How do I convert Kodachrome film?
Q
I’m 93 and have been reading Computeractive for nearly 20 years. I look forward to it, and I particularly like the way you always seem to have the answers to the questions you receive. I have two problems. First, I use Mcafee on my Windows 10 PC, but Norton keeps displaying reminders telling me it’s expired – even though I don’t have it installed. These notices completely cover the screen, and the only way I can get rid of them is to delete the whole page, losing my work in the process. How do I stop this?
My second problem is that I have a 50ft reel of 16mm Kodachrome film that’s been untouched in its tin for about 40 years. I’d like to develop and print it. I’m not expecting the colour or anything else to be much good, but if you know of any method or company that might be able to help recover this footage, I’d be grateful. Geoff Bailey
A
Thanks – we always try our best, although sometimes our ability to answer is limited by the information we receive. We’re not sure whether you’ve ever had Norton installed, or if something else is causing these adverts.
First, check that Norton is actually uninstalled rather than just disabled, as might be the case if you’ve had a subscription that expired. In Windows 10, click the Start button, then the Settings cog followed by Apps, then ‘Apps & features’. Scroll through the list of installed apps and if you find one or more that relate to Norton, click each in turn followed by Uninstall, then Uninstall again to confirm.
If the pop-ups continue once Norton is truly uninstalled – assuming it was ever installed in the first place – something else must be to blame. It’s possible, for example, that your browser has been hijacked by a dodgy extension. The next time one of these Norton adverts pops up, try pressing Control (Ctrl)+w to close it. If that works, it indicates that the advert is opening in a browser window.
The next step is to investigate your browser’s installed extensions for anything suspicious. In Google Chrome, for example, click the menu button (three dots, top right) and select ‘More tools’, then Extensions. If you identify anything that shouldn’t be there, click its Remove button (see screenshot 1 ). If you’re not sure about a particular entry, use Google to do a little research.
As for your old film, it’s not impossible to do this yourself but you’d need specialist equipment and software. For a single reel, it really wouldn’t be worth your time or expense. Instead, there are companies that will do the job for you, and supply a digitised version that you can play on your computer – either as a DVD, memory stick or downloadable file. For example, Digital-converters ( www.snipca.com/34885, see screenshot 2 ) charges £12.99 to convert a 3-inch (50ft) 16mm reel of film, and a further £3 to place the digitised footage on DVD.