Jeff A

I bought a Chinese aftermarket lens for my Canon EOS. It worked fine when I bought it, but now it won't communicate with the camera body, which gives me the message "clean contacts." I have cleaned the contacts on the lens and the body. My other lenses still work. Any suggestions?

I use a digital camera a lot and have recently become interested in trying the RAW feature. I use Photoshop Elements 7 which doesn't seem to support RAW. What is an easy to use, inexpensive software that would allow me to use RAW?

The blower fan in my 2003 Honda Civic stopped working a week ago. The multi position switch is working because the a/c light comes on when the switch is turned on. I can't find any bad fuses. Oddly, a few times I've gotten into my car on a hot afternoon and the fan comes on for a few minutes, then shuts off again. Is there a relay in this circuit or anything else for me to check?

I have an older, non digital T.V. I have a Netflix subscription which allows me to watch movies. I'd like to connect my laptop to the T.V. to have a larger screen to view them. The T.V. has an S Video jack. What do I need to do this?

I just bought a computer with Vista and am trying to install a photo printer. I have the disc that came with the printer. I've also downloaded a driver from the printer's manufacturer. I keep getting the message, "The version of present Windows cannot install a printer driver." What does this mean, and how can I get the printer to work?

I take a lot of photos of people. Occasionally, I take my studio on location for a party and want to provide people with copies of their pictures. Can you recommend a printer which can be taken with me which provides good color for portraits?

I've become very interested in learning more about Black history and the civil rights movement in the United States. I'm sure there are many great books. I've been reading "King" by David L. Lewis. If you had to pick just one book to recommend to a non-black reader, which one would you pick. I'm especially interested in the suggestions of African-Americans.

I'm considering a new computer. I saw some great prices at my local Wal Mart store. A couple of the computers had only 2 gigs of ram. I want 4 gigs. The salesperson told me that the RAM in most new computers cannot be upgraded by the consumer. He said the Compaq computers couldn't be upgraded at all, and the Dell computers could only have RAM added by the manufacturer. Is this true? Are there some major brands that are still upgradable by the consumer?

I bought a used Dell Inspiron 6000 laptop a few months ago. Its battery was completely dead. I ordered a new one on eBay which was charged when I received it. It ran for a couple of hours with the new battery, but won't recharge. Is it possible the battery is bad or is it most likely the computer? The AC adapter powers the computer fine when plugged in.

My D12 Hard Drive is full. I don't want to delete the files since I'd like to remix them in the future. There is a SCSI connector on the Korg. Can I use a SCSI to USB adapter cable to copy files to my computer? I don't have the cable yet, but they're available on eBay.

The majority of white voters voted for Obama. That proves that white racism is a much smaller problem than many claim. He is not bringing this change, his being elected demonstrates that the change has already occured.

I have an older computer with Windows XP. I'm using Trend Micro anti spyware. Often, the computer boots up with the display garbled and very low resolution, and the mouse pointer freezes up. It seems to have started since I reformatted my hard drive after getting a nasty virus.

I have a Honda 50 dirt bike which is 4 years old and has been used very little. I took it out today for the first time in a year. It ran fine, but quite a bit of gasoline dripped from a short black tube which comes out of the bottom of the carburetor. What is the tube for and why would it be dripping so much?

I acquired a used computer with Windows XP Professional installed. I attempted to update the software and got the message that the product key is invalid. The computer case has the original product key sticker on it. Will that product key be valid if I install Windows XP Home edition on the computer, since I have the disk?

I was carelessly downloading on Limewire and picked up a bunch of bad stuff. My spyware software took care of most of it, but this one keeps coming back after every scan. What can I do?

It is a Compaq desktop. It has a Windows license but the hard drive quit working. It didn't come with a Windows disc. When I replace the hard drive, how do I get Windows installed legally?

I watched the interview and got the sense that she was holding back a smile most of the time when she was talking. I didn't sense much compassion for the victims at all. She even said that "he was a victim too." I wanted to slap her.

I have a 1993 Ford Aerostar which I almost never drive. It was due for a smog test (in California.) It passed all the testing except the idle is too high. The technician told me the timing needed to be adjusted 10 degrees to lower the idle. Does this sound correct? Can a layman (such as myself) without a timing light or any knowledge adjust this? What should I expect to pay for a mechanic to adjust it for me? Any information would be appreciated.

I heard on the news yesterday that two of the people injured in the San Francisco zoo tiger attack were carrying slingshots. Does this make you think the tiger was acting in self-defense and that the "victims" provoked the tiger and caused the attack?

A neighborhood teenager and his friend came into my home and stole my son's computer while I was at work. I confronted him about it and he said, "I think my friend may have it, but I don't." The two of them were together when it was taken. I asked for his friend's last name, address, and phone number. He claims not to know any of this. I sent the police to talk to him and he told them he doesn't know anything about it. The police aren't helping at all. What would you do if this happened to you?