Q: I am using my computer to edit video films but this uses a lot of resources and disk space. I am considering another hard disk devoted to video and digital camera use. Is it better to install another internal drive or buy an external drive connected via a USB? My computer is relatively new.

A: With a new computer there will no measurable difference in the starting or performance between an internal hard disk or a USB drive, as it depends on the speed of the source drive C. A USB 2 connection can transfer data at 480 MBps, which is much faster than the hard disk can transfer in sustained throughput. The advantage of an internal drive is that it is cheaper, does not require an external power supply and does not take up desk space, but you have to open the computer to install it. With a USB drive, you just plug it in and it can also be used to back up other computers.

Q: How can I save from Outlook Express? I run Windows XP.

A: First you must find the mail files and then copy them to another location. If you use Windows Explorer, Microsoft makes these files hidden. One way to find them is to use Windows Explorer and right-click on the folder Documents and Settings and select Search. For the file name enter *.DBX then, in Advanced Options, select Hidden Files and Folders. Having located your mailboxes, highlight all that you wish to copy and click on Edit, Copy or Copy to Folder, if you have a back-up folder for the mail. Then you can burn the files onto a CD. There is a free program called Outlook Express Freebie Backup that will do all this and back up your address book and even the registry entries (see majorgeeks.com/download4179.html).

Q: When I use a search engine it remembers which sites I have visited. Removing cookies and deleting all offline content does not remove them.

A: Use the following steps in Internet Explorer to clear your AutoComplete history for web addresses. From the Tools menu, click Internet Options, Content tab and click Clear Forms, and then click OK. If you remove the tick from the Forms box this history will not accumulate in future.

Q: How can I capture and print the contents of my screen?

A: Under Windows, pressing the Print Screen key dumps the image of the full screen to a buffer. Pressing Alt + Print Screen dumps only the active window to a buffer. This is useful if you have a small window open and wish only to print that. To print the screen, you must paste it into any program that accepts images, such as WordPad. Press Ctrl + V or select Edit, Paste from the menu.

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