View PowerPoint presentations without Office

I was reminded of this "quick tip" topic while I was doing research for an upcoming Tech--for Everyone article, and the information I wanted to read was contained in a PowerPoint slideshow (aka "presentation") archive, available online.. a ".ppt" file.

Normally, this is no problem: you click on the "view" hyperlink; are asked if you want to "Open" or "Save" the file (since all I wanted to do was read it, I chose "open"). Here is where I was reminded that the machine I was surfing on was new and did not have Office installed -- "Windows cannot open this file:"

You may have seen a window like this in your computer career...

(My article on what to do to resolve this can be read here.)

Fortunately, a quick visit to the Microsoft Download Center is all that's required to enable my machine to view PowerPoint Presentations (and cool slides of airshows).

Tip of the day/Today's free link: If you are not using the Microsoft Office suite of programs, download and install the free PowerPoint Viewer 2007.

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

One of my more popular articles discussed using a thumb drive to run applications (to read it, click here), and my two previous articles discussed Microsoft Word (click on "MS Word" in the Tag Cloud), which led to two reader questions which I think are worth posting -- in the Q's and their A's format.

Q: Is there a version of Word I can run on my U3 thumb drive?
A: There are tremendous advantages to running programs from a thumb drive (particularly when using someone-elses' computer), and there are many programs already developed that are designed to do this, which are called "portable".
The answer to this question is: no... and yes. Microsoft has not released a portable version of any of the programs in the Office suite, and I have not read of any plans to do so in the future. However, that doesn't mean you cannot find warez and hacks out there. Loyal friends and true of this blog know that I would never advocate advocate the use of this kind of software; aside from the question of legality, the security risks are simply too great.

That is not to say you cannot run a word processor from your thumb drive. If you have loaded your thumb drive with the Portable Apps suite, (wildly popular, and previously recommended here) you already have the free Open Source suite of programs called Open Office which includes a "clone" of Word called Write. This works so much like Word that there's practically a zero learning-curve.
Users of the U3 system of thumb drives need to download Open Office to add it to the installed programs. To do this manually, visit http://software.u3.com/, which will show you all of the U3 programs available-- listed by category. But the easiest way is to plug in your thumb drive and launch the U3 "Launchpad" from the System Tray, and click on the "Add programs>>" link.

You might also want to consider using MS Works, which is Word compatible. For more on that, click here.

Q: Can I use portable Write to read Word documents?
A: The two main portable word processors (and there are others, if you're the experimental sort) -- Open Office's Write, and the platform-independent AbiWord-- allow you to open, and edit MS Word documents. They also allow you to save to HTML, PDF, and Word formats (this step is taken in the Save As menu) which allows you to send your documents to anyone.

Today's free link(s): You needn't put these word processors on a thumb drive to use them (and get to know and love them). Click the links in the paragraph above to get free word processing power.

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

What is a Szirbi?! (And my Top Movies list)

E-mails which spoof the Classmates.com site by sending messages saying "there is an update on friend information", or send a video link with a message stating, “Here's a link of you doing something stupid” contain links which will infect your computer with Scirzi and turn it into a spambot.
So many people have been infected this way that spam has tripled in the last week. This article, Szirbi Botnet Causes Spam To Triple In A Week explains further.
And please folks, don't click the links in e-mails. If you really must go to the site, type the link into your browser bar.

Folks, it is summertime here where I live, and old Tech Paul is fixin' to put on his flip flops, bermuda shorts, straw hat and just "chill out" for well-deserved several days of vacationing.
I will post some prior articles, and maybe a small article, but I won't do any heavy lifting.

In the spirit of goofing off, and taking it easy, I spent a little time thinking about what movies I needed to gather up for my popcorn-and-favorite-movies-marathon, scheduled for sometime this week.
I wound up assembling a Top 30 Movies Of All Time list (I was aiming at 20.. then 25..) which I posit to you here for your consideration.

True Grit
Saving Private Ryan
Unforgiven
Forrest Gump
North by Northwest
The Maltese Falcon
Double Indemnity
Treasure of the Sierra Madre
The Big Sleep
Dr. Strangelove
Rear Window
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World
Casablanca
The Caine Mutiny
The Shootist
Anatomy of a Murder
Best Years of Our Lives
Fargo
It Happened One Night
Arsenic and Old Lace
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
The Searchers
The African Queen
Full Metal Jacket
The Sting
The Wild Bunch
It's a Wonderful Life
Die Hard
Night of the Living Dead
Rocky

I did spend a little time arranging them in order, but.. I am not convinced this is my final version of this list and that I'll want to "tweak" it some. I am also fairly certain that shortly after posting this, I'll have a slap-my-forehead moment and remember a title that should have been included... that's how it usually works with me.

Your comments, input, and critiques are welcome.
[Note: I am not of the female persuassion, and so a chick flick (aka "romantic comedy") will never appear on my Top Movies list. Please don't bother to suggest any.]

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

Deadline today for AVG users

People who have been using the free AVG antivirus tool will have seen by now a rather alarming pop-up warning (I'm kind of paraphrasing): Warning-- AVG 7.5 will stop checking for new signatures effective May 31st June 25th.
That happens to be today.

Loyal Friends and True of this series will already be aware of a couple of facts (as I have said them often enough), and will reiterate them here:
* An anti-malware tool (such as an antivirus) that is not receiving the latest updates is for all intents and purposes useless. This can happen if its subscription has 'expired', or it is improperly configured. (To read how to make sure this isn't you, click here.)
* I am a big fan of the free (top-rated) antivirus scanner, AVG.

So, I read the details in the pop-up to find out why my beloved AVG was going to go the way of the dodo bird and T-Rex on May 31st June 25th today. I was relieved to learn that AVG 7.5 was being phased out, and replaced with the new Version 8.0, and if I wanted, I could go ahead and upgrade to 8 now. So I did.*

The screenshot shows the web page that opens.
Now, I had to look at this twice. And each time I looked it, it sure seemed to me like I was being forced to buy a Internet security suite for $55 (If I wanted to stay with AVG).
My initial reaction was.. well, I got a little hot under the collar (to use a little of the 'hip' slang of today, I got "bent").

And then I saw -- way down at the very bottom -- the link I was looking for, and I stopped cursing: AVG 8 can be downloaded for free. (To do so now, click here.)

I clicked the link and installed the new Version 8.0, which went very smoothly (on both an XP and Vista machines). New to AVG 8.0 is anti-spyware protection, and the option to include a AVG toolbar.

To get the full benefits of the toolbar, you (of course) need the paid version. In the free, you only get "safe search", which is essentially just a site filter (a pre-made blacklist) in combination with Yahoo Search. I see no real benefit to installing the free-version toolbar.

This is the new 8.0 user interface.

* Tip of the day: Don't panic, "freak out", or "get bent"-- like I did. Just scroll down to the bottom and click the link for the free AVG 8.0. (please read the Comments section, below [or click "Comments" up near the title], it may very well be that you will want to hold off on this upgrade for a while... )

[Addenda: For those of you seeking how to make the pop-up go away, you can either uninstall 7.5, or upgrade to 8. You are not going to be allowed to sit pat on 7.5.]

Today's free link: The paid version of 8.0's toolbar does include a good technology, the LinkScanner Website analyzer. While the paid for edition of LinkScanner is commendable, the free "Lite" version is an excellent addition to your safe surfing arsenal. To get it, click here.

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

How to recover your lost files

You have deleted some old files and now you need them back.
Or, you disconnected your thumb drive by pulling it out of the machine without bothering with that "Safely Remove" thingy, and now your machine cannot "see" the thumb drive at all-- it's dead.

Your files are gone and you need them back.. what a nightmare! How do you get them back?

I cannot count the number of times I have advised my readers to make regular backup copies of their files (in fact, Automate your backup and get some peace of mind was one of the very first articles I wrote). Having copies of your files on some place other than your hard drive (such as a CD/DVD) is the surest way to make sure that some unfortunate mouse click, mechanical failure, or glitch doesn't permanently rob you of important documents, irreplaceable photographs, or costly music downloads. (There. I've nagged you again. Now, will you please run a Backup program and burn some discs?)

But you don't have backup copies of these files... you didn't think you'd ever need them.. but now you do. OK.
As I mentioned in Delete does not erase your data--preventing recovery, if the reason you no longer have access to the file you want is because you emptied your Recycle Bin (Trash) or right-clicked+delete, you may recover your file with an undelete tool.. just so long as too much time has not elapsed.
* It is a very good idea to install an undelete tool on your computer before you need it. If you haven't done so and you don't already have an undelete tool installed, use an online scanner/recovery tool such as Softperfect File Recovery to try to effect your recovery.

Other reasons for missing ("inaccessible") files are varied and numerous.. and I could fill a book book with detailed steps for each variant. (If you've had to reformat your hard drive, for example {try an "unformat" tool}. Data recovery is a large-- and costly --business.) Fortunately, I don't have too write it, it's already been written.

Tip of the day+Today's free link: Visit and bookmark the following Webpage.
PC World Magazine and MSN Tech have teamed up to bring us Kirk Steers' How To Recover Almost Anything, a three page primer on data recovery steps, and advice for which tools to use.
This information is first place to look when you run into a file recovery situation.. having it bookmarked ahead of time is a good idea, because timeliness is a factor in your success or failure.

*** Disclaimer: you may have noticed that I used the words "may" and "can try"; this is because recovering damaged/corrupted, deleted, or "lost" files is as much luck as it is science. Certain things improve your chances of success.. but the only sure method is making copies of your stuff, and keeping them somewhere else.. like in a safe-deposit box.

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

Quad-cores? I want 80 cores

From time to time in my writing I have made reference to Moore's Law; which, phrased simply, means "the power of computers doubles every 18 months" (some say two years). I like Moore's Law-- smaller, faster, double the power (and often, power consumption is lower too).

Moore's Law is most often comes up when speaking about CPU's (your computer's "brain"). My first Intel computer ran a very good CPU-- a 486 DX (at 133MHz [that's .1GHz]). It had a million transistor on it, and was considered Top of the Line.
Today's Top of the Line consumer chip is actually four-CPU's-in-one (or, "quad-core") and runs at just over 3GHz.

I don't think you have to be particularly good with numbers, nor particularly geeky, to see that there's been some improvement since the 486.

Just the other day, in an article about chip-maker AMD and corrupt European Socialist bureaucrats (EU punishes Intel+corruption, greed, gov’t) it was mentioned that chip-maker Intel had produced the fastest chip ever.
I like fast, so I looked into it.

The chip is capable of performing a trillion calculations a second (called a "teraflop"), is the size of a fingernail, and has 80 cores. Oh yeah, and it's dialed-down to 3GHz but can handle 6.

Wow.

The condensed (sound bite) details of the new (and yes, revolutionary) chip design can be read here, Intel Will Revolutionize Computing with the Fastest Chip Ever. And Intel's press release version (detailed) can be read here.
Intel says we'll see it in our devices in "about 5 years" (Boo!).

* The electrical outage mentioned yesterday has not been truly resolved, but hopefully, Tech--for Everyone will appear as usual. Y'all have a good weekend now. Ya' hear?

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

EU punishes Intel+corruption, greed, gov't

"With this power, the EC is rapidly becoming the world's gatekeeper for new technologies. In recent months, regulators forced Apple to accept price controls on its popular iTunes music store and launched three new attempts to dictate which features Microsoft can offer in its software products. In early April, commissioners released guidelines dictating how Internet companies like Google and Yahoo should collect, use, and profit from information online.
The EC's willingness to manipulate the technology industry makes Europe the venue of choice for companies looking to cripple their competitors and gain an unfair advantage in the marketplace. By repeatedly coaxing regulators to investigate Intel, AMD hopes to level the playing field and compensate for its own mistakes."

Folks, these lines are from an article I came across in one of my small local papers-- a guest opinion piece written by Dr. Daniel Ballon.
It is a fascinating reporting on government meddling for the simple sake of greed and corruption, (disguised as a Noble Ideal) and how this (negatively) affects us all. I highly recommend it. It is an eye-opener.

Tip(s) of the day:
* Read Dr. Ballon's excellent article titled, Intel punished for being too competitive. It is available here.
* (In case you missed it) Watch this short video from anti-malware vendor Sophos to see a demonstration of how clicking a link in an e-mail can exploit weaknesses in your computer, implant a trojan, and steal your (in this instance) banking info. See how the cyber-criminals do it..
* Visit my 10 item checklist and run down it to see if your machine is properly defended and configured for surfing the big bad Internet.

Today's free link: Avidemux is a free video editor designed for simple cutting, filtering and encoding tasks. It supports many file types, including AVI, DVD compatible MPEG files, MP4 and ASF, using a variety of codecs. Tasks can be automated using projects, job queue and powerful scripting capabilities. Avidemux is available for Linux, BSD, Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows -- under the GNU GPL license.

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

I have found in life that many things we deal with are…mixed blessings. Such is the case with wireless technology. The very factors which make it so convenient (and thus popular) also make it less secure. A WAP is a radio station. It broadcasts its signal in all directions, for a limited distance; and it “listens” for signals as well. It (by default) sends out a constant “I’m here. I’m ready. I’m here. I’m ready…” When a passing device, a laptop or PDA say, gets within range it hears the WAP (Wireless Access Point) and can connect with it by sending a “I’m ready too. Let’s begin.” message.
So convenient. So easy. And no wires holding you to one spot. It’s a modern miracle!

It’s little wonder that nine out of ten networking devices sold in the US are “wireless”. They cost basically the same as wired, so why not get wireless too? My router is wireless (a WAP). Isn’t yours?

But I know about wardriving. Yes--”war+driving”. What’s that? It’s driving around with a laptop and a sensitive antenna (or a piece of coaxial cable stuck into the bottom of a Pringle’s can) and trying to “sniff” (detect) unprotected WAPs. It’s a game hackers play: who can detect the most unsecured WAPs in an hour? When they’re not doing it for kicks, they’re accessing a wardriven WAP and ‘creeping’. What’s that, you ask? “Creeping” is browsing around the data on the computers connected to the WAP. Most of the time they’re not interested in stealing your data (there’s no challenge there), they’re just snooping. They get some kind of kick out of it. (Sometimes they’ll leave behind a ‘calling card’ to let you know you’ve been ‘creeped’.) Most of the time these guys cause no harm…unless they see that you’re a total non-geek novice (no anti-virus, all your .docs are in one folder, you’ve never ‘defragged’, etc.) and they decide you’re “too stupid to own a computer” and they take it upon themselves to “punish” you by erasing your config.sys file (which will cause Windows to fail to load).
Sometimes they will simply “pile on” or “coast” a WAP and use it to surf the web for free--the main downside to the owner is reduced bandwidth (speed).

When a hacker runs across a WAP in his wardriving games that the owner has taken the precaution of encrypting, he usually passes on by, but sometimes they get bored with the super-easy creeping, and feel the need for a challenge (I’m sure, thinking, “what’s this guy hiding behind that encryption?”). This is when hackers become crackers. See, it’s terribly easy to turn on encryption--every WAP manufacturer builds it into the product--and use it. The trouble is most folks don’t know about it, much less use it…But for those who do, manufacturers included the ability to use WEP encryption (Wired Equivalent Privacy): a 128bit stream cipher key. So now the hacker is looking at gibberish and needs to find a way to “crack” the code to see the data being transmitted, and to talk/co-operate with the WAP--thus the ‘challenge’. Sadly, with the computing power of today’s personal computers and freely available tools a hacker can break into WEP protection in less than two minutes (much less).

Eventually, the hacker’s methods were discovered and WEP was quickly declared to be next-to-useless, and manufacturers switched to a new (2003) and improved methodology called WPA--Wi-Fi Protected Access. Now there’s WPA2. Have the hacker/crackers been thwarted? Well…um…no. However, WPA and the newer WPA2 are so time consuming to crack, the average hacker won’t bother. Why should he? There’s still plenty of folks broadcasting “Here I am. I’m free and easy. Here I am…” Seeemingly every house on the block an unwitting Internet café.
WPA2 is pretty good, and keeps out all but the determined (and sometimes even them).

The main points I want to make here are:
* You really do want to turn on the feature that scrambles your wireless transmissions. (To read my How-To article, How-to-secure-your-wireless-network, click here.)
* Securing your wireless by encrypting with WEP is next to useless; with WPA is so-so; and, WPA2 is the way to go at this time.
* Your network is only as capable as its weakest link, so if you have older devices that aren't WPA-capable, your newer devices will default down to WEP (or no encryption) level to acomodate your old. I recommend replacing your older gear with newer, WPA2-capable devices.

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

How to repair/tweak your "Send to" menu

A handy time-saver is the Send To feature, found in the right-click menu (called the "context menu"). By using the Send To command, you can quickly send a file to different locations such as a 'zipped' folder, another person using e-mail, or the My Documents folder.

This image shows the default places you can send your file in Windows XP: compressed file, desktop, mail recipient, My Documents, and 3½" floppy disk. You can remove Send To destinations you never use -- such as the floppy drive if your machine doesn't have one (most newer PCs don't) -- or add destinations you use frequently, in a few simple steps. Tip of the day: Take control of your menus. This process is much like adding/removing shortcuts from your Start Up folder, which I've discussed in this prior article. First, we need to open the Send To folder, which is a "hidden" folder inside your Documents and Settings folder (to read my article on hiding/unhiding folders, click here). Open your Run dialogue by hitting Windows key+R, or Start >Run, and type in "sendto" (no quotes). Here you see the Send To shortcuts which appear on your right-click submenu. To remove an item you never use, just drag it to your Recycle bin (I have already deleted the floppy drive). I frequently send files to a folder on another computer on my network, and for purposes of example I am going to demonstrate adding that to my Send To menu -- but this method can be adapted for any location you'd like to send files. [update 10/1/07: this can method can also include a printer.] Right-click on any blank area in the Send To window and select (click) New, then Shortcut. Now the Create Shortcut Wizard opens. We need to browse to our new destination so click on the browse button. To choose a destination, click on it and then click OK. To find my folder on the other computer, I 'drilled down' by expanding the plus signs until I could see my folder. Now complete the Wizard by clicking OK, Next, Finish. Now my new shortcut appears in my Send To window. Now all I have to do to send a file from this machine to my 'storage' machine is right-click on it... and select "downloads on P3". Today's free link: Today, some fun: Knight Online is an extremely popular online fantasy game. From site: "Knight Online is the critically acclaimed medieval fantasy MMORPG developed by Mgame and Noah System. Since its introduction in Korea several years ago, Knight Online has thrilled millions of players in over 80 countries. Players choose between El Moradian Humans and Karusian Tuareks, adventuring as rogues, warriors, mages, and priests." Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

Google-hoo -- a world run by ad revenue

The headline reads "Google and Yahoo team up on search ads", but it really isn't a partnership. Yahoo has sold a large percentage of its ad space to Google for hard cold cash.. and become a puppet.
Now, GoogleAds will appear on the #1 and #2 most popular search engines.

In my prior writings, I have made reference to "GigantiCorp", which is meant to invoke images of a mega-company and trigger concern about a monopoly. Sadly, most people thought I was referring to Microsoft... or maybe Wal-Mart.
For a very long time now, Microsoft has been perceived of as being in monopoly control of the tech industry, and that Bill Gates ran the world. Microsoft has ben sued under anti-Trust laws.

And then came Google.

Folks, if you think Google is just a place you go to look up websites, well.. you just aren't paying attention. Google is into everything "tech", and is a monster just as big as Microsoft (bigger?), and a battle is being waged the two giants.

Poor little Yahoo recently declined a take-over bid from Microsoft (insufficiently lucrative) and has now climbed into bed with the other giant.

That's how you do it in today's world.

You create some little tech doohickie that people like and use-- like YouTube -- and then sell out to one of the giants.

I wonder; do they even teach about monopoly-ism and Anti-Trust in the schools any more? Seems to me we had a little problem with that once before in our history... but, now it's global. Hmmm....

Attention Google and Microsoft: I love you guys! You're the greatest! Keep up the good work!
Can you do a devoted fan a little favor? Can you send just a few more viewers to http://tech--foreveryone.blogspot.com? Thanks!

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

The WWDC and MobileMe

For the sake of ratings, I simply must write something about the hot topic on the Web right now-- a topic so hot (how hot is it?) that the amount of "buzz" has caused the social networking/blogging site Twitter to crash under the burden.
That topic is Apple's WWDC (aka "Stevenotes"*).

The Worldwide Developer Conference has become (one of) the venues where Apple offers sneak peek (preview) at new products and technologies... A glimpse at what the immediate future holds.
(Personally, I find such teases annoying, but the iFanatics feel different, I guess.)

For instance, this year, we were told about OS 10.6 (aka "Snow Leopard").. which won't offer any new features and we might see it in a year. WooHoo!!! Yay!!! I mean.. yawn.
And we're told about a new version (2.0) of the iPhone's OS, which will affect every person on the planet. Not.

Can you tell? Even though this event is being held right up the road, and I am a World Renown Tech Journalist, I made no effort to attend, and am too experienced to get wow!-ed by the hype. I also confess, I am not a iPerson/iFanatic.

Yet, there are some interesting and relevant items to note: Namely, Apple's investment in bringing to us the "wonders" of cloud computing with MobileMe and the 20GB iDisk (and they're hoping.. the 3G iPhone). This video explains--

This $99/year service will work "cross platform" (Windows/Mac/Linux) and across devices.

Here we really are looking at "Web 2.0", and the future of computing. People, before too long, will be storing their whole lives and all their personal information on the Internet. So that we can share it.
Has anyone considered the security implications?

I'm an old dinosaur, and I'm a curmudgeon to boot.. I think there already is too much personal information available about us on the Web, and I'm not about to go putting my address book and calendar (and.. my accounting program?) there.
But those of the Look At Me Generation will probably be clamoring for it.

* A reference to the fact that the keynote address is usually given by Apple founder Steve Jobs.

Copyright 2007-8 Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

Precautions for your Internet privacy*

I have posted several advice articles on your computing safety, and that of your child's, in the past. It is my personal passion to thwart digital Evil Doers. I cannot emphasize enough that there are steps you can -- and should -- take to reduce your risks of Identity Theft and spyware infections. I have posted these steps for you to take advantage of (free), and I will continue to do so. I encourage you to use the Search box in the upper right to find and read past Tech--for Everyone security articles.

Tip of the day: Increase your security and privacy by removing your browsing tracks. All browsers record histories, store copies of the webpages you've visited, and to be helpful, store your log on User Names and Passwords, and the answers to forms you've filled out. Your machine is programmed to be as fast, efficient, and helpful as it can, and it takes steps you may not be aware of to do this.

For instance, your browser will store a "temp" copy of this Webpage in one of many "temporary" folders, and make a note of the time. This is done so that should you return to this page, your machine can load it from local memory; which is much faster than downloading HTML instructions, text, and graphics and building the page. It uses the timestamps to determine if there's been changes to the "source" page, and if there has been, it will download the newer page. This helps to give you the illusion of a "fast Internet".
Other automatic conveniences that record your personal information are Autocomplete, Autofill, and AutoLogon. This is usually accomplished through the use of cookies. (In spite of what you may have heard, all "cookies" are not "bad".) Hackers know where to look for all this stored information, and they know how to exploit it. Today I am going to show you how to counteract, and change some of this automatic behavior and help you keep your privacy, well, private.

Start by opening IE and clicking on the down-arrow to the right of the Tools menu and selecting Internet Options. (Loyal readers of this blog will already be familiar with this window.)


In the "Browsing History" area, click on the "Delete" button. Now a menu window will open...
Here you are presented with your choices of what to erase (or to "delete all") and what not. I recommend getting into the habit of regularly clicking on the first, third, and fourth delete buttons -- Temp files, History, and Form data. [Form data is particularly important to erase if you have made an online payment, and/or entered your credit card number. Even if you did so on a Secured site.] Sadly, there is no method to set IE to do this automatically for you (you would need a 3rd party utility for that...see today's free link) and you must remember to this manually.

You can, however, set IE to erase the "temp" files automatically. Click on the Advanced tab of Internet Options, and scroll down to the Security list of settings. Place a check (select) in the checkbox next to "Empty Temporary Internet files when browser is closed", as shown below. Then click "Apply", and "OK".

Today's free link: the tool I use to erase the digital breadcrumbs on my machines is Absolute Shield Internet Eraser. From site: "AbsoluteShield Internet Eraser protects your privacy by cleaning up all the tracks of your Internet and computer activities. The tool is integrated with IE and it can erase the browser cache, history, cookies, typed URLs, autocomplete list and so on in one click. You can also set the tool to automatically erase those tracks when you quit IE or quit Windows."

* Original posting: IE 7 and your privacy, 7/8/07.

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved.

post to jaanix

System Restore / ID Theft / Startup

"System Restore won't work", "I'm worried about ID Theft, how do I know if an email is legit?", "I can't get this #$*& program out of my Startup folder" -- these are examples of some of the questions I have received since posting my articles on these topics. Today I'm going to review, and provide more solutions and answers.

Tip of the day: Since I'm going to cover the questions above, there is not going to be a single "Tip of the day" today. Instead, there will be "Today's three questions"...
More on System Restore: What to do when System Restore just refuses to work. As I mentioned in my first System Restore post, SR simply is not a failsafe miracle worker. There are troubles that can occur that it simply does not repair -- such as a corrupted SAM database. It is however a good place to start. It does undo a lot of the damage you can accidentally do to your machine. This fact is why you should always make a back up of your system -- either a "disk image" made with a 3rd-party utility like Acronis True Image, or Norton Ghost, and/or Windows Backup Utility (Start >Programs >Accessories >System tools >Backup).
I stated in the prior article, and will repeat here, that you may have to repeat the System Restore process several times before one "snapshot" finally takes. When you use SR, you will see a calendar with available snapshots in bold dates. You should see several. Start with the most recent date and time, and work your way backwards. If you have done this with no luck, you probably have one of those troubles System Restore is not designed for. Either look elsewhere for solutions, or call for some Tech Support (we Tech Support folks need to make a living too, you know).

Legit vs. Phishing: "how do I know if an email is legit?" In my post about the rocket scientist, I discussed phishing and recommended an anti-phishing site toolbar, which combats a form of phishing called "pharming".
I suggest you take no chances with emails. Simply do not click on links in emails. Also, realize that your bank will not send you links. They know about phishing, and they figure you already know their URL (you should have it bookmarked, so use that...or call them directly). Also be aware that just because an email claims to be from a friend or relative, doesn't mean that it is. If you are not expecting an attachment.exe "executable" (application) or "you gotta see this!" .jpg from Uncle Fred, by all means don't open it! Email him and ask him, "did you send me a..?" It is an easy thing for an Evil Doer to spoof a Sender address.
And finally, make sure your antivirus definitions are up to date. If it is not already on by default, open your antivirus' Options and look in "Update Options" for "Download and install new definitions automatically" (or words to that effect) and make sure it's selected. If available, have it set to scan email and email attachments as well. (If it's not, consider switching to the free Avast! or AVG antivirus programs..)

Removing stubborn start up programs: If the methods I described in "My Startup folder is a clown car" proved insufficient for getting rid of a really determined program, there are three more methods you can try. The first is to read my Manage your Startup programs; second is msconfig, and the last is editing the Registry.
If these easy methods in the article didn't do the trick, start by opening the msconfig utility. Click Start >Run and type in "msconfig" (no quotes), and then click on the Startup tab. Here you will see a list of the programs scheduled to start when Windows boots. Uncheck the checkbox next to the program you are having the troubles with. You will need to restart your system for the changes to take effect.

The second method, editing the Registry, is for advanced users who are comfortable treading in such risky waters. Changes made to the Registry are immediate, and there's no "undo" feature. If you feel you are determined to dive in, please create a Restore Point before starting and back up the Registry to a .txt file first. Please read (or re-familiarize yourself with) Microsoft's detailed how-to here. They Key you'll be working with is HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\CurrentVersion\Run.
But please: this is not for the inexperienced. Do not try this without reading and understanding what editing the Registry is about, and what damage one mistake can do. First use the aforementioned methods and please consider simply using Add/Remove Programs to "retire" the troublesome program altogether...or try a program like StartUp Cop.

Today's free link(s): I am satisfied with this freeware Startup manager: Ashampoo StartUp Tuner 2.

If you have been a victim of a phish, have been clicking unsolicited links willy-nilly, or let a window that magically popped open one day "scan your computer to remove infections".. or just want to know your scores -- get a free credit report here, and find out if you're the only "you" accessing your credit.
[Note: I believe it is worth it to have your credit reports monitored.. which is not a free service. For $5/month, I use Experian Triple Alert, which monitors the big three report companies.]

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

Get new life out of your old DVD's

Many of us put off buying a Hi-Def player until the "format war" was settled, and many of us still haven't shelled out the big  bucks for the winner, Blu-ray, yet. Instead, we keep on watching our collection of movies using our "standard", old, DVD players.

This works fine until you bring a HDTV into the the scenario.. and then our old movies look sorta, well, old. (Certainly they don't look Hi-Def!

The truth is simply this, to show you an actual HD image, your HDTV's "input" (used to be called a "signal") has to be HD-- such as what you can get on (some) over-the-air channels, (some) satellite, and (HD) cable.. and Blu-ray discs.
What is missing from that list is all the DVD's you've purchased so far-- they're "standard definition" (SD). Bummer.

So.. do you have to go out and purchase a whole new movie library, and a HD (Blu-ray) player to enjoy the "Hi-Def experience" you purchased the HDTV for? {Many of us would find this prohibitive.. Blu-ray players are around $400.} Fortunately, the answer is no.

Tip of the day: Enjoy near HD quality images from your (old) DVD's buy purchasing a player that is capable of "scaling" SD signals up to 1080p (HD). [note: you want this ability even if your HDTV is less than 1080p] This "scaling" is sometimes called "upscaling", "upsampling", and sometimes "upconversion". More info than you'd want to know about this can be read here. These types of players can be found for around $100.

I won't bore you with the technical specs (you can click the provided links for that) but  I will say that upscaling uses a sort of intelligent "magic" to fill in the pixels required for the HD image.

Your HDTV has some scaling ability built into it, and this will help provide a fair picture from a SD source. It is possible that it does a good enough job with your DVD's. But to get better results than you already are getting, a player with this capability is the way to go. Your SD DVD's will appear much more "Hi-Def", and you'll enjoy watching them (again and again, if you're like me) for years to come.

Today's free link: (Yes, loyal Friends, I have posted this one before..) With the ability to scan your RAM, Registry, hard drives, and external storage devices for known data-mining, advertising, and tracking components, Ad-Aware 2008 can clean your system easily, allowing you to maintain a higher degree of privacy while you surf the Web

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

User State Migration the Vista way

For those of you who have ever used a User State Migration Tool, or Easy Files and Settings Transfer tool, to migrate your data from an old computer to your new computer -- or purchased a special program, or cable -- you know that getting your new machine exactly as you had your old machine required some time and effort.

The other day, the proud owner of a new laptop wanted me to replicate his XP set up onto the new Vista machine, and the usual method has been to to use one of the techniques mentioned in the paragraph above. But I didn't. I used an adjunct to Window's built-in Easy Files and Settings Transfer tool, which will be today's free link.
I downloaded this program to both his XP machine and the new Vista machine. Then I connected his XP machine via wireless. Surprise! The XP machine was instantly seen and recognized.

Then I launched the Windows Easy Transfer Companion on the Vista PC and followed the wizard. The two machines established a "transfer" connection and the XP machine transferred its installed programs, and all the files, and all of the owners tweaks and settings (like bookmarks, and custom toolbars). All I did was watch.
This was, by far, the fastest and easiest user state migration I've ever experienced, and truly was painless. This is bad for a PC Tech's bottom line, but great for Vista owners.

Today's free link: When you buy a new PC, you will almost certainly want to transfer all kinds of things from the machine you've been using to the new one. Microsoft has "a companion" for the Easy Files and Settings Transfer tool called the Windows Easy Transfer Companion. It is actually a 'stand-alone'. This tool not only transfers your documents and personalized Settings tweaks, but the programs you have installed. This is a huge time saver.
I did my transfer over the local network, but you can use the other methods of data storage to make the transfer as well-- including USB thumb drives. [Note: while Microsoft still considers this program to be in beta, I have experienced absolutely no hiccups or difficulties at all.]

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

What is the "Internet"?

My "real job" is helping folks solve their computer problems. I am a Tech Support Helpdesk (available at aplusca.com) and a repair technician. Writing Tech--for Everyone is a passion, but it does not generate my income, is my point.

I truly enjoy helping people, and I love solving puzzles. Troubleshooting is an art, and it's a challenge, and I actually get a kick when someone presents me with a new problem.

However, as I mentioned in my article on pebcak's, the problem usually turns out to be operator error, and this is due to the user not fully comprehending the technology they're using (they didn't read the manual). Because of this reality, I often wind up giving brief "how to" lessons, and not actually repairing a machine.

In a classic example of not understanding the technology, the other day, to help diagnose their machine, I asked a client to boot into "Safe Mode with networking" (a special, minimal version of Windows) and they replied, "but I am not networked."

Now, I understood that they were saying they only have one computer, but it illustrates a common public misconception-- just what is the Internet? It is one vast network, made up of my machine(s), your machine(s), and everyone else's machine(s). They "talk" to each other over the telephone lines.
Websites? They're just documents sitting on a machine that has been configured to be a "server" (no special trick); this "server" could be my old P-III that I keep in my basement, or a expensive model in a back room at GigantiCorp, or some hacker's laptop. Most of the time, they're pages stored on Hosting company's "servers", which they rent out to people.

So, yes-- if you go online you are "networked" -- with the servers at your ISP, and hundreds of thousands of machines (potentially) in every country on the globe. The Internet is populated with every type of person there is.. good, bad, and indifferent. Please, remember this, and practice safe surfing.

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

Open Office 2007 files with older versions*

A while ago I wrote about solving the problem of opening documents that Windows does not recognize, and I used as an example two text documents received as email attachments (click here to read Cannot open attachment...help!). While the point of that article was how to identify unrecognized file types, the fact that I mentioned a .docx (a Word 2007 document) received the most attention from readers.

Tip of the day: Open Office 2007 documents with older versions of Office. Some time ago now, Microsoft released a new version of its Office suite, called Office 2007. Besides having a new "look" and new toolbars, this suite of programs uses a whole new format (a way of encoding) for the documents it produces, which Microsoft calls "Open XML" (for more on this, click here); and to signify this, has added an "x" to the file extension.. so the familiar ".doc" of MS Word has become ".docx".

This change to the coding does improve the flexibility of the document, and "modernizes" the way machines interact with it, and yet allows Microsoft to maintain proprietary control.. thus ensuring that sales of Office continues. The trouble is, owners of MS Word cannot open the new .docx formats, which produces great dissatisfaction from folks who have shelled out the bucks to own the most commonly used word processor in the world. (And largely done so simply to be able to open other people's documents.) It also smacks of forcing people to spend a couple hundred bucks to upgrade.

Microsoft swears this is not the intent. Of course they want you to upgrade, but to do so because of the improvements and new features. They do, in fact want current MS Office licensees to be able to read the new Open XML 'standard', and so they have made available a tool for the older versions of Office.. which is today's free link.
As more and more people use the new 2007 suite, the more .docx's you're going to run across; so if you're happy and comfortable with your current version, and aren't ready to relearn the Excel and Word toolbar, relax. Keep reading and download the Microsoft Office compatibility tool.

[Note: If you are the one using Office 2007, and you know you're going to be sending your document to folks who are using an older version, use "Save As" to save the file as a Office 97-2003 document (no "x").]

Today's free link: Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats. Open, edit, and save documents, workbooks, and presentations in the file formats new to Microsoft Office Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007.

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

On the road

Today Tech--for Everyone is being broadcast to you from a remote location, as circumstances force me into being a "road warrior". T4E Headquarters is temporarily down for maintenance.

In this day and age, that is not nearly as inconvenient as it used to be. Today I merely grab my laptop and head for the nearest "hotspot" or Internet cafe... though, if my thumbs were up to the task, I could also "text" in my article on my cellphone or PDA.

I have been using computers since this ability (mobility) was just someone's fantasy. And so I have an appreciation for this that sometimes borders on awe. But then, as I mentioned in The New Generation Gap, when I was in my "formative years" there weren't even ATM machines yet.. much less cellphones, and computers were giant machines owned by NASA.
The fact that I can get on the Internet (almost) anytime and anywhere still amazes me... and makes me giggle.

Tip of the day: If you are thinking of purchasing a notebook computer (or PDA), or already own one-- having decent battery life can really be important (especially if your job or lifestyle has you always "on the go") and yet it is usually not factored in at purchase time.
I highly recommend that you either buy a second battery, or spend more for the "extended" battery option. These "extended" (I think of them as "heavy duty") batteries have more "cells" to generate and hold the charge, and thus allow you to operate your machine for a longer period. Well worth the prce of the upgrade.

Today's free link: RealArcade, a free download, offers a huge selection of more than 500 download games--puzzle, word, action, arcade classics. RealArcade also has features that help you find, manage and play all your favorite games. RealArcade also includes Web-based games that run directly in your browser; and for those looking for some friendly competition, there's an online community for matching players, sharing information, and enhancing the overall gaming experience. Version 1.27 may include unspecified updates, enhancements, or bug fixes.

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

Troubleshooting iPods and iTunes

It may be kind of hard to believe, but it seems that a lot of people have iPods. And it seems to be true that a lot of people (even Windows people) use iTunes software to download and/or manage digital music. And, it also seems to be true that both these products are fairly simple and easy to use.

Tip of the day: Make sure you're using the latest version of the product to resolve your iTroubles.

iTunes is pretty good at letting you know when there is a "newer version available", and it (typically) prompts you to update. You should accept these prompts when you see them. If you haven't.. and/or are having trouble making purchases at the iTunes Store, or connecting your iPod to your computer.. you can (and should) manually check for a newer version of the software.
To do so, open iTunes, and under the iTunes menu, click "Check for updates".

iPods need to have their software updated as well, and you can solve most issues by following these steps:
Connect your iPod and then open iTunes and click on your player in the Source list (on the left), and click on the Summary tab, then click on the "Check for Updates" button. Then follow the instructions.

If you are fully updated with the latest software, and still are having troubles getting or playing music the next troubleshooting step is to reset your iPod.
1) Unplug your player from your computer.
2) For Click-Wheel iPods, slide the Hold switch to "Hold" and then to "Off".
3) Press and hold both the Menu and Select buttons down for about 10 seconds, or until you see the Apple logo on the screen. (If you don't see the logo after 15 seconds, stop, and repeat the steps above.)

This should do the trick. But if all this fails, and your player still won't play, you can restore your iPod's software. This should be done as a last resort, as it will "wipe" your stored songs/podcasts/etc. from your iPod's memory, and you will have to copy your content back.
Connect your iPod and then open iTunes and click on your player in the Source list (on the left), and click on the Summary tab, then click on the "Restore" button. Then you may see up to four restore "options"-- try using the "Use Newest Version" option first. If that doesn't do the trick.. repeat the process and select the "Restore" version, and then update it when it is reinstalled.

These steps will resolve the majority of problems, and get your music playing again.

Today's free link: I have recommended the top-rated encryption program TrueCrypt before, but I don't believe I made it clear that versions are available for Mac users as well. To get it, click here, and scroll down a bit to see "Mac OS X" and use the drop-down arrow to select your version.. then click the "Download" button.

Copyright 2007-8 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved.

post to jaanix