Just Ask Ed

Printing and Spell check.

2011-10-16T11:11:00.001-04:00

Question submitted by Donald on Tuesday, September 16, 2011 at 00:41:09
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question: I have 3 years support on my purchase contract of28 Mat 2011. Personal desktop R210501N with Microsoft SP Home Edition. The spell program checks almost every word and always advises word unkown???:. The printer command now seldom activates the printer. Printer connestions good. ???

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Answer: Have you checked for spyware? I recommend a program called Spybot - Search and Destroy. It's a free download at download.com and it helps clean up many spyware and virus issues. Spyware and viruses are the number one cause of strange computer behavior. Printer issues can be caused by all sorts of things. Things I commonly check...

Are there old print jobs in the printer queue?
Is the cable between the printer and the cpu a good cable?
Does it print at all and under what circumstances?
Is your hard drive almost full?
Do you have the latest print driver updates from the manufacturer?

I had a printer last month that would only print once in a while and it turned out it was a defect in the XP printer driver. I downloaded a new driver and it started working right away.

Does the printer make any strange new noises?

The spellcheck problem could be caused by a corrupt file in your word processing software. I would try running a repair of the software. You will need to insert the original CD and run the repair option when it comes up. Otherwise you could download OpenOffice.org and have a working spellchecker right away.

Good Luck

Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net
For more answers to your computer questions visit justAskEd.blogspot.com

Adobe Reader

2011-10-06T12:04:00.000-04:00

Question submitted by robyn on Saturday, October 4, 2008 at 00:21:44
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question: I was given an option to upgrade to 10, so i did. I deleted by mistake my 7.0 adobe reader and now I find out I have to pay for the 9.0 which I don't want, so how do I get my original adobe reader back and delete the 9.0. Any help will be welcome.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi Robyn,

Did you have the full Adobe Acrobat 7.0 program which allows you to create and edit PDF files? If so, you want to uninstall the 9.0 version and load your 7.0 again from the original source. If you only use the reader program (it allows you to read Acrobat files) it is still free for all versions (9.0 included). You probably accidentally downloaded the full featured Adobe Acrobat 9.0 which does cost. To download the free 9.0 click here. To download an older version of Reader click here.

Personally, I don't download every update of software unless there is a compelling reason for updating (a feature that I just must have). All software companies want you to download their latest and greatest version but in most cases they just slow down your system. Most "improvements" in software are so incremental that you won't see a real improvement for 3 to 4 version numbers (and that usually doesn't happen before you buy a new computer because it's now too slow).

This is how the computer industry makes its money. The hardware companies make a newer faster computer with more storage. The software companies make software that uses more resources then your current computer has available. You then need a newer faster computer to run your new software which is supposed to save you time and energy but ends up costing time and money to get a new computer, and so the vicious cycle continues on until you stop upgrading just because you receive a pop-up that says you should.

I don't download all the updates for software. I usually turn off the automatic checking for updates garbage that pops up constantly on my screen because it usually just slows down my computer and doesn't improve my quality of life. When there is a security problem with a software I will sometimes download those updates but I rely on my security software to notify me of true vulnerabilities. Memory resident software that goes to a site and checks for updates automatically slows down your computer. If you let every software check for updates you're using all sorts of bandwidth without getting anything done for yourself. A typical user has an operating system, an office suite, acrobat reader, java, an MP3 player program, and virus protection. If all of those programs check for updates when you first start up you get a bottleneck that causes your system to appear slower and slower. I just disable all automatic checking (except for my virus scan software) and check them maybe once a month. This makes my system work faster and also stops annoyance pop ups about software updates that don't help me get my work done.

We live in an age of distraction. We are bombarded by constant information. At least we have the power to take back our time on the computer from the ad world on this front. This was probably waaaaayyyyy more than you were bargaining for but sometimes I can't help myself. ;o

Good luck,

Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net
For more answers to your computer questions check JustAskEd.Blogspot.com

Scan and Copy

2011-09-02T13:45:00.000-04:00

Question submitted by donna on Tuesday, August 26, 2008 at 02:46:00
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Question: i get very confused on scanning from my epson, i have a resume that i am try to scan and copy so i can copy and paste it to a application im filling out can you please direct me as to the steps i need to do to get this on my computer so i can copy it for pasting, thank you so much for any help

donna
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Answer: Dear Donna, the problem you are having is not uncommon. Most users get confused by the whole scanning thing. I have customers ask me all the time how to digitize data to make it easier to store and transmit. The problem is the limitations of the technology.

When you scan something you create an image of the page. That image can then be attached as either a graphic file (.JPG, .BMP, .TIF) or an Acrobat (.PDF) file depending on the version of your scanning software. Some scanners also give you the option to transfer that graphical information into text. This technology is commonly referred to as OCR (optical character recognition). When the scanning software captures the image it tries to translate the text into the text that corresponds with the image. This has mixed results depending on the quality of the page you are scanning and the quality of the OCR software. A plain page of text with no graphics and square on the page can get about 95% of the text correct. You still need to proofread it after you scan and OCR to make sure the software got the text right.

A resume usually has formatting that may or may not OCR well (depending on the format). You should look for the OCR option on your software and test it out. More than likely though you're going to need to just send a scanned graphical version of your resume along (.JPG or .PDF) to have it formatted correctly. Or you can re-enter your resume into MS Word or some other word processing software so that you can then copy and paste it into whatever form the submission
site requires (I believe most will take word formatted documents directly.

Hope this points you in the right direction,

Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net
For more answers to your computer questions go to JustAskEd.Blogspot.com

Saving an eBook

2011-08-21T11:42:00.000-04:00

Question submitted by Deanne on 8/21/08 at 10:12 AM
My dad has downloaded section 1 of my eBook but it doesn't seem to be able to save. He should be able to save it, right? As a pdf file?
Download comes from http://www.quantumgang.com

Answer: He needs to either right click on the link to download the chapters and choose save target as or he needs to click on the diskette icon on the toolbar at the top of the document once it is open. He CANNOT save the book by choosing file and then save. It won't save that way for an acrobat file.

Search Engines are off-the-wall

2011-08-14T16:41:00.000-04:00

Question submitted by Patrick on Thursday, August 14, 2008 at 00:14:47

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question: Every time I try to search the internet for a web site I get re-directed to another search engine. How do I correct this problem. The search engines are off-the-wall engines.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Answer: You have a bug in your computer that is redirecting your requests. I would download firefox to change to a less vulnerable web browser. Also download spybot - search & destroy from download.com to remove spyware that could be causing the redirect. You should also check your virus protection to make sure it is still active.

Here is a link to download firefox...
http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/

Here is a link to download spybot - search & destroy
http://www.download.com/Spybot-Search-Destroy/3000-8022_4-10122137.html?tag=lst-1&cdlPid=10861988

Good luck,
Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net

TV shows on the Internet

2011-07-09T16:41:00.000-04:00

Question submitted by james on Wednesday, July 9, 2008 at 05:29:18
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Questions: cant seem to get nbc.com tv shows or sci-fi.com shows to play correctly there choppy and impossible to watch

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Answer: The biggest bottlenecks to streaming video are Memory (RAM), Bandwidth (Internet Speed) and Processor Speed. Most streaming video gives you choices for the bandwidth. Try a slower bandwidth or smaller image to let the video look smoother or get a faster internet provider. You can add more memory (RAM) to your computer to let it process bigger chunks of data. Processor speed can only be improved by a faster computer. For NBC.com they have an option to download some episodes to your computer directly so that playback would be smoother (you have to wait for the download to finish before you can play it). Also, close any other running programs and check for spyware (download.com has a program called spybot-search and destroy that does a good job) before you run the streaming video. Make sure you're virus protection is working and up to date. Try a different browser (Firefox or Safari are now available for windows users instead of Internet Explorer) If it's jerky you can help it by freeing up your processor.

email attachments

2011-07-02T10:52:00.000-04:00

Question:

Ed -

Still so far so good!

a question : How do I send an email with an attachment of a document in a file? Would appreciate the "click" procedure.

Thanks............Alan

Answer: There is usually a paperclip button on the email screen that lets you add an attachment. click it find the file you want to attach (usually in documents). Select it and the button on the right bottom of the side of the window usually says attach. it is now attached.

Corrupted Desktop

2011-06-11T12:10:00.000-04:00

Ann wrote: On my Mac how do I get back my desktop. I can login but only my desktop photo is there. All the other logins the laptop can access all of their applications and documents.

Answer: Unfortunately your login has corrupted Ann. The easiest thing to do is create a new login and copy the data files from your old login into the new one and then delete the old one. When the desktop gets corrupted this way it can mean that your hard drive is having problems and you might need to replace it in the near future and please make sure you back-up your data regularly on an external drive, memory stick or DVD. You could lose all of your data if the drive has a permanent failure.

For more answers to your questions check out JustAskEd.blogspot.com

Updates - Does She or Doesn't She

2011-05-04T12:29:00.000-04:00

On Feb 19 Linda Wrote:

Question: I hadn't used AOL instant messenger in a year, and am now told should update. The update seems to offer much more than I need; do I have to sign up for everything? Is there a down side for agreeing to get all?

Answer: Tough question Linda, I generally do not update any software unless there is a security issue or they are discontinuing support for the older version. The reason is most updates aren't for the end-user but are usually for the software and hardware vendors. If you play the update game like they want you to...you would need to upgrade your computer every two years to be able to run all of their updates. Microsoft is the king of this...they create updates like they were candy that may or may NOT make your computer run better, be safer, jump higher. I guess what I'm trying to say with all of this rambling is I personally don't update anything unless I have a reason. And that doesn't include the software distributors master plan.

Hope this answers your question,
Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net
for more answers to your computer questions login to JustAskEd.blogspot.com

Greetings Workshop

2011-04-23T11:05:00.000-04:00

On 4/23/08, Michael wrote:

Question: Greetings Workshop has worked fine on Windows XP on my Dell Computer. Our new computer is another Dell and it was purchased with Windows Vista. Is there any way we can still use the disk for Greetings Workshop with our new Windows Vista computer program?

Answer: Unfortunately older versions of some software won't work with Vista. It's Microsoft's way of ensuring income for years to come. I've had similar problems with Quickbooks, Microsoft Office, and many others. If the setup program doesn't run when you insert the CD than it probably won't work on Vista. Upgrade to Windows 7 and you'll have an easier time.

which is a better system interm technology

2011-03-26T16:19:00.000-04:00

On 2/23/08, Marie wrote:

Question:
Gateway 552 GE
Pentium 4 CPU 3.20 GHz, 3.20 Ghz, 504 MB of RAM
or

Gateway 24" LCD Dual Core, 1GB RAM, 250GB HDD Intel Pentium Processor E2140 (dual core) both are desktops

Answer: Neither, I think Gateway systems are the worst made PCs on the market. They always seem to have problems and glitches in their systems.

Cell Phones and Obnoxious People

2011-02-20T19:23:00.000-05:00

The other day I was riding the bus and a man was talking on his cellphone at the top of his voice. A dear sweet little old lady (someone's loving grandmother) asked him to please not be so loud. The conversation went something like this:

Sweet Lady: "Please, sir, could you be quieter. I don't want to hear your conversation."

Loud Mouth: "Huh?"

Sweet Lady: "I'm asking you to not be so loud on the bus."

Loud Mouth: "I can be as loud as I want. Who are you to tell me how loud I can be."

Sweet Lady: "I am asking you nicely to stop shouting into your phone on the bus."

The loud mouth wasn't getting anywhere with her and it was messing with his conversation so he hung up and glared at the lady for the rest of the trip saying things like...

"Thinks she can tell me the #@(#* how I can talk. Who is she? Mutter, mutter, mutter...etc."

It made me more conscious that day of my own cellphone usage and location of usage. I have sworn off cellphone conversations in public places that are confined in space (busses, restaurants, etc). When I'm walking down the street or in a park I might still talk on the phone but I'm going to be more aware of how much of an annoyance I am presenting to the people around me. After all, just because I can talk on the phone anywhere doesn't mean I should.

Google Page Questions

2011-01-24T09:01:00.003-05:00

I use Google a lot but they have been coming up with some annoying features that make their pages work slower. Also, everyone always tries to switch you to their webpage as your home page so here were two questions relating to Google this week. I will add more to this string as Google questions arrive.

On Sat, Jan 22, 2011 at 10:11 AM, Deanne wrote:

Somehow facebook got set as my default page instead of google. How do I put google back?
Answer: Re: help!

Answer:
type google.com on the address line of your browser.
Hit Enter
Click on the Tools menu at the top of the browser
Choose Internet Options or Options depending on the browser
Click on the button that says Use Current Page for setting your default home page
Click Ok

On Sun, Jan 23, 2011 at 9:49 AM, Deanne wrote:

Thank you. I will do so, and keep these directions for the future. How do I permanently take off google instant search? It is VERY annoying: as I’m trying to type, it keeps flinging things up to me that distract me from what I’m trying to type—then I go to the wrong place.

Answer:
click on "show search options" next to the search box and you can turn it off there.

Windows 7 Slow on Network

2011-01-18T15:27:00.013-05:00

Windows 7 got some improved features over Vista including speed of networking. Sometimes you may notice the network starts to slow down compared to XP. This is due to more "advanced" features and requirements. These 6 easy steps can help you to solve Windows 7 network slowness problems by disabling some features.

Windows 7 computers can be slow in accessing shares on old MS Windows servers and non-MS Operating systems including Sun and Linux. Accessing data and transferring data over networks are still problematic in some cases. Resolving DNS requests internally (LAN or WAN) and externally (Internet) could also cause Windows 7 to slow down. The following methods I’m listing out have worked for me to speed up Windows 7 networking with NT,2003 and Sun servers.

How to Fix Windows 7 network slowness problems?

1) Disable Autotuning

Disabling autotuning will help much on DNS lookup and network discovery. It improves the data transfer speed also over the network. Disabling autotuning in windows 7 is very similar to the same problem in Windows Vista.

Here are the steps,

Start command prompt as administrator, and follow the commands as shown in the example below. To start a command prompt in Windows 7 click on the Start Button in the lower left hand corner of your system. In the search box at the bottom of the menu type cmd and hit Enter on your keyboard

Windows 7 Network slowness solution 1

commands from example

netsh interface tcp show global

netsh interface tcp set global autotuning=disabled

netsh interface tcp show global

2) Remove RDC ( Remote Differential Compression)

This feature was introduced with Windows Vista to transfer data over networks in compressed format. The same RDC feature has been continued in Windows 7 also. Since most of the old operating systems that came before vista do not support this RDC feature, it slows down network data transfers in windows 7. You can remove this RDC (Remote Differential Compression) in windows 7 by visiting control panel and programs and features. Click on ‘Turn Windows features on or off’, as shown below.

Remove RDC (Remote Differential Compression)

Windows 7 Network slowness solution 2

3) Remove IPv6 from network properties.

If your internal or external networks do not require IPv6 protocol, better remove it under network connection properties. Keeping IPv6 in your computer sometimes slows down your network by trying to register IPv6 addresses, or trying to get an IPv6 address, or trying to resolve IPv6. Better remove it if it’s not required.

Remove IPv6 in Windows Vista

Windows 7 Network slowness solution 3

4) Clear DNS Cache

You can remove any DNS cache from your computer, so next time DNS requests will be solved by an updated DNS server. This will avoid your computer to try broken or changed DNS records from cache.

To clear DNS cache, open command prompt as administrator and type ipconfig /flushdns

Clear DNS Cache in Vista

Windows 7 Network slowness solution 4

5) Disable Wireless Network and any additional network adapters (including Virtual adapters).

If you will not be using a wireless network or it’s your secondary network, I recommend you disable wireless networks in windows 7 under network connection. If it’s enabled, your windows 7 computer will be trying to connect to available wireless networks around you, and trying to login through these networks. Loading your profiles and start up programs will be slow while booting because of this.

6) Modifying Link Speed & Duplex Value in Network adapter Properties.

This step also helps sometimes when you face problems with windows 7 network slowness. I can’t say which option will work better, because it depends on your physical network setup (network adapter, cable type, LAN speed and network switch). By default it is set for Auto Negotiation. But you can play around with Value options and find out which works best for your computer and network.

Hopefully the above steps will help to solve windows 7 network slowness. Feel free to suggest any additional steps you did to solve windows 7 network slowness, or problems you face to fix it.

Keyboard won't work on my laptop

2011-01-05T14:11:00.001-05:00

On Tue, Jan 4, 2011 at 12:37 PM, Leese wrote:

Hey Ed, I am sick of having a sore wrist, bad neck from bad position of laptop…need to get an external keyboard, mousepad set up on laptop so as to stop hurting myself. I have just plugged in a mouse (USB connection and it works …just that easy!) and I have two old keyboards here to choose from but the connection aint USB. They are round with 6 pins and a larger protrusion….do they make adapters that turn it into a USB connection? I tried to find info on line, but had a hard time finding anything directly about my laptop and don’t know that I need a docking station….perhaps just a connector/adapter…thoughts? L

Dear Leese,

Well, they probably make an adapter that costs $150 bucks that will let you use the old keyboards or you could get a USB keyboard for $30 or less. Here's a Microsoft Curve Keyboard for under $20 that uses USB connection...
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Microsoft+-+Comfort+Curve+Keyboard+2000/8934718.p?id=1217030529445&skuId=8934718

If you're running low on USB connections on your laptop...you could also get a USB hub. Here are a few ideas...
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1&_dynSessConf=-1926553408108093139&id=pcat17071&type=page&st=USB+Hub&sc=Global&cp=1&nrp=15&sp=&qp=&list=n&iht=y&usc=All+Categories&ks=960

Instructions To Connect To A Networked Mac

2011-01-03T15:33:00.001-05:00

Here is a link to the instructions to Connect to your Old Mac from your New Mac (Right-Click or Ctrl-Click on the link and save the file to your computer before playing it)...

http://beyourownwebmaster.org/deared/downloads/ConnectToShareOnMac.avi

You can also follow these written instructions as well....

Click on the Finder Icon down at the bottom of the Screen on the far left (it looks like a two colored face)
Click on Go from the top menubar
Click on Connect to Server
Click on Browse
Click on the link in the browse window that says the name of your computer (e.g., Mac Powerbook G4) or something like that.
Click on the Macintosh HD choice for the connection.
Click Ok
You should now have a new drive in your drive choices that will let you look at your Old Macs Hard Drive.

Best Way - Cleaning Files on a Computer | eHow.com

2010-12-14T12:50:00.000-05:00

Best Way - Cleaning Files on a Computer eHow.com

Shared via AddThis

Networking Your Mac

2010-11-27T13:20:00.000-05:00

Question:
I have an old iMac G3 and would like to hook it up wirelessly to my DSL, can I use a USB or ethernet bridge? if so which one?

Answer:
You would need a wi-fi adapter for each mac that you want to connect to your wireless. Here is an example of the type of adapter you will need.
http://www.tekserve.com/store/420/Cards_Adapters/-152

You will also need a wi-fi router to connect to your DSL modem. I usually use Linksys but since you are using a mac you might want to use this one.
http://www.tekserve.com/store/417/Wireless_Routers/11640

Any Mac store should have these items so you don't have to order them thru Tekserve. Just make sure if you go to BestBuy or some other vendor that doesn't do exclusively Mac hardware that what they are trying to sell you says that it is Mac Compatible.

Logitech Mouse

2010-11-12T21:56:00.000-05:00

Your question:
I have a Logitech optic mouse I lost the install CD where would you find the install program its a M-BJ58 model Logitech web site does not even list that one its about a 2000 model ?

My answer:
You should be able to plug that puppy in and have it work without any additional drivers (most of the time the drivers just slow down your system anyway). I only see that they don't support the model anymore on the site. There is one document that refers to your model but it only says it supports both USB and PS/2 connection types (big help). If there are any custom buttons try looking at the mouse settings once you plug it in. Sometimes they adjust based on the mouse you plug into the system.

DVD Copying

2010-10-17T00:27:00.000-04:00

Question

How do I copy a DVD? I need to copy one before I return it to the library today.

Thanks,

Carol

Answer

It's probably too late for today but you can use any DVD burning software they also
usually have a copy function (unless the DVD is copy protected). In that case I use
another set of programs to rip the movie and burn it as a DVD movie of my own
creation. I use this product for DVD copying...DVD Copy

I use this product to rip DVDs that are copy protected (if you look up DVD ripper on
Google you can find other free rippers also)...http://www.topviewsoft.com/Ultimate-DVD-Ripper.html

I use Microsoft MovieMaker (it came free on most XP PCs) to edit videos if I want to
trim them or edit the length and save as different video qualities. Also Roxio,
Sonic and Nero have ways to edit and burn DVDs.

Tech Talk For Dummies "Live"

2010-09-14T17:37:00.000-04:00

If you've ever wanted to understand technology on a whole new level, this is the show for you.

How to do System Cleanup On Your Computer | eHow.com

2010-08-14T12:48:00.000-04:00

How to do System Cleanup On Your Computer eHow.com

Shared via AddThis

unable to send

2010-07-26T18:03:00.000-04:00

Question submitted by
Lester on Thursday, July 26, 2010 at 00:30:49
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question: Hi, I am having a time trying to send email from an article I would love to share, when ever I try outlook express comes up and when I place my info to send or forward it reports an error, my main emails or corespondent is by yahoo (outlook keeps saying yahoo will not allow it to go)and that is why I am unable.Thanks

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Answer: Sounds like you are trying to send it to too many people at once or with too many graphics. Most mail servers limit sending to less than 25 recipients and the file size can't be bigger than 3MB. If you have pictures in the article or too many recipients that would block you for sure. Also your outlook express might not be configured for sending thru yahoo correctly. I believe that you have to use there webmail to send messages unless you have a paid email account with them. These are the 3 things that could be your problems cause.

Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net

Screen saver never kicks in?

2010-07-15T14:19:00.000-04:00

Question was submitted by Ross on Tuesday, July 15, 2010 at 13:26:23

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question: I have a Dell laptop running window XP and for some reason the screen saver and all the power savers stop working some tome ago.
I gave in and re-installed the OS and they still don't work..
What else could it be???

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Answer: Dell has a wonderful set of downloads that apply to your system on their support site. Just enter your service tag from the bottom of the laptop. The things that I would look for are updates to your bios and motherboard to make the power saving work. Also check the system bios setup when you bootup to make sure that power saving is turned on in the system bios. The keystrokes to get into the system bios varies from model to model but it usually appears on the screen when you first boot up. On most Dell systems I think it's the F2 key or Delete.

Find more answers to your questions at justasked.blogspot.com
Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net

Skype webcam

2010-06-20T11:18:00.000-04:00

On Fri, Jun 19, 2010 at 3:12 PM, Diahne wrote:

Hi Ed,

Am still in Brussels and now have another problem. I purchased a Hercules Dualpix HD webcam to use with Skype and I can't make it work. I says to install the drivers and software before connecting webcam. Initally I did the reverse - and then tried to start over. Could that be the problem? Not sure what the driver is. I have a cd which came with it and have put that in but ...... no success.

If you have any ideas let me know. Merci beaucoup, Diahne

You might have to remove the webcam from your hardware profile. Uninstall the software and then reboot. After reboot install the CD first and wait for the instructions to plug in the camera.

To remove the webcam from your hardware profile:

Click on Start
Click on Control Panel
Click on System
Click on the Hardware tab at the top of the System window
Click on the Button that says Device Manager
In the Device Manager look for an icon with a Question Mark or an Exclamation point that says the webcam name
Right click on the Device and Uninstall or Remove it
After removing the device in the Device Manager Unplug the Camera

To Uninstall the software:

Click on Start
Click on Control Panel
Click on Add/Remove Programs
Find the Software for The Hercules Camera
Choose Remove
Restart your computer with the Camera Unplugged

Insert the CD and install the software and follow the directions on the screen

loud motor noise CPU

2010-06-17T15:36:00.000-04:00

On 6/16/10, Margaret wrote:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Question: My Dell desktop Dimension 2400 just today developed a loud buzzing noise like a loud fan running constantly. Moving it doesn't help. It is 5 years old. What can it be: cooling fans, hard drive?????
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Answer: It sounds like the CPU cooling fan or the power supply. Both
are replaceable by anyone with a screwdriver and a desire to crack the
case open. Just make sure that you unplug the power cable before
doing any work on the inside. And it is a good idea to touch
something metal to release any static electricity before touching
things on the inside of your computer. Power supplies can be ordered
from Dell or pretty much any computer store carries them. If it's
the CPU fan you just need to take the old fan to the store and see
what matches up (it's also good to know what kind of processor you
have to help find the right fan). To find the processor type click on
Start, click on Control Panel, click on System, on the General tab the
processor is listed near the bottom of the screen just before the
speed and RAM.

Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net
646-373-8640

Data Recovery

2010-06-05T17:27:00.000-04:00

This week I saw several cases of people deleting important files and wanting them back desperately (these things seem to come in waves). I discovered that all data recovery programs are not alike. I believed that they all could get basically the same stuff back but I found out that they must be able to recognize the type of file they want to recover before they can pull them back from oblivion.

The two recovery programs I've had the best luck with are iolo's Search and Recover http://www.iolo.com for the PC side and Subrosasoft's FileSalvage http://www.subrosasoft.com for the Mac (it recovered a composer's very important Finale files). Both of these programs scan your hard drive and list all of the files that can be potentially recovered. Then they reassemble the deleted file in a miraculous Frankensteinesk sort of magic way.

The best recovery happens when the file was recently deleted and no files have been saved since the file was deleted. In fact, if you delete a really important file the best thing you can do is shut the system off and call for help because the more you download onto your computer after you delete that all important file the lower your chances become for recovery. All this to say be careful with your deleting.

Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net

Office 2007 Patch

2010-06-02T21:31:00.000-04:00

Here is the link to the patch I told you about. It lets all previous versions of Microsoft Office open the 2007 format files. Just click on the Download button on the page and open the file when it is done downloading. Follow the on-screen instructions. The download will take care of the rest...

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=941b3470-3ae9-4aee-8f43-c6bb74cd1466

Call me if you have any trouble installing it.

Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net

When is it time to buy a new computer?

2010-05-19T12:53:00.000-04:00

Question from Karen on Monday, May 19, 2008 at 06:55:38
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question: When is it time to buy a new computer? What are the signs?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Answer: Great Question! The computer industry would like everyone to buy a new computer every two years or so. This would keep them rich and happy.

For the consumer my advice is to look at your current system and see if you have enough RAM and Hard Drive space to do what you need to do. Also, is it painful for you to wait for your computer (is it slow as molasses).

Most computers have a maximum amount of RAM that they can handle. You can usually find out your systems max at a site like pny.com which has a memory search feature based on manufacturer and model. They list what comes standard with the system and how much you can add.

To find out how much RAM you have you have in Windows XP/2000/Vista/7 click on the start Button choose Control Panel and then click on System. On the General Tab the Version of Windows is listed and at the bottom of the window it shows your processor and memory. In the Apple world you click on the Apple in the top left and choose the about this Mac choice from the menu.

For hard drive space I usually find out how much space the hard drive has and how much is free and ask myself what can I store on an external drive or DVD. If I don't have at least 20 Gigabytes available after this soul searching then it's time for an upgrade. Now if your system has a hard drive that can't have 20 GB available, it's probably time to buy.

To find your hard drive space on a Windows Computer: Open the My Computer Window Right click on your C: drive and choose properties from the list that pops up. For Mac click once on your hard drive on the desktop and choose File from the top menu and click on Get Info.

To speed up your system: Uninstall any old software that you don't use. In Windows click on Start, choose Control Panel double click on Add/Remove Programs. This gives you a list of all of your software. Go through the list and ask yourself 'Do I use all three versions of AOL Instant Messenger?' then get rid of the ones you don't use. Common memory hogs are IM Programs and anything that leaves an icon down next to the clock. WeatherBug or Google Desktop use memory and if you're not using them dump them and speed up your computer. Also, check your system for Spyware. This is usually the number one culprit for slowing down computers. I usually recommend Ad-Aware or Spybot - Search and Destroy. They usually improve performance.

Well, that was probably more than you bargained for with your quick question but I hope that gives you a sufficient answer.

Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net

Hacked Website?

2010-04-27T12:31:00.004-04:00

I recently had a client have their website hacked. What does this mean? It means someone idiot living in their parents basement thought it was a good idea to embed some malicious code in all of the web pages of this website. This causes the website to get flagged as a malicious website and makes it very hard to view.

What do you do when this happens?

Well, if you know how to edit HTML code you can pick thru the code and remove all instances of the malicious code. This however can be very labor intensive and annoying (this is unfortunately what I had to do in this case). Then you have to ask the powers that be at Google and any other monitoring sites to review your site for malicious code. This clears your pages so they can be displayed normally. This seems to take forever since they are quick to condemn but slow to forgive.

- The main key is keeping the web folders clean and orderly (don't leave old pages on the site unless you plan on using them later).
- Change your password for FTP access to something over 12 characters with multiple caps and lower case letters and numbers and punctuation (if allowed). This makes it much harder to hack.
- Don't ever email your password to anyone. Call them up or snail mail but don't send it electronically (this leaves you open).

YVONNE'S LAPTOP

2010-03-24T12:43:00.000-04:00

QUESTION:
On 3/24/08, Leslie wrote:
Dear Ed,
We are still having strange problems with the Toshiba laptop. We can not get an internet connection and I can not even pull up the option to connect to Your Neighbor (our lnysis). The following 2 advisories come up:
PORT MAGIC EXPERIENCED A FATAL ERROR AND MUST BE RESTARTED. CODE: AN EXCEPTION WAS GENERATED WITH THE FOLLOWING CODE: Oxe06d7363. PRESS [OK] TO RESTART PORT MAGIC, OR [CANCEL] TO EXIT.
(I press OK but same wArning comes back.)
APPLE MOBILE DEVICE SERVICE.EXE APPLICATION ERROR. THE INSTRUCTION AT "Ox0072806f" REFERENCED MEMORY AT "Ox00947230". THE MEMORY COULD NOT BE "WRITTEN". CLICK ON OK TO TERMINATE THE PROGRAM.
What do I do?
Regards,
Leslie

ANSWER:
Hi Leslie,

Yvonne must have loaded them or they were added automatically by AOL. They interfere with wireless networking and should be removed from the system. To remove them click on Add/Remove programs in the control panel and click on the program name and hit remove on the right. Try removing port magic first and see if the connection improves. If you're still having problems remove the apple mobile software. I wasn't aware that you had an iTouch or iPhone connected to that laptop. Do you? That is the only reason to have that Apple software installed.

Let me know what happens.

All the best,

Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net

spyware,hijack

2010-03-20T11:22:00.000-04:00

On 3/19/08, Larry wrote:
Question: Reanimate is a spyware company who has entered or as I would put it hijacked my computer. I have tried to remove with Superantivirus software and Mcafee. This program will not allow me to use any of them. i downloaded hijackthis and the program is blocking it also. Help!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Answer: Have you tried Spybot - Search and Destroy or Ad-Aware to remove it? You can download these from download.com.

My Mac is sick

2010-03-11T11:58:00.001-05:00

Bev writes: My Mac has recently been shutting down randomly while in the middle of use. No particular programs.

Answer: There can be many reasons for a computer shutting down randomly. Most likely causes are a faulty connection to power (check all of your cords and surge suppressors) or the power supply inside the Mac is defective. Based on their advertisement you'd think they never have a problem but their iMac line has had some power supply issues and of course since the unit is all self-contained (screen, cpu, power supply) in one case you need to drag the whole thing into the shop. In the NYC area I always recommend a store called Tekserve. They are the kings in getting a misbehaving Mac working again. Since I don't know what area you're in Bev you will have to lookup Mac repair in your area.

Good luck!
For more answers to your questions check out JustAskEd.blogspot.com

Just For Fun

2010-03-10T15:38:00.000-05:00

I don't know who wrote this originally but it cracked me up. I have always appreciated Abbott and Costello.

Subject: ABBOTT AND COSTELLO 2009

If Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were alive today, their infamous sketch, "Who's on First?" might have turned out something like this:

COSTELLO CALLS TO BUY A COMPUTER FROM ABBOTT

ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?

COSTELLO: Thanks. I'm setting up an office in my den and I'm thinking about buying a computer.

ABBOTT: Mac?

COSTELLO: No, the name's Lou.

ABBOTT: Your computer?

COSTELLO: I don't own a computer. I want to buy one.

ABBOTT: Mac?

COSTELLO: I told you, my name's Lou.

ABBOTT: What about Windows?

COSTELLO: Why? Will it get stuffy in here?

ABBOTT: Do you want a computer with Windows?

COSTELLO: I don't know. What will I see when I look at the windows?

ABBOTT: Wallpaper.

COSTELLO: Never mind the windows. I need a computer and software.

ABBOTT: Software for Windows?

COSTELLO: No. On the computer! I need something I can use to write proposals, track expenses and run my business. What do you have?

ABBOTT: Office.

COSTELLO: Yeah, for my office. Can you recommend anything?

ABBOTT: I just did.

COSTELLO: You just did what?

ABBOTT: Recommend something.

COSTELLO: You recommended something?

ABBOTT: Yes.

COSTELLO: For my office?

ABBOTT: Yes.

COSTELLO: OK, what did you recommend for my office?

ABBOTT: Office.

COSTELLO: Yes, for my office!

ABBOTT: I recommend Office with Windows.

COSTELLO: I already have an office with windows! OK, let's just say I'm sitting at my computer and I want to type a proposal. What do I need?

ABBOTT: Word.

COSTELLO: What word?

ABBOTT: Word in Office.

COSTELLO: The only word in office is office.

ABBOTT: The Word in Office for Windows.

COSTELLO: Which word in office for windows?

ABBOTT: The Word you get when you click the blue "W".

COSTELLO: I'm going to click your blue "w" if you don't start with some straight answers. What about financial bookkeeping? You have anything I can track my money with?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: That's right. What do you have?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: I need money to track my money?

ABBOTT: It comes bundled with your computer.

COSTELLO: What's bundled with my computer?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: Money comes with my computer?

ABBOTT: Yes. No extra charge.

COSTELLO: I get a bundle of money with my computer? How much?

ABBOTT: One copy.

COSTELLO: Isn't it illegal to copy money?

ABBOTT: Microsoft gave us a license to copy Money.

COSTELLO: They can give you a license to copy money?

ABBOTT: Why not? THEY OWN IT!

(A few days later)

ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?

COSTELLO: How do I turn my computer off?

ABBOTT: Click on "START".............?

Delete Music Off An iPod

2010-02-04T13:49:00.000-05:00

Question From: Shay

How do I delete music off an ipod?

Answer: Hi, I missed your message in my spam filter. Since you didn't use my form on my website, the message didn't get flagged properly.

To delete music off an iPod you need to remove the songs from your list of music in iTunes or change the option for music to sync checked songs only there is a checkbox down near the bottom of the screen for your iPod in iTunes on the Summary Tab. The steps are...

Open iTunes

Connect your iPod with the USB cable

When iTunes detects your iPod it will appear in the list on the left of the iTunes window

Click on it once

Look at the screen that appears on the right and check the checkbox that says "Sync only checked songs and videos"

Once you do that you can uncheck the songs you don't want on your iPod in the iTunes window and the next time you sync, your songs will update on your iPod removing the unchecked songs.

There are a lot of ways to control music on your iPod but I find that method to be the easiest. Another method is to create a playlist in iTunes and set the Music option to only sync with that playlist or playlists. This takes more steps and confuses most beginners. If you want those instructions just reply to this message and I will send them along.

Happy iPodding,

Ed Smit

JustAskEd.blogspot.com

removing firewall

2010-01-18T08:46:00.000-05:00

Jennifer Asks,

how do you remove a firewall?

Answer:

It depends on the firewall. If you have a simple Windows XP firewall you can disable it from the Control Panel. If it is a firewall from a third party vendor there are all sorts of ways to disable them.

For Windows XP Firewall...
Click on Start
Click on Control Panel
Click on Windows Firewall
Click on Off
Click on Ok

My Favorite Web Products

2009-12-03T02:27:00.000-05:00

Hits2U.com - An amazing site!!! Free Internet Advertising. No more paying Google.

Computer Secrets Unleashed! 2009 - A Top I.t. Pro Breaks His Silence & Reveals The Secret
Techniques To Keep Your Home/office Computer Screaming Fast, Free Of Spyware, Viruses & Hackers, And 100% Backed Up!

Registry Cleaner - Try this wonderful Registry Cleaner RegZooka. Your computer will run like new.

AdwareBot - Remove Adware And Spyware Now! AdwareBot Was Created By The Developers For Internet Users Suffering From Adware Infestations. The Software Also Includes Spyware, Malware, Keylogger And Virus Removal Engines. A True Quality Product.

Free Energy Product - Huge Savings on Electricity with this Magnetic Energy Product!

Green DIY energy - (New) Solar & Wind Energy Do-it-Yourself Guide.

Make Insane $$$ Brokering Carbon Credits - This Is The Fastest-growing Financial Specialty In The World!! New York Times. This Is A Unique Program In Very High Demand. Cash In On
The Green Movement.

How To Sell Your Home In 21 Days Or Less - With Or Without A Realtor. The Secret To Selling Your Home In Just 3 Weeks Or Less In A Down Market. Easy Step-by-Step Real Estate Program Is The Perfect Solution For Hard-To-Sell Homes. Used By Both Realtors & Fsbo Homesellers.

Home Made Energy - The Best Do-It-Yourself Offer! Home-Made Renewable Solar And Wind Energy.

Can one sheet of paper be worth $15,000?

2009-12-02T20:29:00.000-05:00

A $15,000 sheet of paper?

Hi,

This might sound completely crazy...

Fact is I'd probably never put such an inflated
price tag on a single sheet of paper but after checking
this out I've changed my tune.

You've Gotta See This Offer

Here's the story...

You see, last January, Yanik Silver led a 6-day Epic
business adventure in Baja, Mexico. You had to qualify to
attend (meaning: be ultra successful and have the right
adventurous attitude).

He was out to combine business building sessions while
creating lifetime memories blasting 80mph through the
Baja peninsula in Porsche-powered Dune buggies. And on
the 3rd day of their trek - they came to "Scorpion Bay".
Pretty much in the middle of nowhere but most famous for
the world's second longest surf break.

It was here that Yanik had to give, quite possibly, the
presentation of his life...

What's more, he had to do it with no PowerPoint, no mic,
no workbooks...pretty much nothing but one single sheet of
paper stuffed deep into his backpack at the beginning of
the trip.

Looking out into the audience he had everyone from one-
man Internet superstars raking in multiple 7-figures in
their flip flops to $900M International Resort developers
and $100M Manufacturing conglomerates. These 26 top-gun
entrepreneurs and business leaders had each paid about
$15,000.00 between membership fees and trip costs to be
here (if they met the strict criteria to attend).

Yanik's problem?

What could he say to such a wide ranging group that would
create more profits for each of them no matter what
business or product they sold?

The answer: That single, 8.5" x 11" sheet of paper.

That page held Yanik's MindMap detailing all the little
tweaks, hacks and immediate profit opportunities in any
business...that are pretty much being overlooked 98% of
time. (Or, if you don't have a business already - this
was a blueprint for wringing the most revenue out of one
when you do start it.)

Want to see what he covered?

You can check it out here - Just Click Here

Not only will you be able to get your hands on the single
sheet of paper but also get Yanik's entire closed-door
presentation. Plus, an entirely lopsided deal in your
favor...when you tell him "Maybe".

Trust me, check this out before he decides it's almost
too good. (Though there are 2 qualifications to make sure
- not just anyone has this info.)
Just Click Here To See It

Sincerely,
Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net

P.S. In case you're thinking this is another one of those
HUGE $2000 'big ticket' boxes - you couldn't be more
wrong. You've got to see this deal for yourself.
Just Click Here

My Mac Won't Play Video

2009-11-03T18:13:00.000-05:00

Cheryl Asked:
First - I don't know what OS means so I couldn't answer. My Mac is 3 years old and I've never figured out how to get the Safari news video clips to start. I get to the site but there aren't start buttons. What do I do?

Ed Answered:
Unfortunately it sounds like you suffer from a case of my OSX is too old to download flash and play video. The earlier version of OSX isn't supported by the latest Flash players. You should try upgrading to Tiger or later to get video working online.

Computer Secrets Unleashed!

2009-10-03T00:27:00.000-04:00

(JUST RELEASED - ALL NEW & EXPANDED 2009 VERSION!!)

Top Information Technology Consultant

spills the beans and reveals his secret techniques...

“Who Else Wants Access to

Exactly the Same Information

My Clients Routinely Shell Out HUNDREDS

...even THOUSANDS of dollars for!”

Hi, my name is Rich Pryor. After 20+ years in the IT industry, I'm coming clean - I can only help a few people a day one-on-one, but now....I'm sharing my knowledge with the world! For years I've kept these closely held secrets to myself and made big bucks doing so. But that is all changing as of right now!

Two years ago, I released Computer Secrets Unleashed! to rave reviews...
NOW I'm pleased to announce the long-awaited, massively expanded...
ALL NEW and COMPLETELY UPDATED...

Click Here For More Information

Hyperlinks In Word

2009-09-02T15:26:00.002-04:00

On Wed, Sep 2, 2009 at 12:06 PM, Claire wrote:

Hi Ed,

My name is Claire. Sorry I'm messaging you prior to us meeting in person. I received your email from Claudia when she cc'd me on a blog question to you. She is out of town until tomorrow and I was wondering if you could help answer a problem I've been having. Basically I've been writing a "news flash" blog for Claudia in Word. In the news flash I am to include a link to her website and a link to video footage.

For some reason when I paste the links in my Word they don't open up as direct links. You instead have to copy and paste them into a browser in order for them to open up. Is there something I need to change on my computer to allow me to create direct links? I want to figure out this issue asap so I can finish my work. Any help you could offer would be greatly appreciated.

I'm attaching my news flash so you can see what I'm talking about.

Thank you so much Ed! I hope to meet you soon

Best wishes,

Claire

Hi Claire, you need to use the hyperlink option to make the links work. On most versions of Word it looks like a globe with a chain link beneath it. You first highlight the text you want to turn into a link. Then click on the hyperlink tool button. Then make sure the text you want to display is correct (you can change the display text without affecting the link). Click OK. I've attached your previous document with the hyperlinks created.

Computer Recycling?

2009-08-11T16:08:00.003-04:00

Angela Asks:

What is the best way to erase a computer before recycling?

Ed Answered:

Take out the Hard Drive and store it in the back of your closet in a shoebox for 40 years. Then take the drive and bury it in the backyard. If you don't have a backyard, drop it in the middle of the ocean or into a deep river. It contains all of the old data that could be used for identity theft (if there's any data of value on there). If you have an original Windows XP disk or Mac OS disk you could boot up from the disk and remove the partition and reformat the drive (in Mac lingo it's reinitialize it). This clears out the drive but it can still be rebuilt if someone is persistent enough. If you're ultra-paranoid you could hire a geek to come to your home and wipe it using one of several utilities that scramble all the data so that the drive won't ever be able to be recovered. How much valuable data do most people have on their computers anyways? A few passwords which you should change anyways. A few account number cookies that should be changed as well.

Most companies will charge a fee for recycling now unless there is an organization that is doing a fund raiser (the city of New York has electronic recycling days from time to time, when they feel like it in different locations). They give you an order number to place on your UPS shipping label for your old equipment and all you have to do is box it and get it to UPS (they might even pick it up, I have a UPS store downstairs from me so I just hall it downstairs). They recycle phones and other electronic items too. Type Computer Recycling and your area for companies. Oh yes, and if they deem that your equipment has value they give you credits and rewards for it sometimes.

Happy recycling,
Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net

Can't put up the blog!

2009-07-13T21:22:00.004-04:00

Question:

On Mon, Jul 13, 2009 at 8:39 PM, Deanne wrote:

This is the message I get when I try to put it up

ERROR

Your HTML cannot be accepted: Tag is not allowed: <meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8">

Answer:

Are you typing on the Blog interface or are you cutting and pasting? If you are cutting and pasting you need to use basic text instead of pre-formatted text. To do this copy your text from word and paste it into Notepad (you'll find it under Start/Accessories/Notepad). This makes all the funky formatting that causes these errors go away. After you've pasted into Notepad you can copy and paste from notepad directly into the blog and it shouldn't come up with any errors. You can also try selecting all in Word (Ctrl+A) and choosing Edit/Clear/Formats from the menu. Then try copying and pasting. This gets rid of a lot of junk formatting that Word embeds in your docs but sometimes you have to go back to raw text to make it work. The easiest thing is to type it on the blogger interface and save it as a draft until you're finished creating (Save often or you could lose data). This avoids all outside formatting from creeping in.

external drive problem

2009-07-09T17:03:00.000-04:00

Question submitted by Loree on Wednesday, July 9, 2009 at 07:45:48
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question: All of my photos from iphoto have been sent to my Digital Western External drive, along with itunes and a few other files. All of a sudden my photos are not loading when I click on iphoto even though the external drive shows that that there are 29GB of info on those files. What happened to my photos? Yesterday they were there.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Answer: When you move files from one drive to another your managing program needs to rediscover the files in the new location. Usually this is done from the File menu of the program. In that menu choose Add Folder to Library. Then you need to choose your external drive to tell it to look at your external drive for pictures and it will create a library of the contents.

Buying A New Computer

2009-07-04T10:07:00.000-04:00

It always feels like an apples and oranges comparison. When buying a computer I always ask myself:
What is it going to be used for?
What's the price range?
What to look for in comparing one to another:
Size
Weight (for laptops)
Processor type
Processor speed
Memory RAM (Max it out if you can afford it 4GB minimum currently)
Hard Drive Capacity
Always check the chatter about the specific model and brand (only current chatter) if there is any.

And always remember, they are obsolete before you buy it so don't get stuck on latest and greatest thinking (unless price is no object). If you're a real variety junkie than buy a Costoco computer replacement deal. Then you can get a new one every 6 months.

Hope this answers the majority of buying questions.

Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net

Memory Installation

2009-06-20T16:45:00.000-04:00

Question submitted by Eston on Friday, June 20, 2009 at 16:05:27
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question: How to install 1 mg chip of memory into a dell D520 laptop

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Answer: There is usually a little flap on the underside of laptops
that have a screw holding them in place. Remove the screw and you can
open the flap and you will see a place to insert the memory (or there
may be a memory card in there already). If you already have a memory
upgrade in the laptop you will have to remove it to put in the new
chip (sorry laptops can usually only accomodate one memory chip). To
find out the specific location of the flap you can check support on
the dell.com website for a diagram of the laptop using the service tag
number on the bottom of the laptop to identify the correct make and
model.

Before touching any part of your laptop insides make sure that you
have discharged any static electricity from yourself. I usually do
this by touching something metal. This will make sure you don't fry
the inside of your computer or your new chip. If you feel a shock you
did the right thing. No shock just means that you're not overly
electrified :o)

time and date correction and printing?!?

2009-06-12T14:16:00.000-04:00

isaac asked on Monday, June 9, 2008 at 03:14:09
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question: i suspect that the computer does not print and makes errors due to error in date and time

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Answer: What would lead you to that conclusion. Date and time don't usually influence printing. If you are having date and time issues you should check your settings for your time zone and the automatic time check. For printing I would try uninstalling and reinstalling the printer drivers.

Also, check the website of the printer manufacturer to see if they have an updated driver from the one you originally installed. Bad printer drivers usually cause printing errors not the system date and time.

Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net
For more answers to questions
you can check my blog at http://www.dearedblog.com/

replace video card in my laptop

2009-05-27T14:22:00.000-04:00

Question from Terry on Sunday, May 25, 2008 at 10:50:23
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question: Where can I find a replacement video card for wm 3077 laptopthat will run windows vista aero.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Answer: Unfortunately, a laptop is not so easily altered. To run
Windows Vista you will probably need a new laptop. My question
is...why would you want to change to Windows Vista. It's a lousy
operating system. Full of problems and security annoyances.

System Error Problem

2009-05-22T15:48:00.000-04:00

Question:

Hi Ed,
everytime i open IE or click on anything using IE i get an error message that says SYSTEM ERROR your system is infected with a dangerous virus, ive done scans with avast and avg and there are no problems or virus, the messgae wants me to download an antispyware product, how do i get rid of this error message, its a real pain in the neck

Sincerely, Joe

Answer:
I usually use Spybot - Search and Destroy or Ad-Aware to get rid of these pests। They can be downloaded at download।com। Usually they get into your system disguised as a helpful utility। Once you click on the link to download the helpful utility they take over your system and start annoying you with popups। Try running those two utitilities and hopefully they will eliminate the problem.

Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net

help line

2009-04-24T17:22:00.000-04:00

Question: On 4/24/08, Dana wrote:

Hi Ed - I know you set up a list serv or something for common problems. Could you remind me of url? I think I have a trojan virus - I keep getting all these "dlivery system failed" messages. They seem to be coming from our info@ address.
Thx Dana

Answer: They might just be spoof spam emails. Check the McAfee site for the message subject and see if it's a common spam that is trying to spread a virus using your info account. Also, contact Earthlink if they are still your email host and they can exclude these annoyances. They don't usually mean your systems are infected but they do usually carry viruses so don't click on their attachments. I'm currently doing a blog for questions JustAskEd.Blogspot.com.

Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net
646-373-8640

Upgrade options for G4 (Mirrored door)

2009-03-26T16:17:00.000-04:00

On 3/11/08, dave wrote:

Question: I have a mirrored door Power Mac G4 Model PowerMac 3.6 CPU PowerPC G4 (3.2) with 2 CPUs at 1.25 L2 cache (per CPU) 256 KB, L3 Cache (per CPU) 1MB and 2 GB of memory bus at 167 MHz Boot ROM V 4.5.7f1

I am out of room on my original hard drive and want to install Leopard (which I have just installed on my other newer machines.)

Can I install a new larger internal drive on this machine and re-assign this drive as the start up drive?

What kind of drive should I use (largest possible?) Can this be done without a major reinstall of software etc.?

I never use OS 9. Even if I install a new larger (and quicker?) drive in one of the open bays should I delete this software? Is it easy to remove? Does it matter if I install another new drive?

Other upgrade possibilities and Costs?

Answer: G4's usual used IDE hard drives. They are getting harder to find and I would recommend at least a 250GB drive but perhaps you could start by archiving some data off your current drive before going through the pain of a drive exchange. If your drive is mirrored then you will need two of the same drives that are identical. There isn't a lot of space inside of the G4 for extra drives so I would also recommend getting an external drive case to house your current drive that connects with USB or firewire to do the transfer of data and programs.

As for OS9 that was a remnant of the upgrade to the first OSX that doesn't need to be installed on your new drive. As far as a major reinstall of the system you can try using a Ghosting software to save an image of the drive and restore it onto the new drive but this doesn't work all of the time.

Any change over of hard drives usually works best with a fresh install of the operating system and the programs. Then transfer the data onto the new drive. If you are missing original software CDs this can be a problem so that's why I recommend the external drive chassis that hooks up to a USB port or firewire.

Blackberry time wrong! What to do?

2009-03-16T17:12:00.000-04:00

Deanne Asks,

The time change for Daylight Savings Time isn't happening on my Blackberry. What can I do?

Ed Answered,

Here is the Blackberry Patch page for the DST change...
http://www.blackberry.com/DST2007/patch/index2.shtml#users

There is a manual option as well if this seems to overwhelming to try on your own...
http://www.blackberry.com/select/dst2007/resolutions/internetservice/index.shtml

Adobe Isn't Printing All Of My Document

2009-03-10T19:07:00.001-04:00

Hi Ed,

Maybe you can help me out, when I use Adobe 6.0 and try to print a drawing, the drawing prints but none of the sizes, do you know why that might happen?

Thanks,

Joe

Dear Joe,

You might have the sizes in as comments and you have to choose the option under "Print What:" to print Comments on the printer screen to see them on the final printout. also if the sizes are in color and you are printing on a black and white printer you might want to check the checkbox that says "Print color as black". Last tip would be to shutdown any other programs that might be open when you're printing because some larger adobe acrobat files have trouble printing if your working memory is not mainly empty.

The are some other Adobe Acrobat tips and tricks at JustAskEd.blogspot.com

The Audacity!

2009-02-22T11:31:00.000-05:00

Here is a place for SourceCoded Software that works...
http://sourceforge.net/softwaremap/

This is the site I use to download my favorite audio recorder Audacity. Real easy to use and works.
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

I have also become a big fan of OpenOffice.org for my word processing.
http://www.openoffice.org/

they have a version of each for PC, Mac, and Linux.

Presidents List

2009-02-19T11:18:00.002-05:00

My goal this Presidents Day was to review the list and see who I could remember. The WhiteHouse.Org website has a song to help you memorize your presidents as well.

1. George Washington
2. John Adams
3. Thomas Jefferson
4. James Madison
5. James Monroe
6. John Quincy Adams
7. Andrew Jackson
8. Martin Van Buren
9. William Henry Harrison
10. John Tyler
11. James Knox Polk
12. Zachary Taylor
13. Millard Fillmore
14. Franklin Pierce
15. James Buchanan
16. Abraham Lincoln
17. Andrew Johnson
18. Ulysses S. Grant
19. Rutherford B. Hayes
20. James Garfield
21. Chester Arthur
22. Grover Cleveland
23. Benjamin Harrison
24. Grover Cleveland
25. William McKinley
26. Theodore Roosevelt
27. William Howard Taft
28. Woodrow Wilson
29. Warren Harding
30. Calvin Coolidge
31. Herbert Hoover
32. Franklin D. Roosevelt
33. Harry S Truman
34. Dwight D. Eisenhower
35. John F. Kennedy
36. Lyndon Johnson
37. Richard Nixon
38. Gerald Ford
39. James Carter
40. Ronald Reagan
41. George H. W. Bush
42. William J. Clinton
43. George W. Bush
44. Barack H. Obama

Pulling Addresses Out of Mobile Me

2009-02-18T19:20:00.003-05:00

Give These Steps A Try

Click on the @ symbol on the left side of the top of the Mobile Me Screen
Click on the Gear symbol in the middle of the top of the Mobile Me Screen
Choose Select All (this highlights all of the contacts in your list)
Click on the Gear symbol in the middle of the top of the Mobile Me Screen
Choose Export vCard (this starts downloading the contacts into a file on your Mac)
Choose your Desktop as the Destination
Open the Address Book
Delete any Contacts in the Address Book
Click on File
Click on Import
Choose vCards
Go to your Desktop and Open the vCards.vcf file that was saved onto your desktop.
All of your contacts should now be in the Addressbook.

I've also recorded it as a video to make it easier to follow.
http://computerguysecrets.com/macutilities/ForMobileMeAddressExport.avi

Also mac utilities for recovering lost or deleted files

http://computerguysecrets.com/macutilities/FileSalvage.dmg.zip

http://computerguysecrets.com/macutilities/pmac.dmg.zip

http://computerguysecrets.com/macutilities/mac-data-recovery.zip

BREATH from techlineStudio

2009-01-29T16:36:00.002-05:00

I am always proud to promote clients who are taking green actions. I've worked with this company for over 10 years providing their computer support and they do great work and they stand behind their products and installation. If you need any built-in furniture or storage solutions they have a very flexible and stylish product line. If you know of anyone who is doing any re-modeling or renovation forward this email and they will receive the same discount.

"To help us celebrate all the exciting changes described below, bring a printout of this email with you and enjoy a special 20% discount on any new order over $5000*"

Dear Ed,

Hello from techlineStudio. We have lots of news for you.

Our store hours have been expanded so that we are open from 10 to 6 every weekday and stay open until 8 on Thursdays. We are now open from 12 to 5 on both Saturday and Sunday.

We are also delighted to let you know that our entire modular system is now available as a greener product that we call BREATH. This means that our entire offering for home and for business can now feature a renewable bamboo veneer finish on a formaldehyde free substrate. The veneer is adhered with a soy-based, formaldehyde free glue. The finish is specially formulated to feature very low levels of volatile organic compounds.

Perhaps best of all, the natural bamboo finish is beautiful. The flat grain veneer shows the structural "knuckles" of the bamboo plant in a decorative pattern that is never the same on any two surfaces.

Over the next few weeks, we are installing showroom displays of the BREATH product in both home and business settings. In addition, we are showing a number of other exciting additions to our product line. These include thermofoil fronts, which offer a low luster equivalent of the seamless effect of lacquer finishes. In addition, we are greatly expanding our offering of metal frame door styles and adding insert options like decorative patterned glass, opaque colored acrylic and colored glass.

Please come by to see these new offerings!

Sincerely,

Gavin Bromell
gavin@techlinestudio.com
212 674 0551 x203

www.techlineStudio.com

Our showroom is at 35 East 19th Street,
between Park Avenue South and Broadway
We are open from 10 to 6 on weekdays

and stay open until 8 on Thursdays

We are open from 12 to 5 on both Saturday and Sunday

call us at 212.674.1813

* discount offer is good through the end of February 09

Your Hacker Question

2009-01-22T11:50:00.002-05:00

Questions:
I have been hacked into by someone i know, what can i do about this????

Who do i contact about this????

Rome

Answer:
Sorry to hear about your situation. It's always painful to feel attacked, especially painful when it's someone you know. Hacking is a crime and depending on if it crosses state lines it can be a federal offense. Here is a website that gives resources for reporting a hacking crime to the authorities.

http://www.kowboy.com/computer/security/index.htm

If you have any further questions you can get further help by commenting on this entry in my blog at justasked.blogspot.com

Mac Mail to Outlook

2009-01-05T15:18:00.002-05:00

This is the best way I've found so far.

Here's some instructions on how to make it work (note: you will also need Eudora + free edition installed on the PC):

Starting in Mac Mail do the following for each mailbox you wish to transfer (In, Sent, Deleted, etc.):

Select all messages and choose File -> Save As from the main menu. Choose "Raw Message Source" as the format and a name for the group of messages and click the "Save" button. Even though there are no obvious "export" commands from Mac Mail, this will effectively create a file in standard mbox format. However, Outlook Express will not directly import this file type so we'll have to play with it a bit.

Transfer the file you just created to the PC.

Open the directory C:\Documents and Settings\[Account Name]\Application Data\Qualcomm\Eudora (you will need to go to the View tab under the Tools -> Folder Options menu and select "Show Hidden Files and Folders" to be able to view this folder).
If appropriate, rename the file you created in step 1 to match one of the mailboxes in this folder (In, Out, Junk, Trash, etc). Assign this file a .mbx extension.

Copy the file from the previous step into the folder you opened in step 3. (Important! Only do this if you don't mind overwriting the email in your Eudora application).

Open Eudora and view the mailbox you just copied. This will firmly establish your .mbx file as a Eurdora mailbox. Don't worry if the text in your messages doesn't look quite right - this will soon be remedied.

Open Outlook Express. Select File -> Import -> Messages from the main menu. Choose "Eudora Pro or Light" and go through the rest of the wizard. This should properly import all your messages from the selected mailbox into Outlook Express.

Once it's in Outlook Express it's an easy import into Outlook.

Proxy-OSS

2008-12-09T13:18:00.002-05:00

Here is the story about Proxy-OSS that is on your computer Chris.

PROXY-OSS

This software is not a virus or a trojan. It is detected as a "potentially unwanted program." Proxy-OSS is distributed as an Internet Accelerator program, created by Marketscore. As advertised, the program is designed "to enhance the speed of the Internet while tracking user trends". It is a data gathering mechanism which collects personal information and internet usage statistics. The LSP (Layered Service Provider) stack is modified such that internet traffic is routed through servers operated by Marketscore. More recent versions of the software employ a local proxy, routing traffic through a process running on the host system instead of to remote servers. This local process then makes periodic transmissions to remote servers, presumably when data of interest is identified.

This software is installed via an ActiveX control downloaded from www.marketscore.com. Several files are dropped using an InstallShield installation package and many registry entries are created. A license agreement and privacy policy are displayed on the Marketscore website and must be agreed to (via selection of a checkbox) in order for the setup executable to be downloaded.

Although not observed during testing, it is possible that consumer surveys may be delivered via popup windows, as mentioned in the privacy policy.

Privacy

The Privacy Policy established sweeping rights for Marketscore to monitor internet traffic, collect user data, and establish correlations with other, personally identifiable data (version dated Feb 14, 2005)

Full Privacy Statement: http://www.marketscore.com/privacy.aspx
Full Membership Agreement: http://www.marketscore.com/MembershipAgreement.aspx

System Changes

Files Added

Note: Although created during the installation, the following files and folders appear to be standard components of the InstallShield installation packaging software, and not related to the functionality of the Proxy-OSS software.

c:\WINDOWS\Downloaded Program Files\setup.exe
c:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\Professional\RunTime\iKernel.rgs
c:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\Professional\RunTime\IsProBE.tlb c:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\Professional\RunTime\Objectps.dll c:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\Professional\RunTime\10\00\Intel32\ctor.dll
c:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\Professional\RunTime\10\00\Intel32\DotNetInstaller.exe
c:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\Professional\RunTime\10\00\Intel32\iGdi.dll
c:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\Professional\RunTime\10\00\Intel32\iKernel.dll
c:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\Professional\RunTime\10\00\Intel32\iscript.dll
c:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\Professional\RunTime\10\00\Intel32\iuser.dll
c:\Program Files\Common Files\InstallShield\Professional\RunTime\10\00\Intel32\setup.dll

The remaining files appear specific to the Proxy-OSS software installation.

c:\WINDOWS\nsreg.dat
Size: 335 bytes

c:\WINDOWS\system32\mksc.exe
Size: 864,256 bytes
MD5: 09B44309B8CB641300D93458D9358ADF

c:\WINDOWS\system32\nsosscfg.exe
Size: 118,784 bytes
MD5: 46DC45B14503070FC8053CE75DBCCC0C

c:\WINDOWS\system32\okshook.dll
Size: 49,152 bytes
MD5: A8A11A2873C6A21AE8C0916DAD013F7C

c:\WINDOWS\system32\osmim.dll
Size: 303,104 bytes
MD5: F0BFFBA3F4C2EE36FA5229FF2C293657

c:\WINDOWS\system32\sporder.dll
Size: 8,464 bytes
MD5: 97F50C3E6EEB45CBE2413431F1BB52FB

Registry

Keys Added

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\InstallShield
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Netsetter
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{35B7E48B-9D81-4C6C-9578-5FD4F620D886}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{F4817E4B-04B6-11D3-8862-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{00345390-4F77-11D3-A908-00105A088FAC}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{00A0DBE3-B12E-4DC3-8C27-4197CA4DF76B}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{084A0737-26B9-4433-8007-A9161333B5FC}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{0BA4BA22-2EF0-11D3-88C8-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{0C8D0880-1AC4-11D3-A8FF-00105A088FAC}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{0E67BBC9-18CB-4B22-BACD-687CDF6387B6}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{112EB4F0-5A48-11D3-A90A-00105A088FAC}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{1169A235-14D9-4488-8B56-58ECE9C57002}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{16344B6E-52E1-4BBC-AA79-E08B10B7BAB9}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{17773851-7FF4-44C1-B084-1E1EDB2BFD4D}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{1AE441C6-2C13-49CE-909A-57A81F74F38E}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{1B1B8830-C559-11D3-B289-00C04F59FBE9}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{1ED19966-1493-4539-B9F5-97A6556CE8F8}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{1F1ABEE7-FEDB-45AF-A01B-0B4DE6887573}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{1F9922A2-F026-11D2-8822-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{21D98482-146C-4EBF-AF1E-B04395110005}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{229A85A7-2F77-42A2-8CBD-01DD1C09BC88}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{230FFDDA-4771-42D0-9383-42547833224B}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{251753FA-FB3B-11D2-8842-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{2583251F-0A04-11D3-886B-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{348440B0-C79A-11D3-B28B-00C04F59FBE9}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{39040274-3D36-11D3-88EE-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{3D8B6331-D8B1-11D2-80C5-00104B1F6CEA}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{3D8B6332-D8B1-11D2-80C5-00104B1F6CEA}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{3DFE4F8F-A5A1-4ECA-9A50-E5CF9BA836E9}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{3EDC2C10-66FE-11D3-A90F-00105A088FAC}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{3EE77D8B-40C1-4A2A-9B77-421907F02058}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{3FB92AF0-B9EE-4C30-8D36-93495070CCA1}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{44D61997-B7D4-11D2-80BA-00104B1F6CEA}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{4C5C8B37-CCB7-11D5-ABEC-00B0D0238DF5}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{4D08A70C-42E4-4238-AF79-7A7485C66EE2}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{4E26CAD5-1B59-4D1D-9063-2D91314C9E45}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{5331F72D-17F1-4D16-A17A-F190461343BF}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{5469EE67-1493-402F-8E2C-99936C9E4983}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{54DADAB2-28A6-11D3-88BA-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{54DADAB3-28A6-11D3-88BA-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{61892D50-28EF-11D3-A8FF-00105A088FAC}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{6494206F-23EA-11D3-88B0-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{65D37452-0EBB-11D3-887B-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{6B15A454-9067-4878-B10E-B9DFFE03049D}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{6D0A2C7B-875F-40E7-B7BE-2E909A3A9026}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{6FFDEFD7-3EC4-4E5A-9EFC-AD04E14A9934}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{761C8359-55AF-4E7B-9C83-C1A927E0F617}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{787D0980-F63F-462C-86BC-FC23847C70F4}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{78A47147-ACE5-46F8-BA85-BEAF37827CF4}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{7B288F47-79AB-43A8-8494-D9F4D5985B29}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{7BB118F1-6D5B-470E-82D0-AFB042724560}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{7D795704-435D-11D3-88FF-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{7FA3F3D3-7B9E-4F51-9448-3642B544CEBD}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{80FDE82A-2CAA-11D3-88C3-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{83755DD1-086B-11D3-8868-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{8415DDF9-1C1D-11D3-889D-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{8415DE38-1C1D-11D3-889D-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{8C3C1B10-E59D-11D2-B40B-00A024B9DDDD}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{8C3C1B11-E59D-11D2-B40B-00A024B9DDDD}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{8C3C1B12-E59D-11D2-B40B-00A024B9DDDD}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{8C3C1B13-E59D-11D2-B40B-00A024B9DDDD}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{8C3C1B14-E59D-11D2-B40B-00A024B9DDDD}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{8C3C1B15-E59D-11D2-B40B-00A024B9DDDD}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{8C3C1B16-E59D-11D2-B40B-00A024B9DDDD}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{8E156322-57D4-448B-BAB4-35DC0C7ADF53}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{91814EBF-B5F0-11D2-80B9-00104B1F6CEA}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{91814EC1-B5F0-11D2-80B9-00104B1F6CEA}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{91814EC3-B5F0-11D2-80B9-00104B1F6CEA}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{91814EC5-B5F0-11D2-80B9-00104B1F6CEA}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{91CD1F51-7199-46FA-9629-9C89D2F1AE22}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{94F4A332-A2AE-11D3-8378-00C04F59FBE9}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{9AEE3F7A-A79F-4B41-BC48-E7946FFEAB35}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{9B697780-DBBC-11D2-80C7-00104B1F6CEA}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{9BD0749C-12DC-4D2B-A4F6-9E52F0F38A6C}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{9CFCFE67-0BB8-43E0-8425-378D0A02ACE4}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{9D1BC05A-7056-458F-B605-A6298C8BD4B1}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{9E274DCA-9B35-4B99-904F-76F2C5B59F76}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{A36ECFBE-FAAA-417D-9D41-7FEF98FDE554}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{A74C06E4-12DF-4060-9AA7-83CFAA66D604}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{AA7E2060-CB55-11D2-8094-00104B1F9838}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{AA7E2061-CB55-11D2-8094-00104B1F9838}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{AA7E2062-CB55-11D2-8094-00104B1F9838}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{AA7E2064-CB55-11D2-8094-00104B1F9838}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{AA7E2065-CB55-11D2-8094-00104B1F9838}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{AA7E2066-CB55-11D2-8094-00104B1F9838}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{AA7E2067-CB55-11D2-8094-00104B1F9838}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{AA7E2068-CB55-11D2-8094-00104B1F9838}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{AA7E2069-CB55-11D2-8094-00104B1F9838}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{AA7E2084-CB55-11D2-8094-00104B1F9838}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{ABF74802-8E5B-44EA-880E-8E128A06A113}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{AF57A6F0-4101-11D3-88F6-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{AF57A6F1-4101-11D3-88F6-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{AFED5DD0-0694-11D4-A934-00105A088FAC}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{B0D1DB92-DE05-4926-A5DC-01F3F9857587}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{B12A5014-0AA8-451A-B621-F717998B0B53}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{B310295D-E006-4E5A-9CBE-FA7C092F2FC3}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{B4D3EAE5-8A3A-4376-8B65-6A81293EDB1D}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{B964AF40-4AB7-11D3-A908-00105A088FAC}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{BA24E1DA-9E87-4502-9AF0-B5DDFA6D6B23}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{BD307C4E-6FC9-40FB-B15E-BEC6851EF52C}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{BE0B3F76-166A-4DA5-A97C-318595E3D15C}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{BE6115A1-7DE5-48DC-AD2A-25060E00FCE2}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{C4143914-2238-40F8-A74C-67C4B8ACB27A}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{C4AAC3B1-C547-11D3-B289-00C04F59FBE9}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{C8D5B971-D521-4113-82D6-869817B452DE}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{CC096170-E2CB-11D2-80C8-00104B1F6CEA}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{D2A3A842-FBA3-49D4-8806-7734716364A2}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{D4FF39B9-1A05-11D3-8896-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{D4FF39BB-1A05-11D3-8896-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{DAB9BF17-267D-11D3-88B6-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{DBBBE57D-A05D-43EC-8408-ED3EAA713963}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{DED5FEEC-225A-11D3-88AA-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{E1B9357F-24B9-11D3-88B2-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{E3CD7A86-04E4-4B47-88E8-3EE03A3DEE56}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{ECBE1E54-3649-4287-9888-D9FB133CAE0D}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{F4817E4B-04B6-11D3-8862-00C04F72F303}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{F8CB9A40-3665-4D33-B239-32CA4C7B8DEA}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Interface\{FEBEC920-1849-11D3-A8FE-00105A088FAC}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Setup.Player
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Setup.Player.2K2
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\TypeLib\{94636247-BC39-4B8B-A728-2D1FBEBFA76A}
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\TypeLib\{BC44B51D-1A01-4B50-92F2-E7D736F75DA8}
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\comScore Networks, Inc.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Code Store Database\Distribution Units\{35B7E48B-9D81-4C6C-9578-5FD4F620D886}
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SystemCertificates\ROOT\
Certificates\A32C2B8361CA79FB7DCD14CBDA793D0DF855991C
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SystemCertificates\ROOT\
Certificates\F8D953700E84F3945390C81A1A3BF929C8A29EB7
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
ModuleUsage\C:/WINDOWS/Downloaded Program Files/setup.exe
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
Uninstall\{a71b1608-0de3-445d-afc1-16cc74422a9e}
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Enum\Root\LEGACY_RASMAN\0000\Control
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Enum\Root\LEGACY_TAPISRV\0000\Control
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\Root\
LEGACY_RASMAN\0000\Control
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\Root\
LEGACY_TAPISRV\0000\Control

Values Added

Over 600 registry entries were added.

Network Impact

Possible performance impact due to delays relaying data through the Marketscore proxy network.

Removal Instructions

Instructions on Enabling/Disabling Detection and Removal of Potentially Unwanted Programs

Gift Ideas

2008-12-08T10:18:00.001-05:00

Every year I post my Holiday Gift List. These are things that are sure to please any guy who has an interest in technology. Sorry ladies, I still have trouble coming up with good technology presents for women. However, the iPod's or the Flat Panel HDTV's might be appropriate. Guys, whatever you do don't buy her an iRobot. Unless you want a very cold shoulder. That is a present for YOU since your place always needs vacuuming. My ex-wife said it best guys "nothing that plugs in for a present that shows you really care. Try the jewelry store instead of the computer store. Unless she is truly excited by plug-in devices".

Nexxtech Ultimate Portable Speaker $19.99 at Circuit City. I love this thing. I use it for my car radio so I can play my iPod on the road. It's small and has a really big sound. It hooks up to every device imagineable. I had to buy it when I saw it so don't send me one for Christmas ;o)

iRobot Roomba $119.96 at Circuit City is an incredible robotic vacuum cleaner.

Vonage Digital Phone System Wiring solution for your entire house. With Rebate it pays you 1 cent ($149.99 purchase price). Need I say more ;o)

Vonage wireless router $34.99 with $70 rebate pays you $35.01. Really what are you waiting for?

Vonage Digital phone System costs $69.99 and gives a $70 rebate pays you 1 cent again!!!!

Laptop Coolers $34.99-$39.99 shows you care. For those overheating laptops that you can't really use on your lap unless you want to feel singed.

Kill A Watt and Kill A WattEZ by P3 International $49.99 monitor your electrical equipment and find where your power is going. This helps point out where all your electrical power is going.

iPod Shuffles and other mini-MP3 players are now as low as $47.99

19" LCD HDTV Flat Panels are going for as low as $299. I live in NYC so I'm always looking for more compact TVs. No room for the wall of TV.

26" LCD HDTV Flat Panels are going for as low as $499. I'm tempted this year.

After Turkey Day Recipes

2008-11-29T12:27:00.003-05:00

Okay, I'm a big lover of re-using all of the Thanksgiving Dinner components as sandwiches and leftovers but also the Turkey Soup and the Turkey Pot Pie are of primary importance to me as well. Here are the recipes I'm using this year...

Alton Brown from Food Network has a video
http://www.foodnetwork.com/videos/turkey-soup/27749.html

However I like the written recipes and less of the add-ins and more of the actual dinner ingredients so I'm going with this one...

This looks yummy
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/michael-chiarello/next-day-turkey-soup-recipe/index.html

Here's the Turkey Pot Pie I'm making this year...
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/turkey-pot-pie-recipe/index.html

Happy Thanksgiving!

CD Question! HELP

2008-11-24T12:04:00.003-05:00

On Fri, Nov 21, 2008 at 6:08 PM, claire wrote:

Hi Ed,

I'm having trouble trying to get software for printing CD labels. Avery won't downloadthe software for labels18160 which I bought. I guess because I don't have Office: microsoft word, excel snd etc.

I would like to be abel to print CD labels ( have the templates). I need step by step instructions and

software. thanks Claire

Answer: I was in a seminar all weekend. I would recommend using avery or memorex labels for CDs. For printing you can download OpenOffice ir StarOffice for free. Once you load them open up their writer program and choose File->New-> Labels from the top menubar. For download locations check out this site http://FreeSoftwareSecrets.com. Their free report gives you information about downloading both office products.

Free Software Is Everywhere

2008-11-14T11:11:00.003-05:00

I've been following a blog now for a few weeks. It's FreeSoftwareSecrets.blogspot.com. Whoever this person is has been posting some great software on their blog that has no end-user cost. You should definitely check this out for some great free software ideas.

"Borrowing" Wireless Routers

2008-11-14T10:07:00.003-05:00

Laura asked: Can other people tell if you're using their wireless network?

Ed answered: Yes

Laura replied: Well, those bastards! Can they see into my computer when I'm on their network?

Ed Smit wrote: Only if you're shared and have no password.

Laura: Say, I don't understand. If I sneak on someone else's network from my'puter, does that give them access to me? I'm not shared; they're just some dope who didn't password-protect their network. See what I mean?

Ed: Only if you're a big enough dope to not have a password on your computer and you've shared folders on it.

Laura: yes, I have a password but I only have to use it to update software, etc. Not every time I turn it on. Is that safe?

Ed: You just have it automatically logging in when you start up. The password is there you just don't have it set to ask every time. You can see this setting under the apple menu under preferences in the user info.

Uninstalling Office 97

2008-11-11T13:30:00.006-05:00

On Mon, Nov 10, 2008 at 10:55 PM Claire wrote:

Question: I'm trying to uninstall office 97.I downloaded eraser97.exe but it does'nt work. Nobody helps me. How do I do it?

Answer:

To uninstall any software from your PC...

Click on Start
Click on Control Panel (if you have Windows 2000 click on Settings first)
In the Control Panel select Add/Remove Programs
Scroll down the list of programs until you see the software you want to remove
Click on the name of software (in your case it should say Microsoft Office 97)
Click on the button that says remove
Follow the on screen instructions to remove all of the program

Once that step is complete you can then reboot your computer and remove the directory where Office was stored.
Double Click on the My Computer icon
Double Click on the C: drive
Double Click on the Program Files folder
Find the Microsoft Office folder
Right click on it and choose Delete

If you still have residual program info in your system after those two steps you might try a registry cleaning program to get rid of extra entries on your system.

Hope this helps,
Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net
For more answers to your computer questions check out my blog at JustAskEd.blogspot.com

Follow up:
Thanks Ed for answering! I've tried your way several times but it does'nt work. When I click on
remove it asks to insert the #1 disc which I don't have and it won't do anything. I've tried google,
yahoo, microsoft etc. of those three I've been told to download eraser97.exe, this i've done but it does'nt do anything to erase the program.

Thanks! Claire ps I'm 85 yrs old with very little memory left.Thanks again

My Reply:
Try this utility http://www.easy-uninstall.com/. You need to download the program to your computer. Open the .exe that you download and install the program. Once it is installed it will automatically run and choose Force Uninstall if the regular Uninstall doesn't work. If that doesn't work try the Special Uninstall. Last thing to try is Clear It.

Let me know if this works for you. It's a $35 dollar shareware that has an expiration date but it should work for 30 days for free.

Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net
For more answers to your computer questions check out JustAskEd.blogspot.com

P.S. This one is definitely free http://www.revouninstaller.com/revo_uninstaller_free_download.html I tested it on one of my PCs and it worked great. You should try the Advanced Option for removing the software if you don't have the original CDs.

Claire's Reply:
THANKS ED!!!!This one worked!!!Office 97 is
now off in the sky someplace. Thanks ever so Much...Claire

Email Garbage

2008-11-09T23:22:00.002-05:00

On Sun Nov 9 10:45pm, Phil asked:
Question: some of my emails are unreadable garbage letters how do i solve this problem? thanks

Answer: Some emails come thru looking like garbage because they come from China, Russia or some other country that uses a different alphabet. When that happens you can download the language pack for that country and try reading the email then. A lot of SPAM is coming out of these countries so it looks like garbage in the email program and most of the time, it is.

Just a side note, you shouldn't click on these emails unless you know the sender because it could be virus filled email as well. At least make sure you have your virus protection up to date before you open them.

Hope this helps,
Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net
For more answers to your computer questions check out my blog at JustAskEd.blogspot.com

Slow Computer Problem

2008-11-06T22:11:00.002-05:00

Question submitted by peggy on Thursday, November 6, 2008 at 00:09:53
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question: my computer is slow and shuts down

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Answer: Join the club Peggy ;o)

I have noticed that seems to be the trend in user questions these days. Most users think that they can use their computer indefinitely without doing any maintenance and it will always work the same. Unfortunately, because of updates to software (such as windows, java, flash, adobe) your computer over time will begin to slow down just from the updates. The only cure for this is increasing your RAM by adding a memory chip into your computer

Another thing that slows down a computer is spyware. If you go to my blog and lookup articles on Spybot http://JustAskEd.blogspot.com. One of those articles gives download info Download Spybot-Search and Destroy here. This helps with 80% of the users I've helped complaining of a slow computer.

Viruses can also slow down a computer so you should check that your virus protection is current and working. If you don't have good virus protection you can download AVG Anti-Virus and install that to check for viruses and protect your system.

If you're still having problems it could be a hardware problem. Computers can have malfunctions. You can check your maufacturers site for warranty information and repair services.

Hope this helps,
Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net
For more answers to your computer questions check out http://JustAskEd.blogspot.com

Office 2007 File to Convert

2008-11-05T20:23:00.002-05:00

Question from Arlette submitted Wednesday, November 05, 2008 6:04 PM

Subject: The File to Convert

I'm proud of myself for knowing when to contact you, but I still have to work on doing it sooner than taking 1/2 a day trying to get something to work that I know nothing about. ERRR...I'll learn sooner or later. I have a Word 2007 file that I need to convert. How do I do that if I have Word 2000. Thank you!!!

ps. I tried to open it, and it was gobbly-gook. I hope I didn't mess up the file. If so, I have another copy on a zip drive. Let me know.

Arlette

ANSWER:

Here is a link to the converter for Office 2007 files....

http://www.microsoft..com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=941b3470-3ae9-4aee-8f43-c6bb74cd1466&displaylang=en

Once you download and install the converter you must open word and choose File Open. At the bottom of the file window is a drop-down menu that says "Files of Type". Choose that drop-down arrow on the right side of the box and scroll through the list until you come to the Word 2007 choice (it says "Word 2007 Document (*.docx)"). Switch to the folder where the file is stored and click on the file and click Open. This will convert the file. Make sure you save it as a real Word document after by choosing File, Save As and choosing the Word Document file type from the same drop-down list. You have now avoided paying Microsoft for another useless upgrade to a software that hasn't truly been improved since Word 97.

Happy typing,

Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net
For more answers to your computer questions go to JustAskEd.blogspot.com

Charging Battery

2008-10-27T21:18:00.002-04:00

Question submitted by kathleen on Monday, October 27, 2008 at 02:28:43
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question: When charging how do I know when it is fully charged.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Answer: Well kathleen that is the mystery of this decade. There is usually an indicator that tells you if you are fully charged but they usually lie. On Windows PCs the indicator is down in the right hand corner next to the time. It usually looks like a little battery when you unplug your laptop from the power cord and if you move your mouse onto the icon it will tell you if you're fully charged or just partially charged. MacBooks and other Mac laptops have an indicator up on the top of the main desktop on the upper right.

If you don't see an indicator then you have to delve into the Control Panel on a PC laptop. One of the options in the Control Panel is Power Options. In this control panel you can check out your battery charge and an "estimate" of how long it will last. Usually, it's a guesstimate that isn't very accurate. I've had the meter tell me I'm at 30% of the battery and then suddenly shutdown because it decided the battery was drained. On a Mac you can look in the System Preferences for the Power controls.

With newer PCs and MacBooks they are coming out with longer lasting batteries that claim 6 hour battery life. The best I've been able to get out of my older laptops is about 2 hours (if I'm lucky).

I hope that points you in the right direction.

Ed Smit

Questions@JustAskEd.net

For more answers to your Computer Questions check out JustAskEd.blogspot.com

HP OFFICE 6210 ALL IN ONE

2008-10-23T18:04:00.003-04:00

Question submitted by salvatore on Thursday, October 23, 2008 at 00:07:41

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question: HOW DO I REMOVE OLD PRINTER DRIVER NOT ABLE TO ITEMS APPEARING ON COMPUTER .THANK YOU

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Answer: If you are using a PC you go into the Control Panel and choose Add/Remove Programs and remove the printer drivers from the list.

If it is a Mac you delete the printer from the Printer Manager that is located in your Applications folder under Utilities (unless it's Tiger and then you

have to go into System Preferences and Printers to remove you printer.

Outlook Express not working

2008-10-18T14:03:00.004-04:00

Question submitted by Nanette on Saturday, October 18, 2008 at 00:14:31
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question: My outlook express is telling me server can't be found

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Answer: This means that your internet connection is either not working correctly or your settings in outlook express are not correct. This could be caused by Spyware or a Virus or an ISP switch. First download Spybot - Search and Destroy and scan your computer. If that doesn't help check with your ISP. Sometimes, if you have an Internet Service Provider (ISP) that changes servers they send an email telling you they will be changing your settings. This can also cause email to not pull correctly. If the problem persists I would contact whoever is hosting your email and ask them if they've changed anything for your account. If they haven't then I would check with your internet connection provider. There could be a problem with your connection to the internet.

Hope all this helps.

Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net
For more answers to your computer questions check JustAskEd.blogspot.com

Acer Aspire L3600

2008-10-15T13:09:00.004-04:00

Question submitted by sarah on Wednesday, October 15, 2008 at 00:47:25
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question: hi just wondering does the acer aspire L3600 come with a DVD burner drive coz we just bought one thought it did but cant seen to get windows media player and windows dvd burner to recognise it

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Answer: Unfortunately Acer is one of the worst brands to deal with. When I looked at their site they don't even list your model to check the specs. The best I can say is look at the cover of the Drive and see if it says DVD anywhere on it. It might only be a DVD player and a CD-RW. That's the cheapest kind of drive that you usually get these days and that would fit Acer's MO. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but Acer Laptops are selling that cheap because their components are cheap and often faulty. I hope you bought an extended warranty with that one.

Good luck,

Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net
For more info about all your computer questions check out JustAskEd.blogspot.com

Password Fiasco

2008-10-10T17:34:00.004-04:00

Question submitted by Angela on 10/10/08 5:22 PM

Question: fiasco

I changed my password on my computer and can't remember it.

(It never occurred to me to leave both fields blank when changing it--the
computer belonged to a small business in another life so was password
protected.)

Any thoughts? My brother suggested Trinity Rescue Kit but it looks very
scary, like I might blow up my computer at work.

Answer: What operating system are you using? If it's XP or 2000, usually you can boot up your computer in safe mode and reset the password. Hold F8 when you turn on your computer use the arrow keys on the keyboard to hightlight Safe Mode and Hit the Enter key. If it asks for a username type Administrator and leave the password blank. This should startup and you can go into the control panel and change your user password if it comes up.

Good luck,
Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net
For more answers to your computer questions go to JustAskEd.Blogspot.com

Rebooting windows HP

2008-10-06T12:11:00.003-04:00

Question submitted by michelle on Sunday, September 28, 2008 at 00:31:49
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question: my computer is running very slow and it's not excepting any commands when requested to go on any sites and i would like to start my computer from the very begining when i had first purhase windows hp

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Answer:
HP has a wonderful recovery system that works most of the time for reclaiming your original factory settings. Make sure you backup all of your data before doing this because it can destroy data.

When you first boot up your system a message flashes on your screen to hit several F-keys for different options. You want to choose the F -key for Recovery. This lets you start from scratch on your computer. There are usually two choices when starting over. One just replaces your operating system and tries not to destroy your data (this helps 80% of the time). If you're really having trouble you should choose the advanced option of formatting your hard drive and reinstalling fresh (this is a sure fire way to clean up a system that has corruption in the operating system from a virus or other annoyances). If this doesn't work then you have a problem with your hardware and it needs to be serviced.

Good Luck,

Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net
For more answers to you questions check out JustAskEd.Blogspot.com

DVD/CD-ROM drive

2008-09-02T20:29:00.004-04:00

Question submitted by Stephanie on Saturday, August 30, 2008 at 00:50:44

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question: My cd-rom drives cannot read any disc. When I insert disc it tells me please insert disc or there is no disc. My 1 and only driver is MITSUMI CR-4804TE. In device manager it states its working properly but no other evidence to back that up that I have seen. I have been working on this for days, PLEASE HELP ME!!!!!! Thx Steph

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Answer: There could be a spyware or virus problem on your system that is causing the drivers to malfunction or a software incompatibility (I even read that AVG virus scan has a known problem with some cd-devices that causes them to malfunction).

However, usually when the CD drives stop working there is a hardware failure on the drive itself. I would try a replacement drive in one of the bays if your system is clean. A new CD-RW drive is about $30-40 and is pretty easy to install in a desktop. If you're talking about a laptop you can try an external drive for a little more (the external would also work on the desktop as well if you have an available USB port). When hardware goes it sometimes doesn't report errors correctly to the motherboard so windows can't detect a problem.

Happy burning!

Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net
for more answers to your computer questions go to JustAskEd.Blogspot.com

Address book loss

2008-08-27T15:17:00.004-04:00

Question submitted by
Ed Smith on Wednesday, August 27, 2008 at 05:17:23
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question: After switching from 98 se to xp I lost my address book and all my pictures . Is there any way to recover these items ?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Answer: Windows 98 had a different file structure than Windows XP. You're old files should be on the C: Drive in a My Documents folder. This is different than clicking on the My Documents on the Windows XP desktop. To find your lost files double click on My Computer, Double Click on C: and look for My Pictures and My Documents in the root directory. Your old files should be in those folders. (I'm making an assumption that you did a software upgrade to your old PC to make it run XP.)

Happy Hunting!
Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net
for more answers to computer questions go to JustAskEd.blogspot.com

What a Nasty Virus CNN Top 10 Stories Spam Virus

2008-08-20T20:50:00.006-04:00

I have been spending way to much time cleaning off a virus that is spread through email and starts sending spam from your computer when it gets infected. It's hard to protect against unless you just don't open the email that says it's from CNN. The email is very convincing so beware. I have not been having any luck with standard virus protection or spyware protection with this one yet. However, if you do get infected you can manually clean it off by following these directions. Please, if you don't already own virus protection get AVG and save yourself the pain.

Find and Stop CNN.com Daily Top 10 Processes:
c:\WINDOWS\system32\CbEvtSvc.exe
c:\WINDOWS\system32\pphcjkrj0etfg.exe
c:\WINDOWS\system32\lphcjkrj0etfg.exe
c:\Program Files\rhcnkrj0etfg\rhcnkrj0etfg.exe
c:\Program Files\rhcnkrj0etfg\Uninstall.exe

Find and Unregister CNN.com Daily Top 10 DLL Files:
c:\Program Files\rhcnkrj0etfg\MFC71ENU.DLL
c:\Program Files\rhcnkrj0etfg\MFC71.dll
c:\Program Files\rhcnkrj0etfg\msvcp71.dll
c:\Program Files\rhcnkrj0etfg\msvcr71.dll

Find and Remove CNN.com Daily Top 10 registry values:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\rhcnkrj0etfg
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Sysinternals\Bluescreen Screen Saver
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\rhcnkrj0etfg
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\CbEvtSvc
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\54c70b2e
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Enum\Root\LEGACY_CBEVTSVC
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\Root\LEGACY_CBEVTSVC
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\CbEvtSvc
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\54c70b2e
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run "lphcjkrj0etfg"
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run "SMrhcnkrj0etfg"
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System "NoDispScrSavPage"
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System "NoDispBackgroundPage"

Find and Delete CNN.com Daily Top 10 Files:
c:\WINDOWS\system32\CbEvtSvc.exe
c:\WINDOWS\system32\blphcjkrj0etfg.scr
c:\WINDOWS\system32\pphcjkrj0etfg.exe
c:\WINDOWS\system32\lphcjkrj0etfg.exe
c:\WINDOWS\system32\phcjkrj0etfg.bmp
c:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\54c70b2e.sys
c:\Program Files\rhcnkrj0etfg
c:\Program Files\rhcnkrj0etfg\rhcnkrj0etfg.exe
c:\Program Files\rhcnkrj0etfg\rhcnkrj0etfg.exe.local
c:\Program Files\rhcnkrj0etfg\Uninstall.exe
c:\Program Files\rhcnkrj0etfg\database.dat
c:\Program Files\rhcnkrj0etfg\MFC71ENU.DLL
c:\Program Files\rhcnkrj0etfg\MFC71.dll
c:\Program Files\rhcnkrj0etfg\msvcp71.dll
c:\Program Files\rhcnkrj0etfg\msvcr71.dll
c:\Program Files\rhcnkrj0etfg\license.txt
c:\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Application Data\rhcnkrj0etfg
c:\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Application Data\rhcnkrj0etfg\Quarantine
c:\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Application Data\rhcnkrj0etfg\Quarantine\Autorun
c:\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Application Data\rhcnkrj0etfg\Quarantine\Autorun\HKLM
c:\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Application Data\rhcnkrj0etfg\Quarantine\Autorun\HKLM\RunOnce
c:\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Application Data\rhcnkrj0etfg\Quarantine\Autorun\HKCU
c:\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Application Data\rhcnkrj0etfg\Quarantine\Autorun\HKCU\RunOnce
c:\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Application Data\rhcnkrj0etfg\Quarantine\Autorun\StartMenuCurrentUser
c:\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Application Data\rhcnkrj0etfg\Quarantine\Autorun\StartMenuAllUsers
c:\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Application Data\rhcnkrj0etfg\Quarantine\BrowserObjects
c:\Documents and Settings\LocalService\Application Data\rhcnkrj0etfg\Quarantine\Packages
c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Desktop\Antivirus XP 2008.lnk
c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Antivirus XP 2008
c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Antivirus XP 2008.lnk
c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Antivirus XP 2008\Antivirus XP 2008.lnk
c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Antivirus XP 2008\Register Antivirus XP 2008.lnk
c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Antivirus XP 2008\How to Register Antivirus XP 2008.lnk
c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Antivirus XP 2008\License Agreement.lnk
c:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Antivirus XP 2008\Uninstall.lnk

If these instructions don't make sense to you. I have found that Spybot - Search and Destroy has helped remove most of the problem. Download Spybot, clean your system, then delete all of the files from your computer in the last list titled "Find and Delete CNN.com Daily Top 10 Files:"

You can find Spybot at...Click Here

If you don't have any virus protection you can get real virus protection here...
AVG

Quicktime Error 46

2008-07-25T20:29:00.003-04:00

Question submitted by Corrine on Friday, July 25, 2008 at 00:13:59
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question: Why is my itunes telling me that quicktime failed to initialize (error 2096) and quicktime tells me could not load or find the quicktime active x control?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Answer: You need to first try removing and reinstalling Quicktime from a fresh download on the apple website. If that doesn't work try removing both iTunes and Quicktime and downloading new versions. If that doesn't work try installing an older version from a site called oldapps (look it up on google). Still not working, I offer online support and phone support.

Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net
646-373-8640

migrating netscape bookmarks

2008-07-02T21:43:00.002-04:00

Question submitted by Arthur on Tuesday, July 1, 2008 at 12:50:44
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question: How do I migrate Netscape 8.1 bookmarks (& other settings?) to a new installation on my notebook?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Answer: In the Manage Bookmarks menu there is usually a way to Export the Bookmarks. It creates a file that you can transport to your other computer as an email attachment or on a USB memory stick, CD or other transfer method.

WOW! An IBM wheelwriter 3500

2008-06-18T14:33:00.001-04:00

Submitted by antoinette on Wednesday, June 18, 2008 at 11:58:28
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question: how do i save text to print it on several documents?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Answer: Wow! I haven't seen a wheelwriter in 20 years. If it has a display screen there were commands listed under help for saving and printing. Usually if there is an F1 key on the keyboard this activates the help feature and F10 usually saves files. Also, you might find a manual on IBM's website ibm.com. It might take a little digging through their archives. I honestly didn't think there were any wheelwriters still in service.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

change to default icon

2008-06-04T12:19:00.002-04:00

On 6/2/08, Eileen wrote:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question: Every icon goes to windows media player. Even windows explorer and the internet. How do I get my original icons back so I can play games and get into my documents?
Thanks

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Answer: There are a lot of complaints about Windows Media Player on
the Internet. Did you recently upgrade it or your virus protection?
Try uninstalling Windows Media Player to see if the icons switch back
to normal (Start/Control Panel/Add/Remove Programs/Remove) and use
iTunes or something else a little less buggy for your media. If you're
trying to download library media then you can't do it without some
version of WMP but try an older version than the one you currently
have. Also, check to make sure that your virus protection is current
and up to date. If it isn't, correct that right away. There are
viruses that take control of your icons and do strange things with
them.

Everun & HSDPA

2008-05-20T17:16:00.000-04:00

Question from Mark on Monday, May 12, 2008 at 07:28:36
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Question: Where can I order an Everun that has the integrated HSDPA? Its not clear to me from most of the websites that sell it if the unit comes integrated with HSDPA already. Thanks! -mark
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answer:
It looks like it will someday have HSDPA from the RAON site।
http://www.raondigital.com/fnt_english/ev03.asp

They say Future Support for HSDPA for your Car Docking station but
nothing about current support for it. Here's the text from the site.

Future Support:
Docking station (Fast battery charger, VGA out, Audio out, Optical
SPDIF, CVBS and SVHS TV output, 3 USB Hub, 10/100 EtherNet)
Docking station for Car
Wireless WAN: integrated HSDPA modem or WiBro (WiMAX)- Optional model

Have you talked with these resellers yet?

Dynamism Tel : 800-711-6277
AirGator Tel : 914-666-5656
BuildYourUMPC Tel : +1(866) 535-8813

They are listed on the RAON site as resellers of the device in the
USA. Raon only lists WiFi and Bluetooth options on the Specs Sheet.

Looks like the technology is ahead of the connectivity but it looks
like a fun bit of technology if they get the bugs out. Personally,
I'm still using a Pocket PC from Sprint and having no trouble with
bandwidth or surfing on their network.

Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net

Screen colors

2008-03-14T14:09:00.001-04:00

G5 Screen Colors Have Gone Negative

From: Mark
Date: Mar 14, 2008 10:17 AM
Subject: Screen colors
To: Questions@JustAskEd.net

Below is the result of your feedback form. It was submitted by
Mark on Friday, March 14, 2008 at 11:17:09
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question: The colors on the screen of my I Mac G5 spontaneously switched to negative. How can I get them back to normal?

Answer: Check the connection of the video card to the monitor. There might be a bent pin inside the connection or you might have a short. Also check the card itself inside the G5 it might have gone bad or need to be reseated. If you want to check your display settings they are in the Apple menu under Preferences and Display but it doesn't sound like a simple display settings problem. It sounds like a connection or hardware problem.

Ed Smit
Questions@JustAskEd.net