Q: My PC was working fine until a week ago. Then, when I booted up, I got the message Invalid Drive Media.

I have tried everything to get it working again and I desperately need to get some information from the drive. Is it a lost cause?

A: It is possible that the drive has been damaged or has failed. If this is the case, it may be possible to recover data with specialist software from grc.com/spinrite.htm. This has a chance of success only if the problem is corruption of the hard disc. If the disc is physically damaged, you will need the services of a specialist (www.ontrack.com) but you can expect this to be very expensive indeed. There is a possibility that the problem may lie in the BIOS or the hard disc controller (although this is less likely).

You should take your computer to a reputable computer repair shop for a definitive diagnosis.

Q: I want to buy an additional processor for my dual processor motherboard. The manufacturer told me that I should use the same stepping level for the processors. What does this mean?

A: When a processor manufacturer, such as Intel, produces a new chip it often makes minor changes to the design and manufacturing process to correct reported problems. Each generation of change is called a stepping level. Thus, a new chip may have a stepping level of one but a year later the stepping level of newer versions of the same processor might be five. Because of the way dual processor motherboards work, to avoid conflicts you are advised to use two processors with the same, or nearly the same, stepping level. You can download a free utility that will tell you the stepping level of your processor at: www.intel.com/supportprocessors/tools/frequencyid/.

Q: I have bought a CD writer and I want to make the CDs auto start when they are placed in the drive. How is this done?

A: This is actually much easier than many people think. You have to add a single text file to the root directory of the CD called autorun.inf. The file should have the format:

autorun

open=*****

where the ***** is the name of the application or file you want to be run when the CD is placed in the CD drive.

Q: Is there a way I can have Windows save my password when I log on to the internet? The Save Password checkbox is greyed out when I try to connect.

A: Check to make sure you have Client for Microsoft Networks listed when you double-click the Network icon in Control Panel. If it is not listed, select Add, Client, and select Client for Microsoft Networks. When you restart your system, type in a user name and leave the password box blank (otherwise you will be asked for a password each time you boot up). You should find you can now use the Save Password feature.