Marc's Computer Blog

Have Windows 7? Now you need security

2009-11-17T08:03:00.000-08:00

As is usually the case with security software and new operating systems, older versions are not likely to work on Windows 7. You'll need to find a new version. Most of the big-name developers, such as Symantec and McAfee, have updated their subscription-based products.

Or, you could reach for the new, free Microsoft Security Essentials, which I reviewed earlier this month (see www.chron.com/mse).

Microsoft insists that Security Essentials isn't designed to replace full-strength suites. MSE lacks many features those products have, including e-mail scan-ning and a software firewall.

The real competition for MSE are other free security programs, led by the wildly popular AVG Free. Now AVG has released a new version. AVG Free 9.0, for Windows 7, Vista, XP and 2000. Like its predecessors, it is licensed for use on only one consumer computer — it's not supposed to be used on a PC on a net-work. Given that 80 million people use AVG Free, I suspect this may be one of the most violated software licenses around.

AVG says 9.0 has improved performance and has less impact on system resources, and I can attest that it's fast and unobtrusive. I've put it on a variety of systems, and so far I don't see any difference in machine boot-up times between AVG Free 9.0 and Microsoft Security Essentials. I also see no discernible performance effect on the PC as it runs in the background.

It isn't as impressive, though, when it comes to scanning. It is considerably slower than Security Essentials. The same drive that MSE took only 55 seconds to scan took about nine minutes to scan with AVG Free 9.0 on the “Fast scan” setting. It's possible, though, that the fast scan is more thorough than MSE's. But still, an eight-minute difference is significant.

The interface for 9.0 is almost identical to the previous version — it's simple and easy to navigate. As AVG Free has evolved, the company has unlocked settings for more features that previously were available only in the paid version. You have a lot more control over the program than in earlier versions.

It has more security features than Microsoft's product, including an e-mail scanner and a module that checks links on Web sites to ensure they're safe. However, this much-improved LinkScanner only works in Internet Explorer or Firefox. Earlier versions of the LinkScanner had users racing to turn it off because it slowed down Web surfing. But this iteration is lightning-fast. When you use a search engine, the scanner checks the resulting links and, if they're deemed safe, places a green icon next to each result. If the scanner suspects something nefar-ious, it will indicate that with more ominous orange and red icons, along with details.

How effective is AVG Free 9.0? The program has a good reputation for stopping viruses and spyware, and I may have experienced its capabilities shortly after installing it — although it apparently was a false alarm. I went looking for a program that would enable “hot corners” on the PC, similar to the built-in feature in Mac OS X that lets you move your mouse cursor to a corner of the screen to blank the screen or clear the desktop. I found an open-source program called Hot Corners and downloaded a copy from Softpedia, a reputable site for shareware. However, when I installed it, I got a warning from AVG that one of the Hot Corners files was infected. The suspect file was moved into AVG's Virus Vault, where it could do no harm.

I got another copy from the author's site. This one didn't bring up the AVG alert, but a note on the site indi- cates it has a history of trig-gering false positives. When I installed it on a Windows 7 system running Microsoft Security Essentials, there was no alert.

Former users of AVG Free who may have been unhappy with the performance and obtrusiveness of past vers-ions may want to give this a try. It also will appeal to those who switched to Micro-soft Security Essentials but don't quite feel like they're getting all the features they need to feel safe. AVG Free 9.0 has you covered.

dwight.silverman@chron.com

http://blogs.chron.com/techblog

By DWIGHT SILVERMAN Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle

Oct. 26, 2009, 11:42PM

For XP users who wish to upgrade, a few tips

2009-11-17T07:55:00.000-08:00

When Windows 7 is released on Thursday, many who’ll rush out to buy it will be users of Windows XP.

Unfortunately, Microsoft has not made it easy for XP users to move to Win7. You won't be able to run the upgrade disk and have the newer operating system install on top of XP, leaving your data and programs in place.

Instead, you have two options:

1. You can do a Clean install, in which you wipe the hard drive clean and install a virgin copy of Windows 7, then reinstall your software and copy your data back to the drive.

2. You can do a Custom install, in which your older setup is squirreled away in a folder called WINDOWS.OLD. This will include your program files, though you won't be able to run your software from there. It will also include data files, but you shouldn't rely on this as your sole backup strategy prior to upgrading.

Because you can't upgrade over XP, there are some steps you'll want to take before you install Windows 7 to make the process easier. This game plan also works if you plan to do a clean or custom install on a Windows Vista system.

• Make an inventory of the software you'll want to reinstall on Windows 7. This may be a good time to do some housecleaning. Identify the programs you really need and plan to keep them, and cast off those you don't.

• Download, install and run the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor at www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/get/upgrade-advisor.aspx. This will scan your PC and point out compatibility issues with hardware and software. You may have software that won't run on Windows 7, and you'll need to upgrade to a newer version of that program, or obtain a patch if available.

• Download and save to a CD, DVD or external drive any software patches you'll need. Do the same for any Windows 7 drivers that are available for your key hardware — video and audio adapters, printers, mice, keyboards, scanners, etc.

• Research and identify the security software you'll want to install. Don't expect the antivirus or antispyware programs you bought two years ago to work on Windows 7. Microsoft has a Web page that lists developers with compatible security titles at www.microsoft.com/windows/antivirus-partners/windows-7.aspx.

• Make a backup of your documents, music, videos and photos, to an external drive. Check the help files for your e-mail program to see how to export your mail folders, then save those to the external drive as well. If you're really cautious, make a disk image of your entire system — using software such as Acronis TrueImage, Norton Ghost or Norton Save & Restore — so you can recover your Windows XP setup in case something goes horribly wrong.

• Check the system requirements for Windows 7 to see if your PC is powerful enough. Although Microsoft says 1 GB of RAM will work with the 32-bit version, I'd recommend you have at least double that. Install your RAM — or any hardware upgrades — before you install Windows 7.

• Once you have Windows 7, you can start the installer from within XP. It will do additional compatibility checks, then reboot the system to begin the installation. I'd recommend doing the Custom install, because it does provide a secondary copy of your data files.

• When the installation is complete, install the latest Windows 7 drivers, then the antivirus software you've selected and let it update its malware definitions.

• Manually run Windows Update to check for any patches and fixes.

• Before you install any of your software, live with this installation for a while. Play around with Windows 7, learning its differences before you have to rely on it for real work. Give it a few days before installing your software, and copying data back to the hard drive.

Once your installation is the way you like it, consider using the Backup and Restore function in Windows 7 to make an image of your existing hard drive. You can use this later if you need to start over from scratch — and it will come in handy when Windows 8 rolls around in a few years!

dwight.silverman@chron.com

http://blogs.chron.com/techblog

By DWIGHT SILVERMAN Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle

Oct. 19, 2009, 11:08PM

Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor

2009-11-17T07:53:00.000-08:00

Link

5 ways to speed up your PC

2009-09-25T08:45:00.000-07:00

By following a few simple guidelines, you can maintain your computer and keep it running smoothly. This article discusses how to use the tools available in Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) and Windows Vista to more efficiently maintain your computer and safeguard your privacy when you're online.

Link

Fix common PC problems

2009-09-25T08:39:00.000-07:00

Having trouble with your computer? You've come to the right place. Even if you don't know a computer language (or want to), you can solve several common PC problems on your own.

Thanks Microsoft!

Link

How to Speed Up a Slow Windows Computer for Free

2009-09-10T21:33:00.000-07:00

Speed Up

Yawcam

2009-06-07T07:59:00.000-07:00

What is Yawcam?

Yawcam is a shortening for Yet Another WebCAM software, and that's exactly what it is ;-)
More precise Yawcam is a webcam software for windows written in java. The main ideas for Yawcam are to keep it simple and easy to use but to include all the usual features.

Yawcam is completely free to use!

Yawcam features:
.: Video streaming
.: Image snapshots
.: Built-in webserver
.: Motion detection
.: Ftp-upload
.: Text and image overlays
.: Password protection
.: Online announcements for communities
.: Scheduler for online time
.: Multi languages

10 ways techs can make extra cash

2009-03-29T23:28:00.000-07:00

1: Subcontracting

Hire yourself out on a project basis. While full-time jobs may not be plentiful, project work is common. Consulting groups frequently need technicians to deliver qualified service onsite at client locations.

Many small businesses are actually performing well. Headlines incessantly tout draconian layoffs at large enterprises employing tens of thousands of staff, numerous smaller businesses (from gyms to used car dealers to family-focused activity stores) continue marching along, with many experiencing sales increases.

These outlets continue to require computer, networking, and software support. Consulting groups frequently service these organizations’ needs, but smaller IT shops often find it difficult to locate qualified, professional contractors to fulfill those services.

Contact these local IT consultancies if you’re seeking extra income. Rare are the consultancies that don’t appreciate adding qualified names to their Rolodex, and these projects often turn into full-time gigs.

2: National account work

Many national companies serve as subcontractors for large hardware vendors. These companies accept work from the manufacturer and then pass a portion of the payment to the local contractor who actually completes the project.

Consider signing up as an authorized agent for these national providers. While few consultants make a living fulfilling such national account work, resulting projects can help fill scheduling gaps.

911mycomputer, Gurus2Go, and OnForce are three examples of national service providers that send IT consultants small jobs and other projects. All such organizations need techs in the field to complete these projects.

Just be sure you’re working with reputable vendors when you accept assignments. Most national service providers are solvent, but some have experienced trouble paying their subcontractors. Research national providers before signing a contract. If a Google search of a prospective organization reveals payment complaints, avoid establishing a relationship with that partner.

3: Database consulting

How often do you hear about businesses and nonprofits having to “do more with less”? A Google search of that string generates more than a million hits.

Organizations everywhere are trying to master client relationships and communications and squeeze every last bit of revenue from customer and contact lists. Databases, often customized to meet proprietary needs, frequently play a critical role in the process.

Yet many organizations don’t have the budget necessary for maintaining their own database creation and administration skills. The knowledge/needs gap presents opportunities for database programmers and engineers who want to moonlight or provide these services on the side.

4: Teaching

Layoffs across numerous industries are sending many back to school. As government agencies, nonprofits, and other organizations become increasingly dependent upon computers, networks, and systems, it’s a safe bet technical skills will remain in demand. In fact, the 2009 Robert Half International Salary Guide predicts IT will be among the top three fields to yield promising careers in the next year.

Consequently, students will seek the training required to enter the industry. Many schools, training centers, and colleges will need qualified candidates with proven experience to lead technical classes. Since many classes meet after regular business hours, interested IT pros may be able to supplement their day jobs with a teaching role.

5: Software training and instruction

As an independent technology consultant, I’ve been surprised at the number of clients requesting one-on-one software training. Demand exists, particularly among small businesses, for basic training covering such programs as Act, Access, Word, Excel, photo editing applications, and QuickBooks, not to mention Windows.

IT professionals need not be all-knowing gurus to lead training sessions covering these programs. They simply need to be able to review application fundamentals, provide walk-through demonstrations of an application’s features, and answer user questions.

6: The digital living space

Most technology professionals enjoy securing their own wireless networks, solving myriad Windows video codec issues, and memorizing the differences between HDMI, DVI, and VGA technologies. Most homeowners don’t.

So as discretionary income trends toward family-focused or “nesting”-related investments, the need for technology professionals to assist in such projects is increasing. Families spending two or three thousand dollars on a new television, streaming media devices, and/or media center PCs will think nothing of paying another few hundred dollars to a technology professional to ensure the devices are properly equipped, connected, and configured.

7: Telecommunications

I’m one of those “computer” consultants who has resisted providing clients with “phone services.” However, I’m rethinking that strategy.

Why? For one thing, clients are increasingly inquiring about telephone support. And as VoIP gains steam, telecommunications are increasingly crossing over into the network administration arena. Even Dell is now selling phone systems on its Web site.

Considering that organizations of all sizes are flocking to VoIP technologies to reduce costs, there’s ample opportunity for technology professionals to add telephone installation and support services to their skill set. Telecommunications services add an entire new niche to a technology professional’s arsenal that can generate significant new revenue streams.

8: Financial software consulting

The word is getting out. Intuit, which markets the popular QuickBooks line of financial software, is weathering the economic downturn rather well. Demand for its products, from its point-of-sale software to its enterprise financial management platform, is growing.

Again, business owners everywhere are seeking to do more with less. That means most companies are working to obtain the utmost productivity and efficiency from the programs in which they invest.

Intuit’s QuickBooks software provides many opportunities for business owners to do just that. And Intuit’s ProAdvisor certification program presents IT pros with a well-structured program to not only obtain instruction and training but to tap into Intuit’s considerable lead-generation capabilities.

9: Security/DVR integration

Just as telephones used to be differentiated from PCs, servers, and networks, so did security and alarm systems used to be viewed as wholly separate from IT. But that, too, is changing.

Many security systems consist of digital video recorders (DVR). Essentially, these devices are nothing more than Windows XP systems with a special video card installed. Cables run from cameras mounted in various locations to that video card, and the captured images or video is then stored on the system’s massive hard disks. Included software tools make it possible to even access the security footage using a Web interface.

As companies further seek to cut costs, reduce shrinkage, eliminate burglaries, and otherwise secure their operations, security system sales are likely to grow. Adding these services to one’s repertoire offers yet another potent opportunity for generating extra cash. Best of all, most of the technologies involved (desktop systems, Ethernet interfaces, and hard disk data storage) are right in line with the other skills technology professionals typically wield.

10: Online expert

IT consultants seeking additional clients can grow their reputations online. Fixya.com and CrossLoop.com are just two Web sites in a growing category that pay technology experts to either answer users’ questions or provide opportunities to answer user questions and receive advertising space in return. While these projects aren’t likely to generate significant income, combined with other initiatives, becoming an online expert can position a consultant as an expert and help drive new client calls.

Link

24 Killer Portable Apps For Your USB Flash Drive

2009-03-09T13:28:00.000-07:00

http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/09/02/24-killer-portable-apps-for-your-usb-flash-drive/

Gmail offline: A guided tour

2009-01-28T20:54:00.000-08:00

Gmail offline: A guided tour

A First Class Commercial Backup Program for Free

2009-01-27T19:27:00.000-08:00

from Gizmo's Tech Support Alert

Here's an unsolicited offer for all Tech Support Alert readers that I recently received from Neobyte, the developers of the excellent Titan Backup utility that I featured in my newsletter last year. Almost all the feeback I received at that time about Titan Backup was very positive so I'm happy to pass this offer on to you:

"Hi Gizmo,

I recently read the interview you had with Paul Gillin and saw you were recommending people an old version of Winbackup (the product is no longer developed by Uniblue)

I would like to offer your readers the FULL version of Titan Backup 1.5 (only few months old version), I am confident you'll find it very useful for your audience. You can find here some differences between version 1.5 and 2.5.

Your readers can download Titan Backup 1.5 from here:
http://www.neobytesolutions.com/trial-versions/free/titanbackup15.exe

Then they'll enter the below serial to activate the full version:
000020-ACM8KK-1YXPMT-JZT49Z-05Z6JZ-7C68TR-9Y7FU9-6PD2P8

We'll keep the special discount we already offer your readers, in case they want to upgrade to the latest version Titan Backup 2.5.

Looking forward to see your readers benefiting from this offer.

Best regards

Flavius Saracut
www.titanbackup.com
Marketing Manager, Neobyte Solutions"

Best Software for a Tough Economy

2009-01-27T19:22:00.000-08:00

By Jessica Dolcourt, CNET Downloads

In tough economic times like these, good freeware becomes worth its weight in gold.

Professionals who squeeze every feature out of their top-shelf software will likely appreciate the investment, but those of us with more modest goals can still do just about anything for free. Assuming that you are willing to deal with a few minor character flaws and rough edges, we've got some tools to help you save your hard-earned dough. From graphic-design apps and security software to CD/DVD burners and ringtone makers, there's something available in this collection for most of us cost-conscious downloaders.

7-Zip
Small, amazingly effective and free, 7-Zip compresses files like a pro and unpacks archive formats including RAR, ISO and MSI. It can also pack ZIP, TAR and GZIP files. The latter two are often found on Linux and Unix systems, and are file types that the commercial go-tos can't muster. To shrink its footprint even more, try out 7-Zip's portable version.

Windows Live FolderShare
Lots of paid programs make syncing files among different PCs and the Web simple, but if you're counting pennies, Windows Live's FolderShare offers a more than adequate substitute. FolderShare, too, keeps files synced across Windows and Mac platforms -- so long as they're under 2GB. In addition to the desktop client, you can access and configure FolderShare online. Our biggest gripe is that it won't sync files if a computer is off or hibernating, but with a little planning or help from others when you're away from a logged-off computer, you'll be able to keep information constantly current.

IOBit Smart Defrag
There's no shortage of well-rounded defragmentation applications, but IOBit Smart Defrag runs circles around them. Its built-in tool persistently defragments your most-used files without gumming up your system. Like Diskeeper, you can set it to run during idle moments, and its performance is steady enough to run on older and more resource-scant machines. Smart Defrag's scheduler also lets you plan late-night defragging, and can shut down the computer when it's done.

BurnAware Free and Ashampoo Burning Studio Free
Unless you're editing data, audio, video and burned images a significant portion of your time, a fully caffeinated application such as Nero is probably overkill. If all you want to do is burn some discs, Ashampoo Burning Studio Free and BurnAware Free offer the same basic functions for CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray, without the extra bulk of Nero's video editing and slide show software.

ToneThis
ToneThis ringtone maker isn't especially attractive or advanced, but it is free, devilishly easy to use and can create, edit and receive SMS ringtones and scaled videos and photos from your PC to your phone (see supported models.) It's hobbled by some pesky flaws, but the core features work well enough to recommend the program for those watching their wallets.

GIMP
Prepare to be impressed with free image-editing tool GIMP. GIMP supports layering and has a good-size tool kit for adjusting colors, curves and balances, and adding blur, zoom and distortion effects. Unlike some freeware photo editors, it has an effective red eye removal filter, and tools for creating paths and quickly changing perspective. Tutorials and an active user base help you work through stickier editing tasks. The plug-in GIMPshop unites GIMP's two panes and renames some functionality to match Photoshop's nomenclature.

AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition and Avira AntiVir Personal Free Antivirus
Out of all the freeware antivirus applications, AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition and Avira AntiVir Personal Free Antivirus come closest to the comprehensive coverage of their premium cousins. AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition offers frequent updates, scheduled scans and real-time protection. It also quarantines suspect files and processes, and rates search results for safety.
Avira AntiVir Personal Free Antivirus also scans for definitions, and, unlike most security freeware, sniffs for rootkits. While thorough, Avira's freeware antivirus application tends to lag and is a bit more ad-heavy.

CamStudio
Free screen-recording software CamStudio isn't perfect by a long shot, but if you're scrappy and open to reading tutorials, you'll find a free way to take good-quality AVI and SWF recordings of your screen. The beta build remains somewhat buggy, and CamStudio is lean on options, but if you only need to blast out basic demos and tutorials of your own, CamStudio is a real find.

Gadwin PrintScreen
Spend a few moments configuring Gadwin PrintScreen before capturing your first image and you'll be a fan for life. Trust us, don't skip this step. Gadwin PrintScreen has plenty of customization settings for saving and processing images after you take them. You can save them to the clipboard, print them and automatically name files, for example. Gadwin PrintScreen doesn't have SnagIt 9's advanced editor library, but it will let you automatically open the captured images in any photo-editing application you like.

Gmail grows up with offline e-mail access

2009-01-27T19:19:00.000-08:00

Posted by Stephen Shankland

Significantly increasing the utility and competitiveness of its Web-based e-mail service, Google is enabling an experimental ability to read, write, and search Gmail messages even while not connected to the network.

Google believes almost religiously in cloud computing, the idea that computer applications and data live on the Internet rather than on PCs. But there are times when the network is inaccessible, and generally Web-based applications like today's Gmail effectively seize up under those circumstances.

Offline sidesteps that problem, the classic example being a busy executive traveling on a plane. And offline Gmail access begins a new chapter for Google's ambition to appeal to business customers for services such as Google Apps, of which Gmail is a component.

"This is a feature we've heard loud and clear the enterprise wants," said Todd Jackson, Gmail's product manager.

Trying to sign up business customers generally means wooing them away from the dominant e-mail products, Microsoft's Exchange server software and Outlook PC software. Google and Microsoft began in separate spheres, but are ever-closer competitive rivals, each with a strong cash-generating business that can be used to subsidize forays into other markets.

There's more, too. Google Apps customers will get another major offline option "soon," too: Google Calendar access, though not initially the ability to create new entries. If the organization's administrator enables the "New Features" option, each person within that organization will get access to the calendar, Google said.

New features help make Gmail more compelling for business customers, but for many, a bigger problem is the fact that Gmail still sports its beta tag, said Gartner analyst David Smith.

"That's one of the biggest stumbling blocks for businesses," Smith said. "You're hard-pressed to find any businesses who decide to go into production with anything that a vendor calls beta, no matter how good it is." Google promises customers will get 99.9 percent availability through a service level agreement for Google Apps, which includes Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Docs.

Cloud vs. PC
And Microsoft, while not turning on a dime, isn't counting on a future that consists exclusively of PC-based Office. It already has a product, Office Live Workspace that lets users share and view--but not edit--Office documents online, and the next version of Office will run in a browser.

Philosophically, though, Microsoft remains firmly tethered to the PC, while Google wants to move as fast as possible to Web-based applications. "We think the browser is the ideal platform for deploying all kinds of applications. That's where Google is placing its bet," Jackson said. "But people are traditionally limited by the speed and connectivity of the Internet. We want to fill in those gaps."

Google already developed open-source technology called Gears that helps further this cloud computing agenda by storing Web data on PC, and Gmail, used by millions, could help coax more people to install Gears. That, in turn, could help solve the chicken-and-egg problem that currently means it's not worthwhile for most Web application programmers to build in Gears support.

Greater Gears support could help other cloud-computing companies, including Zoho, which already has offline access for its Web-based e-mail application.

It's not as if offline Gmail were completely impossible. People can set up software such as Outlook or Thunderbird to read and write e-mails, for example. But offline Gmail means people won't have to learn a new interface.

Offline Gmail has been in testing for months, though Jackson wouldn't share specifics about exactly how long.

What can offline Gmail do?
"We wanted the user experience to be almost identical to the experience you get when you're online," Jackson said.

Offline Gmail stores a copy of a user's inbox on a personal computer. Most people will have to install it, a process Google walks you through, but it's built into Google's Chrome browser.

Once Gears is installed and offline access is enabled, the software automatically detects when a person's network connection is working. If the network is good, Gmail works as usual. If it's bad, it goes into offline mode, sending unsent messages and retrieving new ones when the connection is restored.

And if the network is dodgy, a person can use the intermediate "flaky connection mode," which for example queues a message to be sent immediately by storing it to the hard drive then actually sends it as soon as it can. Google positions this as useful for coffee shops and poaching a neighbor's weak-signal wireless network, but I think of this as "tech conference mode."

When enabled, offline Gmail begins by downloading, in the background, a copy of a user's archive to the user's personal computer. But the software stores about 10,000 e-mails, so heavy users won't get a complete archive.

Gmail automatically updates the local cache of messages with new and recently read items and with messages associated with a particular label on which a person has clicked, Jackson said.

Imperfect
Not everything works, though.

One big missing piece is the ability to add attachments to new messages, though attachments are visible with existing messages.

Another is the contacts tab, so forget about managing e-mail lists or adding new addresses while offline. The autocomplete option works, though, so there's no need to start remembering e-mail addresses.

English-speaking Gmail users will be able to enable offline access as Google gradually adds the ability over the next "couple" of days, said Gmail engineer Andy Palay in a blog post. "Offline Gmail is still an early experimental feature, so don't be surprised if you run into some kinks that haven't been completely ironed out yet," Palay said.

What kinds of problems occur?

"We've seen issues with the local cache getting out of sync. You have to refresh the browser, and that gets you going again," Jackson said. "In some rare circumstance, it has to be fully flushed, so we ask to disable and re-enable the feature."

But these should be unusual problems, he said: "It's been in testing for awhile on all 20,000 Googlers, so it's gotten some good testing."

HandBrake

2008-11-25T19:21:00.000-08:00

HandBrake is an open-source, GPL-licensed,
multiplatform, multithreaded, DVD to MPEG-4 converter, available for MacOS X, Linux and Windows.

Best of Screensavers

2008-09-22T21:00:00.000-07:00

From Smashing magazine

How to Make Windows XP Look & Behave like Windows Vista for Free

2008-06-14T20:06:00.000-07:00

How to Make Windows XP Look & Behave like Windows Vista for Free

STEP THREE: Install the “secret” Microsoft Royal Noir Desktop Theme (no, you will not have translucent title bars - but this official Microsoft theme is "close" to Vista's and is very cool!)

Fixing mouse drift on a Dell Latitude C600 with a Sledgehammer

2008-04-13T07:20:00.000-07:00

Found on Gimboland , - Andy Gimblett writes "It started small - one day I was typing and the mouse pointer started slowly drifting to the corner of the screen. Odd. I pulled it out, and carried on with my day. Then it started happening more frequently… In my first lecture of the year, it went completely doolally, rushing up into the top-right corner and refusing to come out. Since then, every now and then it’s been doing this intermittently, sometimes just a little, sometimes so much that the pointer is unusable."

Read more here.

The Ultimate USB Key

2008-03-02T15:47:00.000-08:00

This looks like a good read.

Windows in a Window

2008-03-02T15:38:00.000-08:00

Virtual machines let you muck around with older versions of Windows—and even other operating systems—without consequences!

by Bill Dyszel

Friends say I'm living in the past, recounting carefree days of wearing leisure suits, dancing the Macarena, and running WordPerfect 5.1. Now I can indulge my pathological nostalgia with a virtual machine.

Virtual machine programs enable multiple operating systems to run simultaneously on a single PC. The two most popular are Microsoft Virtual PC and VMware Player. Microsoft's product both creates and runs virtual machines, while VMware Player plays preconfigured virtual machines only. Creating your own VMware virtual machines requires an upgrade to VMware Workstation 6 for Windows ($189 direct). VMware Workstation offers many more features than Virtual PC does, including system-state snapshots and the ability to create an image of another computer on your network. Either is a good choice to begin exploring virtualization.

Got an installable copy of an OS you'd like to give a whirl? Download a free copy of Virtual PC (www.microsoft.com/ virtualpc) or a 30-day trial version of VMware Workstation (www.vmware.com).

Tasks from the Past

If you're like me—hopelessly immersed in the past—you may be unusually attracted to certain benefits of desktop virtualization. For example, by running multiple OSs simultaneously, you can:

• Overcome Vista's incompatibility with older applications, particularly older games, by running earlier versions of Windows within Vista.

• Run antiquated versions of Internet Explorer to see how your MySpace page, TypePad blog, or business Web-site customization will look in Grandma's IE 4.

• Keep using that trusty custom application that someone wrote for your small business years ago, while for other things you move up to a flashy new OS.

If these prospects seem even more exciting to you than uncovering your old Superman comics up in the attic, you're in for a treat.

How It's Done with Virtual PC

Three essential parts make up a virtual machine: the application itself, a virtual hard drive, and a virtual machine. The virtual hard drive is really just a file on your physical hard drive, and the virtual machine is a file that contains settings used to run the virtual hard disk and emulate the supporting hardware.

To begin, install Virtual PC and fire it up, then click New on the Console screen. You can typically follow the prompts for the default installation. Use the Virtual Disk Wizard to create a new, blank virtual hard drive as well—this will not affect anything else on your hard drive. When you finish the installation you're not really done; the new virtual machine will be listed in the Virtual PC Console screen, but it won't yet have an operating system. Select the new virtual machine and click Start, then choose CD | Use Physical Drive and choose the drive in which you've placed the installation CD for the OS you want to install. Now simply follow the same steps you would to install the OS on a physical machine. To install applications, repeat the process, choosing CD | Use Physical Drive and install from application CDs exactly the same way.

When you start, it helps to have a workable, installable copy of the quaint old OS you've chosen as your guest operating system—not, say, a Windows 98 upgrade disc. Similarly, if you want to create a virtual Windows XP machine to run classic games within Vista, you'll need an actual copy of Windows XP.

Remember, each virtual machine you run claims its own share of RAM and disk space (although Virtual PC takes less than 40MB itself) so you'll have to expect some limits on overall performance.

While you'd probably install the Virtual PC program files on your physical C: drive just as you would any other application, the virtual-machine file and the virtual hard-drive file can be located on an external hard drive just as readily. That way, in a pinch you can even use Virtual PC on a crowded laptop to run space-hogging applications from an external hard drive.

I've also discovered that, even though Microsoft's documentation insists that Virtual PC is supported only as a host on Windows XP Professional and above, I've installed it on Windows XP Home Edition without difficulty. The program bellyaches that it's not running on a "supported" operating system, but it runs nonetheless. How much support does Microsoft give to free applications anyway? Zilch, so it doesn't matter.

How It's Done with VMware

Do you crave the thrill of repeatedly installing strange new operating systems? The fastest method is to download preconfigured virtual hard drives, or Virtual Appliances in VMware parlance. There's a whole raft of 'em, configured to run just about every popular open-source OS, as well as several unpopular ones, at www.vmware.com/appliances. It's pretty simple to run a virtual appliance that you've downloaded; just go to the Home screen in VMware Workstation, choose Open Existing VM or Team, and browse to choose your preferred virtual-machine file. The file extension for a VMware virtual machine file is .VMX. Opening an existing VM automatically launches the boot-up sequence for that particular operating system.

Another approach to adding an operating system is to import an image file in the ISO format. Your virtual machine will read from that file as if it were a physical CD-ROM. Choose New Virtual Machine from the VMware home screen and follow the prompts from there to locate your ISO file. You can find ISO files for most open-source OSs on dozens of open-source fan sites. After you've installed a virtual machine with an operating system in VMware, you can go on to install and run applications. After that, you can easily "clone" the entire virtual hard drive. That's fine for open-source operating systems, but touchy for operating systems that require a license (Windows, for example). Technically, it's a no-no to run multiple instances of a copyright-protected application without extra licenses, just as it's a no-no to share your MP3 collection with your friends.

Link here.

Read comments here. Including this one -

"Got an installable copy of an OS you'd like to give a whirl? Download a free copy of Virtual PC (www.microsoft.com/ virtualpc) or a 30-day trial version of VMware Workstation (www.vmware.com). "

I stopped reading after this. Any article that starts by implying that VirtualPC is free whereas after 30 days you have to pay for VMWare can't be based on enough research to suit me.

VMWare offers VMWare Player as well as VMWare Server for free (no trial versions, they really are free as in "free beer"), both of which do an excellent job of virtualization which at least in some ways is better than Microsoft's VirtualPC. For starters, VMWare supports USB devices.

Furthermore, while VMWare Player is useful to run a prebuilt VM (VMWare calls them Virtual Appliances), it cannot create VM's. VMWare Server can.

Besides, there are many other virtualization solutions such as Xen and now Oracle (based on Xen).

===Jac

(No, I don't work for any of these companies)

Streaming Video for Cheapskates

2008-02-12T14:49:00.000-08:00

In our previous Solutions story, "Stream Video to Your Living-Room PC", we covered how to stream movies from services such as Netflix's Watch Now, Vongo, and others to your living-room PC or set-top box for display on your TV. Well, what if you don't have a living-room PC or a set-top box—and don't want one! Maybe it's the price that's holding you back, or the fact that you just don't want yet another box to configure and keep in your entertainment center. Since set-top boxes and media center PCs are still mostly niche products, we're guessing there are a lot of you out there.

But watching a video streamed from your PC to your TV would still be nice, right? You could burn DVDs, but that's time-consuming, and your feng shui proclivities dictate that you avoid having a bunch of DVDs you'll never watch again cluttering up your home. Well, for the penny-pinchers, the minimalists, and those who have older equipment, there are still ways to watch PC video on your TV, many of which cost less than $100. Don't expect HD picture quality—or even DVD quality for that matter—but in most cases the video signal is quite watchable.

Inside Windows Server 2008

2008-02-12T14:47:00.000-08:00

Eleven months left in 2008, and the year's recurring tech theme is already resounding loudly: Windows Server 2008. Get used to it, because you'll be hearing it over and over for the foreseeable future. The new server OS promises a load of fresh goodies for Microsoft-platform devotees, with more stuff to follow. Does this really apply to small and midsize businesses? You bet, and as ever, there's good and bad.

Read the rest here.

Connect Linux to a Wireless Network

2008-02-12T14:43:00.000-08:00

Improvements in the latest Ubuntu release, version 7.10, include better hardware installation, enhanced desktop search, NTFS -support (which I'll cover in the next month's Linux Solution)—and much better wireless networking. You could certainly connect to a wireless network with earlier versions, but wireless networking just seems to work better with 7.10. In addition, it natively supports Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) security. With that in mind, let's turn now to getting Ubuntu working with an existing wireless Windows network.

Read the rest here.

Jimmy Ruska's Video Tutorials

2008-02-05T21:38:00.001-08:00

Jimmy Ruska's Video Tutorials

Default Logins and Passwords for Networked Devices

2008-01-25T09:03:00.000-08:00

:-)

Windows XP Auto Logs Off

2008-01-03T22:31:00.000-08:00

I have seen this issue a few times now. Windows XP will load just like normal and then show up on the logon / welcome screen. When you click your user name or type in your user name you see your desktop for a split second and then are sent back to the logon / welcome screen. This occurs if a certain registry value is not pointing to the correct system file. At registry key:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

the string "Userinit" should be set to a value of "C:\WINDOWS\system32\userinit.exe,". Do not forget the coma on the end. Also the path is case sensitive and "WINDOWS" should be replaced with your Windows directory. On most Gateway computers the Windows directory is "WINNT".

Ok, so now we know how to fix the problem, but how do I change the value if i can't get into Windows? Well, you have a few options. Option 1 is the one I like best, which is to use a BartPE CD equiped with Regedit For BartPE open the registry and change the value back to normal. Option 2 is to try and guess what the value of the registry key is and then boot into Recovery Console and rename "userinit.exe" to the bogus value. The registry key most likely points to "wsaupdater.exe". Option 3 will only work if you are in a corporate enviroment and your computer was setup for remote registry changes before it crashed. In that case you can log onto the crashed
computer and change the value while it is sitting at the log on screen.

So now that we have fixed the problem what caused the problem? While if you click the link below you will be sent to a Lavasoft forum which has previously discussed this issue. This is the source of most of the info I have here. Apparently some spyware named "BlazeFind" will change the key value to "wsaupdater.exe" for some unknown reason. Undoubtably for some malicious reason. When a spyware or anti-virus program removes BlazeFind it leaves that registry entry pointing to nothing and stops you from logging in.

8/28/04 - I now believe that this problem is caused when Adaware removes a certain spyware and does not correct the registry entry that is mentioned above. I have also found out that Hijackthis will catch this "logon hijack" if ran on an infected system, either when infected or before rebooting after adaware removes the infection.

http://www.lavasoftsupport.com/index.php?showtopic=29752

9/22/04- more info and steps here:
http://www.lavasofthelp.com/articles/v6/04/06/0901.html

Stream Video to Your Living-Room PC

2007-12-18T19:35:00.000-08:00

Once an exercise in frustration, streaming now actually works.

Set-top boxes were supposed to revolutionize the way we watched video from our computers. That hasn't quite happened and that's an understatement. Early products were difficult to use; they often dropped connections between devices and displayed poor-quality video. They just weren't worth the trouble.

But things are beginning to change. Sophisticated media-center functionality comes with every new Windows Vista PC. Faster, more interference-resistant wireless routers (supporting the 802.11n draft standard) can blast hefty media files back and forth across your network without stuttering. And while the Apple TV hasn't taken the market by storm, it has introduced the idea of streaming video to the average person and it's a good choice if you're a frequent iTunes Store customer.

Now movie-rental sites are getting into the act. Companies such as Netflix and Vongo offer monthly subscription services that send full-length movies over the Internet directly to your living-room PC. Compared with fetching, renting, and returning DVDs, watching downloadable movies is a no-muss, no-fuss affair. It's also price-competitive with traditional rentals; the only downside is the limited selection. Because of the complex agreements that dictate what can be shown where, online sites have barely a fraction perhaps 1,000 to 1,200 titles of the content available for rental on physical DVDs (which exceeds 70,000 titles at Netflix alone).

Note that streaming is not the same as copying: You're not moving actual files around. Instead, you're watching video streamed in real time from another location-the Internet or another PC in your home are two common sources. With streaming video, you can decide right on the spot what you want to see prior to file-management prep work. In this article, I'll show you three ways to stream media from your Windows PC to your comfy living-room entertainment setup without unnecessary technical headaches.

Vongo's downloadable movie service costs $9.99 per month, but there is a free 14-day trial. This way you can check out the available titles and make sure the Vongo service works with your setup before committing your hard-earned cash. Here's how to get started with the trial:

1. Head to www.vongo.com and click the download button on the home page.

2. Enter your e-mail address and save Vongosetup.exe to your desktop.

3. When the download completes, double-click the icon and follow the prompts to install the Vongo client and create an account. You'll need to enter your credit card info for the trial.

4. Double-click the Vongo desktop icon to launch the service. Browse the available movies, choose one, and begin watching.

There's also a pay-per-view option, but the subscription offers a better value if you're going to watch more than one or two movies per month. You can even archive copies of movies for later viewing.

freedrive

2007-12-07T13:39:00.000-08:00

6 GB of storage

Xdrive

2007-12-07T13:24:00.000-08:00

5GB of free secure online storage

Streamload MediaMax

2007-12-07T13:09:00.000-08:00

25 GB of free online storage.

Windows Live SkyDrive Beta

2007-12-07T12:58:00.000-08:00

Password-protected online file storage. Always available where you need it.

Green PC

2007-11-26T14:29:00.001-08:00

How to dispose of unwanted tech equipment without hassles, and where to find great new environmentally friendly gear.

How to Clean Your 7 Favorite Gadgets

2007-11-26T14:24:00.000-08:00

Clean your computer, TV screen, speakers, printer, cell phone and video camera.

50 Top Computing Tips Part II

2007-10-30T20:34:00.000-07:00

Part II of our Top Tips story includes Vista secrets, better search methods, hardware tweaks, and ways to speed up your network. Here are 50 more of the most popular tips from the past year.

50 Top Computing Tips

2007-10-26T19:43:00.000-07:00

Whether you're looking to fix what's broken, speed up what's slow, or just tweak for fun, our PC Magazine Tip of the Day can help. Here are 50 of the most popular tips from the past year.

Online Image Resize

2007-10-24T11:02:00.001-07:00

Free online image resizer

Glary Registry Repair

2007-10-19T22:26:00.000-07:00

Clean up and repair your Registry for free.

Use your PC for long enough, and you'll have problems with your Registry. Invalid Registry entries, software that doesn't clean up the Registry after it uninstalls, invalid paths and file associations, obsolete entries, the list of Registry problems can go on for a long time. They slow down your PC, cause system crashes, and generally muck up things.

You'll never be able to track down the problems yourself. So instead get this freebie, which scans the Registry for problems and fixes them fast. You'll also be able to choose which changes to accept, and which to ignore. The program creates an Undo file, so you can revert to your previous version of the Registry if problems occur.

Microsoft Virtual PC 2007

2007-10-19T21:26:00.000-07:00

Run virtual PCs in different Windows OSes with this Microsoft program.

Not running Windows Vista Ultimate--and have a program that needs it? With Virtual PC (downloadable), you can run other operating systems as if they were applications within Vista Ultimate. This is useful when you need a program that can't run in your current version of Windows, or when you want to browse safely.

Vista

2007-10-10T20:43:00.000-07:00

What you need to know

Find the Cookies Folder in Vista

2007-10-10T20:30:00.000-07:00

Q: Where can I find the Cookies folder in Windows Vista? When I ran Windows XP, I put a shortcut to the Cookies folder on my desktop. When I went to a Web site, I could quickly see how many cookies a site was putting on my computer and delete them if I wanted to. I've tried searching in Vista but haven't had much luck. Please help!—Walter Nowak

A: To find just about anything in Vista, you simply start typing its name at the Start menu. When you type cookies, it points you to C:\Users\username\cookies—great! Great, that is, until you click on the link and get an "Access Denied" slap in the face. In actual fact, that path is just a kind of pointer. The cookies are stored in a completely different location.

Open Windows Explorer, press F10 to see the menu, and choose Tools | Folder Options. Click the View tab. Find the option to Show hidden files and folders and check it. Find Hide protected operating system files and uncheck it (Vista will gripe). Now you can navigate to the actual location, which is twofold: C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Cookies and C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Cookies\Low.

If you like, you can put shortcuts to these on the desktop or elsewhere—just right-drag the folder, let go, and choose Create shortcut(s) here. These shortcuts will work even if you change the Windows Explorer options described above back to their default values.

Windows Essentials Codec Pack

2007-10-10T20:29:00.000-07:00

Play any media file you can find with this add-in to your media player.

If you've ever come across a media file that wouldn't play in your media player, this freebie is the answer to your needs. It installs the codecs--short for coders-decoders--that your media player needs in order to play back many different kinds of media.

This isn't actually a standalone program. Instead, it gives your media player access to the codecs. So just install it, and you'll be able to view or listen to a wide variety of media files with your existing media player. And if you're not happy with your existing media player, it includes a copy of Media Player Classic, a simple, stripped-down media player that looks and works much like the first versions of Windows Media Player.

For the techies out there, here's the list of what it handles: Audio CDs, DVDs, (S)VCDs and XCDs on the fly, and it adds support for 3GP, AAC, AC3, APE, AVI, DivX, 3ivx, DAT, h.264, x264, AVC, Nero Digital, DTS, FLV, FLAC, HD-MOV, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, M4A, MPC, MP3, MP4, MO3, MOD, MKV/MKA, MTM, OFR, TTA, OGG/OGM, S3M, Vorbis, VOB, WavPack, ATRAC3, XviD, XM, WV, and UMX.

CloneGenius

2007-10-08T20:44:00.000-07:00

CloneGenius is an advanced disaster recovery and backup solution for your PC. Wizards guide you through creating an exact copy - or backup image - of your hard drive. CloneGenius also makes it easy to copy everything from your hard drive to a new hard drive when you upgrade the hardware in your computer. CloneGenius supports shrink on restore for FAT, FAT32, and NTFS.

And, it's free!

Vista's Flash for the Rest of Us

2007-10-06T20:26:00.000-07:00

For eye candy, Vista’s funky Aero interface carries a high cost-hefty hardware requirements, not to mention the cost of the OS-but even XP users can press their faces to the window.

9 Great Downloads from the Editors at MSN Tech & Gadgets

2007-09-14T21:06:00.000-07:00

WordPress

Sudoku

Windows Internet Explorer 7

Paint.NET 3.08

The Lion King Grubalicious

Core FTP LE

Bookworm

Spybot Search & Destroy

Microsoft Clip Art

12 Great Do-It-Yourself PC Projects

2007-09-14T21:04:00.000-07:00

Fix Mom's PC From Your Home or Office

2007-09-14T19:32:00.000-07:00

By Jon L. Jacobi, PC World

Here's how to repair another system using remote control software.

My family, scattered to the four winds, has a dangerous habit of blindly clicking through software installs and downloading all kinds of junk from the Internet. That's why I hear "The PC is acting funny" a lot. Not long ago an effective fix had to wait until my next visit, but now I can repair the damage anytime from my home or office using the free UltraVNC remote control software).

You can install and use UltraVNC in several different ways; in my experience, it's easiest for the person I'm helping if I run the remote viewer on my machine, and then send a simple applet to them via an e-mail attachment that they click to automate the link to my system.

To set up UltraVNC on your PC, install the application and select Run UltraVNC Viewer (Listen Mode) on the program's Start menu. If you have a router, you may have to open a port (the UltraVNC's default is 5500) to redirect traffic to your local computer. The method for doing this varies from router to router, so check your device?s documentation or the vendor Web site.

Locate your IP address

Next, customize the UltraVNC SC (for "single-click") server, which initiates the connection. Go to download custom.zip (look for the link about a third of the way down). Open the zipped file on your PC, and double-click helpdesk.txt to open that file. Replace both IP addresses (192.168.1.102) under the [HOST] headings with the address assigned to you by your ISP. Leave everything but those four numbers unchanged. If you're routerless, visit www.whatismyipaddress.com and note the number shown there.

Most home IP addresses change from log-on to log-on (this arrangement is called dynamic IP addressing). If you need to create a static IP address, visit the free DynDNS service. You must run the service's utility to update its redirect table every time your local IP address changes? Without DynDNS, you'd have to re-edit and recompile the helpdesk.txt file every time you reloaded your Net connection.

Send them a panic button

Save the helpdesk.txt file back to the custom.zip archive. Next, browse to UltraVnc SC online creator, enter foo in the Userid field and foobar as the password, and click Browse to navigate to and select the custom.zip file. Click Upload, and it about 5 seconds you'll be told to download the custom.exe file that the remote user must click to connect to your machine. E-mail the custom.exe file (or whatever you rename it) to your family members, or post it on your Web site for them to download. When they follow the simple installation instructions that accompany it, you will see a dialog box on your screen informing you of an incoming connection. Accept it, and their Windows desktop appears in a window on your screen, ready for you to control. UltraVNC is free-but consider donating to help fund enhancements.

20 Open Source Windows Apps For You

2007-09-10T21:11:00.000-07:00

Some of the commercial software like Photoshop are so expensive that an average user can not afford to buy it. Lately I am looking for some free or open source alternatives for windows programs and i was amazed with the range of programs available. Here i will list some of the open source or free programs as alternatives to windows commercial programs.

40+ Free Windows Apps For You

2007-09-10T20:14:00.000-07:00

This post is the part 2 of my earlier post 20 Open Source Windows Apps For You, i got lot of feedback for that post and my readers suggested some excellent programs to be included in that list. So here i am listing all those programs which i have missed in my earlier post. Do check the earlier post for the complete software list.

The list is in random order. Most of these apps serve as alternatives to commercial windows apps.

Add Linux to Your Windows

2007-09-06T22:12:00.001-07:00

If you want to take open source out for a trial run without ousting your current OS, these three steps will help you do just that.

Linux Installation Guide

2007-09-06T22:10:00.000-07:00

Installation itself has also become far easier. On standalone systems—that is, those on which you want Linux to be the only OS—the installation process actually resembles that of Windows XP or Windows Vista, save that it's typically about twice as fast (or better).

Download fonts

2007-08-30T19:59:00.000-07:00

Some good dingbats here as well, see TV, Movie.

PrinterAnywhere

2007-08-26T19:26:00.000-07:00

License Type: Free
Price: Free
Date Added: Oct 2006
Operating Systems: Windows XP
File Size: 1.24KB
Author: PrinterAnywhere Inc.

Send files to someone else's printer -- around the corner or around the world.

Want to print a document directly on a buddy's printer, anywhere in the world? If you're both online, you can do it with PrinterAnywhere.

The free utility installs on both PCs and you can choose the PrinterAnywhere printer from any application. An encrypted version shoots through the 'Net and prints on your buddy's printer. Turn the idea around and you can share your printer with anyone. It's ideal for sending confidential docs (the file's encrypted when sent) and unlike e-mail, it can't be forwarded.
--Steve Bass

Speed Up Vista

2007-08-26T17:01:00.000-07:00

Windows latest operating system, Vista, is its most complex to date. Learn a few simple tweaks you can do to keep your Vista PC regularly performing at top speed.

In this course you’ll:

Clean out unwanted files from your hard drive
Adjust your graphics settings for the optimum speed
Disable unnecessary programs (e.g. crapware)
Streamline your computer’s registry
Schedule regular PC tune-ups

StarOffice is now part of the Google Pack

2007-08-25T22:16:00.000-07:00

Google Pack, the collection of applications recommended by Google, includes a new software: StarOffice, an office suite developed by Sun. In 2000 Sun released StarOffice's source code, which became the foundation of OpenOffice.org, an open source project sponsored by Sun.

StarOffice 8 is a full-featured office suite that contains a word processor, a spreadsheet tool, applications for presentations, databases, math formulas and drawing. It has support for most Microsoft Office formats (except for the formats introduced in Office 2007), but it can also export documents as PDF out of the box. The software normally costs $70, but it's available for free in Google Pack. It's worth noting that StarOffice has a huge installer (more than 140 MB), so you should download it only if you have a fast Internet connection.

The 40 coolest free applications around

2007-08-25T22:14:00.001-07:00

Everyone loves free software (open source or otherwise) and this list demonstrates quite how many excellent applications can be had for free. If you thought you needed to buy something - maybe check this list first.

Open Source Games for Windows

2007-08-25T22:13:00.000-07:00

Open Source Games for Windows

The Essential Guide To PC Memory

2007-08-14T11:49:00.000-07:00

How much memory does Vista really need? What about Windows XP? And what the heck does DDR mean? How much money will a memory upgrade cost, and where do you buy it? We'll answer these questions and more, briefing you on the essentials of PC memory technology and saving you a great deal of money and hassle. Whether you're building a new system from scratch or upgrading, you'll find PC Magazine Labs–tested advice you won't get anywhere else.

A better boot diskette for WinNT/2000/XP

2007-08-14T11:47:00.000-07:00

A better boot diskette for WinNT/2000/XP

Printer driver issues

2007-07-16T08:50:00.000-07:00

How to clean up printer drivers

Can I reinstall the print spooler service?

"Spooler subsystem app has encountered a problem and needs to close" and "Operation could not be completed" error messages

New Computer Viruses

2007-07-05T13:19:00.000-07:00

Freudian Virus - Your computer becomes obsessed with its own motherboard. Or becomes very jealous of the size of your friend's hard drive.
Paul Revere Virus - Warns of an impending virus infection: 1 if by LAN, 2 if by C:\
Ollie North Virus - Plays a patriotic .WAV while it shreds your files
Ronald Reagan Virus - saves your data, but forgets where it's stored
Oprah Winfrey Virus - Your 200MB hard drive suddenly shrinks to 80MB, and then slowly expands to 300MB
Politically Correct Virus - Never calls itself a "virus," but instead refers to itself as an "electronic microorganism."
Arnold Schwarzenegger Virus - Terminates and stays resident. It'll be back.
Government Economist Virus - Nothing works, but all your diagnostic software says everything is fine
Federal Bureaucrat Virus - Divides your hard disk into hundreds of little units, each of which does practically nothing, but all of which claim to be the most important part of your computer
Adam and Eve Virus - Takes a couple of bytes out of your Apple computer
Congressional Virus - The computer locks up, and the screen splits erratically with a message appearing on each half blaming the other side for the problem
Airline Virus - You're in Dallas, but your data is in Singapore
PBS Virus - Your computer stops every few minutes to ask for money
Jimmy Hoffa Virus - Your programs can never be found again

Setting Up Indent Styles in MS Word

2007-06-26T11:01:00.000-07:00

Q: When citing sections of law in documents, I need to indent them from the left and right margins. Back in the WordPerfect era I could indent a paragraph left and right by one tab width by pressing Shift-F4. I've tried to locate a similar function in Microsoft Word, to no avail. Do I have to block the text and adjust the margins each time?— Fernando Pujals

Answer here

Personalizing the Office 2007 Interface

2007-06-26T06:56:00.000-07:00

The user interface in Office 2007 is drastically different than what you're used to. We'll show you how to personalize it to bring your everyday features and commands within easy reach.

From PC Mag

25 Web Sites to Watch

2007-06-18T14:01:00.000-07:00

Preston Gralla

Think that all of the great Web sites have already been invented? Think again. The Internet is evolving in new and inventive ways thanks to mashups that pull data from all over the Web and to AJAX-based interfaces that give sites the same degree of interactivity and responsiveness that desktop apps possess.

To keep you ahead of the curve, we've rounded up 25 innovative Web sites and services that are well worth watching. Some of them help you design your own personalized Web site mashups; others enable you to create video mixes, build wikis, share personal obsessions, and more. But take note: A number of these sites are works in progress, and user-generated sites depend on developing a critical mass of content, which doesn't happen right away. With that in mind, check out the following dot-com destinations. One of them may become the next big Web hit.

Mashups, Maps, and More

Build your own Web feed, poll friends and strangers, and find your way with these tools.

Popfly

Popfly provides a friendly, visual way to build your own mashups.If you haven't already discovered the world of mashups, Microsoft's Popfly is a good place to start. Mashups combine multiple Web-based sites or applications to produce all sorts of useful things, such as an overlay of traffic information over Google Maps. With Popfly, you can create your own mashups--and you don't have to know a lick of code to do it. Just drag prefab building blocks, connect them, and you have an instant mashup that you can add to an existing Web page or turn into its own site. For example, you can easily produce a mashup that grabs pictures from a site like Flickr and then displays them in a rotating cube.

Yahoo Pipes

You need a little patience to learn how to build a mashup using Yahoo Pipes.Like Popfly, Yahoo Pipes lets you create your own mashups or "pipes." As with Popfly, you drag and drop prebuilt modules, and then create connections between them. But Yahoo Pipes is much harder to use than Popfly, and the way to go about building your own mashup isn't always obvious. But if you're willing to do some digging and learning, you can build very useful stuff, such as a mashup that uses Yahoo maps to show the locations of all apartments for rent in a certain neighborhood.

BuzzDash

If you were the type of child who continually asked, "But why?" BuzzDash should satisfy your endless curiosity.Are foreign movies better watched with subtitles or with dubbed dialog? Is it okay to cry at work? Who is the best center fielder of all time--Willy Mays, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Ty Cobb, or Ken Griffey, Jr.?

If these are the kinds of issues that keep you awake at night, we have a Web site for you. BuzzDash lets you participate in, comment on, and see the results of numerous quick opinion polls. The polls are organized by topic, such as movies, football, and politicians; and if you have a burning question you want answered, you can create your own survey.

Wayfaring

Wayfaring.com lets you create personalized maps, such as one that pinpoints shipwrecks in the Great Lakes.If you're obsessed with cartography, wander over to Wayfaring.com. Here you can easily create personalized maps for a walking tour of London, say, or a wine-tasting trip through Napa or a pub crawl through Seattle. The site provides the tools you'll need to build annotated maps--complete with descriptions, Web links, and photos of your favorite stops--and then post them for others to view and discuss. It's fun to check out the maps other users have created. One of my favorites: a map of shipwrecks in the Great Lakes, including links to Web sites that discuss each wreck.

CircleUp

CircleUp makes social planning easier by letting you organize your contacts into different communities.Anyone who has ever tried to organize an event--or to get a group of people to respond to a simple question like "Who can drive the kids to Little League this week?"--knows how tough it is to filter and organize the answers into coherent, usable form. That's where CircleUp comes in handy. Use this site to send an e-mail or instant message to a group of people; then wait for it to return a consolidated summary of responses to you. It's simple, it's free, and it will liberate you from the recurring feeling that you're herding cats whenever you try to coordinate an activity involving more than two people.

Organizers, Searchers and Optimizers

The Web has so much information that it's hard to keep track of everything. These sites will help you pull content together and move around the Internet more efficiently.

Pageflakes

Using Pageflakes, you can customize a Web site with just the news and information you want.The Web is just as chaotic as the world--but Pageflakes can organize both of them for you. This super-customizable version of a home page enables you to pick the news and information feeds you want to read, and to specify the "flakes," or applets, you want to include. Flakes let you add all sorts of cool stuff to your page--movie times, to-do lists, a notepad, e-mail, a horoscope--even sudoku or a personal blog. If you're looking for one-stop browsing, this is it.

Spock

Spock is a search engine dedicated to finding information about people.If you spend more time than you should googling folks, you need to check out Spock.com, a search engine designed to dig up information about people. Start by typing in a name, or a search term that describe a group of people--for example, Motown Singer, or Rastafarians. The site then searches through various social networking sites such as MySpace and Friendster, along with more-general Web sites, and reports on what it finds.

For many searches, you'll get multiple categories of links. For instance, type in Barack Obama, and you'll get groupings like 'Democrat', 'Senator', and '2008 Presidential Candidate'. Click any link, and you'll find pages related to both Obama and the larger category. There are also links to photographs, tags, Obama's Wikipedia entry

, his Senate site, and so on. Spock is currently in beta form (its public launch is scheduled for sometime before September), and at the moment you need an invitation to gain access to it, but with luck you can wangle one by filling out the form on the site.

Swivel

Swivel charts everything from crime statistics to American Idol contestant popularity.Data and graph fanatics, you have a home. Swivel, holds a mind-boggling array of charts and graphs--from a line graph illustrating the relationship between wine consumption and crime in the United States over the past 30 years to a pie chart showing the percentage breakdown of bird flu cases in 14 Asian countries. But the site's most outstanding feature is its ability to integrate different charts containing seemingly unrelated data. Want to compare the national murder rate to the cost of a first-class stamp, or to total hours of media use in U.S. households, over the same period of time? Now you can.

Clipmarks

Clip elements of your favorite Web pages, and save them to your Clipmarks profile.The Internet is the best research tool in existence. That's the good news--and the bad news. Though finding information online is easy, keeping track of it all can be tough. Most people end up copying and pasting information from Web sites, printing it out, or bookmarking pages--with no good way to keep it all organized or find what they want fast.

Clipmarks solves the problem neatly by installing a toolbar that hitches on to Internet Explorer or Firefox. As you surf the Web, use the Clipmarks toolbar to clip and save sections of a page--text, graphics, and even YouTube videos. Clipping something automatically archives it under your Clipmarks profile, though you can also save it directly to your blog or send it via e-mail. You can even share your clip collections, or look at archives that other users have assembled.

OpenDNS

One reason the W eb sometimes feels poky, even when you use broadband, is the Internet's Domain Name System. When you type a URL (such as www.pcworld.com) into your browser, DNS servers must translate that alphanumeric information into a numeric IP address (such as 70.42.185.10) that Web servers and your PC can understand. Typically your ISP's DNS servers handle the translation work.

But OpenDNS speeds up the translation (called "name resolution") by handling the process on its own high-speed DNS servers. The service includes other cool time-savers, as well, such as the ability to create keyboard shortcuts. For example, instead of typing www.pcworld.com each time, you might arrange to type in the letter p and jump immediately to your favorite online destination.

Real Estate, Bookmarks, and Blogs

With these services, you can find a house, browse the Web from a single location, and make sure that your online prose never gets lost.

Trulia

Trulia gives you an idea of how much you'll have to spend when shopping for a home in a certain 'hood.There are plenty of real-estate sites on the Web, but this one comes with a twist. By combining social networking with mapping and search technology, Trulia gives you a high-tech way to find the home of your dreams. Use the different sliders and checkboxes to focus your search (price, square footage, and the all-important number of bathrooms), and Trulia will display qualifying homes that are for sale in the specified area, overlaid on a map. The site includes useful, city-specific real estate guides containing additional data on average home sale prices, most popular neighborhoods, crime statistics, and the like.

The Trulia Voices section hooks you up with other people to discuss neighborhoods, housing issues, or real estate in general. Trulia is relatively new, so that section is as yet quite sparse. But if the site gains traction, Trulia Voices may prove to be the most useful tool of all.

Tip: To view some cool time-lapse maps showing how an area (such as Las Vegas) has developed over time, hop to Trulia Hindsight.

PopURLs

Forget site hopping. Head to PopURLs, and scan all your headlines in one place.If you're an information hound, you probably spend lots of time jumping from Digg to Del.icio.us to YouTube to Fark to Google News to anything-dot-com. With PopURLs, you no longer need to waste time hopping around the Internet. An aggregator of all things informative, PopURLs features massive lists of headlines, videos, blogs, and content from all of those sites, as well as plenty of others.

One nice bonus is that you can search some of the sites--Del.icio.us, Flickr, and Wikipedia, among others--straight from PopURLs. It's also easy to tweak the way PopURLs looks and works, too, including customizing the layout of the feeds so you can put the ones you view most regularly on top. The scrapbook is a particularly useful feature; just click the 'Add to Scrapbook' button next to any headline, and PopURLs will save it (and up to 19 other favorite items).

Goowy

Goowy lets you run different applications and widgets, all from the Web.For several years, observers have speculated that the Internet will become, in essence, a vast operating system, with applications built on top of it. To a great extent, that's the premise underlying Goowy. Create an account, and you can start building your own desktop, with applications for e-mail, contacts, instant messaging, file management, and more. You can also add prebuilt widgets, called "minis," to your desktop, for news, stocks, weather, and other tidbits of information.

Don't expect the site to replace your desktop at this point: Goowy lacks full-blown applications and doesn't access your hard drive. Still, it's a glimpse into what may be the future of the Internet.

BlogBackupOnline

If you have a blog and you aren't sure that your blog provider will always have a backup in case of a crash, head over to BlogBackupOnline pronto. The site is straightforward: Log in, enter information about your blog, and the site diligently backs it up every day (provided that you use one of the 11 supported blogging services--Blogger, Friendster, LiveJournal, Movable Type, Multiply, Serendipity, Terapad, TypePad, Vox, Windows Live Space, or WordPress). The site is also a great tool if you ever decide to move your blog from one platform to another. After you've backed up your blog, BlogBackupOnline can bring all of your old entries into the new service.

Ma.gnolia

Ma.gnolia is an online keeper of bookmarks, with plenty of community aspects to boot.If you're a fan of the social bookmarking site Del.i.cio.us but wish that it were a little more social--and a little less geeky--check out Ma.gnolia. As with Del.icio.us, you can save and share bookmarks and tags. But Ma.gnolia presents a far more appealing design, and it has a few nice extra talents, such as the ability to let you save snapshots of your favorite pages.

Ma.gnolia excels on the social networking front. You can join groups, share bookmarks, and browse groups and discussions for more bookmarks on topics that fascinate you. If you're strictly interested in bookmarking and tagging, Del.i.cio.us remains the best place to go. But if you want to share your findings with others, Ma.gnolia is worth a taste.

Five Ways to Create and Share

These services help you put your thoughts together and publish them on the Web, whether you're most comfortable talking, shooting video, or just typing.

Yodio

With Yodio, you can create an audio postcard that makes your picture worth a thousand words.Of course your friends and family want to see all of your pictures from your Venetian vacation--but wouldn't it be better if they could also hear your voice, telling you cool details about what they're looking at, or narrating a story regarding some gondola hijinks?

Yodio lets you combine photos with sound files to create an audio postcard. To make a recording, call a special Yodio phone number and start talking (or you can record your own MP3 file and upload it). Once you've transferred photos to the site, you can add sound and publish your postcard on the Web for others to admire. The site also has a scheme for making money from your productions, though we wouldn't bet the farm on it.

Meebo Rooms

Goal, or no goal? With Meebo's multimedia chat rooms, you can discuss videos and pictures with other fans.You may have heard about Meebo, the Web-based instant messaging program that lets you communicate with people over various IM services, such as AOL Instant Messenger and Yahoo. (See our review of Meebo.)

Well equally cool is Meebo's newest launch, Meebo Rooms, which lets you participate in multimedia chats. You'll find chat rooms on everything from sports to SpongeBob Squarepants, and the rooms support videos and photos that you can discuss with fellow fans. If you can't find a topic you're interested in, simply create a new room and post visuals for others to discuss. You can even embed rooms into your site or blog, and use them to lure people to your own Web destination.

Squidoo

Squidoo makes it easy to create (or look for) Web pages that reflect your passions.Got an obsession or special passion you want to convey to the world? Squidoo is your ticket. Using the site's simple tools, you can build a "lens" (aka, a Web page) that includes information on any topic that's close to your heart, whether it's cats or Kafka.

A lens can be quite different from a blog. With lenses, you share links to resources, book recommendations, YouTube videos, Flickr photos, eBay auction items, and other cool Web content related to a single subject. Even if you don't build your own lens, the site is worth visiting to see what others have done. You can learn a lot more about lemonade or laptop bags than you ever thought possible.

SplashCast

Build your own streaming media channel using the tools on SplashCast.For anyone who has ever dreamed of becoming a broadcast mogul, here's a quick (and free) way to get a taste of what it might be like. SplashCast lets you create your own streaming media channel that combines video, music, photos, text, narration, and RSS feeds. A wizard walks you through the steps of building your channel. Start by uploading media files from your hard drive, or point to files on other sites. Add captions, commentary, and RSS feeds, and your channel is ready to go. Once you're done finessing your channel, you can send it to friends and family, or syndicate it to blogs and social networking sites. So far, there's no way for you to make money from your channels, but the site plans to start a revenue-sharing model.

Eyespot

With Eyespot, it's a cinch to create a video mix and share it with others.To create a video all you have to do is point your cell phone, digital camera, or camcorder at something, press a button, and stay focused. The result: an instant movie. What's not so easy, though, is organizing, editing, and combining your video clips to create something aesthetically pleasing. Eyespot simplifies this process. Upload your videos to the site, and then use its tools to crop and mix them either with other clips you supply or with free video from the site. You can even add effects, transitions, and titles before publishing your video mix for the world to see.

Sites for Collaborative Work and Play

Whether you're putting together an important document or an anniversary party, these services will help get everybody involved. Also, check out a snazzy online photo editor and a new way to search.

Approver.com

Approver.com lets you keep tabs on a document while passing it around to different recipients--and track its progress.Anyone who has collaborated with multiple people on a document knows the true meaning of frustration. You have to distribute the file to the entire group, convince every person to review it by a certain date and time, and get them all to sign off on it. Approver.com lowers the pain quotient considerably. Upload the document you want to track, and the site routes it to everyone who needs to see it. It also lets you set deadlines for reviewing the document, and keep track of approvals and comments. Approver.com works with a number of apps, including Microsoft Office, Adobe PDF, and Open Office; alternatively, you can use the site to create documents, and have your colleagues read them online.

Pbwiki

Create a community of opera lovers (or anything else) by building your own wiki.Though the whole world seems to know about Wikipedia these days, many people and organizations don't realize how useful it can be to build their own wiki. In business settings, it's an ideal way to share information within a group. For individuals, it's perfect for planning a get-together, organizing a fan club, or sharing memories with family members. Pbwiki makes creating miniature versions of Wikipedia a breeze. The site's simple, Web-based tools are perfect for building a wiki--you don't need to have any HTML know-how--and getting others in on the editing action.

MyPunchbowl

MyPunchbowl handles online invitations, sets up message boards, and maps your party with Google Maps.Planning a party, but unsure of what date works best for your friends? MyPunchbowl is basically Evite with a little extra kick. Like any self-respecting online invitation site, MyPunchbowl lets you create party invitations and then track who's coming, who's not, and who has yet to respond. But the site also enables you to send pick-a-date e-mail messages to see which day works best for people, set up message boards (useful for organizing things like who's bringing the vino), and produce a map of the shindig's location using Google Maps. You can also create an after-party message board where people can share comments, photos, and videos--if, um, appropriate.

Picnik

From sepia to soften, Picnik's photo editor lets you apply any number of effects. Now all we need is an old gum tree.You probably have hundreds or thousands of digital photos on your PC. And a lot of those photos would probably benefit from a little tweaking. But that doesn't mean that you have to download and install photo editing software. Picnik supplies a nice suite of tools for editing photos online. All you have to do is upload your photos, or have Picnik grab them from a site like Flickr (which doesn't have editing features), and then get to work. Picnik offers tools aplenty for performing simple editing--cleaning up red-eye or resizing photos, say--as well as doing more-extensive work, such as changing the exposure, fixing a color cast, or applying special effects.

Quintura

With Quintura, search and you shall find a standard results list, along with a visual diagram of related terms.Quintura provides a new way for you to search for things on the Internet. When you enter a search term, Quintura returns an ordinary list of results on the right-hand side, while on the left it offers a visual map (or "cloud") of related terms. Click any of these words, and the list of results changes to encompass the new term as well, which can help you narrow your search. The process may sound clunky, but it's surprisingly effective.

Alphabetical Listing

Keep an eye on these sites--you may be looking at Google 2.0. Here they are listed in alphabetical order.

Approver.com BlogBackupOnline BuzzDash CircleUp Clipmarks Eyespot Goowy Ma.gnolia Meebo Rooms MyPunchbowl OpenDNS Pageflakes Pbwiki Picnik Popfly PopURLs Quintura SplashCast Spock Squidoo Swivel Trulia Wayfaring Yahoo Pipes Yodio

Resurrecting an Old PC with Linux

2007-06-13T07:49:00.000-07:00

By Scott Nesbitt - Sunday, June 10, 2007 at Geeks.com

Not only is Linux a viable replacement for Windows on desktop and laptop computers, it's widely touted as being able to breath some life back into old computers. Why even bother? Aside from the potential environmental impact of disposing of an old PC, simply because hardware is out of date doesn't mean it's useless. You can use older computers as file or media servers, stripped-down workstations, or even as low-cost computers in cash-strapped schools. The Linux Caffe, an Internet cafe in Toronto, even uses old ThinkPads running Linux as terminals.

Not all Linux distributions are suitable for an older PC, however – many current ones eat up a considerable amount of memory, processor power, and hard drive space. Luckily, there are a number of small and light, but fully-featured Linux distributions that can be used to resurrect an old PC.

The Top Contenders

While there are a number of Linux distributions (“distros”) that are great for use with older hardware, I've found that three particular distros are really well suited for this task: Puppy Linux, Damn Small Linux, DeLi Linux, and Xubuntu.

Puppy Linux

One of the first lightweight Linux distributions that I tried was Puppy Linux. While it doesn't require much in the way of system resources -- 50 to 90 MB of hard drive space and less than 256 MB of memory -- Puppy Linux gives you a simple but solid graphical environment and a number of useful applications and utilities.

For example, Puppy comes with the AbiWord word processor and the Gnumeric spreadsheet, and the Mozilla-based Seamonkey Web browser. There is also software for editing Web pages, playing audio and video files, working with graphics, and more. And Puppy Linux is fast. In fact, it's easily one of the fastest Linux distributions that I've worked with.

Damn Small Linux

As this distribution's name implies, it's small and fast. Damn Small Linux (DSL for short) only takes up 50 MB of hard drive space and needs a mere 128 MB of memory. You can even run it off of a USB key.

DSL packs a lot into a small space, though. It has a simple but complete graphical environment (either the Fluxbox or JWM window managers) with dozens of applications, including a word processor and text editors, Web and Internet software, and applications for playing multimedia files. You can even use DSL as a Web server. That's a lot of flexibility in such a small package. While the GUI and applications aren't the prettiest or the most powerful, they do get the job done.

DeLi Linux

Have an even older computer, say a 486 or an early Pentium? Then you might want to check out DeLi Linux. Short for Desktop Light Linux, DeLi Linux is a distribution that is truly light. A full installation takes up less than 250 MB of hard drive space, and can run on as little as 16 MB of memory. I can't think of any other lightweight Linux distro that can do that!

But you're not stuck at the command line, unless you want to be. DeLi Linux runs a complete graphical environment. It's not the prettiest, but it doesn't look too bad. On top of that, it uses a number of smaller, less resource intensive applications. Like what? Instead of the OpenOffice.org productivity suite, DeLi Linux runs Siag Office and AbiWord. The preferred Web browser is Dillo, although Firefox is available if you have a faster machine or more memory. All in all, there's little fat in this distribution.

Xubuntu

Ubuntu is widely considered to be one of the most user-friendly desktop Linux distributions around. It's easy to use and very flexible. But, it also requires a considerable amount of horsepower in order to run. Most of that is involved in running Ubuntu's window managers -- GNOME and KDE. However, Xubuntu brings the ease of use, flexibility, and power of Ubuntu to older computers.

Like Puppy Linux, Xubuntu comes with a number of smaller and lighter applications like AbiWord and Gnumeric instead of OpenOffice.org. There are also tools for using the Web, various utilities, and more. Using the built-in package manager, you can quickly install a number of other applications. All that you need to run it is under 200 MB of memory and just over 1.5 GB of hard drive space. One aspect of Xubuntu that makes it suitable for older PCs is its window manager, Xfce. Xfce is a simple, attractive, but fully featured window manager. On top of that, Xubuntu (like its other Ubuntu siblings) lets you take advantage of Synaptic, the Ubuntu package manager. Synaptic makes installing software a breeze.

A Real World Test

Recently, I decided to test whether or not a lighter Linux distribution could actually bring an older computer to life. And I had just the PC. Last year, my mother gave me an old Pentium 333 with 265 MB of memory and a four megabyte cheap hard drive. That computer was running Windows 98, but it had been pummeled by adware and spyware. The computer took several minutes to boot up, and applications loaded slowly. All in all, this was the perfect computer for my test.

I chose Xubuntu for the test, for a couple of reasons. First, I had standardized my two cheap laptops on Ubuntu -- it was familiar, and I'm really impressed with Ubuntu's package management tools. Second, the specifications of my old PC fit well with the requirements for Xubuntu. I downloaded the ISO image for Xubuntu and burned it to a CD (see this TechTip for more information on burning ISO images).

Then, I popped the CD into my old PC and booted up the computer. After a minute or two, the installation process started. It's fully graphical, so I was able to do everything point and click. The installation encountered only one glitch. I ran off to answer the phone, and when I came back there was a message on the screen that said Xubuntu couldn't create a file system. When I saw this message, I got a bit worried thinking that the hard drive was damaged. What had happened was that I had told the installer to create a new FAT 16 file system (the one used by Windows 98). Obviously, Xubuntu didn't like that. So, I backed up a couple of screens in the installation and told the installer to use the more Linux-friendly ext2 file system. After that, the installation went smoothly.

Since I was installing on an older, slower computer, the process took about 25 minutes. Slow, but not glacially slow. Relative to a fresh Windows install, 25 minutes is actually pretty speedy. Once the installation was completed, I had a working desktop that actually performs quite well even on the older hardware.

If you're wondering, the computer sits on my home network. It's in constant use as both a publishing server -- compiling documents typeset using LaTeX and DocBook -- and as a file and PDF print server. Sometimes, my daughter uses that computer to practice her typing and mouse skills (she's autistic and this helps her fine motor skills) or to play the educational games that I installed on the system.

In the end, resurrecting that old computer only cost me a little bandwidth for the download, a blank CD, and the time needed to burn Xubuntu to the CD and install it. Regardless of the Linux distribution that you choose, you can probably get the same results. Instead of spending several hundred dollars on a new computer, you can turn an older PC into a powerful workstation for practically no cost.

Apple: Safari available to Windows users

2007-06-13T07:35:00.000-07:00

SAN FRANCISCO, California (AP) -- Apple Inc. launched a version of its Safari Web browser for Windows-based PCs on Monday, pitting it against Microsoft Corp.'s dominant Internet Explorer and Mozilla's Firefox.

"What we've got here is the most innovative browser in the world and the most powerful browser in the world," Apple CEO Steve Jobs said during his keynote speech at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference.

Safari, which was released a few years ago for Apple's Macintosh computers, has captured about 5 percent of the world's browser market share with more than 18 million users, Jobs said.

Internet Explorer, which is built into Windows, has a 78 percent share, while Firefox has rapidly climbed to gain about 15 percent of the market, he said. Like the other Web browsers, Safari is available at no charge.

Jobs claimed Safari performs twice as fast as its competitors.

Never one to disappoint his audience, the iconic chief executive -- in his final highlight of his 1 ½-hour speech -- said Apple's upcoming iPhone will run Safari. (Full story)

That means, Jobs said, that any application designed to run on the Safari browser for Macs also would be fully compatible with the iPhone -- Apple's highly anticipated combination cell phone, iPod and wireless Web browser. The iPhone will be available in the U.S. on June 29.

The move to make Safari available to non-Mac users is not unprecedented: Apple also makes its iPod media players and iTunes Store for Windows. The strategy is aimed in part at drawing more people to its Macintosh computers.

It appears to be paying off. Mac sales have grown significantly over the past two years, pushing its slice of the PC market in the United States from 3.5 percent in 2004 to 4.9 percent in 2006, according to IDC, a market research company.

"Safari is another Trojan horse that introduces an innovation of Apple to the Windows community and entices them to the Mac platform," said Tim Bajarin, an industry analyst at Creative Strategies, a technology consultancy.

15 Great Free Utilities You've Never Heard Of

2007-04-26T15:40:00.000-07:00

By Preston Gralla, PC World

You don't need to spend a bundle, or even a penny, for great software. These little-known tools do everything from protecting your PC to managing your media.

Looking at the price of software today is enough to send you into sticker shock. Sometimes it feels as if you need to mortgage your house if you want to get a full suite of tools.

Luckily, that's not the case. There are plenty of very good free programs that do everything from protecting you against spyware, to giving you a comprehensive look inside your PC, and cleaning your Registry, to managing your media, and plenty more.

We've scoured the Web and come up with 15 of our favorite free utilities that most people have never heard of. We've focused on three popular categories: security software, system tools, and graphics and multimedia. But we've also thrown in some personal favorites that defy categorization.

101 Fantastic Freebies

2007-04-14T16:26:00.000-07:00

Includes -

Windows XP Tweaks

Windows Vista Tweaks

Security Software

Registry Cleaner

Hardware Utility

E-Mail for Free

File Sharing

Instant Messaging, Voice, and Video

Personal Web

Etc.

This looks like a helpful site to go back to time and again!

Microsoft confirms Vista OEM hack

2007-04-12T14:27:00.000-07:00

In response to widespread chatter on blogs and forums, Microsoft has acknowledged the presence of hacks that may allow pirates to bypass the product activation security feature in its Windows Vista operating system.

According to a post by Microsoft Senior Product Manager Alex Kochis on the Windows Genuine Advantage developers' blog, Microsoft has identified two ways in which hackers have broken the product activation security feature on original equipment manufacturer PCs that come bundled with Vista. But the Redmond, Wash.-based tech giant does not yet have plans to snuff out this threat.

It's not a revolution, but Windows Vista grows on you

2007-01-30T08:28:00.000-08:00

By DWIGHT SILVERMAN
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

More than five years ago, Microsoft embarked on an ambitious plan to overhaul Windows.

Fresh from the release of Windows XP, the company decided that the next version needed a rewrite.

But the company soon realized it had bitten off more than it could chew. In August 2004, it jettisoned many of its ambitions. That caused major delays and rumors that Vista had the makings of a debacle on the scale of Windows ME.

But starting today, consumers can buy the end result — Windows Vista. Given the negative buzz and the often-agonizing time most folks have with major Windows upgrades, we're not likely to see stampedes to buy it. Most users' first encounters with Windows Vista are likely to be on new PCs they buy.

I've been using Vista for months now. My feelings have evolved from "Oh, this is not good" to "Hey, this is not bad" to, finally, "I'd rather be using this than Windows XP."

If it sounds like I'm damning with faint praise, well, it's not quite that simple. This is an excellent release of Windows. Is it worth going through the pain normally associated with any major OS upgrade for most users? If you're quite content with Windows XP and don't feel constrained by it, I'd say no.

Would you be pleased with the results if you did go through the process? I think so. Vista grows on you.

It's not the major leap in computing that Windows 95 was over Windows 3.1, or even Windows XP was over Windows 98/ME. It contains evolutionary, but welcome, changes. The more you use it, the more you discover.

There are three Vista editions aimed at consumers: Home Basic, which is roughly equivalent to Windows XP Home Edition; Home Premium, which equates to Windows XP Media Center Edition; and Ultimate, which contains all the features found in both the consumer and business editions. Which edition you buy depends largely on your PC's hardware.

For example, Home Basic is designed for lower-end PCs that lack graphics cards capable of displaying Vista's new Aero Glass interface, which includes transparent window borders and other 3-D features.

There are two sets of system requirements — one for running Home Basic and the other for running the other two consumer editions.

I'd suggest ignoring the requirements for Home Basic. They call for an 800-megahertz processor and 512 megabytes of memory. Those don't even meet my minimum recommendations (www.chron.com/pcspecs) for Windows XP systems.

The requirements for Home Premium and Ultimate are more in line with modern PCs — a 1-GHz processor, a gigabyte of memory, a modern graphics adapter that has at least 128 megabytes of video memory and a 40-GB hard drive.

Here are the major new features in Vista, and an assessment of how much each feature compels upgrading:

• Aero Glass. Yes, Vista is pretty, and if you're serious about the aesthetics of your PC's desktop, it's a major attraction. But there's a practical aspect as well. Aero uses 3-D graphics tricks on the desktop that gamers have enjoyed for years. Technologies used to slay monsters and race cars through the fog now make your desktop more pleasant to use.

Aero also makes it easier to navigate.

If you have a lot of windows open at once, being able to see through window borders makes it easier to find a specific window.

Holding your cursor over an item in the taskbar brings up a thumbnail of what's in that window. And the Flip 3-D feature, in which windows seem to march across your desktop, is cool and useful.

• Improved security. This may be the biggest reason to upgrade to Vista. I detailed the security improvements in my Christmas Day column (www.chron.com/vistasecurity). Vista's layers of security do provide barriers against viruses and spyware, but they still require users to not click blindly past warnings and alerts. Those determined to put something stupid and/or dangerous on their PCs are going to be able to do it.

Microsoft says there are under-the-hood reworkings of Vista's components — ways in which programs are handled in memory, for example — that should also help.

This, along with excellent parental controls — which can limit everything from the kind of games kids can play to when they can actually use the computer — may be among the most practical reasons to upgrade to Vista.

• Faster, better search. Anyone who has used Windows XP's slow file search feature knows how irritating it can be. Search technology has improved dramatically since XP was introduced, and Vista reflects that. Search is a part of every folder and dialog box, and is even built into the Start menu. In fact, you'll quickly find that typing the name of a program into the Start menu search box will launch the program faster than hunting through the Program groups.

And you can save searches as folders, which means you no longer have to worry about where exactly you're storing something. You can create a search-based folder for all documents that contain, say, a specific name, and everything with that name — documents, pictures, audio, video — will show up there. You can also tag files with keywords, ensuring they show up in the proper folder.

• Networking. Vista has improved the security features for connecting to wireless networks. When you jack in to a new one, it asks you whether it's at home, work or in a public place, and changes the security settings accordingly.
• Better performance. One of my favorite features in Vista is ReadyBoost, which uses flash drives and the type of memory cards used in digital cameras to speed up the system.
Vista copies parts of its virtual memory system — RAM that's simulated on the hard drive — and moves it into a flash drive or memory card that meets certain specifications. This can noticeably speed up your system, and given how inexpensive this kind of memory is, it can be a low-cost way to get a significant performance boost. You can see more details at my blog at www.chron.com/readyboost.

There's a lot more, and I've been detailing various features in my blog at www.chron.com/techblogvista.

Yes, there are minor bugs and issues, as you'd expect with any new OS.

I found Vista's sleep and hibernation features don't work as well as they did in XP, for example, particularly on older machines. And many hardware makers have not yet updated drivers for Vista, while some older peripherals may never have drivers written for them.

This is one Windows release that, while impressive, isn't a must-have for most users.

Pave the way for your PC to handle Vista

2007-01-28T16:46:00.000-08:00

Giving your system an upgrade is no small task

By DWIGHT SILVERMAN
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

Has it really been more than five years since the release of a major Microsoft operating system? It seems like only yesterday the software giant was touting Windows XP as the be-all and end-all for your PC.

Windows Vista, the next generation of the Windows platform, has been available to businesses since Nov. 30 and will finally be sold to consumers starting Tuesday. It is not expected to be a major event, similar to the releases of Windows 95 more than 11 years ago, or even that of Windows XP in 2001.

That's because Vista is an evolutionary upgrade to Windows, whereas 95 and XP were major leaps. Even Microsoft's hype machine is toned down a notch as a result.

Nevertheless, buying Vista and installing it on an existing PC will be a major leap for home users, because upgrading an operating system is never a trivial endeavor. The smartest move may be to wait and buy it on a new PC, but some folks must have the latest and greatest.

What to do now

In my column on Tuesday, I'll review Vista and help you decide whether to buy a copy for upgrading. But if you're considering it, there are steps you can and should take now to get your system ready.

Vista's installation routine is much improved over that of previous Windows versions, but you're still ripping out the software plumbing on your machine and replacing it with something completely different.

Pick between two ways

You should be prepared.

As with previous versions of Windows, Vista can be installed in one of two ways.

An "in-place upgrade" installs on top of an existing Windows XP or 2000 installation, leaving your files and programs intact (if all goes well).

A "clean install" essentially wipes the hard drive and lays down a pristine copy, after which you'll need to reinstall your applications and copy your data back to the drive.

In addition, each of the three editions aimed at consumers — Home Basic, Home Premium and Ultimate — comes in either upgrade or full versions. The upgrade costs less, but you're limited to launching the installer from within a working version of Windows XP or 2000. The full upgrade costs more, but lets you boot directly from the install disc and gives you more detailed options for installation.

Your preparation strategy will vary depending on which course you take.

Clear the decks

Whether you're planning an upgrade or a clean installation, you'll want to clear as much drive space as possible. Windows Vista comes on a DVD, not a CD, and that should tell you that it needs more room than an installation of Windows XP. Vista requires at least a 20-gigabyte hard drive, with at least 15 gigabytes free.

But if you choose a clean install using an upgrade version of the operating system, Vista will still leave your old XP or 2000 setup on the hard drive, squirreled away in a folder called WINDOWS.OLD.

This is convenient — it lets you get to any files you may have forgotten to back up, although you can't run any programs from there — but it also takes up disc space.

Begin by doing a survey of the programs on your hard drive.

Click on Start, Programs and look for software you don't use. If you find uninstallers in the folders there for those programs, run them. If not, go to the Add/Remove Programs module in the Windows Control Panel and remove them from there.

Clean your system

Make sure your PC is free of viruses, spyware and other malicious programs. Run a full scan of your computer with both antivirus and antispyware programs. See www.chron.com/spyware for tips, strategies and access to software.

You'll particularly want to do this if you are planning to upgrade an existing Windows XP installation, rather than doing a clean install. However, because spyware and viruses can hide in parts of your drive that may be unaffected by the upgrade, it's a good idea to run a full scan even if you're planning a clean install.

Do your due diligence

Microsoft has a free program called the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor that scans your computer's hardware and software and issues a detailed report about what it finds. It will tell you which editions of Vista are supported by your system, and flag you on programs that may cause problems and hardware for which Vista lacks built-in drivers.

You can get this program at www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getready/upgradeadvisor/default.mspx, and I strongly urge anyone even thinking about upgrading to Vista to download and run it, and take its recommendations to heart. It can save you time and possibly much pain.

You can also get information about Vista compatibility issues, thanks to a group of volunteers who are maintaining a Wiki devoted to it. You'll get a list of all kinds of programs and their compatibility status at www.iexbeta.com/wiki/index.php/Windows_Vista_Software_Compatibility_List

Back up what's important

There are several ways to install Windows Vista on a PC. But regardless of whether you install Vista on top of an existing Windows XP setup or choose an option that gives you a fresh installation, you'll want to save your important files — documents, music, video, photos, saved games and so on — off your computer.

There are different ways to do this.

• Keep it simple. The simplest method is to copy your important files onto a writeable CD or DVD. You could also copy them into a holding folder on the hard drive of another computer on a home network. DVDs have a higher capacity than CDs, so use those if your computer has a DVD burner.
You can also copy your files to USB flash drives or the kind of memory cards that are used in cameras and MP3 players. If you have a lot of files — particularly video and music — you may need several.

• Built-in backup. Windows XP Professional and Media Center editions come with a basic backup program, which can be found by clicking on Start, then Programs, Accessories, System Tools. (Home Edition users will have to install it from the VALUEADD folder on their Windows XP system CD.)
The program uses an Explorer view to let you pick and choose folders and files to backup. You can't burn the backup files directly to a CD or DVD, but you can save the backups on your hard drive, then copy them. If you have a lot of files, you may want to make several small backup files.

But be warned: The backup files XP's program creates aren't compatible with Windows Vista's own built-in backup. You won't be able to use it to restore them.

Fortunately, Microsoft has developed a utility for Vista that can restore backups made on XP. You can download it at www.chron.com/ntbackup.

• Buy a third-party backup program: Use that to create your backups. You might want to consider NTI Backup or NovaStor. The latest versions of both of those programs should work on Windows Vista when you're ready to restore your files.
• Poor-man's backup: WinZip, the classic Windows-based file-compression program, available at www.winzip.com.

Gather your drivers

Before you install Vista, visit the support areas for the Web sites of makers of your computer's key components — the video and sound cards, the mouse and keyboard, the printer and other peripherals. Look for Vista drivers and download them, burning them to a CD or DVD or saving to a flash drive.

Many hardware makers already have Vista drivers available, but Vista also comes with a remarkable number of drivers built-in.

The previously mentioned Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor will flag you on drivers you need to acquire.

You should also check the support areas for the developers of your favorite software programs as well. Some may have patches designed to make their titles more compatible with Vista.

Upgrade your hardware

If you plan to add memory or a beefier video card to better handle Vista, do that before you upgrade.

You don't need the headaches of adding new hardware at the same time you're learning the vagaries of a new operating system.

And even with new hardware, get the latest drivers. Don't presume that the latest ones are on the disc that comes with your new toy. They probably aren't.

Choose your installation

Once these steps are complete, you can begin installing Vista.

You'll need to decide whether to do a clean or upgrade installation.

If possible, the former is preferred. With an upgrade installation, you may end up importing problems from your old system into your new one. A clean install is like getting a second chance with your PC, although you will have to reinstall your applications.

Upgrade installations also take much longer in Vista. A clean Vista takes 20 to 30 minutes on average, but an upgrade can take several hours. Help Line columnist Jay Lee recently did an upgrade installation of Vista on a relatively new HP Pavilion system. Time to complete: two hours, 45 minutes.

To do an upgrade install, just pop your Vista DVD while Windows is running, and if you have autostart turned on, the Vista installation windows should appear. If not, go into My Computer, open your CD/DVD drive and click on Setup.exe.

The installer will walk you through the steps, and at one point you'll be asked whether you want to do a clean or upgrade install.

Make your decision, and your adventure begins!

Worried about Wi-Fi security?

2007-01-15T13:34:00.000-08:00

Even for IT professional Matthew Ingrassia, keeping a home Wi-Fi network safe from outside threats is close to a full-time undertaking.

The technical coordinator for Washington, D.C.-based law firm Thompson Coburn harbors apprehensions that someone may be able to infiltrate the wireless network he set up in his Maryland home, despite all the training he brought to it. And he's pretty sure there are a lot of less-experienced people out there with no clue just how vulnerable their wireless systems may be.

"Running a home network with no security is akin to unlocking your door and hanging a sign on your house inviting thieves inside to steal," Ingrassia said. "It's easy to see how for someone with no real training, figuring out how to protect yourself might seem nearly impossible."

As Wi-Fi networks become popular in American homes, more people are exposed to dangers such as spyware, and the need to secure systems against those threats becomes more urgent. But for many ordinary owners, the complexity of dealing with a wireless network is leading them to put security on the back burner. If technology providers can't come up with products that will change that attitude, then the problem can only get worse.

People often struggle with installing their networks, causing them to think twice about putting in additional security measures or starting again from scratch to close potential vulnerabilities, experts said.

On top of this, the incompatibility between networking products from different sources, changing industry security standards and the growing number of devices people want to link to their wireless systems also daunt less-tech-savvy owners.

Networking industry executives say that as a result, getting consumers to use the security capabilities already built in to their wireless products is a struggle.

"Ease of use is a big problem. You can have the best encryption out there, but if someone can't set it up easily, it won't ever be used," said Mani Dhillon, the senior manager of product marketing at networking gear maker Linksys. "We've tried to make security an integral part of the (networking) setup process, but beyond that it's difficult to force people to use it. There's only so much that hardware manufacturers can do."

Plenty to lose
Studies suggest that an overwhelming majority of America's home wireless networks lack sufficient protection from outside intruders. According to figures from Gartner, some 80 percent of U.S. residential wireless local area networks, or WLANs, will classify as "unsecured" by 2007. The Stamford, Conn.-based research company contends that 70 percent of successful attacks on home wireless systems through 2006 will be the direct result of improperly configured WLAN access points and mismanaged client software.

And at a recent focus group session held in San Francisco, Tom Powledge, director of product management at security software maker Symantec, was amazed when four out of five people at the event admitted their wireless networks were not protected by any technology safeguard.

For some of those people, the idea of offering open Internet access via their home network was novel and nothing to worry about, Powledge said.

"Some people really don't care too much if people are logging on secretly, using their wireless connection. They feel they're providing free Internet to neighbors," Powledge said. "But what these people don't understand is that if someone else starts using your network to browse whatever they want on the Web, it's going to come back to your IP address."

That means people can surf unsavory content from your unique, traceable Internet location--and slow your Internet performance down at the same time.

Those whose wireless systems can be penetrated are exposed to other serious threats too, Powledge pointed out. For example, attackers could implant malicious programs, including spyware, adware and Trojan horse applications, directly onto a computer. That could open the door to more serious problems such as online fraud or even identity theft, he said.

In one instance, a Los Angeles man pleaded guilty in September to distributing pornography spam e-mails, sent out using other people's Wi-Fi connections, which he accessed from inside his car. And in 2003, a man in Toronto was arrested for downloading child pornography using other people's unsecured wireless networks.

The practice of cruising around town to look for unguarded wireless networks has become so popular that the phenomenon has even

acquired its own name, "wardriving." And some industry experts point out that the day of sitting outside someone's house to steal their bandwidth is being outdated by signal-boosting technology that lets individuals get onto a network that's miles away.

"A signal enhancer available at your local RadioShack can give someone access from as far as 50 miles away," said Drew Carter, product manager for strategic opportunities at security software maker McAfee. "It's not just your neighbors that you need to worry about anymore."

In fact, extending the range of wireless technologies is a popular pastime of hobbyists and researchers. The 300-foot range of most wireless networking technology for the home is set more by government and manufacturer decree than by limits to the technology. The University of California at San Diego's High-Performance Wireless Research and Education Network (HPWREN) has extended Wi-Fi to 72 miles using power amplification and improved antennas. And hackers at the Defcon conference created a wireless sniper rifle that could target Bluetooth phones a half mile away, extending that technology's range almost 100-fold.

Help on the way
Because of the growing threat, everyone from third-party software vendors to networking-gear makers is developing technologies to try to help consumers cover their backs.

Security software maker McAfee is developing a free diagnostic tool that lets people survey their computer using a Web interface to determine the security of the network the machine is registered on. Dubbed McAfee Wi-Fi Scan, the application is already undergoing beta testing and is set for release in mid-February.

"Even if you can successfully deploy the security tools that come with wireless hardware, I think a lot of users get a false sense of protection from it," Carter said. "People think a simple firewall secures all their communications, while the reality is that though your connection in and out of that device is partially secured by the firewall, the actual connection between that device and your computer...may not be secured at all."

Hardware manufacturers are taking a different route. Earlier this month at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Linksys, a division of networking giant Cisco Systems, said it was launching a joint effort with chipmaker Broadcom and IT behemoth Hewlett-Packard to create a push-button security system for home wireless products. The system, to be called SecureEasySetup, promises to provide coverage that meets the Wi-Fi Protected Access, or WPA, industry standard for security.

Jeff Abramowitz, senior director of wireless LAN marketing at Broadcom, said SecureEasySetup represents the kind of basic security system consumers can understand easily.

"The technology allows you to set up a very secure Wi-Fi network without having to know any of the technical ins and outs," Abramowitz said. "All you do is hit a button on your router or Wi-Fi access point and push a corresponding button on a PC or another device, and they find each other and establish a secure connection."

Linksys has agreed to start building SecureEasyStep into its networking products by the beginning of 2005. HP will add the tool to certain notebook and desktop PCs and to some of its networked printers. Abramowitz said a number of other well-known technology companies are also working with the application.

In one less-conventional approach, Force Field Wireless has begun marketing latex house paint it claims will block wireless radio waves from escaping through the walls of a home. Known as DefendAir, the paint is laced with bits of copper and aluminum that help form an electromagnetic shield around your house, Force Field said. The paint, which sells for $69 a gallon, is certified nontoxic and lead free, and comes only in one color--gray.

Those products promise a safer future. The problem right now is those people who remain oblivious to the existing vulnerabilities in their systems. Analysts point out that there are a number of ways to secure these, from making sure basic firewall technology in the wireless router is installed to buying as many components as possible from the same vendor. There are also more complicated measures home network owners can take, such as swapping out the default service set identifier, or SSID, number--a form of unique identification for each wireless local area network--for the devices and making sure security systems have been updated to meet all the latest wireless specifications.

Jonathan Penn, an analyst at Forrester Research, feels that in requiring so much attention to be made secure, wireless networks will remain something of a hassle for consumers until more effective, easy-to-use methods of self-defense are created. He argues that consumers should not have to face the challenge of dealing with technology defaults and keeping up with industry standards.

"If the gear manufacturers, Internet service providers and software makers seriously want people to come online, they can't make it so hard on their customers," Penn said. "People are being told that they need to worry about antivirus software, antispam tools, wireless security and all sorts of malicious threats online. At a certain point, unless things become easier to handle, some people might just say, 'Forget it.'"

Keep Your Secrets: A Safe, Easy Way to Encrypt Files

2007-01-02T21:27:00.000-08:00

How do I encrypt files, and which ones should I encrypt?

Conrad Layne, Plain City, Ohio

Any system that encrypts your entire hard drive is overkill for most PC users. I prefer encrypted safes, which are files that contain encrypted folders and files. To the outside world, a safe looks like a big file filled with gobbledygook. Open a safe with its password, and you reveal a virtual drive holding your sensitive data. When you're done and you close the safe, the data reverts to gobbledygook.

Safes are easy to use, transportable from one PC to another, and a breeze to back up. I recommend the free open-source safe program TrueCrypt, which supports AES-256, Blowfish, Triple DES, and other heavy-duty encryption algorithms. TrueCrypt hides your safe well--if you're in the belt-and-suspenders crowd, it can even place your safe inside another safe.

Remember: No encryption is secure with an easy-to-guess password. Safest is a string of 20 or more apparently random letters and numbers. But how do you remember such a password?

Make up an easy-to-remember but impossible-to-figure-out formula of family names, birthdays, and memorable words. For instance, use your kids' names spelled backward, with every third letter capitalized, followed by your birthday squared--be sure, though, not to use a formula that has been printed in PC World. Click here for more tips on crafting secure passwords.

Write the password or the formula on a business card and carry it in your wallet. It's unlikely that someone will steal your wallet and your PC, and even less likely that they'll figure the card out.

What files should you put in the safe? Any that you don't want crooks, competitors, coworkers, or even your own children to see. One top priority is financial information, especially if it involves credit card, bank, or Social Security numbers. Passwords to retail Web sites should also be stored in the safe. You might put some sensitive work-related files there as well (although your IS department likely has an encryption policy). Your résumé , family photos, private e-mail, and other files that you want to keep secure and confidential are candidates for the safe, too.

Customize Office Dialog Boxes
Can I change the shortcuts on the Places Bar in Microsoft Office File Open and Save dialog boxes?

Karen Brown, Loudon, Tennessee

The office places bar lets you put shortcuts to your favorite folders in the Open and Save dialog boxes in Office apps like Word and Excel. You'll find the Places Bar on the left side of File, Open and File, Save, as well as other dialog boxes.

To add a shortcut to the Places Bar in Office 2002 and 2003, open any Office dialog box with a Places Bar, and navigate to and select (but don't open) the folder to which you want fast access. Now click Tools, Add to "My Places"; your folder will appear at the bottom of the Places Bar. If it's not visible, right-click the bar and select Small Icons, or resize the dialog box by dragging its bottom edge.

Right-click any Places icon for options to relocate or remove it. Unfortunately, Office won't allow you to replace any of the default icons, but you can move them below your own preferences.

In Office 2007 (running on XP, not Vista), navigate to the folder you want to add to the Places Bar, right-click the bar, select Add, and then enter the folder's name. (To customize the Places Bar for non-Office applications, including the Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox browsers, click here.)

Print the Screen
What's the simplest way to print what's currently on the screen?

Bert Green, Lake Worth, Florida

Your keyboard's key copies the current image to the clipboard. Once there, you can paste it into Windows' own Paint utility or other image program. You can also paste it into Microsoft Word and other Office applications.

My favorite free screen-capture programs are Kubilus Consulting Service's MegaCap, and Gadwin's PrintScreen. MegaCap is so simple it hardly requires thought. PrintScreen is harder to use, but it has far more options. For instance, PrintScreen lets you capture the full screen or the current window, with or without the mouse cursor.

Check Out This Tool to Check Your Updates
Harold Pont of Clearfield, Utah, responded to my earlier tip on downloading and saving Windows updates by recommending another option: Microsoft's Baseline Security Analyzer. The free program scans your PC, says which security updates you lack, and then gives you the chance to download and save them--an easy way to see your update needs, fix them, and stow patches for later. One caveat: The app requires Microsoft's annoying and controversial Windows Genuine Advantage.

20 Things the average person doesn't know about XP

2006-10-18T11:23:00.000-07:00

1. It boasts how long it can stay up. Go to the Command Prompt in the Accessories menu from the All Programs start button option, and then type 'systeminfo'. The computer will produce a lot of useful info, including the uptime. If you want to keep these, type 'systeminfo > info.txt'. This creates a file called info.txt you can look at later with Notepad. (Professional Edition only).

2. You can delete files immediately, without having them move to the Recycle Bin first. Go to the Start menu, select Run... and type 'gpedit.msc'; then select User Configuration, Administrative Templates, Windows Components, Windows Explorer and find the Do not move deleted files to the Recycle Bin setting. Set it. Poking around in gpedit will reveal a great many interface and system options, but take care -- some may stop your computer behaving as you wish. (Professional Edition only).

3. You can lock your XP workstation with two clicks of the mouse. Create a new shortcut on your desktop using a right mouse click, and enter 'rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation' in the location field. Give the shortcut a name you like. That's it -- just double click on it and your computer will be locked. And if that's not easy enough, Windows key + L will do the same.

4. XP hides some system software you might want to remove, such as Windows Messenger, but you can make it show everything. Using Notepad or Edit, edit the text file /windows/inf/sysoc.inf, search for the word 'hide' and remove it. You can then go to the Add or Remove Programs in the Control Panel, select Add/Remove Windows Components and there will be the software and you can now uninstall it.

5. For those skilled in the art of DOS batch files, XP has a number of interesting new commands. These include 'eventcreate' and 'eventtriggers' for creating and watching system events, 'typeperf' for monitoring performance of various subsystems, and 'schtasks' for handling scheduled tasks. As usual, typing the command name followed by /? will give a list of options.

6. XP has IP version 6 support -- the next generation of IP. Unfortunately this is more than your ISP has, so you can only experiment with this on your LAN. Type 'ipv6 install' into Run... (it's OK, it won't ruin your existing network setup) and then 'ipv6 /?' at the command line to find out more. If you don't know what IPv6 is, don't worry.

7. You can at last get rid of tasks on the computer from the command line by using 'taskkill /pid' and the task number, or just 'tskill' and the process number. Find that out by typing 'tasklist', which will also tell you a lot about what's going on in your system.

8. XP will treat Zip files like folders, which is nice if you've got a fast machine. On slower machines, you can make XP leave zip files alone by typing 'regsvr32 /u zipfldr.dll' at the command line. If you change your mind later, you can change things back by typing 'regsvr32 zipfldr.dll'.

9. XP has ClearType -- Microsoft's anti-aliasing font display technology -- but doesn't have it enabled by default. It's well worth trying, especially if you were there for DOS and all those years of staring at a screen have given you the eyes of an astigmatic bat. To enable ClearType, right click on the desktop, select Properties, Appearance, Effects, select ClearType from the second drop-down menu and enable the selection. Expect best results on laptop displays. If you want to use ClearType on the Welcome login screen as well, set the registry entry HKEY_USERS/.DEFAULT/Control Panel/Desktop/FontSmoothingType to 2.

10. You can use Remote Assistance to help a friend who's using network address translation (NAT) on a home network, but not automatically. Get your pal to email you a Remote Assistance invitation and edit the file. Under the RCTICKET attribute will be a NAT IP address, like 192.168.1.10. Replace this with your friend's real IP address -- they can find this out by going to www.whatismyip.com -- and get them to make sure that they've got port 3389 open on their firewall and forwarded to the errant computer.

11. You can run a program as a different user without logging out and back in again. Right click the icon, select Run As... and enter the user name and password you want to use. This only applies for that run. The trick is particularly useful if you need to have administrative permissions to install a program, which many require. Note that you can have some fun by running programs multiple times on the same system as different users, but this can have unforeseen effects.

12. Windows XP can be very insistent about you checking for auto updates, registering a Passport, using Windows Messenger and so on. After a while, the nagging goes away, but if you feel you might go insane before that point, run Regedit, go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/Windows/Current Version/Explorer/Advanced and create a DWORD value called EnableBalloonTips with a value of 0.

13. You can start up without needing to enter a user name or password. Select Run... from the start menu and type 'control userpasswords2', which will open the user accounts application. On the Users tab, clear the box for Users Must Enter A User Name And Password To Use This Computer, and click on OK. An Automatically Log On dialog box will appear; enter the user name and password for the account you want to use.

14. Internet Explorer 6 will automatically delete temporary files, but only if you tell it to. Start the browser, select Tools / Internet Options... and Advanced, go down to the Security area and check the box to Empty Temporary Internet Files folder when browser is closed.

15. XP comes with a free Network Activity Light, just in case you can't see the LEDs twinkle on your network card. Right click on My Network Places on the desktop, then select Properties. Right click on the description for your LAN or dial-up connection, select Properties, then check the Show icon in notification area when connected box. You'll now see a tiny network icon on the right of your task bar that glimmers nicely during network traffic.

16. The Start Menu can be leisurely when it decides to appear, but you can speed things along by changing the registry entry HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Control Panel/Desktop/MenuShowDelay from the default 400 to something a little snappier. Like 0.

17. You can rename loads of files at once in Windows Explorer. Highlight a set of files in a window, then right click on one and rename it. All the other files will be renamed to that name, with individual numbers in brackets to distinguish them. Also, in a folder you can arrange icons in alphabetised groups by View, Arrange Icon By... Show In Groups.

18. Windows Media Player will display the cover art for albums as it plays the tracks -- if it found the picture on the Internet when you copied the tracks from the CD. If it didn't, or if you have lots of pre-WMP music files, you can put your own copy of the cover art in the same directory as the tracks. Just call it folder.jpg and Windows Media Player will pick it up and display it.

19. Windows key + Break brings up the System Properties dialogue box; Windows key + D brings up the desktop; Windows key + Tab moves through the taskbar buttons.

20. Windows XP secretly KNOWS that the average user has no idea what they are doing. Therefore, it doesn't let you do really stupid things like deleting the windows directory (at least not without spending several hours convincing it that you REALLY want to do this). Oh yeah, and internet explorer kinda sucks, get Firefox.

Internet Explorer 7 will come looking for you

2006-10-18T06:36:00.000-07:00

ATTENTION Windows XP users! Big changes are coming to your computer, and if you're not paying attention, the biggest one may come whether you want it or not.

Sometime in the next few days, Microsoft will make the latest version of its Web browser, Internet Explorer 7, available online. Then, next Tuesday, the company will post to the Web its newest music/video player, Windows Media Player 11.

You'll be able to download Internet Explorer 7 at www.microsoft.com/ie and Media Player at www.microsoft.com/mediaplayer. Test versions are already available at both sites.

But even if you don't grab IE7, it's going to come to you.

Although Microsoft has not yet announced the date, sometime in early November IE7 will be pushed out to Windows XP users with Service Pack 2 installed via Windows Update. It may come in the regular batch of fixes on the second Tuesday of the month — known affectionately among the geekerati as Patch Tuesday — or as early as Nov. 1.

That means one day you will sit down at your computer and be presented with a choice: should you install IE7, or not?

I strongly recommend you do. In fact, I'd say most users should download it before it's presented through Windows Update. I reviewed an IE7 preview release earlier this year (see www.chron.com/ie7preview) and have been using subsequent versions ever since, and I love it. Its redesigned interface — including a superior use of tabs over that of the rival Firefox browser — and beefed-up security features make it a must-have if you use Internet Explorer 6 as your primary browser.

The only reasons I can see for not installing IE7 is if you use Web-based software that doesn't work in it, or if you regularly visit a site whose features are broken by it. Both of those scenarios should be rare.

However, if you want to hold off, you'll be able to do so. When IE7 arrives, you'll be notified that Windows Update has a high-priority item it wants to install. When you approve, you'll be presented with a screen that indicates you're about to install an update to Internet Explorer. This is not simply a patch — don't say yes unless you're ready to use a radically redesigned version of Internet Explorer.

No second notification

If you do say yes, the process will begin. If you say no, you won't get another automatic notification. However, you can always manually download it if you change your mind.

For more details on how IE7 will be delivered through Windows Update, visit www.microsoft.com/technet/updatemanagement/
windowsupdate/ie7announcement.mspx. That site also contains information about how businesses can block IE7's automated deployment across corporate networks.

But those Windows XP users who do want IE7 should prepare for it. Being ready will help make the transition go smoother.

•If you have not yet done so, install Service Pack 2 for Windows XP. You can't use IE7 without it, and Microsoft's support for Service Pack 1 ended Oct. 10. That means the company is no longer issuing security-related fixes for those users who don't have SP2 installed. For that reason alone, even if you don't want IE7 right away, you should install SP2.
•Make sure your computer is virus- and spyware-free and running as smoothly as possible. Many operating system upgrades fail because of problems that were already present, so get your PC in shape before making this major change.
• Back up your critical data, including your IE Favorites. While IE7 itself shouldn't do anything that could cause data loss, see the item immediately above this one. If a virus or spyware causes a bigger problem, you will be glad to backed things up.
•In most cases, IE7 will coexist just fine with any toolbars or add-ins you have. However, just to be safe, it's a good idea to uninstall such additions, download the latest versions after IE7 is in place and then reinstall them.
•Immediately before installing IE7, turn off your antivirus and antispyware software — in fact, you'll be prompted to do so as part of the installation process. That's because those kinds of software look for and may try to prevent the kind of changes that IE7 will make to your system — only this time, they're desirable. Remember
to re-enable the programs
after the installation is complete.
If you have already installed one of the test versions of IE7, you don't need to uninstall it first. The installer program for the finished version will remove any older code for you.

You can roll back

Those who install IE7 and decide they don't want to stick with it can roll back to IE6. Go to the Windows XP Control Panel and launch the Add/Remove Programs module. At the top of that window, make sure the "Show updates" box is checked. You can then find IE7's listing among the removable programs.

But here's betting you won't do that, and that, if you give it time, you'll love it as much as I do.

Microsoft's shrinking license

2006-10-18T06:22:00.000-07:00

With an eye to quelling piracy, Microsoft is making changes to its licensing terms in Windows Vista.

Under the changes, buyers of retail copies of Vista will be able to transfer their software to a new machine only once. If they want to move their software a second time, they will have to buy a new copy of the operating system.

The license changes also apply to virtualization: Customers can only transfer the copy of Windows once, including a transfer from one physical machine to a virtual machine, or from a virtual machine on one PC to a virtual machine on another PC.

How to Remove Windows Genuine Advantage Notifications

2006-09-13T10:47:00.000-07:00

Windows genuine advantage notifications occur when your computer hasn't passed the validation test. The validation test can be failed due to being sold a pirated (non-genuine) copy of XP, or because you have changed your XP product key to a software-generated key, or sometimes it just happens for no reason at all. The failed validation installs three types of notifications on your computer: one on the log in screen, one log in timer, and one balloon. It also stops updates from Microsoft and disables your ability to install IE7 and Windows Media Player 11. This solution can get rid of all three notifications, even though you will still not be able to update through Windows Update. You will not be able to download things from Microsoft that requires a valid license either.

Steps
If you have only just installed Windows Genuine Advantage notifications, simply using the system restore function will remove the program. Then refuse to accept the WGA update next time Windows updates... Otherwise, proceed as detailed below.
Open System32 by either A or B of the following methods:
a)
Click "Start", "Run", then type-in "System32". Click "Okay".
b) Find System32 manually by clicking "Start" > "My Computer" > "(X:)" (Replacing "X" with the drive letter of the host of Windows) > "Windows" > "System32".
In "System32", go to "Tools" > "Folder options" > click on the tab, "View" > Uncheck "Hide extensions for known file types". Now you can begin...
Check to make sure the window that comes up has a full screen of various files. The files are in alphabetical order, which makes it easier to locate the specific file.
Find "WgaLogon.dll" and rename it "WgaLogon.dll.bak".
Create an empty copy of WgaLogon.dll:
Right click on a blank space in System32 and select "New" > "Text Document".
Leave the text document empty and label it "WgaLogon.dll". Press Enter (on your keyboard).
You may get a warning from the above step that says, "If you change a file name extension, the file may become unusable. Are you sure you want to change it?". Click "Yes" on this warning.
Be ready to complete the next two steps very quickly! Find "WgaTray.exe" in "System32" and delete it. You will then have 5 seconds to find "WgaTray.exe" in the Task Manager (the next step).
Immediately open Task Manager. You can do this by pressing the Ctrl, Shift, and Esc keys simultaneously, pressing the Ctrl, Alt, and Delete keys simultaneously, or right clicking the Taskbar and selecting "Task Manager". Click on the process tab and click end process when "WgaTray.exe" is selected.
Restart your computer once you have finished. All the notification messages should be gone.

Tips
This process will only get rid of the notifications, and will not validate your copy of XP. It will remove the timer at the beginning of your XP log on, the white notice on the log on screen, and the annoying yellow star that appears in the bottom right corner of the screen.
This is easier to do if you have someone reading the steps to you while you do it.
You may need to Find Hidden Files and Folders in Windows to get to System32 manually.
If task manager programs are moving, click the title of the "image name" row to freeze them.
If you are having problems after this, disable the updates before rebooting.
There is a program called RemoveWGA which does all of this for you. Just run the program, click yes, and you're done. (See External Links, below.)
If you have problems changing files in the System32 directory, you will have to turn off "system restore". "Start" -> "Control Panel" -> "System" -> "System Restore" -> Check the "Turn off system restore" check box.
You will not be able to download Automatic Updates anymore. This is not to say you cannot update your system anymore, Microsoft just won't do it for you. In the links, there is a program that will allow you to update any system, regardless of if it is genuine or not.

Warnings
Do not edit anything but this in System32, or it could cause system start up failure.
If you are new to computers, do not attempt this because if you modify the wrong file you may crash your computer.
This is not required for systems older than WindowsXP. This list includes Windows 2000 and Windows 98SE.

Related wikiHows
How to Change a Windows XP Product Key
How to Speed up a Windows XP Computer
How to Install Windows Using a CD
How to Defragment Your Computer
How to Upgrade to IE 7

External Links
RemoveWGA - a program that will do all this for you
wikiPedia's page about WGA
AutoPatcher - A All-In-One Updater/Patcher program that is updated once a month with ALL security patches. Also useful for system-install--download one program, and get your program mostly up-to-date with one reboot.

The Best Computer Upgrade Ever

2006-09-08T14:32:00.000-07:00

Forget about a faster processor. Splurge on a bigger screen.

By Paul Boutin
Posted Thursday, Sept. 7, 2006, at 2:56 PM ET

Whether you're a PC or Mac user, the humongous 24-inch iMac that Apple unwrapped on Wednesday drives home a point: Speed is good, but spread is better. For the past year, I've been working at two offices. Office A has a fairly new 17-inch Mac I bought so I could crank out more freelance work without having to turn off iTunes. But lately, I find myself making the longer trek to Office B to use an older, slower machine. Why? Because a generous Office B colleague updated the slowpoke with a 23-inch monitor.

Speed freaks are stoked that Intel has finally replaced its aging Pentium processors with a speedier design called Core 2. Apple went for broke and stuffed the new iMac with a dual-core Intel processor and a 24-inch monitor. But it'll cost me $2,000-plus to buy my dream machine. PC users get a choice: Dell will sell you a Core 2-powered PC for $1,200 or a 24-inch flat-panel monitor for around $700. If you're feeling stymied by your computer, buy the monitor now and wait until Windows Vista comes out to upgrade the rest of your PC. You'll get more Core 2 for your money by then, and you'll already have a panoramic screen to let Vista live up to its name.

Don't be fooled by all those Intel commercials: A faster CPU isn't always the best upgrade. Dell hawks its Core 2 Duo PCs as the "ultimate multimedia and gaming experience." What bigger multimedia buzz is there than a giant screen? I'm not a gamer, but I spend a lot of time with Word, Excel, Firefox, and iTunes. I watch a lot of YouTube by day and often slide a DVD into my desktop machine at night. I'm fascinated by Google Maps and Google Earth. For these applications, a faster processor doesn't really help. But you know what's better than a million pixels of Google Earth? Two million pixels of Google Earth.

Prima donna software developers who get anything they want have traditionally awarded themselves second, third, and even fourth monitors. You could cite the industry studies that find increased productivity among multiple monitor users, or you could just accept the formula of computer graphics veteran Jon Peddie: "Can't have too many pixels." Besides, flat-panel displays have gotten so big and so cheap that you no longer need to cable together four screens. Just buy one big one. Thirty-inch mega-monitors first appeared two years ago for $3,300. Today, you can get one for $1,800 that puts more than 4 million pixels on one panel, equivalent to three or four 17-inch monitors or two HDTV screens. A 20-inch model with close to 2 million pixels is only $350.

Apple's Web site flogs a third-party study by Pfeiffer Consulting that concludes 30-inch monitors aren't a luxury. "When working on a computer, we lose much more time than we realize through user-interface manipulations," Pfeiffer's researchers wrote—even if we're handling only e-mail and Web pages and not Photoshop. I dismissed the report as marketing collateral, but after a few weeks at my own widescreen I've reached the same conclusion—it's surprising how much more work I crank out lately. Co-workers praise my newfound motivation. The truth is, I can finally see what I'm doing.

While a faster processor lets you do what you've been doing more quickly, extra display space lets you do things that were previously unthinkable. I can put two versions of an article side by side, editing one while eyeballing the other. I used to squeeze two shrunken windows onto a smaller screen or flip between edit and review windows. That doesn't compare to editing and reading both at actual size at the same time.

I bought a faster computer for Office A so I could juggle multiple windows and apps more quickly. On Office B's 1600 x 1200 pixel screen, I don't need to juggle at all. I've even got extra turf to keep background tasks onscreen. If I get an instant message while on deadline, I can scan it in my peripheral vision without moving my hands on the keyboard. If I need to reply, I don't have to shove my work aside. I can keep an eye on inbound e-mail while writing and click to zap an annoying song from iTunes without fumbling for the application. I've even squeezed an analog clock and a weather widget into a spare corner so I needn't remember to check them.

With everything in plain sight and within reach, my computer's desktop finally looks like a real desktop. That wouldn't be possible if it weren't almost the same size as one. Rewriting this article at home on my 17-inch screen, I feel cramped and frustrated. What PC makers call a desktop has been closer in size to the back of a book. Isn't it about time you threw away the book and sprawled out a little bit?

Best Upgrade

Some blog templates here

2006-08-15T11:35:00.000-07:00

Jen

W3 Schools

2006-08-15T11:33:00.000-07:00

THE LARGEST WEB DEVELOPER'S SITE ON THE NET

Carroll Electronic Applications & Support

2006-08-15T11:32:00.000-07:00

A co-worker's site - Carroll Electronic Applications & Support

Martin Sargent's site

2006-08-15T11:30:00.000-07:00

Sargeworld

DL.TV

2006-08-15T11:28:00.000-07:00

for Tech Fans by Tech Fans

You can find Patrick Norton here.

Welcome to Leoville

2006-08-15T11:27:00.000-07:00

Leo

Peer2Mail

2006-03-30T11:28:00.000-08:00

Peer2Mail - Reviews and free downloads at Download.com

How to Create a Product Box in Photoshop

2006-03-29T09:22:00.000-08:00

How to Create a Product Box in Photoshop - WikiHow

Using the Epson TM T88

2006-03-08T13:30:00.000-08:00

Using the Epson TM T88

ECS K7S5A FAQ 2

2006-03-07T20:24:00.000-08:00

ECS K7S5A FAQ 2

Recover your data by putting your Hard drive in the freezer: Myth or reality?

2006-03-05T17:33:00.000-08:00

[Geeks are Sexy] technology news: Recover your data by putting your Hard drive in the freezer: Myth or reality?

Hard drive recovery utilities - some comments

2006-03-05T17:29:00.000-08:00

[Geeks are Sexy] technology news: Hard drive recovery utilities: when you can't afford to lose that data: "I try to avoid that scenario in the first place by using a utility that provides continuous backup in the first place. Sorry for the shameless plug, but I work for IBM and we have something called Tivoli Continuous Data Protection for Files (I'm sure they're are other choices out there), and what it does is very simple, it copies the files you define every time they are saved to a 2nd HDD, and even a 3rd HDD when it's available (like an external USB drive). It also provides versionning. I sleep well at night, knowing I have 2 or 3 copies of every file that matters to me. I've written a short blog entry here: http://arseneault.ca/blog/2005/11/05/happy-user-of-tivoli-continuous-data-protection-for-files/
By Jean-Francois Arseneault, at 12:24 PM

I am surprised that your article didn't at least briefly mention the use of bootable Linux distributions such as Knoppix or Ubuntu. These bootable CD-ROM versions of Linux have the ability to mount and read FAT, FAT32, and NTFS partitions with no problem. You can mount and subsequently back up your entire disk using one of these tools!
By Scott, at 12:29 PM

Yeah, Knoppix has excellent tools on it. I was trying to keep the article as simple as possible, so that most folks could understand it. PCinspector is probably alot less frightning for most people then knoppix...
I use Knoppix especially for the security tools provided on it.. Can't beat 'em :)
By Kiltak, at 12:47 PM "

Hard drive recovery utilities: when you can't afford to lose that data

2006-03-05T17:21:00.000-08:00

[Geeks are Sexy] technology news: Hard drive recovery utilities: when you can't afford to lose that data

Securing your Home Wireless Network : A simple security guide

2006-03-05T17:14:00.000-08:00

[Geeks are Sexy] technology news: Securing your Home Wireless Network : A simple security guide

How to make your own Ethernet patch cord.

2006-03-05T17:13:00.000-08:00

[Geeks are Sexy] technology news: Save money: How to make your own Ethernet patch cord.

Simple Things You Can Do To Speed Up a Slow Computer

2006-03-02T10:55:00.000-08:00

Simple Things You Can Do To Speed Up a Slow Computer

How to Reinstall Windows Without Losing Your Data

2006-03-01T21:24:00.000-08:00

It's a big job, but it can cure Windows' creeping decrepitude; plus, sudden reboots revisited.
PCWorld.com - Answer Line: How to Reinstall Windows Without Losing Your Data

Top 75 Network Security Tools

2006-02-19T21:40:00.000-08:00

Top 75 Network Security Tools

AirSnort Homepage

2006-02-19T21:36:00.000-08:00

AirSnort Homepage

How to Break WEP Encryption

2006-02-19T21:34:00.000-08:00

How to Break WEP Encryption - WikiHow

APC Smart-UPS XL 2200VA RM 5U 120V

2006-02-13T13:01:00.000-08:00

APC Smart-UPS XL 2200VA RM 5U 120V

MCSE Braindumps and more

2006-02-08T07:58:00.000-08:00

Ccna at MCSE Braindumps: Mcse, A+ Certification, Microsoft Certification, Braindumps - MCSEBraindumps

Braindumps from Braindump Central - A+, MCSE, MCSD, Sun

2006-02-08T07:54:00.000-08:00

Braindumps from Braindump Central - A+, MCSE, MCSD, Sun

Liven up your desktop

2006-02-05T16:14:00.000-08:00

Is your computer desktop getting a bit dull?

Then maybe it is time to download new wallpaper!

At Caedes, you'll find thousands of images for your desktop. They're divided into categories such as photography and abstract. You're sure to find at least one that suits your taste.

But Caedes is more than just a site for downloading pictures. It is a community where visitors can upload images. Then, others offer comments – mostly positive ones.

So if you've created some pictures you're proud of, you can post them to the site. Or, if your images aren't up to snuff, check out the tutorials.

Note: To get the most of Caedes, you should register. It is free.

TO VISIT TODAY'S COOL SITE, GO HERE:
www.caedes.net

Stolen from Kim Komando's Cool Site of the Day