Q. I’ve got several hundred old vacation slide photos. I don’t have a slide projector anymore, but was curious if I could transfer my slides to a CD? Thanks for being there, Mr. M. My subscription to your newsletter is the best five bucks I spend each month.

A. Thanks very much. Yes, you can definitely put those old slides and photographs on a CD. The two devices you’ll need to accomplish that are a scanner, to convert the slides into digital images, and a CD burner.

Some scanners can handle slides and even photo negatives. The $99 Epson Perfection V100 Photo Scanner is one such device, and that $99 price is excellent considering that just a few years ago this same type of scanner was in the $500 range.

After you scan your slides and save them to your computer’s hard drive, you just have to burn them to CD and you’re done. Most computers these days have an integrated CD-burner drive, but if you’re not sure if you do, check your computer by double-clicking My Computer. It might be designated as your CD-R or CD-RW drive. Your CD burner will have software (located under Start > Programs) that you will use to burn CDs. The term “burn” refers to copying files to CD. Because the data is literally burned onto the CD via laser, it’s referred to as “burning” as opposed to “copying.”

Q. My address bar used to appear at the top of my browser, where I could then type in Web sites that I wanted to visit. It’s not there anymore. How do I get it back? I’m using Internet Explorer.

A. It sounds like you might have accidentally disabled the Address Bar, but it’s very easy to get it back. In the toolbar at the top of your screen, click View > Toolbars > Address Bar. Once you place a check mark in front of Address Bar, it should then appear on your screen, in its original location.

If there is a check mark beside Address Bar and it still doesn’t appear, your toolbars may be scrunched together and the Address Bar simply out of view. To descrunch your toolbars (sorry for the technical jargon), move your mouse cursor to the lower horizontal edge of your toolbars. When the cursor turns into a double-headed arrow, while holding down your left mouse button, drag the horizontal edge slowly downward to expand your toolbars.

Mr. Modem's Sites of the Week:

The Perfect Holiday Gift for PC Users
Okay, so it’s a shameless plug, but with the holiday season rapidly approaching, what better gift for the computer users in your life (or treat yourself!) than an autographed copy of my world-famous, critically acclaimed, Pulitzer-lacking, Mr. Modem's Web CD-ROM? This CD features more than 1400 of the greatest Web site profiles of all time, segregated into 19 categories, all fully searchable and each site just a mouse-click away. The CD retails for $19.95, but as a loyal reader—you are a loyal reader, aren’t you?—your price is only $12.95, with free shipping and handling. Visit http://tinyurl.com/hvnsn to view an excerpt. Use Promotional Code 6457 when ordering online to receive this special pricing.
www.MrModem.com

Place the State
Can you place all 50 states in their correct positions on the map? Trust me, it sounds a lot easier than it is. As each state is presented, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to drag it to its correct location. You are immediately notified if you miss the mark—and by how many miles. It’s fun and embarrassingly educational. No wagering, please.
http://tinyurl.com/3wuxb

For plain-English answers to your questions by email, plus useful PC tips, subscribe to Mr. Modem’s Weekly Newsletter. For information, visit www.MrModem.com.