Application Tips

How to download, install & configure AVG Free 9.0 – Video Tip

AVG released version 9 of their free antivirus/antispyware product a couple of weeks ago. You may have started to see notifications from them that you need to update before December 1. Typically, they provide a deadline, but previous versions work for a number of months after the deadline.

After using the new version for awhile, it appears they did make it faster and improve the scanning speeds as well.

If you currently use a previous version of AVG, there is no need to uninstall the old version before proceeding with this one. The installation process will simply upgrade your old version.

If, however, you currently use any other antivirus product, you need to uninstall it before proceeding with this installation.

Here’s how to complete the installation: Continue reading →

Application Tips — 6 Comments
31
Oct 09

Type first. Edit last.

photo credit: mpclemens

Most of us 40+ learned how to type letters and documents using a typewriter.

Word processing reigns as then new king of document creation, and most typewriters are relegated to attics, back rooms and antique shops.

However, the majority of computer users use their word processors (MS Word, Word Perfect, etc) like a typewriter.

The first rule to remember when using a word processor is to forget your typewriting rules.

When we sat down to our typewriters to create a document (whether a simple letter to Mom or a 100 page novelette), we had to have a clear picture in our head of what the document should look like. Otherwise, crumpled typing paper dominated our floors!

With word processing, the most efficient way to create a document is to Continue reading →

Application Tips / Internet Tips — 4 Comments
23
Oct 09

Password Mania

photo credit: Mirko Macari

We are bringing this tip out of the archives because remembering passwords and having strong passwords is more important than ever with increased identity theft and the increased amount of business we conduct over the web.

I have accumulated nearly ninety user names and passwords for various email services, web sites, banking sites, etc. Without my password tracking software, I wouldn’t be able to remember them all or, I would be using the same user name and password for every instance (an extremely dangerous practice). You can use software solutions to securely save passwords on your computer or Continue reading →

Application Tips / Windows Tips — 2 Comments
10
Oct 09

Installing Microsoft Security Essentials – Video Tip

Today, I downloaded, updated, configured and installed Microsoft’s new, free security product: Microsoft Security Essentials. It provides a significant upgrade in protection and usability over their previous offerings. In fact, the setup and administration is extremely straight forward. From the reviews and tests that I’ve read, it appears to protect PCs (Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7) quite well and doesn’t slow the computer down by being bloated like so many other security products on the market.

I will be testing it out over the next month or so and report back my findings, but for now, I continue to recommend AVG and Avast. If you are already using either of those products, stay with them. If you are using almost anything else, you can certainly give your computer a performance boost by Continue reading →

Application Tips / General Computer Tips — 2 Comments
9
Oct 09

Print Preview

Sometimes the most helpful computer utilities elude us and stay hidden for years. One such utility that I find very helpful (and have taken for granted) is the Print Preview function found in almost any program that allows printing.

Because Windows and Macintosh made the WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) environment available to the masses, what we see on our screens is pretty close to what we see on our print outs. However, if you need to tweak margins, find the extra line that is creating an extra page, or determine whether a document (like a spreadsheet) will look better in Landscape or Portrait mode, there is no substitute for the Continue reading →

Application Tips — No Comments
28
Sep 09

Print Your Own Manual

photo credit: World Bank Photo Collection

To save on printing, shipping and packaging costs, many software and hardware companies no longer provide printed manuals. One of the top complaints I hear from computer users is; “I wish there was a manual.” Instead of printed manuals, many manufacturers use online manuals or Adobe Acrobat files on the item CD to house their manuals.

Often times these manuals contain great information, but can be hard to thumb through on your computer screen. My Canon camera came with a 250 page manual in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format on the CD. Instead of battling with the online version, I took the CD down to a local printer and had them print and bind it in small format. The total cost was under $25, and now I have a Continue reading →

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26
Aug 09

How to change time of AVG scan schedule

If you install AVG and use all the default settings, you will find that the AVG wants to scan your computer every day at either 8:00am or 12:00pm (noon). Because the complete system scan can take up to an hour or more to complete (depending on the number of files on your computer), it can be extremely inconvenient to have the scan slow your computer down when you are trying to work on it.

You can stop the scan if you need full power from your computer by RIGHT clicking the AVG scan icon by your clock, then click Stop All Scans or you can change the schedule to a more convenient time. Here’s how to change the schedule of the AVG daily scan Continue reading →

Application Tips — No Comments
23
Aug 09

How to use CCleaner – Advanced Video Tip

I produced a video last week demonstrating how to use the basic functions of CCleaner. This week, I wanted to show some of the lesser known features of the CCleaner program. Like any add-on utility program, you must be very careful when using some of its advanced or custom functions. The same is true in this case.

WARNING: Use some of the advanced functions of this program at your own risk. Without proper caution and use of some of these features, you can render your computer useless. Again, proceed at your own risk.

With my disclaimer clearly spelled out, here is Continue reading →

Application Tips — No Comments
10
Aug 09

How to use CCleaner – Beginners Edition Video Tip

For many years, I have recommended using the CCleaner disk cleanup utility for Windows. It does a more thorough job and is faster than the Windows cleanup utility built-in to all versions of Windows. In this short video, I demonstate how to get started with CCleaner. I may delve deeper into the product in a future video.

Application Tips — 4 Comments
20
Jul 09

Creating Tables in Microsoft Word – Part II – Video Tip

In Part I of my “Creating Tables” tip, I discussed what a table was, how to create them, and some basics on how to customize them. In Part II of the tip, I discuss how to use reverse text, cell coloring, sorting, formulas and create a form all with tables.

Continue reading →