General Blogs

Wed 4th Nov '09 - In the past week I have had more time to explore Windows 7 Home Premium. While I have not experienced any severe difficulties, there have been a few minor problems. Some problems are to be expected with the release of a new operating system. Still, in my experience, Window 7 has thus far proven to be the best new release of Windows yet....

Fri 23rd Oct '09 - The long wait is over. Brand new desktop and laptop designs loaded with Windows 7 became available to the public yesterday, October 22. Microsoft has placed a lot of hope in the new operating system. Microsoft’s reputation is on the line, and if Windows 7 does not redeem the Vista fiasco, at least in some measure, there could be some dark days...

Sat 17th Oct '09 - If you have wanted to try a Linux operating system, but felt intimidated, the good news is there is an easy way to try Ubuntu Linux without all the hassle of creating a new hard drive partition and formatting for the Linux file system. Ubuntu Linux, in the last few releases, comes with an application called ‘Wubi’ which is a short term for...

Sat 10th Oct '09 - If you use any flavor of Windows XP or Vista on a laptop or desktop with an LCD screen, then ClearType will make all your text much more sharp and readable. ClearType looks great on laptops, and on large desktop LCD screens, particularly those with very high resolutions. ClearType is native to Windows XP and Vista, but it might not be enabled...

Sat 3rd Oct '09 - Microsoft released the finished version of Microsoft Security Essentials on Tuesday, September 29. This is a free download available at Microsoft.com, and consists of antivirus/antimalware protection all rolled into one software program. The beta version of Security Essentials has been out for some time, however the number of people...

Sun 27th Sep '09 - Experts tell us that the safest way to surf the internet and use e-mail is to do so with a limited user account, which is a user profile that excludes administrative rights. A limited user account allows the user to run software on the computer and change his/her user password, and little else. The limited user account will not allow system wide...

Sat 19th Sep '09 - Recently I read an interesting article by Michael Scalisi, an IT manager based in Alameda, California. The title of his article is “I Surf Unprotected”. This is the reason for the title of today’s blog, which kicks off the topic of PC security. As a follow up to this posting, we will look at some safe security practices that will help us all in...

Mon 29th Jun '09 - A good thing to check when you are buying that new computer is whether or not it comes with a manufacturer’s rescue disk. Some vendors provide a rescue disk that will restore your computer to its original state the day you took it home. Some provide an invisible rescue partition on your hard drive to serve the same purpose. It is better to have...

Sun 13th Sep '09 - Creating strong passwords is a vital aspect of securing your data and online resources from prying eyes. About the only thing bad guys like better than breaking a really weak password is finding password sticky notes all over a person’s desk or hanging from their computer. For many users, that is exactly the extent of their password security. I...

Tue 8th Sep '09 - While as a PC user I personally prefer Firefox to Internet Explorer for my web browsing, there are occasions when IE must be used. Not all web sites are Firefox friendly, and some users have to use IE to do most of their online chores. My wife, for instance, must use IE to access most of the online apps used on the University’s web site where...

Wed 26th Aug '09 - Until a few years ago I used Adobe Acrobat Reader to open Portable Document Format files, aka PDF files. Most people were and still are using Adobe to read PDF files. Have you ever wondered why Adobe Reader seems to take a long time to fully load your document, unless you allow the Adobe Reader Accelerator (or whatever they call it now) to reside...

Tue 1st Sep '09 - Are you a Firefox browser user? If so you are most likely aware that you can customize Firefox in numerous ways to suit your taste. Many extensions are available that greatly enhance not only your browsing pleasure, but also security and convenience. I use Firefox much more than any other web browser. I like Firefox, and I like the way I...

Sat 22nd Aug '09 - One of the most effective upgrades anyone can get for their PC is more memory (RAM, for Random Access Memory). If you have a PC that is four to six years old, or only a year or two old, check the amount of memory you have on your current computer. In the present economy, unless you need the latest and greatest hardware, you would be surprised how...

Mon 17th Aug '09 - Has your "get up and go" got up and went? In this video clip, Jack LaLanne shares his timeless wisdom on living to one's full potential. This prototype of successful aging has steadfastly practiced what he has preached over the past 70 years and is still amazing at age 94, our national geriatric hero. Successful aging has three critical...

Mon 17th Aug '09 - Windows by default will automatically restart when a system failure occurs. Usually at the worst possible time, Windows restarts; leaving you lost data and no clue as to the reason for the error. You could press F8 to boot into ‘Safe Mode’ but even if that breaks the restart cycle, you have no error message with which to begin a search for the...