Norton! Is Removal Really Necessary?

For those of you out there who believe that your Norton product may be more than you're comfortable with or you have a damaged or incomplete installation but you can't find a way to uninstall it easily, there's an answer. Symantec has on their site a little known but very effective "Norton Removal Tool". You will receive cautions about saving your registration information for a re-install if that's the way you're going. If you feel it's necessary to uninstall any Norton program, the tool can be downloaded from here . Be sure that you pick the correct tool for your particular product.

New Computer? Dump the "Bloatware"

If you've just purchased a new computer (Vista or XP) you probably already know that the manufacturer has installed all sorts of "trial" programs in an effort to get you to purchase them. This stuff is known as "bloatware" and you probably don't want it on your computer at all since is just takes up space and it's stuff that "just came with the new computer". Now, there's a program that can remove most of this junk in just one try. It's called "PC Decrapifier" and can be found here .There is a free version for general use and a commercial version for those needing a little more, but the free version should be enough for most folks. You may get a warning from your computer asking if you're sure you want to run this but it's okay to say yes. You will be presented with a screen that allows you to pick the stuff you want removed, so a word of caution, be careful what you ask for because when it's gone, it's gone!

Firefox 3.0 (finally)

After waiting for what seems like ages, Firefox 3.0 has finally been released for general use by us mere mortals. While the new version looks almost identical to previous ones, the browser is faster, has much better security features and too many new features to go into properly here. Users will find this new browser feels very familiar and comfortable to use. You may notice that some of your "old version" Firefox Extensions (Add-Ons and Themes) are not compatible with this new version, but Firefox 3.0 will check and disable the incompatible ones for you. This will give you a chance to go to the Mozilla Add-Ons site and see what's new and what's been updated for use with Firefox 3.0. Anything you can't find an updated version of yet will surely be updated soon as the creators of these add-ons come up to speed with the new version. The latest version of Firefox 3.0 can be found here. It will be well worth your while to visit the Firefox 3.0 site and catch up on all the latest improvements to this latest version of Mozilla's Firefox.

This version of Firefox has been downloaded in huge numbers since it's very recent release for general use. Mozilla maintains a download counter showing up to the minute figures of downloads as they occur, and the frequency of "downloads per minute". If you find this sort of thing fascinating, the download counter can be accessed here. Enjoy!

Vista Service Pack 1 - Not Ready for Prime Time

Vista has been around for some time now and folks either think it's okay (having worked out all the kinks for themselves) or they hate it. Now comes the long awaited Service Pack 1 and, in true Vista style, it either installs without a hitch or it drives you to drink with it's quirky installer.

For some folks, it's just another easy Windows Update but for others it's a real chore even getting Service Pack 1 to show up on Windows Update. The problem, it seems, is that the installer will not function at all unless all the "required" previous updates are already successfully installed (and these vary slightly depending on your particular version of Vista) and unless all your programs are fully compatible with this version of Vista. Also, make sure to update all your drivers as this will help a lot.

Even so, if you're lucky enough to get Service Pack 1 successfully installed you may still have odd and unusual problems. Many folks, myself included, had found it impossible to access the Vista Security page after installing Service Pack 1 because of a security feature called "DEP". If you have your own good security setup you can disable this program (DEP) quite easily. I can provide instructions how this can be done but I must add that Microsoft does not recommend this. You're on your own with that one. Incidentally, Microsoft is providing "No Charge" service until May of 2009 for Service Pack 1 problems. They couldn't help me. I had to figure it out on my own. Perhaps you'll have better luck!

In short, Service Pack 1 is problematic and not ready for the average home user yet. Good luck!

Clear your Firefox download list.

If you have been noticing that Firefox downloads have been getting slower and slower, it's probably because your list of items that Firefox has already downloaded is getting longer as time goes on. So why not clean out the list altogether. Using "Control J" will bring up a drop down menu showing all the items Firefox has previously downloaded. Just click the "Clean and Close" button and they're all gone. Now you can start fresh.

Add A Toolbar To Your Desktop

Windows XP

1. Right click an empty area on the taskbar.
2. Point to "Toolbars", then click the toolbar you want to add.
3. The new Toolbar lets you place a shortcut to a folder on the taskbar.

Note:
You can resize the toolbar or move it to another location on the taskbar by pointing to the vertical bar on the left side of the toolbar and dragging it to the left or right.

You can create a floating toolbar by dragging it from the taskbar to the desktop.

To remove a toolbar, right click on an empty area of the taskbar, Point to "Toolbars" and then remove the check mark from the toolbar you want to remove

Windows Vista

The trick in Vista is to go to the desktop and create a plain folder, then, when you drag it to the top of the desktop, it turns into a toolbar. Here's how you do it: click on the yellow folder on the desktop and now, with the left mouse, drag the folder to the very top border, then let go. Dragging the folder to the side of the desktop did not work for me. A promising sign was when the mouse displayed a plus sign(+). At that point I let go and the toolbar magically appeared.
Once the toolbar is created you can drag shortcuts into it just like any other toolbar.

What a handy way to clean up some of the extra stuff on your desktop!

Create an Emergency Rescue Disc!

Did you create a rescue disk when you installed Windows? If not,
or if you can longer locate it, you may want to make sure that you have
one on hand in case a technical problem (usually a problematic new
program which you just installed) prevents your computer from booting.
Here's how in Windows:

CREATE YOUR RESCUE DISK
1. Insert a blank (empty) formatted floppy disk in your floppy drive.
2. Open your Control Panel, accessing it through My Computer, or
through Start, Settings.
3. Double click on Add/Remove Programs.
4. Open the Startup Disk tab, and click on Create Disk.
5. Allow Windows to create your bootable floppy disk.
6. Also, open your Windows directory, and copy your Windows
registry files -- system.dat and user.dat
7. When done, label it as your bootable floppy disk.
8. For extra security, make TWO bootable rescue disks.
9. Test them out. Turn off your computer, then place your rescue
disk in your floppy drive, wait 30 seconds, then turn on your
computer again. You should be able to boot into Windows.
Enter in the SAFE mode to troubleshoot further.

Use Your Mouse to Resize Icons in Vista

Let us start with a quick, easy, yet flashy Vista tip. We are going to resize the desktop icons by holding down the Ctrl key, and scrolling the mouse wheel. See how icons such as the Recycle Bin enlarge or shrink as you turn the mouse's wheel. By scrolling you can get over 20 different sizes of icon, there is bound to be one that suits you. Incidentally, this a classic for learning a tip once, on the Vista Desktop, and then applying wherever you go, for example try Ctrl + scroll the mouse wheel when you are next in Windows Explorer.

Check PC Health in Vista

If you would like to check your PC’s health:

Open up Control Panel and click on the Performance Information and Tools icon. Than open Advanced tools from the list on the left hand side of the screen. Click on the Generate a system health report option at the bottom of the list. This will provide you with a list of any problems the system may be experiencing and some suggestions on how to correct them.

Time and Time Again (Vista)

This one’s interesting. Open up the Date and Time applet in the Control Panel. Flip to the “Additional Clocks” tab. There, you can configure two more clocks from different time zones. They’ll appear in the tooltip when you hover over the Taskbar clock. No additional software (or silly sidebar widgets) necessary. Cool!

Remember Your Info! (Firefox)

InFormEnter adds a small, clickable icon next to every input field in a web form, from where you can select the item to be inserted - no typing required. You can configure it to display your frequently used information such as name, email, address and whatever else you want to be available from the form menu.

So, if you can't remember all the bits and pieces of your info, InFormEnter is for you. This small program resides on your own computer (nothing is sent out online, for security purposes). You can add as many items to the program as you wish and this download supports multiple profiles for multiple users. To use, you just click on the new icon next any input field and then click on the item you want inserted. Note that this program works with secure sites (such as financial institutions, for example) so you will wish to use caution if your computer has one user account, but is accessible by others. This add-on is for Firefox and is compatible with Windows (up to and including Vista).

Windows Media player for Firefox, XP and/or Vista

Good news for those folks that are using Firefox (XP and/or Vista) and wish also to use Windows Media Player. A new and compatible Windows Media Player Plug-in for Firefox has just been released. Now you don't have to use Internet Explorer for all your Windows Media Player content. The new plug-in is available here or by clicking on the title line of this posting. Enjoy!

Feeling "Compatible" with Vista

One concern for Windows XP users is if their favorite software applications will run once they upgrade to Vista.

Luckily, Windows Vista uses a feature called Compatibility Mode which tells the software application that Vista is actually an older OS, specifically Windows 95, 98, Me, NT, 2000, or XP.

Here's how it works:

If your software application won't install, open or work properly, right click on the application's .exe file. Select Properties and then click the Compatibility tab. From there, pick the previous Windows operating system you were on (most likely Windows XP). If you're a system operator, you can set this up as an administrator to make it easier for your staff.

Now, don't you feel better that you know that most of your older programs will run on Vista. Note that this will NOT work on system changes (such as changing your Bootskin.) Stardock say they hope to have a Bootskin changer ready for use soon.

(Information in this tip courtesy of McGraw-Hill)

Here's a little Vista trick you can use in the meantime!

Enable Hidden BootScreen in Windows Vista

The Windows Vista BootScreen is pointless, but Microsoft decided to hide a more visually appealing boot screen that can easily be enabled with very little trouble. I’m not sure why they didn’t make the boot screen better.

1. Press Win+R, type msconfig and press Enter.
2. If User Account Control prompts you to allow the action, click on Continue.
3. In the "System Configuration" window, click on the Boot tab.
4. Select your Windows Vista installation and under "Boot options", check "No GUI boot". Press OK.
5. In the dialog that appears, check "Don’t show this message again", and then click on Restart.
6. Your computer will now reboot, and you will see the Aurora boot screen with text that says "Starting Windows Vista".

Note: You may get a Windows Defender error on the next startup. You can enable the system config utility using the tray icon and this error will go away.

Daylight Savings Time Changes

Just a reminder of the new Daylight Savings Time dates. Daylight Saving Time now begins at 2.00 AM Sunday, March 11th and your computer clock may not be programmed to reflect this new change. If you are running Vista, your system is already programmed for this. If you are running XP AND if you are completely current with your Windows Updates, the small adjustment program will have already been downloaded as an update and installed to correct your clock on the appropriate day.

If either of these situations is not applicable to your operating system, Microsoft is providing a patch which can be obtained here. For Mac users, Apple is providing a similar patch from the download section of their site.

"The times, they are a-changing!"

I've been "Bested"

I've just learned the hard way to not entrust your stuff to a certain well-known computer "big box" store. They trashed the whole thing and even after I took it to a "real" tech person, it couldn't be saved. Just a word to the wise. Big name doesn't mean good quality. That's the end of my rant.

Power Point Viewer 2007

If you don't have Microsoft Power Point installed on your computer, you can still view Power Point Presentations. The new Power Point Viewer 2007 has just been released (replacing the 2003 version). Just download and install it and you will be able to view presentations created using all versions of Power Point from Windows 98 up to and including the soon to be released Windows Vista . You can get the new viewer here.

IE7 Not Working At Some Sites?

I love this application. It is a very cool utility that opens an Internet Explorer 7.0 window which is configured to report its identity to websites as being Internet Explorer 6.0 - an excellent way to work with Web sites that are improperly coded to only recognize IE6 and earlier. Just click here to get it.

This is much easier than messing around with the registry, and most importantly, other instances of Internet Explorer 7 will not be affected. It makes testing Web sites so very much easier.

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Photos The Wrong Size? (Windows)

Photo Resizer is a free utility developed for digital-camera owners, Webmasters, or anybody who quickly wants to resize a photo for e-mail or to publish on a Web site. There is no need to open a photo editor or e-mail client. Open the photo in PhotoResizer, resize it, and e-mail it to a friend, colleague, or your office. It also takes the addresses from your e-mail-client's address book. It's an excellent tool for Webmasters. Resize any photo to upload to your Web site. Did I mention that this little item is FREE? Just click on this link!

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Do The Kids Push Your "Power" Button?

This is for anyone with small children that like to come along and push the power button on the computer, usually right when you're in the middle of something.

Go to "Control Panel","Power", "Options" and click on the "Advanced" tab. In the drop box called "When I press the power button on my computer" set to either "Do nothing" or "Ask me what to do". The first is self-explanatory, and the second brings up the option window when you click "Turn off computer" on the Start menu.

Now you won't have those little fingers coming along while you are in the middle of something and turning the computer off on you and causing you to lose what you're working on.

I haven't come across something similar for the Reset button (if present) other than to disconnect it from the motherboard. Then again if your computer has frozen to the point that you need to reset, flipping the switch on the power supply will accomplish the same thing.

(Thanks to "Stormy 13" - P.C Pitstop for this tip.)

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IE7 & Firefox 2.0 both released.

Recently Microsoft released the latest version of it's browser Internet Explorer 7. At about the same time Mozilla released the latest version of it's browser Firefox 2.0. I have used them both and I find that IE7, while looking a little different than it did in it's earlier versions, essentially functions in the same fashion, albeit with a lot of new security advancements and the addition of "tabbed" browsing capabilities. Firefox 2.0 is a stable version with more security features than ever. It looks and functions much like it's previous versions. I believe Firefox 2.0 to be much more secure than IE7, so it will continue, at present, to be my default browser.

I would recommend that both of these browsers should be tried on for size, and with an open mind, before anyone should make any firm decisions as to their browser of choice.

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