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)…

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Filed Under: System Control, Terry's Computer Tips, Troubleshooting, Upgrades, Windows 7, Windows XP Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Accessing and Reading Usenet Newsgroups

By terry Leave a Comment

Reader Greg H. wrote recently to ask for help solving his inability to access the Usenet newsgroups on Verison’s servers.

For those not familiar with Usenet newsgroups, think of them as a mailing list type of system that has been around for well over 25 years. Rather than emails sent to our computers, though, the postings stored in special servers at the Internet Service Providers or at companies that specialize in serving newsgroups (I use GigaNews as my Usenet newsgroups provider).

The postings to the newsgroups are readable by special newsreader software, but some more ubiquitous software like Outlook Express, Opera and Netscape also read newsgroups. They’re also readable via Google Groups, as are other groups that are available only via Google Groups.

I’ve been reading and posting to the newsgroups for 24 years, and even ran my own DOS-based email, news server and newsreader program called Waffle. Now, I use the Agent newsreader, from www.forteinc.com , which is available in free and paid versions.

Anyway, Greg made some changes and could no longer access …

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Filed Under: Internet Access, Software, Terry's Computer Tips Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Internet Access – Traveling Without Your Computer

By terry Leave a Comment

If you’re on business and are visiting one of your company’s other locations, you can probably use a computer there to check your business email. Depending on the company’s Internet Acceptable Use Policy, you may or may not be allowed to check your personal email.

Tech Tip
Remember that the Internet Acceptable Use Policy is a corporate policy. It is designed to tell you what you can and can’t do. The company network may, or may not, prevent violations of the policy. Just because the network does not block you from doing something or from going somewhere on the Internet, do not assume that it is permitted.

Many hotels have a business center that is open to the hotel’s guests. Sometimes, the computers are available for use for free. Other hotels will charge you based on the time that you use it. Remember that this is…

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Filed Under: Dialup, Internet Access, Security, Terry's Computer Tips Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Windows Live Mail Freezing When Opening Attachments

By terry Leave a Comment

Windows Live Mail crashes were giving long-time subsriber Raman problems, so he wrote to me to ask:


Hello Terry

When I try to open any attachments to my mail, the Windows Live Mail freezes. I checked on line and found many people have the same problem. Apparently this started after downloading Microsoft’s recent 11 updates.
Can you help?

Thank you
Raman

I wrote back to Raman to remind him that I don’t use Windows Live Mail. Unfortunately, that means I can’t give him any direct help as I have no idea what might be happening with it.

By checking online, he’s using the best approach for finding an answer to a problem caused by a new software release or new Windows updates. Searching Google or another search engine should point you to either a direct answer or a forum that has other users who likely have the same problem.

As he is aware from my newsletters, I’m using Thunderbird for my email program — and I like it a lot.

Continue reading Windows Live Mail Freezing When Opening Attachments

Filed Under: Email, Terry's Computer Tips, Troubleshooting, Usability, Windows Repair Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Thunderbird to the Rescue!

By terry Leave a Comment

Thunderbird, from the Mozilla Foundation and sometimes called Mozilla Thunderbird, is my new email program of choice. I had tried Thunderbird several years ago, but didn’t use it because I couldn’t do some of the things that I did with Eudora. About a year ago, I switched from Eudora to Eudora OSE, which was built upon the Thunderbird code base.

I made the move after a brief trial this week, changing from Eudora Open Source Edition (Eudora OSE). The transition was amazingly easy.

While Eudora OSE was more than just a “skin” for Thunderbird, the underlying functions were all, or mostly, Thunderbird’s. One big hint is that Eudora OSE stores the user’s personal files (and personalizations) in the same folder that Thunderbird uses. Even more obvious of the link, that folder (in Windows 7) was
C:\Users\[userID]\AppData\Local\Thunderbird\Profiles\[uniqueUserProfilename].

That meant, when I installed Thunderbird onto my computer, Thunderbird didn’t even try to import my emails, my email address book, or my email filter rules. They were stored in Thunderbird’s usual location, so it just opened them and proceeded normally.

Cool!

My filters work perfectly, I can edit their test conditions now, and sending and receiving emails works fine.

Continue reading Thunderbird to the Rescue!

Filed Under: Email, Software, Terry's Computer Tips

Adding Another Address Book to Thunderbird

By terry Leave a Comment

Subscriber James Biddle wrote asking for help with a problem he was fighting with Thundebird.

Here, I’ve just started using Thunderbird, and I’m already getting questions that assume I know what I’m doing. Fortunately, it worked…

I have a question about T-bird.

I currently have 3 address books, Friends, Personal Addresses, Collected Addresses.

I want to add another one. But can’t. It will let me add one under one of those 3. But when I try to add info it just adds it to the parent (one of the 3) I wan to add a 4th one. But there just doesn’t seem to be a way.

Thanks.

James P. Biddle
Quartz Hill, CA

I wrote back to James to tell him how he could create another Address Book.

The first step is not particularly obvious…

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Filed Under: Email, Software, Terry's Computer Tips

Router Encryption — Increasing Wireless Security

By terry Leave a Comment

I answered a question recently from someone who was using WEP (the so-called “Wired Equivalent Privacy”) encryption on their wireless network. They were considering changing to WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access). The real answer is that they need to change to the second generation of WPA — WPA2.

The biggest question in their mind was whether they’d have to change the wireless passphrases on all their computers (quick answer: yes).

Why change? WEP is old, way, way old in computer terms. When it was first released, it was effective.

But, by 2004, second-generation WEP-cracking tools were widely available. In an article, SmallNetBuilder reports on a 2005 demonstration by a team of FBI agents who were able to crack a 128 bit WEP key in about three minutes.

Continue reading Router Encryption — Increasing Wireless Security

Filed Under: Broadband, Networking, Notebook computer, Security, Terry's Computer Tips, Troubleshooting, Wireless, Wireless Security

Adding the Run Command to Windows 7′s Start Menu

By terry Leave a Comment

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.

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Filed Under: Terry's Computer Tips, Windows 7

Security Software — Backup Software

By terry Leave a Comment

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

Filed Under: Backup, Software, System Repair, Terry's Computer Tips, Vista, Windows 7, Windows XP
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