I was working on a lengthy document in Microsoft Word when the power went out, so I didn't have a chance to save anything. Before this happens again, is there anything I can do to protect my work-in-progress?
If you enable the AutoRecover feature in a Microsoft Office program, the most recently saved version of the file you were working on will open automatically whenever you restart the application.How you enable AutoRecover varies with the version you're using. (To have it work the same way in all versions makes too much sense.) In Office 2003, go to Tools > Options. In Office 2007, use the Office button to reach Options. In Office 2010, click File > Options > Save.Place a check next to "Save AutoRecover information every __ minutes," then enter a time interval between saves. (I use five minutes.) In Word, Excel and PowerPoint, place a check beside "Keep the last auto-saved version if I close without saving," and click OK.While AutoRecover can save the day, frequently -- dare I say compulsively -- saving your data via the traditional Save command (File > Save or CTRL + S) while you are working on a document is the best insurance against data loss. I've got a silly question, Mr. M.: Does it matter whether a hard drive is mounted vertically or horizontally?There are no silly or "stupid" questions here in MrModemville, so I'm glad you asked. On a short-term basis, there is little difference between vertical and horizontal mounting of a mechanical hard drive; however, on a long-term basis, vertically mounted drives tend to fail with a greater degree of frequency than do horizontally mounted drives.The spinning drive platters of mechanical drives have a gyroscopic stabilization effect so they're not as affected by vertical versus horizontal mounting. The read/write head and armature, however, like a phonograph arm (which will be meaningless to younger readers), are affected by gravity over time, if not mounted horizontally.Newer, solid-state drives (SSDs), unlike mechanical drives, have no moving parts and can be mounted horizontally, vertically, on an angle, or even upside down.I want to buy a 64GB memory card for my laptop, but the cards seem to come in classes, such as Class 2, Class 6, Class 10. What's the difference between a Class 10, for example, and a Class 6? SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) memory card classes refer to the speed rating (also known as the DTR or Digital Transfer Rate), ranging from Class 2 (slowest) to Class 10 (fastest).Any Class 6 or higher card should be fine. The speed differential is measured in milliseconds when using the card, which is virtually imperceptible to we mortals, so I wouldn't be overly concerned about the card's class.Mr. Modem publishes "Ask Mr. Modem!" each week, featuring PC tips, tricks and plain-English answers to your questions by email. For more information, visit www.MrModem.com.
Mr. Modem's Sites of the Week
10x10
A fascinating site that takes an hourly photographic pulse of the world. When you open 10x10, you will see a grid of the top 100 world images for that hour.
ElderTreks
A travel company for age 50+ travelers that focuses primarily on off-the-beaten-path, small-group trips. For example, in April they have a trip heading to Iran. (I think I'll pass). In May there's a trip to Syria. (Oh, darn, can't make that one, either.) In June, there's a trip to the Arctic. (Now you're talking!) Select your tour by price and activity level, ranging from "Gentle" to "You've-got-to-be-Kidding."
Internet Archive
index.html
The Internet Archive, affectionately known as "The Wayback Machine," has archived billions of Web pages dating all the way back to the primordial Web, circa 1995. Ah, those were the days.
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