Now here's a strange problem. In order to create a shortcut, I drag and drop the 'My Documents' folder to my desktop where they happily stay all day. When I next re-boot, it disappears! I'm sure it didn't used to do that. How do I create a permanent desktop shortcut to this folder please?

This is well hidden.

Go into display properties, select Desktop tab then click the Customize Desktop button. You now see an option to display the My Documents icon.

Optimist - You're a star! I think I'd have spent many a moon on that one! Thanks.

a problem with my e-mail (outlook express)
i can receive mails but for some reason i cannot now send,i have not changed any settings or added a program,i have no viruses (have run nortons and AVG),
i have temp stopped nortons firewall and the AVG email scanner and still no joy,my firewall (nortons 04)has been set to permit on OE program,i have even set up a new mail account and still the same,cannot send out but can receive,
anything else i should check brfore the call to NTL,

many thanks

steve

scussy - you have my sympathy having had OE problems myself but here it sounds as if your ISP server is down and nothing you can do except open a new account with a different ISP.

having a bit of a problem with my new Dell 20" 1600x1200 resolution screen with stockwatch and streaming trades. When I scoll down am getting gaps in data , little boxes on the left out of position and a general half finished jigsaw effect. Refreshing the page clears it but is there anything I can do to put this right. Scrolling text like the traders page there is no problem. thanks.
using bt broadband

Have you got the screen correctly identified in Control Panel/System and set to one of the resolutions it supports natively?

Kayak , on "display properties" is set for 1600x1200 as screen 1 and 60 hertz.
Going to Plug and play monitor properties, says it is working OK

Also check that the model and name of the screen are correctly identified, and check the manufacturer's website for the latest driver.

Kayak , thanks , will do

Kayak , where do I look for "model and name of the screen" - have been in the Device Manager but nothing there?

Should be in Device Manager under 'Monitors'. If there is a generic name like Standard Display then that is your problem, it hasn't installed the monitor properly.

under "device manager" monitors , it just says monitor.
I note that the help says , "windows installs a plug and play device and its driver automatically" and when I switched on the screen I got "optimising setup" come up.

If the monitor is not installed properly what do I do?. Sorry to bother you during the day Kayak. And I thought all had gone well setting up my new system :-(((

Try right click and uninstall in device manager and reboot, and with a bit of luck it should install it properly. There is no device driver as such for monitors, just a file of monitor parameters which it may or may not need for you to find.

Right clicking "monitor" only brings up

Scan for hardware changes

&

Properties , which has just got monitor in it

feeling very silly here.

Try double clicking on Monitors to see if there any entries within it...

"feeling very silly here"

Well Don't!!! :-)

Select (highlight) the pertinent Monitor and then right click. 'Uninstall' will present itself as one of a few choices.

Docproc , is that for uninstalling? and then do I reboot?

just been testing the 15" second screen with stockwatch and doing the same thing.

Having uninstalled, yes, just re-boot.

Windows will find any hardware, prompting you to merely assist if necessary, in installing the driver. it's not too difficult really. You should be OK.

Quick question - I've got a matrox p750 for 3 screens. If you use the triple head you have to have the resolution set the same across all screens which is currently 1024x768 which is fine. I'm getting a new screen to replace the oldest one and the new screen says its resolution is 1280x1024. The question is - although it may not be using the new screen to its fullest capability is it still possible to set it at 1024x768 so that it will fit in with the other two in the set-up without knackering(all encompassing technical term!) the picture. Note - If your answer to the above says its ok then it will be an Iiyama E431S.

Thanks
Rob