Xysa Zing

I was transporting my laptop in a case which is too small to fit the laptop in with any USBs plugged in, so whilst the computer was shut down I took the USB for my wireless mouse and keyboard out. I used the laptop a couple of times before putting the USB back in whilst the laptop was shut down and starting it up, in order to use the mouse (keyboard is at home). But the laptop is not recognising the USB at all, no matter how many times I put the USB in or take it out, it is never detected. The mouse is almost brand new and has worked fine up until now. What do I need to do to get things working again?

My mum wants to go out for dinner tonight. She is shouting at me because the restaurant she wants to go to doesn't have many vegetarian options and she feels I limit the family when we go out because we live in an area with very few restaurants catering for vegetarians. She has been against me being vegetarian from the start and I'm sick of having to defend my choices. I hate the thought of eating a dead animal, I don't mind them eating meat around me because that's their decision, but they try to pressurise me into eating meat again and it's horrible. How can I get this across to them?

I'm 18 and recently one nipple has become slightly inverted, on the breast that has always been bigger. I experienced quite a bit of pain in this breast during my period, but in the other one too. I can't feel any lumps or bumps that aren't normal (as in there on the other one too), and the milk ducts on both nipples have a white fluid in them that's been there most of the time for a few months now. I am on the pill if that affects anything. The nipple has been inverted for quite a lot of the time for about two months now, I'm not sure if it's related to my periods or not. It's not too inverted and it will erect itself, but right now there's a sunken line through it which isn't there in the other nipple. And if anyone asks, three members of my family have been diagnosed with breast cancer (including my mother and her mother). I'm probably panicking over nothing, but I really don't want to go to the doctor because they write my symptoms off often and I don't want to tell my family because they think the same thing. Thanks in advance for any answers.

It's my little toe, I hit it against a chair leg two weeks ago now, initially it was too sore to stand on comfortably and now, two weeks later, it's fine most of the time but still hurts when I move it or put pressure on it. Any advice appreciated.

So I've been careful not to eat bad foods with my brace, hard things, gum, etc. But the wire at the back has come out of its socket, when I put it back in it stays for a while and comes out again whenever I eat something... I'm sick of it, it's cutting my mouth but my orthodontist said to just keep putting it back in (I'm paying a lot of money for this and am not happy). What can I do about it? The brace itself is stuck firmly to the tooth, it's the wire that's detaching.

I'm 18 now and the kids' ones are too small. Does anyone know where I can buy adult-sized Scooby-Doo socks?

I bought the phone second hand, it has a black back. I'd love to buy a red one to go with the white protective case and make it less monochrome (also be handy to have a spare back regardless, I'm a klutz). Do Nokia sell the backs individually, or does someone else?

Ads are driving me mad when I use Windows Phone, is there anything like Adblock for IE in Windows Phone? They cause the tab to crash when I'm on sites and it's crazy.

I'm applying to study Film and German and have received an offer from Queen Mary, still waiting on Bristol. When I looked last, Queen Mary was top of the Drama league for the UK and Bristol was third, but they seem to change around a lot as last year Bristol was top. For Film I'm guessing London would be better than Bristol, although there is a lot of filming and recording that takes place in Bristol, but I live in the West Midlands and London is a very expensive place to live. I've only visited Bristol, but I loved it apart from the fact that it didn't have a campus as such, which QM does (I would like to have a campus).

Anybody got any thoughts? I might not get an offer from Bristol, but it's looking pretty likely (lots of complicated circumstances but I did get an offer last year).

I was put on the pill a few months ago now for heavy and extremely heavy periods, but towards the end of the cycle of pills, I get these aches and pains in my lower stomach. I've also been feeling a bit faint and strange on occasion, especially after eating a lot of food. I asked my doctor about the pains and he said that was normal, but I'm worried about the light-headedness. Should I ask whether I continue the pills or not? They have at least helped with the pain and the heavy periods.

My daughter has excellent hygiene (orthodontist) but everyday her mouth is bleeding. Agony to speak. Constant mouth ulcers. Still have 12 months to go Private treatment would mean smoother braces but cost 3.5k. As she had teeth removed abandoning treatment would leave mouth with large gaps but struggling to see alternative. Advice welcome

I'm 100% certain I have OCD. I have huge paranoia about losing my mum, losing my dad (especially in car crashes), I can't step on cracks in the pavement when walking or I have to step on the same amount of damp/dry pavement with each foot, I have to have things in groups of four or count four of everything, I find it hard to touch things when other people have handled them, the list goes on and on. I also have this weird fear of losing my iPod and go crazy if I put it down somewhere and then can't find it.

My mum wants to get me counselling, but it was much, much worse than this when I was a child and I seemed to overcome it then (literally EVERYTHING was in fours then- the number of words I spoke, the number of steps I took...) So clearly I have the ability to tone it down? But I don't want to see a counsellor, even though she's insistent, I saw one before and it was horrible and this time we'd have to pay as well. How can I convince her otherwise? I know she only wants the best for me, but I really don't want this.

I got braces at the end of May this year, after having four teeth removed, and they've been driving me nuts. I have constant ulcers, they get in the way of me talking (which being a sales assistant is a bit crucial!), eating is a nightmare because I know food gets stuck in the awkward crevices where I can't get it out, and my tongue is always being scratched. I've got scars on my cheeks where they rubbed the skin. I hate them and if it were a choice between straight teeth and not having the braces, I'd whip them out in seconds.

Are there any alternatives? We're willing to pay, but not too much, and we live in England.

I tripped on a loose paving stone on my way home from work two days ago, at first the leg hurt quite a lot but it's been getting steadily sorer and there aren't many external marks but it's very painful, especially when the knee bends. Not sure what I've done to it? It's the area just beneath the knee.

I'm fairly sure I have some form of anxiety disorder, whether that be generalised anxiety or OCD (which I know I have but am not sure to what extent). I've noticed recently, or since I've been much more stressed- since November last year- that as well as palpitations (which often coincide with tiredness), grinding my teeth sub-consciously and a not irregular but worse and more painful menstrual cycle, I keep getting minor and not so minor infections in the skin around my fingernails, which tends to flake off. The flaking has been happening for years, but the infections are new. Is this to do with the anxiety?

I'm trying to find a couple of TV shows from the 90s which may or may not have been released on DVD/VHS. I know they're in the British Film Archive, but is there any other way to legally gain access to them besides waiting for a seller on eBay? (I'm not interested if it's not legal)

I'm applying to be an extra and they're asking if I'm happy to smoke. I couldn't smoke real cigarettes because of the health risk- does anyone know whether they supply fake ones?

I'm 17 and I'm pretty sure that's the legal age for giving blood in Britain (if not I'm 18 soon). But yeah... I've never been comfortable with needles, and recently that has been getting much much worse for some reason. I was alright as a child, but when I was a teenager they were scary and then 16-17 just downright terrifying. I had a cannula once and I shudder just thinking about it.

Is there any kind of medication you can take to relax you whilst they put the needle in? Or any techniques? I'm naturally pretty anxious and uptight which doesn't help, but anything would be appreciated because I'd love doing it.

OK, so I'm 17 (virgin) and still living with my parents, and likely to be for a while yet. I regularly masturbate but recently it's not really been enough... I think about sex a lot and would like to have someone to have sex with, but the emotional ties would be too complicated right now. It would also have to be safe.

Any suggestions? I'll be moving city sometime next year, hence the no emotions thing.