First iPhone setup

I helped setup an iPhone for the first time today. Here is a quick summary of my findings: Pros Amazingly easy setup on the Windows XP machine we installed it on. No disks or CD’s ship with the iPhone at all. The only requirement is that you have the latest version of iTunes installed. The activation and installation were SIMPLE…the way all installations should be. Nice form factor. Felt like a large candy...

Learning a new computer

I have spent more than 10 years helping computer users get the most out of their computers. Without hesitation, I can say that the biggest obstacle any computer user encounters is change (which is precisely why I can’t figure out what Microsoft was thinking with Vista and Office 2007). One of the most common services I provide computer users is setting up new systems. No matter how much I try and duplicate the old...

I made a bold statement on Saturday

Well, it was bold for me anyway. I stated (and Adam should have the audio up soon for the exact quote) that computer users who have not learned how to Copy and Paste should unplug their computers are put them on the curb for someone else to pickup.  The statement seems a little extreme and at the time, it was meant for a giggle in the context of the show. However, the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. The...

Use copy and paste to enter long passwords

One technique I use to enter long, complex passwords (which we should all be using) is to open Notepad from the Accessories menu and type the password there. Since we only see the asterisks (*) when we enter passwords, it can be extremely difficult to accurately type in some passwords with mixed case, numbers and other characters. The problem doubles when we have to enter a password two times in a row. Here's how I use...

Copy Shortcut for a program to other Windows’...

Caller, Marvin, needed to have a program he installed in his user account be available to his wife and daughter. Here's the solution: 1. Make sure that when installing a program if the program gives you the option to install to just you or all users, choose All Users. 2.  IF, that doesn't bring up the icon to the other users, RIGHT click and choose Copy on the program's icon, then Click My Computer, double-click...

Solution for computer that can’t change desk...

This solution WILL fix your problem, but don’t run away afterwards and forget about us. HelpMeRick.com contains hundreds of tips (and video tips) that YOU can use as a reference for yourself and especially as a reference to send links to your friends/family so you don’t have to write out or explain the steps yourself! I ran into this problem earlier this week and found the solution. The customer could not change...

Amazing Photoshop Elements: Layers

Everyone always seems mystified by Photoshop's layers features. While layers are very complex, I believe that they are often viewed as being more complicated than they actually are. A layer is simply a picture or transparent layer placed on top of another picture. Think of it as placing clear plastic wrap on top of a photo. By creating a layer, you prevent any damage or change to the base photo. Here is a quick list of...

Amazing Photoshop Elements: Toolbox

The Amazing Photoshop Elements Toolbox There are so many wonderful things you can do with Photoshop Elements. You will find many of our tips in our notes from previous meetings. Photoshop Elements Part I Photoshop Elements Part II Photoshop Elements Part III This time we will spend most of our time discussing the Magical Photoshop Elements Toolbox. There are three kinds of tools in the Toolbox: Hover your mouse over any area...

Norton may slow computers down

ALERT!! Today I saw a client with a slow computer. I removed Norton Antivirus and the computer instantly regained the speed of its youth. Later in the day I saw another client with a slow computer. I removed Norton Antivirus and the computer instantly regained the speed of its youth. There seems to be a trend here because over the past two years I have seen dozens of computers with slowness problems. After removing Norton...

Sometimes it’s easier to just start over

I saw three problems today that, in one form or another, the best solution was to just start over. My first client was having trouble printing one specific Excel file. All of his other Excel files worked fine, but this one particular file would not print. He could open it and view it and even change it, but it would only print blank sheets of paper. Rather than try to figure out where the culprit formula or cell was, I...

Holiday Greeting Cards

Holiday Greeting Cards Using the techniques discussed this month you can create a stand-alone post card style greeting card, or make the photos on the front or inside of your greeting cards much more personalized. Although the card above does not look that much like one you would send out for the Holidays, it uses several important effects and techniques that are only limited by your creativity. In class I sold a...

Photoshop Elements Part III

Adobe Photoshop Elements Part III Layers: What is a Layer? Put simply, a layer is an image stacked on top of another image. A new layer is formed any time you paste or type. You can also manually create a new layer by going to LAYER -> NEW -> LAYER in the menu at the top of your screen. Where are My Layers? You can see your layers by going to Window -> Layers. Use techniques discussed in part I of our Elements...

Lose the ads in the Netscape Messenger (email) Pre...

Here is how to get rid of those email ads from Netscape: 1. Click on Start –> Find –> Files or folders  2. Type: *prefs.js in the "find" box  3. Make sure the Look in box says My Computer  4. Click Find now  5. The search should yield at least two files (depends on how many profiles you have set up in Netscape)  6. RIGHT click on each of the files and click...

Drag and Drop

Over the past few weeks, we discussed the usefulness of cut, copy and paste. Another great skill to have at your disposal is “drag and drop”. With very few exceptions, drag and drop requires your mouse. To drag and drop an object, click and hold the left mouse button on the file, object, or text and then move (drag) the mouse to its destination. It is the same exact maneuver computer users use every day to play...

Cleaning up Headers in Email

This tip was prompted by an email from Jean. She, like many other people, is frustrated with email header information and wanted to learn how to print email without all the headers. This technique will work no matter what email program you are using. The only way to get rid of headers when printing is to follow this procedure: 1. Start your Email session as normal 2. Keep your email open, but now Click on...