Update, Update, Update

The holiday season is upon us once again and, while most of us enjoy the festivities and the company of our friends, there is a segment of our fellow man who's contribution is to try to make things just a little bit worse than they really are. These are the virus writers and they take pleasure in ruining things for folks they don't even know. The good news, is that you don't have to be infected with their garbage. If I sound ticked off, that's because I am.

The best way to win this game is simply not to play. Have a good antivirus program and make sure it's always up to date. Antivirus companies are usually very good at finding solutions for these viruses, and usually very quickly, but all their work does no good if you haven't updated your antivirus definitions. So, check the title of this item again. Remember, if you haven't taken precautions and you get infected with a virus, there are virus removal tools available for free from all major antivirus companies. It's also a good idea to create a snapshot of your system, after you have insured it's virus free, using the system restore programs found in Windows. In XP, this is found as follows: Start, All Programs, Accessories. System Tools, and finally System Restore. Your Windows version may be slightly different but it's worth locating this program and using it.

Another important thing to remember. Don't open any attachment from anyone you don't know. It could be anything and opening the item is a sure way to find out. Even if the item comes from someone you do know, it's always a good idea to screen the item before opening it with your antivirus program and to make sure the sender was really the person you know. Remember that the sender (your friend) may not even know that the message contains a virus unless he also has screened it. Some viruses are forwarded because part of the virus program pulls names and email addresses from your address book and automatically sends itself to every email address found without you knowing it. So be kind to your friends. It's as easy for them to be a victim as it is for you. If you should get something nasty from them, let them know gently that they have unwittingly been used and advise them about the offending item so they can delete it and clean their system. Be prepared to do the same for them if you unknowingly become the bad guy and send something along to your friends.

Caution, security and understanding are the secrets of a happy online holiday season. Be part of the joy!

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Create a Personalized Sound Scheme for your computer!

You can create a personalized sound scheme for your computer by having Windows play specific sounds when certain events occur. Assigning new sounds to events can make Windows more entertaining and interesting.

You can assign sounds for up to 40 different events on your computer. Here's how you do it. Click "Start" then click "Control Panel" and when the Control Panel window appears, click "Sounds, Speech and Audio Devices". The Sounds, Speech and Audio Devices window appears. Click "Change the Sound Scheme" (the Sounds and Audio Devices Properties dialog box appears). Go to the "Sounds" tab and on the lower portion of the page you will see the "Program events" box that lists the events that you can assign sounds to. A speaker icon appears beside each event that plays a sound. To assign a sound to a particular event, click the event, then click "Browse" to search for the sound you want to use. The "Browse for" dialog box appears. The "Look in" box will allow you to search your entire computer for sound files. If you have downloaded sounds from the internet and saved them to your hard drive, you can also assign them to various computer events. Keep in mind that sound files downloaded from the internet must be in the "Wave" format, that is, they must have the".wav" extension, such as "chimes.wav". Now click the sound you want to play each time the event occurs. Click on the arrow next to "Preview" to test play the sound. Click "OK" to confirm your selection and "OK" again to confirm your changes.

Now you have a computer with a sound scheme unlike any other computer in the world and customized to your specific choices. How cool is that!

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Firefox 1.0 Now Available For Download

Be advised that Firefox Version 1.0 has now been released and Firefox 1.0 P.R. (pre-release) is now obsolete. Version 1.0 can be installed right over the pre-release version and your settings will be retained. However, if you have downloaded and installed the extensions for (a) Windows Update (b) SpellBound (Spell Checker) and (c) Autofill you will find that they have been "grayed-out" and are listed on your "Extensions" list (go to Firefox Tools and then Extensions) as not being compatible with Version 1.0 while, in fact, they have simply not been approved yet but are really compatible. Go to http://www.beggarchooser.com/firefox near the bottom of the page for Windowsupdate 1.0. You may have to give Firefox permission to download this file on a dropdown menu and Windows may ask you for a program to "open this file" so pick Firefox. You will have to re-install the SpellBound spellchecker from the site link shown on the previous SpellBound posting, and Autofill, if you also have it, can be found at http://autofill.mozdev.org/ and downloaded and installed from that site. You will also notice that, if you previously had installed the "Googlebar" extension, it is now missing. It is available for download again and Version 0.9.0.30 is compatible with Firefox 1.0 and can be downloaded from http://googlebar.mozdev.org/installation.html. After each has been successfully downloaded, Firefox will have to be restarted for the installation to be completed. Have fun updating!

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Add A SpellChecker To Firefox

I have worked my fingers to the bone and found a spellchecker called "Spellbound" which can be added to Firefox. It consists of three separate small downloads, all found at this site and available for both Windows and Mac (http://spellbound.sourceforge.net/install.html#header ) which you download and install into Firefox. After installing, shut down and restart Firefox, then right-click on the toolbar, click "Customize" and you will see the "Spellbound" icon on the dropdown page that appears. You must "drag and drop" the icon from this dropdown page to a blank spot on the toolbar, then click "done" on the dropdown page. Now, whatever you are typing (this is called "having focus") can be checked for spelling by merely clicking on the Spellbound icon. The Spellbound icon will appear "grayed-out" until you have typed something onto a page. This typing then gives the program some text to "have focus" on. Now you have a SpellChecker that will work for any program that you browse to using Firefox! Note that this item is not yet on the official Firefox list of extensions. Neat, huh?

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News About AVG Antivirus Version 6.O FREE Edition

Just a quick note to those of you out there who may be using AVG 6.0 Free Edition. This edition will be discontinued and removed from use at the end of this year (Free Edition ONLY), because AVG is doing a massive update with many changes to their method of antivirus protection and the 6.0 Free Edition cannot be changed to reflect the improved methodology that will be used. However, the good news is that AVG will be issuing AVG 7.0 Free Edition, which does have the new methodology included, and it will be available, according to Grisoft (AVG) in November. I have included a live link (http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php/doc/1/) to the AVG page you will need to visit for complete information. I believe that you will have to uninstall AVG 6.0 Free before you will be able to install AVG 7.0 Free Edition when it is released. When the new edition is released, instructions should be posted on the AVG site advising how to obtain and install it. I hope this helps you out! Terry
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Addendum: Thursday, November 11, 2004

Just to let you know that AVG 7.0 Free Edition has now been issued. Installing this version will automatically uninstall any previous version you may have. Terry

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When Windows Will Not Start Properly!

If Windows will not start properly, you may be able to start Windows in "Safe Mode" to try to correct the problem. To start Windows in Safe Mode, you must log on using a computer administrator account. Windows automatically creates this account that you can use if your own account is unavailable.

To get into Safe Mode turn on your computer and monitor, immediately press and hold down the F8 key. The Windows Advanced Options Menu appears, displaying a list of options for starting Windows. To Start Windows in Safe Mode press the arrow-down or the arrow-up key until you highlight Safe Mode. Then press the "Enter" key. Windows asks you to select the operating system you want to start. Use the up and down key until you highlight your operating system and press "Enter". Now the Windows Welcome screen appears. Click on the account you want to use in Safe Mode. A dialog appears stating that Windows is running in Safe Mode. Click "Yes" to continue. Note that Safe Mode uses only the minimum capabilities to run Windows so some hardware devices (printers, modems, sound cards, and some types of mice) may not be available when you start in Safe Mode.

In Safe Mode, try reversing the action that may have caused the problem that is preventing Windows from starting properly. If you have just installed a new program, then try uninstalling that program. You can also use the "System Restore" feature to return you computer to a time before the problem occurred. (All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, System Restore).

If you're still not sure how to fix the problem, you can start your computer using the "Last Known Good Configuration" option. This option allows you restore the settings Windows used the last time your computer started successfully. When you finish fixing the problem that prevented Windows from starting normally, restart your computer.

Now, wasn't that a lot easier and cheaper than calling in a computer service person?

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Close Down A Misbehaving Program

When a program fails to respond to mouse or keyboard actions, Windows will generally identify the program that is misbehaving, or you may discover the program for yourself.

To close a misbehaving program, press and hold down the "Ctrl" and "Alt" keys as you press the "Delete" key. (This key combination is laughingly called "The Three-Fingered Salute). The Windows Task Manager window appears. Click on the "Applications" tab. The menu that appears lists the programs that are currently running. The phrase "Not Responding" appears beside the name of the misbehaving program. Highlight this program and then click"End Task" near the bottom of the page. The "End Program" dialog box appears stating that the program is not responding. Click "End Now" to close the program. Close the Task Manager's window.

Note that when you close a program that is not responding, you will lose any information that you did not save in the program. Closing a misbehaving program should not affect the operation of Windows or any other program you have open.

This is a really handy tip to learn and with the tendency of Windows programs to freeze for no apparent reason, it's something you might use quite a bit.

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Got a Digital Camera? Here's Great News!

If you have a digital camera, then you have been looking for a good photo program to go with it. Take a look at "Picasa". This program has been described as "the program that should have come with your digital camera, but didn't". Picasa has been around for a long time and was previously a "shareware" program but the good news is, it was just purchased by Google and the full program is now FREE (a price I really like). Picasa has the ability to scan your hard drive for all the images you have and to organize them into albums by date or by an album name that you supply. It can be configured to recognize duplicates and only load them once. You can even fix some photo errors in Picasa without changing the original photos, such as cropping your photo to a size you like or red-eye removal, just to name a couple. In addition, it comes with a program called "Hello", also FREE which will allow you to send photos via Email. Hello will even allow you to upload photos to a website just as easily. Why not check it out? Just click on the title line of this posting. It's a live link that will take you to the Picasa website. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

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Addendum: Wednesday,January 26, 2005

Picasa 2.0.0 (much improved) has been released today. Just download the new version right over the old version and have some fun exploring all the new things you can do. FREE doesn't get any better than this!

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Perhaps A Safer Browser Is For You!

If you still feel less than confident about your computer's security while you browse the web, then maybe a browser without many of the security problems of Internet Explorer is for you. If you think this might be the case, read on!

Mozilla.org has released their new browser "Firefox" for public use. It is, of course, free to download and use and is very easy to customize for your own personal use. I have been using it on an experimental basis for some time now and I must say I like it a lot. So far I have not found anything that Firefox will not do and do well. At the moment I am using Firefox as my default browser and only time will tell if I continue to do this or move back to SlimBrowser.

Comparatively, Firefox seems to be faster than either SlimBrowser, Internet Explorer or Netscape. Just thought I'd let you know that this browser is out there and may well be worth taking a look at.

If you're interested, click on the link to go to the Firefox download site. Have fun!

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Did You Back Up?

It's probably not well known but it's not really IF you will have a hard drive failure but rather, WHEN. With this in mind, I refer you to my entry regarding the available backup tool for Windows XP Home. If you're not using Windows XP Home then try to find a backup program compatible with your operating system and use it!! Alas, a friend of mine did not do this and his hard drive just failed unexpectedly and he has lost everything on his computer including his operating system. Now he must have the operating system reinstalled and then try to remember all the programs he previously had and their passwords so that he won't have to pay for them all over again. Even if he succeeds he will still have to set them all up the way he wanted them to be before the system failure. Not fun at all and this one's going to cost him money.

So, I repeat again: Rule #1 - Backup, Backup, Backup. "Nuff said!

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Confirm Your E-Mail Has Been Received

Whenever you send an Email message, you can ask Outlook Express to request a "read receipt" for the message. A read receipt is a confirmation Email message that notifies you that the person to whom you sent your message has received and read the message. Requesting a read receipt allows you to confirm that the message was delivered properly, was opened on the recipient's computer, and what time this took place. Keep in mind that the recipient can choose whether or not to send a read receipt for the message.

Here's the way you do this! When composing a message click "Tools", then click "Request Read Receipt". A check mark will appear beside the Request Read Receipt option on the menu. When the recipient reads the contents of your Email, you may receive a confirmation message indicating the date and time the person read the message. P.S.: If you sent the message to more than one person, you will receive a separate confirmation message from each person who chose to send a confirmation. How cool is that?

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Add A Backup Utility to Windows XP Home

For those folks out there preparing for the upcoming release of Windows XP Service Pack 2, you may want to back up your stuff before beginning this installation. Windows XP Professional has an excellent backup utility built into it but, alas, it is missing in Windows XP Home Edition. But, before you throw yourselves off a cliff in despair, I have good news! The backup utility is available for download and installation (thanks to: http://www.onecomputerguy.com/software/ntbackup.msi who has done all the work in providing this item) so I would recommend that, if you would like to have this utility in XP Home, you can. Download it from the aforementioned site and the utility will install. Now in XP Home, when you go to All Programs, Accessories, System Tools you will see a new entry called "Backup". Use it in good health!

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E-Mail a Link or Webpage

You can E-mail a link to a webpage or the webpage itself to another person from the internet without having to open Outlook Express. When you E-mail the webpage the recipient will be able to view the whole webpage within the E-mail and when you E-mail a link the recipient will be able to use the link to open the page in their own web browser.

Here's how you can do it! E-Mail a Webpage: Find the page you want to E-mail to another person. Click on the little envelope at the top of your Internet Explorer browser (if you're using SlimBrowser click on the little arrow just to the right of the little envelope) and a drop-down menu appears. Click on "Send Page" to send a copy of the current webpage and Outlook Express will fill in the subject. Type the E-mail address of the recipient and click "Send" to send the message.

E-Mail a Webpage Link: Proceed as above except that when the drop-down menu appears click "Send a Link" instead. A window will appear showing a message stating that the webpage is attached. Again, Outlook Express will fill in the subject. The area labeled "Attach" will show the name and size of the attachment. Address and "Send" as before.

Couldn't be much simpler, could it?

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Improve The Appearance of Text

In Windows XP you can use ClearType to smooth out the edges of fonts, making the text on your screen easier to read. This works best for flat-screen monitors. By default, Windows selects the standard smoothing method which usually is best for CRT desktop monitors.

Here's how you use ClearType: Right-click a blank area of your desktop and, on the menu that appears, click "Properties" and the Display Properties dialog box appears. Now click the "Appearance" tab and then scroll down and click the "Effects" tab to change the visual effects in Windows. When the Effects dialog box appears put a checkmark in the box beside "Use the following method to smooth the edges of screen fonts". Now go down to the area which shows the way you want Windows to smooth the edges of screen fonts and click "ClearType". Click "OK" to confirm the change and "OK" again to close the Display Properties dialog box. Simple, isn't it?

Get more info HERE

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Display Cool Shortcut Icons

Change the icons for shortcuts on your desktop to personalize your computer. You can recognize a shortcut icon by its arrow in the bottom left corner. When changing shortcut icons, Windows provides you with icons you can choose from. Icons included with Windows are stored on your computer at C:\WINDOWS\system32\shell32.dll and C:\WINDOWS\system32\moricons.dll . You can also find loads of free icons on the web. One of the places to looks is http://www.iconarchive.com (click on this link or on the title line of this posting) . Note: When you're downloading icons from the web, be sure the icons have either the .exe, .ico or .dll extensions for them to work.

Here's how you do it! Right-click the shortcut whose icon you want to change. A menu appears. Click "Properties" to view the properties of the shortcut. The "Properties" dialog box appears. Click the "Shortcut" tab and then click "Change Icon" to change the icon for the shortcut. The "Change Icon" dialog box appears. Click the icon you want to use. (If you do not see the icon you want to use, click "Browse" to locate the icon you want to use on your computer). Click "OK" to confirm your selection then click"OK" again to close the "Properties" dialog box. The shortcut now displays the new icon.

You can also change the icon for a folder on your computer that is not a shortcut. Right-click the folder you want to change and select "Properties". In the Properties dialog box, click the "Customize" tab and click the "Change Icon" button. Then select and install your icon as outlined earlier.

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Accelerate Your Downloads

Fresh Download speeds up your internet downloads by opening several connections at once. A must have - it really works! No adware and no spyware! Free from Fresh Devices.com. While you're at the Fresh Devices site be sure to look at the other FREE programs they offer. They will even notify you by Email when updates and/or upgrades to their products are available. 

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Plug Another Windows Hole!

Security sage Steve Gibson has created a free program that automatically disables Microsoft's Universal Plug and Play. Download UnPlug 'n' Pray from grc.com/UnPnP/UnPnP.htm.

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Keep Hackers Out!

Some features of Windows can open your system to hackers and viruses like the Windows Scripting Host.

Symantec offers a free program to disable Windows Scripting Host at www.symantec.com/avcenter/noscript.exe.

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Find Movie Blunders (Fun Stuff)

Track movie blunders at movie-mistakes.com. The Matrix is the current mistake-ridden film with 147 blunders cataloged, but many other big hits make the list. Did you notice that one of the passengers in Titanic is wearing a digital watch? Neither did I.

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My Personal Webpage - "My Moments"

I now have my personal webpage up and running. After you have finished here, please visit me there and leave a message in my Guestbook. Click on the title line of this posting or type http://west3660.tripod.com/mymoments to reach the new site. Hope to see you there.

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Know what you've got with Belarc Advisor!

Download the Belarc Advisor (FREE) and have it scan your computer. It will list all the software and hardware you have installed with dates, versions, serial numbers, etc. Handy to have in case you have to format and re-install or just for your information. Just make a copy and stash it away someplace safe and you'll have it all together in one place. Handy!

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Glad you found the new site okay! 

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Can't make it run?

If you're having trouble getting an older program to run on Windows XP, try the Program Compatibility Wizard. Click "Start", "All Programs", "Accessories", and then select "Program Compatibility Wizard". It doesn't work with every program, but it can often help.

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Get back!

Been out web surfing and now find yourself lost? Here's a quick way to get back to your home page. Press "Alt" and "Home" at the same to take you right back home.

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Use Photos as Slide Show Screensaver (XP)

First, select the pictures you want to use and set up a special folder with those pictures in it and make a note of where you saved that folder (in what place, on what drive, and so on). You will need this info later.

Next, go to your Desktop, and right-click on the Desktop.

Scroll down to "Properties", click the "Screensaver" tab. Toward the middle of this dialog box there is a drop-down box with the words "Screen Saver". Scroll down that box until you see the "My Pictures Slideshow" and click it. To the right of this drop-down box is a button that says "Settings". Click it.

You should see the words "Use pictures in this folder" and a "Browse" button. Click this button. This is where you look for that file you created earlier with all the digital pictures that you want to use for the screensaver slideshow. After you have found the file folder with with your pictures, click "OK".

You can now adjust how fast you want the pictures to change and so on, Then click "OK" again. This brings you back to the "Display Properties" dialog box and you can see your screensaver pictures. Click "OK" and you're all finished.

(Thanks to: Nedda H. of Palm Harbor, Florida for this tip)

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Attaching files to Email

To attach a file to an Email in Outlook or Outlook Express, click the paper-clip icon, choose the file and click "OK". Repeat to attach additional files.

Remember to let the recipient know you'll be sending an attached file - it's dangerous to open unexpected attachments especially if you don't recognize the sender and, even if you do, exercise some caution. And try to keep the total size below 1MB. If the files are bigger than that, consider sending them over a period of a few days.

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Recycle Bin Confirmation

What if your garbage asked you, "Are you sure?" every time you took it to the curb? So, why should Windows? Here's how to stop it.
1. Right-click the Recycle Bin and choose "Properties".
2. In the Global tab feature of the Recycle Bin Properties, uncheck "Display Confirmation Dialogue Box". You're done!

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Restore Desktop

How many times do you change screen resolution (a lot if you're a gamer) and discover that your neatly placed icons have scattered all over the screen. No more! Restore Desktop magically restores icons' positions after display resolution changes. You can also restore saved icons positions manually by control-click on the desktop.

The utility is very small, works automatically and requires no training at all. Just install it and forget about improperly placed icons on your Desktop. Restore Desktop is freeware.

Click on the title line of this posting to go to the website of Softwarium.

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Murmurings

These are Anne's reflections on her life and times. To visit her site, simply click on the title of this posting.

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The "Old" Computer

This was the computer I used for years. Loved it, but it finally was time to update to something newer and better. Just kept the photo to remind me of the years of service I got from it.

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My "Old" Personal Confuser <>

Log In Automatically

Tired of typing your name every time Windows starts? Teach it to log in automatically.
1. Click, "Start", "Run" and type "controluserpasswords2."
2. Uncheck the "Users must enter a username and password to use this computer" checkbox.
3. Click "Apply".
4. Enter the username and password you want to automatically log on with and then click "OK".
5. Click "OK" again and you're all done.
Remember that by doing this you're giving everyone access to your system.

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Slimbrowser

Some time ago I found an excellent tabbed browser called SlimBrowser. It enables you to browse multiple sites in a single main window. It is based on the "bones" of Internet Explorer but is much faster and uses only one third of the resources of IE. Being IE based, all of your programs will recognize it as IE so no conflicts there. It has a lot of wonderful features including a built-in popup killer, autologin, site groups, quick search, etc. The top toolbars, while mainting the IE style have many, many more functions. SlimBrowser has one-touch cleaning of browser history, cookies and cache. By the way, no adware or spyware. Best of all, it's FREE!!! Visit the website at http://wwwflashpeak.com. or you can use the download link by clicking on the SlimBrowser title at the beginning of this posting. Please note that if you download and install SlimBrowser, DO NOT uninstall Internet Explorer since SlimBrowser uses and needs the "bones" of this program to function. So, just set SlimBrowser as your main browser and enjoy!!

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Easily Copy an Item

Hold the "Control" key while dragging an icon to make a copy of the file instead of moving it. Press "Control" when you double-click on an folder to open it in a new window. Use the "Control" key and the arrows keys to switch between parts of the address in you Internet Explorer browser window. Or move to a better browser than Internet Explorer like "Slimbrowser". More to come on that next time and worth waiting for.

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Open Folders with a Single Click

If you would like to be able to open folders with only a single click (instead of the usual double click) here's how to change your settings to make this happen. First, open any folder on your desktop in the usual way, secondly click on "Tools", then "Folder Options" and finally on the "General" tab. Scroll down and put a checkmark in the item "Single Click to Open" and a checkmark in in the item "Underline Icon Titles Consistent with my Browser". Now click "Apply" and "OK". Now you will notice that every folder item name is underlined and can now be opened with just a single click. It's magic!

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Use a Strong Password

The best way to protect your information is with a strong password. Never use words you can find in the dictionary, or the names of family, friends or pets. Don't use your username as a basis for a password or, for that matter, use the word "password" itself. The best passwords don't make any sense. Ideally, use a combination of at least eight uppercase and lowercase lettrs, numbers and symbols(*,#,!,+, etc). And, for heavens sake, don't write your password on a sticky note glued to your monitor. Make up or use something like a saying or a song line to help you remember it. For example, a line from a children's song "5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed, 1 Fell Off and Broke his Head" would help you remember the password "5LMJotB1FO&BhH". Got the idea?

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Refreshing a Page

If a site is too slow to load, stop and try again; it will often load faster. Press the "Esc" key, and then press F5 to refresh the page.

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Change User Picture in Windows XP

To change the user picture in Windows XP, click the "Start" button, and then click the picture at the top of the "Start" menu. Choose from the existing images or click the "Browse for More Pictures" link to use any picture from your hard drive. The picture will be scaled to fit. Square pictures work the best.

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Save Your Search

If there's a search you perform often, you can save it by selecting "Save Search" from the "File" menu. You'll create a .fnd file, which you can double-click to re-create the search.

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Weather On your Desktop

Would you like to have local or worldwide weather available on your desktop? Weather Watcher is a small FREE downloadable program from Singer's Creations which runs as an icon in your system tray, uses very little resources and contains no adware or spyware. Clicking on the tray icon brings up the full page if you require more info than shows in the tray icom. Click on the title line of this posting. It's a live link that will take you to the Weather Watcher website. Enjoy!

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Panda Antivirus

Since I think you all know how I feel about viruses, I have added this link to Panda Antivirus which offers a FREE online virus scan from it's sterile site. Check it out!

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