"I am worried that I may loose my Skype Contacts in the same way I lost my contacts on my mobile phone. Is there any way I can make a backup? If so how could I reinstate my contacts, if I needed to?"

You are quite right, it makes sense to back your Skype Contacts up. That way, if disaster strikes, you simply restore the contacts and you're up and running. To find out how go to http://www.rsc-northwest.ac.uk/acl/eMagArchive/RSCeMags2007/August07/
013eMagazine/skype_contact_backups.html

"I use Microsoft Notepad for all sorts of tasks from quick edits to web pages to viewing text files to making grocery lists. One thing I've always hated is that it prints a header and footer on each page of the document. Since I don't need the file name or the page number, how can I have them disabled so that I only have the information that I want on the document?"

To find out how to quit printing the page header and footer in Notepad go to: http://www.rsc-northwest.ac.uk/acl/eMagArchive/RSCeMags2007/
August07/013eMagazine/notepad_stop_the_printing_of_headersfooters.html

One time-saving feature is Hotkeys (or keyboard shortcuts); they offer a powerful tool to get the result instantly - with a single keys combination.

Read more at http://www.rsc-northwest.ac.uk/acl/eMagArchive/RSCeMags2007/August07/
013eMagazine/200_hot_keys.html 

"When I open the My Pictures folder, I can select Filmstrip on the View menu to browse through the images. However I have photos and artworks stored in other folders; often, in these folders, Filmstrip isn't in the View menu."

"Is there a way round this?"

You will be pleased to know there is a quick fix and you can find it at http://www.rsc-northwest.ac.uk/acl/eMagArchive/RSCeMags2007/July07/
012eMagazine/view_as_a_film_strip.html...