July 20th, 2010 at 9:06 pm
One of the things I’ve really missed with Windows 7 has been the Run command on the Start button’s menu.
The Run command has been available via the Start button’s menu for a lot of versions of Windows — but not for Windows 7.
Fortunately, during a series of emails back and forth with Clif of the Clif Notes Newsletter about the last online newsletter, Clif mentioned that he had put the Run command back on the Start menu.
WOW! That got my attention. I really didn’t realize how aggravating that had been, until I was writing that last issue.
Continue reading Adding the Run Command to Windows 7′s Start Menu
June 9th, 2010 at 7:38 pm
When we think of security software, we usually think of antivirus, firewall, antispyware and antispam software. But, what other kind of software is security software? Backup software, of course.
We need to make backup copies of our important data. That data may be financial, such as your checkbook in Quicken, or your spreadsheet tracking your investmants. Or, it may be personal, non-financial data such as digital family photos.
What if your hard drive won’t start one day? What will you lose? What if your computer is stolen (let’s ignore, for now, whether you should encrypt data on your hard drive to protect it from others — let’s just think about the inconvenience and loss to us!)?
There are two basic types of backups you should do.
You need to regularly back up your individual data files to another computer, to an external hard drive, or even to an online repository (but realize, if you have to rebuild the data on your computer, it may have to be downloaded for days and days). An external hard drive is the best choice if you don’t have a home network where you could copy to another computer.
If you have a home network, …
Continue reading Security Software — Backup Software
June 8th, 2010 at 7:18 am
Subscriber Terry Millburg wrote recently with a queestion about sending email with Outlook Express.
I have an issue with Outlook Express in XP Home on a dell. Do you have any recommendations on a unit that can receive but not send in Outlook Express? I have tried the usual, uninstall & reinstall the OE from within Windows, removed & recreated the account, but still no luck. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks, Terry
I wrote back to Terry to say that I suspect that there’s something wrong in his SMTP (outbound) mailserver setting, perhaps a transposed number or a different subdomain should be used. I told him to check with his ISP to make sure what he’s supposed to be using.
If he’s trying to use your Outlook Express to send outbound via a third-party’s SMTP server instead of the ISP through which he’s connecting, then he’s probably being blocked by the ISP. They do this routinely to block the sending of spam from within their network.
If he’s really trying to connect to an outside SMTP mailserver to send outbound emails, then that server might have an alternate TCP port that they also use. The normal SMTP port is TCP port 25.
Alternate ports are usually either…
Continue reading Problem Sending Email Using Outlook Express
June 6th, 2010 at 10:14 am
There’s a question that I’m often asked. It usually goes like this: “I’m the only user of my computer. How can I make Windows log me in automatically, so I don’t have to click on my user icon or enter my password?”
First, let me say that doing this bypasses some of the security of Windows, and opens your computer to anyone trying to log in remotely (assuming they can get past your router’s firewall function or the firewall software running on your computer).
Tech Tip
I’m sure you trust your family members and may not feel the need to protect your computer’s files from them. You probably have your firewall (Windows Firewall or other) set to “trust” the other computers on your network.
But, what about your spouse’s or the children’s computer, where they just clicked on the link that infected them — and gave remote control of their computer to the bad guy?
By providing automatic log-in on your computer, you’ve given them control of your computer, too!
Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 all have very similar functions that enable you to allow an automatic log-in to your computer.
Continue reading How Do I Log In Automatically to Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7?
May 30th, 2010 at 9:16 pm
in:
Software,
Speed-up,
System Repair,
Terry's Computer Tips,
Updates,
Upgrades,
Usability,
Vista,
Windows 7,
Windows Repair,
Windows Updates,
Windows XP
Longtime subscriber Clif of the Clif Notes Newsletter wrote about my Windows 7 installation experience articles in last week’s online issue:
Hi Terry,
Thanks for the preview of the hassle to come when I move my laptop to win7 from the RC. Hopefully the drivers I have backed up will work. I’m hoping the driver backups I have will help me avoid the issues that you had getting the correct drivers installed.
See the following:
Continue reading Comments on Upgrading to Windows 7
November 15th, 2009 at 9:13 pm
Recently, one of my subscribers wanted to know about a free program to let him fill in PDF forms.
I made a quick check and realized that the free PDF reader Foxit Reader would do this. While Foxit Reader also has a Pro Pack available to add additional functions, the free version does almost everything that most users need.
More importantly, it does it without the baggage of Adobe Reader and its huge memory requirement, the huge delays in starting up (unless you let Adobe Reader preload and take up a bunch of your memory all the time, and its automatic updating, which caused me problems.
I’ve been using Foxit Reader for a couple years, off and on, but now it’s my main program for reading PDF files.
Before responding to the subscriber, I checked the Foxit website and found that I was using a version that was several iterations old. I had v2.0 installed, while the current version is v2.3. Needless to say, I downloaded Foxit Reader 2.3 and installed it. I also realized this was a good time to write about Foxit Reader.
Continue reading A Look at Foxit Reader | Foxit Reader Review
August 28th, 2009 at 9:07 pm
Reader Jerry wrote about a problem he was having when he tried to make a backup image using Acronis True Image…
Terry I want to make a hard drive image for a backup so that when I have to reinstall my windows and programs all I have to do is copy the image to the drive I want to use, what is a good program to use I tried acronis and I couldn’t make it work. It kept saying that certain sectors could not be read so I told it to ignore them (else it would not continue) and when it finished I tried using the drive and it would not boot. I’m using XP.
Jerry
I wrotte to Jerry to tell him thatt if certain sectors of a hard drive can not be read, it sounds like the hard drive is failing.
IDE and SATA hard drives have…
Continue reading Is My Hard Drive Failing?
June 8th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
I received a question from Adam, a Terry’s Computer Tips web site visitor recently, who was having problems with two of his computers:
Hey Terry, just read your XP SP3 woes, got another one two for you. i have a small home network running with shared internet connection. When SP3 came out both computers immidiately downloaded the update. on PC1 the same happen to as did to your previous writer with the dvd-rom issue (gave up and bought another) on PC2 my onboard network adaptor, uh, mulfunctioned and my computer no longer registers any outside computers from my network port. i do not want to use system restore point. is there a way of repairing online? SP2 cd does not work
I wrote back to Adam to tell that there is a new online service about which I have been reading, that might be what he was looking for. InformationWeek, NetworkWorld and eWeek had very interesting articles about it. I also advised him that I have not tried ReImage yet.
Continue reading ReImage for Windows XP
April 20th, 2009 at 7:58 pm
Subscriber V.R. wrote to ask about Microsoft Word calling home…
Terry, I need your advise. How do I stop Word 2003 from wanting to access the internet everytime I launch the program? AVG pops ups asking if want to allow. It then takes about 10/15 seconds for Word to come up. I’ve googled and went to several sites, tried what they suggested but no luck. Any help would be appreciated.
I wrote back to V.R. to tell him that if he always wants to deny that communication, he should be able to tell AVG to deny the connection and remember that answer. It might also be in a configuration dialog box in AVG.
However, I don’t use AVG and so I can’t advise him on specifics of it.
Regarding making Word stop trying — good luck. I haven’t found a way to do it other than to control it with a good third party firewall (I use Sunbelt Personal Firewall ). See my review of SPF on my site.
February 26th, 2009 at 10:28 pm
In IP Addresses and Security, I wrote about how the Internet works — your computer has an IP address, your intended destination has an IP address, and both have to know and use the IP address of the other in order for communication to occur between them.
The article was in response to a reader who wrote to ask if he could keep his IP address secret, since he had been accused of copyright infringment by downloading a movie (which he says he didn’t do).
One of the potential issues was that his IP address could have been involved, even without him or anyone in his family being involved.
He uses a wireless router, as many of us do. He mentioned that he had a wireless password that had to be used in order to access his router. This kind of password is not a log-in password to the router — it is a password to the router’s encryption. Over the years, though, password security has gotten better and better. Unfortunately, some of the older encryption methods have become almost trivial for someone to crack with today’s fast computers.
However, even using the best wireless encryption available isn’t enough. There are other steps necessary to secure a wireless network.
Continue reading Wireless Security Issues
