Windows Debugging and Photos on Macs

After my computer boots up, I get the same error message: "Error loading C:\Progra{tilde}1\MyWeb{tilde}1\bar\1.bin\F3SCRCTR.DLL." What problem does this message signify?

This is Windows debugging at its finest -- an already uninformative error message that, for whatever reason, becomes more difficult to decode because it truncates any directory or file names longer than eight characters (hence the "Progra{tilde}1").

A Google search on the file name at the end of that mess, however, turned up reports of troubles with an Internet Explorer toolbar called MyWebSearch. Like almost all IE add-ons, you don't need it. In some cases, MyWebSearch can be removed through the Add/Remove Programs control panel; otherwise, an anti-spyware utility such as Ad-Aware ( http://www.lavasoftusa.com/ ) or SpyBot Search and Destroy ( http://www.spybot.info/ ) may be able to evict this unwanted tenant.

As a general rule, don't install any Internet Explorer toolbars unless you know exactly what they're going to do, who developed them and how they got on your computer in the first place. (Or use the Firefox browser instead, which doesn't allow toolbars to be installed without notice.)

Is there a way where I can choose which pictures to download from my digital camera to my Mac? IPhoto keeps copying everything off the camera's storage card.

Yes, Apple's Image Capture application offers that option. To reassign it as your photo-transfer tool, start Image Capture, open its preferences window, and choose Image Capture from the list of applications to run when a camera is connected.

Image Capture will normally put any new photos in your Pictures folder; from there, drag them onto iPhoto's Dock icon to have them added to your iPhoto Library.

-- Rob Pegoraro

Rob Pegoraro attempts to untangle computing conundrums and errant electronics each week. Send questions to The Washington Post, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071 orrob@twp.com.