With Andrew Hardy Director of Brighton-based Rivendell Software

Q: I want to get an e-mail address but I'm not sure how to go about it. Can you help?

A: There are many free e-mail services available. The downside to e-mail is the relative difficulty of setting it up on your computer. A nice alternative is to use a service that provides a user interface via a web page so you can view and send e-mails using a standard web browser such as Internet Explorer or Netscape. Two very popular services are Hotmail (www.hotmail.com) and Talk21 (www.talk21.com). If you want to set up e-mail on your computer properly using an e-mail client such as Microsoft Outlook or Eudora, info.connect.com.au/docs/emailconfig/ has instructions for doing this.

Q: I want to buy a new hard disk for my PC and would like to install it myself. Is this very difficult?

A: Installing a new hard disk is not difficult and usually only takes an hour or so to complete. However, because of the number of different factors involved in advising on installation (differing types of drives, computers, leads and so on), the subject can't really be covered properly here. www.help.com/cat/1/21/668/hto/123/1.html has an excellent guide for installing a new hard disk.

Q: How do I set a background picture on my desktop?

A: First find a picture that you like. There are many available on the internet but you must ensure it is a reasonable size and the aspect ratio (length and width) are broadly the same as your screen (that is, landscape and not portrait). www.digitalblasphemy. com has an excellent selection of free pictures. When you have found an image that you like, save it to the Windows or WinNT directory in bmp format. Next right click on your desktop and select 'Properties'. The picture you have saved should appear in the 'Wallpaper' list. Select it and click on 'Apply'. If the picture does not fill the whole desktop, try setting the 'Stretch' property in the wallpaper page (NT users will find this setting on the 'Plus' tab). Click 'OK'.

Q: My hard disk has become very full and I think there is a lot of old data on it. Can you suggest some ways of freeing up space?

A: There are some simple steps you can take. As a first measure, you should ensure your recycle bin is empty. Next, try emptying your internet cache. To do this, go to the control panel, click on the 'Start' button and select 'Settings', then 'Control Panel'. Open the 'Internet Options' item and click on 'Delete Files'. Next, try opening the 'Add/Remove Programmes' item in the control panel and looking at all your installed programmes. Are there any that can be removed? Finally check that you don't have any unnecessary files on your Desktop.

Do you have any new media headaches that are in need of answers? Contact Net Solutions at evolution@argus-btn.co.uk