Q: I’m using Outlook Express in Windows XP.

How can I list my contacts in alphabetical order?

A: The once-popular Outlook Express e-mail program enjoyed a good ten-year run, from Windows 3 to Windows XP.

Microsoft’s Windows Vista finally killed it, unfortunately, substituting Windows Mail, which died a short two years later.

Outlook Express lovers can still run the popular program in Windows 7, however. Just download and install Microsoft’s Windows XP Mode, and you’ll create a fully-functional Windows XP computer running in its own window on your desktop. And inside that window, you’ll find Outlook Express awaiting on Windows XP’s familiar Start menu.

But whether you’re running Outlook Express in Windows 98, Windows XP or Windows 7, the program lets you view and sort your Contacts in either of two ways. Click to read more »

Q: I recently upgraded to Internet Explorer 9. My bank’s website doesn’t work very well with Internet Explorer 9.

How do I uninstall Internet Explorer 9 and go back to Internet Explorer 8?

A: Microsoft began offering Internet Explorer 9 on March 14, 2011. Like any new piece of software, some people love it and some people hate it.

If Internet Explorer 9 doesn’t meet your needs, it’s easy to retreat to your previous version. For Windows 7 owners, that’s Internet Explorer 8.

To remove Internet Explorer 9 and return to your previous browser, follow these steps: Click to read more »

Q: I sometimes visit sites that I don’t want others to know about.

How can I hide these from other people who may visit my computer?

A: The more you work with your computer, the more your computer knows about you. In fact, Windows probably knows a lot more things about you than you suspect.

Your computer keeps track of the websites you visit, the songs and videos you play, the user names and passwords you type in online, the items you type into forms, the last documents you’ve opened, the things you’ve searched for, and much more.

Telling your computer to stop tracking all that information takes a lot of time, and the procedure differs with each version of Windows.

But let’s start with Internet Explorer 9.

InPrivate Browsing in Internet Explorer 9

You can tell Internet Explorer 9 to stop logging your web browsing by turning on InPrivate Browsing. When used, InPrivate Browsing gives Internet Explorer temporary amnesia: The browser stops remembering which websites you visit, leaving no trace on our own computer.

Don’t bother using it at work; even through your computer won’t keep a record, your company’s network still knows you’re playing Farmville on Facebook. No, InPrivate Browsing only keeps your own computer from remembering your browsing history.

To turn on InPrivate mode, follow this simple step: Click to read more »

Q: In Windows 7 for Dummies, I cannot find any reference on Sticky Notes.

How do I use and save Sticky Notes to highlight a point or a text in a document?

A: With Windows 7’s Sticky Notes, what you see is what you get: They’re an electronic equivalent of a real-life sticky note: A small square where you can jot down things before they leave your mind completely. However, they only stick to your Desktop; you can’t place them inside other programs.

To create a Sticky Note on your Desktop, click the Start button, choose All Programs, click Accessories, and click Sticky Notes. Click to read more »

Q: Windows 7 for Dummies says to vacuum the keyboard to clean it.

My laptop’s manual says, “to reduce the risk of electric shock or damage to internal components, do not use a vacuum cleaner attachment to clean the keyboard. A vacuum cleaner can deposit household debris on the keyboard surface.”

Is it safe to use a vacuum cleaner on a laptop?

A: You’re seeing a manufacturer’s standard fallback statement: “Let’s warn people about everything so we can never be sued.”

There’s no electric shock involved with the extremely low voltages being used in keyboards, both on desktops and laptops. Besides, modern vacuum cleaner nozzles are plastic, which don’t conduct electricity.

As for the household debris warning, well… If you’ve just used your vacuum cleaner to clean up after something messy, and you’ve left something gross on the nozzle, sure, that goo might end up on the keyboard, as well. A slightly damp rag will take that off.

That said, if the vacuum cleaner isn’t dislodging all the cat hairs and cracker crumbs from your keyboard, try compressed air sprayers.

Sold in most office-supply and computer stores, these aerosol cans shoot compressed air through a flexible plastic tube. The tube can reach into the crevices of your keyboard, effectively blasting out the debris.

But in a pinch, vacuum cleaners also work, especially if you use a small vacuum cleaner attachment designed for reaching into small spaces.