Q. When I use my word processing software, I can't insert a letter (character) into a word or a sentence without canceling the letter next to it. If I hit the space bar, instead of moving the text ahead of it, it deletes the text, letter by letter. It was working fine last week, so I must have done something to cause this problem. Do you have any suggestions, Mr. M?

A. It sounds like you may have inadvertently toggled the INSert key off. With the INSert key off, anything you type will overwrite other letters. With the INSert key on, anything you type will insert itself at the location of your cursor, and push the existing letters to the right.

To toggle it on, press the INS key on your keyboard. Each time you press the key it will turn the INSert feature on or off. When it's on, you may see the small letters INS (for insert) or OVR (for overwrite) in the lower portion of your screen or on one of the displayed toolbars, depending on the program in use at the time.

Q. When I put my computer into Standby or Sleep mode, both its fans used to shut down. Lately, when the computer goes into Sleep mode, the fans continue to operate. Besides being noisy, it's also a waste of energy. Any idea why things have changed?

A. Your system probably has built-in temperature monitoring and if so, your computer is running hotter than usual. This would cause the fans to stay on to prevent your PC from overheating. If you’re comfortable opening your computer’s case, try unplugging your PC, open the case and clean out any dust you see, especially in the fins of the heatsinks. (Just look for something that has cooling fins on it.) Use a light touch with a dry toothbrush (presumably one that you’re not planning to use again for your personal oral hygiene) to clean out the tight spots. Once it’s clean, you may see a difference in the noise and behavior of the fans.

You might want to consider SpeedFan, a free utility that will monitor your system’s temperature and modulate fan speeds as required. If the problem persists, however, I would recommend taking the computer to a reputable computer repair facility and have them check it out with an eye towards possibly replacing the existing fan.

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