Extricating Spyware

Article updated: July 2010 In 2004, spyware/adware became the #1 threat to personal computers. For a definition of spyware, visit Webopedia. Getting rid of spyware has reached a point that it takes an expert, or a lot of persistence, to really get rid of it totally. Following is a list of steps that we frequently take to completely restore a compromised computer. Depending on the level of problems, we may omit some steps,...

Have your Mac start a program when you start the c...

If you are a Mac user and want a program to start automatically, follow these steps: Click the Apple from the upper left hand corner Click System Preferences Click Accounts in the System section Click your user name Click the Login Items button. Click the “Add (+)” button underneath the listed items Find the program you want to automatically start at bootup, and double-click it Close all your open windows ...

Thwarted by online poker

Today marked my second Linux/Ubuntu casualty in almost 2 dozen attempts. As I’ve learned more about Ubuntu the past couple of years, I carefully selected clients who would have little problems dealing with a non-Microsoft operating system. You may have read my take on Ubuntu usage for the average computer user before, but here it is again to setup the rest of the story: I believe that any computer users who uses only...

Printer Troubleshooting 101

Lately, I’ve run across many printer problems so I’m going to share with you my formula for approaching a printer problem. Shut off computer Shut off printer Check cable from printer to computer and make sure it is securely plugged in on both sides Check cable from printer to power source and make they plugged in well. Turn the printer on and wait for it to go through all of its startup activities (wait until...

Remove .NET Framework and solve Quickbooks startup...

Microsoft Framework .NET consists of a set of tools that allow programmers to tap into some web related technologies for creating rich, interactive applications for our computers and web sites. Unfortunately, it sometimes causes problems as well. This week alone, I helped 3 Quickbooks users overcome problems with their programs hanging or failing to start by uninstalling and reinstalling the .NET Framework. Unfortunately,...

7 Great places to start learning

Not long ago, a commenter on the web site suggested we put up some links to our some of our best and most visited tips. I thought it was a great idea, and here are seven that I came up with. If you have your own favorite or most helpful HelpMeRick.com tips, please share them with everyone by leaving a comment below. Cut, Copy, and Paste -  I believe that this invaluable skill should be a computer prerequisite Print just...

Photoshop Elements 6 is out – Yawn.

Adobe released a new version of Photoshop Elements this week. I haven’t read everything about it, but looking over the "What’s New" section on the website it appears that there is little to get excited about. The new features and upgrades fall in four main catagories, organize, edit, create and share. These four catagories can be narrowed to two, useful and arts-and-craftsy. On the useful side, Adobe...

Demand compensation from Microsoft

If I was independently wealthy, I would give discounts to customers with Windows Vista. Alas, I am not independently wealthy and my business supports my family, so I charge for time I spend in a client’s office or home. One customer , today, could have saved 30-40% off their bill had they bought one of the few remaining laptops with Windows XP. This brand new Toshiba laptop with only 1 GB of RAM (half of the minimum...

Set a startup password for Microsoft Outlook

Some computer users who work in an office or on a PC with other roomates or kids would like to password protect their email, calendar, contacts, etc in Microsoft Outlook. Until today, I didn’t know how to do that. As you know, when I learn something new, I pass it on to you. Remember, this tip is for OUTLOOK users NOT Outlook Express users: Start Microsoft Outlook RIGHT Click the Outlook Today icon on the left or the...

Open Office Outlining Solution

Greg called in and is using the OpenOffice Word Processor (Writer) and had a problem with outlining. Here are two links to read up on possible solutions or post the question at these forums: Disabling AutoFormat Load styles at startup  ...

512mb is not enough

512mb of RAM is not enough for Windows Vista…any flavor. Vista has been out almost three months now, and I have setup almost a dozen Vista machines. Thankfully, they are rolling out slowly. All the machines I setup, until today, came with 1 GB (1024mb) or 2GB of RAM. And although not blazing, the computer's ran at an acceptable speed. I just finished spending nearly 2.5 hours setting up a laptop with Vista Basic and...

The powerful and easy to use msconfig – Vide...

Msconfig (a.k.a. Microsoft Configuration Utility) allows us to tweak a little extra speed from our boot ups and increase the available memory to our systems. You can find this utility by clicking on Start –> Programs –> Accessories –> System Tooks –> System Information. Once there, click Tools from the menus and then Configuration Utility. However, the fastest way to get to it is to: 1. Click on Start...

Faster Internet does not equal faster computer

A common misconception I run across often is that getting a faster Internet connection will make the computer faster. The Internet is just one of many functions a computer performs. Whether you connect via a phone line, DSL, or cable has absolutely NO bearing on how quickly the computer boots up or opens a particular program. A faster Internet connection will allow you to receive large email attachments faster, surf the web...

Searchable List of Startup Items found in MSCONFIG

I just found one of the easier, searchable lists of items that can be found in the Startup tab of MSCONFIG. The site also lists whether or not it can be or should be removed from your startup. Click here to visit the site.

Open Multiple Home Pages with Mozilla Firefox OR I...

Now that Internet Explorer has caught up (sort of) with modern browsers, I wanted to point out yet another function of tabbed browsing (click here for the popular and informative tabbed browsing tip ). If you like to check multiple sites every day or maybe use your browsing sessions for research, let your browser do some of the work for you by opening multiple pages at the same time. Mozilla Firefox Open the first page you...