Open Office – The FREE Office Alternative

Microsoft Office has dominated the office space (spreadsheet, word processor, presentation creation, etc). Over the recent few years, Open Office has made huge strides. Backed by Sun Microsystems and now Google as well among others, this suite of office products is poised to take off. Open Office includes a word processor, spreadsheet, presentation manager, database program, and graphics program. The download is huge and...

Powerpoint Viewer – Opening PPS email attach...

When someone sends you an email attachment with a .pps extension. You need to download and install the PowerPoint viewer. It is a free program and it will let you view Microsoft PowerPoint sideshows…which is what a PPS file is.

Remove Bios Password

There are two solutions to this: Solution 1: Try some of the backdoor passwords that are often built into the BIOS following the setups on this site. Solution 2: Turn off and unplug the computer Open the computer and look for a flat "watch" battery on the mother board Remove this battery. You may have to gently pry it out using a small tool. Plug your computer in and turn it on without the better. Turn your...

Removing Outlook Profiles

Remove an Outlook e-mail profile   Open the Mail Setup dialog box. In Microsoft Windows XP   In Control Panel, double-click User Accounts, and then click Mail. Note:  If you are using Control Panel classic view, double-click Mail.   In Microsoft Windows 2000 In Control Panel, double-click Mail. Note:  The Mail module won’t appear unless you have Outlook installed and have run Outlook for...

Maximum length of a USB cable?

A standalone USB connection should not go further than 16.5 feet (5 meters). If you need it to be longer, try inserting a powered USB hub in the chain between the device and the computer. This would effectively double the length. If it is for a printer, you can also get a wireless print server which would allow you to go a maximum of 300 feet.

Split your video signal onto two monitors

There are two ways to hook two monitors up to your computer. 1. A dual monitor video card. These are very inexpensive – around $60. This is the best way to go since it will allow you to post the same image on both monitors or split the signal into two sections allowing your computer to work as a wide panorama. 2. A VGA splitter. This is simply a cable that will split your monitor signal onto two screens. This will only...

How to turn stuff off in the background

Go to START -> RUN -> type in msconfig Click on the STARTUP tab Uncheck items that you know you don’t need to start up every time your computer starts If you accidentally uncheck something important, don’t worry, you can just go back into msconfig and re-check these items

About Rick, Adam & the Show

The Castellini on Computers radio talk show hit the air in April 1999. Our idea was to create a talk show where anyone would feel comfortable asking questions about technology. While there are a number of computer and technology related talk shows on the radio, Castellini on Computers is the only show that centers around callers’ questions. We strive to keep the show focused on the everyday questions, concerns and...