HELP FILE

QWhen I tried to install Internet Explorer 7, the software for myHewlett-Packard printer/scanner stopped working. HP tech supporttold me to uninstall IE 7. Should I?

AThat sounds too weird to be true -- how can a Web browserbreak your printer's software? -- but it's real. Hewlett-Packardspokesman Russ Twoey confirmed this bug with its HP Director programbut said the following routine can allow users to keep IE 7.

First, open HP Director as usual. It will appear hidden, butpressing the Alt key and space bar at the same time will bring up awindow-size menu; select "Minimize" from that. Now click the HPDirector button you'll see in the taskbar at the bottom of theWindows XP desktop. Repeat these steps each time you run Director.

Twoey said HP is working on an IE 7-compatible version ofDirector but did not say when that would arrive. If you'd ratherrevert to IE 6, open the Add or Remove Programs control panel,select "Windows Internet Explorer 7" and click the "Remove" button.

I upgraded to Mozilla Firefox 2, and now I can't block trackingcookies in this browser.

Old versions of Firefox could be set to refuse the cookies -- little, inert text files -- set on your computer by advertisingnetworks. But version 2 buried that setting in a misguided attemptat simplifying its Options window.

Instead of clicking one checkbox, you'll have to do this: Type"about:config" into Firefox's address bar, then type"network.cookie.cookiebehavior" in the "Filter" box. That will leaveone settings line visible; double-click it, type "1" in the "Enterinteger value" box, then click OK.

-- Rob Pegoraro

Rob Pegoraro attempts to untangle computing conundrums and errantelectronics each week. Send questions to The Washington Post, 115015th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071 or robp@washpost.com.