pasting everything into Kompozer and it made a huge mess. I tried OpenOffice and the tab-indents disappeared and there's huge gaps between the paragraphs. I also didn't have much luck with google, some things for specific programs and also some unrelated things and a few over-complicated things.
As for using text files -- won't work, I'm using some formatting in these files. It's also hard for me to read if I just omit the tab-indents.
Suggestions? Or am I looking the wrong way?

Another question: Earlier today I was trying to burn to a DVD which I didn't realize was scratched (cheap ones). It got stuck on the lead-in and made some horrible noise, so I killed the process. However, the drive was still "locked" and I had to reboot to get the coaster out. Why would this happen?

 

[Mowque]

Hello. I am in need of some software for my visual/audio editing class. Audacity was mentioned but is Greek to me. Can someone point to some programs for this? (must be compatible with most computers since I have to present the finished works to class.) Also, free is the best price.

 

[Cutlass]

Hello. I am in need of some software for my visual/audio editing class. Audacity was mentioned but is Greek to me. Can someone point to some programs for this? (must be compatible with most computers since I have to present the finished works to class.) Also, free is the best price.

Can you describe better what you need to get?

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Okay, so I was downloading Google Earth. I downloaded this Google Updater thing and started it. Along with Earth, it also tried to download Chrome on me. I managed to get it cancelled.

Did I miss something or is Google messing around with MY computer?

Also, why are random places in my province randomly blurred out? I know there's security risks but I don't really think a terrorist would be interested in my town? Especially since just to the west of my town it's not blurred

 

[warpus]

Also, why are random places in my province randomly blurred out? I know there's security risks but I don't really think a terrorist would be interested in my town? Especially since just to the west of my town it's not blurred

Some parts of the globe just haven't been photographed with high-resolution satellites yet - that's probably what you're seeing.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Thanks.

I did some googling and sometimes it's to do with clouds which there are plenty of here.

 

[Sashie VII]

I have a problem with Microsoft Word. Whenever I start it, it recognises an error that it wants to report to Microsoft, then it closes down and restarts, again finding the reportable error and it loops round and round until I close it completely.

I tried starting it in safe mode, but there's still the same problem. Any thoughts?

 

[Cutlass]

I have a problem with Microsoft Word. Whenever I start it, it recognises an error that it wants to report to Microsoft, then it closes down and restarts, again finding the reportable error and it loops round and round until I close it completely.

I tried starting it in safe mode, but there's still the same problem. Any thoughts?

Delete it and reinstall. It's probably gotten a corrupted file in the works somehow.

 

[Genocidicbunny]

Possible security restrictions too. Who knows. I know my home city's blurry cus of those. The empty forest and roads around it are crystal clear ( this is in Russia, there's a ton of forest and roads) but the city itself is extremely blurry. Thing is, there was a research particle accelerator there in the soviet times that functions even to today ( they do some highly secretive medical research -- fun stuff) and is funded partly by the govt. Therefore it is an object of high security and thus is blurred out. Its kinda like how the roof of the white house and pentagon and etc is whited out.

 

[Turner]

I would delete/rename the normal.dot file first. That fixes a lot of problems when Word won't load. For me, at least.

 

[salty mud]

Are there any free alternatives to Microsoft Word available for download? I don't have the sort of money to spend on Microsoft Office unfortunately.

 

[Turner]

www.openoffice.org

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

If you want just word processor (although there is option just for installing OpenOffice writer, but it's a bit of a pain downloading the whole package)
AbiWord
Angel Writer (haven't tried this one yet, but I did scan it and it came out clean)

For extra templates and stuff:
OxygenOffice Professional

If you just want to read documents:
Word Viewer

My word processor of choice (although more similar to WordPad):
QJot

 

[Bratmon]

Are there any free alternatives to Microsoft Word available for download? I don't have the sort of money to spend on Microsoft Office unfortunately.

Open office is most used, and is compatible with MSO

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

I have several audio CD-Rs. Recently I've noticed holes appearing in them randomly. I'm very careful with them and put them back in the CD wallet when I'm done. I haven't dropped them or anything. Any ideas why it would happen? (Google got me a bunch of completely unrelated stuff.)

Two things I know for certain:
1) It's not the brand of CD-R. I use several different brands (depends what's on sale at the moment)
2) Not the case, either. They've also appeared in several CD-Rs in another case.