2006 Tech Tips From Our Emails
WHEN I CHOOSE SHUTDOWN OR TURN OFF FROM THE START MENT MY SYSTEM WILL HANG AT PLEASE WAIT SCREEN
Have you ever had your system hang after you tried to shut it down? Here are a few things to try if your system should hang up on you. More than likely it is a software driver in Windows that is not letting you shut down completely. This is less of a problem in Windows XP but it occasionally still happens. Windows is going through its shutdown procedure and gets tripped up on closing out certain files. Try hitting enter when it hangs to wake it up. You can also try holding shift while clicking on turn off, this might allow you to shut down faster and bypass whatever is causing the hang up. This problem can also happen if you have a corrupted sound file for your shutdown noise. You can try to change your shutdown noise to a different sound and see if this corrects your problem. To do this, go to Sounds in Control Panel and change the sound event for shutdown. If ou still have trouble after following these steps it may be time to stop in and have your system checked over. It may be a bigger problem then first thought.
MY SCHEDULED TASKS ARE NOT RUNNING WHEN I HAVE THEM SET TO, WHAT DO I DO?
Have you scheduled your Anti Virus program to run a full system scan at a certain time of day and you leave your computer on during that time period but the program still is not running? You may have your computer set to go to standby mode after so many minutes of non use. To check this you need to get into your Control Panel. Once in Control Panel click on the button marked Power. This will get you into your power saving options. What you are looking for here is for the pull down menu next to Turn Off Monitor, Turn Off Hard Disk, and System Standby. If you click on each of the pull down menus you can change these settings to Never. This means that power saving will never turn off your monitor, hard disk, or go into standby. Make sure and click on ok before leaving this window so that your changes are saved. This should now let your scheduled tasks run without interruption.
LOOKING FOR A WEB BROWSER REPLACEMENT FOR INTERNET EXPLORER OR NETSCAPE?
Mozilla has a program called Firefox. Firefox is a free internet browser program that has the ability to help block viruses, spyware, and popup ads. When you install Firefox you are able to import your favorites from Internet Explorer or Netscape. Firefox has an integrated search bar to allow you to search theh internet with ease, without having to find your favorite search engine. Firefox, like Internet Explorer or Netscape, has the ability to download program updates to keep your internet browsing safe and secure. The nice thing about this program is that it is not tied directly into your operating system so you don't have to worry as much about spyware or viruses affecting your other Windows functions. You can check out more information and give Firefox a try by visiting the following website. Firefox
WE HAVE BEEN GETTING AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS FILES ON THEIR HOME COMPUTER WHILE TRAVELING AWAY FROM HOME
The most cost effective method is by using one of a few different remote access programs that are available for a one time purchase price or at a monthly charge. The first is Anyplace Control. This program allows you to take control of your computer from anywhere in the world. The way this works is there is an admin module and a host module. The admin module will let you take control of the computers tht you have installed the host module to. The cost for the program is $35.00 and can be downloaded directly from www.anyplace-control.com
The second method is by using Log Me In Pro. Log Me In Pro is a remote access program that will allow you to transfer files, share printers, share files, invite other users to gain access to your desktop, and synchronize files between computers. Log Me In Pro offers 256bit encryption during your remote sessions so that you know that your data will remain secure. Log Me In Pro is offered up monthly at $12.95 or $69.95 annually depending upon your needs. The nice thing here is you are web based versus having to install a remote access client software program onto both computers. This program has a free trial version available to visit www.logmein.com for more information and to use the free trial version.
The third option is another online remote access program called GoToMyPC. This program allows you to remotely access your computer by using any web browser or wireless device. You are once again able to access files, programs, emails, and network. GoToMyPC has three different versions available depending on the number of computers you will need to gain access to. This program is available for $19.95 per month for one PC. For more product information visit www.gotomypc.com
The final option we will cover is Windows Remote Desktop. This tool will allow you to remotely access your computer while away as well as using the program to sync files between two computers. Windows Remote Desktop works only if your home computer is running windows XP Professional as XP Professional hs the remote access program already built into it. The computer you are using to access your home system can be running Windows 95 or better. The remote access progam can be downloaded for free at Microsoft's website at www.microsoft.com
SHOULD I INSTALL SERVICE PACK 2 FOR WINDOWS?
Windows XP SP2 has been available for quite some time and comes standard with all new system purchases. Service Pack 2 included many needed fixes for Windows XP. Many people who have not yet upgraded are worried about older programs not being able to run with Service Pack 2 installed. The likelihood of that happening is low if you were able to run the program correctly before you installed the SP2 update. But there have been instances of some programs not working correctly after the update is complete. It is now getting to the point where you are not able to download current Windows updates if you have not already updated to SP2. To check to see if you have SP2 installed you can right mouse click on your My Computer icon on the main desktop. Then left mouse click on Properties. This will display the information about your current version of Windows. It will say something like Windows XP Home Edition Version 2002 and have Service Pack 2 listed underneath of it. If it does not specifically state Service Pack 2 then you will need to complete the update. If you have not downloaded SP2 it will be listed in the critical downloads area on the list of available updates. Note, before running SP2 you will want to backup any important data in case of problems during the update process. If you feel that this is something you cannot do on your own, you are welcome to bring the computer in to Computer Zone for the technical staff to apply this update as well as any other critical updates that may be out there.
HOW DO I CLEAN THE DUST OUT OF MY COMPUTER?
We have been getting a few systems in that have had overheating problems that stem from the fact that dust is caked in the fans and or heatsink assemblies in the computer. These overheating problems can lead to CPU and power supply failure. I really could not say how often one should clean out the inside of the computer because that will depend upon the environment the computer is in. If you are in a real dusty environment or have pets in the house then you will want to blow out the inside of the case more often. We usually use a can of compressed air to blow out the inside of the case as well as power supply, CPU, and case fans that may be running on your system. Make sure and ground yourself before touching anything inside the case, this will prevent you from damaging sensitive component parts in the computer. This is a nice type of preventative maintenance that you can do on your own. If you do not feel comfortable doing this procedure then bring your system into Computer Zone and we would be happy to take a look for you.
ARE YOU TRAVELING AND NEED TO KNOW IF THE PLACE YOU ARE VISITING HAS FREE WIRELESS INTERNET?
There are a couple of websites you can visit where you can search for internet hot spots. The first website is www.jiwire.com. With jiwire you will be able to search by city, state, zip code, and even by country if traveling out of the country. Once you choose your designation you can refine your search by looking for just the free hot spots versus the pay hot spots. Another good website is www.wi-fihotspotlist.com. This site allows you to search as you did like the website mentioned before but here you can also put in the option to tell how many miles away from the given location you want to search for. It will also search by wireless internet provider if you so wish. You may also try www.wififreespot.com. Here you are able to get wireless internet location information by searching for: airports, hotels, motels, resorts, RV parks, campgrounds, resturant and coffee houses, retail store chain, and even by state. Remember, new hot spots are popping up everyday so these lists may not be complete. You may want to contact the local chamber of commerce in the area you are visiting to see if they might have more information as well.
UPGRADING YOUR SYSTEM FROM WINDOWS 98 OR ME?
Microsoft has officially announced that they will be stopping support for Windows 98 and Windows ME on July 11. This does not mean that your existing programs will no longer work but rather that if you decide to install any new programs from this point on do not plan on them working with either of these two operating systems. This also means that Microsoft will not be putting out any new downloadable updates for Windows 98 or ME. For those of you using 98 or ME this leaves three choices. You can purchase a new computer, which would be loaded up with Windows XP so you would be able to get updates and load new programs again. You can upgrade your existing PC, if possible, to Windows XP. You must be careful here as your existing computer specs may not be able to handle Windows XP and if you have to upgrade component parts it may end up costing you more that purchasing a new system by the time labor is involved. Finally you can just stick it out with Windows 98 or ME and hope for the best. If you are not hooked up to the internet and you do not plan on installing any new programs then this option may work fine for you. If you are interested in finding out more information on new systems or possible upgrade options stop into the store.
HOW DO I FIND OUT WHO OWNS WEBSITE ADDRESSES?
If you are looking to build your own website whether it be for your company or your own personal use you are going to need to find out if the domain name you choose is already being used by someone else. The ICANN is the government entity ultimately responsible for all website addresses in existence. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is an internationally organized, non-profit corporation that has responsibility for Internet Protocol (IP) address space allocation, protocol identifier assignment, generic (gTLD) and country code (ccTLD) Top-Level Domain name system management, and root server system management functions. A registrar handles the buying and selling of these domain names. These registrars must be accredited by ICANN. Some of the bigger and more well known registrars include Network Solutions, Go Daddy, and Google. You can find the complete list on the ICANN website. These registrars will have a whois search on their website which will allow you to get information on a domain name’s owner as well as contact information on the owner. If you believe you have rights to a web address that is already taken you can submit a complaint through ICANN Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy. The policy was created as an efficient way to deal with trademark disputes out of court. For more information you can visit the ICANN website at www.icann.org.
HOW DO I MAKE PHONE CALLS FROM MY COMPUTER?
This week’s tech tip is on making calls through your computer. VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is becoming more popular than ever. It has a big draw with its price. Instead of traditional phone service, VoIP uses your high-speed internet connection to send and receive calls. Commercial VoIP services charge less than traditional telephone companies but you can escape all charges with some of these following options. For the most part free programs are as easy to install and use as an instant messaging program. In fact some are actually instant messaging programs with more options. As with an instant messaging program both ends of the conversation usually require the same program. These free programs are not equivalent to full VoIP services like Vonage or Packet8. Those companies package VoIP with familiar traditional phone package options. The free programs will provide a basic way for you to get your voice across the internet. As far as the equipment required for doing voice calling, you need a computer that is connected to high speed internet, speakers, and a microphone or a headset with a microphone. The next step is setup of the calling program, there are plenty of programs available for free and here are a few to check out. Skype allows free calls to any other computers using the Skype program and it uses nicknames instead of phone numbers. Skype also offers to connect you to the traditional phone system through optional pay features. You can also get a phone number for Skype so that regular phones can reach you. Google is another option that offers internet calling with Google Talk. It requires that you setup a gmail account with Google and you will also need to register your cell phone number through Google’s site. According to Google this discourages spammers from signing up for accounts. The bigger instant messengers like Yahoo! Messenger, MSN Messenger, and AOL Instant Messenger have also added voice calling features. The benefit of these older names is that you can use the contact lists you already made to make your calls. Lycos Phone is another VoIP program that includes a working phone number to connect ordinary phones. Incoming calls are free, and the program will also accept incoming faxes which in turn can be converted to PDF format and emailed to you. Each of these programs provide an easy way to make free long distance calls but I wouldn’t go throwing away that cell phone or regular phone just yet.
MY BACK BUTTON IS NOT WORKING CORRECTLY ON MY WEB BROWSER WHAT DO I DO?
Have you ever visited a website and were not able to use your back button to get back to a previous page? There are websites out there that will not let you use the back button and in all respects hijack the back button. Website owners will sometimes create pages to do this on purpose to keep you at their sites. But sometimes it is a product of poor HTML code, which is the programming language used to create websites. The HTML code uses a variety of tags to control how pages act. The refresh tag tells the browser to reload the page after a certain number of seconds. It can also tell the browser to load a different page. This is good if the page contains information that is updated frequently like stock quotes, or radar weather but if too little time is specified between reloads you run into problems with the back button. The easiest way to get around this is to right click on the back button. A list of recently viewed websites will pop up giving you a choice to back track to a previous page.
ARE YOUR PICTURES TOO DARK ON YOUR DIGITAL CAMERA?
When you take pictures inside with your digital camera do your pictures look too dark? Digital cameras have the ability to change the light sensitivity setting. What you will want to look for is something that talks about an ISO entry, if you cannot directly find it consult your manual. ISO is an informal term for a disk image of an ISO 9600 file system. It is the term used to describe most optical images. A setting of 100 is normal but some cameras go lower. You should be able to increase this to 400 or 800 in increments of 100. The higher the ISO setting, the less light you need. A word of caution: Higher ISOs increase noise in your pictures, this is similar to graininess. This setting can be used in place of your cameras built in flash, which can make things look too bright.
AVOID DATA LOSS BY SAFELY REMOVING YOUR FLASH DRIVE
Have you ever unplugged your USB Flash Drive from the USB port and you get an error message telling you that it was not safely removed? You must be very careful on how you handle that flash drive or it could cost you your data. Before you unplug the drive make sure and close all programs that are accessing it. Then click the Safely Remove Hardware icon (it is the one with a green arrow) in the system tray and then click the flash drive in the pop up list. You will then receive a message saying that you can safely unplug the drive. Data loss from an improper removal is not as likely to happen with flash drives as it is with external USB hard drives. Windows enables write caching for external hard drives, this means that a drive stores information in memory and tells Windows that it has it then the data is written to the drive. It is not permanently stored until it is actually written, if you unplug the drive before the data is written you lose the data.
MY WI-FI RECIEVER IN MY LAPTOP IS NOT RECEIVING A SIGNAL WHAT DO I DO?
The most common answer to this problem is to make sure that you have the Wi-Fi card turned on. Most new laptops with the internal card will have a switch on the laptop that will allow you to turn off and on your wireless card. By turning the Wi-Fi card off you will preserve battery power in your laptop. Those of us that run on battery power realize how precious that battery life is. The switch or button can be difficult to find, but look for a slider or a button with a picture of an antenna. You may need to reboot your computer after enabling your Wi-Fi card.
BURNED DVD'S ARE NOT PLAYING IN MY HOME PLAYER, WHAT DO I DO?
Many people get tripped up with burning. It seems that you should be able to move all the files to DVD and then watch them on any player. But that often times is not the case. There could be a couple of reasons why this is not working correctly. First, the type of disc you are using may not be compatible with the DVD player. There are two kinds, DVD(-)R and DVD(+)R. With newer players the distinction probably will not matter but it could be a problem with older ones. Secondly, you may be trying to create a data DVD instead of a video DVD. The data DVD will contain the video files that play on computers but to get them to play on home players you need to create a video DVD. The software that came with your DVD drive should allow you to do this without issue. Common DVD burner programs are Nero, Ulead, and Roxio.
30 INSTANT MESSAGE CODES PARENTS SHOULD KNOW
Children today grow up in a world of instant and continuous communication. Texting, instant messaging, and blogging are a few ways kids stay in touch. Parents need to be aware of what children are saying and doing online. But that is easier said than done. Instant messaging in particular is a stumbling block for many parents. The abbreviations and acronyms are very confusing for those of us who do not use them. The root problem is this, even the most computer-savvy kids are still kids. They often lack the awareness of online dangers like child predators. Blog sites consistently illustrate how willingly children open up online. So you need to know your children’s language online. The following is a list of instant messaging lingo. It is not by far a complete list but it includes many acronyms that are warning signs for parents. ADR=Address, ASL(R P)=Age Sex Location (Race / Picture), BF / GF=Boyfriend / Girlfriend, BRB=Be Right Back, CD9=Code 9 Parents Are Around, GNOC=Get Naked On Cam, GTG=Got To Go, HAK=Hugs and Kisses, IDK=I Don't Know, ILU or ILY=I Love You, KPC=Keeping Parents Clueless, LMIRL=Lets Meet In Real Life, MMOS=Members Of The Opposite Sex, MorF=Male Or Female, MOS=Mom Over Shoulder, NIFOC=Naked In Front Of Computer, NMU=Not Much, You?, P911=Parent Emergency, PAW=Parents Are Watching, PIR=Parent In Room, POS=Parent Over Shoulder, PRON=Porn, PRW=Parents Are Watching, S2R=Send To Receive (Pictures), SX=Sex, TDTM=Talk Dirty To Me, W/E=Whatever, WUF=Where Are You From, WYCM=Will You Call Me, WYRN=What’s Your Real Name. Learn these acronyms, they will serve you well when you check on your kids. Next time we will talk about parental control programs you can use to help police the messaging better.
5 SEARCH ENGINES SUITABLE FOR KIDS
Search sites like Google can give you millions of links. But a significant number of potential search results are unsuitable for children. Even seemingly mundane search words can bring surprises. Some search sites offer filtering of adult content. Google, Yahoo, and MSN are a few examples. By default, only image searches are filtered. Changes that you make are saved as a cookie. If you periodically clear out cookies you will lose your preferences. Search sites designed specifically for kids are better. Most use human editors instead of automated web crawlers. Results approved by real people make web searches safer. Another benefit is the lack of advertising in search results. The following are 5 search sites built for kids. Consider setting one as the start page for your web browser. 1.AOL @ School . This site features a large directory of educational sites. They are categorized by subject. Education professionals approve content added to the directory. 2.Ask for Kids. Ask for Kids offers results from a database maintained by human editors. The site links to puzzle games and kids’ news sites. You can also find links to a dictionary and thesaurus. Homework help sites are sorted by subject. 3.Awesome Library. This site provides sections for youngsters, teenagers, and college students. All content is child friendly, as determined by human editors. An interesting category in the kids’ section is Ask a Question. It lists sites that answer questions on subjects from grammar to dinosaurs. 4.Fact Monster. This site offers an online dictionary, encyclopedia, and atlas. Another major feature is the homework help section. Topics and tools are listed by subject. Also included are biographies and important timelines. 5.Yahooligans! This site is designed by Yahoo for kids ages 7 to 12. Human editors review and approve all content. Yahooligans offers games, videos, music, and educational reading.
OUTLOOK IS DELETING MY NEWSLETTERS WHAT DO I DO?
This is definitely something that we do not like to see happen as we hope that you are enjoying the information that we pass on every week. If you are using an add-on spam filter, it could have something to do with that. Or you may have accidentally set up a rule that sends our messages to the trash. To check this all you do is open up Outlook, click on tools, and click on rules and alerts. On the email rules tab you will see a list of rules for how Outlook handles messages. If a rule is there click on the top box. Then the bottom box will show you what action is taken for that rule. See if a rule tells Outlook to send our email newsletters to the trash. If one does, simply click delete and then ok. This fix should allow you to start getting those missing emails again.
HOW LONG WILL MY USB FLASH DRIVE LAST?
With the increasing popularity of USB flash drives for saving data onto, we have been getting people who are worried that these drives will break and the data will not be recoverable. The sad truth is that these handy gadgets will not last forever so you must be good about backing up the data that is stored on them. The good news is they could have a longer lifespan that other types of media. Manufacturers say that flash cells are good for anywhere between 100,000 and a million write cycles. That’s an awful lot of writing and re-writing. Some manufacturers claim that these little guys will last up to 10 years. To be on the safe side I would say five to seven years as long as it is well cared for. This is still better than hard drives which are generally a two to five year item and definitely better than CDs and DVDs which simply aren’t the most reliable.
WHY ARE CDS AND DVDS NOT ALWAYS RELIABLE?
Last time we talked a little bit about the life span of USB flash drives. We also mentioned that these drives are a better option that CDs or DVDs as they were not always reliable, here is why. The problem with recordable CDs and DVDs is that they contain a layer of dye. A laser in the CD or DVD drive burns that dye, this why they call it burning data to a CD or DVD. Manufacturers claim a long lifespan for these discs but I have had discs fail after a year or two. Furthermore, the plastic surface is easily scratched which can lead to reading errors. If you create CDs or DVDs on your computer store them carefully and don’t skimp on the price and buy name brand discs in the end you get what you pay for.
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