Posts Tagged: address book

Internet Tips / Riding Shotgun with Adam — No Comments
3
Apr 08

Avery website offers great way to make labels easily

There are certain tasks that you would expect to be done simply on a computer. At the top of this list is making labels.

In my opinion the number of label making programs on the market should rival the number of digital photography or antivirus programs on the market.

For some mysterious reason, there are hardly any good label programs out there. They are either too simple and limited in features or they are too complex and require dozens of steps that are far from intuitive.

Envelopes and mailing labels are fairly simple to make with the use of Greetings List Plus. But that program only works for making address labels from an address book that must be carefully compiled or imported.

Not all labels are mailing labels. There are file labels, large sticker labels, envelope labels, etc. For these, I discovered a great tool online. Avery Design and Print Online is a very simple, yet easy to use program for creating almost any style of label you might need.

In addition to being able to create simple labels from scratch, Avery also lets you choose to only fill in certain labels on the page. In other words, if you have printed labels on labels 1-4, the next time you can print labels 5-10. This allows you to print one label at a time or many labels at once.

The only real draw back, and it is kind of a big one, is that you must fill in each label individually and can not import lists of any kind. Creating a sheet of identical labels is very simple though using a checkbox.

 

General Computer Tips / Riding Shotgun with Rick — 1 Comment
25
Feb 08

Using your backups

This weekend, an emailer asked the question of how to use the backups that we describe on our site. An excellent question I’m sure others have had as well.

Over the years, I laid out step-by-step methods for backing up your email address book, favorites/bookmarks, and even your email. To use these backups, simply use the “Import” function to bring them back into a new installation of a program or even a new computer.

  • For Bookmarks or Favorites; use the Import function found in the File menu in Internet Explorer or the Import function in the organize bookmarks section of Firefox
  • For Address Books; open the address book you want to import into, then click File –> Import
  • For email;  use the File –> Import –> Messages in Outlook Express, or the File –> Import in Microsoft Outlook.

Great question and make sure to keep backing up your files on a regular basis!

Riding Shotgun with Rick — No Comments
1
Feb 08

Incredible deal on a fast computer

I installed a new computer for a customer yesterday that turned out to be the easiest setup I’ve done in quite a few years (with the exception of Apple setups). He bought the computer, ZT Affinity, from OfficeMax’s web site for $399. It comes with 1 GB RAM, 320 GB Hard drive, fast processor (albeit the previous generation Pentium D), Windows XP Professional, built-in memory card reader, keyboard, optical mouse, a one year warranty, and NOTHING else.

As impressive as the price is for the specs of this machine, I was most impressed with the nothing else part.

This machine was the fastest computer I’ve seen in years…literally. In the past year, I setup some $2000 plus Dell computers with the latest in hardware, and they didn’t boot or perform like this $400 computer.

I installed AVG Anti-virus, Windows Defender, Foxit Reader, his copy of Microsoft Office ‘97, setup his printer (minimum install of course), configured his email and imported his address book and left his home in just over an hour. Typically, I’m just about finished taking all the trial ware and other garbage off a new machine in that amount of time.

He was surprised that I made such a big deal about the speed of this machine, but it was a pleasant surprise in today’s environment of bloated software and slow performing machines. He promised to keep me informed on how well this computer keeps performing for him, and of course I will pass that information on to you.

Email Tips — 6 Comments
20
Dec 07

Backup Your Email Address Book – Video Tip

You can back up your address book very simply to a floppy disk or USB Flash drive and the heartache it has the potential to prevent far outweighs the thirty seconds it takes to complete the task. Follow these steps depending on the program you use:

 Outlook Express Windows Mail Users

  1. Insert USB Flash Drive
  2. Start Outlook Express 
  3. Click the Address Book icon from the toolbar.
  4. Click File –> Export –> Other Address Book from the menus
  5. Choose the Text (CSV) option
  6. Click Next
  7. Click in the Save In box and choose your flash drive
  8. Type “address book backup” in the File name box
  9. Click Save
  10. Click OK after backup completes
  11. Pull out your disk, label it and keep it someplace safe

Windows Mail Users(Vista)

  1. Insert USB Flash Drive
  2. Start Windows Mail
  3. Click File –> Export –> Windows Contacts from the menus
  4. Choose CSV option
  5. Click Export
  6. Click in the Browse button and choose your flash drive
  7. Type “address book backup” in the File name box
  8. Click Save
  9. Click Next
  10. Put a checkmark in the First and Last Name fields
  11. Click Finish
  12. Click OK after backup completes
  13. Pull out your disk, label it and keep it someplace safe

Thunderbird Users

  1. Insert a USB Flash Drive
  2. Start Thunderbird
  3. Click Window –> Address book from the menus
  4. Click File –> Export
  5. Click in the Save In box and choose your flash drive
  6. Type “address book backup” in the File name box
  7. Click Save
  8. Pull out the disk, label it and keep it someplace safe

 

AOL Users

Version less than 6.0, Start AOL, open the address book, insert a floppy or USB flash drive and use the “Save/Replace” button to save your address book.

Versions greater than 6.0 do not have the option of saving to a floppy because the address book is actually saved on AOL’s computers.

Juno Users

Refer to the instructions at Juno’s web site for details if you are using Juno 5.0 or earlier. Juno Platinum users can retrieve email in Outlook Express and use the instructions above.

Hardware Tips / Riding Shotgun with Rick — No Comments
5
Sep 07

Are you still using floppy disks?

I worked with three customers today who all used floppy disks as their main backup. All three users had Windows XP machines, but felt that floppy disks fit their needs the best. The picture I took here was from a consultant’s desk…there must be 20 floppies in that box. I explained to all these folks how simple, efficient and spacious a USB Flash drive could be for them. Whether they ‘bite’ or not only time will tell.

In my humble opinion, there is no good use for floppy disk any longer unless you happen to be using a DOS or Windows 95 machine. Flash drives are too inexpensive, reliable and easy to use not be using them. This weekend, I saw 2 GB (that’s nearly 2000 floppy disks worth of space) USB Flash Drives on sale for less than $20!

USB Flash Drives work best for backing up data that changes often. Data like Quicken, Quickbooks, email files, address books, bookmarks/favorites, word processing or spreadsheet documents all are perfect candidates. I don’t recommend using them to backup static data like pictuers and music. As cheap as USB Flash Drives are getting, they still aren’t anywhere near as cheap as DVD and CD media.

Hardware Tips — No Comments
23
Aug 07

Install a new DVD Burner – Video Tip

Regular visitors to our site and listeners to our show know that we continually talk about the importance of backing up your computer. Many computer users rely on external hard drives these days for their primary backup. And, yes, external hard drives are quick and convenient, but because they are hard drives and subject to electrical or mechanical failure, I still highly recommend that all computer users backup their most precious data (pictures, address books, documents, etc) on external media like a DVD+R.

DVD+R media prices have dropped dramatically over the past few years and dual-layer DVD burners that can read and write any CD or DVD media cost less than $75 and sometimes under $50. Do yourself a favor, install a new DVD burner in your system if you don’t already have one. The increased capacity and peace-of-mind of DVD backup puts you well ahead of computer users who have to fret if something goes wrong with their computer.

OK, the particulars are out of the way, watch this short video demonstrating how to install a DVD burner (or any optical drive).

Riding Shotgun with Rick — No Comments
14
Aug 07

Backup – Again

I will keep bringing this topic up again and again until every visitor to HelpMeRick.com makes a regular habit of backing up their valuable data. Already this week I have received three calls from computer users who lost valuable data due to a computer crash. In addition to the calls, I received another four or five emails from computer users in the same situation.

I know backup is monotonous, but it is also vital to protecting your digital information. For more than ten years I have written and soap boxed about backup and provided many tips on how to best approach this misunderstood and often forgotten computer skill. Establishing a backup routine is not difficult and once it is up and running is painless to maintain.

Click on this link to read some of the many articles we have written about backup to learn how to backup your pictures, email, address book, important documents, bookmarks (favorites) and more. Don’t get caught without a backup should your computer stop working!

Riding Shotgun with Adam — 2 Comments
13
Jul 07

The mysterious expanding Outlook Express book!

I received an email this week from someone who had a mysterious address book problem.

Their Outlook Express address book had tons of email address for people they didn’t know. Pretty scary. If you are an Outlook Express user, you may want to take a look at your own address book, it is likely happening to you too.

There are two possible explanations for this.

1. Address book Gnomes. These weird little bearded men with pointy hats creep into your home late at night and add strangers to your address book using magical powers.

2. You have the “Automatically put people I replay to in my Address Book” box checked in Outlook Express.

What’s nice is that the solution for either problem is fairly simple.

If you fear you have gnomes, contact any big game hunter you know and borrow a 16 pound steel grizzly bear trap. Make sure it is at least 40 inches long and weighs no less than 42 pounds.

Address book gnomes are short, but they are very fat – and strong. While the gnomes are fun to trap and mighty good on eat’n, the odds are far better that you have the wrong box checked in Outlook Express – you can still borrow the trap if you want, but you won’t need it for this solution.

1. Open Outlook Express

2. Click on Tools->Options

3. Click on the Send tab.

4. Uncheck the box that says, “Automatically put people I replay to in my Address Book.”

5. Click Apply and OK.

While the mysterious address are not to people you sent email to, you likely have replied to an email that was sent out to more than one person. Sometimes this can cause all of the addressees to appear in your address book.

Computer User Group — No Comments
11
Jul 07

All Q&A Session – July 2007

I don’t do it too often, but this month I decided to hold an all Q&A (2 hours) user group meeting. It truly is amazing how many questions 30 or 40 ravenous computer users can generate. Sometimes one question leads to another, and an entire “topic” can take up a half hour. You have to be at one of the meetings to truly experience the type of knowledge and information that gets shared and explored. Some of today’s topics included:

  1. Creating a “Life Poster” from digital photos with Shutterfly’s software (hint to Adam for future topic)
  2. Installing and using Ubuntu (the embers are smoking)
  3. Why Picasa DOES NOT CONTAIN ANY PHOTOS and where to find a photo’s true location
  4. Sorting your email address book
  5. Creating, modifying, and deleting Microsoft Word templates
  6. Printing problems
  7. Keyboard shortcuts for closing windows or programs (Alt + F4)
  8. Web 2.0 questions (carry over from last month’s topic)
  9. Setting download speed preferences for watching videos in Real Player, QuickTime or Windows Media Player
  10. What is Active X and why you might need it or use it.
  11. Transferring and viewing photos on the road without a laptop
  12. Showing the “address bar” in Windows Explorer windows
  13. MSCONFIG – deciphering what to uncheck and what not to check
  14. Defrag – Does it cure all computer woes? (Hint:  NO) I revealed that with my last computer (which I used for more than four years), I can only remember defragmenting my computer twice…and that computer is still running strong for a neighbor who also never defrag’s on my advice.
  15. Installing Windows XP on a new computer that came with Vista
  16. FREE Internet phone calls – Skype, Skype phones at Radio Shack
  17. Are Uninterubtable Power Systems (UPS) a good idea
  18. Securing a wi-fi network
  19. Using an older computer on a wi-fi network
  20. Is AVG better than AdAware (hint: they fight different bad guys)
  21. Drawing lines on a graph made on graph paper with horizontal, vertical and 45 degree grid lines
  22. Backup questions
  23. How to clear the address bar in the browser window
  24. Downloading pictures to Picasa
  25. Creating Picasa web albums
  26. Emailing photos from Picasa
  27. Breakdown of pricing of Ubuntu systems sold at Dell
  28. Instant messaging programs – Trillian (communicates with all systems), AIM, Yahoo Messenger, Google Talk
  29. Creating a CD in Picasa
  30. Woot!

These are just the main questions that I could think of, but aren’t you kicking yourself now for not coming to the meeting?!

Email Tips — No Comments
23
Jun 07

Check Your Email When Away from Home

When we vacation, checking our snail mail is either left up to a house sitter or a neighbor. However, email is something we don't usually delegate to these fine folks who keep track of our snail mail and newspapers. Did you know that you can check your email from almost anywhere in the world?

It's true and this week's tip shows you how to do it. All email is sent not to you, but first to your provider. They don't read it, but it sits on their computers until you retrieve it, thus allowing you to check it remotely. While you are away from your home computer on vacation, the mail sits and accumulates on the provider's computer. You can check in on your email by logging into your provider's web site from any computer that has Internet access and read and write email.

For example, if you are an AOL user, go to www.aol.com and click on their little mail box icon to log in and check your email. Earthlink, NetZero, Juno and all the large broadband companies offer the exact same service. If you use a local provider like ACSOL or Frontier, go to their respective pages and click on Web Mail to log in and check your email.

Two things you absolutely need when checking your email remotely are your username and password. If you don't know them, you can't use this technique. Contact your provider for more info. Also, your address book will not appear on web mail, so either print your address book or take your favorites with you.

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