Recover Windows files

1. If the Microsoft Office or Office family program you are using is not responding, recover the program.

How?

• On the Microsoft Windows Start menu, point to Programs, point to Microsoft Office Tools, and then click Microsoft Office Application Recovery. 
• In the Application list, click the program or document that is not responding. 
• Do one of the following: 
• To attempt to recover the files you were working on, click Recover Application or Restart Application. 
• If you just want to close the program, and lose recent changes to the files, click End Application. 
• The error that caused the problem can be reported to Microsoft for use in improving future versions of the program. Click Report problem or Don't report problem. 

2. Open the Office or Office family program.

3. Review the files listed in the Document Recovery task pane (task pane: A window within an Office application that provides commonly used commands. Its location and small size allow you to use these commands while still working on your files.), and decide which to keep.

How?

• If a file has [Recovered] in the title it is usually a file that contains more recent changes than a file with [Original] in the title.
• If you want to view what repairs were made to a file, point to the file in the Document Recovery task pane, click the arrow next to the file's name, and then click Show Repairs. 
• If you want to review the versions that were recovered, open all of the versions and save the best one. 

4. For each file you want to keep, point to the file in the Document Recovery task pane, click the arrow next to the file's name, and then do one of the following:

• To work with the file, click Open. 
• To save the file, click Save As, and then enter a name for the file. By default, the file is saved in the same folder as the original file. If you use the same name as the original file, the original is overwritten. When you see a message asking whether you want to replace the existing file (with the changes you made up to the last time you saved the file), click Yes. 

5. When you have opened or saved all of the files you want to keep, click Close in the Document Recovery task pane.

My New Sony Vaio VPCZ114GX/S

Experts say the Sony Vaio VPCZ114GX/S (*Est. $2,100) is a top pick for business professionals and mainstream users who want a fast and portable laptop. It features a 2.4 GHz Intel Core i5-520M processor, 4 GB of memory, a high-resolution 13.1-inch display and both a 128 GB and a 64 GB solid-state drive (for 192 GB of storage in all). Other models in this Sony Vaio Z series laptop are also available. For example, the Sony Vaio VPCZ116GX/S (*Est. $2,300) replaces the dual solid-state drives with a single 256 GB solid-state drive, while the entry level Sony Vaio VPCZ1190X (*Est. $1,900) has only a single 128 GB solid-state drive. Otherwise, these Sony Vaio Z series laptops are essentially identical.

Testing shows that the Sony Vaio VPCZ114GX/S has excellent performance, and some reviewers say it's the fastest 13-inch laptop they've ever tested. The sleek design is stylish and portable, weighing only 3 pounds. The display is crisp and has excellent viewing angles, so you don't need to be sitting directly in front of the screen to get a good view. Reviewers are also impressed with the Vaio's graphics prowess. The Sony Vaio VPCZ114GX/S has discrete Nvidia GeForce GT 330M graphics, so it can handle casual gaming. Unfortunately, battery life is poor, lasting less than four hours during intensive use. If you only use the laptop for surfing the web or checking email, battery life can be stretched to five hours. Some reviewers also complain about the speakers, which they say lack volume and richness. If gaming is your primary reason for getting a laptop, the Alienware M17x (*Est. $1,800 and up) is your best bet. That laptop is much heavier than the Sony Vaio VPCZ114GX/S, but it's the best laptop for handling intensive 3-D games.