Information management and technology assurance

Several readers questioned my suggestion about using a USB flash memory thumb drive to add zip to a computer’s operating system (“Boost Your System Memory With a USB Flash Memory Stick,” June 09, page 86). On further investigation, I am scratching that suggestion. I’ve since learned that not only doesn’t

Q: I just got a new ultralight notebook for when I travel. It has one of those super-fast solid-state drives. My maintenance program for my regular hard-drive computers in the office includes regularly running a defragmentation program. That way, I can be assured that they will always be able to

Q: To make an Excel table fit better on a page when I print it, I frequently have to transpose it—that is, move all the data from, say, rows 1, 2 and 3 and put them into columns A, B and C. To do that I have to move each

Q: I just started using Office 2007, and it contains a couple of things I can’t figure out. One, which I find most intriguing, is a pushpin. When I click on the Office icon to save a document, a list of Recent Documents appears, just like in Office 2003, but

Q: What’s your take on Microsoft’s new search site, Bing? A: I found Bing to be very good. In some ways it’s better than Google, but in some ways it’s not as good—or at least no better. The bottom line: I like them enough that I decided to keep both

Q: When I’m working in an Excel spreadsheet, sometimes I need to do some quick calculations, and the Calculator that comes with Office would be the perfect tool—except it’s only accessible when I switch out of the Excel window. It should be right where I need it—on top of the

Q: I use Outlook to handle my e-mail, calendar and to-do list. While it serves many of my needs, I wish it could do more. For example, when someone sends me an e-mail, it’s easy to add that person to my Contacts list, but when I want to save other

Q: I was reading your December 2008 item “Create a Shortcut for Easy Access to System Restore” (page 103), and it occurred to me I could free up loads of space on my crowded hard drive by getting rid of old, useless restore points. The trouble is, I can’t access

After reading my response in the column item “Design a Personal Paper Calendar in Outlook” (May 2009, page 77), Brandon B. Buhler, manager of Global IFRS and Offerings Services for Deloitte & Touche LLP (USA), suggested another way to create a paper calendar in Outlook. He says Microsoft’s Calendar Printing

Q: Some of my clients have switched to Vista and Office 2007, but I want to stick with XP and Office 2003—for the time being, at least. And this is giving me a headache because I can’t open all the files I receive from people using Office 2007 files. What

Q: I use callouts frequently to add graphic aids to my memos. But soon after I put them in their proper place and start working on another part of the memo, some of them just seem to have a mind of their own, and they pick up and wander to

Q: I came across an intriguing Web site that invites visitors to try out prototype software developed by Microsoft Office Labs. Some of the stuff looks quite useful, especially the tool designed to improve the maneuverability of the Ribbon in Office 2007. But I was hesitant to try it, for

Q: I ran into a very embarrassing situation. I need your advice so I won’t face this problem again, and maybe it’ll be helpful to your readers, too. Here’s what happened: When I read your June 2009 column item “It’s Not Enough to Just Delete Old Messages in Outlook, You’ve