Is Mozilla Firefox safer than Internet Explorer?

Q: I recently returned to using Internet Explorer after using Mozilla Firefox. Since the introduction of Firefox, I have heard the claim that it was safer than IE. I hear this stated frequently but this is never followed by any supporting statement as to why this is true. Do you think Firefox is a safer browser?

Al Vann, Seattle

A: I'd say it's true Firefox is a safer browser than Internet Explorer 6 and earlier versions. There's one major reason for this: Firefox wouldn't run ActiveX controls, and those were often used as carriers by viruses. Second, compared with IE 6, Firefox is reputed to have fewer "hooks" into the operating system that could be employed by virus writers and hackers. I say "reputed" because I haven't personally confirmed these hooks.

As for the new Internet Explorer 7, it is significantly more secure than previous versions. But I'd want to collect a little more real-world experience — both personally and through feedback from other users — before making a judgment as to whether one browser is safer than the other.

Q: I hope I haven't screwed everything up. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, as they say. I am running Windows XP. I formatted a CD-RW, using the Format command after right-clicking on the CD volume in Windows Explorer. I was able to save a file to the CD, and am able to transfer it back to the C: drive, and call it up, no problem. But I cannot write to the CD anymore, as it is "write-protected." This is not what I wanted. What did I do wrong, and how can I fix it?

Also, how can I transfer saved e-mail files from old Windows 98 computer to new Windows XP computer, both using Outlook Express 6, by using a CD? The new computer is not on the Internet. I tried copying the .dbx files from the old computer and importing them into Outlook Express in the new computer, but it won't work.

Mike Sinclair

A: Assuming you have a rewritable drive and you're using rewritable CDs, you should be able to keep writing to the CD until the CD is "closed." So have you used this drive successfully before with CD-RW discs? If not, are you sure it's a rewritable drive?

As for moving your Outlook Express messages from one machine to another, the first step is to locate the folder where OE saves your messages. To do so, go to the Tools menu and select Options. Next, click on the Maintenance tab in the dialog box that pops up, then click on the Store Folder button. OE will then display the folder it uses as a message store. Copy the entire folder to whatever media you want to use and take it over to the new machine.

On the new machine, load OE and go to the File menu. Select Import, then Messages. When prompted, choose to "Import mail from an OE6 store directory," and then specify the folder you brought over.

If that doesn't work, I'd suspect that your message file is corrupt.

Q: I uninstalled Corel WordPerfect on my computer. Since then, the Microsoft Office installer comes on at different times and tries to begin loading Office but ends with an error. It happens without rhyme or reason, as far as I can see. I close it repeatedly and finally it will stop ... for a day or so and then it starts again.

Recently I had something I actually wanted to load from my Office CDs and I could not open them! I received the message "The path Microsoft Office Premium cannot be found. Verify that you have access to this location and try again, or try to find the installation package 'DATA1.MSI' in a folder from which you can install the product Microsoft Office SR-1 Premium." I read on the Internet that uninstalling Corel WordPerfect may cause registry problems. Can this be fixed?

Sharon Read

A: It's possible, though not likely, that uninstalling Corel WordPerfect is the cause of your problem.

But whatever the original cause, you are correct that the problem you're encountering is the result of missing or corrupt keys in the Windows registry. Sometimes, simply reinstalling the applications you're concerned about can fix the problem. In this case, you might try reinstalling Office. If that doesn't work, you're stuck with either reinstalling Windows (along with all your applications) or the equally tedious process of editing the registry. Instead of going through it step by step here, I'll refer you to the article in Microsoft's Knowledge Base that provides all the details you'll need. Using your Web browser, go to support.microsoft.com/kb/818954.

Questions for Patrick Marshall may be sent by e-mail to pmarshall@seattletimes.com or pgmarshall@pgmarshall.net, or by mail at Q&A/Technology, The Seattle Times, P.O. Box 70, Seattle, WA 98111. More columns at www.seattletimes.com/columnists.