All of the major digital maps contain erroneous information about our street in Virginia, and don’t even show several new streets near our home that were built over three years ago. I infer that there is one source of cartography used by these Web services, and also by my Garmin navigation system. But I can’t find out what it is. How can an individual get something like this corrected?

There are actually two main companies that make the underlying maps that most of the navigation-device makers and digital-map sites use. One is called Tele Atlas (TLATF.PK), and one is called Navteq (NVT). Garmin (GRMN) uses Navteq. Each mapping company has a Web page where users can report errors or changes.

For Navteq’s error-reporting Web page, go to navteq.com and click on “Map Reporter.” For Tele Atlas’ similar page, go to teleatlas.com and click on “Report Map Changes.”

In reading your review of the new Gogo in-flight wireless Internet system, I wondered about two things: Does it support “virtual private networks,” and when will it be installed on Amtrak trains?

While I didn’t test this, Gogo’s maker, Aircell, says that VPNs, which are used by many big companies, do indeed work over the service.

As for Amtrak, the Gogo system wouldn’t work for trains, because its antennas point up, into the sky, and don’t cover ground locations like railroad tracks. However, if you are on an Amtrak train in an area where cellphone towers are near the tracks, and your laptop computer or cellphone can pick up cellular data signals, you can already surf the Web and do email and other online tasks on the train.

In fact, I happen to be writing this column on an Amtrak Acela train between Washington and New York, and, using a Verizon (VZ) laptop card, my laptop is able to access the Internet with only occasional lapses.

Because of problems I had with my computer, I lost my Internet Explorer favorites. How can I save them so I can easily restore them if they get wiped out again?

There are several methods. You should, of course, be backing up all your key data, including your browser favorites or bookmarks, regularly, either to a local external disk, or to an online backup service. That would create a fairly fresh backup of your favorites. You could also use one of several Web sites that specialize in hosting, and sharing, bookmarks or favorites. They allow you to add bookmarks to your online list as you surf, and also to upload and download the favorites and bookmarks you keep locally on your computer. The best known of these sites is probably del.icio.us, which is at http://del.icio.us.

The simplest method, however, is probably to just export your favorites to a file and save it in your Documents folder, on your desktop, or on a USB thumb drive. You can then use this file to restore your favorites in case of disaster. To do this in the latest version of Microsoft (MSFT) IE, click on the “Add to Favorites” button, select “Import and Export,” click “Next,” then click “Export Favorites” and walk through the steps that follow. Detailed instructions for all versions of IE are at: support.microsoft.com/kb/211089.

• You can find Mossberg’s Mailbox, and my other columns, online for free at the new All Things Digital web site, http://walt.allthingsd.com.

Does any PC manufacturer offer an option to order a Windows (MSFT) PC without any extra software preinstalled?

Dell’s XPS models can be ordered without most preloaded third-party software if you are very careful about clicking all the “no” options when ordering online. But you still are likely to find yourself with Dell’s (DELL) own sometimes annoying networking software.

I have two Windows machines, one for work and one for home. Both use Outlook for email. How can I best transfer many emails from the machine at work to the one at home and still be able to read them in Outlook — without forwarding them all?

Outlook has an “Import and Export” function that will allow you to export any of your email folders to, say, a transferable medium such as an external hard disk or flash drive. You can then take this removable medium to the home computer, plug it in, fire up Outlook, and then import the folder you had exported earlier at work. You can find these import and export functions under Outlook’s File menu.

Can Internet Explorer and Firefox 3.0 coexist on the same computer?

Yes. In fact, you can have 2, 3, or 4 different Web browsers installed on the same personal computer, whether Windows or Mac (AAPL). You can even run different browsers simultaneously. For instance, as I type this, I am running IE 7, Firefox 3.0 and Safari 3.0 on the same computer at the same time.

The only slight hassle is that you will have to decide which to designate as the default browser, the one that launches when, say, you click on a link in an email.

• You can find Mossberg’s Mailbox, and my other columns, online for free at the new All Things Digital web site, http://walt.allthingsd.com.

I recently lost my cellphone for a few hours. What was most upsetting was that I have nearly three years of family photos stored on my phone’s memory card. Other than emailing all of these photos to myself and then saving, is there any way you can think of how I can move these en masse (over 100 pictures) to a hard drive or disc?

Well, assuming the card is removable, you can simply remove it from the phone, pop it into your computer, and copy the pictures to the computer’s hard disk. Depending on what slots your computer has, and the type of memory card the phone uses, this might require using a cheap, small adapter for the computer.

This should work with any modern computer, Windows (MSFT) or Mac (AAPL), and no special software should be required. The memory card should show up as an external disk drive, and you would just open the folder or folders containing the images and copy them to a folder on your hard disk, as you would with any other file. You can leave the originals on the card if you wish. Alternatively, you could import the pictures using photo software like the Vista Photo Gallery or Apple’s iPhoto, although you will want to be sure that the photo software is set to save a duplicate of each photo on the hard disk.

I read your column about avoiding identity theft last week, but am still concerned. I look at my T. Rowe Price (TROW) account, my Chase account, and my J.P. Morgan (JPM) account every day. I also pay my bills online. Is it safe to do this? I am afraid someone will try to steal my passwords and get my money.

There is nothing wrong with checking your accounts and paying your bills online. Millions of people do that safely. All I was saying last week is that there are some rules you should follow to avoid falling into traps commonly set by crooks. One important rule is to never, ever trust any email you get purporting to be from a financial institution, even if it looks official. Never click on any link in any such email, or enter any login or account information in such an email.

Beyond that, just log into the sites manually or using bookmarks you created yourself. Keep your login IDs and passwords for these sites safe, either by memorizing them or writing them someplace where they won’t be easily seen or found. Choose passwords that are hard to guess, and change them every so often. I would also advise against checking financial sites or doing online banking when on public networks, especially wireless networks at hotels, coffee shops, or airports, because some crooks monitor what is typed on such networks.

What exactly was Microsoft’s thinking in moving from XP to Vista as its operating system? If it was for improved resistance to viruses and phishing, I can accept the slower operating speeds along with the few other glitches.

As with any new operating-system project, the development of Vista had numerous aims, including easier networking and an improved user interface. However, Microsoft officials at the time repeatedly said that much more robust security was the main design goal for Vista. And, in fact, Vista does have an array of security features Windows XP lacked. However, much of the antiphishing work is contained in version 7 of the Internet Explorer Web browser, which is also available to XP users. And Vista didn’t eliminate the need to operate add-on security software.

It’s also worth noting that Microsoft is continuing to bolster the security and other features of Windows XP, and will soon release a major XP update called Service Pack 3, or SP3. It includes improved security.

• You can find Mossberg’s Mailbox, and my other columns, online for free at the new All Things Digital web site, http://walt.allthingsd.com.

Can you recommend a device that would allow me to surf the Web on a bedroom television connected via Ethernet and to control the device via a wireless keyboard or remote control?

Perhaps the most direct approach would be to buy the MSN TV 2 device from Microsoft that is specifically meant for browsing the Web on a TV from a distance and can be used with Ethernet. It costs $200, plus a monthly fee, comes with a wireless keyboard and remote, and can be ordered at msntv.com.

A second option would be to buy a small computer with a wireless keyboard and hook it up to the bedroom TV instead of to a computer monitor. For instance, I have surfed the Web this way using a tiny $599 Mac Mini computer from Apple, which comes with a wireless remote and accepts almost any wireless keyboard, though it doesn’t come with one. There are numerous Windows computers that could do the same, and many cost less, though most are larger.

Another method would be to use a game console capable of surfing the Web, even if you have no intention of playing games. These are made to work with TV sets, and some can use a wireless keyboard and/or wireless controller to do the job. For instance, the $250 Nintendo Wii game machine has an optional Web-browsing function.

Apple has released a Windows beta version of Safari. Is it any safer to use than Microsoft’s Internet Explorer?

It’s too early to tell, as the Windows version of Safari is still in beta and is very new, to users and hackers alike.

Certainly, operating in Windows will make Safari much more vulnerable to attack than it is on the Macintosh operating system, if only because the writers of malicious software aim their firepower overwhelmingly at Windows. While Internet Explorer is hardly impregnable, it has become safer over the years, and Microsoft certainly has much more experience battling Windows security issues than Apple does. Apple has already issued some security updates for this new version of Safari and will undoubtedly have to keep issuing more to keep ahead of the bad guys.

I am thinking of buying a ThinkPad laptop from Lenovo with AT&T BroadbandConnect. Do I still need to buy some sort of card from AT&T and insert it into the laptop, and must I pay a subscription fee to them?

No, and yes. The laptop likely has the modem for AT&T built in, so you can connect to the Internet via AT&T’s cellular network without buying an external card. However, the service isn’t free. You can’t use it without a subscription, which typically runs $60 a month.

You can find Mossberg’s Mailbox, and my other columns, online free of charge at the new All Things Digital Web site, http://walt.allthingsd.com.

Write to Walter S. Mossberg at mossberg@wsj.com

Here are a few questions I’ve received recently from people like you, and my answers. I have edited and restated the questions a bit, for readability. This week my mailbox contained questions about moving a 25 gigabyte file from a Mac to a PC, switching the iPhone to horizontal mode, and enlarging font size.

How can I move a 25 gigabyte file from a Mac to a PC?

If the two computers are on the same network, you could simply transfer the file over the network. Or, you could establish an ad hoc network using what’s called a “crossover” network cable, though that might require some technical expertise. You might also try uploading the file from the Mac to one of the online backup-and-storage services and then downloading it to the PC. For instance, a service called MediaMax, at mediamax.com, offers 25 gigabytes of storage free, and claims to work with both Macs and PCs.

For the best combination of simplicity and speed, I suggest you purchase an external USB hard drive, formatted for Windows. The Mac should be able to instantly recognize it, since Macs can read Windows disks and can write to them as well, as long as they use a standard Windows format called FAT. You would just plug the drive into the Mac, copy the file to it, then remove it from the Mac, plug it into the PC and copy the file from the external drive to the PC’s internal hard disk. Update: Due to technical limitations, you can’t copy a file larger than four gigabytes in size to a disk drive formatted using the FAT file system.

A 30-gigabyte or larger Apple iPod can also be used as an external hard disk and thus would do the trick — provided it is formatted for Windows, is set to work in disk mode, and has enough room to hold the file.

Is it possible to switch the iPhone into horizontal mode when typing emails, which would allow for wider spacing on the onscreen keyboard when typing, thus helping to eliminate typing errors?

No. While the iPhone’s Web browser, built-in iPod and photo program can operate in landscape, or horizontal, mode, its email program works only in vertical, or portrait, mode. However, in my daily experience with the iPhone, I have actually found the horizontal version of the keyboard (which appears in the browser) clumsier to use than the narrower vertical version.

My grandmother, age 85, recently stopped our weekly emails and when I asked why, she said the 14″ screen has become difficult to use. I considered a 20″ LCD, but the bigger screens seem to shrink the font, and the Magnifier option under Accessibility isn’t agreeable to her. What other options are there?

I assume from your question that she is running Windows XP. If so, you can enlarge the fonts she uses in several ways, to offset the shrinkage you noted on the higher-resolution monitor. First, in Windows itself, go to the Display control panel, click on the Appearance tab, and in the Font Size menu, select “Extra Large Fonts.”

Most email programs and Web browsers also offer options to enlarge the size of text. For instance, in Outlook Express, go to Tools, then Options, then click on the Read tab and the Fonts button. Change the Font Size setting to “largest.” In the Compose tab, click the “Font Settings” button and select a large font size. While reading an email, she can increase the font size by clicking on the View menu, selecting “Text Size,” and then selecting “Largest.” There is a similar “Text Size” setting in Internet Explorer, under either the View or Page menu, depending on which version she is using.

Finally, if she is reading her email inside Internet Explorer, you might try a very good $25 utility called WebEyes, which enlarges the type on any Web page. I tested it in 2004 and liked it (Read the review). You can get it at www.ionwebeyes.com.

You can find Mossberg’s Mailbox, and my other columns, online free of charge at the new All Things Digital Web site, http://walt.allthingsd.com.

Write to Walter S. Mossberg at mossberg@wsj.com

Corrections & Amplifications:

Due to technical limitations, an individual can’t copy a file larger than four gigabytes in size to a disk drive formatted using the Windows file system called FAT. A previous version of this column incorrectly advised that a 25-gigabyte file could be copied to such a disk drive.

Here are a few questions about computers I’ve received recently from people like you, and my answers. I have edited and restated the questions a bit, for readability. This week my mailbox contained questions about alphabetizing your favorites in Explorer, using Linux as an operating system, and whether Dell is offering Windows XP as an alternative to Vista.

I followed the instructions you printed last week for alphabetizing the Favorites in Internet Explorer, but they didn’t work for me. I am using IE 6 in Windows XP on a Dell computer.

In IE 6, it only works if you display your Favorites list using the menu command, not the icon.

You often mention the Macintosh as an alternative to Windows, why don’t you recommend the Linux operating system?

I aim my columns at mainstream users doing typical tasks who have little or no technical knowledge, no help from experts, and no appetite for becoming techies. These folks want the computer to do things for them. They don’t want to have to do much, if any, configuring of, or maintaining of, their computers. They have no patience for geeky procedures. For instance, when they buy a peripheral device, they expect to plug it in and find that it works, often without even installing the CD from the box. I don’t believe Linux is yet simple enough and automatic enough and nontechnical enough for these mainstream users. So I don’t recommend it. I firmly believe that the Macintosh does meet these criteria, and so I consider it the only practical alternative to Windows for mainstream, nontechie users.

My friend claims that Dell has now decided to resume offering Windows XP as an option on its consumer model computers, instead of only offering variations of Windows Vista. Is this true?

Yes, Dell announced last week that it is bringing back XP as an option on a handful of its consumer laptops and desktops. The models include the Inspiron 1405, 1705, 1505, and 1501; and the Dimension E520 and E521. A quick check of the Dell Web site shows at least one other consumer model available with Windows XP, the XPS 710 — Level 1.

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Because of the volume of email I receive, I can’t routinely answer individual questions by email, or consult on individual problems or purchasing decisions. I read all questions I receive and select three each week to answer in the column.

Write to Walter S. Mossberg at mossberg@wsj.com

Here are a few questions about computers I’ve received recently from people like you, and my answers. I have edited and restated the questions a bit, for readability. This week my mailbox contained questions about deciding when to buy a Mac after the delay of the Leopard operating system, removing old versions of iPod software and alphabetizing your favorites in Explorer.

I had been waiting to buy my first Macintosh until this spring, when Apple’s new Leopard operating system was supposed to be released. Now that Leopard has been delayed until October, I am wondering if a Mac I buy now will be compatible with the new system?

Leopard isn’t an entirely new operating system, but a major new version, or edition, of Apple’s Mac OS X operating system, which made its debut in 2001. It will replace the current version, which is called Tiger. As you noted, it was supposed to become available this spring, but now has been delayed until October. Apple will say only that “We’re designing Leopard to deliver full functionality and performance on the widest number of Macs possible, and upgrading a system to run on Leopard should be simple and smooth.” I believe that it is highly likely that Leopard will run with all its functions and with decent speed on any Mac purchased today, and in fact on any Mac purchased in the past 18 months or so, at the least. Compatibility could go back much further than that, though some old Mac models will certainly be incompatible, or will slow down unacceptably. Upgrading to new Apple operating system versions has generally been a very good experience in recent years, much better than similar Windows upgrades. If you intend to upgrade to Leopard, then the biggest downside to buying a Mac now may be financial, not technical. If Apple’s past practice prevails, Leopard is likely to cost $129 for any Mac purchased today. If you wait until you can buy a Mac with Leopard preloaded, you will save that extra cost. Also, memory could be another cost issue. Some Macs sold today have only 512 megabytes of memory. Even today, with the current Tiger version of the operating system, I recommend doubling that to 1 gigabyte. I suspect that advice will hold for Leopard, but nobody knows for sure. So, if you buy a Mac now there is a risk you’ll have to shell out later for more memory.

I’m trying to free up some space on my hard drive by removing programs that I don’t need. Going through the “Add/Remove Programs” list on Windows XP I’ve run across three separate iPod updates that date from well over a year ago. Is it safe to remove these earlier versions? Is it typical that the newest version incorporates the features of the older ones?

Yes, the latest version of iPod software contains all the features and bug fixes from the older updates, so it is safe to remove the older ones.

In Internet Explorer, is there a method to alphabetize my Favorites list?

I get this question at least twice a month, and have answered it many times over the years, but am happy to answer it again. Obviously, Microsoft hasn’t made the process of alphabetizing Favorites obvious enough. Here’s what to do. Display your list of Favorites, then select one, and right click on it. Somewhere in the menu that appears you should see a choice called “Sort by Name.” Click on that choice, and your Favorites should be rearranged in alphabetical order. This works in both IE 6 and IE 7.

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Because of the volume of e-mail I receive, I can’t routinely answer individual questions by e-mail, or consult on individual problems or purchasing decisions. I read all questions I receive and select three each week to answer in the column.

Write to Walter S. Mossberg at mossberg@wsj.com

Here are a few questions about computers I’ve received recently from people like you, and my answers. I have edited and restated the questions a bit, for readability. This week my mailbox contained questions about using Microsoft Word to handle page layouts, deleting favorites in Internet Explorer and running Windows Vista on a Mac.

I use Microsoft Word 2003 for writing family histories with many photographs. But the program doesn’t handle photographs well. Is Word 2007 any better?

Word isn’t primarily a page layout program, so I can’t say if you’ll consider the new version dramatically better for photos. But Microsoft did put some effort into improving the graphics, layout and photo-handling features in the new 2007 version. If nothing else, Word’s system for positioning and manipulating photos is easier to understand because of the new interface Microsoft introduced.

In Internet Explorer, is there a way to delete favorites other than one at a time? I have tried to select several while holding the Shift or Control key, but only one at a time is deleted.

One way to do it is to avoid using the very limited Organize Favorites feature in Internet Explorer itself, and locate the folder on your hard disk where the files that represent the Favorites reside. Then, you can delete the Favorites like any other files.

This folder is called Favorites, and can be found through Windows Explorer (as opposed to Internet Explorer). It’s under Documents and Settings, inside a folder bearing the name of the user or account you use in Windows.

For example, if your user account name (the name that appears at the top of the Windows Start Menu) is “Janet,” the Favorites folder would be C:\Documents and Settings\Janet\Favorites. The icon for this folder is a star, rather than a picture of a folder.

Is it true that Microsoft’s license terms for Vista prevent Mac users from installing it using the Parallels software that creates a virtual Windows machine on a Mac? And does this also apply to Apple’s Boot Camp system for running Windows on a Mac?

Microsoft has decided to legally bar the installation of the most common consumer versions of the new Windows Vista operating in a virtual machine. A virtual machine is a software environment that allows one operating system to run inside another by creating a faux, or virtual, computer. This prohibition covers Vista Home Basic and Home Premium, and it applies not only to Parallels on a Mac but to other virtual-machine systems on other kinds of computers, even Windows computers.

Vista Home Basic and Home Premium will, in fact, work fine in Parallels on a Mac, according to the maker of Parallels. But if you install them in Parallels, or any other virtual machine, you will violate the Microsoft license. To comply with the license, you have to buy and install the more expensive Vista Business or Vista Ultimate versions.

However, I don’t believe the Microsoft license prohibition applies to running Windows on a Mac via Apple’s Boot Camp system, since Boot Camp doesn’t create a virtual machine. When you run Windows on a Mac under Boot Camp, the computer becomes a real Windows computer, not a virtual one. No other operating system is running; Windows is in total and sole control of the Mac hardware. I should note, however, that Boot Camp was designed to allow Macs to run Windows XP, and Apple hasn’t yet modified it for Vista.

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Because of the volume of e-mail I receive, I can’t routinely answer individual questions by e-mail, or consult on individual problems or purchasing decisions. I read all questions I receive and select three each week to answer in the column.

Write to Walter S. Mossberg at mossberg@wsj.com

Here are a few questions about computers I’ve received recently from people like you, and my answers. I have edited and restated the questions a bit, for readability. This week my mailbox contained questions about turning off tabbed browsing in the new Internet Explorer, ripping DVDs into iTunes and transferring contacts from one computer to another in Outlook and Outlook Express.

Is there a way to totally turn off tabbed browsing in the new Internet Explorer 7.0?

Yes. Click on the Tools icon at the upper right, and select the last item, Internet Options. In the window that appears, go to the General tab, and find the Tabs section. Click the Settings button in that Tabs section. That will open a new window called Tabbed Browsing Settings. In that window, uncheck the first option, “Enabled Tabbed Browsing.” Then click OK in that window, and in the previous window. Then, quit Internet Explorer and restart it. You should now be able to use the browser in the old nontabbed manner.

Why is it that Apple supports ripping one’s CDs to iTunes in order to sync them to one’s iPod but the same is not true for movies using purchased DVDs? Is there a work-around?

I suspect it’s because DVDs are copy-protected by the movie studios, while CDs aren’t (with a few exceptions) copy-protected by the record labels. However, there are some programs that will rip DVDs. I haven’t tested them and can’t recommend any.

How can I transfer my contacts from my work computer’s Outlook program to my home computer’s Outlook Express program — assuming that I can’t directly connect the two computers by USB, wireless or other direct link?

Using Outlook’s Import and Export function, from the File menu, you would export the Contacts as a “Comma Separated Values” file, then save that to your hard disk. Next, copy this file to a USB thumb drive, or burn it to a blank CD. Then, take the thumb drive or CD home, insert it in your home PC, and copy the file to its hard disk. Then, fire up Outlook Express, open the address book, and select “Import” from the File menu. Choose “Other Address Book,” then choose “Text File (Comma Separated Values).” Locate the file, and you should be able to import it.

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Because of the volume of e-mail I receive, I can’t routinely answer individual questions by e-mail, or consult on individual problems or purchasing decisions. I read all questions I receive and select three each week to answer in the column.

Write to Walter S. Mossberg at mossberg@wsj.com

Here are a few questions about computers I’ve received recently from people like you, and my answers. I have edited and restated the questions a bit, for readability. This week my mailbox contained questions about Microsoft Access and Macs, the toolbar in the new Internet Explorer and the latest version of Windows XP.

I have an old H-P notebook and am thinking of replacing it with a Mac. However, I use Microsoft Access to keep all the information of my clients and I was told by a friend that the Microsoft Office suite on a Mac doesn’t have MS Access. Is this true? If so, what do you suggest I should do? I mainly use Access and email.

Your friend is correct. Microsoft doesn’t make a Mac version of Access, and while there are some database programs for the Mac, there’s nothing I know of that’s exactly like Access or is fully and easily compatible with it. You could install Windows on your new Mac and boot into Windows when you need to run Access. In my tests of Apple’s Boot Camp software for running Windows on a Mac, Access ran quickly and well.

However, I suggest that you avoid the Mac and buy a Windows machine. If your main use of your computer is to run a single program that only works in Windows, that means that, even with a Mac, you’ll be spending most of your time in the Windows environment, and won’t gain many of the advantages of the Mac operating system and its tight integration with the Mac hardware. So, you might as well just buy another H-P or a Dell or Lenovo.

I was encouraged by your column of Oct. 19 to download Internet Explorer 7. It seems fine but I no longer have the Outlook Express icon on the toolbar. I found this quite convenient and wonder how to get it onto IE 7.

In the new Version 7 of Internet Explorer, Microsoft took pains to strip down and simplify the menus and toolbars, so as to streamline the look and feel. One of the things that was dropped as a default option was the icon for your email program, such as Outlook Express. But IE 7 allows you to restore it. Here’s how:

First, right-click on the toolbar, which is the short strip of icons that includes the Home button, and choose “Customize Command Bar.” Then, choose “Add or Remove Commands…”. From the list on the left, choose “Read Mail” and click the “Add” button. Then, with the “Read Mail” entry highlighted, use the buttons marked “Move Up” and “Move Down” to place the email icon where you want on the toolbar. Finally, click the “Close” button.

Several products you’ve reviewed recently, like Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 7 and Apple’s Boot Camp, require the “latest version” of Windows XP. What is the latest version?

The latest, and likely the last, version of Windows XP is called “SP2,” for “Service Pack 2.” The box will have that phrase on it. However, this version of Windows XP will be superseded in early 2007 by the all-new Windows Vista, which is a complete overhaul of Windows.

* * *

Because of the volume of email I receive, I can’t routinely answer individual questions by email, or consult on individual problems or purchasing decisions. I read all questions I receive and select three each week to answer in the column.

Write to Walter S. Mossberg at mossberg@wsj.com