Query

[Paul B. Gallagher]

Donna Orwin wrote:

> Dear Colleagues,
> 
> I brought some CDs of dictionaries back from Russia this summer that 
> I have not been able to read on my computer. I bought them in a
> reputable store, and they were produced professionally. Does anyone
> have any suggestions how I might get my computer (MS Office 2007;
> Windows XP) to decipher the texts?
> 
> I have no problem reading or writing Cyrillic on the computer.
> 
> Thanks for any replies.

It might be helpful if you gave us more information:

1) Does the computer recognize that there are files on the CD, can it 
copy them to other media such as your hard disk, or does it just say "I 
don't see anything there"? Or does it say "well, I see files, but I 
don't know what to do with them"?

2) Assuming your computer does recognize the presence of valid files at 
the OS level, what happens when you try to open them in what you think 
are appropriate applications? Do you get total gibberish, or do you get 
what looks like a replacement cipher (a cryptogram)? Or do your 
applications refuse to open them ("this isn't my format, can't help 
you") or even crash?

This is like going to a doctor -- you don't walk in and say, "I'm sick, 
can you help me?" You tell the doctor specifically what's bothering you 
and that helps him/her diagnose the problem.

-- 
War doesn't determine who's right, just who's left.
--
Paul B. Gallagher
pbg translations, inc.
"Russian Translations That Read Like Originals"
http://pbg-translations.com

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