Southwestuser

Sorry, I should have stated in my post that I'm using AOL. Would that mean I address the question to them?

I have just tried to follow your advice with this page - by way of experimentation. The page is "short" on the RHS (!) and I can't find "shrink to fit" anywhere. Can ytou tell me where to locate that please? Thanks

I am using Windows XP and a Canon i560 printer. 1) From time to time I want to print off information gained from an internet site. I notice, usually only after several pages have be printed (landscape format), that part of the text has not been printed on the righthand side. Often one can guess at what is missing but sometimes the complete text is wanted. To get the full text I have to go into landscape format and reprint which consumes very much more paper. Can someone tell me how (if?) I can get full text in portrait format? How can I cover this without first going thro' the pain of wasting paper, ink and patience ? 2) Why do I sometimes get no text at all although it was visible on the screen. There may perhaps be some form of "Header" and perhaps a "Footer" or adverts printed down the side, it is otherwise a blank piece of paper. Again, anyway of covering this event before starting to print? Am I alone in this or just a complainer!:confused:

Having achieved what I set out to do - install an external hard drive - this is to say "Thank you" to all the Extreme Tech Support - Free PC Help team for their patient advice and generous supply of time as I stumbled through my problems. The site really deserves the accolades it has received from third parties. Have still more questions (of a different nature) so am off to the appropriate forums . . . ! Cheers.:D

Some success to report! :):) Substituted the EHD in the port used by Scanner as recommended and checked My Computer and found Device E - at long last. A box said "Windows can perforn the same action each time I (you) insert a disk or connect a device with this kind of file". A Pictures motif was showing just underneath. All the options on the LHS of the screen seem Picture oriented I noted. Would that alter when used to store all my other files off C? Then followed Wolfymole's advice earlier and performed a quick format - the only one available to use. Also checked out Plastic Nev suggestion to right click "E" but there were no files to open giving advice on how to use. Any other sources of info to try? I have also tried the scanner in one of the front ports and it is recognised and "installed etc". How contrary . . . but I'll live with that. The 8 way hub must be an internal feature (I have added nothing) and assume it must draw its power internally. So thanks to you Gentlemen I can now see my device. Now starts the learning curve - again. Would now appreciate guidance on how to use it. I bought it as a way of backing up/saving work I do eg correspondence/ photographs/ music, the usual things, in case of the HD failing. My PC HD is only 80Gb by the way. Thank you again!

Apologies if my response times seem long. I am having difficulties in complying with recommendations/questions. Answers: The PC was built for me privately three (?) years ago. It has no model number as far as I am aware. It has legitimate MS XP Professional (SP3) and I use AVG free security. In case it is relevant I have added five peripherals, with no troubles since having it viz., a scanner, speakers, printer, webcam and NetGear Router. All functioned first time and I had no cause to question the wisdom of adding an EHD - for back-up purposes. The five all use ports on the back of the PC. I have spent a lot of time searching in System Properties for info and found, in System Devices, reference to Motherboard resources but was unable to interpret thereafter. (Maybe 75 is too late to take on this sort of technology!) How can I find Motherboard details? Tonight I finally got into BIOS following BeeCeeBee's advice to press enter after "Enter Password" appeared. That did the trick. I then had the second of Wolfymole's two sample screens. I tip-toed through the various screens, touching nothing, trying to understand (a joke!) what was there. I did note however the following in BIOS Setup utility/HDDrives: 1st Drive HDD PM-Maxtor STM3 2nd Drive USB Maxtor Basics A common manufacturer for both drives - by co-incidence? Following Mayardvdm advice I Booted into Windows and then plugged in the EHD using one of the two USB ports on the front of my PC. Up came a message "USB device not recognised USB device malfunctioned Windows does not recognise". I followed the assistance line and it come up with: USB Root Hub 8 ports Unused port (repeated three more times) Netgear WG111 Cannon Scan 4200F Unused port UNKNOWN DEVICE The same happened with the second port. How that squares up with BIOS reference re 2nd Drive (see above) - confuses me! I have not yet followed the advice to uninstall the USB as it may not be appropriate (in the light of the foregoing) and I don't know how to! What this all means I'm not sure (but I do have a bit more experience) Do I have a faulty device or USB port? Possibly my BIOS problems may be a false trail? To aggravate the situation if I don't resolve this by Sunday evening I am, very unfortunately, off site for five weeks so can only pick up the trail and continue at the end of April. This is just to let you know I will not have lost interest or failed to acknowledge and appreciate your efforts to get me going.

Sorry Wolfymole but no progress to report. I press F2 as soon as boot up starts and I have a black screen with a rolling (sequencing?) list of actions taking place. I did have time to see a Reference to Primemaster and saw Maxtor alongside it; it then switched screen to "Enter Current Password" (which I cannot do) so I pressed Escape. "Password check" appeared followed by "Press F1 to resume". I pressed F1 and nothing happened! At that stage I closed down by switching off. Have tried several times. At no stage did I see anything like the screens you advised - and thank you for that consideration, most helpful of you. It is very useful to know what one should see! I have appreciated your efforts to assist.

Yes the green light is on and the unit "vibrating". Tried your F2 BIOS tip (a bit scared of that as I understood BIOS was for experts which I am not!) but may have taken a step forward! In the fleeting time made available to me on the (black) screen I did see some reference to "detecting (or detected?) Mass storage" and think it said "Capable but disabled" before it moved on to "Enter Your Password" which I would not know - where would that come from? 1) how can I slow down the process to enable me to read and understand it? 2) How on earth would I get/know the Password - I've never been there before? 3) What/where would that lead me on to - if I knew the Password? 3) If disabled is a clue - how would I enable it? I feel a right pain in having to ask these questions but want to get it right!

Apologies for delay in responding - have been "off site". Thanks to all for inputs but as of this morning (Monday) still no "recognition" by my PC of the external hard drive. With the EHD connected up "My computer" recognises only Local disc C; 3.5 Floppy A and my DVD RW Drive D. Answers to your questions/suggestions: Yes, it was a Tesco offer (!) Yes, it does have a seperate power lead (which is working) and a single wire (EHD to PC) with single terminals either end. Thought - could it be a faulty connection? Have taken on board the advice, Plastic Nev, to shut down the PC first before disconnecting the EHD - when I get it to work that is! A novice grasping straws now - could it be anything to do with my Security levels that prevent it being recognised?

Thank you Wolfeymole. Got as far as Disk Management but had to stop there as only the C drive is listed - no Maxtor (as I would expect it to be so identified) is listed. Any further advice/guidance please?

Hi Match! I'm OK with "thingy" and "whatsit" but I can't find "ewjimiplonk" in my Computer Glossary anywhere ( not even the wife's heard of it (them?) and it doesn't feature in Chamber's Crossword Dictionary either - but I will persevere have no fear! Off to paste first problem now.

Pity I hadn't read Mike's posting of Oct 08 before I bought the Maxtor 500gb EHD! Still, I have - so here's my problem which in all honesty may be attributable to plain ignorance as I am in an area in which I have no experience and I do not understand . . . I have powered up the EHD and the USB seems to have connected up OK as the Add Hardware Wizard tells me the Maxtor STM3802110A device is working OK. I had noted in other posts the question "Is it showing in My Computer?" I checked - and it isn't. The product package seems to be bereft of instructions, installation software or any guidance so, please, what should I be doing next? (F.i. I am using XP)

Hello - greetings from a geriatric siver surfer anxious not to lose out on the internet! Struggling but game with a determination to master it - so will appreciate all/any help from the techies who know better! Only one plea - not too much technical jargon in the responses please as an assumption of knowledge may be a problem - to me!