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Q: I just changed computers here in the office.  We’re using XP Professional, and every time I print anything I get a little pop-up message above the taskbar that tells me the document has been sent to the printer.  I’d like to get rid of that aggravating message, but I can’t find where to turn it off.  Can you help? 

– Keith N.
Fort Walton Beach, FL

A: Sure, Keith.  This is a relatively easy one, but as you discovered, it’s buried under several layers of menus and dialogs.  To disable it, perform the following steps: 

• Click Start->Printers and Faxes
• In the Printers and Faxes window, click File->Server Properties
• Go to the Advanced Tab
• Uncheck both of the “Show informational notifications for _____ printers” boxes.
• OK out of everything, and you’re all set

Readers, Keith pointed out one other thing in the course of our e-mail discussion of this issue.  That is, if you’re using “Classic” start menus, you may actually have to go to the Control Panel applet to view anything more than a menu containing a list of your printers.  You can get around that by doing the following steps: Right-click on the Start button and select “Properties”.  Go to Start Menu tab, and select “Customize”.  In the “Advanced Start menu options” box, make sure “Expand Printers” is unchecked.

Q: When I changed from NetZero to AT&T, I went to Yahoo mail classic.  I informed my friends, but discovered that if they click on “reply” to respond to me, the e-mail goes to the NetZero message center instead of Yahoo.  I found out accidentally that I had 1159 unread messages in that site!  I can’t find a way to change it.  I have told them they must click on “compose” for me instead of “reply”, but naturally they forget. 

– Bev D.
Destin, FL

A: It sounds like you have a “Reply To:” address configured, Bev.  This is a standard feature of e-mail that allows you to specify an address for replies that is different from the address from which you sent the e-mail.  You’ll find that in Yahoo! Mail, it’s one of the first settings on the configuration screen.  To access it, perform the following steps after you’ve signed into Yahoo! Mail:  In the upper-right portion of the screen, find and click on the link that says “Options” and select “Mail Options” from the mini drop-down menu.  Click on “General Preferences” and there you are.  Clear out anything that’s in the “Reply to” line, or put in your Yahoo! Mail address.

Well, that’s it for me for 2008!  It’s been a wonderful year in the Geek household, and Spouse Peripheral and I would like to wish all of you a safe, happy, and prosperous year in 2009.  My personal appearance calendar for next year is starting to fill up, so if you would like me to speak to your club, group, class, business, expo, or whatever please get your request in soon.  Please submit all communication to my GeekMail address below — do not send requests to the newspaper.