Q: For nearly 10 years I have been saving files that were mostly pictures on a number of data disks. These were saved as data, not the drag and drop option. During that time I was running Windows 95, XP, ME, Vista and now have Win 7 Home Premium 64 bits. I know I used various releases of Roxio and one of my computers came with Nero.

I recently tried to look at some pictures on one of the disks and I got the message that there were no files on the disk. They have been stored properly and are not damaged. I tried some of the others with the same result. Is there any way to find out what the format used is so I can recover the files?

A: I don't think the issue is the file format. Windows should be able to show you whatever is on the disk.

I'm afraid the most likely cause is degraded disks. Unlike commercially produced disks, in which the data is physically cut into the grooves of the disc, burned discs record data by lasers interacting with dyes in the disc.

Even if these disks are properly stored, you can't count on them lasting more than two or three years, though they may last longer. You may want to switch to "archival" DVDs, which claim a lifespan of 100 years. (No, I haven't been able to confirm this.) They employ a layer of gold to protect the dyes from corrosion.

Q: Here is a question for you that even Microsoft Support couldn't fix. About a month ago, while typing in Hotmail accessed through Internet Explorer, I used the backspace key and now it goes back two spaces instead of one. I thought it was just a keyboard problem but both my office and home computer have the same issue.

At the office, I'm running Vista Home Premium and at home I'm running Windows 7. No other word processing software I'm running is affected by this issue.

A: My first thought is that you may have a piece of malware on your computers. Since it's always a good idea, I'd suggest running a full scan with your antivirus software and with Malwarebytes' AntiMalware, which is downloadable free at www.malwarebytes.org. Also, try a different browser and see if you have the same problem.

Q: I keep getting error messages on a website I visit. I get this message on no other website I go to. I get it on my Toshiba laptop, my Gateway PC and my wife gets it on her Dell PC and Toshiba laptop. While on vacation in Indiana, I got it on a PC in the library. I also got it on a motel PC. This started about a month ago, and I reported it to the website and got no response. Antivirus scans are no help, and Malwarebytes found nothing.

When the message appears, the screen locks up immediately, and I have to use the Task manager to close the page. It appears after I have been on the page a few seconds to a minute or so.

The error message reads: "Stop running this script? A script on this page is causing your web browser to run slowly. If it continues to run, your computer might become unresponsive."

A: The problem seems to me to be just what the browser is reporting. Some badly written script on the website you are visiting is misbehaving.

I'd report it to the webmaster, as you have done, and then either live with the results or quit going to that site unless you're just checking to see if the problem is fixed.

Questions for Patrick Marshall may be sent by email to pmarshall@seattletimes.com or pgmarshall@pgmarshall.net, or by mail at Q&A/Technology, The Seattle Times, P.O. Box 70, Seattle, WA 98111. More columns at www.seattletimes.com/columnists.