Q. When emails arrive, any attachments are deleted with the following message: "Outlook Express removed access to the following unsafe attachments in your mail,” and then the name of the attachment appears. Why is that happening and can you tell me how to stop it? Thanks, Mr. M.

A. The reason for that blocking is that Outlook Express 6 has an option that is not enabled by default, unlike previous versions. I think Microsoft does this to keep us humble or annoyed, perhaps both. To disable this feature so you can receive attachments, click Tools > Options > Security tab. Under "Virus Protection," remove the check mark from "Do not allow attachments to be saved or opened that could potentially be a virus," followed by OK. That will take care of it.

Q. Whenever I start my computer, a little MSN icon-like symbol that shows who is online appears at the bottom of my screen, then an advertisement for MSN Messenger appears. I’ve been right-clicking each one and selecting “Exit” to get rid of them, but then they appear the next time I start my computer. Is there a way to get rid of them for good?

A. The next time that pesky critter appears, click it to open the MSN Messenger program. From within the program, click Tools > Options > Preferences tab. In the General section, remove the check mark that appears next to “Start this program when Windows starts" and “Allow this program to run in the background.”

Click OK to save your changes, then close the Messenger program. If you want to start MSN Messenger in the future, click Start > Programs and launch it from that location.

Q. Why does “http” appear before every Web site address?

A. Those four cryptic letters stand for HyperText Transfer Protocol. A protocol, within this context, is a standard procedure that governs data transmission between computers. The World Wide Web (aka “the Web”) uses a special protocol or method to transfer information requests between your browser software (e.g. Internet Explorer, Netscape, Firefox) and the computers that contain (host) the information requested. These computers are called “servers” because they serve or deliver information to you.

Web pages we view on the Internet are called “hypertext” documents because they contain clickable links or hyper (as in super-duper) text. Put it all together and you've HyperText Transfer Protocol, better known as “http,” which is part of the address to a Web-based document. This part of the address provides instructions regarding the protocol to be used to retrieve or display the document.

Mr. Modem's Sites of the Week:

Historic Cities
Travel back in time to view ancient maps, literature and other documents of the world's historic cities at different stages of their evolution. Search the city guide from Aachen to Zurich to see old maps of these historic locations and their famous monuments.
http://historic-cities.huji.ac.il

Mad Magazine Covers
And they say there is no culture. Here you’ll find every cover of that bastion of thought-provoking literature, Mad Magazine, from its first edition in October 1952 to the current issue. Most covers include the issue’s table of contents, presumably so you can find important reference material with which to impress your friends and colleagues.
http://tinyurl.com/2p3bkc

Ugly Christmas Lights
Who among us doesn't enjoy a fabulous display of Christmas lights? Well, you'll find none of that here. This year’s entries include such seasonal favorites as Neon Palm Trees, Carport Reindeer, and my personal favorite, the CD Tree. Actually, some of the displays aren't too bad—which isn’t exactly a testament to my taste in Christmas lights.
www.uglychristmaslights.com

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