Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) added the Security Center, which centralize most security-related functions to one control panel. By default, if it finds a problem it will start nagging you to fix it. For example, if you turned off automatic updates or it doesn't recognize your anti-virus application. Here is how to turn off this feature:Open the Control Panel folderOpen the Security Center
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Microsoft Security Bulletin MS08-078 - Critical: Security Update for Internet Explorer (960714)
Posted on 5:16 PM by Unknown
Microsoft just released an Out-of-Band security bulletin MS08-078. Generally any Out-of-Band security patches are important, because they fix a problem that needs to be addressed now. MS08-078 (960714) is a critical security update for Internet Explorer.Here is an excerpt from the Microsoft site about this patch: "This security update resolves a publicly disclosed vulnerability. The
Monday, December 15, 2008
Windows Vista: Starting Programs with Elevated Privileges
Posted on 1:00 AM by Unknown
Do you need to automatically start applications that require elevated privileges when you log into Windows Vista? To accomplish this we are going to have to use the Vista Task Scheduler. Follow the instructions below to learn how to do this:Note: You need an account with administrative privileges to the computer for this tip to work.Remove the programs from the Startup group if they are already
Monday, December 1, 2008
Windows Vista: Re-Activating the Built-in Administrator Account
Posted on 1:58 AM by Unknown
In previous versions of Windows the built-in Administrator account was enabled default (this was before Vista). This was a major security risk because hackers knew which they account they needed to attack to get complete access to the computer.In Vista if you do a clean install (not an upgrade), this account has been disabled by default. If for some reason you need to reactivate this account (
Monday, November 24, 2008
Software: Picasa 3 (Free Photo Editing/Management Application)
Posted on 6:48 PM by Unknown
I have used Picasa for managing my photos for years. Its one of the best free photo editing and media management applications available (in my opinion).The application has gotten better with several new enhancement that Google has added in this release. Below is a brief summary of changes in the new version of Picasa 3:Improved automatic sync between your PC and the Picasa Web Albums site.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Security: What is Clickjacking?
Posted on 4:28 PM by Unknown
If malware, spam, phishing, and other threats were not bad enough, the latest Internet security threat is called Clickjacking. Basically its a way of tricking you to click on disguised Web links, so that an action is performed on your local computer without your knowledge.For example, using this exploit you can be tricked into turning on your web cam, or installing malware. All browsers are
Monday, November 10, 2008
Software: FREE EASEUS Partition Manager Home Edition
Posted on 5:08 PM by Unknown
Are you looking for a free alternative to the commercial version of Partition Magic? Then you might want to check out EASEUS Partition Manager Home Edition, its a free hard disk partition management application. It allows you to: create, format, re-size, delete, move hard disk partitions, and more.It runs on Windows 2000/XP/Vista (32-bit) Operating Systems. This version of the software is only
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Software: ShellRunas v1.01
Posted on 10:49 PM by Unknown
Note: This tip is more technical then the way I generally write. Although, the people who would use this feature should understand what I am talking about.Sometimes when they upgrade software they change or remove things. Most of the improvements in Windows Vista I really like, but one small feature that was removed that I really used was the "Run as..." context menu command. This Windows XP
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Security: New Critical Security Patch
Posted on 5:15 PM by Unknown
A few days ago Microsoft released a critical patch known as MS08-067 (958644). If you have Automatic Updates turned on, and have it setup to install the patches for you automatically then you should have received this patch already. If you don't, I would suggest that you manually install it (download information).This patch fixes a new security vulnerability in the Server Service that could
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Windows Vista: Creating Shutdown/Restart Shortcuts
Posted on 9:24 AM by Unknown
Want to create a quick and easy to way restart or shutdown Vista from an icon in your desktop, quick launch bar or your Start menu? Follow the instructions below.Right-click an empty area on your desktop and select New > Shortcut.In the field labeled 'Type the location of the item,' type: shutdown.exe /s /t 00 (note: those are zeros, and not 'O's). You can also use the command shutdown.exe /r /
Monday, October 6, 2008
Software: Virtual Desktops
Posted on 5:34 PM by Unknown
Microsoft's Sysinternals group has release a new utility called 'Desktops', which is a virtual desktop manager. Basically, it allows you to have several applications open, and assign them to different virtual desktops. So for example, let say that you have eight different programs open, but they can be grouped into 4 different categories. You can assign related application windows to different
Solid State Drive (SSD) vs. Hard Disk Drive (HDD) Performance Test
Posted on 4:45 PM by Unknown
I don't post a lot of these videos, but I thought this was a very good comparison of a Samsung Solid State Drive (SSD) vs a standard Hard Disk Drive (HDD). SSD uses the same type of memory as portable flash drives. The SSD wins in weight, reliability, speed, and power consumption. The problems with SSD, is that its more expensive and the available capacities are limited right now when compared
Monday, September 29, 2008
Cool Tip: Reducing the USB Power Charger Clutter
Posted on 2:00 AM by Unknown
Here is a very cool tip to help reduce the power cord clutter that can be created when you're charging your USB gadgets.Remember: You want to find a USB hub that has a power adapter.You can see some examples of what I am talking about here.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Software: Microsoft Pro Photo Tools v2
Posted on 10:07 PM by Unknown
Microsoft recently released a new version of their Pro Photo Tools. Here is excerpt from the site explains the software, "The Pro Photo Tools allow you to add, change, and delete common metadata properties for digital photographs. You can place photos on the Live Earth map and then drag them to the right location. The GPS information will be stored back into the photos. If you have a GPS device,
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Windows security rendered useless? Uh, not exactly | Ed Bott’s Microsoft Report | ZDNet.com
Posted on 7:12 AM by Unknown
ZDNet.com reports: "Oh dear. The Chicken Little contingent is out in full force. Break out your Kevlar helmets, everyone, because the sky is falling on Windows! At last week’s Black Hat conference in Las Vegas, researchers Alexander Sotirov and Mark Dowd presented a paper that outlined some new attack vectors they had discovered targeting some security features introduced in different versions of
Monday, September 15, 2008
F-Secure E:VOLUTION
Posted on 2:00 AM by Unknown
Keeping up with all the latest malware that is being created is an overwhelming job for any anti-virus company. Some have stated its even a losing battle. This is a very interesting video where Mikko Hyppönen discusses the various motives of Crimeware in a follow up to Re:solution. After watching it, you can begin to see why its getting its such a tough job.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Google Chrome Could Nuke Microsoft From the Internet Market
Posted on 7:10 PM by Unknown
eWeek reports: "Google launches Chrome as an alternative to Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and Opera. Analysts from IDC and Forrester believe Chrome can be Google's definitive Web operating system, making it quite an achievement for application development. If Google can make Chrome consumers' gateway of choice for Web services such as search and SAAS applications, it will extend
Monday, September 1, 2008
Internet Explorer: Microsoft Releases Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2
Posted on 9:32 AM by Unknown
For those of you that like to run the latest and greatest browser, here is information on IE8 Beta 2. Microsoft Certified Professional Magazine Online reports: "Microsoft released its Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 test product today, and the company spilled a lot of pixels explaining the beta's new features, with some details for Web developers. The public release of the new beta can be accessed
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Video: Remove all remnants of the Windows Vista SP1 installation files
Posted on 6:35 PM by Unknown
TechRepublic did a great job of documenting the removal of Windows Vista SP1 installation files. Here is an except from the site: "When you install Microsoft Windows Vista Service Pack 1, the installation process leaves behind about 800 MBs of original Windows Vista files–in case you later want to remove SP1. Relative to current hard drives, 800 MBs isn’t that much space. But, it’s still enough
Monday, August 18, 2008
Security: Personal Firewalls Review Site
Posted on 2:00 AM by Unknown
Want to know how well your personal firewall might protect you from personal identity from being stolen. Check out this great comparison from matousec.com.Here is except from their site describing the project: "This project examines personal firewalls, Internet security suites and other similar products for Windows OS that implement process-based security. We call all such products personal
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Don't get burned by driver-update scams | WindowsSecrets.com
Posted on 6:45 PM by Unknown
Windows Secrets reports: "Although you can find free tools to help keep Windows and your other software up-to-date, you'll have to pay to get the best tool for scanning your system's drivers and downloading the updates you need."I have never been a big fan of these driver version update tools, because they never really helped me but some people like them. Although, here is a article that talks
Monday, August 11, 2008
Microsoft Office: Liven up your Office Microsoft Documents (w/Templates)
Posted on 5:41 PM by Unknown
Are you looking for different templates to spice up your Microsoft Office documents (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Access, and more.). Check out Microsoft Office's template web site. Below is a brief list of categories available on the site:AgendasAward certificatesBrochuresBudgetsBusiness cardsCalendarsContent slidesContractsDatabasesDesign slidesDiagramsEnvelopesExpense reportsand lots more...
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Windows Vista: How to enable the DVD Library in Windows Media Center
Posted on 8:29 PM by Unknown
Microsoft has posted a knowledge base article on how to enable the DVD Library feature on a Windows Vista based Media Center. This feature is enabled by default in Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005. The DVD content is stored on the hard disk, and appears in the My Videos folder. On Windows Vista-based Media Centers content is displayed in a DVD gallery. However, the DVD Library is
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Windows Vista: Built-in Calendar Program
Posted on 2:00 AM by Unknown
One of Windows Vista's new features is the built-in calendaring program, called Windows Calendar. It provides functionality similar to Microsoft's Outlook calendaring feature, but unlike Outlook there is a separate application called Windows Mail for managing your email.Some of the Windows Calendar features include: sharing your calendar with others, creating multiple calendars for different
Monday, July 28, 2008
Software: Microsoft Office Accounting Express 2008 (Free)
Posted on 6:27 PM by Unknown
Microsoft has made available an updated version of its Office Accounting. There is a free version called Express and a paid version that has several more features.If you manage your home-based business and are just looking for a way to manage your accounts, track your invoices and bill payment, the free version might be what you're looking for. Otherwise you will have to buy the full version to
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Software: Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer v2.1
Posted on 9:28 PM by Unknown
The Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) is a free standalone vulnerability assessment tool that can scan your Windows systems to identify common security mis-configurations and missing security updates. The MBSA also includes a graphical and command line interface that can perform local or remote scans of Microsoft Windows systems.MBSA 2.1 added support for Windows Vista and Windows
Monday, July 21, 2008
Windows Vista: Setting a Default Access Point
Posted on 8:06 AM by Unknown
By default, Windows Vista will automatically switch your computer from one Wireless Access Point (WAP) to another if you move out of range, to try to keep you connected. Sometimes it can switch even if you're not moving around, and this can make you lose your connection temporarily.If the automatic switching funuctionality is causing problems for you, you can turn this feature off:Open the '
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Windows Vista: System Diagnostics Report
Posted on 7:57 PM by Unknown
One of the really cool diagnostic tools that comes with Windows Vista is the Reliability and Performance Monitor. The tool comes with a report option that can collect 60 seconds worth of system data, and then analyzes it and displays a report.To see the System Diagnostics Report, from the Start menu in the Search field is "perfmon.exe /report"
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Microsoft Hopes Office Subscription Plan Will Counter Free Software -- Microsoft -- InformationWeek
Posted on 8:39 PM by Unknown
InformationWeek reports: "Microsoft said Wednesday that it will give consumers the option of buying an annual license for Office and its Windows Live OneCare security package for $69.99 per year under a program called Equipt. The license covers use of the software on up to three computers and includes access to all future product upgrades."Seems like a pretty good deal, especially when you
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Software: Windows SteadyState 2.5
Posted on 8:56 PM by Unknown
Windows SteadyState makes it easier to manage shared computers, which are commonly used in schools, Internet cafes, libraries, and community centers. These shared computers are generally managed by the business owners, teachers, or other non-technical personnel.Managing this type of computers can be difficult, and time-consuming. Also without system restrictions and protections, users can
Monday, July 14, 2008
Software: Microsoft Pro Photo Tools
Posted on 8:28 PM by Unknown
Microsoft recently released a new application called 'Pro Photo Tools' that allows you to edit the metadata (such as: location, description, date/time, etc.) in digital photographs. Some of this data is automatically added by the camera, the rest you need to add yourself.Excerpt from the Microsoft site: "The Pro Photo Tools allow you to add, change, and delete common metadata properties for
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Windows Vista: Encrypting Offline Files
Posted on 9:36 PM by Unknown
Windows Vista has an offline files feature that can store local copies of files from a network share on your computer when you're disconnected from it. Then when you re-connect to the network, all the files will be re-synchronized. So the ones that you edited while you were away will be updated on the network file share.To make sure that these file stay secure when you're offline, you can
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Windows Vista: Simple Tips to Help Improve System Reliability
Posted on 8:21 PM by Unknown
For years people have complained about Windows being buggy. Although most people never really think about all the variables that can really cause your system to become unstable and crash. Don't get me wrong I am not in anyway implying that Windows doesn't have its bugs, but that can also be said about Apple, or Linux.Although, most problems can be traced to a few different factors, the OS,
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Windows Vista: Setting a Process's Affinity
Posted on 9:29 PM by Unknown
Almost all modern PCs are sold with processors that support multiple CPU cores. Basically what this means is that the processor has multiple CPUs that can do more work then a single CPU by itself (there are advantages and disadvantages to this technology that I need to discuss at a later time).If your computer's processor supports multiple cores, then Windows Vista allows you assign a process to
Monday, June 30, 2008
Email: Making Gmail Your Default Email Client
Posted on 8:00 PM by Unknown
I was asked today how to make GMail the default email client so that when you send email it will be automatically opened up. You use to be able to do this with the GMail notifier, but it looks like Google stopped developing it (no updates since 3/2006).You can now do this with Google Talk (Google's IM chat client). Open the Setting dialog under General, check the "Open GMail when I click on
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Firefox 3 Has Been Released (Is it the Next-Generation Web Browser?)
Posted on 2:00 AM by Unknown
I have been waiting for Firefox 3 for sometime now. Well last Tuesday (June 17) Mozilla finally released its next generation version of the browser. Version 3 of the Firefox browser contains many usability and feature enhancements.Rather then trying to 'rewrite the wheel', I am going to post a link and excerpt from an eWeek article that reviews the browser: "At first glance, it doesn't look
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Internet Explorer: New Search Providers
Posted on 2:00 AM by Unknown
In Internet Explorer you can change or add search engines that your browser can use to find information. To change the search engine used by the search field click the drop-down menu next to search field, then select any of the providers: MSN, Amazon, eBay, etc. To add more providers, in the search drop-down (in the upper-right corner of the browser window) menu select 'Find More Providers...'
Monday, June 23, 2008
Firefox: New Search Providers
Posted on 7:14 AM by Unknown
In Firefox you can change or add search engines that your browser uses to search for the information. To change the search engine click the drop-down menu next to search field, then select any of the providers: Google, Yahoo, etc.To add more providers, in the drop-down menu select 'Manage Search Engine..." Then click the link 'Get More Search Engines...' in the dialog. Press the Add to Firefox
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Windows Vista: Removing Personal Data From Your Files
Posted on 8:03 PM by Unknown
In Windows Vista you can add information to music and photo files such as titles, ratings, comments, and more. Although, if you don't want to share this personal data if you share these files with other people you can remove it.Right-click a file, choose Properties, then click the Details tab. At the bottom of the window there is a link called 'Remove Properties and Personal Information.' From
Window Vista: Using the On-Screen Keyboard
Posted on 7:48 PM by Unknown
Windows Vista includes a virtual keyboard, this can come in handy in different situations. For example, if a critical key stops functioning on your real keyboard, you can use the virtual keyboard. To access this feature, from the Start menu in the Search field type OSK and then press the enter key.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Software: Great Silverlight Demo
Posted on 8:47 PM by Unknown
I have talked about Microsoft's Silverlight in the past, but I have not seen many good demonstrations of the technology until now. Check out the Hard Rock Cafe's memorabilia section of their site. Using a feature called 'deep zoom' you can do perform some close examination the different objects in the collection.To access the site you will need to install SilverLight Beta 2 (you will be prompted
Monday, June 16, 2008
Software: Windows Search 4.0 is Now Available
Posted on 2:00 AM by Unknown
Windows Search 4.0 is now available for download. Some of the features are: better indexing performance, support for the remote query of shared index locations, and more.Windows Search 4.0 is available for following operating environments:Windows VistaWindows Vista (x64 Edition)Windows XPWindows XP (x64 Edition)
Friday, June 13, 2008
Windows Vista Complete PC Backup and Restore
Posted on 2:00 AM by Unknown
TechNet Edge reports: "t’s been a while since I brought up a great feature in Windows Vista (not present in Windows XP) called Complete PC (CPC). Available in Windows Vista Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions, Windows Complete PC Backup and Restore is a image-based backup tool that will help you out of a tight spot if you need to recover your entire system." Read the rest of the article.(
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Software: Sysinternals Live (Updated)
Posted on 2:00 AM by Unknown
Sysinternals is testing out a new feature that gives you quick access to all their free tools. These are some of best diagnostic and troubleshooting utilities available for Windows. Also, Mark Russinovich and his team are continuously updating the existing tools and creating new ones.You can download any of the utilities without having to unzip them. All you have to do is remember the following
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Microsoft demonstrates Multi-touch
Posted on 2:00 AM by Unknown
Windows Vista Team Blog reports: "Touch is quickly becoming a common way of directly interacting with software and devices. Touch-enabled surfaces are popping up everywhere including laptop touch pads, cell phones, remote controls, GPS devices, and more. What becomes even more compelling is when this experience is delivered to the PC -on a wide variety of Windows notebooks, in all-in-one PC's, as
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Windows XP: SP3 Compatibility Issues
Posted on 7:02 PM by Unknown
Last month Microsoft released Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3). Since then, some people have experience certian issues with 3rd party software and some AMD CPUs. So, before installing SP3 for Windows XP there are some compatibility issues that you should be aware of:On May 23, 2008 Computerworld reports on a problem with Symantec Norton security products: "Symantec Corp. on Thursday said it was
Monday, June 9, 2008
Firefox 3: Quick Demo What's New
Posted on 2:00 AM by Unknown
You might have been hearing about Firefox 3 for the past several months. You may have even tried out some of the beta and release candidates this application. For those who have not done this but may be fans of Firefox, check out this 4 minutes overview of some of the new features in the soon-to-be-released browser.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Windows Vista: SP1 UAC improvements
Posted on 8:53 PM by Unknown
The following is a video from TechNet Edge in reference to Vista SP1 UAC improvements. Here is a description for this video from the site: "UAC is often maligned as over prompting for a single task. In this short and sharp clip I show a basic difference of Windows Vista RTM and Windows Vista SP1 and the reduction in UAC prompting to create a folder in a protected system location from four to one
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Internet: Live Search Cashback
Posted on 2:00 AM by Unknown
This is going to be a quick tip today. Microsoft Live Search introduced a new feature recently called Cashback that offers cashback savings when using Live Search to find deals on products.For example here is an of a search using the keyword Laptop. If you use this site, please post feedback to let others know what you think of it.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
TransUnion offers free credit monitoring to 150 million
Posted on 2:00 AM by Unknown
Computerworld reports: "In a class-action settlement that may be unprecedented in its size, Chicago-based credit-reporting bureau TransUnion LLC is offering up to nine months' worth of free credit-monitoring service to anyone in the U.S. who has ever held a credit card or a line of credit over the last 20 years."Note: This is not a typical article that I would post in this blog, but I thought it
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Windows Vista: Setting Different Volumes Levels for Each Application
Posted on 2:00 AM by Unknown
Did you know that you can set different volume levels for each running application in Windows Vista? Vista includes lots of cool new features, and one of them is the ability to set different volume levels for each program that you have open. For example if you have a music player, you can reduce that volume while increasing the volume of another application.To change the volume levels:Click the
Monday, June 2, 2008
Software: PC Decrapifier
Posted on 2:00 AM by Unknown
Are you looking for an easy way to remove all that pre-installed blotware/crapware (i.e.: programs that you don't want, or trialware that you won't use) that comes on new PC. Check out a program called the PC Decrapifier it helps remove all that those useless programs. Here is a list of product that the applications can find and remove.The PC Decrapifier is free for personal use, however If you
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Windows Vista: Reducing the Size of Pictures
Posted on 2:00 AM by Unknown
A few months back my brother sent me a mega-pixel picture, and when I opened it I was not ready for how large it really was. It was opened in my browser, and for some reason it didn't automatically scaled it to the screen size. Personally I wish he would have sent me a much lower resolution version of the image, it would have been easier for me to deal with.There are several different software
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Software: Audacity (Open Source Sound Editor)
Posted on 2:00 AM by Unknown
Audacity is a free, open source multi-track audio editor and recorder, for recording and editing sounds. Features include envelope editing, mixing, built-in effects and plug-ins, all with unlimited undo.Below is a brief list of features:Record live audio.Convert tapes and records into digital recordings or CDs.Edit Ogg Vorbis, MP3, WAV or AIFF sound files.Cut, copy, splice or mix sounds
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Google Sites now open to everyone
Posted on 2:00 AM by Unknown
Here is an excerpt from Google Blog's about the new Google Sites, "A few months ago we launched Google Sites exclusively as part of Google Apps for companies and organizations that wanted to use the service on their own domains. Now we've made it easy for anyone to set up a website to share all types of information -- team projects, company intranets, community groups, classrooms, clubs,
Friday, May 23, 2008
Software: Notepad++ (Notepad Replacement)
Posted on 2:00 AM by Unknown
Notepad++ is a free Windows Notepad replacement (and source code editor), which supports several programming languages. This program maybe overkill for some people, but if you want something that is powerful this is a great tool, especially if you do any scripting.Below is a list of just a few of the features:Syntax Highlighting and Syntax FoldingUser Defined Syntax
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Software: Free Calculator (w/Tape Option)
Posted on 2:00 AM by Unknown
Moffsoft FreeCalc is a great replacement for Windows calculator. The main reason why I use it is the tape option. The free version is pretty basic, so if you want more functionality check out the paid version.Some of the other features of the free version include:Make the calculator as big or as small as you like.Save, print, or clear the simulated paper history tape.Select a color
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Software: Google Calendar Sync
Posted on 2:00 AM by Unknown
If you have Microsoft Outlook (for business), and Google Calendar (for personal) and you wish you can keep them both in sync with each other. Well your wish has been answered. Google now offers Google Calendar Sync, which allows you to sync events between Google Calendar and Microsoft Outlook. This product is not without its limitations, but it may be worth checking out. For example, it's not
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Security: Laptop Hardware Recovery Services
Posted on 2:00 AM by Unknown
Laptops are prized targets of thieves because of their high resale value, or their potential of containing private information that can be used for identity thief. The data on these computers can be far more valuable then the hardware all by itself.To help assist in the recovery of these lost devices, the following laptop tracking and recovery services may be able to help you:Lojack for
Monday, May 19, 2008
Windows Vista: Not reporting more then 3 GB of RAM
Posted on 2:00 AM by Unknown
As computers memory capacity grows and grows, modern OSs have to be updated to address it. The 32-bit (x86) version of Windows Vista pre-SP1 (Service Pack 1) would not properly report memory over 3GB. With the new SP1 update, it corrects this problem.Here is an excerpt from a Microsoft KB (929605) article: "If a computer has 4 gigabytes (GB) of random-access memory (RAM) installed, the system
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Windows Vista: Creating a Recovery Disc (SP1 only)
Posted on 2:00 AM by Unknown
One of the new features of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 is the ability to create a recovery disc. This is not like your computer manufacturer's recovery disk that restores your system back to its original state when you bought it. This is more of a system repair disk that you can use to boot and fix certain problems on a failing system.Basically this is a Windows PE disk (a CD bootable version
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Software: Laptop Alarm (Laptop Security)
Posted on 2:00 AM by Unknown
Laptop Alarm is a free program that can help protect your laptop from being stolen in a public area such as a coffee shop or library when you're away from it. If someone tries to still your computer it will sound an alarm.Its a fairly simple program to install and use. All you need to do is download and run it. Select the events to respond to, and press the Options button to set a password.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Microsoft Revamps Download Center Using Silverlight
Posted on 2:00 AM by Unknown
PC World reports: "Microsoft continues to eat its own dog food to promote the adoption of its Silverlight technology.The company is beta-testing a new version of its Microsoft Download Center Web site using the technology, a browser plug-in and development runtime for adding multimedia and high-definition video to Web-based applications."Silverlight is Microsoft's answer to Adobe's Flash
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Windows Vista: Searching for .DMP files
Posted on 10:21 PM by Unknown
Are you running low on disk storage on your computer? The .DMP (crash dump) files consume a great deal of space.These files are created when your operating system or application crash. Programmers use these files to find what cause your OS or program to fail.The problem with these files is that they will sit around for a long time sucking up space. The file size can vary from a few kilobyte to
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Software: MediaCoder (Audio/Video Transcoder)
Posted on 8:47 PM by Unknown
The MediaCoder describes itself as the 'swiss army knife for media transcoding'. MediaCoder is a free universal batch media transcoder utility, which integrates the most popular audio/video codecs and tools into an all-in-one solution.MediaCoder uses various open source audio and video codecs and tools to transcode different audio/video files into different formats. Common uses for the program
Monday, May 5, 2008
Windows Vista: Windows Server 2008 Remote Server Administration Tools
Posted on 6:14 PM by Unknown
For those systems administrators that support Windows 2008 servers, this post is dedicated to you.Microsoft has finally release the Windows Server 2008 Remote Server Administration Tools for Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1). This software allows you to remotely manage roles and features in Windows Server 2008 from a Windows Vista SP1 workstation. This software provides similar functionality to
Friday, May 2, 2008
Security: Darik's Boot and Nuke (Hard Drive Disk Wipe)
Posted on 1:59 PM by Unknown
Darik's Boot and Nuke ('DBAN') is one of those tools that has become a standard in its class (i.e. data destruction), and best of all its free. DBAN is a self-contained boot disk that can securely wipe your hard disks.DBAN can use several different data destruction techniques (such as: 'American DoD 5220-22.M Standard Wipe') that can prevent or thoroughly hinders all known hard disk recovery
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Article: Removing hard drive data -- the YouTube way
Posted on 1:38 PM by Unknown
ComputerWorld reports: "With stories surfacing on news channels regularly about lost or stolen data or the ability to recover data from discarded or resold computers and their hard drives, Computerworld decided to look at some cheap methods of removing that sensitive data from your hard drive permanently. And, what better place to look than YouTube?"I would never recommend any of the methods
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Windows Vista: Sleep Mode
Posted on 11:15 PM by Unknown
I have really only briefly described Windows Vista's new Sleep mode in the past. Sleep is a hybrid low-power state, it combines the benefits of Standby and the Hibernation low-power modes.In Windows XP, Standby mode turns off the monitor and hard drive and then your computer goes into a low power state. The advantage of this mode is that computer can resume quickly to its previous state by
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Windows Vista: Power Options
Posted on 10:50 PM by Unknown
Windows by default can go into hibernate or sleep when they have been inactive for a period of time. To control when your computer hibernates or goes in to sleep mode follow the instructions below:From the Start menu, in the search field type power options, then click on it in the results.From here you can select which power plan you want your computer to use (such as balanced [balances power
Monday, April 28, 2008
Windows Vista: Putting Your Computer into a Low Power Mode
Posted on 9:53 PM by Unknown
When you're done using your computer for the day you should turn it off, but if you need to continue where you left off you can put it into a low-power state. There are two low power modes, the first is called sleep (a new feature in Vista) and second is called hibernation.In sleep mode the hard drive is turned off, then the the monitor and motherboard are put in a low power state. In
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Article: 529 Computing Tips
Posted on 11:30 PM by Unknown
PC Magazine reports: "For this very special feature, we'll boil down that manual's hundreds of pages into hundreds of tips—529, to be precise—carefully organized into nearly three dozen categories. This should take the hard work out of being an expert!Crafted by our analysts and editors and tested in PC Labs, our tips compendium starts with the fundamentals of computing: the operating system and
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Windows Vista: Managing Services (Part 2)
Posted on 8:50 PM by Unknown
In the first part of this article I explained how to access the services installed on your system. Now I am going to discuss how to manage them.From the Services management console you can start, stop, restart, or disable the different services on your system. When you start or stop a service, that is very obvious what it does. Although when you stop a service, it's only stopped until you
Monday, April 21, 2008
Windows Vista: Managing Services (Part 1)
Posted on 7:19 PM by Unknown
All modern operating systems have several programs that run in the background. These programs are known as Services. Some of these services perform mundane tasks, while others perform critical system operations.Unless you're performing some type of system maintenance or diagnostics, you will almost never need to worry about them. Most of the time they run quietly in the background and you
Friday, April 18, 2008
Windows Vista: Turning Off Features
Posted on 10:14 PM by Unknown
If you installed Windows Vista on your computer yourself, you may have noticed that you were not asked a lot of questions during the installation of the OS. Vista makes several assumptions about what it will and will not install for your computer.It tries to install the applications and features that people will most often use. Although like anything that makes automatic assumptions for you it
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Software: Google Earth 4.3 (Awesome Update)
Posted on 11:27 PM by Unknown
Google Earth is an amazing application, but Google Earth 4.3 is awesome. Check out the following video which contains demonstrations of the new features in the program.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Windows Vista: Enabling/Disabling the Hibernation Feature
Posted on 9:32 PM by Unknown
To turn on or off the hibernation feature in Windows Vista, you have to do it from the command line. Follow the instructions below:Open the Start Menu, in the Search field type cmd then press Ctrl-Shift-Enter (this opens the administrative level command prompt).In the command prompt type powercfg /hibernate on then press Enter.Reboot your computer and the hibernate feature will be enabled.Note:
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Review: avast! antivirus 4.8 Home Edition
Posted on 11:07 PM by Unknown
PC Magazine reports: "When the version number of a new software release is just 0.1 higher than the old one, I expect a ho-hum incremental update. So I was pleasantly surprised to find that avast! antivirus 4.8 Home Edition adds significant functionality: It now protects against spyware, rootkits, and other forms of nonvirus malicious software. Best of all, it's free for personal use."I was happy
Monday, April 14, 2008
Windows XP: System Recovery (Continued)
Posted on 10:19 PM by Unknown
I received a great question via email, about the last article I wrote (Windows XP: System Recovery). I was reminded that not all home computers (to be honest a good majority of them), will not ship with Windows Installation media from the factory.These machines generally include some type of system recovery media (such as: CD or DVD), or a recovery partition on your computer's hard drive. These
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Windows XP: System Recovery
Posted on 9:57 PM by Unknown
There are times when Windows XP will not start properly because you have a corrupted system file, configuration, or possibly some type of driver conflict. You can easily identify this type of failure because Windows will partially start then stop during the boot-up process.Generally at this point you have two choices, do a clean install of the OS or do a system recovery install. A system
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Windows Vista: Freeing Up Disk Space After Installing SP1
Posted on 11:11 PM by Unknown
Now that Windows Vista SP1 has finally been released, the following tip may come in handy if you need to free up a few hundred megabytes of disk space on your system.SP1 includes an uninstall feature that allows you to remove the the update if you decide you don't want it. This feature works by moving all the pre-SP1 files to a temporary location on the hard drive during the install of the
Monday, April 7, 2008
Best FREE Windows Malicious Software Removal Tools (Updated)
Posted on 4:30 PM by Unknown
These are the best free utilities for fighting malicious software (aka Malware). Malware can be defined as any software that installs itself on your computer without your permission, generally these types of programs will try to: monitor your computer activity, destroy data, steal information or steal resources (such as processor, memory, and network bandwidth) for malicious activities.The
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Intenret: Adobe Photoshop Express
Posted on 9:56 PM by Unknown
I decided to check out Adobe's free Photoshop Express site (currently in beta), which is an online photo editor with two free gigabytes of storage. Personally I was not expecting too much from the site, but I came away pretty impressed. I found it to be a very simple to use photo editor, with some cool effects that will meet 80-90% of the average person's needs.I would suggest that you take
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Internet: Google Docs now wtih Google Gears
Posted on 9:09 PM by Unknown
Google Gears is a technology that allows you to view and edit your online documents offline, without an active internet connection. As of March 31, Google Docs (an online word processor) is rolling out with Google Gears functionality. Initially offline access to your documents will be limited to: 1) viewing and searching your document list; 2) viewing and editing word processing documents.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Windows Vista: Creating XPS Documents
Posted on 11:22 PM by Unknown
Have you ever needed to keep a copy of a certain document that you created, but didn't want to print it out. For example, if you make online purchases, you may want to make an electronic copy of the receipt of the transaction for your records.One way to do this is use Microsoft's built-in XPS printer driver. When you print a document using this printer driver, the output will go to a local file
Monday, March 31, 2008
Internet Explorer: IE Add-Ons
Posted on 12:41 PM by Unknown
Are you looking for browser add-ons for Internet Explorer (IE)? Browser add-ons enhance IE by giving it functionality that it didn't come with my default (such as spell checking, security enhancements, and more).Windows Marketplace hosts a section on their site dedicated to these add-ons. Each add-on is screened by Microsoft and rated by users. Check out the site to find the best ones for you.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Windows Vista: Add A Second Time Zone
Posted on 10:05 PM by Unknown
Windows Vista allows you to track multiple time zones (up to two), which comes in handy when you're traveling or talking to friends or family in another country. To add an additional time zone, follow the steps below:Right click on the time in the notification area (in the bottom right hand corner).Select the 'Adjust Date/Time' option.In the dialog, select the 'Additional Clocks' tab.Check the '
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Internet: Adobe opens shop on Web-based Photoshop Express
Posted on 10:41 PM by Unknown
CNET News.com reports: "Adobe Systems opened up Photoshop Express on Thursday, its long-anticipated Web-based image editor aimed at the millions of consumers that want a simple way to touch up, share, and store photos.Photoshop Express, available for free with 2 gigabytes of storage at www.photoshop.com/express, is a significant departure from Adobe's desktop software business and a big bet that
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Internet Explorer: IE7 Pro
Posted on 8:54 PM by Unknown
Personally I like the Internet Explorer 7 (IE7) browser, but there are features (such as: spell checking, and inline page search) that I wish it had. I have checked out several of the available IE7 add-ons, but I have found most of them useless. Then I came across one called 'IE7 Pro', that adds several new features to the browser that I wish came with it by default.Below is a brief list of
Monday, March 24, 2008
Security: February 2008 Security ISO Image
Posted on 4:22 PM by Unknown
This DVD ISO image (2.2 Gigabytes) contains security updates for all Window OSs released via Windows Update since February 12th, 2008. This image does not contain security updates for any other Microsoft products. This image is intended for administrators that need to download multiple language versions of each security update. This ISO is also useful for Windows home users who don't have an
Friday, March 21, 2008
Hardware: Notebook SSDs disappoint
Posted on 10:35 PM by Unknown
ZDNet.com reports: "The high rate of failure is surprising, since millions of flash chips get wave-soldered on PCBs every day. Likely problem: the flash translation layer chip isn’t fully compatible with notoriously finicky disk drivers.The lackluster performance problem is well known to regular Storage Bits readers - search on Solid State Disk if you aren’t. I’m still working on unraveling the
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Windows Vista: SP1 Resources
Posted on 8:34 PM by Unknown
Windows Vista Service Pack 1 was designed to addresses specific reliability and performance issues, add support for new types of hardware, and some emerging standards. If you want to install the update immediately, it is available now in five languages (English, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish) via Window Update or by going directly to the Windows Download Center for standalone updates of
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
First Look: Internet Explorer 8
Posted on 8:19 PM by Unknown
See a developer preview of the new Internet Explorer 8. Some of the features that you will see include: 'Activities' and 'Webslices'. IE8 Activities allows you to do contextual search of text you highlighted on a website (for example if you highlight and address you can look it up on a map). IE8 Webslices gives you the ability to track a specific section of a site, similar to custom RSS
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Windows Vista: Service Pack 1 is now available
Posted on 11:12 PM by Unknown
Microsoft has released the standalone version of the Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) for 32-bit (434MB) and 64-bit (726MB) systems. Both versions of SP1 contain five languages which are English, German, French, Spanish and Japanese. SP1 is designed to fix a lot of issues, and bugs that were discovered after the release of the OS, no major new features were added.This version of SP1 is intended
Monday, March 17, 2008
Hardware: Beware Laptop Function Keys
Posted on 9:59 PM by Unknown
Here is a problem that I had to deal with today. I was given a laptop (Toshiba Tecra M5) to repair where the trackpad was not working. If you plugged in a USB mouse the laptop worked fine. Other people tried to diagnose the problem, but they were unable to figure out what was wrong. They tried all the obvious things, like checking the driver. Just to be absolutely sure, I un-installed and
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Windows Vista: Hiding the Notification Area (aka System Tray)
Posted on 9:02 PM by Unknown
Are you a desktop minimalist, and want to know if it is possible to hide the Notification Area (aka the System Tray)? The answer is yes, but I don't recommend it because the operating system and applications uses this area to communicate information to you. Although, if you want to know how to do it, I have included the instructions below.Warnings: This tip does require modifying your Windows
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Firefox: 10 Killer Firefox Extensions That You Probably Don’t Know About
Posted on 10:10 PM by Unknown
WebUpon reports: "This isn't the usual list of extensions that everyone is used to using, but 10 add-ons that many may not know about, but can be very useful for everyday web browsing."There are literally hundreds of Firefox extensions available for the browser. That is one of my favorite features about it. This article does cover some unusual and hopefully some useful ones for you to
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Microsoft Office Live Small Business
Posted on 11:59 PM by Unknown
PC Magazine reports: "You get a whole lot for free with this small-business webifier: 500MB of Web storage, one year of domain registration, simple site-building tools, 100 e-mail accounts, and more than 20 integrated business applications, including project and contact management. Microsoft Office Live Small Business gives SMBs the power to start doing business on the Web, yet keeps the process
Monday, March 10, 2008
Windows Vista: Opening .HLP Files
Posted on 11:18 PM by Unknown
The older style Windows Help documents that have the .HLP file extension are no longer supported in Vista. Windows Help has been included with every version of Windows since Windows 3.1.Although some applications still use that format for their Help files. Microsoft has made a version of this application available for Vista , that can opens these files for backwards compatibility reasons.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
The Best Free Software
Posted on 11:13 PM by Unknown
PC Magazine reports: "We did the math: If you bought popular apps instead of trying their gratis counter-parts, at the manufacturers' list prices you'd be out $5,183 and change! Why spend money when you can get what you need for nothing? Sometimes, you do get what you don't pay for."Here is a great list of free applications, check out the article.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
TaxAct Ultimate Online 2007 Accounting and finance reviews
Posted on 10:36 PM by Unknown
CNET reports: "TaxAct 2007 Online Deluxe + State from 2nd Story Software is one of the least expensive online tax-preparation services available. Of its three flavors, the entry-level Standard is free for electronic federal filing. However, state returns cost $14 extra for Standard and $7 for the $10 Deluxe edition. We tested TaxAct Ultimate Online, which costs only $17 and includes e-filing for
Monday, March 3, 2008
Remembering Windows XP’s early days
Posted on 11:13 PM by Unknown
ZDNet.com reports: "I am amused by the current lovefest going on with Windows XP. It’s the greatest operating system ever, in the minds of some, especially compared to the allegedly bloated, slow Windows Vista. In fact, InfoWorld has gone so far as to kick off a “Save XP” petition drive.Vista bashers really hate it when you point out that the same criticisms being leveled at Vista today were
Friday, February 29, 2008
Microsoft chops Vista retail prices
Posted on 9:21 AM by Unknown
CNET News.com reports: "For those in the U.S., Microsoft is cutting prices only on the higher-end versions of Vista, and only for the upgrade version used to move from XP or another copy of Vista. The suggested price for Vista Ultimate drops to $219 from $299, while Home Premium falls to $129, from $159."If you have been waiting to upgrade your OS to the new Windows Vista Ultimate or Home Premium
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Firefox: Flash Player Won't Play (and how to fix it)
Posted on 11:15 PM by Unknown
Recently I had an issue with the Flash Player stopped working within Firefox. For example, if I went to YouTube the video would start for a few seconds then stop. I tried a few things to fix the problem, but only one of them worked.Ultimately what I had to do, was quit all the browsers and uninstall the Flash plug-in. To uninstall the Flash player, follow the instructions below:First, go to
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Software: Free PDF Creator Software
Posted on 4:27 PM by Unknown
If you need to share information on the Web, one of the best document formats for doing is called PDF. PDF documents are an application neutral format. This means once a document is converted to PDF, to view its contents you don't have to have the program installed that was originally used to create it.For example if you created a document in Microsoft Word, then published the Word file to the
Monday, February 25, 2008
Internet: Windows Live SkyDrive
Posted on 11:34 PM by Unknown
Microsoft is making available 5GB of free online file storage via their Windows Live SkyDrive service. Users can upload files that they want to backup, make available to themselves online, share with a few select people or make available to the world.Windows Live SkyDrive works on Windows or Macintosh computers with Firefox 1.5 or higher, or Internet Explorer 6 or higher. A Windows Live ID is
Friday, February 22, 2008
The Tax Man Cometh - PC Magazine
Posted on 8:27 PM by Unknown
PC Magazine reports: "Chances are you still have to file your income taxes. You could fill out a paper return, if you're ambitious and not too particular about how much the government pays you back. And tax-preparation services are open practically around the clock, though that usually means sitting in some dreary office while a clerk pries into your finances—and paying big for the privilege. No,
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Software: Microsoft to Provide Some Software to Students for Free - News and Analysis by PC Magazine
Posted on 10:27 PM by Unknown
PC Magazine reports: "Microsoft plans to allow college and high school students to receive key technical software for free, in a bid to familiarize students with Microsoft's software.The program, called DreamSpark, aims to make several programs available to students worldwide for free; Microsoft has begun rolling the program out to college students in several countries, and will expand the
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Browser: 10 Best Firefox Extensions for Web Development, Media, Information, and Better Browsing
Posted on 10:25 PM by Unknown
ExtremeTech reports: "Though Internet Explorer is still the most common browser today, Firefox is catching up, and it's only a matter of time before it claims the top spot. While I'm sure many people get the warm fuzzies when they use Firefox because they feel it's safer and it offers tabbed browsing (though IE7 has tabs now), I found more value in Firefox through its extensions and add-ons. Why?
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Security: PassPub (Strong Password Generator)
Posted on 10:02 PM by Unknown
Do you ever have problems coming up with passwords for all your different online and computer accounts, or devices (such as your wireless broadband router WPA key)? PassPub will generate strong unique passwords (with letters and numbers) for these accounts. All you do is just select the type of password (# of charactors, WEP, WPA, basic, Mnemonic, etc.) you need and wait a few seconds. If you
Monday, February 18, 2008
72 Tips for Safer Computing
Posted on 10:02 PM by Unknown
PC Magazine reports: "You might wonder if it's even possible to have a safe computing experience in this day and age, beyond unplugging your broadband connection and never installing any software. Of course it's possible, but it will take some work on your part. You need to install tools to protect yourself, learn good practices, and most important: Exercise common sense. Here's what you need to
Friday, February 15, 2008
Software: Nine Ways to Wipe Out Spyware
Posted on 9:25 PM by Unknown
PC Magazine reports: "The term spyware is actually a catch-all for a variety of nonvirus malicious software (malware, for short). Trojan horse programs masquerade as something useful—games, screen savers, utilities—but actually have their own sneaky agenda. One especially pernicious type of Trojan pretends to be an antispyware utility. These rogue antispyware programs tend to be alarmist,
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Hardware: Interface Guide
Posted on 9:09 PM by Unknown
I accidentally discovered that Western Digital has a great page that covers the different type of hard drive interfaces that are available.(such as: SATA, eSATA, EIDE, USB, FireWire 400 [IEEE 1394a, FireWire 800 [IEEE 1394b]). If you need some help identifying a particular connector for a hard drive or other type of peripheral check out this page.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Refurb Madness
Posted on 10:39 PM by Unknown
PC Magazine reports: "If the phrase 'refurbished PC' makes you think of sketchy parts of town, and of hardware with a shady past dealt by a guy with a funny nickname and shifty eyes, you can dispense with that notion. Refurbished systems today can be almost as new as new, and they can easily save a small business thousands of dollars."Are you looking for ways to find a great deal on your next
Monday, February 11, 2008
Windows Vista: Opening Ports in Your Firewall
Posted on 6:32 PM by Unknown
Sometimes you need to manually open ports in the Windows Firewall to allow remote programs on computers to talk to your computer over the your local network. For example, for Remote Desktop to work on the host computer, you have to open TCP port 3389 in the firewall.Warning: You have to be very careful about which ports on your firewall you open. Depending on what they're used for they can make
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Will Opera Mobile perform for free?
Posted on 11:04 PM by Unknown
CNET News.com reports: "Opera should be bracing for impact. Quite possibly for the first time, Opera Software will receive real pressure in the mobile-browser space from Firefox Mobile and Skyfire."I am eager to try out these new browsers.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Keyboard Shortcuts: Remote Desktop
Posted on 8:22 PM by Unknown
Below are some keyboard shortcuts that you can use in the Remote Desktop client:Ctrl+Alt+End: Simulates the Ctrl+Alt+Del keyAlt+Page Up: Switches between programs from left to rightAlt+Page Down: Switches between programs from right to leftAlt+Insert: Cycles through the programs in most recently used orderAlt+Home: Displays the Start menuCtrl+Alt+Break: Switches the client computer window to full
Monday, February 4, 2008
Windows Vista: Remote Desktop
Posted on 9:35 PM by Unknown
Both Windows Vista Ultimate or Business editions include a feature called Remote Desktop. This feature is also included in Windows XP Professional. The Remote Desktop service allows you to control a machine from another computer on the same network.There are two main parts to remote desktop, there is the service which runs on the host computer that allows to you to remotely log in to it. Then
Friday, February 1, 2008
Free Web Based Screen Cleaning Service
Posted on 8:27 PM by Unknown
Bonus Tip: Here is a free web based screen cleaning service. ;-) Its cute, so enjoy...
Windows Vista: System Health Report
Posted on 7:33 PM by Unknown
Windows Vista has some great diagnostic tools built-in to it. The System Health Report is one of the more useful ones. It gathers data from the Performance and Reliability Monitor, and displays in information packed report, and even highlights potential problems.To run a System Health Report:Open Control Panel folder, and open 'Performance Information and Tools'.In the Tasks pane on the left,
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Windows Vista: Disabling Security Center Notification
Posted on 10:26 PM by Unknown
Depending on your Windows Vista security software configuration, you might have the Security Center icon displayed in the notification area warning you it has found a problem with your software. If you do have a problem you should fix it, although if you really don't then you might want to disable this notification from being displayed.To disable this feature, follow the instructions below:From
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Windows Vista: Mobility Center
Posted on 10:11 PM by Unknown
If you use a Windows Vista based laptop computer, you might want to check out the Mobility Center. This control panel gives you easy access to information and configuration options about your laptop. For example, you can quickly enable or disable an external monitor, wireless adapter, check your battery level, and much more.To access the Mobility Center open the control panels folder under the
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Windows Vista: Disabling the Delete Confirmation
Posted on 10:27 PM by Unknown
Some people don't like the delete confirmation dialog that is displayed every time you delete a file on your computer. If you want to turn off this confirmation dialog, it takes a few seconds. Follow the instructions below:Press the Windows key + D (this will show your computer's desktop)Right-click the Recycle Bin, and select Properties.In the Properties dialog, uncheck 'Display delete
Friday, January 25, 2008
Security: Panda's TotalScan
Posted on 9:26 PM by Unknown
As I stated in my previous post about NanoScan it can only report malware infections it finds in your computer's memory. So if your computer is infected with malware, then you have to use something more sophisticated. So if NanoScan finds a problem, it will automatically direct you to TotalScan (its free, but requires registration).TotalScan can detect more malware then NanoScan, plus it can
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Security: Panda's NanoScan
Posted on 7:52 PM by Unknown
Sometimes you need a second opinion when it comes to the subject malware (i.e.: virus, worms, spyware, etc.). Although, first and foremost you should be running a real-time malware scanner with up-to-date signatures. Then on those occasions where you think something maybe wrong, then you should use an alternate tool to make sure that your current tools are not missing something.Until recently I
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Windows Vista: Taking Ownership of a Folder
Posted on 8:34 PM by Unknown
In Windows Vista even with administrator rights, you're not automatically granted access to all folders. This is a security feature. In order to get access to that file or folder you need to take ownership of it.Open the Windows Explorer, and navigate to the file or folder that you want to take over the ownership on.Right-click it, and select PropertiesClick on the Security tab.Press the
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Networking: OpenDNS
Posted on 9:59 PM by Unknown
If you have a laptop and use any of the thousands of WiFi hotspots that are available, you could be opening yourself up to a security risk that you might not be aware of. You have no guarantee that the WiFi hotspot network's DNS information has not been compromised. For those who don't know what DNS is, its a service that translates domain names (i.e.: BLOGGER.COM) into the IP address (i.e.:
Friday, January 18, 2008
Windows Vista: Lock Your Computer Quickly
Posted on 8:59 PM by Unknown
Do you want lock your computer quickly, instead of pressing CTRL+ALT+DEL? There are two tricks you can use, the first and easiest is to press the Windows key + L. You can also create a shortcut on your desktop (or in the Quick Launch area):Right-click the desktop, select New, and then Shortcut. The Create Shortcut Wizard opens. In the text box, type the following: "rundll32.exe user32.dll,
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
101 Free Games 2007 - The Best Free Games on the Web!
Posted on 10:51 PM by Unknown
1UP.com reports: "It's not hard to find free games on the Internet -- but it's damn near impossible to sift through the terabytes of crap to find good ones. That's where the editors of Games for Windows: The Official Magazine come in: We've tracked down another 101 absolutely, positively, no-strings-attached free games that are actually worth playing, grouped them into handy categories, and put
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Software: GetMiro.com (formerly Democracy Player)
Posted on 8:45 PM by Unknown
Miro is the new name of a software product formerly known as the Democracy Player, which has been around for a little while. Miro allows you to download and manage video podcasts and other content from thousands of different channels on several different subjects (currently 3300+, and growing).Here is a video that provides a brief introduction to the software:
Monday, January 14, 2008
Microsoft Updates Windows Home Server with Power Pack 1
Posted on 9:48 PM by Unknown
PC Magazine reports: "Windows Home Server will get the first upgrade since it was released this past November, in the form of Power Pack 1, which Microsoft showed here at CES 2008. Enhancements include support for PCs running 64-bit Windows Vista x64, a new backup option, and new remote access options. Power consumption will also be improved by Power Pack 1, and support for Japanese and Chinese
Friday, January 11, 2008
Windows Home Server Add-ins
Posted on 9:01 PM by Unknown
If you own a Windows Home Server (WHS), then you might want to check out this site. It contains a list community add-ins for the server.Some of the add-ins include:DHCP for Windows Home Server: Allows you to control DHCP leases from with the WHS consoleHome Base: Allows you to download files from your WHS with a Windows Mobile powered device.Recorded TV Manager: Automatically moves or copies
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Stay At Home Servers
Posted on 8:43 PM by Unknown
Microsoft created a pretty funny site to raise awareness of the benefits of the Windows Home Server, or the “stay-at-home servers” as it is referred to. This is not a typical web site from Microsoft, but it is very well done.The videos are very funny, and there is even a children’s book titled “Mommy, Why is There a Server in the House?” So, if you want to learn more about the Windows Home
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Windows Vista: Changing the Product Key
Posted on 5:48 PM by Unknown
The Windows Vista installation disk contains all the various editions of Vista that are available (i.e.: Home Basic and Premium, Business, Ultimate, etc.). The product key you entered during the installation process determines which product gets installed during the installation process.If you decide later to upgrade your version of Vista (i.e. from Home Basic to Home Premium), you will need to
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Windows Vista: Live File System
Posted on 9:15 PM by Unknown
If you use Windows Vista and have a CD-RW or DVD-RW burner, there is a cool new feature called 'Live File System'. The Live File System is a new optical disc format that allows you to use CD-RWs or DVD-RWs disks like any other type of digital recordable media.Let me elaborate, generally once you record a file on optical media it will exist there until you reformat the disk (if you're using
Monday, January 7, 2008
VoIP Services (Making Free or Cheap Calls)
Posted on 4:11 PM by Unknown
Landline and pay telephones have been dying a slow death since the popularization of cell phones and VoIP (Voice of IP) services. You probably have heard the term VoIP, and may know what it means but for those who don't. All it is, is using your computer and your Internet connection to make a phone call either to another computer or to a landline telephone.Most VoIP services require that you
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Firefox 3 Beta Boosts Usability, Security
Posted on 8:29 PM by Unknown
eWeek: "When you first install and launch the beta of Firefox 3, the initial impression (especially for those who remember some of the earlier promises of a revamped user interface and increased Web 2.0 integration) can be a little disappointing, since it doesn't look much different from the current version of Firefox."More reviews of Firefox 3. Make sure to check out the slide show.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)