Make your desktop pretty – Video Tip

The common theme being written about the new Windows Vista is that it is pretty. And yes, it is pretty. If you are like me, you may not care how your computer looks, but how it performs. But even I get tired of looking at the same old folder and program icons day after day. If you would like to spruce up your desktop a little, you can trade out some of the icons with new ones. To do this, follow these steps on any shortcut...

Getting the Mail Button back in IE7 – Revise...

When you upgrade to IE7 you will notice a total change in the interface. One of the big changes is a lack of menu bar and many of the old buttons. If you are in the habit of clicking on the little envelope in Internet Explorer to get into your email, you will quickly see that the little envelope is gone. Here's how to get it back: 1. Right-click on the bar where the buttons should be 2. Choose Customize Command Bar 3....

Internet Options – Are you paying too much? ...

In today's group, we discussed the plethora of options available to most computer users for Internet access. As part of the discussion, we looked at 'bundled packages' of Internet, phone, and TV from cable and phone companies. If the presentation isn't playing already, click the Read More option at the end of this article. ...

Remove or uninstall U3 Software from a flash drive

Many USB flash drives come pre-installed with software called U3. U3 is a small operating system that allows U3 enabled flash drives to run applications (like web browsers, email programs, password managers, and more) straight from the USB flash drive. The advantage is that you can use these applications on any computer with a USB port.  However, if you don't have a need to have these "portable" applications...

Screen saver using your own pictures

Windows Me had a similar screen saver option, but Windows XP made the feature even better. Since many computer users take lots of digital pictures, why not put those pictures on display as your screen saver. Here's how in Windows XP (Windows 98 users see end of this tip): RIGHT Click one time on a blank part of your desktop Click Properties Click the Screen Saver tab Click the drop-down arrow next to the name of the...

Delete only one entry from Internet Explorer Addre...

The address bar in Internet Explorer (or any web browser) allows you to type in known web sites and visit them quickly. Sometimes you might want to clean out individual entries from the address bar or history, but this isn't possible in Internet Explorer unless you edit the registry. Watch the video below to learn how to perform this delicate Windows tweak. The video has a surprise ending to make this process a whole lot...

Email Preview Button in Outlook Express – Vi...

This tip evaded me for many years, but now you can benefit from its use. The tip works in any versions of Windows including Windows Vista's Windows Mail. When asked how to delete a message without opening it in Microsoft Outlook Express, I traditionally answered by directing the computer user to the View menu (See Tip #156). This works, but if you want to turn the Preview back on you have to go through the same number of...

Change Windows Vista’s Theme

Windows Vista is here and we can't change that so let's learn how to work with it. Much of the new Windows is visual eye candy. The new visual layout will intimidate many users and certainly get in the way of using the computer as we once did. To get around the initial shock of this different looking Windows, I recommend changing the theme to make it look a little more familiar. RIGHT Click the Desktop Click...

Is your computer ready for Windows Vista? Do you c...

We are less than a week away from the consumer launch of Windows Vista…the next generation of Microsoft's operating system that runs on 95% of the world's computer. Do you need the upgrade? The short answer is "NO". Will you have a choice if you buy a new computer? No, unless you choose to buy an Apple computer. Is the new Windows Vista that much better than Windows XP? No. In fact there are very...

Downloading programs is like buying a program pack...

My analogies are usually pretty bad and often more confusing than the original idea that I'm trying to explain. However, I think that I have come up with an analogy for downloading and installing files that might make a few light bulbs go off above computer users' heads. Let me know if this makes sense to you: Install from CD Install from Internet (download) Buy computer program packagefrom retail...

Opening WordPerfect documents

WordPerfect used to dominate the computer word processors. However, it is not as popular today, but occasionally you may receive an attachment in WordPerfect format and need to open it. To do so, you need a WordPerfect viewer program. Here are two: Microsoft's Word and WordPerfect document viewer (free) Quick View Plus (30 day trial)   The other option is to have the sender save the document as a RTF (Rich Text...

How to detect keyloggers

Keyloggers are viruses (or can be hardware in an office situation) that log everything you enter into your computer…including passwords, user names, and account numbers. Don't take this problem lightly as it can lead to identity theft. Keyloggers are rare and if you run proper security software (search security on our site), you are not at risk. However, if you suspect a keylogger, use one of these tools to detect...

Windows Defender Startup Error

I have already received multiple emails and calls about a Windows Defender (Microsoft's anti-spyware program) error. The error looks something like this: "Application failed to materialize: 0x800106ba. A problem caused Windows Defender Service to stop.To start the service, restart computer or search Help & Support on how to tart service Manually." This is a result of the beta (still experimental) versions...

Create a new toolbar in Windows – Video Tip

Desktop icons are great to access commonly used programs and files, but I have found an even faster way to access those commonly used programs and keep my desktop a little cleaner at the same time. After following the outlined steps below, you will have an orderly toolbar that contains easy one-click access to your favorite programs or files: RIGHT Click on your Taskbar (next to the Start button) Click...

Picasa Picture Manager Video Tip – Part 2

In Part 1 of our Picasa Video tip , we discussed how to use many of the editing and organizing tools available in Picasa. In this tip, you will learn about: Transferring your digital camera photos to your computer with Picasa Selecting photos from multiple folders Creating a web album Printing your photos Ordering prints from your photos and more! Click the Read More option below to start the video if it has not already...