Signing in as a Human

Q. Why do some Web sites make you copy and type in a bunch of hard-to-read twisted letters and numbers when you try to sign up for an account or log in?

A. That distorted set of characters on screen is called a "captcha," a name that is really a crunched acronym for Completely Automated Public Turing Test to Tell Computers and Humans Apart. ("Turing" refers to the 20th-century mathematician Alan Turing, whom many consider the father of modern computer science.)

As you might be able to guess from the name, the captcha is there to make sure it is a live person trying to sign in to the page and not an automated script or spam bot knocking. It's much easier for the human to scan and copy the correct letters than for a piece of roaming code. There is more information on the topic at www.captcha.net.

Using EarthLink With Outlook

Q. I have a great set of contacts in Outlook, but my e-mail goes through EarthLink and I hate maintaining two sets of address books. How do I get my computer to use Outlook to send and receive my EarthLink e-mail?

A. The EarthLink Internet service comes with its own software called TotalAccess and its own e-mail program called EarthLink MailBox. If you don't use EarthLink's proprietary software for mail, though, you can set up your Outlook program to work with your EarthLink address instead.

You can use the EarthLink E-Mail Setup Tool for Windows to configure your mail program for use with EarthLink; you can download the tool at support.earthlink.net/download/. The tool works with most recent versions of Outlook, Outlook Express and Netscape Mail.

Another way to set up Outlook for use with EarthLink is to create a new mail account manually within Outlook and add your EarthLink settings so the program knows where to go for your mail. To get started in Outlook 2003, go to the Tools menu to E-Mail Accounts. Choose "Add a new mail account" and click on the Next button. In the next box, choose "POP3" as your server type and click on the Next button again.

In the Internet E-Mail Settings box, you need to type in all of your EarthLink account information, including your user name, e-mail address and password. You will also need to type in the addresses of your incoming and outgoing mail servers. For Incoming Mail, type "pop.earthlink.net" and use "smtpauth.earthlink.net" (both without the quotation marks) for the Outgoing mail server.

Click on the Test Account Settings button in the box to make sure the settings and account are working. Then click on the More Settings button. Click on the General tab and type "EarthLink" in the Mail Account area. Next, click on the "Outgoing Server" tab and put a check in the box by "My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication." Type in your EarthLink user name and password in the box next to "Log on using:" Then click on the Next button and then on Finish to complete the setup.

Shaking Out a Few More Pages

Q. Does shaking a printer toner cartridge really help all that much in getting more pages printed?

A. Unlike inkjet cartridges, which are filled with liquid, toner cartridges for laser printers are filled with a fine powder. When you use a laser printer, this loose toner powder is fused onto the paper with heated rollers to create the printed text or image.

After manufacturing and transport, the powder in the toner cartridge may shift. This may be the case if you notice your printouts aren't consistently dark in some places. Removing the toner cartridge and giving it a couple of shakes can reallocate the remaining powder so your pages get an even application of toner. You may even be able to shake out a few dozen pages or more before you have to replace the cartridge.

Check your printer's manual for instructions on removing the cartridge. Toner powder can sometimes leak out of a cartridge, so you may want to put it in a plastic bag before you shake it to prevent powder from flying onto your clothes and the office floor. Shake the cartridge side to side to keep the toner level before returning it to the printer.

J. D. BIERSDORFER

Questions about computer-based technology may be sent to QandA @nytimes.com. This weekly column will address questions of general interest, but e-mail and letters cannot be answered individually.