Q. I have several computers, so I’m continually copying my Favorites and it's driving me crazy. There's got to be a better way to share Favorites between computers. Any help would be greatly appreciated, Mr. M.

A. It is cumbersome, to say the least, to have to continually copy or update your bookmarks if you have several computers, but you’re correct, there is an easy way to do this: The free DotBookmark service, which is one of several similar services, will place an additional button on your browser toolbar, then retain a backup copy of your bookmarks on its server. You can import your existing bookmarks from multiple computers or start fresh with DotBookmark. Complete information is located on the DotBookmark Web site, but it does provide a convenient method of centralizing your bookmark folder for easy access from any computer.

Q. How can I determine how large my C: drive is and how much memory my computer has? I keep getting asked these questions when I call for tech support and I never know what to say. I’m using Windows XP.

A. To eyeball the size of your C: drive in any version of Windows and determine how full (or empty) the drive is, open My Computer, right-click your C: drive icon, and click Properties.

The Properties window will display your drive’s used space, free space, and the total capacity of your drive, all in a festive, colorful pie chart format. The blue part of the pie displays used space, the pink area shows free space. I’m a “drive-half-empty” kind of guy, so I always focus on the free space.

Q. Can I create a Desktop shortcut to a Web site, or are shortcuts just for launching programs? I signed up for your weekly newsletter so I can email you with my questions. I can’t believe you actually answer. You’re an excellent teacher.

A. Thanks very much. Yes, indeed, if you’re a subscriber to my weekly newsletter, I’m happy to personally respond to your questions by email. Turning to your question, if you have a favorite Web site that you want to be able to access with a click of a Desktop icon, you can certainly do that. With the site on screen, you'll see that your browser’s Address Bar displays the site’s URL or Web address with a little icon to the left of the address. Click that little icon, hold down your left mouse button and drag the icon to your Desktop. A shortcut will be created to the Web page. Press F2 to rename the icon.

It will come as no surprise that in order to drag the Address Bar icon to your Desktop, you’ll have to make sure you can see your Desktop behind the browser in order to make the drop. To do that, reduce the size of the browser window by clicking the middle of the three buttons (the Restore button) located in the top right-hand corner of the window, between the Minimize and Close (X) buttons.

Mr. Modem's Sites of the Week:

Optical Illusions
Challenge your skills of perception. Whether these illusions are conveyed through fractals, architecture, art, or other media, they are guaranteed to remind you that seeing is not believing.
illusionsetc.blogspot.com

Whatever Happened to Polio?
Until Jonas Salk created a vaccine in 1955, polio was a worldwide scourge, afflicting millions of individuals. This site, sponsored by the Smithsonian Institute, tells the story of this deadly virus and its impact on society and culture. Visit the “Polio Today” section for a modern look at the disease's presence in Third World nations and the worldwide effort to vaccinate people.
http://americanhistory.si.edu/polio

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.