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Q: I am trying to copy digital photos from my computer to a compact disc to play on my TV’s Panasonic DVD player.

But even when I tell Windows 7 to create a CD using the “With a cd/dvd player” option, my DVD player can’t display the photos. The DVD player just says, “Cannot open files.”

My computer can still display the photos, though. What’s wrong?

A: Actually, you’re doing everything correctly on your end.

The problem comes from crankiness found with many DVD players, including yours. DVD players connected to TV sets aren’t as smart as the DVD players inside computers.

Most TV-bound DVD players can’t handle more than 500 images on a CD, a limitation unknown to most consumers. When you copy 500 or more images to a CD, your DVD player will probably choke on it.

Your computer will still be able to read the CD just fine. But when the DVD player sees more than 500 files sitting on the CD, it chokes, sending you the non-helpful message of “Cannot open files.”

There’s a solution, though: Click to read more »

Q: I’m trying to install a program, but I don’t know if my computer has a 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows.

I don’t even know what version of Windows I have. PC technicians usually repair my PC, and I don’t know what version came with my computer.

How can I find out if my PC meets the requirements for this program?

A: Many of today’s programs want to know not only what version of Windows lives on your PC, but whether it’s 32-bit or 64-bit. Luckily, these arcane details can be found fairly easily.

To discover what version of Windows lives on your PC, follow these three simple steps: Click to read more »

Q: I’m the only user of my Windows computer.

I have a USB flash drive where I keep personal pictures and emails from friends. My old Windows XP computer let me save pictures or emails on the drive.

But when I try to save files on the drive with a newer version of Windows, I see this error message:

You don’t have permission to save in this location. Contact the administrator to obtain permission.

How can I fix this?

A: Microsoft stepped up Windows’ security a few notches after Windows XP, annoying both nosy hackers and innocent users in the process.

One of the ways Microsoft increased security came from the way Windows stores files. Windows XP formatted hard drives larger than 10GB using an older version of NTFS, not the newer version preferred by Windows Vista and Windows 7.

So, to solve the problem, you need to reformat your USB drive (or your hard drive, if that’s giving you the same error message) using Windows Vista or Windows 7 computer.

Follow these steps to reformat your hard drive safely, removing the error message and the problem:

Click to read more »

Q: How do I alphabetize the Favorites list in my Windows 7 folders?

A: Open any folder in Windows 7, and you’ll spot the Favorites list in the top left corner.

This handy collection of shortcuts starts with only three entries: Desktop, Downloads, and Recent Places.

Click the Desktop entry to see the contents of your Desktop, for example. Clicking Downloads opens the folder stocked with items you’ve downloaded with your web browser. And click Recent Places to revisit folders or Control Panel items you’ve just left.

Feel free to customize the Favorites list with your own favorite locations. To add your currently open folder, for example, right-click the word “Favorites” and choose “Add current location to Favorites” from the pop-up menu. Your newly added folder quickly appears as a new link at the bottom of the Favorite list.

After you begin stocking your Favorites list, that once tiny list suddenly looks cluttered. Wouldn’t it be nice if they were listed alphabetically?

To alphabetize your Favorites list, right-click the word Favorites, then choose Sort By Name from the pop-up menu shown above. (You may need to open and close your Favorites list for the list to sort itself out.)

Q: Windows XP’s Outlook Express had a Request Read Receipt feature that let me know when the recipient read my e-mail.

That feature seems to be missing from Windows Live Mail. Where did it go?

A: That feature, called “Request a read receipt for all sent messages,” lives on in Windows Live Mail. But finding it requires a different set of keystrokes.

But first, some background. The Request Receipt feature emails you when the recipient opens your sent email. Theoretically, you’ll know exactly when your boss saw your e-mail asking for that raise, for example.

The feature isn’t anywhere near foolproof, though. You’ll never receive that “message received” email under these conditions:

• When your e-mail recipient doesn’t use Windows Live Mail or Outlook Express.
• When the recipient reads the email on her smartphone rather than her computer.
• When the recipient clicks “No” when his email program asks permission to send the confirmation email.

When those stars align correctly, though, you’ll know when your email was opened. (Whether the recipient actually read it is another story.)

To turn on the return receipt feature in Windows Live Mail, follow these steps:
Click to read more »