HELP FILE

Q A few weeks ago, the My Documents folder filled up with folders I had never seen before and random files with names like "WRL0003.tmp." How do I stop this stuff from appearing?

AYou can't, but you can hide these files and folders -- all byproducts of your software's routine operation. That's how Windows normally works, but somebody must have changed this setting (perhaps to fix a problem in one of these invisible folders or files).

To undo that change, open the My Computer window, go to its Tools menu, select "Folder Options . . ." and click the View tab. Click the button next to "Do not show hidden files and folders," followed by the "OK" button at the bottom of this window, and your computer should look a lot cleaner.

It might seem weird to have your computer hiding files behind your back, but the only idea is to ensure that sensitive data don't get moved or deleted by mistake. (This isn't exclusive to Windows, either; Mac OS X, Linux and other operating systems keep some files and folders invisible.)

My iMac can't open the .WMV video clips my friend sends me. How do I solve this problem?

Microsoft provides two free Mac programs to play Windows Media Video clips: Visit http://www.microsoft.com/mac , click on "Other Products," then "Flip4Mac and Windows Media Player for Mac."

The first option, Flip4Mac, is a plug-in that lets Apple's QuickTime software play Windows Media movies; it works well on PowerPC Macs but doesn't yet run on Intel-based models. The second, Microsoft's Windows Media Player for Mac, is Intel-compatible but is no longer being developed.

Neither program, however, plays WMV files wrapped in Microsoft's "digital rights management" software. That keeps some online video sources, such as AOL's In2TV Web site, off-limits to Mac users.

-- 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.