System Control

What’s This Desktop (or Desktop.ini) File on my Windows 7 Desktop?

By terry Leave a Comment

One of the strange changes that came with Windows 7, at least for those of us who previously used Windows XP, is that some of the operating system options don’t work the same way.

Advanced Windows users often want to display all the hidden files and folders, including protected operating system files(which is a separate option).

You can make these changes in the same place where you tell Windows not to hide filename extensions of known file types.

Tech Tip
Where’s that? http://www.terryscomputertips.com/computers/hidden-file-extensions-in-windows/

That was all well and good in Windows XP. But, if you elect to show protected operating system files in Windows 7, you’ll eventually notice that you have one or two new desktop icons labelled Desktop or Desktop.ini .

No, you can’t delete those icons — they’re not shortcuts. They are links to the Desktop configuration file(s).

Tech Tip
Everyone should display the filename extensions — hiding those is one of the stupidest things that Windows designers ever did, and which creates a "social engineering" security hole that’s often abused by the bad guys.

If you uncheck the Windows 7 "Folder Options" (Windows Explorer > Tools > Folder Options > View) selection "Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)", it will show the Desktop.ini shortcut on the Windows desktop. If you have "Hide extensions for known file types" checked, you won’t see the ".ini" part of the file name.

Note that this is different than the way Windows XP worked/works. If Windows XP has the Desktop.ini file in the Desktop folder, it doesn’t show the icon on the Windows Desktop.

To make the changes, you have to use the menu bar in Windows Explorer. If you can’t see the menu bar in Windows Explorer, you probably have it hidden (which is the default).

To access Windows Explorer’s Tools menu option:

right-click on the Windows Orb (formerly known as the Start Button)…

Filed Under: System Control, Terry's Computer Tips, Troubleshooting, Upgrades, Windows 7, Windows XP Tagged With: advanced windows, desktop, desktop icon, desktop ini, desktops, file types, graphical user interface, hidden files, microsoft windows, operating system, start menu, windows 7, windows explorer, windows xp

Connecting to the Wrong Wireless Network

By terry Leave a Comment

When you have a wireless notebook, or even a wireless desktop computer, you need to make sure you’re connecting to the correct router.

Most often, you want to connect to your own router in your house or apartment. Other times, it might be the wireless router in a coffee shop.

Our first type of accidental connection is an automatic connection to an unsecured network. Sometimes, you might want to do that because you’re at the coffee shop and want to use the wireless service they provide.

But, suppose you’re at home and turned on your notebook computer — configured just as it was when you went to the coffee shop?

You’ll probably connect to one of the unsecured routers in your neighborhood. And, you’ll wonder why your connection is so slow, why you can’t print, why you can’t …

Continue reading Accidental Wireless Connections

Filed Under: Networking, System Control, Terry's Computer Tips, Troubleshooting, Wireless Tagged With: accidental, coffee shops, computer network security, connections, linksys, local area networks, networking hardware, router, routers, wireless connection, wireless connections, wireless lan security, wireless network, wireless networking, wireless router, wireless service

A Look at Foxit Reader | Foxit Reader Review

By terry Leave a Comment

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

Filed Under: Free, Other, Software, Specials, Storage, System Control, Terry's Computer Tips, Usability, Vista, Windows XP

ReImage for Windows XP

By terry Leave a Comment

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

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

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.

Continue reading Blocking Call-Home Attempts by Microsoft Software

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

XP Service Pack 3 Feedback

By terry Leave a Comment

In my August 31st online Terry’s Computer Tips newsletter, I wrote about my experience trying to install Windows XP Service
Pack 3 on my notebook computer. Service Pack 3 didn’t like me.

This week, I got some feedback from Bob in South Africa on his experiences:

Terry, Microsoft’s auto update of SP 3 on my XP Home SP 2 OS was an unmitigated DISASTER (!) and required me to do a format and reinstall of XP SP 2. Then I saw that TechRepublic was kindly offering an ISO download of SP 3 of which I took advantage and burned myself an SP 3 install CD (with install wizard). After disconnecting from the Internet and shutting down everything in my notification area, I ran …

Continue reading XP Service Pack 3 Feedback

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

More on Windows XP Service Pack 3

By terry Leave a Comment

For the first time in a few weeks, I think the last week went by without any new reports from subscribers about problems installing XP Service Pack 3. That probably means that the rest of us are waiting for reports that Microsoft has solved and updated it to fix some of the incompatibility problems. Notice that I said “us” — I haven’t installed it yet, either.

I received an email recently from reader Claire who asked:

Hi Terry, Did XP Service Pack 3 come in as an Automatic Update
or do you have to retrieve it separately? I thought service packs included all important updates in one package. Does the Service Pack have more than what is normally sent out in the Automatic Updates? Thanks.

Continue reading More on Windows XP Service Pack 3

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

Which Program Has Locked My File?

By terry 1 Comment

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…

Continue reading CPU Running at 100 Percent

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.

Continue reading Why Back Up Your Computer?

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