HowTo

Computer Problems Opening Zip Files

By terry Leave a Comment

Long-time subscriber Irving wrote to ask:

I have XP SP2. I downloaded a zip file to my desktop. I then clicked the icon and ran into a problem. The screen started to “blink” and I couldn’t do anything. CTR-ALT-DEL couldn’t do anything. I had to shut down with power switch. Tried again…..same problem. This has also occurred on other downloads and blinking screens when trying to install with a click on icon on desktop. What can cause this?? Irv

I wrote back to Irving to suggest some possibilities.

1) a malware program in the zip file – did you scan it after downloading? what did you scan it with?

2) a program that attempted to change your graphics card resolution or other setting, and couldn’t do it right – or didn’ want to…

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Filed Under: Hard drive, HowTo, Terry's Computer Tips, Troubleshooting

Blocking Call-Home Attempts by Microsoft Software

By terry Leave a Comment

A reader wrote to ask for more details about how I configure my firewall to block Microsoft.com’s call–home attempts:

In your Email Newsletter — Volume 3, Number 12 — September 3, 2007, article “Windows Genuine Advantage SNAFU” you say, “When they want to check in with Microsoft, they run into my copy of Sunbelt Personal Firewall,” and “Sunbelt Personal Firewall has shown me that Microsoft’s products often want to connect to Microsoft.com, whether it makes sense or not.” You do not give enough details on the matter so one could take action…or not. QUESTION: 1. Is there a problem if they are prevented from calling home? 2. If not, how can I set up my Sunbelt PFW to do that, as you infer you have done. P.S. I used your links to purchase said product a while back along with Counter Spy and iHateSpam. Thanks in advance for your help.

The good news was that Ed was asking about Sunbelt Personal Firewall, since it will actually apply its controls to Microsoft’s programs. The process with SPF is easy, too.

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Filed Under: Broadband, Cable, Dialup, Firewalls, HowTo, Networking, System Control, Terry's Computer Tips

CPU Running at 100 Percent

By terry Leave a Comment

Reader Scott Adler wrote about a problem he was having with his computer getting stuck at 100% CPU Usage…

to correct a problem I’m having with Adobe Updater I need to get to change the preferences

Start the AdobeUpdater.exe application from …”\Program Files\Common Files\Adobe\Updater 5″

How do I get to this application??

The symptoms are that the updater runs and uses 100% of the processing capability of my CPU thereby making use of PC virtually impossible. I found an Adobe tech note that suggests changing the preferences by unchecking the “automatically Check for updates”

Scott has very good question. The problem is that Adobe removed that feature in Adobe Reader 8…

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Filed Under: HowTo, Optimize, PC Repairs, Software, Speed-up, Stability, System Control, Terry's Computer Tips, Troubleshooting, Updates

Why Back Up Your Computer?

By terry 1 Comment

As a long-time personal computer user, I learned the importance of backing up my data long, long ago.

There are just too many things that can go wrong when you’re working on your computer. Whether it is a hard drive that goes bad (or a floppy, in the old days), or a mental lapse on the part of the user, it is easy to lose the critical file on which you’re working. Or, maybe your computer has gotten infected with a virus or a rootkit, such that you decide that reinstalling Windows is the easiest thing to do.

How many times have you opened a file with the intent to make a new version of it, then edited it, and accidentally saved it again with the original name? I have, so I doubt that you’ve missed that thrill. Fortunately, I make daily backups of my data, so that I can recover from those brain failures.

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Filed Under: Backup, Hard drive, HowTo, Storage, System Control, Terry's Computer Tips, Vista, Windows XP

Internet Speed Tests

By terry Leave a Comment

I received an email recently from PC Pitstop (I bought a license for PC Pitstop’s Optimize 2.0) announcing their new version Internet speed test.

That got me thinking about the variations in connection speed that I’ve seen over the years — over days and even between sites.

Typically, the closer the bandwidth-measuring site is to you, the higher the results you will get for download speed and upload speed.

But, sometimes, the closest site isn’t the fastest. It all depends on the congestion on the net…

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Filed Under: HowTo, Networking, Speed-up, Terry's Computer Tips, Web Browsers, Web Sites, Windows XP

Passwords, Password Lists and Keeping Passwords Secure

By terry Leave a Comment

I’m often asked about how I handle passwords for all the different sites that require passwords.

The questioner’s eyes get pretty big when I mention that I use random mixtures of letters and numbers for my passwords, and even bigger when I say that I use a different password on every site.

The immediate question is “How can you keep track of them all?”

The answer is one of the reasons that I use a PDA, a Personal Digital Assistant. In my case, it is the PalmOS v4 based Sony Clié SJ-33, which I’ve used for a couple years.

The program that lets me keep track of these is called Secret! (yes, there’s an exclamation mark as part of the name). Secret! has long been available for PalmOS. I didn’t realize it, but it is also available for Pocket PC handhelds, too. According to the publisher’s web site (http://linkesoft.com/secret/index.html), Secret! runs on all Pocket PC handhelds with Windows Mobile 2003, 2003 SE, and the current Windows Mobile 5.0.

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Filed Under: HowTo, Security, Software, Storage, Terry's Computer Tips, Wireless Security

Converting Vinyl LP Records to Digital

By terry Leave a Comment

Subscriber Cary wrote with questions about project common to many people:

I’m starting a little project to record about 100 vinyl LPs to mp3s on my hard drive. I\’m looking for free software that will let me record a line-in source. I\’ve heard that Audacity is very good, but one critical feature I want is for the software to recognize a few seconds of silence as the end/beginning of a song and stop/re-start recording a new song. Otherwise, I\’ll end up with one very long mp3 that is basically the contents of the entire album. Do you have any recommendations? Cary

Cary

Having dreamed the same dream, let me say that you just wish you could do it in one step. Remember that your digitizing process is the most fixed in real time — a 45 minute album will take 45 minutes plus startup and shutdown of the record process.

I discovered very quickly that the idea of digitizing and immediately breaking into cuts made me do the recording over and over.

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Filed Under: Hardware, HowTo, Software, Terry's Computer Tips, Usability

Re-connecting after using Safely Remove Hardware

By terry Leave a Comment

Subscriber Peter Dunckelmann wrote recently to ask about disconnecting and reconnecting his external hard drive from Windows using the “Safely Remove Hardware” function. Although I wrote back to Peterseveral times, he’s got a Yahoo account, and Yahoo rejected my emails to him — it accepted some other emails I sent, so it just looks like Yahoo email is having some problems.

Hi Terry

When clicking the Safely Remove Hardware icon in the taskbar and removing a storage device, such as a USB external hard drive, but not unplugging the device, the icon of that particular device disappears from the desktop and seems inaccessible. The question is, how can I re-enable the removed but still plugged-in device? I am using WIN Vista Ultimate.

Thanking you in advance

Regards
Peter

The answer is relatively simple, but probably is not the one for which Peter was hoping…

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Filed Under: Flash Drives, Hardware, HowTo, Stability, Storage, Terry's Computer Tips

HOWTO: Stopping Blue Screen of Death Reboots

By terry Leave a Comment

Reader Russ Tinley wrote about a strange problem he was having:

Terry, My computer is connected to a Verizon DSL Modem, and everytime I connect the modem to my PC I get a blue screen and the system reboots. I called Verizon and they replaced my Modem but it still does it. So I called adn they said that my computer must be the problem, so just to test it I plugged my Notebook directly to the DSL modem and same blue screen. I called Verizon and they are giving me the run around saying it is my hard ware. Can you give me any tips on what I should look for or how to work with Verizon to get this corrected. Thank you, Russ

Russ had a strange problem. But, let’s look at the pieces:

the original modem caused the bluescreen/reboot on your desktop.
Verizon replaced the modem
The desktop still does it with the new modem.
The notebook also does it when connected to the modem.

So, you’ve got two computers doing it with two modems.

Continue reading HOWTO: Stopping Blue Screen of Death Reboots

Filed Under: HowTo, Stability, System Control, Terry's Computer Tips, Troubleshooting, Windows Repair, Windows XP

HOWTO: Change File-type Program Associations

By terry Leave a Comment

I’ve done it. I’m sure you have, too.

We’ve all installed a program that arbitrarily grabbed certain file extensions (such as .doc, .jpg, .mp3) and changed Windows’ settings. Now, the new program is the default for opening that file type.

Sometimes, it’s our fault — many programs that can handle multiple file types will give us an option during the program’s installation. We’ll get the chance to select (or deselect) which program types will default to the new program. If we pick wrong, or decide later that this wasn’t really what we wanted to do, it seems like we’re stuck with the new program.

Fortunately, Windows has a couple easy ways for us to change the default program that is opened when you double-click on a file or an attachment.

For this example, let’s assume that we installed the graphics program Irfanview, which gives us the option to make it the default for a lot of different types of images. Without thinking, and forgetting that we really like Windows XP’s Windows Picture and Fax Viewer, we set IrfanView to be the default for JPG images.

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Filed Under: HowTo, Other, System Control, Terry's Computer Tips, Uncategorized, Vista, Windows Repair, Windows XP